BLANKET BUSINESS SEES COMFY PROFITS.Byline: Fran Brennan Fran Brennan is a former Irish soccer player. He played for Drumcondra F.C. and Dundalk F.C. at club level, winning the league title with Dundalk in 1967. He later served as manager of Dundalk. The Miami Herald The steamy, snowless streets of South Florida might not seem like quite the right atmosphere for a blanket salesman. But Richard Marcus finds South Florida's climate, business and otherwise, perfect for his American Woolen wool·en also wool·len adj. 1. Made or consisting of wool. 2. Of or relating to the production or marketing of woolen goods. n. Fabric or clothing made from wool. Often used in the plural. Co. In fact, nearly anyone who has ever wrapped themselves in an airline-issue warmer during a commercial flight can bet the blanket was manufactured by Marcus' 12 workers in a warehouse near Miami International Airport Miami International Airport (IATA: MIA, ICAO: KMIA, FAA LID: MIA) is a public airport located eight miles (13 km) northwest of the central business district of Miami, in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. . ``We ship them out as fast as we make them,'' said Marcus, 64, whose grandfather started the company in Massachusetts in 1901. ``This is what they call a niche business. We're the only blanket company in the state of Florida.'' The bulk of Marcus' $67 million business remains in the Northeast, employing 1,200 people in Maine to make and sell wool, cotton and synthetic blankets. But Marcus, the company's senior executive, moved to South Florida 20 years ago because he believed northern winters were compromising his health. Now, he uses phones, fax machines and e-mail to deal with employees in Maine, and distributors and customers in 30 countries. ``The world is very small today,'' said Marcus, a Worcester, Mass., native. ``I'm building two textile mills in the former Soviet Union. We just send e-mails back and forth every day. It costs me more to call Maine.'' Marcus and his 75-pound South Russian sheepdog sheepdog: see working dog. sheepdog In general, any dog breed developed to herd sheep; specifically, the border collie. Most sheepdog breeds stand about 2 ft (60 cm) and weigh over 50 lbs (23 kg). , a souvenir from one of his Russia trips, share an office near the airport, where purchasing agents from about 100 airlines come to buy blankets. With an average order totaling 50,000 to 100,000 of the $4 and $5 blankets, ``you're talking about a lot of money,'' Marcus said. Wholesale distributor Burt Leibowitz has been selling Marcus' blankets through his Dade Towel Co. for about seven years. He says they're a perfect fit for anyone needing a quality blanket that's also fire retardant fire retardant Public health A chemical used to resist combustion, which may contain polybrominated biphenyls and antimony oxide . And despite being specially treated for safety, Leibowitz says, the blanket remains incredibly soft. ``I have some government agencies that buy it, and cruise ships This is a list of cruise ships, both those in service and those that have since ceased to operate. Both cruise ships and cruiseferries are included in this list. (Ocean liners are not included on this list, see List of ocean liners. and airlines, people who must have a fire-retardant blanket,'' Leibowitz said of American Woolen's microdenier fleece fleece, mat of wool formed by shearing a sheep in one continuous operation. The average fleece weighs from 5 to 10 lb (2.3–4.5 kg); in highbred wool sheep such as the American Merinos a ram's fleece may reach 30 lb (13.6 kg). throw. ``It's a very good product. It has a very nice feel to it, a wool-like, cashmere cashmere Animal-hair fibre forming the downy undercoat of the Kashmir goat. The fibre became known for its use in beautiful shawls and other handmade items produced in Kashmir, India. The fibres have diameters finer than those of the best wools. feel.'' CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: (Color) Richard Marcus, who shares an office with his 75-pound sheepdog, supplies blankets to airlines in a $67 million business. Knight-Ridder Tribune Photo Service |
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