For immediate release

Contact Amy Robertson / True Textiles, @GuilfordofMaine
616.554.2268, amy.robertson@truetextiles.com, www.truetextiles.com

Contact Diana Racek / Peopledesign, @peopledesign
616.459.4444, diana@peopledesign.com, www.peopledesign.com

Grand Rapids, MI—May 27, 2011—Guilford of Maine, the market leader in office panel fabrics, and Peopledesign have transformed the Guilford of Maine brand. The new brand identity launches at NeoCon 2011, June 13-15 in Chicago. Guilford of Maine’s Merchandise Mart showroom (Booth 1033A) will be transformed into a movie theater, opening Monday, June 13 with a public reception from 4:30-6:30pm.

Through key research-based recommendations from the Peopledesign creative team, Guilford of Maine has been redefined as industry-specific performance textiles, with collections focused on the Office, Education, and Healthcare markets. The tagline “The New Black” relates directly to the new brand identity, which employs black as a brand color, and speaks to the very real need for simplicity, efficiency, and performance in these markets.

“Guilford of Maine provides A&D specifiers with ‘go-to’ fabrics that—just like that little black dress—work well with everything,” says Rob Harper, president of True Textiles, Guilford of Maine’s parent company. “The new, market-specific materials should clean up the noise in resource libraries, making life easier for specifiers, while giving them the freedom to explore a wider range of design possibilities.”

“We wanted to signal the change within the organization with a new brand identity,” says Yang Kim, vice president and executive creative director of Peopledesign. “The iconic pinked edging combined with a singular letter “G” creates a bug that blends history with present day; quickly placing Guilford within the textile industry while giving a nod to their manufacturing experience.”

Guilford of Maine is leveraging technology to provide designers with tools to quickly and easily request and receive samples, and help them make informed decisions about the appropriate attributes for each application. The new collections encourage designers to start their projects with a Guilford of Maine fabric as the foundation, allowing everything else to stand out. Access to the Guilford of Maine line has been simplified with a new website, a mobile version of which can be used on smart phones to quickly specify products.

Meet The New Black and see what all the quiet is about.

About True Textiles
Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, True Textiles manufactures beautiful, functional fabrics that have a positive, enduring impact on the people and places they touch. True Textiles provides solutions that bring added value to its customers and is committed to delivering exceptional products through increasingly sustainable design and manufacturing processes. For more information, visit www.truetextiles.com.

About Peopledesign 
Peopledesign transforms businesses by helping them conceive and produce innovative customer experiences. We work with leaders to find new sources of value through insights into customer behavior and customer experience strategy. Then we design tools to support the touchpoints between the business and its customers. Rooted in empathy for people, our work results in smart strategies that connect our clients with their customers and foster loyalty. For more information, visit www.peopledesign.com and www.brand-identity-essentials.com.