By Devin Steele
WASHINGTON, DC — They came to unify, solidify and intensify.
And, according to members of the new National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), they accomplished those goals in their first annual 
meeting here July 20-21. Whether or not their efforts are rewarded remains to be seen, but one thing seems clear: The U.S. textile industry is marching in lockstep and to the same beat as a potential post-quota world looms just over the horizon.
"I don’t want to say I almost cried, but I did this morning," Allen Gant Jr., CEO of Glen Raven, Inc., Glen Raven, NC, told delegates in opening the focused, two-day meeting. "It is truly a momentous occasion to see this industry come together and it does my heart a great deal of good."
NCTO, formed through the merger of the American Textile Manufacturers Institute (ATMI) and the American Yarn Spinners Association (AYSA), saw more than 100 executives gather for the meeting, aimed at fully organizing and rolling out an industry-wide election year lobbying and grassroots effort. As a further show of unity, members of other national industry trade groups, among them the National Textile Association (NTA) and the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition (AMTAC), also were present.
"I’m very excited about how this organization is coming together," said Van May of Plains Cotton Cooperative Association, Lubbock, TX, and chairman of NCTO’s Fabric Manufacturers & Home Products Council. "It’s a very fun time to be involved in it."
Steve Dobbins, the AYSA’s last president who played a major role in the formation of NCTO, said he was equally pleased to be involved in the fledgling group.
"There’s always a tinge of sadness when you leave a platform, but some of the excitement in this new platform is to hear the different views of other members," said Dobbins, CEO of Carolina Mills, Maiden, NC, who chairs the Yarn Council. "It’s working. We recently have gotten more access to the administration and lawmakers than we’ve ever had. So I think there’s a sense that this is really beginning to make a difference."
Joe Okey Jr., CEO of industry equipment provider American Monforts, LLC, Charlotte, NC, said the NCTO is stronger because industry suppliers are able to participate and help NCTO achieve its goals.
"As suppliers, we’re enthusiastic because of the inclusion and the voice we have in this new organization," said Okey, chairman of the Industry Support Council.
Gant said the group can be effective if it stays united and speaks with one voice.
"It’s up to us to communicate and stick together," he said. "If we do that, we can make a difference. If we choose not to, then we fail, and we fail miserably."
The issue that gained the most attention and consensus, of course, was the scheduled phaseout of worldwide textile quotas next year and the potentially devastating impact China can have on the world under that system.
Specifically, in collaboration with more than 90 textile and apparel groups from 49 countries around the world, the NCTO used the occasion to appeal to the Bush Administration to act to keep artificially low-priced Chinese imports from flooding the U.S. market once quotas are removed on January 1.
Also, in what the group called the largest lobbying effort by the domestic textile industry in Washington in more than 15 years, more than 100 textile CEOs and representatives lobbied 48 House and Senate members from more than 25 states. The purpose of the visits was to seek Congressional backing in persuading the White House to take action on the pending threat of China.
"The U.S. textile industry has asked the administration to recognize that China poses a severe threat to the domestic textile industry and to use appropriate safeguard actions, as allowed under WTO rules," Gant said. "To date, the administration has refused to consider safeguard actions before the actual occurrence of damage in the marketplace. The U.S. textile industry and the developing world cannot afford to wait for actual damage to occur because millions of jobs will be lost. Instead, we urge that a comprehensive safeguard mechanism be put into place prior to January 1 that will cover the more than $60 billion in textile and apparel imports still under quota."
NCTO also repeated its call for the WTO to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the potential effect of quota elimination on the worldwide textile industry. After NCTO’s get-together and after the Mauritius government sent a letter similar request to the WTO, the trade-governing body scheduled a head of delegations meeting to address the issue on August 3.
However, NCTO and other groups expressed strong concern over the fact that certain key countries were not invited to the meeting. These countries include a number of the largest textile and apparel exporting nations, as well as many countries whose economies are heavily dependent upon this sector for substantial export earnings and employment.
During the meeting, NCTO members heard from a number of elected officials and their representatives. Among them: U.S. Reps. Brad Miller (D-NC); Robin Hayes (R-NC); Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who introduced retiring colleague Sen. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings (D-SC); and Hollings, who was honored by the organization for his long-time service and industry advocacy.
"Look at NAFTA — I fought it like hell," Hollings told members. "But it passed and it decimated you. You’re almost gone.
"We must do something. Let’s at least get a meeting of the WTO on textiles. We’ve got to do something about those quotas being phased out on Jan. 1. Otherwise, you’re gone," he added, to a round of applause.
Editor’s notes: Following are summaries of companies that will be exhibiting at the American Textile Machinery Exhibition-International (ATME-I), scheduled for Sept. 13-17 at the Palmetto Expo Center in Greenville, SC. Included only are exhibiting companies that responded to inquiries for information. These product descriptions have been culled to meet space limitations. More detailed descriptions, along with artwork, will be published in our ATME-I Show Edition, which will be distributed during the show and mailed to subscribers. To be included in extended coverage, or to change your company’s listing, please send information to Devin Steele at editor@textilenews.com or fax to 704-527-5114.
Adaptive Control will exhibit PC control systems for dyeing and finishing machinery. Also on display will be a PC host system and systems for recipe formulation, production reporting, dye-check weighing and chemical dispensing.
The Laurens, SC-based firm will show braiding machines, bobbin winders and other textile machinery and parts.
American Metric, based in Laurens, SC, has more than 180,000 power transmission parts and a complete machine shop.
American Monforts of Charlotte, NC, will demonstrate the Monforts Monter Model 6000, the Monforts Thermal Continuous Dyeing Machine for wovens and knits, the Monforts Dynair Relax Dryer, the Koenig exhaust air cleaning and heat recovery machinery and Klüber lubricants.
Amsler will exhibit Effect yarn devices for open-end and ring spinning frames.
Automatex will show its crosslapper model FA for speeds up to 150 meters/minute with a simple patented drive and profiling system. Aprons will last longer and the crosslapper excels on light and condensed/randomized webs, the company said.
Automation Partners of Cotati, CA, will demonstrate electronics instruments and systems for the finishing sector.
Batson will display a large selection of accessories and supplies for weaving, finishing and printing applications. Products include roll covering, ShuR-CusH vibration pads, cots and aprons, temples, adhesives, lubricants and greases, and other textile mill supplies. Also featured will be the FOX Trim Away, a portable edge trim removal system.
Louis P. Batson Company will exhibit with affiliates Louis P. Batson Incorporated and Batson Group, Inc.
The company will show its yarn dyeing machinery.
Benninger will highlight machinery for warp preparation and wet finishing.
Biancalani S.p.A. produces textile machines for surface finishing of woven, knit and nonwoven fabrics.
Blue Reed, S.L. will display reeds and combs.
The company will show a wide variety of products for today’s textile manufacturer, including: tangential, flat and conveyor belting, timing belts, spindle tapes, spiked and plain aprons, wire cylinders, fillet wire, metal belting, comboxes and hose.
Brueckner will exhibit complete finishing lines for woven and knitted fabrics and for technical textiles. Latest innovations include the Power-Line, a new-generation single-layer; Opti-Shrink modular compressive shrinking ranges; Opti-Compact, a new soft compacting calendar; Pad-Dry thermosol ranges; the Opti-Relax relaxation dryer; and Eco Technologies, cost-saving, environmental technology systems.
BTSR International will exhibit the KTF/100RW Online Tension Feeder System, the KTF/100HP Online Tension Feeder System, the KTF/100MF Online Tension Feeder System, the SMART200TSS Online Tension Monitoring System, the SMART200TTS Online Twist Monitoring System, the SMART Clearer Online Quality Monitoring System, the SMART200MTC Online Yarn Consumption Monitoring System and the SMART248TW Online Warp Monitoring System.
Caraustar will be exhibiting a variety of tubes and cores for the textile industry.
Products on display will be various yarn carriers for filament spinning and texturing; tubes and cores used in packaging and wind-up of nonwoven fabrics; take-up tubes used in woven/knitted processes and tubes for dyeing/printing/finishing operations. All Caraustar products are made of recycled material.
Carolina Brush, Inc., Gastonia, NC, will show its latest strip brushes, staple-set brushes and wire-drawn and twisted-in-wire brushes.
A. B. Carter of Gastonia, NC, a supplier of spinning accessories and other products used throughout the yarn manufacturing sector, will exhibit its latest travelers and rings, tapes and belts, bobbins, bobbin strippers, air splicers, knotters, stroboscopes, end detectors and textile laboratory equipment.
Machines on exhibit by Cartes will be the TFU 80 label-cutting machine featuring electronic tape feed and ultrasonic cut; AP 2 sizing and thermo-fixing machines for narrow fabrics and woven labels; and the Woven Laser 200/200W label machine for cut and die cut.
The West Carrollton, OH, firm will display its custom and standard precision knives used in a number of industries.
Color Service S.r.l. will demonstrate its color-dispensing machines.
The Gastonia, NC-based company will display its paper cones and paper tubes. New features include stackable tubes and a flared base on carriers for extra packing strength.
Corghi will feature a cone-to-cone winder, hank-to-cone winder, precision assembly winder and the new WindTwist. The WindTwist is being introduced to the American market. With its completely electronic operation, the machine is capable of doubling, twisting and winding the yarn in a single operation from cone to cone via a hollow spindle at speeds of up to 2300 rpm and finally winding the twisted yarn onto a cone after waxing.
CutRite will feature a large selection of industrial cutting tools, including shears, scissors, tweezers, knives, seam rippers, holsters and pick glasses.
CutRite, owned and run by the Eickert family, has been making top-quality tools and cutlery since 1902. It has scissor and knife factories in both Solingen, Germany and in Fremont, OH.
Datatex will display new machinery, equipment and supplies for all textile-related manufacturing processes. The company will present new information technology solutions, built with Object-Oriented technology to offer Web-based solutions specific to run the textile and apparel industries.
The Dollfus and Muller booth will feature displays of open-mesh conveyor belts for printing dryers, relax dryers and steamers; felt blankets for transfer printing machines, sanforizing machines, decatizing and compacting machines; and satin wrappers for decatizing machines. The company will introduce to the American market the C928RR Pigment Printing Open Mesh Conveyor Belt. Used in pigment printing, it provides less pigment build-up and more strength.
The Greer, SC-based company, a division of Eltex of Sweden, will display its latest stop motion equipment for textile machines. The company also develops and manufactures advanced systems for data acquisition and control equipment for electrical heating.
Ergotron S.A.S. will show its digital servo-drive for main drive, take-up, let-off and winder for weaving machines.
The company, headquartered in Greensboro, NC, will display knitting machine needles and flat parts.
Fab-Con, Port Washington, NY, will introduce the TX2 StableSizer, an affordable two-roll shrinkage control machine for tubular knit fabrics.
Ferber S.R.L. will display beam cloth transport trucks, plus videos of AGV systems, storage systems and creel-assist yarn trucks.
F.O.R., a division of Fincarde — the newly formed company from the merger of Octir and F.O.R. — will exhibit the Injection card specifically developed for the nonwovens industry. The patented F.O.R. Injection Card has double doffers on the breaker cylinder and the Injection technology (no workers or strippers) on the finisher cylinder. F.O.R. offers a quick change between two and three doffer take-off for heavier webs of over 120 GSM. F.O.R. offers a superior quality web at superior production rates in weights not available from other cards, the company said.
Fong’s Industries Co., Ltd. is one of the leading industrial group specializing in the manufacture and sale of dyeing and finishing equipment. Its flagship company, Fong’s National Engineering Co., Ltd., together with a new member of the group, Xorella AG, will exhibit their newly developed equipment, namely: the ALLWIN high-temperature package dyeing machine, the ECO-6 high-temperature dyeing machine, the ECO-8 multi-rope soft dyeing machine, the LABFIT small batch fabric machine, the ALLFIT medium batch dyeing machine, the VIEWTEX central computer system and the MINI-CONTEXXOR®, a laboratory unit for development and research purposes of large mills and laboratories.
Klöcker will feature running demonstrations of its K-MAG® Leno Healds and Leno Devices and Propeller Lenos®. In addition, leno healds and leno devices will be featured in table-top displays.
A leading manufacturer of screen changers and polymer filtration equipment, Gneuss will present its improved filtration system RSFgenius, along with the latest generation of controls at the ATME-I 2004.
Mitchell Grieve USA, Inc. of Charlotte, NC, will exhibit knitting elements and knitting needles.
Groz-Beckert USA, Inc., Charlotte, NC, manufactures high-quality needles and parts for the textile industry. The company will provide technical and customer service assistance.
Gualchierani will show the GSA/2000 bale press that was developed not only to replace carousel balers in the future, but also to justify replacing existing manual balers. A few of the benefits include: less space, no movement or rotation of boxes, easier and less time to clean, lower R&M, pre-assembled before shipping, completely and competitively priced.
Gualchierani also supplies a wide range of automation solutions. It has systems for automated warehousing for bales, cones, boxes, rolls, etc. The company also supplies automation solutions for spinning mills.
James H. Heal and Co. Ltd., a textile testing equipment manufacturer, will showcase a wide range of instruments, including the Titan universal strength tester, the SnagPod snagging resistance tester and its range of Nu-Martindale abrasion testers, including the Mini-Martindale one-head tester.
Heatherlock, Inc. of Gastonia, NC, will show rings, steel travelers, nylon travelers, bracker tools and flyers and pressers, along with tapes.
The company, based in Greenville, SC, will exhibit metallic wire clothing for spinning, nonwovens, carpet yarn and garnetting operations. New technology includes a polished condenser and take-off roll wire for nonwovens carding applications and new, more aggressive cylinder wires for processing cotton and fiber blends in the yarn manufacturing and spinning industries.
Isotex S.p.A. will demonstrate its coating and laminating lines.
Jacobi (C-Port) GmbH will present its traveling cleaners and vacuum systems.
Kellett Enterprises, Greenville, SC, will introduce a line of products called Rumber®. Made from recycled tires and plastics, Rumber® is an environmentally friendly material. Also on display will be the LP-13 Shake Absorber® Machiney Mounting Pad. Used worldwide for years, this products is the company’s own patented design. Reed hooks, holsters, scissors and the KE Sure Stick Adhesive will also be available.
Klieverik Heli B.V. will showcase its complete product range of laminating calendars, PUR laminating spray systems, powder-scattering devices and transfer printing calendars.
Kroegel will display carpet coating and secondary backing lines, laminating and coating lines for textiles and technical textiles, fabric inspection machines, winding machinery and accumulators.
Lamb will exhibit for the first time the Model WrpW-11, a latch-needle warp knitting machine with weft insertion that is available with a needle bed less than 8 inches (20 cm) in length. It is designed for short runs and quick changeovers. The WrpW-11 is offered in needle cuts ranging from 5 to 16 needles per inch and the 16-cut machine will be exhibited.
Also on exhibit will be the LAMB CD-2 knit braider, a multi-feed circular warp knitting machine used to produce laces, cords and ropes, along with the ST3AH/ZA single feed circular weft knitting machine. The ST3H/ZA is used to produce tubular flat laces and trimming of all types.
Lang Ligon & Co., Inc., Greenville, SC, will feature air-jet feeders for weaving machines, yarn feeders for knitting machines and cutting, labeling, inspecting and wrapping machines.
Lenzing, which produces testing instruments for products and the production quality control of filament, fiber and nonwovens, will display the ACW 400/DVA and the Lister AC. The ACW 400/DVA allows direct feedback on two of the most vital characteristics in filament production — fineness and fineness variation. Lister AC is the new version of Lenzing’s liquid strike-through tester for nonwovens.
In cooperation with Pace Control Ltd., Lenzing now also offers PROMPT, a solution for highly efficient, on-line, real-time process control of filament production.
LGL Electronics will exhibit in booth B-1232 the Primo fully automatic yarn feeder for knitting machines. The Primo features automatic continuous yarn feed, separated yarn coils and constant low-tension yarn delivery (patented) with a self-cleaning brake.
In booth C-1736-B, LGL will showcase filling accumulators for rapier, projectile and air-jet looms.
The Spartanburg, SC-based firm will show air-jet weaving reeds, flat weaving reeds, forming, dryer and press felt weaving reeds and metal weaving reeds.
Loepfe Brothers Ltd. will have its yarn quality systems and weaving machine components on display.
Loptex will show systems for the detection and ejection of contamination in the spinning process.
Harry Lucas GmbH & Co. KG is a textile machinery manufacturer specializing in circular knitting machines, both weft and warp, and is also well known for braider machines.
Ludeca will feature its RollAlign, a laser roll alignment system. RollAlign is a visual laser tool to facilitate quick yet accurate field replacement of process rolls in industry. A laser emitter unit mounted on a reference roll projects two Class 2 fanned 635nm laser lines onto a reflector unit mounted on the roll to be moved, allowing the operator to view both the vertical angle (pitch) and horizontal angle (parallelity) as the roll is adjusted into alignment.
The company will show inspection, batching, wrapping, packing and printing (flat and rotary screen) equipment.
OMMI, which provides machinery for fiber preparation and blending for the nonwoven markets, will present bale openers with electronic load cell weigh pans for production rates of over 2,000 pounds per hour, with less than 1 percent variation. OMMI will introduce several new openers for the wide variety and demands of fiber opening for the nonwoven and textile Industry. These openers open fibers 99 percent without stress and open microdeniers and long fibers at production rates of 3,000 to 6,000 pounds per hour.
Pinter S.A. will highlight its core spun equipment, slub equipment, codens by Pinter System for ring frames, Merlin yarn spin testers, yarn and roving detectors, TAC cleaners for roving frames and drafting system conversions and spare parts for ring and roving frames.
The Charlotte, NC-based company will show its new RS Spooler (two positions), its new electronic traverse system mounted on a 959/994 godet winder and replacement parts.
Ratti Meccanotessil S.r.l. produces textile machines for twisting natural, artificial and synthetic continuous filament yarns.
The Andover, MA-based company will exhibit napper (raising) wire, cleaning brush wires, tiger brush wires, durasuede emerizing wire and Rapidraise raising wire.
Roaches International plans to showcase laboratory dye, finishing and quality control systems.
Erich Scholze GmbH & Co. KG will have its beams on exhibit.
Setx Schermuly textile computer GmbH will exhibit its IPC-controller for dyeing and finishing, central machine management software, weft straightener and control systems for stenter frames, among other equipment.
SSM Scharer Schweiter Mettler AG and its group of companies will present winding systems (SSM), specialty winding systems (Hacoba) and air-texturing systems (Stähle).
SIRTRES S.R.L. will display plastic sleeves for calendaring and embossing counter-rolls; complete counter rolls for calendaring and embossing counter-rolls; special supporting mandrels with no-deflection, no-crowned profile; and fluorocarbon FEB and FEB-HT sleeves for roll covering of any type of material.
The company, based in Greenville, SC, will show plastic yarn carriers, including dye springs, dye tubes, cones, cylinders, king spools, bobbins and other spools and reels.
Southern Loom Reed Manufacturing. Co., Gaffney, SC, will exhibit: reeds for projectile, rapier, water-jet and air-jet systems; combs for warping, beaming and slashing; and harnesses, heddles and drop wires.
Southern Textile News
As tradition, the 59-year-old bi-weekly newspaper for the textile industry will produce special-edition papers each day of ATME-I, for distribution on the show floor.
Stalam will shot its continuous-type and batch-type radio frequency dryers for fibers, yarns and other textile products after dyeing or other wet treatments. Models include the RF conveyorised radio frequency dryers, the LTRF conveyorised low-temperature RF dryers, the RFA and RFA/S conveyorised radio frequency assisted dryers, the TCRF batch-type thermo controlled RF dryers, the RF/T radio frequency dryers for fabrics and the new RF/C continuous-type RF dryers for yarn packages on dye-columns.
Strayfield Fastran’s product range covers the entire spectrum of industry needs in the radio frequency drying sector.
Telsonic will feature its Ultrasonic "Cut ‘n Sealing" System. This system cuts and seals nonwoven fleece fabrics, thermoplastic sheets and other materials to any shape. Shapes are obtained by simply exchanging the cut ‘n seal tools.
The result is a secure seal that safeguards against fraying or any loss of filler material.
Testa S.P.A. will show videos of Eureka model automatic cutting machines with big roll to big roll defect mapping, optimization and cutting, labeling, swatches, re-seaming, weighing and wrapping. Stand-alone wrapping machines also are available.
TexParts GmbH will have drafting and bearing components on display.
Trident will showcase FabricFast™, a new pigmented water-based ink for Epson textile ink jet printers. Fabric Fast ink jet inks closely match the colors provided by production screen pastes. FabricFast provides the soft hand of dye-based inks with the washfastness and lightfastness of pigmented inks, Trident said.
Trützschler GmbH & Co. KG will exhibit or have information about its complete range of bale openers via blenders and cleaners to cards and draw frames. The TC 03 card, introduced during ITMA last year, will be highlighted. In the nonwovens sector, the company covers the entire fiber preparation process, from the bale opener to the tuft feeder.
Tube-Tex will exhibit a full line of finishing machinery for both knit and woven fabrics. Its technology products include continuous bleaching ranges, extraction pads, relax dryers, tenter frames, nappers, brushing machines, compactors, handling equipment and a full line of spare parts for all types of finishing machinery.
UNITECH Textile Machinery S.p.A. will exhibit shearing, sueding and napping machines and open-width finishing machines.
United will display wax rolls used in the manufacturing of knit yarns.
Based in Farmingdale, NY, Uniwave will display lubricators, lint blowers and production control monitors.
VeriVide, Ltd., a leader in the design and manufacture of visual and color assessment equipment, will show the latest innovations of its DigiEye System.
U.S. agent: Welco Technologies of Milford, OH, manufactures custom-designed AC motors, including permanent magnet synchronous motors, high-speed motors for spinning machines and godet rolls and winders, along with motors designed for extreme environments such as chemical exposure, high temperature and challenging mechanical configurations. Welco also produces thousands of designs for the fiber industry and can produce a custom-engineered motor for customer requirements. The company said its Vari-Hertz Synchronous Motor is the ideal solution for fiber processing.
The company, based in Hutchins, TX, will show Scotch Marine steam boilers.
The Charlotte, NC-based company will show its Peerless sliver cans and all accessories, including springs, lids, glide boots and choke-resistant casters, spinning tubes, roving bobbins (plastic yarn carriers) and a sliver can straightening device.
The company, based in Kings Mountain, NC, will highlight the Struto Vertical Lapping Machine.
Zentes Unitex GmbH will exhibit spinneret inspection devices.
Zimmer Machinery Corp., a division of Austria-based J. Zimmer Maschinenbau GmbH, will showcase its complete line of printing machines.
Zweigle Textilprüfmaschinen GmbH & Co. KG will highlight its product range, including the F 460 stick slip friction tester, the D 304 automatic twist tester, the D 315 semi-automatic twist tester, the G 534 friction tester, the G 552 abrasion tester, the G 556 staff tester, the G 566 hairiness tester, the V 702 sample card winder, the OASYS evenness tester with fabric simulation and the F 427 automatic strength tester.
LAWRENCE, MA — Michael Spillane, previously of Tommy Hilfiger USA, has been named president and CEO of Malden Mills Industries, Inc., replacing Aaron Feuerstein, who has retired.
Feuerstein had led the company for several decades, serving in those positions on an honorary basis since the firm emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October. Feuerstein, who had been bidding to buy back the company founded by his grandfather in 1906, retired in June.
Feuerstein gained national attention after keeping his employees on the payroll after a massive fire in 1995 destroyed the fabric maker’s main factory.
In early July, Feuerstein underwent emergency heart surgery, but his son Daniel told the Associated Press that his father’s decision to resign was "unrelated to what became an unfortunate medical emergency from which he is recovering."
Spillane is former president for Children’s Apparel & Men’s Underwear and Loungewear at Tommy Hilfiger USA.
"Malden Mills built its global business reputation on product innovation, quality fabrics and a leadership position in the outdoor apparel industry," Spillane said. "As CEO, I look forward to working with our customers, vendors and employees to continue that tradition, making Malden Mills stronger than ever."
