Hidden Treasures

RAEANNE MARSH

>>> Silver State Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah

Family members Kaliope, Manoli, Ted and John Sargetakis run the business.

With dedication and an adherence to customer service, the Sargetakis family turned a potential white elephant into an industry leader in fabrics. "In 1952, my father and his three brothers bought an upholstery supply company," relates Manoli Sargetakis. The brothers' fervent desire to own their own business was not coupled with experience in upholstery, he says, and they were not aware that the company's single product line—a thin plastic vinyl called Velon—was an outdated one.

Fast-forward 55 years, and Salt Lake City–based Silver State Inc., now in its second generation of family ownership, is on the cutting edge of textile lines. "We try to be a leader," says Sargetakis, who heads the company's product-development and sales departments. "We see what the manufacturers have the ability to make, and how to translate that into something new we can offer the market."

Released this summer, for instance, is a new "green" fabric, Torino, which the company offers as a rich and elegant look in a high-performance fabric. Not only is it PVC-free, the fabric uses no plasticizers and its production releases no phthalates into the air. Says Sargetakis, "This product inherently meets indoor air-quality standards in production. Torino's polymer coating…is further green-enhanced by the use of a backing material that is constructed from 50 percent un-dyed cotton (naturally renewable and biodegradable) and 50 percent un-dyed polyester."

The Terratex collection.

Sargetakis also expresses enthusiasm for a woven product from Terratex (Interface) called Body and Soul, which is a polyester that is both 100 percent recycled and recyclable. Also important is the reputation of the companies with which they do business. Citing Terratex's end-of-production-cycle water as an example, Sargetakis says, "Whatever they take out of nature, they put back better." And Sunbrella is the only company to which Silver State turns for outdoor product: "They fulfill what they say," he notes.

Recounting more of the company's history, Sargetakis continues, "It took [the brothers] three years to make a profit, and they took those first profits and bought my uncle a suit so he could go out on the road." Selling vinyl to the automotive trade for seat covers was their first success, and they slowly got into the business of cut yardage based on sample books from textile manufacturers. Having been extended credit by their vendors as they struggled through the first few years, they passed along that trust by offering credit to their customers.

The Aláxi line features natural fibers and patterns with a Mediterranean influence.

The company is now run by the second generation of Sargetakis brothers, who formally bought the business in 1992. In their case, they did have experience to bring to the business, each having worked in the company since age 11. Working six days a week through high school gave them exposure to all aspects of the company, and each eventually went with his strength: Manoli Sargetakis in product development and sales, Ted Sargetakis in customer service and purchasing, and John Sargetakis in operations. Their mother, Kaliope, remains part of the company as well, and prior to the firm's installation of computers, Sargetakis relates, "She was our inventory computer. She knew where everything was."

Under the present ownership, Silver State Inc. expanded into a national company with a larger selection of product lines. With representatives throughout the country, the company's Salt Lake City showroom is a 3,000-square-foot facility attached to its 60,000-square-foot warehouse. They added to the Silver State line a high-end division called Aláxi, the Greek word for "change," which focuses primarily on natural fibers and fabrics with a Mediterranean flavor. "We work with designers to develop fabrics, plus we have open-line product from different mills," says Sargetakis, noting that, while they have no manufacturing facility of their own, most of their product is made exclusively for them. Joe Ruggiero has designed Tres Joe exclusively for Silver State, and Marypaul Yates is likewise a designer for the company's Aláxi division.

Tommy Bahama is a fabric line carried by Silver State Inc.

By offering to some customers what he calls a "sneak peek," Sargetakis gains valuable input in developing new products. With the recently added Torino, he says, "The finish was fine, but they helped us refine the colors."

During the two-plus decades Sargetakis has been in the business, he's seen changes in the function of fabric. Where once it was more regimented-office, hotels, residences-lines are now more blurred. "People are decorating their homes like something they saw at a hotel; hotels make you feel more like home."

According to Sargetakis, Silver State will continue to expand its Tommy Bahama line and its Crypton and Terratex divisions. In addition, "We feel vinyl is really growing, and we want to offer unique coloring and textures with performance." Effervescence, for example, is a new pattern that looks like raindrops and is shaded to appear three-dimensional. Safari, one of the animal textures that are strong now, offers a shine and suede look at the same time. The company's future offerings will include performance velvets and, following what he sees as a growing trend, an outdoor trim collection, which has already generated considerable interest.

Silver State Inc., Salt Lake City, UT; (800) 453-5777 or www.silverstatetextiles.com.