BUSINESS NEWS
4 • June 2020
Is there magic number in regard to thread
count?
“Back in the day, T180 Percale (180-thread
count sheets) was the buzzword. My grandfather
gave my dad and my dad gave to me a little
magnifying device where you could put the
sheet underneath and count the picks, the
vertical 90 and the horizontal 90. You add the
two together and its 180 Percale. That’s how the
industry started. Now our customers are buying
T250, T300, T350 and up.”
Is there a thread count you recommend?
“It can be very confusing. You can go to the
store or go online and see 800 or 1,000-thread
count. But frankly, in my mind, thread count
doesn’t necessarily equate to a nicer sheet. It’s
really all in the buyer. We bought some sheets
recently from a retail store because it seemed to
be a great price. The thread count was north of
1,000 but it felt like satin, which some people
like, but we don’t. It just kind of depends.”
Are there any new or emerging fabrics?
“There are some new fibers and I don’t think
they’ve gained a lot of traction yet, such as
modal, which comes from trees. It’s a rayon.
And of course bamboo. Often for hospitality
those fibers are blended with cotton or polyester
because on their own they’re not durable
enough. Polyester always had a stigma attached
to it. But when you blend it into a towel or
sheet, not only does the item dry faster, but it’s
a stronger fiber than cotton. On the wholesale
hospitality and senior living side, polyester is
not a bad term anymore. We like it because it’s a
strong fiber.”
Has technology changed how things are
manufactured?
“Textiles is a lot less human-intense than it used
to be. Machinery and automation has replaced a
lot of human factor. My wife and I were touring
one of the few mills still left in the U.S. because
the American-textile industry is just a shell of
it’s former self. It was a company called 1888
Mills. The 1888 represented the year it was
founded in Georgia. We toured the towel mill.
Most of the employees are the engineers who
keep the computers running that run the looms.”
When did you relocate from Portland to the
Gearhart?
“We moved in late February. We’re fortunate we
can be based anywhere. Today our business is
so diverse between hospitality, senior living and
commercial businesses like seafood processing.
A lot of them are based in Seattle but have
canneries in Alaska along with bunk houses or
dormitories that need sheets and towels.”
What appealed to you about coming to the
coast?
“As a kid, my folks had a vacation home on the
north coast. I always associated coming down
here with being on vacation. When my wife
and I decided to put our home of 24 years in
Portland up for sale, is was like ‘Where do we
go?” We settled on the north coast. Our daughter
is still in Portland, but it’s only 1 ½ hours away.
This is a great place to live.”
Do the seasons impact your sales?
“Definitely. Right now, from Memorial Day to
Labor Day, our customers should be very busy.
It’s the traditional hospitality season, but of
course with everything that’s been going on with
the pandemic, our industry has taken a huge hit.”
What impact has the covid-19 crisis had on
your end specifically?
“As our customers go we go, so it’s been a little
quiet. One of our seafood customers in Seattle
asked us about personal protective equipment
(PPE). For the last six weeks we’ve been selling
masks and infrared thermometers like nobody’s
business. It’s helped keep the lights on. We’ve
got the goods down in LA, so we can get them
up here in four or five days. But as far as selling
sheets, towels and blankets? Not so much.”
BigCreekFishing.com
92878 Waterhouse Rd.
Astoria, OR 97103
(503)458-0990
Coast River Business Journal
• 3/4 of a mile of private bank fishing
• Kids under 12 fish free
• Year round fishing, except for Sept. (closed)
• 3000 sq ft. facility, sleeps 11
• We accommodate large groups, corporate retreats,
weddings and events!
What kind of volume are you selling in regard
to the masks and thermometers?
“Thousands. We’re very grateful to be able
to provide these to our customers because
everybody is panicked and there’s so much
uncertainty. Many of them have to meet federal
guidelines and others just want to protect their
staff, guests or clients. We’re happy we can help
fulfill a need.”
Has the cost of any products risen or gotten
prohibitively expensive as a result of the on-
going trade war with China?
“Not prohibitively expensive but a lot of fabric is
made in China. And because of the trade dispute
and tariffs imposed on textiles, those fabrics
have gone up. And because you can’t say next
week I’ll get it from North Carolina, prices have
gone up. Our primary bathrobe supplier is based
in Florida but the robes are made in China. you
can’t just get another bathrobe manufacturing
facility up online. When this all came crashing
down, several of our suppliers are going ‘We
have to broaden our supply chain base’. Well it
doesn’t happen overnight. They said ‘I’m sorry,
we’re going to have to add 10% or 12% on top
of every quote.’ It’s kind of an unknown with this
pandemic where tariffs are going, but we’ll find
out.”
What part brings you the greatest
satisfaction?
“The diversity. Every day is different in part
because of the several businesses we’re involved
in between seafood processing, hospitality and
senior living.”
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned since
being in business?
“Listen. Less is more. Listen.”