Share this on

Joan enters fabric joint venture in China

By Carole Sloan -- Furniture Today, April 27, 2003

Tyngsboro, Mass. — Joan Fabrics and The Cha Textile Group of Hong Kong have signed a letter of intent to form a joint venture company in mainland China for the manufacture of jacquard flat goods.

The products, primarily for the home furnishings market, will be made in China for distribution worldwide.

The project initially envisions finishing, cutting and sewing of home upholstery fabrics. As the project develops, it will lead to the production of woven greige goods in China.

Elkin McCallum, chairman and chief executive officer of Joan, said the joint venture "is another step in Joan's strategy to establish a manufacturing presence in the United States, Mexico and now in the Far East." Last year, Joan acquired Industrias Textel S.A. de C.V. in Tlaxcala, Mexico, a producer of woven jacquards.

Joan, the largest U.S. home furnishings fabric supplier, joins a growing cadre of American decorative fabric companies with Chinese relationships in production, marketing and distribution. Earlier this month, Culp announced a joint venture in China to produce yarns and fabrics, as well as finishing and cut-and-sew operations for global distribution.

Fabrics in the initial phase of the Joan joint venture will probably be produced in China, according to Brian Stamper, chief financial officer of Cha Technology Group in the United Kingdom. Production is expected to begin "almost immediately," he said. The joint venture's second phase will result in the building of a mill in China, Stamper added.

Madeline Wong, chairman of the management board of The Cha Group, which has manufacturing facilities in China, Hong Kong, Africa and Europe, said, "We are delighted to be joining Joan in what we expect to be a long and prosperous relationship."

Share this on

New ViewIT system can show designs in 3D

Apr 14, 2012

ViewIT to demo new 3D design system at High Point Market

Apr 5, 2012

American Woodcrafters likes Indonesian sourcing

Mar 7, 2012

Miles Talbott, Lefa Forming ML Brands

Sep 16, 2011

Miles Talbott, Lefa launch joint venture to create, sell product

Sep 7, 2011

Also by this author

Also by Carole Sloan

Featured Company

FurnitureCore.com

FurnitureCore.com is a dynamic web application aimed at the furniture industry. Retailers and manufacturers alike will find our deep reserve of tools to be exactly what their furniture business needs.www.furniturecore.com... more