CT Nassau - Whole Bed Takeover

CT Nassau operated as part of CT Continental until 2017, when Stellini Textile Group of Milan acquired a majority ownership stake. Under Stellini’s ownership, CT Nassau benefits from being part of a diverse, design-savvy company with an expanding global footprint.

Along with its sites in Italy and the United States, the company has manufacturing facilities in Argentina, India, Russia and Thailand, and offices in Spain and Switzerland. The plants in Italy and Thailand provide panel fabrics to the U.S. market to complement North Carolina production in specific style and price niches.

“All of our plants are set up with the same types of equipment and systems so we can manufacture any product the same way anywhere in the world,” says Valentino Stellini, president and chief executive officer of CT Nassau and Stellini Textile Group.

“We also use similar yarns, which enables us to control the quality and colors for each component of the bed with complete precision.”

Stellini’s facilities produce the majority of their own yarns. “And we even make our own machines that we use to make the yarns,” Valentino Stellini says. “As a result, whether our fabric is made in the U.S., Italy or Thailand, everything matches.”

The company’s ability to produce its own yarns also quickens speed to market, Valentino Stellini says, reducing lead times for just-in-time production. “With our network of plants in North and South America, Europe and Asia, we can support our global customers with the fabrics they require wherever and whenever they need them,” he says.

→ Continue reading below the quote

Building on a strong base

Prior to opening its first North American ticking facility in Burlington in 1999, all of the ticking sold by CT Nassau was produced by the company’s associates in Europe. Since that time, CT Nassau has evolved into a full-line provider of woven and knit mattress fabrics, borders, tapes, handles and sewn panels. One of its recent top sellers is Fascia, a collection of engineered borders introduced at ISPA EXPO 2018 that look like intricate hand-sewn borders but come off the machine in a single piece.

“We are always looking for the latest technologies and materials that can improve sleep,” Valentino Stellini says. “Every bed producer wants a strong story to tell to attract business and spark sales. With our line, we try to focus on what’s proven and working rather than chasing every single fad that comes along.”

CT Nassau also offers a wide assortment of performance finishes and constructions designed to optimize sleep.
 

Coordinated package

This year, CT Nassau is taking another major step forward in its quest to become a go-to source for coordinated fabric packages. The company plans to introduce a new collection of decorative pillows, duvets, throws and area rugs that extends its presence in the bedroom. The addition adds another important element to CT Nassau’s product assortment, enabling producers and retailers to create a sophisticated design — and branding — statement with their displays.

“We are addressing the bedroom environment, not just the mattress,” Valentino Stellini says. “We’re leveraging all our skills in fabric production and printing, as well as cut-and-sew (operations), to provide our customers with a coordinated look in which the mattress, top-of-bed and other accents all act in harmony.”

According to Valentino Stellini, the company’s move into the cut-and-sew arena in 2018 was a natural progression of the company’s growing identity as a full-service fabric source. “Ideal Quilting has more than 20 years of industry experience with cut-and-sew products,” he says. “This investment, together with our strategic partnership with CCS, enables us to provide our customers with the quality sewn covers they need to keep up with the fast-growing demand for boxed mattresses.”

The surge in boxed bed sales has forced suppliers such as CT Nassau to take a more holistic view of bed design, Valentino Stellini says. “Rather than providing customers with just tapes or ribbons, we’re now working with them to create total bed statements that include panels, borders and every other fabric component they need to bring that bed to market,” he says. “It’s more of a composite, rather than an item, approach.”

“Boxed beds are becoming more decorative as producers and retailers seek to differentiate themselves from their competitors,” he says. “They want colors that will catch the eye in their TV and print ads and in their online merchandising. The design aspect of these beds is becoming more of a distinguishing feature.”

→ Continue reading below the quote

A powerful new tool

To help bed producers create unique, high-impact designs, Stellini has developed an app that enables customers to experiment with a nearly endless range of panel-border-tape combinations from the convenience of their computers or tablets. The app will make the product development process faster and more efficient, the company says, because customers won’t be dependent on obtaining physical swatches.

“The app allows a customer to instantly access our massive library of tapes, borders and foundation fabrics, pick the combinations they want to review and then apply them to a digital version of their mattress,” Valentino Stellini says. “They can get an immediate sense for what works and what doesn’t, saving a huge amount of time and energy.”

As part of Stellini, CT Nassau draws on the expertise of its team of American and Italian designers “to create woven and knitted jacquards in luxurious constructions and vibrant colors with an Italian flair,” Valentino Stellini adds. “We are constantly looking for ways to innovate and reinvent to keep our line fresh and on trend with emerging fashion trends while also satisfying customers’ requirements for functional, cost-competitive fabrics.”

Being associated with an Italian design house provides CT Nassau with a unique design aesthetic, Valentino Stellini adds. “It’s a big plus to have this experience to draw on as we continue to elevate our products,” he says.

“Our designers’ skill with color and yarn puts us in a great position to help producers as they seek to put even more fashion into the face of their beds.”
 

Italian flair, made in America

While CT Nassau is broadening its line to include more styles inspired by its Italian owner, the U.S. roots of the company remain firmly planted. “CT Nassau is an American producer with its own rich design heritage,” Valentino Stellini says. “We are being careful to protect and nurture that strength.”

As 2020 unfolds, CT Nassau will focus on maintaining the high level of service and quality for which it is known. “As we grow, we want to make sure we have the right systems in place to meet demand and satisfy our customers’ needs in a fast-changing market,” Valentino Stellini says, adding that CT Nassau’s workforce will be an important element in that process.

“We take a family approach to our business,” Valentino Stellini adds. “We have a very talented team that has been working together for a long time and cares deeply about this company, our customers and our mutual success.”
 

---

James, Gary. “CT Nassau. Whole Bed Takeover.” Bed Times, March 2020
→ Read the full article