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RADG Appoints Interim Management Team; Cathie Shouldis Named President; Archbald and Sharkey On Her Team F&FI News Network
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IAMI BEACH, Fla. — RADG Holdings LLC has appointed an interim management team to run the newly acquired Robert Allen and Duralee fabric business. Cathie Shouldis has been appointed the president of the two brands. Shouldis comes out of the Costume Gallery and Art Stone business in Bristol, Pa. She was named the president of Costume Gallery in May 2018 and has a background in the retail apparel business. She helped Integrate
the acquired Art Stone company into one operation with Costume Gallery. She also says she executed a global sourcing strategy for both companies. Shouldis was unavailable for comment and no official announcement about her
Cathie Shouldis
appointment has been made but a company source confirmed the appointment. Costume Gallery and Holliston Mills are owned by holding companies controlled by Brant Enderle as is RADG Holdings LLC. Kevin
Kevin Archbald
Lorraine Sharkey
Archbald, director of sales for Holliston, has been named sales director for RADG. Lorraine Sharkey, also with Costume Gallery, is the newly named merchandising head of RADG. Controller of the new acquisition is Enderle’s daughter, Kayla. Vendors say they are shipping goods to RADG on a cash-only basis. Seasoned observers wonder how long this can continue since an infusion of capital is required into the new business and paying for goods in advance reduces its flexibility.
One of the major problems experienced by former RADG management had to do with two computer systems that were unable to communicate with each other. That situation still exists. RADG purchasing staff remains the same since this part of RADG remains intact. All other management personnel was terminated by Enderle on or about April 26, the time of the RADG acquisition. Tim Sunden, vice president of operations, left the company right after it was acquired. F&FI
Peak Tourism to Thailand Increases Hospitality Furnishings High-End Retail Sales Depends on Hospitality Segment Growth
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ANGKOK — Thailand attracts international tourists that keep new hotels being built on an on-going basis, while residential and corporate projects are steady. The Tourism Authority of Thailand predicts 40.3 million foreign visitors to the country in 2019/20, the highest tourist arrivals in the world. Charoen Decor International, Bangkok, one of the leading decorative furnishings retailers in the Asian region, completed 35 years. “Over three decades, we are engaged in renovating palace projects, decorating new palaces, and furnish high-end hotels [recently completed furnishing Waldorf Astoria, in Bangkok],” says CEO Sutharak Soonthornpusit at
Tan Trungkabunchar (Bon), Director Nitas Tessile Co. Ltd., Bangkok
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Charoen Décor International Co. LTD., Bangkok. Charoen represents leading European brands like Designers Guild, Nina Cambell, JAB, Armani Casa, Jane Churchill, Warwick, Studioart, among 20 other brands. Charoen has segmented its services into three groups: Hospitality & Residential, Hospital and corporate sector, Overseas Projects and Palaces. “We have professionals in design and managing execution of projects to ensure that world leading decorative products are used to imbibe top quality as well as high aesthetics”, she says. Currently, residential segment contributes 25 percent of their business followed by 40 percent from hospitality and palace projects, and the remaining from the other sectors. Charoen Décor has a 2,100-square-meter showroom spread over six floors. Three floors occupy the showroom space and is said to be one of the luxury high-end furnishings showrooms in South East Asia. “The economy is growing at about 4 percent annually and new hotels, refurbishments, and residential projects is continuous and keeps
our business expanding.” says Tan Trungkabunchar (Bon), director, Nitas Tessile Co Ltd, Bangkok. The ddistribution business is expanding but profit margins are diminishing, he added. The company has distributed upholstery fabric for 20 years and operates from 5,600-square-facility that is spread over seven floors. “Since four years business dynamics of furnishing fabrics has turned very competitive in specific to dim-out fabrics, which is a fast moving and a healthy cash flow is earned,” Bon says. However. our major imports are from China but are not smooth and face quality problems in terms of shade matching and peeling and Chinese take a long time to settle quality issues or they may not settle at all, he added. “China is not our first choice but is a compulsion to be competitive in the marketplace, but we have learnt to live with these quality issues but in the end profit margins diminish,” Bon says. The company largely imports curtain fabrics from China, upholstery and outdoor fabrics from U.S., Turkey, and Europe as well other Asian sources Bon says the company is
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now better equipped and have included wider width fabrics as well as hospitality supplies, which means business volumes are increasing steadily. “We have about 2,000 dealers in Thailand and we cater to over 500 dealers and daily shipping is promptly executed by 100 support staff,” he
says. “In particular we have noticed that in last three years, our buying prices are trending higher while selling prices are stagnant and at times lower,” says Bon. But he is hopeful that business will grow further as new hotel projects and refurbishments are on the rise. F&FI
Showroom-Charoen Décor
Sutharak Soonthornpusit, CEO Charoen Décor International Co. Ltd., Bangkok
Autumn 2019
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