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Article: St. Louis Firm Looks to Micro-Designer Handbags for Success.
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
- Article date:
- January 28, 2004
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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By Shera Dalin, St. Louis Post-Dispatch Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
Jan. 28--Melbourne Manufacturing Co. is tapping a new market -- micro-designer handbags, a niche that could rejuvenate the 81-year-old company.
Recently, Melbourne has plied a steady business, sewing about 27,000 purses a year for Navy cadets. But that four-year contract is about to end, and it's uncertain whether the company will win the work again, said owner Dan Fendelman.
Making purses for shoe company catalogs accounts for another 20,000 to 30,000 handbag orders a year.
Now, Fendelman is focused on one of the hottest fashion trends: designer ...