Year in Review
Denny Rabineau, CEO, Mica, Inc., Los Angeles
How would you characterize business this past year? Tough, because the stores don’t really have the customers that they used to have. But, let me add that the stores I have sold, especially the specialty stores, have done better this year than in my 10 years in business, so the stores are happier with me than they’ve ever been.
What do you see on the horizon for 2001? I’m praying, but then again my best seasons are Spring/Summer and I think it’s going to be an up year. I voted for Gore, but I’m glad Bush is in because I think we need a change. I think enough nonsense went on during the Clinton administration. I’m glad he’s naming who he is naming to the Cabinet. We’re due for a change and I think this country wants it. I think anybody that made it through the year 2000 in my business, the manufacturers especially, are going to reap the rewards in 2001. I think a lot of people have either merged or closed down, making for more rack space for guys like me.
Raphael N. Javaheri, President, Ecotex, division of Milano Textiles Inc., Los Angeles
How would you characterize business this past year? It’s been a tough year but it’s been a good year. [There has been] a lot of mergers and acquisitions and [many companies] have gone out of business, but by working much harder and finding new resourcing [options] I was able to grow our business. There are fewer companies out there, the stores are trying to do direct sourcing, our customers are trying to do direct sourcing and sometimes the mills are trying to do direct business with the retailers. That’s one reason why we’ve been forced to open a new division that offers private-label garment programs for our customers. We’ve had that for the past year; we offered it to a few key customers. In 2001, we’re going to go full force after it. We moved [to a new location on South Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles] because [in] our old space we did not have enough room for growth. [We also added] our own in-house design studio [to] do customer pattern work, develop our own yarn dyes, our print work. We’re able to give [customers] samples and hand looms and we have a digital encad printer, [so] we don’t have to wait for strike-offs.
What do you see on the horizon for 2001? I think for next year and any other year [going] forward, as long as any company is able to be innovative and they have new ideas, new concepts, new products and they’re novel and they’re different, there’s always good business for them. We [are trying] to establish ourselves as a fashion house, not only in the Los Angeles area, we also serve New York, Dallas, Miami, Seattle. We have offices in Korea, Hong Kong and London. And we’re going to open a New York showroom in the next two months. You have to be global, you have to be fast, you have to be efficient, and most importantly, [you have to be] innovative.
Ike Zekaria, Vice president/general merchandise manager, Windsor Fashions, Los Angeles
How would you characterize this past year for Windsor? Looking back on the year for our company, there was a common theme that was consistent throughout: the emergence of a potent junior sportswear business.It began after a disappointing millennium, where the market was saturated with an overabundance of eveningwear. Although Windsor has built [its] brand as a dressy destination, we were looking to diversify by developing our junior sportswear business.By reacting quickly to trends and satisfying the year-round needs of the fickle junior customer, we were successful in getting their attention and ultimately building our sales. In all, 2000 represented a year where we made significant strides in diversifying our product mix in areas where our customer welcomed us warmly.
What do you see on the horizon for 2001? It has been said that 2001 will be a tough year for the buyer-vendor relationship. We believe differently. We believe that as the junior demographic continues to grow, so too will the relationships between buyers and vendors. This is especially true for us, since we will be refining our assortments and focusing in on key items. We believe that “speed to the market” and having our vendors turn goods quickly are factors that we will be relying on heavily in delving further into the junior market. In helping achieve this end, in spring 2001, Windsor will relocate the buying segment of our corporate offices to the California Mart.We anticipate that this will not only strengthen bonds with existing vendors, but also open the door to new relationships.
Larry Freedman, Kronfli Spundale Mills Inc., Vernon, Calif.
How would you characterize business this past year? Very tough year. Business conditions were tough, more of a factor than ever before. We’ve poised ourselves to be a big factor in the business and we have a brand-new state-of-the-art dye plant and we are expecting 2001 to be much better than 2000. Now that CBI came into effect, that might be something that we see [as] some growth for us. It’s still relatively new but we are getting some bites and have done some initial business. So basically the market conditions in the year 2000 were very tough. General market conditions with the retailers, imports always becoming more and more of a threat, we’ve seen that in the year 2000, much exceeding the year 1999, which was one of our banner years. And now the increase in gas [prices], that’s a looming threat to our business as well.
What do you see on the horizon for 2001? We’re very optimistic about the future. Ted Kronfli, the owner, has made a commitment to the business. When not too many people [in the industry] at this time devote that much effort and money into the money, he has. We’ve built these new facilities [last year]. We plan on being a factor going forward. We’ll do whatever needs to be done to make it happen.
David Oliver, President, Ames Ladieswear, Culver City, Calif.
How would you characterize business this past year? Good overall. There were a couple of blips during the year, probably a combination of gaps in the right merchandise at the right time and maybe a little bit consumer confidence. We had a slight dip in November, but for December we seem to be getting back on track. I think it was because of the [delayed] election [results]. I think people were just worried in general.
What do you see on the horizon for 2001? I want to feel it’s going to be positive [and] there’s every indication that it will be. Yet we’re keeping a cautious approach, keeping our belts tight and [taking a] wait-and-see [approach].
Stuart Weiser, CEO, Teddi, Rancho Dominguez, Calif.
How would you characterize business this past year? Business was good, however, it is more difficult to maintain margins as the stores continue to promote the way they are.
What do you see on the horizon for 2001? As far as my company is concerned, we are planning a modest growth and looking to secure the bottom line, more so than the top line.
