Good Move for Sourcing at MAGIC
For its Feb. 15–19 run, Sourcing at MAGIC moved from the Las Vegas Convention Center to the nearby Hilton Convention Center.
“It’s been the best MAGIC we ever had,” said David Stone, president and chief executive officer of Solid Stone Fabrics, based in Martinsville, Va. “I left some staff at home because I didn’t know what to expect, but I’ve been extremely busy every day. The folks that visited are serious and qualified.”
This was the first time at MAGIC for Stitchman Corp.’s Nissan Shah, who was exhibiting organic cotton and recycled-fabric bags manufactured in India.
“For me, it was really good,” he said. The 13-year-old company has focused its attention on U.S. companies based in the East Coast, but Shah said he had met with a few California companies at the recent trade show.
Returning exhibitor M. Ahmad Irfan Khan, director of Irfan Textiles Ltd. in Lahore, Pakistan, was pleased with the new location.
“When we were in the South Hall, my customers said, ’Walk up front. We’re not walking all the way back to sourcing,’” he said.
Irfan produces apparel for large retail chains, including Old Navy, Gap and Aeropostale. The company maintains a warehouse in Orlando, Fla., and a showroom in New York.
“2009 is going to be a little tough,” he said. “I didn’t come with high hopes, but I saw all my old customers and a couple of new people.” —Alison A. Nieder
