Valley Forge eco-friendly fabrics not only for contract
By Susan M. Andrews -- Furniture Today, March 26, 2007
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — Fabric supplier Valley Forge Fabrics has developed a program called FRESH — Fabrics Redefining Environmental Standards for Hospitality — which it says is designed to create a benchmark for upscale design in environmentally friendly fabrics.
FRESH fabrics are made with synthetic yarns derived from post-industrial and post-consumer recycled products, and are recyclable when their useful days are over. Valley Forge even offers its customers a pickup and delivery service that will take the fabrics to a recycling facility at the end of their life cycle, as an alternative to traditional disposal in landfills.
Another added value is based in the more stringent requirements in contract fabrics. They must pass high abrasion standards, strict fire codes and lightfastness, not to mention the delivery requirements driven by large financial investments.
"Residential fabrics don't share this litany of requirements," said Ken Koneck, a member of the FRESH initiative team. "That's what makes these fabrics so special and unique. They meet all these requirements, they are beautiful, they are well-priced and, most of all, they are moving us toward leaving no footprint on our planet."
Diana Dobin, vice president of design and sales, said the fabrics "are all high-end designs in colors that make it easy ... to incorporate a green alternative. Users can have a positive impact on our quality of life without any adverse impact to their bottom line."
The FRESH collection will debut at the Hospitality Design Expo & Conference on May 9 in Las Vegas.
While the current program is aimed at contract, the fabrics also are available for residential use. The company is preparing a second wave of introductions, with designers including Celerie Kemble taking part. She is known in residential furnishings for her products at Laneventure and the faux leathers she designed for Valtekz, which is a division of Valley Forge.
