New York-based Swavelle and Mill Creek Fabrics have acquired indoor and outdoor performance fabric brand BellaDura and its parent company Wearbest Sil-Tex Mills.
“Swavelle is very excited about bringing an established and respected brand under its umbrella, adding to our ability to offer residential upholstery fabric produced in the U.S.,” said Greg Thomases, Swavelle vice president. “This acquisition significantly broadens our reach into the performance fabric market.”
Wearbest began as a company that served the highend decorative residential market before it created Bella-Dura, a specialty performance fabric. As the company has grown over the years, officials said, transitioning into a larger company felt natural.
Over the course of the past few years, Wearbest and Bella-Dura have been taking steps towards elevating our brands and overall business in a smart and thoughtful way,” says Ari Gasner, president of Wearbest and Bella-Dura. “This decision was not only strategic, but also naturally aligned in that Swavelle is a perfect extension of our company DNA.”
Bella-Dura will continue to be woven in its Garfield, N.J., facility under the renamed Wearbest Weavers. Gasner, son of the company’s previous owner and CEO Irwin Gasner, will remain as an owner and president of the company. Susan Lobel, who was brought to the company in 2013 to oversee and develop Wearbest and its brands, will continue to manage its marketing.
