Server: Netscape-Communications/1.1 Date: Thursday, 18-Dec-97 04:47:30 GMT Last-modified: Friday, 13-Dec-96 21:21:38 GMT Content-length: 5678 Content-type: text/html Interface - Bentley Mills Bentley logo
With a well-earned reputation for excellence, Bentley Mills continues to set standards in the design-focused floorcoverings market. Bentley's showcase of broadloom and modular products, together with superior standards of quality and responsive service, have cemented its position as a leader in the corporate, healthcare, institutional and retail market segments.

puzzle and hands Under the leadership of new President and Chief Executive Officer Al Kabus, who first joined the Bentley sales organization in 1984, Bentley revalidated itself as the benchmark for design excellence in America. The company introduced 12 new product lines in 1995, garnering accolades which included: six DuPont design awards, two Monsanto "Doc" awards for outstanding product innovations, two International Interior Design ,Association (IIDA) APEX (a product of excellence) awards, and an IIDA "Caliber" award of merit.

Investments during the year in new tufting and multi-tuft loop-overloop machines boosted capacities while shipments increased. Bentley is bullish on 1996 and, in anticipation of a stronger presence in the marketplace, continues to advance its equipment and technology. Investments over the past two years in an advanced interactive design and specification system also have reinforced Bentley's reputation for responsive service. By utilizing imaging technology which allows clients to view products and colorways on a laptop computer screen, Bentley has strengthened its ability to satisfy growing demands for greater product choices, delivered within ever shorter time frames.

Initiatives begun in 1994 to further Bentley's excellent styling reputation led to the restructuring of its design group, accelerating the timely introduction of cutting edge products. With the styling expertise of Roman-Oakey injected into the group, the entire design team united in the challenge to simplify its product systems, and launched the resulting collaborative creations in December. Inspired by the success of this initial launch, Bentley expects to introduce at least one product per month to capitalize on its more flexible design methodology. This process of using simple inputs to create multiple outputs is calculated to yield diversity in Bentley's product offering in 1996 and beyond.

Bentley's goal of unrivaled product and service excellence in 1995 evoked a positive connection among its associates in tackling the QUEST initiative. Quality commitment is ingrained in

Bentley's culture, and the decision to share profit/loss statements with associates served to reemphasize individual accountability as it relates to bottom line profitability. Further, a reorganized management structure together with 'Pecos" empowerment initiatives resulted in revitalization in 1995. Bentley is drawing on the collective talent of this restructured group to expand market horizons and to anticipate the demands of its markets. Accordingly, Bentley is transforming itself from an 'organizationally functioning" hierarchy to an "organically thinking' team. Its focus on team spirit, coupled with a blurring of conventional lines of command, translate into a more open organization with an easier flow of information.

Further, Bentley's people are embracing environmental stewardship, sharing ideas as part of the corporate-wide effort to develop, advance, and share best practices-Practices Leading Toward SUStainability (PLETSUS). But Bentley's EcoSense initiatives do not end there. Renowned environmental building consultant, John Picard, has been engaged to integrate an even greater consciousness into the company's culture. With Picard, Bentley has embarked on an environmental expedition to streamline plant operations and derive economic and environmental efficiencies, from recycling nylon waste to retrofitting for lower energy consumption. For example, recapturing half of the 5,000 gallons of water used hourly to generate steam for dyeing operations now saves thousands of gallons of water daily as well as the energy to heat it. Bentley, as an industry leader in the nation's emerging corporate environmental awareness movement, was selected in November to participate in an EarthWatch program to be produced for public television.

go to bentley web site

navigational bar, see text menu for links
[ text menu ]