Hospitality Design - September 2015 - 30

advertorial

Q&A

with

tommy lee
owner, appian textiles
Describe your business in one sentence
Appian Textiles is a premier provider of fabric
and faux leather solutions for the hospitality
industry.

How does your company look today
compared to five years ago?

We've obviously experienced a tremendous
amount of growth in five years, but more
importantly, we've continued to refine a business
model that is hyper-focused on our customers.
The goal since inception has been to be agile, and
to maintain focus on providing real-time solutions
to customer challenges. We have increased our
capacity to achieve these goals by strengthening
industry partnerships, developing manufacturing
relationships that make long-term sense, and
creating a stronger team. We continue to hone in
on our product focus, realizing what we do well,
while making sure we remain at the forefront of
what we call Appian's 'substantive product core.'

What differentiates your company from
its competitors in the marketplace?

At Appian, we concentrate on providing a higher
level of engagement throughout the entire sales
cycle, from education and interaction during the
early phases of design and specification as well
as communication and flexibility through the
procurement and logistics phases. In addition to
ensuring best in class service, lead times, product
performance, and the ever-important price
points, we also spend a tremendous amount of
time and energy educating our clients on product
performance, new requirements (driven by
technology and regulation), and pitfalls to avoid.

What does partnership mean to your
company today?

Partnership, simply put, means total
commitment. Whether it is reflected in the
continuous evolution of our relationships with
manufacturing partners or our relationships with
design, procurement, ownership and furniture
manufacturers, partnership means making
yourself available at all levels of the organization,
troubleshooting, providing continuous
communication, and standing behind your
product and commitments.

What is your company's philosophy
toward customization?
We partner with fabric and faux leather

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September 2015 hospitalitydesign.com

manufacturers specifically for their ability to
manage the custom process quickly and efficiently.
Custom products represent a significant part of
our business. Our job at Appian is to develop
a detailed understanding of design intent and
product performance requirements and match
them with the appropriate manufacturing partner
with capabilities that best suit our client's needs.
We continually work to provide industry-best
minimum order quantities, and time-conscious
alternatives that provide our customers the
flexibility to be more creative.

What else should we know about you and
your company?

We as a team love what we do...and I love what
I do. Founding Appian has been a labor of love
since the beginning. Our measure of success
cannot be based solely on the success of our
products or profitability-it has to be in the legacy
we leave beyond our business. That legacy for
me affects what I do with my spare time as well
what I do at Appian. As a nature enthusiast,
finding ways to permanently preserve open space,
enhance water quality and protect and enhance
wildlife habitat occupies my "off " hours. Too
many times when people talk about sustainability,
they focus solely on the business definition
rather than looking beyond business to help
influence things outside of our work life. I want
my children (and others) to grow up with a deep
appreciation for the natural world, to embrace
the freedom that nature exudes, and to
experience the creativity that spending time
in nature allows.

How is technology playing a role in
product development?

Technology equals continuous change-whether
it involves data analysis, enhanced CRM tools,
new manufacturing techniques or improved yarn
technologies, technology drives us to stay "on top of
our game". Technology drives us to pursue better
performance characteristics and modifications
to raw materials that positively impact our
health and the environment. Appian embraces
technology and new techniques to stay on top of
what customers want, what new regulations may
require, and what makes good business sense.
We constantly assess new opportunities that are
driven by technology, while remaining focused
on where we want to position ourselves for
the future.
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Hospitality Design - September 2015

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