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Matthew Crew, Managing Director, Beaumont Textiles
Crew Builds Beaumont Business
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ANCASHIRE, UK—When Matthew Crew became Managing Director of Beaumont Textiles in December 2019, he didn’t know Covid would hit the world market within 12 weeks’ time. “But Covid ended up being my best friend,” he says. The UK went into lockdown in March 2020 and “this created the opportunity to reset the business.” Mohammed Al-Guthmi, the Saudi based wholesaler bought Beaumont in May, 2017 and hired Crew to take it forward. Crew is now applying what he learned during his 16 years at Crowson which grew from $3 million to $50 million during his time there. “We have created a design capability at Beaumont as an editeur and converter,” Crew says. “I’ve been through four economic crises so the Pandemic didn’t panic me. While Beaumont turns only $4 million currently, Crew sees it growing into a $20 million business wiyhin seven years with 50 percent of the volume in overseas sales. “We’re looking for global partners,” he explains. He recently signed a Japanese partner, Ionia in Tokyo, owned by Norbaru Saito. “Each territory has a different way of doing business in terms of merchandise and presentation,” he says. He’s working with Alan Carnevale in the USA who is placing the Beaumont collection with key showrooms. “We can deliver cuts to the States within 72 hours through DHL,” Crew says. His next step is o launch a made-ups business with a one-week delivery service. “We have pared down our suppliers to just five making us a more important customer,” he adds. “We want to turn our inventory four times and offer our suppliers a good repeat business.” Crew is selling his line through 150 outlets in the UK, and he says it’s growing. He does six lines a year with 50 sku’s in each geared to the interior designer market. F&FI
by Eric Schneider
Rick Kilmer, CEO, Thibaut
Gianmarco Zamaroni Managing Director with 15th Century jacquard design
Thibaut Rapidly Expands Business
Italette’s Gianmarco Zamaroni
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IAMI BEACH—Rick Kilmer, the current CEO of Thibaut has apparently been very successful in putting new wheels on his bus! Since he joined Thibaut in June 2019 and the former CEO Bob Senior retired, the business has quadrupled to about $16 million. Kilmer previously said that 2020 was a record year breaking year; but the best is yet to be! Kilmer expects to quadruple the business one more time by 2025 according to one industry source. That will put the company in the $50-$60 million range making it a major player in U.S. fabric wholesaling. Thibaut, a wallcovering design company founded in 1886, has changed hands several times in the past six years, first with Champlain Capital about six years ago and then with Norwest Equity Partners based in Minneapolis three years ago. Norwest also owns Arteriors, an online home furnishings retailer. Norwest hired Kilmer three years ago from Holly Hunt, a designer showroom operation where he was President. Prior to that, he was President of Flor, a modular flooring company. Kilmer reinvented Thibaut showroom distribution, leaving a distribution partnership with Robert Allen behind. A new ERP system followed which helped to streamline the business which now includes private label furniture produced in a High Point factory in addition to the wallcovering and coordinated fabrics. Kilmer also moved the warehouse near Charlotte, NC. Surface Print, a UK wallcovering producer is one of the Thibaut suppliers. F&FI
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OMO—If you’ve been in the industry for a while, you most certainly know Gianfranco Zamaroni from his 35 years at the head of Fiorete, a company which ceased business in 2019. Zamaroni, who is President and CEO took his experience and started up another company named Italette. He is the controlling partner and majority shareholder but Vigano and Pingipo, a private equity company are the other two partners. Italette concentrates on the high-end decoration market in the 20€ plus range, especially jacquard and velvet. If you want to drool, look at his 150€ per meter cashmere velvet. “The business is growing,” he says. He expects to hit five million € in sales in 2022 and hopes to reach 10 million € in sales within five years. Above, he is shown with a 15th century heavy woven jacquard from his personal design archive. He also has developed a line of fabric wallcoverings which is a growing part of the market for companies like Arte. Zamaroni likes to combine different technologies like 3D as seen in the tile wallcoverings shown here. F&FI
Italette tile wallcoverings Summer 2022 • www.FandFI.com • 25