RIZZY HOME CELEBRATES 45TH BIRTHDAY AT LAS VEGAS MARKET
Rizwan and Shamsu Ansari discuss Rizzy Home's growth, new product launches and milestones in advance of Rizzy Home's 45th anniversary party on Monday Jan. 23 during Las Vegas Market. |
CALHOUN, Ga. -- Rizzy Home celebrates its 45 anniversary at Las Vegas Market on Monday, Jan. 23, 2017 with a festival-themed party at its World Market Center showroom, A-444 from 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. The festivities include food, drinks, entertainment including belly dancers, and a commemorative "birthday cake" crafted of fabric utilizing embellishments for which the company is widely recognized.
RugNews.com spoke with CEO Rizwan Ansari about the company's past, present and future in advance of Monday's Las Vegas event, and asked him and his younger brother Shamsu what has most gratified them about their achievements at Rizzy Home.
Rizwan says he is gratified that the company has met its goal of providing enough variety in design and price points so that buyers can fulfill their needs from Rizzy. "I'm really proud that our customers can buy a complete home from us now.
"And I am proud of Shamsu because he has differentiated our company by developing high end styling innovations like our rouching technique for pillows and bedding. Customers have told us that Rizzy Home is unique in this technique," he said.
The unique Rizzy Home rouching technique.
Shamsu returns the compliment: "In rugs, my brother brought revolution to the category at a young age. I am proud of him. He introduced the Lori Buff rug, which he invented himself. Today the whole rug industry in India is proud of him. Most important, our family is proud of us," he says.
Following is RugNews.com's Q&A with Rizwan Ansari:
How did Rizzy get its start in the rug and home textiles businesses?
RA: Rizzy Home is a family business, which our grandfather started to sell only raw wool in 1950's. Our father started the rug business in 1971 when our parent company was officially registered, and he did his best to bring the best handmade designs and quality to the international market.
The legacy of the Ansari family business, high quality wool yarn is still vital to Rizzy Home's success in rugs.
When did you and your brother get involved in the family business?
RA: In 1993 I took as over our family's company and worked to bring even more innovation to the rug industry. When my younger brother, Shamsu finished his diploma in textile design in 2000, he started a home textile company called Home Texco within our family business, and worked really hard to build it into the industry leader it is today.
A customer visits Rizzy Home's factory in India with Illiya Ansari (in white, second left) and his young son Rizwan in foreground.
What prompted the merger of the Rizzy Rugs and Home Texco?
RA: The customers we sell encouraged us and inspired us to combine textiles and rugs. The idea was to make it easier for them by serving complete home to both retailers and the end consumer. In many cases the products were coordinated in color and design.
The Rizzy Home corporate headquarters.
What was the core mission when your company was established and how has that evolved over the years as times have changed?
RA: Our core mission has always been to make it easy for the end consumer or retailer to shop in one place for our product categories, and to reach everyone's heart with the Rizzy Home name.
What has been the biggest or most notable change in the company and in the industry in the past 45 years?
RA: We have seen major changes in color and design, and the industry moving from traditional to transitional. Now we see traditional returning in machine-mades. There have been more companies diversifying into multiple product categories. For us, one of the biggest changes was the vertical set up of our factory.
Fashion's trending yellow palette updates a classic motif in a handmade Rizzy Home flatweave rug.
What can the industry look for from Rizzy Home in the next 5 years?
RA: We will continue to expand our high style machine made rug offerings including wool collections, and grow our luxurious bedding and pillow assortments at affordable price points.
RIZZY HOME THROUGH THE YEARS
-1950 Bhullan Ansari, Rizwan and Shamsu's grandfather, entered the wool business, buying wool from shepherds in India, and after hand-spinning the fibers, he sold the yarn to the rug weavers.
-1971 Illiya Ansari, Rizwan and Shamsu's father expanded and evolved the company into the manufacture of handmade wool rugs.
-1992 Rizwan Ansari assumed leadership of the company and expanded its growth by broadening the scope of the handmade wool line.
Rizzy Home wool yarn processing.
-1997 The company became known as the world's largest importer of New Zealand wool in India.
-1997 Rizzy Rugs became the largest exporter of handmade rugs from India for which the government of India honored the company with its highest award for export in the handmade category.
A rug with pattern carved by a Rizzy Home artisan in India.
-2001 Shamsu Ansari integrated textiles into the family business with a division called Home Texco
-2002 With rugs and textiles integrated harmoniously, Rizzy Rugs and Home Texco became the only company in the world to be vertical in both the textiles and handmade rugs.
-2007 Rizzy Rugs and Home Texco established US operations becoming known as Riztex USA in Calhoun, Ga.
-2007 Riztex enters the machine-made rug industry.
-2010 The company is officially launched as Rizzy Home at the October High Point Market.
-2015 Rizzy Home textiles were cited for their craftsmanship techniques and fabric constructions thanks and talented artisans working on bedding, quilting and embellishments.
Craftsmanship and technique distinguish Rizzy Home textiles.
-2016 Rizzy Home introduced the Suffolk collection of 100 percent natural wool. The colors were achieved by blending wool from 19 different species of sheep to get a remarkably soft, neutral palette.
The new Suffolk collection, with soft neutral colorways achieved with blended wool.