Croscill
Formerly | Croscill Inc./Croscill Acquisition LLC |
|---|---|
| Private | |
| ISIN | 🆔 |
| Industry | Textile |
| Founded 📆 | 1946 in New York City, New York, United States |
| Founder 👔 | |
| Headquarters 🏙️ | , New York City, New York , US |
Area served 🗺️ | United States |
| Products 📟 | Home textile: curtains, bedding, bathroom linens, bathroom accessories |
| Members | |
Number of employees | |
| 🌐 Website | croscill |
| 📇 Address | |
| 📞 telephone | |
Croscill , formerly known as Croscill Inc. and Croscill Acquisition LLC, is an American textile brand and trademark, which was also a textile company formerly based in New York City. The brand is noted for manufacturing curtains, bedding, bath, and window treatment products in the United States,[1] as well as for the total room concept.
The company was founded by brothers Abe and George Kahn in 1946.[2] After decades of ownership by members of the Kahn family,[1] Croscill was purchased by Patriarch Partners LLC in November 2008 through its new subsidiary, Croscill Acquisition LLC.[2]
The company owned the Royal Homes Fashions manufacturing plant in Durham, and two distribution centers, one in Oxford and one in Henderson.[1]
As of 2022, the Croscill trademark was in legal possession of another textile company E&E CO., LTD, with the headquarters located in Fremont, California.[3]
History
1946-1960: Foundation
Croscill's roots go back to 1924 when the Kahn family, through siblings Max, Abe and George Kahn and Sophie Schwartz, founded Ellery Curtain.[2] Eventually, brothers Abe and George formed their own company, Croscill, in 1946.[2] George got the name of the company Croscill from Croscilla, one of the company's products, which was George's version of Priscilla, a popular curtain style at the time. He extended the croscilla, also known as a valance, into a separate section curtain, masking the curtain rod and mounting hardware.
George's son, Mike Kahn, joined the company and became its president. He later became CEO upon the retirement of his father and uncle.[2]
1960-1980
Mike's brother, Stanley, came on board in 1962 and also became a company executive.[2]
The growth of America's suburbs,[4] as Americans built and decorated their new homes helped the company grow.[5] Croscill's name also became recognizable as the baby boom generation grew up with its products in their homes.[5] Croscill introduced innovations such as blended kitchen curtains, Blouson valance and antique satin drapery. The company employed ornate floral patterns, also called "sweet cottage-type patterns," in their products creating a recognizable Croscill look.
In the late 1960s, Croscill applied the Croscill look curtain patterns to decorative quilts and window treatments. In the 1970s, although the company had begun manufacturing beddings,[4] window products made up about 80 percent of Croscill's annual revenue.[5]
1980-2000
In 1982, Mike's son, David joined the company.[4] Mike bought out Abe's family's interest in the company in 1983.[6]
Changes in the retail environment in the 1980s led Croscill to change its business focus as well. Department stores began opting for a general home department, eliminating the separate curtain and draperies departments. This led to a decline in Croscill's sales. In order to increase sales and position its products in the general home products department, Croscill decided to manufacture sheets and combine them with its curtains. In 1985, Croscill and J.P. Stevens signed a one-year agreement to produce and market sheets. After the agreement ended, the company partnered with Dominion Textile. By 1988, Croscill was selling sheets from its own factories.
Croscill's venture into sheet manufacturing gave rise to the total room concept in the late 1980s. The company licensed its patterns and applied them to everything inside the room: curtains and bedding, wall coverings, table linens, picture frames, padded hangers, lamps, cosmetic trays, potpourri. For the bathroom, Croscill started selling coordinated shower curtains and towels. To further increase sales, Croscill focused on in-store shops to display the company's merchandise. Croscill opened shops in nearly 100 JC Penney stores, while expanding to other department and specialty stores.[4]
David became vice president of marketing in 1987.[4] Croscill's annual sales grew to $90 million in 1989, up from $45 million in 1985. The company also bought a new computer system, created a quick-ship program and expanded its warehouse space by 200,000 square feet.
In 1993, David became company president, [4] while Mike assumed the role of CEO. David's brother, Doug, also came on board in 1993.[2] He served as president of Royal Homes Fashions, Croscill's manufacturing and distribution division.[4]
Croscill expanded its line of bathroom products to include bathroom ceramics, shower curtains hooks and fabric-covered rings, and benches. The company also sold additional bathroom accessories: waste baskets, wall art, and wallpaper, among others.
In 1995, Croscill opened its first factory outlet store.[5] In 1999, the company opened its first distribution center in Reno, Nevada and a new facility in North Carolina.[5] Croscill's revenue continued to grow, increasing from $218 million in 1998, to more than $300 million in 2000.
2000's
Croscill continues to sell its products through JCPenney, Bed, Bath & Beyond and Linens 'n Things.[1]
David Kahn became CEO, while Doug became Croscill's COO in 2001. That same year, the company launched a series of new sheets with JC Penney. Croscill also expanded into dining room linens business through a new partnership with a European tablecloth supplier, Portmeirion, and a licensing agreement with Classic Slipcovers of California for lounge products. After Kahn's death on September 29, 2005, Douglas assumed the position of President and CEO.[7]
According to the trade publication Home Textiles Today, Croscill was the 11th largest supplier of home textiles in the United States in 2007.[1] The company posted revenues of $258 million in 2006, then $231 million in 2007.[1]
Mike Kahn died on July 26, 2008. [6][8] As a result, after 62 years of being founded and owned by the Kahn family, Croscill Acquisition LLC, owned by Patriarch Partners LLC, bought Croscill Inc. and its subsidiaries in November 2008.[2]
In 2019, with Margarita Topileski as CEO, Croscill made changes to its management team in order to reposition its brand. Todd Skorupski was named vice president of sales and Ricardo Rocco was appointed chief financial officer.[9]
In 2020, the group of companies that includes Croscill, Excell and Glenoit, announced the appointment of Aaron Eisenberg as CEO, as former CEO Margarita Topileski became COO and CFO.[10]
See Also
- Textile Industry
- Albany International
- American Woolen Company
- Scranton Lace Company
Further reading
- Adler, Sam, “Croscill Delivers,” HFD, June 27, 1994, p. 28.
- Johnson, Sarah, “New Directions: Croscill’s Rolling Out a Drive on All Fronts,” HFN, April 1, 1996, p. 21.
- Page, Melinda, “For Croscill, Building Brand Awareness Is in the Details,” HFN, May 29, 2000, p. 74S.
- Parker, Madeline, “From Curtains to Croscill,” HFN, June 14, 1999, p. 12.
- Schwartz, Donna Boyle, “Croscill Home Fashions: A Rising Star in Sheets,” HFD, July 18, 1988, p. 1.
- “Croscill Home Fashions Takes Aim with Accessories,” HFD, April 17, 1989, pp. 48–49.
- “Croscill Stays Hot,” HFD, December 25, 1989, p. 30.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Hoyle, Amanda (2008-11-14). "Croscill bought by Patriarch Partners; future of Triangle ops unclear". www.bizjournals.com/triangle.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 "Kahn Family Sells Croscill after 62 Years". www.hometextilestoday.com. 2008-11-17.
- ↑ "CROSCILL - Trademark Information". Trademark Elite.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 "FROM CURTAINS TO CROSCILL". www.thefreelibrary.com. The Free Library by FARLEX.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 "Croscill, Inc. | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Croscill patriarch Mike Kahn, 88". www.hometextilestoday.com. 2018-07-30.
- ↑ "Croscill Mourns Loss of President David Kahn". fabricsandfurnishings.com. Fabrics & Furnishings International. 2005-09-30.
- ↑ "MYRON KAHN OBITUARY". www.legacy.com. New York Times. 2018-07-28.
- ↑ "Croscill Details Brand Rebuild". Home Furnishings News. 2019-03-15.
- ↑ "New CEO at Croscill/Excell/Glenoit". Home Textiles Today. 2020-03-19.
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