Guardsman, Fenice team up on leather care line
Joan Gunin -- Furniture Today, November 10, 2003
Grand Rapids, Mich. — Leather care supplier Guardsman has teamed up with Italy-based Fenice to provide leather care solutions and protection to retailers and consumers.
Guardsman, a division of Valspar, will offer Fenice (pronounced "fen-nee-chay") Leather Care products to retailers.
"We wanted to align ourselves with someone who really understands leather," said Alan Roth, Guardsman general manager. While the Fenice product line is being substituted for Guardsman's current products, all packaging will reflect the labeling of both Guardsman and Fenice as of January, Roth said.
Fenice, whose slogan is "Loving Furniture," supplies chemicals to process leather hides to tanneries in the furniture, automobile, shoe and fashion accessory businesses. The company also produces several of the chemicals used in the tanning process.
"We work side-by-side with tannery professionals every day," said Giovanni Pisi, co-owner of Fenice. "We operate on site in the tanneries and consult with and provide product to tanneries worldwide."
Guardsman and Fenice said their new partnership will benefit from Fenice's daily contact with leather tanneries as it provides guidance, quality assurance and trend developments, while Guardsman's sales force and trainers work with furniture retailers, focusing on challenges faced by consumers who are unsure how to care for and protect their furniture investments.
"The bottom line is we both understand leather and we are committed to the customer," Roth said.
With exclusive distribution rights to North America, the United Kingdom and Australia, the product line is available only through furniture retailers. Future distribution, however, could expand to include such outlets as the Web, hardware stores or supermarkets, Roth said.
