Doblin, Circa 1801 merge into one company
By Carole Sloan -- Furniture Today, February 3, 2002
TYNGSBORO, Mass. — Doblin and Circa 1801 have been merged into a new entity, Circa 1801/Doblin, the high-end unit of the giant home furnishings textiles producer Joan Fabrics Corp.
Both companies are important suppliers of fabric to upscale upholstery makers.
Elkin McCallum, chairman of Joan Fabrics Corp., said, "When I bought Circa 1801 it was always my plan to bring these two entities under the leadership of John Lenox and Margaret Coffin."
Lenox and Coffin formerly were with Doblin, a Joan Fabrics Corp. unit, and left to help launch Circa 1801 in 1997. Lenox will be president and Coffin executive vice president of Circa 1801/Doblin, which is based in Connelly Springs, N.C.
Other units of Joan Fabrics Corp. are Mastercraft, Home Fabrics, Joan Fabrics and Main Street.
In July 2000, Bob McKinnon left CV Inds. to join Joan as president and chief operating officer. In February 2001, he became an equity partner with McCallum in Circa 1801 and served as president and chief executive officer of both Circa 1801 and Doblin. In December 2001, he stepped down and sold his interest in Circa 1801 to McCallum.
The combining of the two units "makes sense," McCallum said. "They're both chasing the same customer."
A number of personnel changes accompany the Circa/Doblin merger. Kathy Carr will no longer represent Doblin in the Northeast and will focus on the Home Fabrics division. Nick Chmil, Doblin's High Point sales representative, will relocate to the New York office and will handle the combined entity in the Northeast.
Brian Chmil and Bob Balitow will rep the merged company in the Southeast. Chicago-based Richard Zack and his team continue to represent all Joan divisions, including the new entity. Norman Zoroff continues to rep Mastercraft, Home and Joan Velvets on the West Coast, with Joe Brooks, who was Doblin's rep on the West Coast, adding Circa 1801.
Bruce Allen, executive vice president of design and merchandising for Doblin, moves to Mastercraft, where he will work on special design projects. He reports to Ray King, Mastercraft's executive vice president of sales and marketing.
| McCallum |
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