By Devin Steele
Organizers of the American Textile Machinery Exhibition-International® (ATME-I) trade show will cut the ribbon to open the trade show this morning in Greenville, SC — and, perhaps somewhat symbolically, will cut ties to the city that has been its home since 1969.
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The show will run through Friday at the Palmetto Expo Center, before the wraps are put on its 35-year history in a city long referred to as the textile capitol of the U.S.
The show, typically held every four years, will move to Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center in 2006 under a confederated format with affiliate industry trade shows.
Even as Greenville prepares to sing its swan song, neither organization nor expectations for this show are different from past ATME-Is, according to Butler Mullins, president of Textile Hall Corp., which co-sponsors the event with the American Textile Machinery Association (ATMA).
"We’ve tried to approach this ATME-I much like every one since 1969 — to produce a quality exhibition bringing buyers and sellers together," he said. "These are obviously challenging times for our industry, but we’re looking forward to a very successful show."
Traditionally, ATME-I has taken place in a split format, but in response to waning attendance and the changing business environment, the shows have been merged into one.
More than 6,500 visitors from 64 countries have pre-registered for the exhibition, including 15 percent from outside the U.S., with thousands more expected to register on site, according to organizers.
ATME-I will feature more than 480 exhibitors from 25 countries displaying machinery, equipment, supplies and services for all textile manufacturing processes, including fiber and yarn manufacturing, weaving, knitting, dyeing, printing, finishing, nonwovens manufacturing and plant engineering and maintenance.
"The booths are smaller as exhibitors scaled back plans based on business conditions and sales forecasts," Mullins said.
The U.S. exhibition also includes the Knitted Arts Exhibition-Fabric through co-sponsorship with the National Textile Association (NTA) and the co-location of the of AATCC International Conference & Exhibition through cooperation with the American Association of Textile Chemists & Colorists.
ATME-I moved to Greenville from Atlantic City, NY in 1969. The Palmetto Expo Center, originally known as Textile Hall, was built at its present site in 1963 to house the city’s textile exhibitions and was expanded three times to accommodate an ever-expanding ATME-I.
Expectations vary among exhibitors, but most polled seem somewhat optimistic.
"We do not expect a buying frenzy but we do expect a good attendance by forward-looking individuals who believe that when all of the dust clears there will still be a textile industry in this country," said Lang S. Ligon, CEO of Lang Ligon & Co., Inc., Greenville, SC, responding to a survey sent to selected exhibitors.
Another, who wished to remain anonymous, added that he expects the show to be a "success" for his company.
"Since condensing the exhibition, visitors will take more time at each booth," he said. "Moreover, I am finding more and more mills putting money into technology to replace labor and enhance quality."
"Given the anemic state of our industry," said another anonymous exhibitor, "we want to see which companies are willing to send people to attend ATME-I, figuring those are the companies most likely to make it. We expect to get leads, for us to follow up with a visit after the show, along with proposal requests and orders."
Expectations are good in general, added another vendor.
"Our market here — the U.S. and Canada — has significantly shrunk in the last five years," he said. "However, the last year has felt like we have hit the bottom, with the market decreasing less. In fact, the sales yarn market has been strong for our remaining customers the in the last year, especially ring spun and open-end spinning."
Another industry supplier put his show prospects thusly: "Hopeful but a bit pessimistic."
Yet another expects low attendance, given market conditions.
Responses also varied on the question, "what are your expectations of American visitors attending the show?"
"Our company believes that companies who attend this show will have a serious interest, otherwise they simply would not be there," said Tony Webber, sales director for Adaptive Control, Charlotte, NC.
Ligon added that he expects no big-ticket sales, but the show will provide the opportunity for visitors to stay abreast of new developments for future planning.
"I think serious prospects are inevitable for these exhibitions today," added another supplier. "We are at war. These decision-makers must purchase the equipment to compete now, or roll over and die."
That same merchant, responding to a different question, said, "This period in time is a last-ditch effort for certain market segments before the globalized world takes over. ‘Buy now or never’ is the theme. Our exhibiting in a large fashion for this show is very important. We are going to show people that we are here for them and are willing to go to war with them."
Another said he expects mid-to-upper level managers to be on hand, but added: "We expect and will be disappointed that many of our customers plan to cut back on junior management attendance, which we like to nurture as their careers progress."
One exhibitor said his company hopes to continue to expand in Central and South America, so it is hoping for a number of visitors from those areas.
Asked if an international textile machinery show in 2004, less than a year after the International Exhibition of Textile Machinery (ITMA) and two years before the 2006 ATME-I, is necessary, Webber responded, "At ITMA, we saw a shortage of USA, Canada, Central America and South America clients. We believe these people were waiting for the ATME-I here in the USA ... we hope?"
Two others said that this show is needed, but should occur at the mid-point of the quadrennial ITMA shows.
Another said that this show is merited, but not the 2006 edition. "This time is to make a statement," he said. " Beyond this time, the expense is unnecessary."
Another indicated skepticism that another show in America will occur after this one.
"I’m not sure there will be another ATME-I," he said, despite the fact that plans are being made for a 2006 edition. "There are so many shows in the world that no matter when you have it, it will be right before or right after some other exhibition."
Finally, exhibitors were asked to express their sentiments about the show’s ending its Greenville tradition and moving to Atlanta. A North Carolina exhibitor called the move "sad," while a South Carolina vendor said "disappointing." A Northeast-based supplier said he has no sentiments about the change.
"It’s the loss of a good personal ‘friend’ and friend of Greenville," Ligon said. "It was not a smart move."
Said another: "I hate it. I will miss good ol’ Greenville. Greenville is the perfect city for the exhibitions, it being the heartbeat of the textile industry. It is affordable.
"But," he added, "as time plays a role we must find other attractions. And Atlanta has such. Also, Atlanta may bring down the carpet manufacturers."
One Gastonia, NC-based supplier took a wait-and-see attitude. "This is something we have to assess," he said. "Will our customers send their managers to Atlanta? How much more will our cost of exhibiting increase with all factors considered? If we do, we will scale back our exhibit in size most likely."
One vendor said he doesn’t mind moving the show, but not two hours down the road from Greenville.
"It would be better to move it to Florida, both for attractions and proximity to Latin America," he said.
Another made what may be considered a modest proposal.
"We would like to see the Palmetto Expo Center put on its own machinery show in 2006, in competition with ATME-I in Atlanta, to give exhibitors and visitors alike a choice," he said. "Remember the OTEMAS/ITMA Asia competition?"
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.
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.
Representatives of the next American Textile Machinery Exhibition-International® trade show, scheduled for Oct. 31 through Nov. 4, 2006 at the Georgia World Congress Center, will be on hand to discuss exhibiting opportunities and answer other questions.
Amsler will exhibit Effect yarn devices for open-end and ring spinning frames.
U.S. agent: Dawson Textile Machinery
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.
Barco will introduce its sensor for polypropylene detection and removal on Schlafhorst open-end spinning machines, an enhanced range of its CYCLOPS on-loom inspection system, as well as a new generation of wireless data collection hardware for the WEAVEMASTER and KNITMASTER monitoring systems.
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 Inc. 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 Charlotte, NC-based company distributes Fuji ring compressors, vacuum pumps and receivers. Cary also manufactures a wide range of accessories for Fuji ring compressors, including valves, filters and filter covers; assembled reversing electrical starters and controls; industrial vacuum/cleaning systems; and waste removal systems.
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.
Datacolor will launch Datacolor SPECTRUM™, a platform for innovation with key capabilities for global color management in the retail and textile industries. As a longtime leader in color management technology for the textile industry, the Swiss-held company has chosen to make the announcement and introduction of its new platform ATME-I.
Datacolor SPECTRUM is an integrated suite of software products, measuring systems and supporting services that can provide centralized control of the entire color management workflow worldwide.
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.
Davison Publishing produces the most comprehensive directories for the textile industry. The directories are produced annually and provide thousands of key contacts and company profiles within their respective industries.
The company, with textile product operations in Mauldin, SC, will showcase its cots and aprons, shrinkage belts, roll covering and rolls for Superba products.
The Dilo Group of companies will demonstrate the Dilo HYPERPUNCH technology for flat and velour needling, the Dilo ProfiLine CV1 for better product quality and reduced fiber consumption, the Spinnbau DeltaCard with SigmaDoffing for a wide application spectrum. Dilo also offers complete line installations for all nonwoven technologies.
Diversified Systems will feature its state-of-the-art tenter chain, safety chucks, airshafts long-arm sewing machines and woven, knitted and nonwoven finishing systems.
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.
Lindauer Dornier GmbH will use this year’s ATME-I to emphasize its drive in technological progress. New developments cover the complete textile machines product line.
The new performance generation of air-jet (type AS) and rapier weaving machines (type PS), new machine models for terry weaving, type ServoTerry® and leno weaving, type EasyLeno®, complement innovative advances in finishing machines for circular fabrics like the heat setting machine, type EcoFix®, or the combined mercerizing and bleaching machine, type EcoCombine®.
Duncan Technologies Inc., based in Spartanburg, SC, and a member of the Erhardt & Leimer Group, will show an A-frame let-off, compensators an A-frame rewind and related equipment.
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 Spartanburg, SC, company will exhibit web guiding, weft straightening, tubular slitter, metal detecting, tenter guiding and belt guiding and ancillary equipment.
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 announces a new generation of CAN-BUS technology material-handling trucks. CAN-BUS technology, used for years in modern weaving machines, provides benefits to material handling of increased operator safety, more robust electronic and electro-mechanical reliability and dramatically enhanced diagnostics, according to the company.
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.
August Herzog Maschinen-fabrik GmbH & Co. KG of Germany will highlight its braiding and bobbin winding machines, among other equipment.
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.
The company, based in Greenville, SC, will have information about a number of textile products, as well as information about companies it represents, including: Pellizzari (booth D-2513), Peninsula Plastics Company, Inc. (D-2506), Reiners & Furst (D-2511), Nuova Saccardo Scrl (D-2512), Bobotex Hans Ladwig GmbH & Co. KG (D-2509), F.LLI Ceccato SpA (D-2510) and Globus Gummiwerke GmbH (D-2507).
Isotex S.p.A. will demonstrate its coating and laminating lines.
Jacobi (C-Port) GmbH will present its traveling cleaners and vacuum systems.
Jomar Softcorp International provides Enterprise + ebusiness software for textile and related industry applications. The E+e textile functions support spinning, warping, knitting, weaving, dyeing, formula management, finishing, commissioning, printing and cutting and sewing.
E+e Software is installed across multi-platforms in Homefashions, Apparel with "Full Package Support," Industrial or Technical Textile applications and for Sourcing over the Internet. JOMAR is committed to continue our progressive Software Development Strategy of the past 22 years to reduce customer’s IT ownership costs and to protect their IT investment as Jomar provides them with technology for a competitive advantage in the global market.
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.
Küsters Machinery Corp. will showcase its Turbo Flush washer, Enclosed vacuum washer, Hycon L. calender roll, Swim roll model and Cold pad batch master.
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.
Based in Burlington, NC, Leesona will exhibit the Model 993-966-987 heavy duty rewinder for high tenacity, high modulus technical yarns. Yarn tensions up to 12Kg and bail pressure up to 25 Kg. are possible for producing extremely stable and dense packages, the company said.
Leesona will also exhibit the Model 940 take-up winder, designed specifically for the flat and fibrillated slit tape industry.
The Model 944, also to be exhibited, is designed for parallel winding monofilaments and tapes on flanged spools. The Model 944 is available with a mechanical traverse as well as a fully programmable digital traversing mechanism. Leesona’s standard yet versatile rewinder, the Model 861, will be on display.
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 will show for the first time the Primo series knitting feeder. The Primo feeder offers yarn reserve separation plus an automatic speed control and the TWM (brushless) modulating tension output brake. Designed and introduced to the market to give a smoother, more consistent output tension compared to existing feeder technologies, this feeder is being used to expand the versatility of knitting machines, allowing the use of yarns that previously ran too poorly to be commercially feasible for the knitter.
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.
Marzoli S.p.A. will show its newest machines for the process of cotton, synthetic fibers and blends of these two, from the bale to the yarn production stage of the ring spun process.
Karl Mayer Textilmaschin-enfabrik GmbH will focus on two machines with new developments. The Karl Mayer Malimo weft insertion machine features an advanced weft insertion system for the production of technical products. The sample GIR-O-MATIC warper is a highly versatile and productive machine for warp preparation departments supplying the weaving industry, with production speeds up to 1200 m/min.
Motrec will demonstrate its electric vehicles for the first time at an ATME-I exhibition. Specifically, the company will display two personnel carriers and two tuggers. Motrec has been manufacturing personnel and burden carriers and tow tractors in electric, gas and diesel models for more than 15 years.
The company will show inspection, batching, wrapping, packing and printing (flat and rotary screen) equipment.
Representatives of the College of Textiles at NC State will exhibit its Textile Fundamentals on CD and other professional education programs. The College of Textiles licenses the unique CD-based Distance Learning course, entitled Textile Fundamentals. This course is a valuable training resource and a must for personnel in textile operations, organizations and/or education institutions. Booth visitors can take advantage of a 40 percent discount on the CD.
Nova/Pai Lung will display the latest technology in circular and collar knitting equipment. Models includes the PL-KS3B-HS 20 inch, the PL-KS3B-HS 34 inch, the PL-XSCJ/CS3 30 inch and the PL-XSCJ/CS3 30 inch.
Also on display will be the new Nova Collar Knitting Machine, the Nova Elite72.
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.
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.
Retech, which specializes in mechanical and electronic components for synthetic yarn production industry, will present its product range, divided into three main groups: components — heating elements and temperature control systems; on-line monitoring systems for yarn tension and package density; and machines (TEX2000, custom built machines).
Roaches International plans to showcase laboratory dye, finishing and quality control systems.
Santex AG will show its Santex Jumbo relaxed dryer for knit and woven fabrics and will have presentations on its complete line of high performance textile machinery.
Erich Scholze GmbH & Co. KG will have its beams on exhibit.
A new digital microscope with automatic fiber identifying and measurement software, as well as the latest DIGIEYE grading and color management system are among 14 products SDL Atlas will highlight.
Innovative software for the new digital microscope performs fiber identification, measure-ments and fabric thread counts. Other products on display will include the ATLAS Ci 3000 Fade-Ometer®, LINITEST+ Lab Dyeing System, WASHRITE Precision Washing Machine, new MARTINDALE Pilling and Abrasion tester, VERIVIDE Color Viewing Booths and QuickWash™, QuickView™ and QuickCondition™ fabric testing systems.
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 will display weaving machines with "dynamically controlled" flexible rapiers, distinguishing the G6300, SMIT Textiles’s highly successful model. To boost versatility, flexibility and productivity to the highest standards, SMIT textile has designed the GS900, the next generation of the G6300 weaving machines. The GS900 achieves top yield rates, minimizing the stress on weft and warp yarns thanks to its optimized textile parameters.
Built on the same "common platform" concept driving the product development of the company, the terry version G6300 F and the JS900 air-jet weaving machine with superior productivity rates complete the product range, the company said.
The GS900 weaving machines will be exhibited in the SMIT stand and in the Staubli stand (C-1912).
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.
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. You an drop off press releases and show news or schedule photo opportunities at the booth.
SperottoRimar srl will be showing the Nova Ecoknit, an environmentally friendly solvent scouring and drying machine that is met to reduce operation costs and improve fabric quality. SperottoRimar will also make presentations on their complete line of wet and dry face finishing machines.
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.
Among products on display will be theSuessen EliTe®CompactSet for long and short-staple fibers, the SE 7, SE 8, SE 9 and SE 10 SpinBoxes and the HP SpinSet high-performance components for ring spinning.
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. The ultrasonic cut and sealing process is fast and is therefore economical. Applications include labels for the textile industry, as well as medical compresses and pads, cosmetic pads and filters from fleece materials and fabrics.
Testa, world leader in automated cloth roll debatching and packaging, announces a new, higher-production version of the Eureka line called Testa Rossa. The result of six years of development, the Testa Rossa concept doubles previous through-put capacity of the Eureka series through a combination of higher winding speeds of 200 yards per minute, the adoption of encoders to reduce cycle transition times and even the use of dual A-frame input drives.
TexParts GmbH will have drafting and bearing components on display.
This division of Creform® Corporation will show its full line of Plastic Advantage yarn carriers for the textile and related industries.
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. FabricFastºprovides the soft hand of dye-based inks with the washfastness and lightfastness of pigmented inks, all in an ecologically friendly water-base, 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, com-pactors, 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.
Uster Technologies, based in Knoxville, TN, will present its technologically advanced quality-control systems, including: The USTER® FABRISCAN ON-LOOM, the award winning on-loom monitoring system; the USTER ® QUANTUM 2, a radical innovation now allowing polypropylene detection; and the USTER® TESTER 4, the worldwide yarn classification standard, according to the company.
Van Wyk will show its latest high-accuracy liquid and powder dispensing equipment.
VeriVide, Ltd., a leader in the design and manufacture of visual and color assessment equipment, will show the latest innovations of its DigiEye System.
Welco Technologies of Milford, OH, manufactures custom-designed AC motors, including permanent magnet synchro-nous 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.
The company, based in Hutchins, TX, will provide information on its 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 Kings Mountain, NC-based company, along with Struto International, 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.
The Spartanburg, SC-based company will demonstrate its latest yarn tension control devices.
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.
Editor’s note: Following is a Q&A with William E. Giblin, chairman of the National Textile Association (NTA), Boston, MA, and president of Tweave, Inc., Norton, MA. Giblin nears the end of his two-year term as chairman of NTA, which will hold its 150th annual meeting Sept. 19-21 in Cooperstown, NY. He responded to questions submitted to him by STN editor Devin Steele.
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STN: During last year’s annual meeting, you told delegates, "This group is charged up and ready to challenge the status quo in Washington. We cannot continue to give away our textile industry in these lopsided trade deals." How successful would you say NTA, and its allies, have been in challenging the status quo?
Giblin: Actually, we have witnessed the beginning of a significant shift in Washington. Within days of the conclusion of NTA’s annual meeting in 2003, we saw the announcement — and subsequent implementation — by the Bush Administration of three textile-specific China safeguard actions. That was a three-for-three victory on all the petitions the industry filed.
Then in April, on the very day that the NTA Board of Government was meeting in Washington, DC, presidential candidate John Kerry issued his position paper on enforcement of trade agreements, many points of which were clearly crafted to respond to the crisis in textiles and other manufacturing industries facing a flood of imports from China.
Both major parties now are beginning to understand that free trade must be fair trade that advances America’s economic goals and protects American jobs. I noted with great interest that the Republican Party platform adopted last month in New York lauds the administration’s decision to "impose a safeguard action against Chinese textile and apparel imports."
STN: You have served the association as chairman for two years. Please briefly summarized the highs and lows of the group during your term.
Giblin: The highlight for me personally has been the opportunity to work with the other officers of NTA — Jonathan Stevens from Ames Textile Corporation and Jim Robbins from Elastic Fabrics of America. In particular I have had a grand time working closely with Hank Truslow at Sunbury Textile Mills. Hank has been a pillar of this association and of the industry.
It has been painful to watch the continued contraction of the U.S. textile industry. But we who remain are strong and are constantly seeking new products and markets.
STN: Stevens is expected to succeed you as chairman. Please comment on the leadership skills he brings to the table.
Giblin: Jonathan Stevens was raised in the textile industry, and has spent a productive lifetime working in it. I know of no man who is more sensitive to the human side of the endeavor, in addition to his demonstrated business skills. He has been totally immersed in the leadership of the NTA for the last two years as vice chair and will do a great job once he takes over as chair.
STN: How are your membership numbers holding up in the face of the industry’s continued downturn?
Giblin: Overall NTA’s membership has declined somewhat, but not as much as you may have expected. That’s because we have picked up several new members in the past year. There are the upholstery fabrics manufacturers: American Silk Mills Corp., Craftex Mills Inc., Dicey Mills, Inc., Wearbest Sil-tex Mills, Ltd. and Weave Corp. We also added a top-of-bed group to NTA: Dan River, Inc., Springs Industries and WestPoint Stevens, Inc. We also added in the past year Tex-Tenn Corporation, a knitter, and saw the return of a former NTA member, Hyman Brickle & Son., Inc.
STN: In April, a dozen NTA members lobbied the Bush Administration and Congressional leaders. What specifically was discussed and has any progress emerged from these meetings?
Giblin: We used those meetings to reiterate NTA’s opposition to CAFTA as currently negotiated; to continue to press the administration regarding China’s unfair trade practices; and to impress on Congress the need to make existing trade programs, such as the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) work better for U.S. textile manufacturers.
As far as any progress, we note that the administration and the leadership in Congress have not even let CAFTA come up for a vote. We got the China safeguard on every product we requested and the administration has publicly acknowledged our rights, under the language of the safeguard agreement, to file later this month, petitions on a dozen or more categories based on the apparent threat posed by imports from China beginning January 1, 2005. Finally, we note that one of the few pieces of trade legislation to make it through Congress in this election year was the bill correcting a number of technical errors in the AGOA that had hindered the development of a market in sub-Saharan Africa for U.S. textile products. That bill had the potential to be very harmful to U.S. textile mills as there was considerable pressure to extend and expand the third-country fabric rule. The bill that finally became law did not expand the third-country provision to any additional countries and the extension of the provision for the other countries was made subject to a phaseout schedule.
STN: You recently welcomed three major domestic manufacturers — Dan River, Inc., Springs Industries, Inc. and WestPoint Stevens, Inc. — to your ranks. Each will serve on the association’s new Textile Bedding Committee for top-of-the-bed product manufacturers. Please comment on having these new feathers in your cap and the goals of that committee.
Giblin: Top-of-the-Bed industry sector is another that is being reviewed by federal and state governments for possible new flammability regulations. We are extremely pleased to have formed another new committee — Textile Bedding Committee — that provides various services to these new members and is working closely with California and CPSC on potential rules. Earlier this summer, the committee provided testimony to the Senate Commerce Committee, which held hearings on textile bedding flammability.
We are also working closely with California officials who are leading the way in development of a mandatory flammability standard for textile bedding products. NTA is proud to be able to fill this void and serve a vital role in this area by providing valuable services for its new members.
STN: At the request of members, the NTA in May formed the Upholstery Fabrics Council to ensure that its members’ interests are represented in a variety of government issues. Please update us on the aims and activities of this council.
Giblin: The upholstery fabrics industry has been working with government agencies on flammability standards for almost 30 years. Both the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the state of California have been active in this area though CPSC is now in the lead. When our members, and some non-members too, asked NTA to form a committee so the industry could continue its flammability work, we saw a true need for this service and moved quickly to form the unit.
Fortunately, Hardy Poole, who has worked in this area for over these 30 years, was available and most committee members had worked with him in the past. This is a good example of the focused support NTA is now able to provide for its members.
STN: As you mentioned, Poole, former vice president and corporate secretary of the now-defunct American Textile Manufacturers Institute, joined The National Textile Association early this year to provide support to membership on state and federal regulatory issues, defense procurement and consumer affairs. Please comment on the strengths he has brought to the organization and the results of his work.
Giblin: We are fortunate that Hardy Poole joined our staff last January. Hardy’s 30 years of experience in textile industry trade association activities working with military issues, consumer affairs and overall regulatory matters gives us a person with invaluable experience. Hardy knows a lot of industry leaders and government officials, and has a wealth of knowledge in the issues we are facing today.
In this short time, he has provided leadership by staffing the Upholstery Fabrics Committee and he was the organizer of the new Textile Bedding Committee. You’ll be hearing more about us in other areas that he is working in like military activities. Obviously, we are very pleased to have Hardy on board.
STN: NTA, of course, opposed CAFTA in its present form. Has any movement been made in amending the deal in a more positive manner for your members?
Giblin: As you know, there are not the votes in Congress, at least at this time, to pass the flawed CAFTA negotiated last December. We can, however, look at the other FTAs — Morocco and Australia — which were concluded after CAFTA and which are on the way to implementation. In those agreements there is no cumulation with third countries, the presence of which in CAFTA is one of our sticking points. Also, the rule of origin for brassieres in those agreements is closer to the 75 percent rule in CBTPA than to the fatally flawed cut-and-sew rule in CAFTA.
In general, the Morocco and the Australia agreements correct some of the worst loopholes in CAFTA. In the case of the US-Australia FTA there are no tariff preference levels for non-originating fabrics. So you see, these FTAs negotiated after CAFTA, while not perfect, are, in significant areas, improvements over CAFTA.
STN: Is NTA involved in voter registration drives or any other initiatives related to this year’s election, as other industry groups are?
Giblin: NTA, along with others in the industry, has joined in the effort organized by the National Council of Textile Organizations, to register and educate voters in key textile states.
STN: What else exciting or newsworthy is going on in the organization?
Giblin: NTA today is a very different organization than it was just a few years ago. With the merger in 2002 of the Northern Textile Association and the Knitted Textile Association, the National Textile Association emerged as an important voice for companies that make fabric in the U.S. Now with our Home Fashions Council (Upholstery Fabrics Committee and Home Bedding Committee), NTA occupies an important place as the principle association for major sectors of the American textile industry.
STN: The NTA, the nation’s oldest textile trade organization, will hold its 150th annual meeting in a town that is intrinsically linked to history and America’s national pastime. Cooperstown obviously is a special place for a milestone meeting. Members must be enthusiastic about this locale, right?
Giblin: We’ve come to Cooperstown before, most recently in 1991. This has always been a popular meeting location for our members.
STN: The meeting will have a strong emphasis on government contracting opportunities for membership. Please comment on this program.
Giblin: Our nation is at war, according to our government. We in the textile industry want to do everything possible to help our nation during these trying times, and one way we can help is by supplying textile products to the Department of Defense.
We are fortunate that some of our government’s top leaders in the clothing and textile area will be with us at our annual meeting and we are looking forward to working closer with our government in supporting our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines worldwide.
STN: What are some of the other projected take-aways of the meeting?
Giblin: I hope — actually, I’m certain — that our members will come away from this meeting realizing that, although we are in uncertain times for the American textile industry, their trade association is strong and prepared to respond to the challenges. NTA provides valuable services to member companies, and does so with a very lean operation. I would compare this organization very favorably with any group in the textile industry.
BOSTON — Joseph W. "Bill" Kernodle, site director of Clemson Apparel Research at Clemson University, will be a featured speaker at the 150th annual meeting of the National Textile Association (NTA).
The event, under the theme "U.S. Textiles Playing Ball in the World Market," will take place Sept. 19-21 at the Otesaga Resort Hotel in historic Cooperstown, NY.
In addition to Kernodle, Robert Kinney, director of Individual Protection of the Natick Soldiers Center, will participate in NTA’s Military/Government Contracting meeting. Kinney’s presence complements Kernodle’s, providing a strong emphasis on government contracting opportunities for membership.
Also, Alfred J. Cotton Jr., director of Nypro Corporate Image, Nypro, Inc., will discuss how a traditional U.S. manufacturing company transformed into a leader in its field. Nypro is a provider of precision plastics injection molding and related manufacturing solutions.
The company employs more than 11,000 team members worldwide and had $808 million in worldwide sales in 2003. Nyrpo’s 40 manufacturing facilities are located in 17 countries.
"Flawed" U.S. trade policy and the crisis in the textile industry will be the topic of a panel discussion to be kicked off by David Trumbell, director of Member Services for NTA. "The Trail of Betrayal" discussion will a review U.S. trade over the past decade.
Augustine Tantillo of SRG Associates will survey some of the options for the U.S. textile industry in dealing with the White House and Congress.
Jim Carson Jr. of Sullivan Carson, Inc., a narrow elastic fabric manufacturer, will discuss NTA’s voter education efforts.
Kernodle was commissioned in the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps in 1968. He served in key logistical positions in combat units around the world and in key clothing and textile research and procurement assignments including commander, U.S. Army Natick Research, Development, and Engineering Center, and director, Clothing and Textiles Directorate, Defense Personnel Support Center.
He was director of Operations and Planning for Burlington Menswear, a division of Burlington Industries, before joining Clemson University.
Since 1995 he has been site director, Clemson Apparel Research with responsibilities for running a model apparel factory and locating, developing, integrating and demonstrating the world’s most advanced manufacturing and supply chain technologies and management practices.
Kernodle holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in textile technology from North Carolina State University, an M.B.A. with a concentration in logistics from Babson College and is a graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.
As director of the Individual Protection Directorate, Kinney is responsible for planning, organizing and directing the Natick Soldier Center’s program on individual protective clothing, personnel armor and personnel life support equipment systems.
He directs basic and applied research, development, production engineering, engineering support, standardization and other activities involving uniform clothing, individual protective clothing, life support equipment systems, and integrated protective systems for combat soldier survivability.
Kinney entered government service as a chemical engineer in the Chemical Protection Section. Since then he has held several positions in the Natick Soldier’s Center. He was the chief of Chemical Protection; chief of Integrated Armor Program; executive assistant to the Natick Technical Director; chief of Soldier Integrated Systems; head of Business Development for Dismounted Combat/Combat Service Support; and consequence management acquisition director.
Prior to government service, Kinney held a number of positions in industry, including engineering assignments at Exxon Chemicals, Polaroid Corporation and Dennison Manufacturing.
He received a bachelors degree in chemical engineering from Northeastern University. He also holds an advanced degree in engineering management from Northeastern University.
NTA members knit and weave fabrics, dye, print and otherwise finish fabrics, and supply fibers and yarns to fabric-makers. The membership also includes suppliers of chemicals and dyestuffs, suppliers of machinery, and others involved in the textile industry.
Founded in 1854 as the Hampden County (Massachusetts) Cotton Spinners Association, NTA is America’s oldest industrial trade association. Over its 150 history, the association has gone by many names — New England Cotton Manufacturers’ Association (1865) and the National Association of Cotton Manufacturers (1906); and Northern Textile Association, the name adopted in 1953, in time for the 100th annual meeting.
In 2002 the Northern Textile Association merged with the Knitted Textile Association to form the National Textile Association.
PHILADELPHIA — In today’s volatile world, it is critical that military personnel and civilian first responders be outfitted with the most technologically advanced equipment, including state-of-the-art protective apparel.
Realizing this need, Congress allocated $2.1 million in the Defense Appropriations bill, $1.7 million of which will be directed to establish a Laboratory for Engineered Human Protection (LEHP) at Philadelphia University. LEHP will be a comprehensive research initiative centered on the development of more sophisticated and effective protective-garment systems.
Philadelphia University researchers and the laboratory will partner with the Natick Soldier Center in Natick, MA, which has developed and published an extensive knowledge base of comfort and protection research. Working with Natick, LEHP will focus on revolutionizing fabric and apparel systems for the purpose of protecting military and, ultimately, civilian first responders.
LEHP will become a national hub for the development, coordination and integration of these complex systems, and a catalyst for the transfer of technology to apparel manufacturing companies. LEHP will also identify and coordinate collaborative efforts between manufacturing companies with the goal of developing more comfortable and appropriate protective gear than what is currently available.
In addition to systematic research efforts on comfort, protection and performance, LEHP will study psychophysical factors and parameters, perceived user-confidence data and factors, and conduct research in textile and garment engineering and material science. Moreover, LEHP will sample production of apparel systems, evaluate cost structures and continually analyze the trade-off among comfort, protection and life-cycle cost.
"Philadelphia University has been a national and international leader since its founding as the first U.S. textiles school in the 1884," said James P. Gallagher, Ph.D., president of Philadelphia University. "While our university has expanded into many other academic areas, we have been and continue to be at the forefront of textiles and materials technology. It is only fitting that, with funding from Congress, we establish this important resource here and begin to fill some of the voids that exists in protecting those who put their lives on the line everyday to protect their fellow citizens. We are excited to be in a position where we will improve protective apparel and have a positive impact on economic development in Philadelphia and in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."
The Laboratory for Engineered Human Protection will serve as an economic catalyst that will support Pennsylvania apparel manufacturers that are concerned with protective apparel systems. Included are Ricochet Manufacturing and Boathouse Sports in Philadelphia and Elbeco, Inc. in Meyersdale, PA.
"The Laboratory for Engineered Human Protection will not only address the nation’s critical need to more effectively protect the military, but it will also enhance the high-technology manufacturing base for Pennsylvania," said David Brookstein, Sc.D., dean of Philadelphia University’s School of Textiles and Materials Technology and principal investigator for LEHP. "While most of the commodity-based textile and apparel industry that helped to build Pennsylvania has gone offshore, this new initiative will replace some of that industry with exciting new economic activity."
GREENSBORO, NC — VF Jeanswear, a unit of VF Corp., announced Sept. 2 is intention to close two plants in El Paso, TX, and move the production to Mexico.
The company also will pare down its staff by 89 jobs at its remaining U.S. sewing plant in Fabens, TX, and by 250 jobs at its distribution center in the area.
All told, the moves will come at the expense of 1,035 U.S. jobs in the division that makes Wrangler and Lee Jeans. About 380 people will remain at the Fabens plant and about 150 at the distribution center.
WEST POINT, GA — WestPoint Stevens, Inc. announced Aug. 25 a significant expansion of its brand names into Middle East retail locations via a sales and distribution agreement with American Business Development, based in Germany.
The new agreement, effective Oct. 1, strengthens global distribution of the company’s brands and offers brand extension to its current bed and bath home fashion assortments at retail in Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, Turkey, Greece, Egypt, Libya, Tunis, Algeria Morocco and Sudan.
The company also announced that it has moved into its new Shanghai office.
"Having a daily presence in Shanghai is vital to the company in key ways: It will enhance our already strong position in Asian sourcing, enable us to build closer relationships with our current sourcing partners and expand our reach by giving us access to an even broader Asian supply base in multiple product categories," said William T. Walker, managing director and president of Asian Operations.
HIGH POINT, NC — Culp, Inc. lost $1.1 million, or 9 cents per share, in the first quarter on sales of $67.8 million.
For the same period a year ago, the company lost $411,000, or 4 cents per share, on sales of $73.7 million.
GREENVILLE, SC — Delta Woodside Industries, Inc. reported net sales of $45.4 million for the fourth quarter, a decrease of 6.8 percent from $48.7 million. Gross profit was $1.3 million, down from $4.9 for the same period a year ago.
For the year, sales were down to $174.4 million from $177.2 million. Gross profit for the year was $8 million from $17 million a year ago.
COLUMBIA, SC — Mark B. Kent, chairman of Kent Manufacturing Co. in Pickens, SC, has been appointed to the State Ports Authority board by South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford.
Kent replaces Richard Dillard Jr. of Milliken & Co., who resigned from the nine-member board over concerns that the port benefits in part from Asia-made goods being shipped to the U.S., which he said hurts U.S. manufacturing.
NORTH CHARLESTON, SC — Nonwovens producer Polymer Group, Inc. (PGI) announced that it will more than double the spunbond fabrics capacity of its facility in Cali, Colombia to meet growing demand for its products in Latin America, where PGI holds the leading market share in the hygiene sector.
The company has signed a contract to install a state-of-the-art Reifenhauser Reico IV spunbond line targeted primarily at serving the Andean markets.
WASHINGTON, DC — Lobbying groups for the U.S. textile industry announced Sept. 1 their intention to file threat-based special textile safeguard petitions this month.
The American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition (AMTAC), the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) and the National Textile Association (NTA) made the announcement during a press conference here.
"It is clear that the special textile China safeguard allows for the filing of threat-based safeguard petitions by textile manufacturers of inputs for apparel products," said AMTAC Executive Director Auggie Tantillo. "We intend to exercise the right to file threat-based petitions in mid-to-late September to prevent China from causing irreparable damage to the U.S. textile industry and the U.S. textile and clothing market."
Global quotas on textiles and apparel are set to expire at the end of the year.
A newly updated NCTO study shows that China now controls 72 percent of the U.S. market in the 29 apparel categories released from quota in 2002.
"History has proven that China can capture as much as 30 to 40 percent market share in a single year," said NCTO President Cass Johnson. "We cannot and will not allow China to do the same thing in the categories still under quota. If China captures a similar amount of market share in the categories still under quota, much of the world’s textile and clothing industry will cease to exist."
Targeted for safeguard filings include categories such as 347 and 348, men’s and boys’ cotton trousers and women’s and girls’ cotton trousers.
Safeguard petitions will be filed with the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA), an interagency group comprised of representatives from the Departments of Commerce, State, Treasury and Labor, as well as the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
"Apparel inputs comprise a substantial portion of the U.S. textile industry’s output," said Karl Spilhaus, president of NTA. "U.S. manufacturers exported $13.8 billion worth of textile and clothing products to Mexico and the Caribbean Basin Initiative countries in 2003. Most of those exports were inputs for textile and clothing destined for re-export back to the United States. That is one reason why threat-based China safeguard petitions are vital to the survival of the U.S. textile industry."
The U.S. is the largest textile and clothing importer in the world, bringing in more than $77 billion worth of textile and clothing products in 2003. Of that, more than $61 billion was in categories where quotas are set to expire next year.
By Odyll Santos
With more acres devoted to cotton and expectations of high yields, world production is expected to rise 13 percent from 20.5 million tons in 2003-04 to a record of 23.1 million tons, or in the 2004-05 crop season, according to a monthly news release dated September 1 from the International Cotton Advisory Committee in Washington.
The gain in production this season would represent the largest year-to-year increase in absolute terms since 1984-85, said the organization, which monitors cotton supply, demand and other cotton-related matters. Higher prices in the past year led many farmers around the world to choose to sow more cotton this growing season. The Cotlook A Index, an average of the world’s lowest priced cotton growths, averaged 68 cents per pound in 2003-04, a six-year high.
"The harvest has begun in the northern hemisphere without incident, and the world yield is forecast to climb to a record of 663 kilograms per hectare in 2004-05, up 26 kilograms from last season," ICAC noted in its release.
Expectations of rising cotton stocks and of lower imports by China in 2004-05 resulted in a decline in the Cotlook A Index, which fell from 75 cents per pound in January 2004 to 52 cents per pound in August 2004. The ICAC said world cotton consumption in the current season will be stimulated by lower prices. Cotton currently is competitive on price with polyester.
The ICAC projected mill use to be 400,000 tons, or nearly 2 percent higher, at a record of 21.6 million tons this season. For the fifth consecutive season, China is expected to capture most of the increase in world mill use. Consumption in China is projected to increase to 7.5 million tons in 2004-05. That is an increase of 5 percent, equivalent to 400,000 tons from last season. Mill use in the rest of the world is projected unchanged at 14.1 million tons, the same level as that in 1998-99, when consumption in China was 4.3 million tons.
"The shortfall between production and consumption in China is expected to shrink by 1 million tons this season from an estimated 2.2 million tons in 2003-04," the ICAC said. "However, depleted stocks, including government reserves, need to be replenished. Chinese imports are expected to decline from a record of over 1.9 million tons in 2003-04 to 1.5 million tons this season."
Even with record consumption, ICAC projects an increase in world ending stocks from 7.8 million tons last season to 9.2 million tons in 2004-05. The ICAC said that based on market fundamentals, the season-average Cotlook A Index will decline to 52.00 cents per pound in 2004-05, 16.00c or 24 percent below the average in 2003-04.
“I’ve never seen such a gathering of modern textile equipment under one roof. It is a revelation to see the great changes that have come in the textile industry in the last few years.”
THOSE WORDS perhaps could be made today, as the 2004 American Textile Machinery Exhibition-International® (ATME-I) opens in Greenville, SC. Actually, though, they were made 35 years ago — in 1969, the first year the trade show was staged in that textile-laden city. U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond expressed those sentiments during a press conference prior to the opening of the show, as quoted in STN. The senior South Carolina senator went on to say that the American textile industry is not “asking for a monopoly” in the world textile market, but Japan and some other countries do not allow exports on the scale permitted by the United States. He then added that imports should not be allowed to “stifle the life of an industry which employs over a million people.”
File those comments away in “The more things change ...” department. Except today, of course, the U.S. textile industry’s top threat is China and domestic textiles employs fewer than 1 million people — partially because our government over the years has allowed imports to “stifle the life of an industry.”
WHICH BRINGS US to the 2004 edition of ATME-I. Obviously, as the industry has shrunk over the years, this show has lost some of its luster. Crowded aisles, smoke-filled halls, busy booths and the earsplitting sounds of machinery used to rule the day, but those scenes are gone forever, of course, except in the minds the old-timers.
With ATME-I set to move from Greenville, the once-proclaimed textile capitol of the world, to Atlanta in 2006, and with global textile and apparel quotas set to expire at the end of this year, you can’t help but wonder what attitude will prevail as the show opens and the week wears on. Will the event bear the resemblance of a state fair, a funeral procession, or something in between? That all depends on textile producers, who are torn between: a spendthrift sense of urgency to compete in the global textile market with the latest and greatest equipment; and pocketbook-pinched trepidation generated by the fickle nature of globalization. The hope here is that the Palmetto Expo Center won’t take on the feel of an ICU unit, with everyone shaking their head at the dying patient — in this case, the U.S. textile industry — while praying for a miraculous recovery.
REGARDLESS OF ITS success or failure, a bittersweet mood no doubt will loom over the hallways as Greenville makes its ATME-I coup de grâce. In ending its 35-year tradition there, the show in a sense has come full circle — the ’69 version was the last before this show that ATME-I took place under an all-inclusive format. From 1973 to 2000-01, ATME-I was run under a two-show system — one featuring machinery, supplies and services for the weaving, knitting, dyeing, printing and finishing processes and the other highlighting equipment, supplies and services for fiber, yarn and nonwovens manufacturing and general plant engineering and maintenance.
Melancholy mood aside, as you roam the halls this week, try to keep in mind another excerpt from Thurmond’s comments made on the eve of ATME-I’s Greenville genesis: “(Research and development) is essential if the industry is to survive the keen competition from abroad.”
