Simply Home to acquire Riddle assets

Staff -- Home Accents Today, 7/1/2006

Weavetec, parent company of Simply Home, has entered into an agreement to purchase the assets of Riddle & Company's custom and domestic in-line product business, Harold D. Pennington Jr., vice president of Weavetec announced.

Assets of Riddle, which closed a few months ago, include weaving production equipment and inventory of Riddle & Company's high-end wall art, tapestries, custom and collegiate items, said Brad Belcher, Simply Home advertising and marketing manager. Details are still being worked out on licensed products marketed by the manufacturer once known as Riddle & Cockrell. "I don't think we're going to maintain their facility," Belcher said. "We're going to bring everything into Simply Home," the Wytheville, Va.-based wholesale division of Weavetec.

"Combining Riddle's strengths with Simply Home's strengths will give us a wonderful opportunity to grow both businesses and offer a complete line of products to the textile customer," said Ruby Machi, national sales manager.

Simply Home, which manufactures and markets home decor and custom woven products including throws, pillows, wall tapestries and other accessories, will produce a catalog showcasing the new line of the two combined companies by the end of the year. A modified Web site also will be launched within the next month, Belcher said.

"It pulls our resources and strengths together," Belcher said. "We think it's going to make us a lot stronger. It gives our existing customers and Riddle customers who come on board a lot more to choose from — all with one company."

Simply Home offers several themed product lines including Words of Wisdom (inspirational themes), Animal Tracks (animals and pets), Americana (folk art and patriotic), Old Southwest (Western and cowboys) and others. Simply Home features items based on designs and artwork by many renowned artists including Warren Kimble, Michelle Palmer, Ralph McDonald, Anita Phillips and Kathy Hatch.