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February 27 - 29, 2012
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Industry News

Partnering with Halcraft positions RNK Distributing for significant growth

RNK Distributing, a well-known supplier of traditional and specialty stabilizers, thread, and embroidery designs, has formed a strategic partnership with Halcraft, a recognized national manufacturer of arts and crafts supplies.

The effect of the partnership on day-to-day operations will be minimal as all current staff including Ricky and Kay Brooks, as well as Walter Floriani, will remain in their existing capacities. There also are no plans whatsoever to make any changes to the current RNK distribution network of the extensive line of Floriani stabilizers and thread.

This partnership will bring benefits to RNK Distributing’s dealers and customers such as better inventory control and shipping due to a larger warehouse facility located down the street from their current warehouse in Knoxville, TN. This will also give RNK more space to continue to develop and add innovative new products to their line.

“Ricky and Kay Brooks created the Floriani brand based on a legendary embroidery family and an incredible basis of knowledge,” said Cliff Wallach, vice president, Halcraft. “They founded the Floriani brand selling to independent dealers and we intend to continue to sell it only to the independent stores forever. This is the main factor that excited us about this opportunity.”

“With this partnership, we will be bringing in new products to the marketplace at a very rapid rate, even faster than what RNK was able to do with the more limited financial backing that they had previously,” added Wallach. “Together as partners RNK, with Rick and Kay, and the Wallach family, owners of Halcraft, can invest strategically in product development, so that our extensive network of dealers will have available to them the most incredible products on a very fast time line.”

Halcraft, which was founded in 1989 by Alfred and Barbara Wallach, remains a family-owned and run business with Barbara Wallach as president, Al Wallach as vice president of development and their two sons, Cliff and Josh, as co-vice presidents. Combined, the four have more than 120 years of experience in the creative arts marketplace. The company sells to independent craft stores as well as some of the better-known arts and crafts chain stores throughout the United States.

RNK Distributing offers a full line of specialty stabilizers and threads specifically developed for the home embroidery market.To check out the entire line of products, free sewing/embroidery projects, visit the Web site www.rnkdistributing.com or call RNK Distributing at 1-865-330-0034; e-mail: info@rnkdistributing.com.

Reprinted from SQE Professional, February 2008