QUART ERLY - P.I. 31/07 /2019 Intern Spedizione in Abbon ationa l € 10, Chf amento Postale 10,50 , UK £ 7,50 - 70% - LO/MI Poste Italiane S.p.a.
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SL102Asymme
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tric Sanlorenzo
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CORAL ISSUE - n° 19 - 2019 - € 10
The Art of Sailing
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HIGH TECH W E AV E S
The world of Spradling fabrics is practically infinite in terms of colours, textures, research and innovation. No surprise therefore that its beautiful but durable products have garnered it some very high-profile nautical clients by Samuela Urbini
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Spradling collection fabrics are designed and engineered specifically for contract, nautical and automotive use. These sectors are all very demanding and are always on the lookout for trims that deliver new features
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or more than 50 years, Spradling has been offering its customers design solutions to enhance all kinds of
surfaces. As the world’s leading supplier of coated fabrics, it can meet the most diverse requests from the market, designing and engineering products specifically for the contract, nautical and car sectors, among others. The company has now grown in size to the extent that it is an international group employing 1,800 people and distributing its products to more than 75 countries worldwide. It has three strategic distribution centres – one in Germany, one in Spain and one in the United Kingdom – because quality and reliability are the two core values of the company’s approach to business. But the Spradling story began in a warehouse in
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[ BESPOKE ] Alexander Paulsen, Head of Sales for EMEA for Spradling’s Marine Division and, below, Luis Castaneda, Area Sales Manager EMEA. Spradling is an international group with a workforce of 1,800 and a presence in more than 75 different countries worldwide
Birmingham, Alabama in 1964. “Since then, Spradling International has grown significantly, working with various distribution services in the United States, Germany, Spain, the UK and Mexico”, explains Alexander Paulsen, Head of Sales EMEA in Spradling’s Marine Division. “Our wide nautical collection has been used on both pleasure and commercial vessels for many years. Indeed, we have long-standing partnerships with the world’s leading yards, including Jeanneau/Beneteau, Brunswick, Azimut-Benetti, Ferretti, Princess and Sunseeker, to name but a few, in our client portfolio”. But how did Spradling manage to become such a touchstone for the nautical world and beyond? It did so by focusing on a few carefully selected factors, the most important of which was the quality of its fabrics that meet the highest industry standards. Innovation was another factor – Spradling is constantly researching new technologies to help improve the performance of its coated fabrics to ensure they are completely problem-free and exceptionally long-lasting. Needless to say, the Group is constantly developing new products, colours and textures. “We recently launched Maglia, a vinyl fabric inspired by the famous Oxford fabric. It has the same weave and is almost indistinguishable from the original,” adds Luis Castaneda, Area Sales Manager EMEA. “It is made using an innovative printing process that combines translucent colour with a technique that layers metallic and non-metallic inks. It is perfect for covering interior and exterior surfaces on yachts. Our technicians not only managed to replicate the natural weave of Oxford fabric but they were also able to integrate natural flaws for a genuinely natural result. During the print phase, we also added in tiny incisions to make Maglia more tridimensional”.
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With an incredibly wide collection of coated fabrics, certified to withstand even the most adverse marine conditions and thus also ideal for outdoor use, Spradling has something to offer every style. The latest area it is expanding into is interiors for which it has created a great range of completely new designs to help deliver absolutely chic and sophisticated styling on the waves.
www.spradling.eu
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