WL Ross CompletesBurlington PurchaseWL RossandCo. LLC, New York City, has completed its acquisition
of Greensboro, N.C.-based Burlington Industries Inc. and the concurrent sale of Burlingtons Lees
Carpets division to Mohawk Industries Inc., Calhoun, Ga. Wilbur L. Ross is chairman of the newly
restructured company, which has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Joseph L. Gorga, former
executive vice president, North American Operations, has been named president and CEO. George W.
Henderson III, previous chairman and CEO, and other members of Burlingtons former senior management
team have left the company to pursue other opportunties.Burlingtons debt burden has been reduced
from $800 million at the time it filed bankruptcy to $85 million, Ross said. Therefore, the
Burlington employees who have remained loyal during the bankruptcy to the new company no longer
have to worry about the solvency of their employer.Ross also said nanotechnology products developed
by Burlington affiliate Nano-Tex LLC, Greensboro including NANO-CARE® stain repellent and NANO-DRY®
hydrophilic enhancement are being used in a number of apparel products.As well, a new licensing
arrangement with Kayser Roth Corp., Greensboro, will result in a series of new footwear items under
the Burlington B brand. I am excited by the challenge of leading Burlington back to success, Gorga
said. Despite the fiercely competitive nature of the global textile industry, the Nano-Tex progress
and Kayser Roth opportunity both suggest positive momentum in that direction already is building.
December 2003
WL Ross Completes Burlington Purchase
Quality Fabric Of The Month: R&R For Fabrics
Earlier this year, Spartanburg-based Milliken & Company introduced StainSmart™ stain-repellent/release technology. Brenda Burris-Drake, merchandising director, Woven Apparel Fabrics, said Milliken developed the technology after identifying a need for added stain-prevention performance.
“There has been an increasing trend toward stain-repellent fabrics that claim to be ‘no-stain,’ but they are not really,” Burris-Drake said. “Fabric has a 3-D structure. If an oil stain manages to get underneath the repellent on its surface, then you need a stain-release component to remove it.”
Scott Lovingood, marketing analyst and planner, Career Apparel Fabrics, explained that StainSmart is a layered technology whereby the stain repellent is applied on the outside of the fabric to allow most water- and oil-based stains to roll off, and the release is applied within to prevent ground-in oil-based stains from remaining in the fabric. During laundering, the release component pulls water and detergent through the fabric to wash out the stain. Lovingood said the treatment offers permanent protection to a variety of knitted and woven fabrics including nylon; as well as polyester, cotton and blends of the two.
Peaches Uniforms Inc.’s Petal Soft Pastel solid scrubs are made with Milliken &
Company’s StainSmart™ polyester/cotton poplin fabric.
“As a vertical operation that develops technologies and manufactures fabrics for end-users, Milliken has the flexibility to apply its chemistry at different stages of manufacturing,” he said. “Each application has its own team, and all divisions can use the core technology and apply it to
fabrics for a wide range of uses including apparel, hospitality, healthcare, military and automotive. Because of the interaction among our various operations, we are also able to quickly resolve potential problems during sample development.”
Milliken claims StainSmart is the only fabric technology proven to work on such a wide variety of fabrics. It is available through custom development or on the company’s ready-made fabrics including Hush ultra-lightweight nylon for outerwear, Milestone micro-denier menswear
bottomweight fabric, Inherent FR polyester for draperies and bedspreads, polyester/cotton shirting and pant fabrics for career apparel, and cotton fabrics for retail pants. Burris-Drake said the
treatment does not affect the hand of the fabric and mentioned its use in soft fabrics for womenswear. Another application is travel apparel, in which easy care is important.
Peaches Uniforms Inc., Dallas, is using StainSmart polyester/cotton poplin to provide added value to a line of scrubs for the healthcare industry. Linda Shorter, the company’s vice president, merchandising and design, explained: “By adding the most advanced fabric protector, we are able to give our customers two stain fighters in one: Liquid spills bead up and roll off. Tough stains, such as blood, are released from the fabric during laundering.”
For more information about StainSmart™, contact Scott Lovingood (800) 828-3034.
December 2003
Anscott To Acquire Lyntech
Anscott Industries Inc., a Wayne, N.J.-based producer of such textile care products as cleaning
technology, detergents, finishing agents and filtration systems, recently signed a letter of intent
to acquire all outstanding shares of Lyntech Industries Inc., a Paterson, N.J.-based manufacturer
of specialty chemicals such as textile auxiliaries and preparation chemicals.As part of the
agreement, Anscott will acquire Lyntechs reaction-capable production plant and laboratory, enabling
Anscott to produce raw materials and finished products, improve production costs, and maintain
high-quality products and customer service.
December 2003
Tompkins Introduces Versatile Terry Machine
Tompkins Brothers Co. Inc., Syracuse, N.Y., recently added a new terry knitting machine to its
product line. The machine is suitable for the production of Nike or Reebok head and wrist sweatband
material, as well as for a number of industrial and medical applications.The machine can feed three
ends of cotton terry yarn, eight ends of Lycra® and two ends of nylon/polyester ground yarn for
headband material production. According to the company, it is capable of producing more than 1,000
dozen headbands daily.
December 2003
Democrats Call For Textile Trade Summit
Democrats Call ForTextile Trade SummitAll of the top leaders of the Democrats in Congress have
called on President Bush to convene a major summit to discuss ways to deal with the impact of the
removal of textile and apparel quotas by January 2005. A letter to the president outlining their
concerns about what will happen to the US textile industry in a quota-free world was signed by nine
of the Democratic leaders, including Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi; Charles Rangel, the
Ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee; and Sander M. Levin, ranking Democrat on
the Subcommittee on Trade. In part, the letter said: Textile and apparel trade patterns worldwide
are likely to undergo a profound transformation after January 1, 2005, when quotas ill be
eliminated.. This shift is likely to have critical consequences for economic development abroad, as
well as crucial economic implications for American business and workers and important national
security implications for the United States. The letter calls for a comprehensive strategy to
promote positive outcomes and minimize adverse impacts both here and around the world.The
Democratic leaders said the summit should include all significant interests in the United States
and all global actors that may be able to play a role in a solution of problems. This would include
international development institutions and financing agencies, officials of the World Trade
Organization and representatives from key textile and apparel producing nations. By James A.
Morrissey, Washington Correspondent
December 2003
Trützschler Acquires Certain Hollingsworth Operations
Trützschler GmbH & Co. KG, Germany, has acquired all operations outside the United States and
Canada formerly owned by John D. Hollingsworth on Wheels Inc., a Greenville-based manufacturer of
steel and wire clothings for cards and other machinery used in the spinning and nonwovens
industries. Hollingsworth manufacturing operations located in Brazil, Mexico and Germany, in
addition to its European service stations, now operate under the name Trützschler Hollingsworth
Card Clothing and Service.
Through the acquisition, Trützschler will add steel and flexible wire clothings for short-
and long-staple cards to its product line, which includes cards for the spinning industry.
John D. Hollingsworth on Wheels was transferred to the Hollingsworth Foundation following the
death of founder John D. Hollingsworth in December 2000. The foundation operates the company’s
Greenville headquarters to serve the US and Canadian markets.
November 2003
Nortec Celebrates 30 Years
Ottawa-based Nortec Air Conditioning Industries Ltd. is celebrating its 30th anniversary as a
supplier of humidification systems and accessories.
Nortec, the first North American commercial humidification manufacturer to receive ISO-9001
certification, now offers electric, gas-fired, nozzle and pressure steam humidification
technologies, maintaining a network of 120 representatives to sell and service its products
throughout North America.
November 2003
Wardwell Merges German Subsidiaries
Wardwell Braiding Machine Co., Central Falls, R.I., has merged its two German subsidiaries,
Schnellflechter Berlin GmbH and Spirka Maschinenbau GmbH, under the name Wardwell Europe GmbH.
The company will maintain the existing manufacturing facilities, as well as product
development, sales and service for both product lines. “The legal merger of the companies will
allow common administrative, technical and customer service functions to be shared, and will also
allow more efficient use of the production capacity of the two sites,” said Ted Osterhoff,
executive vice president, Wardwell, and co-managing director, Schnellflechter. “This ultimately
benefits our customers.”
November 2003
Crown Wins Design Award For Lift Truck
New Bremen, Ohio-based Crown Equipment Corp.’s FC 4000 Series Sit-downCounterbalanced Lift Truck has won a Gold Industrial Design Excellence Award (IDEA) from the
Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), Dulles, Va.
Crown says the FC 4000 Series is designed to facilitate loading and unloading of palletized
goods, and features superior visibility, easy access to major components and quick removal of
protective steel covers using minimal tools.
“The designers brokered a high-level marriage between aesthetics, functions and beyond,” said
Tom Matano, IDSA, and director, industrial design department, Academy of Art College, San
Francisco. “Choice of materials and forms are highly tuned to communicate usability and quality.
This sets a new standard for this category.”
November 2003
New Indusco Presses Suitable For Large Die Cut Items
Nashville, Tenn.-based International Industrial Products Corp. (Indusco) has introduced large-area,
high-tonnage four-post beam presses and receding head presses. The presses are suitable for large
die cut items such as automotive headliners and door panels, as well as automotive carpets, area
rugs, carpet tile and bath mats.Indusco-Kaev four-post beam presses have a cutting force between 55
tons and 132 tons, and a cutting area ranging from 36 by 47 inches to 49 by 79 inches. Receding
head presses offer a cutting force between 55 tons and 88 tons, and a cutting area ranging from 26
by 63 inches to 41 by 79 inches; and feature a photocell operating and safety barrier system.Both
presses offer a double balanced yoke mechanism, self-lubricating bushings, Omron programmable logic
control, die-finding stroke set and protective covers. Options include four mechanical limit stops
with motorized chain drive to enable kiss cutting, oscillating cutting board shifter and pneumatic
die clamping devices. A variety of material feed options is available.
November 2003
