About Carole Fabrics

In 1958, Charles Marks founded Carole Fabrics in Augusta GA, which he named after his only child at the time, Carole.

Carole Fabrics was a small regional company located on the corner of 9th street and Ellis in Downtown Augusta. Fabric inventory was stored on the first floor with a single office on the second. Marks often told the story of how he would take an order, place it in a can and lower to the ground floor by string, where the order would be fulfilled and shipped.

Over the next 10 years, the company grew, eventually moving to a larger facility on Reynolds Street, and then again to an even larger facility on Highland Avenue, in Augusta’s Summerville neighborhood. At this point, Carole Fabrics had begun producing custom products, and Mr. Marks had also brought on a business partner, Jim Norris, to help him run the company.

In 1969, Marks and Norris attracted the attention of Rollins, Inc. in Atlanta Georgia, and soon after sold the company, but stayed on at Carole Fabrics as President and Vice President.

Over the next 12 years, Carole Fabrics grew tremendously from a regional company to a manufacturer serving the entire east coast and many Midwestern states.

In 1972, Bill Geiger joined the Carole Fabrics team and quickly became an important part of the company. Just three years later, Jim Norris passed away, leaving Marks and Geiger to run the company. The same year, the need for a larger space became evident, and Carole Fabrics relocated to its current site. Although the new space was vastly more appropriate for the ever-increasing business, in 1978 the building was renovated to include an extension, which accommodated a much larger workroom.

In 1981, Marks and Geiger bought Carole Fabrics back from Rollins, Inc., and over the next 10 years, the two extended coverage to all 48 contiguous states, creating new products and new programs, including made-to-measure programs, which proved to be extremely popular. In 1984, Marks was elected Chairman of the Board of Carole Fabrics and Bill Geiger was named the company’s President and Chief Operating Officer.

Marks and Geiger sold Carole Fabrics to Hunter Douglas in 1990, at which time, Marks retired from Carole Fabrics. Throughout the 1990’s and 2000’s, Carole Fabrics continued to grow and refine its product offerings to meet ever-changing design tastes and requirements.

After 45 years, 33 of which were served as President, Bill Geiger announced his retirement, naming Frank Andrew to be his successor. Frank Andrew, along with his talented team, continue to grow and build the company today.