By Paul Pannone

An ongoing eWedNewz investigation into the IBMA exposing wasted years of  doing nothing to fend off the growing aggression from China is getting reactions from around the wedding industry. Coverage of the story unveils a substantial amount of money, said held illegally in the organization’s coffers, was never deployed before the Chinese committed further damage to the market.

Patrick Kelly supports a move to get our government to put the clamps on China.

According to Nick Yeh of Impressions Bridal, too much time has passed and nothing was ever done to fight the culprits.

“They just sat and talked and wasted time when they could have been raising awareness to this issue,” he told eWedNewz this week.

Yeh, a manufacturer, says he supports a new campaigned announced by Steve Lang. Yeh added he supports any effort in the industry to help retailers, including any actions by the IBMA. Retailers reading the story are coming forward to support statements they agree with and express their feelings on what they don’t. Retailer, Patrick Kelly, responded to the story saying;

“I agree with Nick, the IBMA should get with our government and attempt to put the clamps on China. Will it be effective? That remains to be seen. It seems a conflict of interest to me. Why should the chairman stir up trouble with China? China is manufacturing the member’s product. If you want to be a leader at the IBMA’s level, start manufacturing your product here in the US. Then China loses it’s power over us. Then China loses the designers to copy from. Jim Hjelm does it, why can’t the IBMA? Also, I feel strongly that wholesalers should never be in the retail business, again a tragic conflict of interest. An issue I do not agree with Nick on.”

On Facebook,  Retailer, Bailey Judith Rieglhaupt of The Bridal Secret said she supports Lang’s efforts and feels he’s always been a strong supporter of the wedding dress industry. Bailey watches the story and how IBMA responds to eWedNewz questioning about how they handle their finances and the $250,000 dollars in their possession.

Bailey asked eWedNewz of the status; we were glad to say Peter Grimes, treasurer of the IBMA, responded. But when eWedNewz asked where the money is and what the plans to deploy the money included he fell silent.

Repeated attempts to reach Alan Dessy, president of the organization, remain ignored.

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