In 1930, Jacob A. Fortunoff founded the Jaftex Corporation. He couldn’t have imagined that, over 90 years later, the company would be thriving under the reins of the third and fourth generations of the Fortunoff family. Today, Jaftex Corp. is run by Jacob’s grandson, Robert, and his two great grandsons, Greg and Scott.
Over the years, the company grew from a manufacturer in the lingerie and sleepwear industries to a leader in the over-the-counter textile market. One of the family’s earliest acquisitions was Henry Glass Fabrics in the 1990s. This was followed by the purchase of A.E. Nathan Co., Inc.
In 2010, the family bought Fabric Editions of Seneca, South Carolina, which catered to the big box retailers, but was also the home of Studio E Fabrics whose fabrics were sold to quilt shops only. Studio E was spun off from Fabric Editions and its operations moved to the Jaftex home office in New York City. Since then, the Fabric Editions team also successfully developed and expanded its newly minted 3 Wishes brand.
In 2014, the Blank Quilting Corporation was acquired and was also rolled into the New York offices where Henry Glass, A.E. Nathan & Studio E were housed.
Then in 2018, the family made its largest acquisition ever which made a dramatic impact on the company. Scott & Greg Fortunoff bought FreeSpirit Fabrics of Charlotte, North Carolina. It was the home of quilting stars and household names like: Kaffe Fassett, Tula Pink, Anna Marie and Tim Holtz. The family ships the majority of its fabrics from its G&S Warehouse in Seneca, South Carolina. More recently, the company acquired a shipping, packing and precut making facility in Burlington, North Carolina called Oxford Cutting & Shipping.
The Jaftex Corp. family of brands and the Fortunoff family are excited to sponsor Shop Hop events throughout the U.S. and to help support all the great fabric stores in the United States. They hope the Shop Hop is a huge success for both consumers and retailers alike as it will help to drive customers to quilt shops which is a goal that the company strives for each and every day.