Sattler to acquire Outdura fabric brand from Shuford Mills

Plans call for further expansion

Casual Living Staff -- Furniture Today, December 6, 2010

HUDSON, N.C. — Global performance textile company Sattler AG, based in Graz, Austria, has announced plans to acquire the Outdura outdoor fabrics brand from Shuford Mills. The acquisition will include the purchase of Shuford Mills' production operation and distribution center in Hudson, N.C.

"We have long admired the Outdura brand and the management team," said Herbert Pfeilstecher, CEO of Sattler. "We are very excited about the growth potential of the Outdura brand."

Manfred Heissenberger, executive director of sales and marketing of Global SDA sales at Sattler, added, "We believe Outdura's strength in the casual furniture and marine segments will complement our current focus on the sun shading segment."

All Shuford Mills' employees will be joining the new company. Natalie Scott, vice president of sales and marketing, casual furniture, and Jeff Jimison, vice president of marine and awning, will continue to lead Outdura brand growth in their respective segments.

"We are moving from one great family (the Shufords) to another (Sattler)," said C.P. Davis, CEO of Outdura. "Our core values align and we share strong and unmatched passion for serving our customers with high quality fabrics. Like Shuford Mills, Sattler is a multi-generation family company with a commitment to its employees and to the communities in which it operates. Our customers can expect Outdura to be even more capable to support their performance fabric needs in the future."

The planned acquisition will be finalized this month.

Davis said Outdura's designers and its more than 65 employees will continue their work and Sattler will continue to hire and expand.

"They're going to invest in this operation," Davis said. "As other companies have taken businesses offshore, what Sattler sees as a real value is our base of operation in Hudson. They plan to expand our operation in the next two to three years, not only the infrastructure but the actual physical facility."

In addition to its headquarters in Graz-Thondorf, Sattler has production plants in Rudersdorf, Austria, and Greven, Germany.

The Sattler Group ranks among the top European manufacturers of technical textiles, especially for outdoor use. As a supplier of sun protection fabrics, Sattler is involved in the planning and implementation of membrane constructions. Sattler's palette ranges from sun-shading products and high performance boat cover fabrics to tarpaulins for trucks and tents to digitally printable textiles for indoor and outdoor use in advertising and booth construction.

"We see opportunities with the resources they have, all the way from raw materials through marketing resources to expand our brand," Davis said. "We believe this is just great news to continue to fortify and get behind the momentum we've established."