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RODEO COLLECTION BY STARK CARPET LAUNCHES
WITH LANEVE BRAND FROM WOOLS OF NEW ZEALAND

Desert Storm is one of the first Wools of New Zealand brand carpets to be launched by Rodeo Collection by Stark Carpet.

MARIETTA, GA, January 15, 2011—Stark Carpet, a Wools of New Zealand partner, has acquired Rodeo Carpet, making it a division that will be run by Carmen Murray, former owner and president of Rodeo Carpet Mills. Stark will produce the Rodeo line of custom wool rugs and broadloom, much of which will carry Wools of New Zealand’s Laneve brand.

The Laneve brand signifies that the wool used in the making of Rodeo Collection by Stark Carpets comes from farms that meet accredited standards for animal welfare, land management, farming and environmental practices. Laneve is also traceable to source through a code that is carried on the carpet label. The code can be entered into the Wools of New Zealand website to reveal the farm where the wool was grown.

“Partnering with Rodeo Collection by Stark Carpet is a further extension of the Wools of New Zealand program to work with manufacturers, designers and retailers who are recognized as leaders in the industry,” says Elise Demboski, Executive Director of Wools of New Zealand in North America. “This partnership also demonstrates the importance of our Premier Partner retailers since several of the Laneve brand Rodeo Collection by Stark carpets are being reserved for our Premier Partners as a six-month exclusive.”

Rodeo is expected to be a perfect fit for Stark, which specializes in custom carpet, fabric, furniture and wall coverings for both the residential and contract markets. “We’re very excited that Rodeo is now a division of Stark and that Carmen will run that division,” says Rick Zolt, vice president of Stark sales and marketing. “The Laneve brand complements the excellence of the Rodeo Collection by Stark carpets and offers retailers an incredible opportunity to bring their customers environmentally conscious products of exceptional value and beauty.“

Murray is equally excited to be part of Stark.  “Stark will offer the entire Rodeo line, including Sparkle, some shag styles and the company’s color blending techniques,” notes Murray. “These products have always carried the Wools of New Zealand brand and we are excited to extend this brand to include Laneve. Through the Laneve brand we are able to tell the story of the farms in New Zealand that grow the incredible wool that goes into each products we make.”

The Rodeo Collection by Stark will make its debut at Surfaces 2011 in booth #S3024. The products offered exclusively to Premier Partners will also be showcased in the Wools of New Zealand booth #S2320.

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Wools of New Zealand
PO Box 669273
Marietta, GA  30062
Contact: Elise Demboski
Executive Director, North America
770-649-7699
elise@woolcarpetnz.com