Business & Tech
Small Business Q&A: Fabric.com
The largest fabric e-tailer in the U.S. is headquartered in East Cobb.
started with a simple website created by Savannah native Stephen Friedman. Friedman is president and general manager of the growing online retailer that serves the quilting and craft communities.
A total of 150 employees work at the 90,000-square-foot center in a business park off of Franklin Road. Friedman said that they are adding employees in near future.
Amazon.com owns fabric.com. Friedman said the global internet retailer reached out to begin a relationship with fabric.com a couple of years after his site began. The sale was complete June 2008.
Q. What's the best thing about your job?
A. There is a very creative element to it. Seven department heads and I spend a lot of time finding ways to improve the customers' experience of our website. We're able to evolve quickly.
Q. What is the best thing about East Cobb?
A. There's a stable work force. Many of our employees live nearby because of the good schools in Cobb. We have easy access to interstate and the airport. There's a high quality of life in Cobb.
Q. Why did you choose to open your business in East Cobb?
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A. I live here. I've owned a home in Cobb since 1990.
Q. Why did you pick this kind of business?
A. I've been in the textile industry since 1989 and evolved into electronic commerce.
Q. How long have you been in business?
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A. Fabric.com went on line in 1999.
Q. How did your business get started?
A. I was wholesaler of apparel fabric. I bought excess fabric inventory from manufacturers and sold to other manufacturers.
When the cut and sew part of the garment business left the U.S., went to China and other places, I lost access to my supply of fabric. So I had to change my business model to become a retailer.
I personally built the first rudimentary site as an experiment. No one else was selling fabric online at that time.
We've always offered zero risk buying. If you don't like your purchase for ANY reason, we'll pay return shipping and give a full refund. We don't get many returns. It is an experiment that went well.
Q. Do you have advice for anyone who'd like to start a small business in this area?
A. Be tenacious anywhere you start a business. Never give up. The first couple of years will be hard. There will be a lot of bumps in the road but you have to stay focused on the main objective.
Q. Is there anything else you'd like our readers to know?
A. I welcome everyone to see what we're about online.
Local Customer Service: 770-792-8590