Troy, Mich.-based L and L Group has signed an agreement with Atlanta-based Russell Corp. to buy
Russells Southern Athletic trademarked brand and related assets. L and L has licensed the brand
from Russell since May of last year.Southern Athletic, which manufactures basketball and volleyball
uniforms, plans to produce a line of baseball and softball uniforms in 2004.
July 2003
Chicago-based Atlas Material Testing Technology LLC has completed its acquisition of Shirley
Development Ltd. (SDL), England. This announcement comes on the heels of Atlas recent acquisition
of Charlotte-based Raitech Inc.Atlas Textile Test Products, Raitech, SDL and Textile Innovators now
form SDL Atlas Textile Testing Solutions, headquartered in Chicago.We have brought together Atlas,
with its leadership in lightfastness and colorfastness, and SDL, with its expansive product
offering, to form a company that will provide the textile industry with a single source for its
textile testing solutions, said Charles S. Lane, head of the new company.
July 2003
A and E Partners With Veken In ChinaSewing thread manufacturer AmericanandEfird Inc. (A and E),
Mount Holly, N.C., a subsidiary of Charlotte-based Ruddick Corp., and China-based Ningbo Veken
Elite Group Co. Ltd. (Veken) have formed a strategic joint venture for the manufacture,
distribution and sales of sewing thread for Chinese and export industrial and consumer markets.A
manufacturer of sewing thread, home textiles, knitwear and apparel fabrics, Veken has dedicated its
entire sewing thread operation to the 50/50 joint venture, which will be called Huamei Thread Co.
Ltd. and will be headquartered near Shanghai. The joint venture will leverage the strengths of both
companies to expand thread sales in Chinas rapidly growing sewn products market, as well as
continue to develop the current export business, said Thomas W. Dickson, president, Ruddick. This
joint venture complements A and Es existing operations in China, Hong Kong and Malaysia.A and E
recently completed a new dyeing and finishing facility in Guangdong province, China.
July 2003
England-based Lurex Co. Ltd. has introduced threads made with Iselin, N.J.-based Engelhard Corp.s
Aurora® Fluoridescent film. The new threads will be used in apparel and woven goods targeted for
the youth market.The films are created by combining iridescent films with fluorescent dyes.
Fluoridescent films are available in five colors including GoGo Grape, Groovy Green, Mellow Yellow,
Psychedelic Orange and Purple Haze. Brian Berridge, Lurex sales and marketing director, expects
consumer products containing the new threads to hit retail stores this Fall.
July 2003
Nordson Fiber Systems of Nordson Corp., Dawsonville, Ga., has received an order for a
3.2-meter-wide multibeam spunbond system from General Tekstil sanayi ve Ticaret A.S., Turkey. The
order, which represents Nordsons first sale to Turkey, is for a system that processes polypropylene
(PP), PET, PE and other raw materials used to produce nonwovens products. The line will include a
surfactation and dryer system, on-line web inspection and slitter/rewinder.Nordson said research
and production trials for General Tekstil were conducted at Nordsons Center of Excellence lab in
Georgia. According to the company, the center is the first testing facility in the world capable of
producing mono- and bicomponent spunbond, meltbond and SMS composites at full production
speeds.General Tekstil expects production to begin upon completion of its facilities in early 2004.
July 2003
Batson Represents Gebruder KlockerLouis P. Batson Co., Greenville, has signed an agreement with
Germany-based Gebruder Klocker GmbH to market Klockers weaving machinery accessories in the United
States. The Klocker name speaks for itself, said Dreugh Batson, group manager, Batson Textile
Accessories and Spare Parts Division. It is with great confidence that we add [Klockers] selvage
devices to our product line.Klocker products include: K-Mag® leno heddle for harness-controlled
two-end leno; K-Mag selvage motion for harness-controlled four- or eight-end leno on a cross motion
basis; and Klocker Propeller Leno® for harness-independent two-end leno on a full cross basis, also
available in CAN-Bus version.
July 2003
The International Textile Center (ITC) at Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, has installed two
new nonwovens machines: a Fehrer H1 Technology needlepunch loom with a Tatham feeding line; and a
Phoenix thermal-bonding line.The machinery is housed at the center in cooperation with the
Institute for Environmental and Human Health, also part of Texas Tech. The US Department of Defense
is using the machines to conduct research under the guidance of Seshadri S. Ramkumar, Ph.D., a
research scientist at the university.
July 2003
V2 Composite Reinforcements Inc., Auburn, Ala., recently introduced V-Lock, a patented non-run
stitch technology that reduces runs in non-crimp multiaxial fabrics. Colin Hallam, vice president,
product management, said the V-Lock process welds the ascending stitches together on the loop side
of the fabric only. The stitch medium remains polyester and thus eliminates contamination from
off-gassing during the lamination/cross-linking process.Hallam added that the technology also makes
it possible for fabrics to be bonded using a looser stitch. The company sees V-Lock applications in
the infrastructure, construction, aerospace, automotive and marine industries, among others.
Competitors fabric without V-Lock technology
V2 fabric with V-Lock
July 2003
Keith Turner and Mel Radford recently founded Level 3 Inc., a sales, service and distribution
company in Matthews, N.C., for the North American dyeing and finishing industry.Harold Wilson and
Dave Crenshaw head Level 3s sales network, which includes agents and direct sales in strategic
areas.Galvanin S.r.l., Flainox S.r.l., EnviroSep Inc. and Gaston International LLC are current
Level 3 partners. Additional companies are expected to join Level 3 by the end of the year.
July 2003
Rep. Myrick Seeks Funds For Textile Import Labeling In an effort to help combat illegal textile and
apparel imports, Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC) has won tentative approval of $300,000 to develop a tagging
and identification system for imports. The funds, which would go to the Agricultural Research
Service facility in Clemson, S.C., were contained in this years Department of Agriculture
appropriations bill. The measure still has to clear the full House and the Senate before the funds
will be available.In announcing approval of the funding, Myrick said, “One of the biggest problems
facing our textile producers is the ongoing practice of illegal textile transshipments. To fight
this problem, the US Customs Service personnel who are responsible for inspecting the textiles that
enter our country need the necessary technology and capability to identify illegal textiles.. This
money will go a long way toward advancing the tagging technology to do this.”By James A. Morrissey,
Washington Correspondent
June 2003
