What Covington Fabric & Design does

Covington Fabric & Design is a privately held B2B textile converter founded in 1940 by Ben Gilmore, headquartered at its registered address in Spartanburg, South Carolina, with primary commercial operations across showrooms in New York City (470 Seventh Avenue, Suite 900) and High Point, North Carolina (Market Square Textile Tower). The company designs, sources, and distributes decorative upholstery, bedding, and drapery fabrics to the residential and hospitality markets worldwide, with manufacturing and sourcing spread across Mexico, China, India, Pakistan, and Korea. Its product portfolio spans Patterned Wovens, Prints, Outdoor/Indoor Solution-Dyed Fabrics (SPF by Covington), Embroideries, Solids and Textures, and exclusive licensed designer collections under the Jennifer Adams Home and Hilary Farr brands, plus a dedicated Covington Contract division serving hospitality and healthcare applications requiring NFPA 260 and Cal. 117 fire-safety compliance.

The company's revenue model is a B2B one-time fabric sales model with trade-account gatekeeping: customers must register as trade accounts (interior designers, furniture manufacturers, upholstery shops, and hospitality companies) to access pricing and place orders, with standard piece sizes of 40-50 yards. Distribution is conducted through company-owned showrooms, the e-commerce website, and a separate Covington Contract digital channel, supported by sales via email, phone, and trade show presence at High Point Market. Go-to-market is sales-led, leveraging the company's 85-year brand heritage, exclusive designer IP, and contract-grade compliance as primary differentiators.

Covington is owned by the Kahan and Rifkin families, who acquired the business in 2008 from an investor group led by Roger Gilmartin, and is led by President and CEO Greg Tarver (appointed 2011, previously President and COO of Robert Allen Group) and Chairman Mark Kahan. The company has historically grown through acquisitions — Spectrum Fabrics (1994), Fame Fabrics (1997), Rapier-Cambridge (1999), and Heirloom Decorative Fabrics (2008) — most of which are retained as divisions or sub-brands within the current portfolio.

Name

Covington Fabric & Design

Legal name

Covington Fabric & Design, LLC

Website

https://covingtonfabric.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Covington Fabric & Design is a privately held B2B textile converter founded in 1940 that designs and distributes decorative upholstery, bedding, and drapery fabrics to interior designers, furniture manufacturers, and hospitality companies worldwide through trade accounts and showrooms in New York City and High Point, North Carolina.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Decorative Textiles

NAICS

Curtain and Linen Mills (31412), Home Furnishings Retailers (44912), Broadwoven Fabric Mills (313210)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Retail-Home Furniture, Furnishings & Equipment Stores (5700)

akta.pro primary industry

Upholstery & Drapery Fabric Retail (CRALADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Commercial & Hospitality Home Textiles Retail (Bulk Linens for Hotels, Spas, Restaurants) (CRAIALAJ), General Fabric & Textile Stores (CRALADAA)

Keywords

• Decorative upholstery fabrics
• Bedding and drapery textiles
• Contract grade fabrics
• Outdoor solution dyed fabrics
• Fabric converter wholesale

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fabric Product Sales: Covington generates revenue through the sale of decorative fabrics including prints, woven fabrics, outdoor/indoor solution dyed fabrics, and embroideries. Products are sold to trade professionals including interior designers, upholstery manufacturers, and hospitality companies. Pricing appears to be account-based with minimum order quantities (e.g., 40-50 yards standard piece sizes).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Covington Fabric & Design designs, sources, and converts decorative fabrics for residential and hospitality end-uses, including upholstery, bedding, and drapery products. The company sells its fabrics exclusively to registered trade accounts (interior designers, furniture manufacturers, upholstery shops, hospitality companies) through company-owned showrooms in New York City and High Point, NC, and via its B2B e-commerce website, with a dedicated Covington Contract division for hospitality and healthcare applications.

Product overview

Covington Fabric & Design is a textile company offering decorative fabrics for residential and hospitality markets. The company provides an extensive portfolio organized into distinct product lines including Patterned Wovens, Prints, Outdoor/Indoor Solution Dyed Fabrics, Embroideries, Solids and Textures, and designer collections under the Hilary Farr and Jennifer Adams Home brands. The company also operates the SPF by Covington line for indoor/outdoor applications and maintains a dedicated Contract division for hospitality and healthcare industry needs. Fabrics are sourced from various countries including Mexico, China, India, Pakistan, Korea, and manufactured with different material compositions such as cotton, linen, polyester, and polypropylene blends.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SPF by Covington: Indoor and outdoor fabrics collection featuring geometrics and statement designs with neutrals and bright color combinations.

Products and services

• Patterned Wovens

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Magnolia Home FashionsminorOthersCovington maintains a relationship with Magnolia Home Fashions, appearing as a connected brand. The company's website includes a link to magnoliahomefashions.com, suggesting a corporate or brand family relationship.
• Jennifer Adams HomecoreOthersJennifer Adams Home is a designer brand whose fabrics are distributed exclusively through Covington Fabric & Design. The collection offers decorative fabrics under the Jennifer Adams brand, representing a licensed designer partnership.
• Hilary FarrcoreOthersHilary Farr is a designer whose fabric collection is distributed exclusively through Covington Fabric & Design. The Hilary Farr line offers decorative fabrics including prints and patterns for residential and hospitality applications.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves17 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pindler & Pindler: Pindler is a to-the-trade decorative fabric and trim company with designer collections, serving interior designers and hospitality — directly comparable to Covington's pattern-driven designer fabric business.
• RM Coco: RM Coco is a trade-only decorative fabric converter offering prints, wovens, and embroideries to interior designers and hospitality specifiers, comparable to Covington's mainline product positioning.
• Duralee Fabrics: Duralee is a to-the-trade decorative fabric converter serving residential and hospitality markets with prints, wovens, and designer collections, closely mirroring Covington's product portfolio and trade-only distribution model.
• Barrow Industries: Barrow Industries is a contract fabric distributor focused on hospitality and healthcare, comparable to Covington's Covington Contract division in target customer and product specifications.
• Fabricut: Fabricut is a fourth-generation family-owned fabric and trim converter selling to interior designers worldwide through showrooms and trade accounts, structurally similar to Covington's B2B decorative fabric business.
• Kravet Inc. Kravet is one of the largest family-owned fabric converters in the U.S., selling decorative upholstery, drapery, and trimmings to interior designers and trade professionals through showrooms and digital channels — directly comparable to Covington's B2B fabric converter model.
• Clarence House: Clarence House is a high-end decorative fabric and wallpaper house selling to interior designers and luxury hospitality, comparable to Covington's Covington Contract and Hilary Farr designer collections.
• Stout Textiles: Stout Textiles is a decorative fabric converter serving furniture manufacturers and hospitality customers, with a product overlap on performance and contract-grade fabrics similar to Covington's contract division.
• Robert Allen Contract (Swavelle Group): Robert Allen (now part of Swavelle Group) is a major trade-only decorative fabric brand serving residential and hospitality — Covington's CEO Greg Tarver was previously President & COO of this company, making it a near-perfect functional peer.

Others

• Magnolia Home Fashions: Magnolia Home Fashions is a connected brand family partner referenced on Covington's website, offering complementary home textile products. Listed as a related brand rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CovingtonFabricandDesign

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Covington Fabric & Design