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From Home Furnishing Business
Sattler AG Marks 10th Anniversary of Outdura Partnership
December 23,
2020 by Jane Chero in Business Strategy, Designer Weekly, Industry 
The Austrian based Sattler AG, known as the leading European performance textile manufacturer of solution-dyed acrylic fabric, especially for outdoor use, acquired USA outdoor fabric manufacturer Outdura from Shuford Mills in 2010. This purchase included the historic Hudson Cotton Mill, circa 1904, which was Shuford Mill’s production operation and distribution center in Hudson, NC, and the building remains as Outdura’s U.S. headquarters and textile production center. The 180,000 sq. ft. mill is also on the National Register of Historic Places.
At the time of the transition, Manfred Heissenberger, Sattler director of marketing & sales said, “We believe Outdura’s strength in the casual furniture and marine segments will complement our current focus on the sun shading segment.” Others at Sattler indicated that they admired the Outdura brand along with the management team and were very excited about the growth potential of the Outdura brand.
The Outdura brand, originally launched in the late 1990’s, is embraced as a trusted supplier in the solution-dyed acrylic performance fabric category. Woven exclusively in an historic North Carolina textile mill upfitted with state-of-the-art technology, Outdura offers high quality fabrics in the latest color, patterns and original designs for use both outdoors and in. Their solution-dyed acrylic fabrics have color pigments that penetrate through the fiber, not just on the surface. The UV protected fabrics resist fading and remain colorfast after sun and weather exposure exceeding 1,500 testing hours. They are also stain, water, mold and mildew resistant and cleaning is easy with soap and water or a bleach solution for stubborn stains.
Over the years Outdura has seen many changes. After the purchase in 2010, all new equipment was installed and the weave shop was completely re-tooled. The new and improved machinery gave Outdura the opportunity to achieve an industry-leading level of excellence and to consistently produce and ship superior product. Their mission, to be the go-to manufacturer and supplier of superior fabrics for casual furniture, shade and marine applications providing worry-free living spaces for both retailers and designers, drives their innovation and exceptional customer experience.
When asked which of their many fabrics were the most successful, Uli Tombuelt, Sattler/Outdura CEO and director of sales casual furniture division, stated that “Without a doubt, Sparkle and Rumor would be our top two fabrics. We introduced Sparkle in 2005 with 11 colors and it has grown to 48 color choices. Rumor, a popular textured boucle, was introduced in 2009 with 18 colors and is still actively growing with 32 colors. Both are in our Modern Textures cut yardage program and are ready for quick ship.” In addition to Modern Textures, other collections in the Outdura cut yardage program include Ovation 3, Ovation 4 and Upholstery Solids which combined total 271 fabric selections.
Several years ago, Outdura purchased three acres of land adjacent to the mill from the city of Hudson to be available for future expansion. Outdura is also an active member of Hudson’s Chamber of Commerce Historical Society. Donations using their own solution-dyed acrylic fabrics to organizations such as the Hudson Uptown Building (HUB) for a new awning have made Sattler Outdura a valued and trusted community member.