ORIENTAL WEAVERS: INNOVATES.(Oriental Weavers of America)(Brief Article)

FRESH STYLING, CHIC COLORATIONS AND CREATIVE CONSTRUCTIONS KEY TO SUCCESS FOR MACHINE-MADE RUG MAKER

DALTON, Ga.-- Design and product innovation have ignited sales growth in area and accent rugs, and Oriental Weavers of America has been a pioneer in developing new fashions for the floor.

"Our styling and colorations make us special in the marketplace," points out Paul D'huyvetter, senior vice president, Oriental Weavers. "We've been a leader in terms of fashion, because we start with color and design--these are the most important qualities of our products. The rug business is a fashion business, and it is becoming more fashion-driven all the time.

"We are style and market-driven, not price-point-driven," D'huyvetter continues. "We don't try to develop a line for a specific price point; we develop a beautiful, high-quality product, and then work backwards to the price."

Oriental Weavers focuses on the middle to high-end of the machine-made rug market, and is constantly developing interesting and original products. "We introduce new products on a monthly basis," D'huyvetter says. "We are constantly working to stay ahead of the trends. We have a reputation as a cutting-edge fashion supplier, and we work very hard to maintain that reputation."

Color and design permeates nearly every aspect of Oriental Weavers business, and D'huyvetter is quick to point out that it is a collaborative effort. "Everyone who works here gets involved in the design process, including myself, Steve Stultz, our vice president of sales and marketing, our regional sales vice presidents and our customers," he explains.

Founded in 1993, Oriental Weavers of America is a subsidiary of Oriental Weavers International, a major rug manufacturer based in Cairo, Egypt. "We have a wonderful group of creative and talented people in the design studio in Egypt, and we work very closely with them to develop new and interesting products," D'huyvetter notes, pointing to the company's new 12-color styles as an example. "We were one of the first machine-made manufacturers to introduce 12-color rugs," he says.