Floor 13 Textiles

Floor 13 Textiles

Fishkill, New York

Floor 13 Textiles, Kathleen Bennett Marold’s business venture, has garnered attention from Forbes and many other publications, celebrating her ability to pivot from being an employee to an entrepreneur. Founded in 2012, Floor 13 Textiles, a textile sourcing company, supplies hospitality and contractors with high-end interior decorative fabrics. With 25 years of expertise, Kathleen reflects her high-end taste through the quality and selection of her clients’ textiles.

As one of our long-time small business clients, we have watched Floor 13 Textiles grow exponentially. As soon as COVID-19 shut down the economy, Kathleen knew it was her moment to rethink her business strategies while still staying true to her business model. Before the pandemic, her target audience was the hospitality industry. Once lockdown restrictions came in place, Kathleen faced a significant dilemma—the hotels that were once her primary source of revenue stopped purchasing altogether. But Kathleen’s unwavering commitment to her business prevailed. She took advantage of the opportunity to diversify her revenue streams—starting with the furniture industry.

“I knew we could take advantage of the opportunity to pivot. We quickly created a partnership with a furniture company, which is what got us through COVID,” says Kathleen.

Pivoting in business was nothing new for Kathleen. Upon graduating with a degree in fashion design, she spent time searching for a job, eventually landing herself in the furnishings industry. The idea for Floor 13 Textiles arose when she realized that most fabric companies were missing out on expanding their niche to include hospitality. Kathleen saw a demand in the market—and a business opportunity.

“Almost immediately after I left my job, many smaller companies approached me to help. They knew they were losing hospitality jobs left and right,” says Kathleen.

Soon after, Floor 13 Textiles was born. Located in Fishkill, Floor 13 Textiles provides mill-direct interior textile sourcing for hospitality and contract projects through a global network of mills. They offer an open-line library of stocked fabrics and custom fabrics. Floor 13 Textiles’ concept is to exercise a unique positioning between design firm clients and weaving sources to create a collection suitable for these contract designers’ particular needs.

We are incredibly proud to be a part of Kathleen’s entrepreneurial journey, providing both a small business guidance and a loan. We encourage you to learn more about Floor 13 Textiles and contact them with all of your textile needs!