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As Sonia Chevalier herself says, she is fortunate to be at the helm of a company that has been able to continue to operate in times of pandemic, and that is showing impressive sales growth. But with that good fortune comes the challenge of finding enough staff to meet the growing demand for Patlin Textiles' products.
The textile products manufacturer is used to producing curtains, comforters and cushions for specialty stores and the hospitality industry. The St. Paulin company adapted its production to the demand of the health network in 2020 to manufacture separator curtains and protective jackets for health care personnel since the beginning of the pandemic. But demand for its standard products is not waning, as the company takes advantage of the fact that people are spending more money to give their properties a facelift.
"Everyone is renovating, changing their décor. We're selling from mid-range to high-end. The people who can afford to buy this didn't lose their jobs during the pandemic. These are people who went south twice a year, went to seven or eight shows a year, to the diner once a week. They invested that money in their homes," says Ms. Chevalier, vice-president of this family business.
Despite the loss of business with the hotel industry, which was hit hard by the pandemic, Patlin Textiles' sales exploded in 2020 compared to 2019.
"The increase is over 50 percent," confides Ms. Chevalier. Just for hospitals, we did 2,000, 3,000 divider curtains. We did more than 350,000 jackets with other partners (notably with Chemise Empire of Louiseville). I was the headquarters that distributed everywhere. This association with suppliers helped build strong business relationships with CIUSSS." [...]
Source: Martin Lafrenière, Le Nouvelliste, March 22, 2021
Photo: Sylvain Mayer
