Weaving TechnologyBy Eric Vonwiller, Senior Technical Editor Weaving Into The Future
Latest technology allows weavers flexibility, versatility in creating value-added
products. Generally speaking, textile machinery suppliers in the United States have
suffered significantly reduced equipment sales of late, especially in the past year. Weaving
machinery sales for 2001, for example, plummeted to a total of approximately 260 machines, a figure
machinery executives say is only about five to 10 percent of the volume normally experienced in a
medium to good year.A salient question to ask is: Can weaving machinery manufacturers survive this
The answer is, of course, an unqualified yes. While the American market remains flat, sales in
other parts of the world have been brisk at times. Even some of the high-labor-cost European
countries, such as Germany and Italy, have experienced significant growth in machinery sales. Some
of the machinery manufacturers even claim the best year ever for their sales in specific European
countries. A significant part of the difference in sales can be attributed, machinery manufacturers
say, to the basic reorganization underway within a significant portion of the U.S. textile
industry. Much as European producers had to do a decade or so ago, many of the large commodity
fabrics weavers in the United States are beginning to position themselves to meet the demands of a
dynamic global market. This requires faster production of smaller lots. For an industry already
running well short of manufacturing capacity, adding new equipment is not always the highest
priority unless it is necessary to remain competitive from a cost, delivery and quality
standpoint. Tuning For ProfitThis reorganization of basic industry structure was one
undertaken out of necessity by a large number of mills in Europe during the latter part of the 20th
century. In order to compete with low-cost products from the Far East, Asia Minor and other
regions, plants in Europe had to learn that volume production does not provide the profits for them
to survive in the long run. Volume may still be required in some weaving applications, but this
type of volume includes the value-added aspects that are difficult to copy, or require extremely
high quality standards. Some weaving end-uses that have become common in Europe and are beginning
to be widely manufactured in the United States include technical/industrial/medical textiles such
as seat belts, airbag fabrics, protective clothing, blood filters, and many other life-saving
applications.Another form of added value is fabric design that integrates new fiber materials (for
example, microfibers, metallic threads, aramid and carbon fibers), having various yarn counts and
compositions in a single fabric. Added value also comes from using varying fabric weights within
one piece of fabric, varying densities (often in extreme setups from very light to very heavy), and
difficult weaves often found in technical applications.So, what did weavers do in Germany, Italy,
France and other highly developed nations They had to find their specific niches and learn that
survival in todays market means getting top-quality product to customers faster than ever before
and, importantly, faster than cheaper imported fabric can be delivered. This, say the makers of the
worlds textile equipment, is the key to the revitalization of weaving in the United States.
 DornierGermany-based Lindauer Dornier GmbH promotes strongly the concept of its weaving
machine system family. The company states that flexibility and versatility are the key components
of future investments, especially in high-labor-cost countries. The Dornier system family of rapier
and air-jet machines is designed around a modular concept. Lately, special attention has been paid
to details such as reduced machine downtime and improved handling of mechanical functions,
electronics and on-line communication. Dorniers rapier weaving machines are capable of an extensive
range of applications with cam or dobby shedding, or with an electronic jacquard machine. Article
changes on the fly with different filling yarns recently were demonstrated at ITMA Asia 2001.The
versatility of the Dornier air-jet weaving machine has been extended by integrating the patented
Fast Dobby Change (FDC). A positive cam motion can be replaced by a dobby in a short time and as
the market situation requires. Dornier claims this conversion can take place within the time frame
of a style change.Recently, Dornier introduced its new terry weaving machine, EasyTerry. This
air-jet machine optimizes performance, drastically reduces the number of mechanical components,
decreases wear and achieves a higher weaving efficiency than similar
machines. PicanolBelgium-based Picanols OMNIplus air-jet has been presented to clients with
newly developed air tuckers. The OMNIplus also features the new cyber-display, which gives the
individual weaving machine a Web-enabled man/machine interface.The new TERRYplus is the air-jet for
terry towel fabrics. This Picanol-Gunne machine is based on the OMNIplus technology and, according
to the company, offers extremely high terry quality because of its swinging reed pile formation.

The ability to swap the back part of the split frame on Picanols rapier and air-jet weaving
machines allows style changes in 30 minutes.The Gamma rapier machine offers a wide field of
applications even up to heavy canvas. The ETM on-screen tension control of the filling yarn, and
special waste-reduction scissors on the left-hand side are some of the latest features added.The
Cyclops system for automatic on-loom inspection uses a traveling camera system mounted in the loom
in order to inspect the fabric. In case of a running defect, the system stops the loom. The SUMO
switched-reluctance motor that is available for Picanol machines has been a huge success, as it
drives the weaving machine directly without belt transmission or clutch and brake. The motor speed
can be varied almost instantly from extremely slow motion to top speed by simple electronic
control.By entering the accessories business for textile machines (with the acquisition of Steel
Heddle and Verbrugge NV), Picanol will also play a role as a supplier of consumable goods
(See Supplier Notes, TW, January 2002).PromatechItaly-based Promatech, the recently formed
manufacturing group that includes Somet and Vamatex weaving machines, provides rapier and air-jet
weaving machinery technology to satisfy practically all weaving needs.The newest offering, the
Somet Alpha series, is designed to combine technology, ergonomics, versatility, reliability and low
running costs. The Alpha is available in single-beam and twin-beam models, with upper-beam and
double-beam models under development. The machine is available in dobby version featuring either
the Fimtextile 3080 or Stli 2670 or in electronic jacquard version. Fifteen different widths are
available. Somet also generated success recently with its much-reviewed Super Excel rapier weaving
machine and Mythos air-jet machine.The Vamatex Leonardo is a negative rapier weaving machine that
targets the highest performance levels in the rapier weaving sector. Vamatex says the Leonardos
machine concept is geared towards the production of quantity and quality, offering quick response
to the variability of orders and output requirements of todays global textile industry. Other
weaving machines from Vamatex are the P 1001 SuperEK, which is a highly competitive loom in terms
of initial investment offering high productivity with lightweight rapiers, and the Vamatex 9000
Plus ES, which features positive rapiers mounted on flexible ribbons for maximum versatility. The
Leonardo DynaTerry is a terry weaving machine that offers a combination of performance, versatility
and efficiency. Sulzer TextilThe Itema Group of Italy, the parent of Promatech, acquired
Switzerland-based Sulzer Textil in 2001. Sulzer Textil will remain a separate business, but it can
be expected there will be significant exchange, integration and standardization of equipment
technology within the Itema Group. Sulzer says its projectile weaving machine with sales of more
than 150,000 machines worldwide is the most successful weaving machine in history relative to a
specific weft-insertion system. Its low energy consumption, wide variety of applications, and
suitability for technical and industrial applications allow the projectile weaving machine a strong
position in textile manufacturing. Sulzer Textils Customized Weaving Technology is the specialty
fabrics division where tailor-made weaving machines are designed and produced. For example,
machines can be designed to produce agrotextiles and geotextiles, conveyor belts, sailcloth, tire
cord, cinema and theatre screens, filtering fabrics, tarpaulins, wire fabrics and many other
industrial products.

The G6200 rapier weaving machine has proved itself by being a strong competitor, with more
than 5,000 units sold since its introduction in 1999. The new G6300 offers higher insertion rates
and an even better price-to-performance ratio, the company says. The Sulzer G-series rapier
machines have successfully entered many diversified fields of weaving and, for example, can show an
impressive success in airbag fabric weaving. Sulzer Textil also offers a terry version of the
G6300.The L5200 air-jet weaving machine is especially suitable for the economical production of
standard fabrics such as bed linens and linings. It is successful as well in the field of glass
fiber fabrics, in which Sulzer claims it is the market leader. The M8300 multi-phase weaving
machine produces simple, standard fabrics with an extremely high weft-insertion rate.
 ToyotaJapan-based Toyota Industries Corp. (formerly Toyoda Automatic Loom Works Ltd.)
concentrates in the United States on the sale of its LW600 water-jet weaving machines. The LW600s
electronic let-off, in conjunction with a newly developed automatic pick-finding system, achieves
the optimum in warp yarn control, sharply reducing start marks and ensuring fabric quality,
according to Toyota. As well, the company offers the JAT610 air-jet, which is designed for
efficiency and high-speed operation for fabrics ranging from cotton and wool, to spun fabrics such
as denim, filament and fiberglass. The JAT610s all-in-one frame is manufactured by a high-tech
production system based on Toyotas advanced automotive production process.
 TsudakomaTsudakoma, Japan, emphasizes that its air-jet and water-jet weaving machines are
backed by a robust frame structure and strong beat-up systems that allow ultra-high-speed operation
and heavy-duty fabric weaving. The ZAX-e, Tsudakomas brand-new model air-jet weaving machine, is
equipped with the iT board, which features a touch-type operation with color graphical interface.
The ZW408 is Tsudakomas new model water-jet weaving machine that has improved basic functions for
higher productivity, higher operation efficiency and highest standard of fabric quality. Van
de Wiele Carpet And Velvet WeavingBelgium-based NV Michel Van de Wiele is one weaving machinery
manufacturer that seems to have had good to very good sales years over the past decade. Not long
ago, the company acquired Germany-based Memminger-IRO GmbH, manufacturer of feeders for knitting
machines, and Bonas Machine Company Ltd., United Kingdom, a manufacturer of electronic jacquard
machines. Even though velvet weaving machinery sales seem to be down presently, the carpet sector
holds steady, with an upward sales trend. The consumer preference is towards more expensive rugs
with a wider variety of fiber and yarn materials because the latest machine-woven rugs look and
feel very similar to handmade rugs. 

Van de Wiele recently introduced a new carpet weaving machine, the CLP81
(See CarpetandRug News, TW, this issue). The new machine is a modified version of the
CarpetandRug Tronic CRT82, capable of weaving loop-pile carpets. Dorniers Legend Says Auf
WiedersehenBefore the end of the past year, Hans Geiger, long-time president of American Dornier
Machinery Corporation, Charlotte, N.C., said goodbye or in German, Auf Wiedersehen to many personal
and business friends in the United States.At the facilities of American Dornier, Geiger received a
surprise retirement reception, which included more than 150 customers, colleagues and friends. Even
his wife, Ingrid, flew in from Europe and surprised him with her presence. Geiger quipped that this
was one of the very rare occasions that made him speechless at least for a short moment.

During the goodbye celebration, Geiger said, Ill show you that Im not an old man!, and swung
himself into a handstand.Geigers official retirement date was January 1. He handed over the reigns
of the company to Peter A. Brust, 41, who brings with him a solid business and textile education,
as well as machinery sales experience. Brust was for 10 years plant manager with Rohleder HITEX,
one of the leaders in upholstery, jacquard and woven velvet fabrics in Germany. At the reception,
Geiger issued a strong vote of confidence in Brust and assurance of the continuity of a high level
of service.The retiring Dornier executive started his career with the company in 1956 as an
assistant weaver in the demonstration room in Lindau, Germany. A little over a year later, he was
sent out as a technician to Central America to install 24 shuttle weaving machines. Realizing that
he wanted more of a foundation, he went to study at the Textile Technology Institute in Reutlingen.
After his studies, he returned to Dornier. Geiger drew colorful pictures of the nightmares he had
with the first shuttleless Dornier machines, which worked on a much different principle than todays
machines. He said he had his sincere doubts about that technology, but he wanted to go only one
time to America. His wish was granted in the late 1960s, when he traveled to introduce Dorniers
rapier machines to U.S. weavers. But he saw very quickly that the first technology had too many
flaws. For certain applications, the U.S. market would not accept the selvage the machine produced.
However, CollinsandAikman, Siler City, N.C., was the first mill to install 24 rapier machines the
fathers of todays positive filling transfer technology and used them for the production of
automotive fabrics. This was a significant success for Dornier (and also for Geiger). From then on,
the industry started to accept Dorniers technology, and many other mills followed with orders.
Geiger started to travel 50/50 back and forth between Lindau and Charlotte, and there was no way to
stop him.At a point in the early 1970s, Geiger started to look for property to establish a service
center in the United States. He asked Peter Dornier Sr. for a very humble amount to purchase land
and to build the first physical building for Dornier in the States. In 1978, American Dornier was
established. By the end of 2001, approximately 9,000 Dornier rapier and air-jet weaving machines
had been sold in the United States and Canada, and certainly the majority can be in one way or the
other directly linked to Geigers personal efforts and diligence. The sales numbers and the image of
Dornier in the United States are indicative of his efforts.As he was preparing to depart, Geiger
said he plans to be back in the States soon. But this time, it will be for vacation.

Left to right: Peter Brust, American Dorniers incoming president; Peter D. Dornier, chairman
of the Board; and outgoing president Hans Geiger.  Quaker Fabric Weaving Profits

The willingness of the U.S. textile industry to develop value-added products and service
niche markets is a key ingredient to the overall success of the industry.Quaker Fabric Corp., Fall
River, Mass., is one of the weaving enterprises in the United States that combine these elements to
profitably weave fabric.Quaker began operations in 1945 as a small family-owned fabric mill. Today,
Quaker is one of the largest producers worldwide of jacquard upholstery fabric and one of the
leaders in the $2-billion-plus U.S. upholstery fabric industry. The company also produces specialty
yarns, which it uses in its fabrics and sells to other fabric manufacturers.Quaker Fabric has not
only been doing well over the past years, but also it is expanding its manufacturing facilities
with two additional pieces of real estate to be converted into manufacturing plants, according to
Jim Dulude, vice president, manufacturing. One is an 86,000-square-foot building in Fall River that
is to be a chenille yarn plant; the other is a 180,000-square-foot facility that will be the
prototype manufacturing complex where beaming, weaving, finishing and post-finishing will be
performed. The company is installing 36 new dobby-equipped Dornier weaving machines to produce
plain or simple weaves.Dulude mentioned that Quaker produces a significant portion of fabrics that
do not require the investment of much more expensive jacquard machines; therefore, the decision was
made to equip a safe portion of the production capacity with dobbies. Quaker has a large number of
existing Dornier rapier machines with jacquard set-up, and about 50 older looms, also with
jacquards. It really took a lot of soul-searching to get us to the dobbies, said Dulude. But Quaker
is sure this was a proper and cost-effective decision. The company plans to install about 90 dobby
machines in total. Rapier machines due to the nature of the business and fast-changing trends in
upholstery fabric design are the only sensible choice for Quaker Fabric, Dulude explained. We
design products for customers, and air-jet weaving machines and heavy chenille yarns just dont mix
well, he said.Quaker Fabric sees export sales as a necessity for survival. Larry Liebenow,
president and CEO, is aggressively pushing the company toward even greater participation in global
trade. Dulude said trading with foreign markets creates challenges for the manufacturer. Also,
preferred colors are different in foreign countries, often reflecting culture and environment. Part
of this export influence has led the company to offer a huge variety of styles. He said the days of
running all machines on the same style are gone. We have a wide variety of styles. In a typical
week, we will make more than 3,000 different SKUs [individual style pieces] in our mill. While
complex, this versatility enables Quaker to compete in the realm of specialties instead of in
commodities. Also, individual fabric piece lengths have been dropping more and more over the years.
This development challenges the abilities of the mill, and Dulude is convinced the companies that
can handle it are the ones that will succeed. It also requires a modern infrastructure to support
production planning and scheduling systems, as well as support and control systems for labor and
machinery. Quakers management believes U.S. mills can learn from their European counterparts. U.S.
companies can do well when they make their products more upscale. This model works in Europe but
can be internationally applied.Training and retraining of the labor force is very important for the
company, and Quaker does not believe in quick on-the-job training. Quality, commitment and
leadership are major ingredients Quaker expects from its labor-force. The company, though, supports
its employees with labor-friendly and structured action plans. It currently employs approximately
2,600 people.Quaker strives to be a world-class leader in the upholstery fabric industry and in
manufacturing of specialty textile yarns. This is achieved through exceeding customer expectations
and Quakers associates continually improving the value of the products, processes and services.
February 2002

U.S. Commerce Secretary Don Evans has announced the creation of an interagency textile working
group to address some of the international trade and economic issues plaguing the U.S. industry.
Evans said the group will address a wide range of issues including trade agreement negotiating
objectives, compliance and enforcement of trade agreements, implementation of the quota phase-out
under the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing, tariff preference programs, export expansion for
textiles and apparel, transshipment and trade adjustment assistance for companies and employees
impacted by imports.The interagency group, comprised of representatives of the Departments of
Commerce, Treasury, Justice and State, the U.S. Trade Representative and National Security Council,
had an organizational meeting February 4, and issues were assigned to various sub-groups.In
announcing the formation of the interagency group, Evans said: “Both the President and I are
committed to doing what it takes to ensure that this industry can compete in world markets. This
administration will work to ensure that we accomplish that goal.”Last December Evans issued a
nine-point program designed to address some of the issues that are contributing to the dire
business conditions in the U.S. industry. He said the administration is committed to conducting
efforts to open foreign markets to U.S. textiles and clothing exports and to ensure that other
nations live up to their trade agreements. He also said the administration will resist efforts on
the part of some countries to accelerate the scheduled 2005 phase-out of textile trade quotas and
attempts to weaken U.S anti-dumping and other trade remedy laws. He further promised to conduct
more market promotion programs including trade shows and seminars.

Taking the next stepin its transformation to a sustainable growth company, DuPont (NYSE: DD)
todayannounced the alignment of its businesses in five market- andtechnology-focused growth
platforms and the creation of a Textiles andInteriors subsidiary. The growth platforms are: DuPont
ElectronicandCommunication Technologies;DuPont Performance Materials; DuPont CoatingsandColor
Technologies; DuPontSafetyandProtection; and DuPont AgricultureandNutrition. “Consistent with our
long-term strategy and direction, our growthplatforms will be more tightly focused on markets and
technologies. This willenable faster execution and improved capability for innovation and
shareholdervalue creation,” said DuPont Chairman and CEO Charles O. Holliday, Jr. The new wholly
owned subsidiary, called DuPont TextilesandInteriors, willinclude the nylon fibers, polyester
fibers and Lycra(R) brand fiberbusinesses, plus their intermediates and joint ventures. DuPont will
considera full range of options for DuPont TextilesandInteriors, including an InitialPublic
Offering (IPO), with the ultimate intent of separation by year-end2003, market conditions
permitting. The company has engaged Morgan Stanley toassist in the evaluation process. “A company
can operate successfully for 200 years only by continuallyreinventing itself,” Holliday said.
“DuPont people in all of our businessesknow this is key to a strong future. Each of the five growth
platforms hasthe critical mass to pursue our strategies of integrated science, knowledgeintensity
and productivity improvement while capitalizing on strong marketpositions, quality products and
powerful brands. At the same time, our newTextilesandInteriors subsidiary will have the scale,
global reach andflexibility to be highly successful in an industry undergoing fundamentalstructural
change.” DuPont TextilesandInteriors will be the world’s largest integrated fiberscompany with
annual segment sales estimated at $6.5 billion. This representsabout 23 percent of 2001 total
DuPont Company segment sales, which includestransfers and the company’s pro rata share of sales by
equity affiliates. Thesubsidiary will be structured to grow shareholder value by aligning
resourceswith market opportunity and establishing an industry-competitive coststructure. As the
global leader in product categories representing 75 percent of itsrevenue, DuPont
TextilesandInteriors will have significant cash and earningsgrowth potential based on growth in key
branded platforms such as Lycra(R)brand fiber, Stainmaster(R) carpet and Antron(R) nylon carpet,
significantcost reduction opportunities, a robust innovation pipeline and strong marketchannel
access. DuPont TextilesandInteriors will be led by DuPont Executive Vice Presidentand Chief
Operating Officer Richard R. Goodmanson and an experienced teamincluding Group Vice Presidents
Steven R. McCracken and George F. MacCormack. “Our nylon, polyester and Lycra(R) businesses have
played a very importantrole in DuPont for many decades,” Holliday said. “They have served
ourcompany, our shareholders and our customers extremely well. Now, with rapidlychanging industry
dynamics and tough market realities, we believe the coursewe have chosen is necessary to allow them
to succeed in the future.” Concurrent with these actions, DuPont will offset all residual costs
fromthe separation of the DuPont TextilesandInteriors subsidiary by aggressivelyreducing its cost
structure for corporate and support services. This effortwill be led by W. Donald Johnson, Group
Vice President – Operations &Services. Each of the five growth platforms has strong
capabilities, large marketopportunities and leadership focus and accountability. A priority will be
toleverage across the platforms as needed for market access and technologyextension. The five
growth platforms are: * DuPont ElectronicandCommunication Technologies. With about $2.7 billion in
segment sales, this group is a world leader in electronic materials. It has the ability to
capitalize on development of innovative technologies that improve the form and functionality of
electronic components in a wide range of applications for the information and communications
industries. The group comprises DuPont Electronic Technologies; DuPont Displays Technologies;
DuPont Imaging Technologies; and DuPont Fluoroproducts, which includes fluoropolymers,
fluorochemicals and fuel cells. These businesses will be led by Diane H. Gulyas, currently vice
presidentandgeneral manager – DuPont Advanced Fiber Systems, who will become Group Vice President.
* DuPont Performance Materials. With segment sales of about $4.7 billion, this group will focus on
high-performance materials substitution in areas where DuPont has a unique advantage. It comprises
DuPont Engineering Polymers, including Zytel(R) nylon resins; DuPont Packaging andIndustrial
Polymers; and DuPont’s interests in the DuPont Dow Elastomers and DuPont Teijin Films joint
ventures. Group Vice President Craig G. Naylor will lead these businesses. * DuPont
CoatingsandColor Technologies. With segment sales of about $4.9 billion, this group of businesses
will extend the company’s global industry leadership position in coatings and color through
superior product development and productivity advances. It includes DuPont Performance Coatings and
DuPont White Pigment and Mineral Products. Group Vice President Edward J. Donnelly will lead these
businesses. * DuPont SafetyandProtection. With segment sales of about $3.6 billion, this group of
businesses is well-positioned to address high growth opportunities, capitalizing on the company’s
unsurpassed capability in safety, security and protection while integrating knowledge and products
in solutions-based offerings. It includes DuPont Safety Resources; DuPont Advanced Fiber Systems;
DuPont Nonwovens; the DuPont Chemical Solutions Enterprise; and DuPont Surfaces. These businesses
will be led by Group Vice President Ellen J. Kullman. * DuPont AgricultureandNutrition. With
segment sales of about $4.3 billion, this business group will leverage DuPont strengths in crop
protection chemicals, seeds, biotechnology, food ingredients and safety to provide solutions for
growers and the global food industry. It comprises DuPont Crop Protection; Pioneer Hi-Bred
International Inc.; and DuPont NutritionandHealth, which includes DuPont Protein Technologies and
DuPont Qualicon, Inc. These businesses will be led by Group Vice President Howard L. Minigh. The
five growth platform leaders will report to John C. Hodgson, currentlyGroup Vice President, who is
appointed Executive Vice President. DuPontexternal financial reporting will be realigned to reflect
the new managementstructure. Estimated sales data shown above are based on 2001 segment sales.
During 2002, DuPont is celebrating its 200th year of scientificachievement and innovation –
providing products and services that improve thelives of people everywhere. Based in Wilmington,
Del., DuPont deliversscience-based solutions for markets that make a difference in people’s livesin
food and nutrition; health care; apparel; home and construction;electronics; and transportation.
Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-lookingstatements based on
management’s current expectations, estimates andprojections. All statements that address
expectations or projections about thefuture, including statements about the company’s strategy for
growth, productdevelopment, market position, expected expenditures and financial results
areforward-looking statements. Some of the forward-looking statements may beidentified by words
like “expects,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “intends,””projects,” “indicates,” and similar expressions.
These statements are notguarantees of future performance and involve a number of risks,
uncertaintiesand assumptions. Many factors, including those discussed more fully elsewherein this
release and in documents filed with the Securities and ExchangeCommission by DuPont, particularly
its latest annual report on Form 10-K andquarterly report on Form 10-Q, as well as others, could
cause results todiffer materially from those stated. These factors include, but are notlimited to
changes in the laws, regulations, policies and economic conditions,including inflation, interest
and foreign currency exchange rates, ofcountries in which the company does business; competitive
pressures;successful integration of structural changes, including restructuring plans,acquisitions,
divestitures and alliances; cost of raw materials, research anddevelopment of new products,
including regulatory approval and marketacceptance; and seasonality of sales of agricultural
products.SOURCE DuPontWeb Site: http://www.dupont.com Copyright 2002 PR Newswire

Van de Wiele DevelopsLoop-Pile Weaving MachineBelgium-based NV Michel Van de Wiele has added the
new Carpet Loop Pile weaving machine, CLP81, to its product line. To create the CLP81 weaving
machine, Van de Wiele modified its face-to-face CarpetandRug Tronic CRT82 machine to make it
possible to weave loop-pile carpet.The double rapier machine can weave long or short loops;
high/low sculptural effects; or, when equipped with an electronic jacquard machine, names or
company logos all at high speeds. If the gauges are left out, the machine can also weave sisal-look
carpets.The CLP81 can weave man-made and natural yarns, including polypropylene, polyamide, cotton
and wool.
February 2002

By Peggy Whaley, Carpet Editor Covering New Ground
The Carpet and Rug Institute takes proactive road to tout carpets benefits, correct
misconceptions. The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) plans to significantly tear down
barriers to profitability and growth in the carpet and rug industry by using the resources of its
enthusiastic, well-positioned staff and expertise from member companies, CRI President Werner Braun
said during the Dalton, Ga.-based organizations annual membership meeting.CRI is a new
organization, a proactive advocacy organization, Braun said. He called attention to the various
changes that have been made in the association and said CRI is seeking support of all allies and
advocating messages that are scientifically based to win buy-in from adversaries.Specific messages
will be shared with members for their use and the targeting of specific audiences from consumers to
commercial end-use segments.

CRIs five-branched pentaskelion logo (shown right, in a tufted carpet used in the lobby at
CRIs Dalton headquarters), represents five aspects of the carpet and rug industry: creativity,
technology, enterprise, quality and integrity.Carpet, Clean and Dry deals with care for the
building industry and care for carpet. Green Carpet, Its Not Just a Color refers to the industrys
move toward sustainability. Carpet for Cleaner Air revolves around volatile organic compounds
(VOCs), carbon dioxide and allergens. Carpet Makes the Grade in Schools focuses on carpet as the
educated choice for the total learning environment in the education market. Carpet, It Softens the
Impactdirects messages toward healthcare markets. Carpet, It Just Feels Better refers to the
overall comfort of carpet.The 2001 Joe Smrekar Memorial award was given posthumously to Dr. Eugene
P. Willimon. Better known in the industry as Rusty, Willimon was the general manager at Milliken
Carpet, LaGrange, Ga. The award was presented to his family. In accepting the award, Mrs. Willimon
said, My husband always put God and family first. Its the best legacy one can leave behind. She
challenged the businessmen present to do the same. Environmental Initiatives

Frank Hurd, CFO and vice president, CRI, emphasized the importance of the associations Carpet
America Recovery Effort (CARE)
(See CarpetandRug News, TW, this issue). We are anticipating our efforts in this area will
result in the reduction of 40 percent in carpet taken to landfills, he stated. This ambitious goal
will be achieved, according to Hurd, by converting carpet waste into useful energy and product. We
are looking at waste energy, steam, and electricity, and were exploring the possibility of using
cement kilns. We want to make sure we have the right recycling technology. This is a lot of carpet
and a much better alternative than putting used carpet in a landfill and letting it sit there for
50 years, Hurd said.Hurd is also director of government and association relations. He announced
procedures, ongoing and enhanced, to monitor legislative and regulatory issues in every state and
in the federal government. He also said that this information will allow CRI to react before issues
become crises.CRI reported that Matthew Realff, Ph.D., professor of engineering, Georgia Institute
of Technology, Atlanta, provided a correlation showing that the energy reduction reported by the
carpet industry is equivalant to the annual emissions of 226,000 cars. Braun responded, Its great
to see that the reduction of energy use in this industry is essentially equivalent to parking more
than a quarter of a million cars. Carpet manufacturers have made, and are continuing to make,
strides in energy conservation while focusing on creating high-performance products for the benefit
of customers. They are leaving environmental footprints for the value of future generations.At the
annual meeting, a number of CRI directors reported on the status of current association programs.
Ken McIntosh, health, environment and technical director, said papers will be ready to submit to
the Ninth International Indoor Air Quality meeting in June. Paper topics include maintaining the
indoor environment, the quality of the air, and comfort issues in the environment.Steve Phillips,
director of customer satisfaction, reported on media outreach, including efforts to implement
immediate electronic correspondence and increase use of CRIs website for communications to members
and the media.Charlott Coker, director of human resources and electronic advocacy, announced the
launch of new navigation capabilities and a new look for CRIs website, www.carpet-rug.com. Joan
Seelaus, electronic advocacy manager, will manage a workgroup created across all focus
areas. President’s Perspective

There are a number of messages CRI wants to convey to the buying public, Braun told Textile
World. One of those messages is mildew and that can almost be a national hysteria. The word
moldaphobia comes to mind when you see people bulldozing houses because it has mold in it. So why
is CRI interested in it Braun explains: A lot of people see mold on carpet and immediately say
theres a problem with the carpet, lets rip out the carpet. This is a truly misguided judgment. If
you have mold on your carpet, its not because you have a problem with your carpet, its because your
house or office has uncontrolled moisture problems. Taking out the carpet is addressing the carpet,
not the problem. You still have a house or building with mold and mildew. The answer is in the
message, Carpet, Clean and Dry.Another important message for the industry, noted Braun, is
environmental performance. This industry has a real right to be proud of our environmental
performance it has been working for the last 10 to 15 years on reducing our consumption of energy
per square yard. Some things that highlight this [lower energy consumption] the best are the
reduction of water consumption and the release of carbon dioxide.Carpet in the school environment
is extremely significant, he said. We believe that carpet is a very important element in a healthy
learning environment from many different perspectives. Its comfortable underfoot teachers applaud
carpet. It causes less stress on the feet, causes fewer problems with varicose veins and its
sound-suppressive. With carpet, a classroom is not nearly so noisy the teacher can be heard easier.
Additionally, he said carpet can sometimes prevent injuries during falls. If someone does fall,
chances of being hurt are a lot less on a carpet surface. We believe carpet creates the opportunity
to improve the quality of air in schools as well as in the home.Some people just dont understand
and will maintain that allergens or dust go into the carpet and feel thats a bad thing. But our
data tells us the opposite because if its in the carpet, its not in the air you are breathing. Its
not getting into your eyes and allowing you to have an allergic reaction. Braun said its better to
have dust in the carpet than in the air. If dust should be in the carpet, he said, there is a
green-label vacuum available to remove it. Through the green label program, CRI plans to test
vacuums to see how effective they are in getting stuff out of the carpet. The stuff stays contained
in the vacuum and can be disposed of outside the home or office. The filter-like properties of the
carpet can be refreshed, and in addition, he continued, youre removing that stuff from the house
and office.CRI And Its President, Werner BraunHeadquartered in Dalton, Ga. the heart of carpet
manufacturing in the United States CRI is the national trade assocation representing the carpet and
rug industry. According to 1999 statistics, 80 percent of all carpet manufactured in the United
States is produced within a 65-mile-radius of Dalton.CRIs membership consists of manufacturers, as
well as suppliers of raw materials and services to the industry.Policy is determined by a Board of
Directors composed of CEOs from member companies. Policy is implemented by a full-time professional
staff. CRI members and staff are committed to facilitating cooperative solutions to all industry
challenges.Werner Heinz Braun assumed the helm of the organization in 2000. After obtaining a
bachelor of science in chemistry from St. Edward University, Austin, Texas, Braun began a career
with Dow Chemical Co., Midland, Mich., that would span more than 30 years. Brauns extensive
background in the chemical industry also includes work with environmental issues and public policy
advocacy, which he plans to draw upon in order to usher in a new era at CRI one that will see the
organization at the forefront of the carpet industry with new, more proactive policies and
initiatives.

Werner Braun stands with promotional posters featuring CRIs new scientifically-based
messages, created to win over carpet adversaries.
For more information, contact CRI (706) 278-3176; fax (706) 278-8835;
www.carpet-rug.com.New CRI DirectorsElected to the Board of Directors with terms to expire in
2003:Richard Bierie,Mannington MillsMac Bridger,CollinsandAikman Floorcoverings Inc.Mike
Derderian,Royalty Carpet MillsMike Gallman,Blue Ridge Carpet MillsCharles Kennedy,Gulistan
CarpetJim McCallum,Burlington IndustriesJulian Saul,Shaw IndustriesAssociate Members:Brad
Hill,SolutiaWalt Hubbard,BASFMike Lawrence,HoneywellElected to the Boards Executive Committtee with
terms to expire in 2002:Carl Boukaert,Beaulieu GroupMac Bridger,CollinsandAikman Floorcoverings
Inc.Dan Frierson,The Dixie GroupJeff Lorberbaum,Mohawk IndustriesBob Shaw,Shaw IndustriesJohn
Swift, (Treasurer)Mohawk IndustriesBrad Hill,SolutiaElected to the Board of Directors with terms to
expire in 2003:Richard Bierie,Mannington MillsMac Bridger,CollinsandAikman Floorcoverings Inc.Mike
Derderian,Royalty Carpet MillsMike Gallman,Blue Ridge Carpet MillsCharles Kennedy,Gulistan
CarpetJim McCallum,Burlington IndustriesJulian Saul,Shaw IndustriesAssociate Members:Brad
Hill,SolutiaWalt Hubbard,BASFMike Lawrence,HoneywellElected to the Boards Executive Committtee with
terms to expire in 2002:Carl Boukaert,Beaulieu GroupMac Bridger,CollinsandAikman Floorcoverings
Inc.Dan Frierson,The Dixie GroupJeff Lorberbaum,Mohawk IndustriesBob Shaw,Shaw IndustriesJohn
Swift, (Treasurer)Mohawk IndustriesBrad Hill,Solutia
February 2002

In wide-ranging testimony submitted February 7th to the Senate Finance and House WaysandMeans
Committees, the American Textile Manufacturers Institute (ATMI) called on Congress and the Bush
Administration to make a number of changes to current trade policies in order to ensure equitable
treatment for the struggling U.S. textile industry. The two committees were holding hearings
February 6-7 on President Bushs trade agenda for 2002.The ATMI testimony noted that, at a similar
hearing exactly eleven months ago to the day, it had listed three basic principles which should
govern U.S. trade policy and trade agreements affecting textiles:1) trade agreements must be fair
and equitable to the domestic industry; 2) trade agreements must be enforceable; and 3) the U.S.
government must exhibit the will to enforce trade agreements.However, the association noted, while
its support for these principles has not changed since its testimony eleven months ago, “What has
changed since that date is that over 100 U.S. textile mills have closed and over 60,000 U.S.
textile workers have lost their jobs . Today, the U.S. textile industry is experiencing its worst
economic crisis since the Great Depression.” ATMI cited “an enormous and destructive increase in
the value of the dollar,” particularly against the currencies of Asian textile exporting countries,
as a major cause of the industrys woes. ATMI said, “The Administration should abandon its strong
dollar policy and move judiciously in concert with other countries to gradually bring the value of
the dollar down. This would have a more beneficial long-term impact on the entire U.S.
manufacturing sector, including textiles, than almost any other single step.”Turning to pending
trade issues, ATMI urged Congress and the Administration to fulfill the various commitments made to
textile state representatives during the debate over trade promotion authority, “without any
compromise or further delay. To do otherwise would be an unconscionable breach of trust and call
into question why textile state Members of Congress should allow the president to negotiate trade
agreements without maintaining Congress ability to modify the legislation implementing such
agreements.” ATMI also expressed concern that “the WTO Ministerial Declaration and other documents
agreed to in Doha by the U.S. and other WTO members will encourage Asian exporters to keep their
textile markets closed.” In its testimony, ATMI pointed out that, “the Doha agreement does not
prohibit India and other countries from continuing to hide behind protective barriers while
simultaneously enjoying far greater access, and seeking even greater access, to our markets at the
expense of U.S. textile jobs.”Regarding tariffs, ATMI said that it “continues to urge that the
United States adopt specific objectives and guidelines concerning U.S. textile and apparel tariffs.
These objectives must include freezing U.S. textile and apparel tariffs, and forcing Asian and
other countries to bring their tariffs down to U.S. levels and remove their non-tariff barriers
without delay.” Finally, ATMI reiterated its call for the United States government to “reject any
efforts to weaken U.S. trade laws” as part of the new round of global trade talks.On other issues,
ATMI urged that any Free Trade Agreement of the Americas “must be fair and beneficial to U.S.
textiles, it must have enforceable rules and the government must be willing to enforce those
rules.” It said, “The textile and apparel rules in an FTAA must have origin requirements that
prevent countries outside the agreement from becoming beneficiaries. The rules must also allow for
cross-country Customs verification and have reciprocal tariff phase-outs. Enforcement is key; each
time that free trade is expanded, the opportunity for goods from outside the free trade region to
enter illegally is expanded as well.”ATMI reminded the committees that the House-passed Andean
Trade Expansion Bill “would cost thousands of U.S. textile jobs at a time when our industry is
already reeling from its worst economic crisis since the 1930s.” The testimony highlighted the fact
that the bill would allow a huge amount (nearly one billion square meters equivalent by 2006) of
apparel made of regional instead of U.S. fabric to enter the U.S. duty-free, which would cause
further job losses in the U.S. textile industry. It also noted that, in a provision completely
unrelated to helping the Andean region, the measure would double the volume of Sub-Saharan apparel
that can be made from “regional” or third country fabric. ATMI pointed out that this would “benefit
Asian fabric and yarn producers and severely limit the possibility of U.S. textile exports to AGOA
countries and a meaningful economic partnership developing between U.S. textile producers and
African apparel makers.” Finally, with respect to a possible free trade agreement with various
Central American countries, ATMI said, “We question the need for beginning such negotiations less
than eighteen months after the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) went into effect. All
five of the nations identified by the U.S. Trade Representatives Office for possible inclusion in
these negotiations are CBTPA beneficiary nations. It would seem more prudent to allow apparel
manufacturers in these countries to continue to develop economic partnerships with U.S. textile
producers, as provided for under CBTPA, before rushing to establish new relationships and
rules.”For a copy of the February 7, 2002 ATMI congressional testimony, or more information on the
crisis in the U.S. textile industry, go to the ATMI website at www.atmi.org. EDITORS NOTE: ATMI is
the national trade association of the textile mill products industry with members engaged in the
manufacture of yarns, fabrics, home furnishings and other textile products. The U.S. textile
industry employs approximately 450,000 workers.

President Bush has granted Pakistan a significant increase in its apparel quotas in recognition of
Pakistans support of the U.S. anti-terrorist campaign. Following a meeting with Pakistani President
Musharraf on February 13, Bush said Pakistan has been a “key partner” in Operation Enduring
Freedom, and he promised that the U.S. and Pakistan will continue to strengthen their trade and
other economic ties. The U.S. textile industry strongly criticized the granting of additional
quotas to Pakistan, charging it was an “unwarranted concession at the expense of U.S. textile
production and jobs.” A fact sheet issued by the American Textile Manufacturers Institute (ATMI)
said that Pakistans exports to the United States have not been adversely affected by the conflict
in Afghanistan. It says that textile and apparel imports from Pakistan have increased by 7.2
percent since September 11 while imports from all sources are down 6.1percent. President Bush
agreed to offer Pakistan $142 million in additional “market access” in order to help offset some of
the problems the Pakistani industry and U.S. importers say Pakistan has been experiencing as a
result of the war in Afghanistan. As the war continued, many U.S. retailers and other importers cut
back or canceled orders for Pakistani goods, because of what they felt was uncertainty about
deliveries from the war zone.Under the agreement, Pakistan will be granted additional quota in
about a dozen apparel categories, including blouses, knit shirts, trousers, outer coats, underwear
and gloves. Because Pakistans quotas automatically increase by about 11percent per year, the three
year total of the increases will amount to more than $480 million. The U.S. Association of
Importers of Textiles and Apparel, which has been deeply concerned about the disruption of trade
from Pakistan, had sought considerably more in terms of liberalized quotas. USITAs vice president
for international and government relations, Julie K. Hughes, says the impact of the increases will
be “relatively minor” in the overall trade picture and the administration can justifiably say the
action will not hurt the domestic industry.

David Spooner, former office manager and legislative director for Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC), has been
named Special Textile Negotiator in the office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Spooner has the
strong support of the U.S. textile industry . In naming him to the post, U.S. Trade Representative
Robert B. Zoellick said Spooner will work with the U.S. textile and apparel industries to expand
their access to overseas markets and “help the industries as they adjust for the future.” He added:
“David Spooners experience on Capitol Hill and his knowledge of textile issues and textile
communities provide the UStr with an important and special perspective.”