KoSa Announces Technical Fiber Price Increase

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 6 /PRNewswire/ — KoSa, one of the world’s largestpolyester producers, is
increasing the prices of its technical fiber productsby 5 to 22 percent, depending on market
segment, effective with Jan. 2, 2001,orders. Included in the increase are the company’s Technical
Filament andTirecord product lines.The move, necessitated by raw material cost increases and
generalconditions in the global technical fiber marketplace, will allow KoSa tocontinue supporting
its customers with superior polyester products andservices. SOURCE KoSaWeb Site:
http://www.kosa.com

Copyright 2000
PR Newswire

Living The American Textile Dream

It wasnt too long ago around 1986 when a bunch of guys decided to put up everything they
owned as collateral to start a textile mill. What, you want to start a textile mill was the
somewhat incredulous response from friends and financing officers to then 42-year-old J. Keith
Crisco, founder, owner, and current president of Asheboro Elastics Corp. especially in terms of
customer service, product performance and price.So in 1986, the company was started from ground
zero, in the facilities of a former textile plant and with no employees or machinery. From day one,
the company purchased only new equipment, Crisco said. The company started to manufacture knitted
elastic fabrics for waistbands in jeans and boxer shorts, underwear, lingerie, fitted sheets,
furniture, automotive applications, hats, medical bandages, and many other usual and unusual
applications.From 1978 to 1986, Crisco was the general manager of Stedman Elastics. In addition, he
served as chairman of the National Elastic Manufacturers Association for two years, and had spent
nine years in management with Burlington Industries. Therefore, he brought some significant
experience with him, as did the other members of the original owners group. Another active owner is
Warren D. Knapp Jr., current vice president of the company, responsible for sales and marketing.
Knapp had a personal friendship with Crisco for many years that goes back to the time when both
studied at Pfeiffer College. Knapp said, From the very beginning, the company was based on honesty
and integrity. The men stressed this in their first company brochure and openly disclosed their
Christian faith, their unconditional commitment to the business and to their families. Today, the
company has about 130 crochet-knitting machines, 165 employees and three manufacturing
plants. Impressive GrowthThings started to go well from the very beginning. In fact, in 1991,
AEC earned a ranking on Inc. Magazines list of the top 500 fastest-growing privately held companies
in the country. Inc. Magazine, with a circulation of more than 600,000, is a leading business
publication for entrepreneurs and growing businesses. The ranking was based on the companys
percentage increase in sales between 1986 and 1990. AEC posted sales of $842,000 in 1986 and $7.6
million in 1990, an 800- percent increase. With that, AEC was viewed as one of the best and most
innovative companies in the world. The steep rate of increase in sales has, of course, not
continued to the present. ATI asked AECs president what current profit and sales figures look like,
Crisco pointed, with confidence, at the continuing growth in sales and market share, stating,
Expected sales in 2000 will be well above $20 million. Just to show how well things are going,
Crisco mentioned a production capacity increase of approximately 30 percent over the last three
months, and an increase in overall production of approximately 45 percent in 1999. Crisco
emphasized that in 14 years, the company has never had a short week of production, unless there was
a holiday. Every year, the company has experienced a sales increase there was never a down year.
These are impressive facts when compared to the average textile statistics worldwide.By 1993, AEC
opened a second plant in Franklinville N.C., just a few miles from Asheboro. Plant 2 concentrates
specifically on elastics for home furnishings and mens underwear elastics. This past July, ACE
announced the start-up of Plant 3 in Asheboro, and the acquisition of Sommers, Inc., Elastics
Division, Stroudsburg, Pa. This acquisition allows for the expansion of manufacturing capacity that
will be integrated into Plant 3. Versatility In Every Aspect

Even though the majority of the goods manufactured are still knitted narrow elastic fabrics,
the company also produces some non-elastics and narrow woven fabrics. Approximately 65 percent are
related apparel applications, while a wide variety of products about 25 percent are related to home
furnishings; and 10 percent are other, including industrial, applications.The focus has been on
customer service and adapting manufacturing for the market. Especially for fitted sheet elastics,
AEC made a special commitment to adapt the production requirements to increase the overall
efficiency for fitted sheet elastics. Crisco mentioned that doing this helped the company become
the market leader in this specific field of bedding elastics by 1996. Crisco, without wishing to
disclose actual percentage figures, explained that the market share is extremely large in this
particular segment.AEC also has offshore warehouses in San Pedro Sula, Honduras; Santiago,
Dominican Republic; and three in Mexico Aguascaliantes, Puebla and Torreon. Other remote locations
for the company include Brownsville, Texas, and Miami, Fla. These facilities are all distribution
points that help the company learn the markets and the customs of the people. It is kind of a
learning curve, said Crisco, that the company had to undergo before it would even consider
investing in actual remote manufacturing.The company also forms partner-ships with customers by
developing new products with them. Some-times we know we will never ship a yard, or maybe only for
one week, Crisco said with a sigh, but he also acknowledged that this effort has been a very
positive experience, a learning process from which at some point busi-ness will originate.
Therefore, forming partnerships with customers is a high priority for AEC. Prepared For The
FutureCrisco said he thinks there will be a lot of changes happening worldwide in the narrow
fabrics industry over the next couple of years. He emphasized that the company is prepared for this
by being debt-free; having a good balance sheet; strong distribution focus and low labor cost; and
investing in automation. The company is also continually replacing older equipment with modern
machinery. We invested in machines and in people, said Crisco. Team effort is very important at
AEC, and so is the training effort that the company puts in for its people.Just recently, the
company purchased new Jacob Mueller narrow fabrics machinery to expand its capacity. Crisco spoke
very favorably about all Muellers machinery and equipment that is installed in the three plants,
and also about Muellers service and training commitment towards the company. The Raschelina® RD3 is
the model that AEC preferred during its latest purchases. This warp-knitting machine, with weft
insertion, reflects the technology based on practical customer experience and latest technology
developments in research and development. The RD3 offers high performance, versatility,
ease-of-operation and low maintenance, exactly what AEC expects from a production machine. Another
advantage is that the RD3 offers a usable knitting width 20-millimeter wider than offered by
competitive machines, which gives the company the advantage of producing more tapes per unit.
During the interview with ATI, AEC pointed out that all gear mechanisms of the RD3 run in
dust-proof oil baths that protect against wear, avoid any fabric contamination that could relate to
gear mechanisms, and are virtually maintenance-free. Needless to say, AEC is very pleased with this
machine and is planning to purchase more of them during its continuing modernization program. AEC
has started to adapt its products even more to customer needs with respect to product performance
and price. This helps in gaining market share. For example, replacing woven goods with newly
developed knitted products is exactly what makes Crisco and his team successful in gaining every
bit of the desired market share. But, on the other hand, AEC has also added some woven products to
expand its overall coverage of the market.

December 2000

GretagMacbeth Acquires McMahan Electro-Optics

GretagMabeth, New Windsor, N.Y., has acquired McMahan Electro-Optics Inc., Research Triangle Park,
N.C. McMahan spectroradiometric instruments and software are used by reference laboratories to
measure, characterize, qualify and certify sources of visible, UV, infrared and optical radiation.
Ron Anderson, president and CEO, GretagMacbeth, said, The combined firms of GretagMacbeth and
McMahan will play an extremely important role in providing complete solutions in the increasingly
integrated world of lighting and color management.In related company news, GretagMacbeth announced
plans to open its state-of-the-art ResearchandAdvanced Products Development Center in Research
Triangle Park, N.C. The new facility will focus on rapidly translating leading-edge technology and
systems research into software and instruments to enhance its position in the areas of color
management and color control systems. It gives us immediate access to enabling technologies which
are critical to our color measurement, communication and simulation activities, Anderson said.

December 2000

Conneaut Industries Acquires Chadwick Yarn

Conneaut Industries Inc., West Greenwich, R.I., has purchased the assets of Chadwick Yarn Co. Inc.,
Central Falls, R.I. Both companies specialize in yarn products for the electrical and cable
industries. The two companies have a high level of experience and expertise in twisting and winding
processes. Our merger will create a high level of synergy to grow the existing products and develop
new applications, said John Santos, vice president, Conneaut.

December 2000

China The Long March

 China has always been a separate star in the constellation of the world textile industry.
Today, however, signs of substantial economic take-off are surfacing, in concert with the favorable
overall trend at the international level.Concurrent with the China International Textile Machinery
Exhibition (CITME) 2000, staged in Beijing, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) concluded a three-day
meeting of the Central Committee by issuing a document which, laying aside the traditional,
strongly ideological tones, focused instead on the reforms required to cope with global
competition. The 10th five-year plan worked out by the CCP no detail of which has yet been revealed
envisages a doubling of the gross domestic product (GDP) by 2010, with an annual growth of at least
7 percent. The growth anticipated for the year 2000 is 7.5 percent (in 1999, the GDP totaled $992
billion).Behind the concern for the countrys social development, there is, obviously, its impending
entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO). However, the document makes no mention of the WTO,
but warns instead against the danger of competitiveness and globalization. If no development takes
place, states an editorial published in the Peoples Daily, the differences in relation to advanced
countries will widen, and China will no longer have a say in the international arena.Beijing must,
therefore, prepare for its ever-larger integration into the international economic scene. The
launching point of the new economy lies, however, in political reforms, which is why the Central
Committee raised the issue of modernization. The goal is the maintenance of a long-term political
stability in order to create a good atmosphere for the reforms and for the opening to the rest of
the world. The Search For StabilityTo put it bluntly: political stability is a must. Needless
to say, this kind of news appealed to the entrepreneurs and managers seen in the crowded halls at
CITME. And, likewise, the outcome of the Central Committee session was in the forefront at press
conferences and meetings with representatives of Chinese industry. Even though for months the Asian
giant had shown a clear upswing in the purchase of textile machines (virtually for all segments of
the production chain, from fiber opening plants to finishing plants), there is no doubt that
renewed and tangible interest surfaced at the fair. The prospects opened up by the new five-year
plan also feed a grounded hope of business development.Many people think that China may embark,
with the advent of the third millennium, on a new version of the long march that came to an end 50
years ago with the founding of the Peoples Republic of China. However, the obvious difference is
that the future course will no longer be marked by military bands and the rumble of guns, but by
the more reassuring rhythm of machines that promise to bring the most densely populated country in
the world to new economic levels. CITME 2000CITME pulled in nearly 103,000 visitors, including
a large number of top managers of the world textile industry. At the event, 685 companies had a
major presence, with numerous machines and a large group of techno-commercial staff.Two events
related to CITME proved to be particularly interesting. The Swiss Evening was a lavish celebration
of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations established in 1950 between China and Switzerland,
the first European nation to officially recognize the new republic formed by Mao Ze Dhong.The
evenings events included a unique competition among four Chinese universities and institutes
engaged in the education of young designers. The four winners (one from each school) will be hosted
for one week in Switzerland, where they will see what is being done at the Swiss Textile College
the comparable Swiss training institute for the textile and clothing industry.Another presentation
was made by a delegation of Japanese industry executives headed by Junichi Murata, chairman of the
Japanese Textile Machinery Manufacturers Association (JTMA). The information so far available about
the 7th Osaka International Textile Machinery Show (OTEMAS) scheduled to take place in October 2001
included an updated list comprising several hundred companies that have already booked booths for
the Japanese exhibition. Also highlighted was the 10,000-square-meter IT Pavilion, which will
present information technology and supply-chain management as the textile industrys keys to new
levels of efficiency and quality.

December 2000

Dystar BASF Textile Dyes Merger Complete

The enlarged Germany-based Dystar group, which includes BASFs former textile dyes business, has
begun operations with about 4,600 employees and sales of approximately DM 2.2 billion. The group
offers an extensive range of textile dyes and pigment preparations.Systematic utilization of scope
for synergies, accompanied by the reorganization of the group, will enable us to ensure a
competitive cost base and strengthen our market leadership, said Alfred X. Rad, CEO.BASF
transferred about 1,200 employees, four production sites in three countries and sales of
approximately DM 800 million to the new company. In 1999, the former Dystar group reported sales of
DM 1.435 billion with about 3,300 employees. The integration of BASFs textile dyes business has
expanded Dystars product portfolio to include indigo dyes, as well as rounding out its range of
vat, disperse and reactive dyes.Dystar has also reorganized to improve customer focus. Three
regional centers one in Frankfurt; one in Singapore; and one in Charlotte, N.C. will be responsible
for operational business. Central marketing functions are being restructured to center on fibers
and application processes in line with requirements of the market.Innovation will remain a focal
point of the new Dystar Groups activities. Rad announced that the group will continue to invest 3
to 4 percent of sales in research and development to help it introduce dyes having better
properties and optimize production processes.

December 2000

December 2000

Art Roth was named chairman of the Board of Directors of the
American Fiber Manufacturers Association (AMFA), Washington. Roth is president and
CEO of Universal Fiber Systems, Bristol, Va.

Houston-based
KoSa has promoted
James M. Hurt to the position of global vice president, human resources. Hurt will
also be responsible for global communications and public affairs activities.

peoplehurt_212
Hurt

Richard Montanaro Jr. has been promoted to president of
Astro Dye Works Inc., Calhoun, Ga. In addition, the company has promoted
Robert Novotny to vice president, sales, and added
Thomas M. Shea as director of marketing.

Textile Hall Corp., Greenville, S.C., re-elected
Richard K. Heusel as chairman of the Board of Directors and
J. Robert Ellis as president and CEO during its recent annual meeting. Other
officers re-elected include:
Butler B. Mullins, executive vice president;
Sandra R. Reese, senior vice president;
Linda C. Rank, vice president; and
John W. Oliver, treasurer and CFO.

The Hosiery Association (THA), Charlotte, N.C., elected
Robert H. “Bob” Yoe III as chairman of the Board during its 95th annual meeting
and convention in Palm Beach, Fla.

The
Kellwood Co., St. Louis, has named
Jeffrey Kreindel president, Vintage Blue division. He will be responsible for
overseeing all operations at Vintage Blue, from sourcing and production activities to sales and
merchandising efforts.

Trainor Critz joined
Cargill Dow, Minnetonka, Minn., as manager, North American fiber sales.

John A. Boland III, former president and CEO of
Dominion Textile Inc., Montreal, Quebec, has been named the first Georgia Textile
Manufacturers Association (GTMA) Executive in Residence within the
Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Textile and Fiber Engineering, Atlanta.

J. Scott Mosteller has been named president and CEO of
DeSoto Mills, Fort Payne, Ala.

eSASA.com, Atlanta, has named
Steffan R. Burns COO. He will be responsible for new business development,
marketing, customer service and technology.

WestPoint Stevens Inc., West Point, Ga., announced the retirement of President and
COO
James J. Ward, effective January 2000. Ward, who has been in the home fashions
industry for 32 years, has served as president and COO since 1997, and has been a Board member
since 1998.

Woolrich Inc., Woolrich, Pa., has appointed
Bill Ferry to the company’s Board of Directors. In his career, Ferry has served as
president of Eastern Mountain Sports and vice chairman of Lands’ End. He also held positions with
DuPont and General Tire & Rubber Co.

Belgium-based
EDANA, the European trade association for the nonwovens and absorbent products
industries, has recently appointed
Paul Dewingaerden to the position of secretary general.

Sulzer Textile Inc., Spartanburg, S.C., has promoted
Fritz Legler to the position of president. Legler has been employed with the
company since 1990.

peoplelegler_213
Legler

John F. Vickers retired as chairman of
Benjn. R. Vickers & Sons Ltd., England, and will continue to serve as a
non-executive director.
Peter Vickers was appointed chairman of the company.

William “Bill” B. McAndrew has been promoted to vice president of sales and
marketing,
Zima Corp., Spartanburg, S.C. He will be responsible for all marketing functions
of Kusters Textile Machinery Corp., also located in Spartanburg.



December 2000

Classic Revival At Premiere Vision

Irish tweeds, Scottish tartans, denim, lace and satin are back in fashion with a vastly different
touch and performance. Many of the 796 fabric companies showing lines for Autumn/Winter 2001/02 at
Premiere Vision report strong interest in classics with a luxurious, natural touch; plus easy wear
and protective qualities achieved with the addition of stretch yarns, microfibers and other
synthetics; or through new finishing techniques.Although overall attendance at Premiere Vision was
slightly lower than a year ago (40,066 versus 41,043 in Fall 1999), there were more Asian visitors,
a sign that the economy is improving in that part of the world. There was concern about the
increase in the cost of raw materials, but weavers selling luxury goods reported little resistance
to higher prices. DuPont Diversifies Into NonwovensDuPont showed the first line of fabrics
from its new division, Inova. Formed as a joint venture with DuPont Lycra®, Inova was, according to
Brian Gallagher, marketing and sales director, developed to engineer nonwoven fabrics to make them
fashionable (See K/A News ATI, this issue).The innovative expertise of DuPont Inova delivers
featherweight, versatile and multi-functional fabrics to satisfy the increasing demand for more
lifestyle-appropriate apparel, said Gallagher. DuPont will distribute these fabrics through its
global distribution network.There is interest in Inova from firms as diverse as Chanel, Levis and
Adidas. Prices range from $1.55 per yard to $20 per yard. New Strategies At WoolmarkAt
Woolmark, one new project involves certification of woven fabrics that are machine washable. A
Portugese company, Penteadora, has been licensed to sell woven wool fabrics that have been
partially treated for washability. Woolmark will work with garment manufacturers the rest of the
way and license finished apparel that meets stringent washability standards. Trousers tailored in
Woolmark-licensed fabrics and washed up to 20 times retain their crease and soft hand.Another new
venture for Woolmark is an alliance with Cargill Dow, Minnetonka, Minn., producers of NatureWorks
PLA, which is produced from corn, a renewable resource. Fabrics in blends of wool/NatureWorks can
be dyed and heat-set at low temperatures and have a more natural hand than fabrics made with
conventional polyester, said John McGowan, president, The Woolmark Company,
Americas. Soft-Hand TweedsIn the woolen sector, Scottish weaver Johnstons of Elgin showed a
chevron-patterned tweed, 580-grams-per-meter coating of 100-percent cashmere. It is selling at
about $150 per meter, with little price resistance. According to John Gillespie, raw materials
costs are up nearly 100 percent. The company has raised prices about 10 percent.Popular at
Johnstons of Elgin are color-flecked Donegals in deep berry and wood tones; rustic, raised stripes
coordinated with mini textures; miniature tartans in unconventional, smoky colors; double-faced
open weaves; and the conventional twills and basket weaves. All are woven of 100-percent cashmere
and available in weights ranging from 210 grams per meter to coatings weighing more than 500 grams
per meter.The company also sells fabrics containing camel hair, alpaca and other precious fibers.
Some of its classic weaves have added touches of sparkle.Tweed is back and color is selling, said
Derick Murray, managing director of The KM Harris Tweed Group. Classic checks in bright colors and
lighter weights are in demand. Another Harris tweed weaver, Donald Macleod, has added 15-percent
cashmere to Harris tweed to give it an extra-soft hand. We can add more cashmere, if our customers
want an even softer hand, said Macleod. 

Donald Macleod is weaving Harris tweeds in natural, undyed wool. He is planning a line dyed
with natural colors. We can do almost any weight or pattern, he said.Another luxury-class Scottish
weaver, ReidandTaylor, showed superfine New Zealand Merino of 14.5 and 16.5 microns and lightweight
lambs wool. Fabrics are woven of either woolen or worsted fiber-dyed yarns, and heat-set or
paper-pressed. Double-faced coatings in 100-percent cashmere or cashmere/wool blends reverse from
tweed to twill. A group of double-faced protective fabrics are backed with Coolmax®. ReidandTaylors
Managing Director, Raymond Eagleson, said that menswear and womenswear firms are sampling many of
the same fabrics. Teflon-Coated TweedRobert Noble is selling traditional Scottish looks to the
American market. Gill Cable, designer, said buyers picked up on heathered, not too bright berry and
jewel tones. Red shades are especially popular. Soft-hand Donegals, checks and estate tweeds are
also of interest. There will be a lot of coordination next fall, she said. Designers are carefully
selecting patterns and textures that work together.Flannel-finished tweeds are popular for menswear
at Robert Noble. Teflon-coated, adhesive-backed estate tweeds are selling to luggage manufacturers
and to the airline industry.Irish wool weaver John Hanly showed misted and color-flecked Donegal
tweeds woven with Shetland and lambs wool yarns to Jones of New York, Ellen Tracy, Lands End and
Nordstrom. The American market is buying color, said Brian Hanly, director. We have a lot of orders
for heathers. Soft, milled finishes are popular, as there is less pilling.John Hanly stocks woolen
and worsted tartans, so delivery for sample yardage is prompt. Hanly said coordinating patterns are
in demand. The most frequently ordered tweeds are in the 350- to 400-grams-per-meter range.An
ultra-soft stretch fabric containing wool, cashmere, angora and Lycra was pointed out by Thomas
Brochier of the French firm de Cathelo. It is selling very well to the American market, he said.
The price is $17 per meter. Classic checks; fluffy, soft, tweed coatings; brushed boucles; and a
group of textures Brochier calls modern rustics are among the best sampling fabrics.The wool coat
business is stronger, partly because of the strong dollar, said Brochier. And we are getting repeat
business on plain and plaid coordinates, which have exceptional drape. They are 260 grams per meter
and sell for $13 per meter.French novelty wool weaver de Vaudricourt showed double-faced, jacquard
reversing from wool to silk. Other double-faced fabrics containing mohair reverse pattern or
texture, or are striped or checked. We are selling a lot of mohair this season, said Axel
Delacroix, designer.There was also wool/Lycra stretch at de Vaudricourt, as well as a group of
double weaves that reverse from linen to wool. They have irregular cut-out designs woven using
Chimere, a water-dissolvable yarn.French weaver Isoule uses mohair in boucles and fancy patterns.
According to Gerard Alzieu, president, large patterns are selling best. Ethnic-patterned felted and
woven double cloths some having a pilled surface were also shown, as well as color-flecked tweeds,
brushed flannels and animal patterns. Linen With WoolJohn England of Northern Ireland showed
textured yarn dyes in a blend of 52-percent linen/48-percent wool with a soft, washed look and a
warm touch. Small dobby patterns are especially popular. England is also selling a glazed linen
bonded to Coolmax.Linen gives strength to wool, and wool gives drape to linen, said Stephen Brown,
commercial director, Moygashel, Ireland. Tweeds and heather flannels have what Brown described as a
fresh handle. Wool/nylon blends have been selling well to the American market. According to Brown,
they have an Italian look at a lower price.Along with classic weaves and patterns, a lot of
technical innovation in wool and blends was seen at Milior of Italy, including stretch checks
splattered with golden cobwebs and fake leather reversing to flannel. There are stretch tweeds,
corduroys and moleskins, jacquard-patterned denims and a group called Cybersilk, which is woven
using Ispira® Tactel nylon. Techno InnovatorsSchoeller of Switzerland, an innovator in
protective outerwear fabrics, reported high interest in its Keprotec® collection of fabrics
containing Kevlar®, DuPonts aramid fiber developed for bullet-proof vests. Dockers and Levis are
using a soft, supple fabric in a blend of metal, nylon, wool and Kevlar. Flannels and taffetas
blend Kevlar with silk and microfibers; along with wool, metal and nylon. Fabrics containing Kevlar
are tear-, abrasion-, friction- and heat-resistant.Metal at Schoeller is more discrete than in the
past. Fabrics have a softer hand and more drape, including a stretch jeanswear fabric in a blend of
24-percent metal/31-percent cotton/42-percent nylon/3-percent elastane. Another innovation uses an
ultrasound technique for quilting, by which three layers are permanently joined and will not pull
apart.A group of reflective fabrics, Schoellers butterfly effect, changes color with light and
movement. New reflective fabrics have a mirror effect in daylight and a fluorescent/phosphorescent
look in the dark.Welbeck showed light-reflective knitted fabrics in Tactel®/polyester/ Lycra blends
that shimmer with the slightest movement for the leisurewear and lingerie markets. A new,
two-way-stretch laminated satin can be molded, eliminating the need for foam padding in foundation
garments.Based on the success of its line of aroma-release knits, which are in La Perlas line in
four fragrances, Welbeck has added fabrics containing aloe vera. Moisturizer is released only on
contact with the skin and lasts through 20 washes. Fabrics are knitted in blends of Tactel micro,
Tactel Diablo or micropolyester with 11- to 13-percent Lycra. Glitter KnitsAt Mabu Jersey,
ultra-sheer knits dazzle with golden threads and colored cellophane yarns. There are tree-bark
textures, animal- and reptile-skin prints, eyelash effects, fishnets, pleated borders and crinkled
sheers. Many contain stretch yarns, and all have a soft touch. These fabrics are selling in
coordinating weights and patterns.Wool/cashmere and wool/silk knits in novelty jacquard designs,
wool/nylon/alpaca brushed boucles and meshes and doubled-faced jacquards of wool/viscose are also
popular at Mabu. There are leather looks knitted in cotton and coated with polyurethane, and tweeds
and quilted knits in wool/acrylic blends.French knitter Billon Freres is also into glitz, showing
gold pointelle-stitched knits, irregularly patterned jacquard sheers, golden ribs, stripes and zig
zags, metal circles printed on stretch dress weights and golden flecked fabrics many containing
Lycra.Billon Freres also showed mohair blended with acrylic or nylon and knitted into open crochet
looks, sweater stitches, meshes and stripes. There are jacquards with Art Deco designs or
engineered patterns, and soft, supple, lightly lacquered polyester knits.The Spanish firm Sedera is
selling knits and wovens in coordinating graphic patterns. Black and white classic checks and boxy
patterns are popular in dress and jacket weights. A lot of stretch is shown. They are fabrics with
brushed surfaces; knitted or woven using blends of viscose/acetate, viscose/polyester or
viscose/wool. Novelty PrintsAt Milag of France, quartz-finished, printed stretch denim
resembles reptile skin. The clear, splattered quartz finish allows the fabric to drape. Fabrics are
woven with both warp and weft stretch. The range goes from shirtings and satins to pannes and
chenilles. A printed neoprene thin enough to be shipped on rolls is selling to accessory
manufacturers.At Italian printer Segalini, Lurex® jersey has been printed with large, irregular box
patterns. The companys Helitex line includes novelty stripes and geometric designs printed on silk
satin. Jacquards, woven in gold, have the look of moire; other jacquards with squared-off patterns
are woven in blends of viscose/mohair/wool.At Miroglio of Italy, Frank Iovino, who heads up the
companys U.S. operation, noted that prints are selling well on blouse-weight fabrics, including
satin, georgette, crepe de chine, pebbled crepe and jersey. Many are sueded, stretchy and woven
with microfibers. Anything with gold is selling, he said.The most popular print designs at Miroglio
are retro looks; small, abstract designs; splattered florals; optic herringbone patterns; diagonal
stripes; dot/stripe combinations; and animal or reptile skins. 

Ratti Fashion, Italy, also has a line of blouse prints. Most are printed on silk twill, crepe
de chine or light dupioni. The colors are deep, the designs simple; some resemble woven fabrics,
while others have pebble textures or abstract patterns. Sportier looks include printed, brushed
wools; animal-skin prints on textured stretch bottom weights; fake fur patterns on pile fabrics;
and glitzy, gold, woven jeanswear fabrics.For eveningwear, Ratti showed chiffon, georgette, satin
and velveteen printed with oriental floral designs, ostrich skins, golden abstracts, kaleidoscope
designs, shimmering iridescents and newly designed paisleys. Mohair At The Top EndTop-quality
producers of haute-couture fabrics showed a lot of mohair. At France-based Solstiss, it turned up
in lace sometimes trimmed with mink, fox or rabbit. Other laces are hand-beaded with sequins or
feathers and selling for more than $400 per yard. Some of the most popular are lustrous and
shimmering, with a liquid look.The French firm Paul Dulac showed mohair/nylon net embroidered with
feathers, metallic yarns or silk. Patterns are leafy, abstract or flowery. Shimmering sandwich
cloths have three layers of sheer fabrics in different colors, some containing metal in the middle.
Pattern effects are achieved using Chimere.At Weisbrod-Zurrer, Switzerland, a fabric woven using a
blend of 63-percent mohair/30-percent silk/7-percent nylon is fluffy, bulky, ultra-lightweight and
soft. Mohair is also used in boucles. A group of wool fabrics has wide, puckered effects. They are
woven using different types of wool that shrink differently to provide this look. Some are
ombrhaded, while others have surface interest.Weisbrod-Zurrer also showed crepe satins in wool/silk
blends, double weaves with moire patterns reversing to boxy checks, sparkling sheers, sandwich
cloths with burn-out mid-sections for novelty effects, brocades with optical patterns, crushed
taffeta, shot chiffon, iridescent silks and lots of metallic. Revival For Hand-Cut VelvetSilk
specialist Bucol of France has developed new techniques for satin and revived some old ones. Known
for its yarn-dyed and warp-printed duchesse satin, the company is now giving it water-repellent
finishes, backing it with felt for outerwear, and finishing it to feel like leather or rubber.The
long-defunct art of producing velour coupe au sabre, or hand-cut velvet, has recently been revived
by Bucol. Velour coupe au sabre can only be produced by hand from duchesse satin woven using a
double warp.When Bucol stopped making cut velvet in the 1960s, the art nearly died out. When the
company decided to revive it in 1993, it found only one very old woman in all of France who knew
the technique and could train younger women in the art. Today, Bucol has found a niche market for
this product. In just a few years, the company has trained five workers who are trying to keep up
with the demand at around $600 per meter.Daniel Faure, chairman, Premiere Vision, announced dates
for the Spring/ Summer 2002 shows. European Preview will take place in New York City January 17-18,
2001; Premiere Vision in Paris, March 1-4, 2001.

December 2000

WestPoint Stevens To Close Two Manufacturing Plants

WestPoint Stevens, West Point, Ga., announced that in keeping with its Eight-Point Program of
restructuring, it will close the Rosemary Greige Plant, Roanoke Rapids, N.C., and its Liebhardt
subsidiarys plant in Union, S.C. The Rosemary Plant will operate on a four-day-week schedule until
January, when shutdown of the plant will get underway. Some 450 employees will be affected.
Liebhardt, a basic-bedding subsidiary of WestPoint Stevens, will close its plant at the end of the
year, affecting approximately 155 employees.We are rationalizing manufacturing and streamlining for
optimum flexibility in meeting changing market demand and to enhance customer service, said Lanny
L. Bledsoe, senior vice president, manufacturing. However, with the three other Rosemary facilities
continuing to operate, WestPoint Stevens looks forward to a significant presence in the Roanoke
Rapids industrial community, he added.

December 2000

BBA Acquires AQF Nonwovens Group Reorganizes

BBA Group PLC., London., has completed the acquisition of AQF Technologies LLC, Charlotte, N.C. BBA
previously owned 15 percent of AFQ and has now acquired the other 85-percent interest held by AQF
Holdings Inc., an affiliate of Germany-based Hoechst AG.In other company news, BBA Nonwovens Group
Americas has consolidated into two divisions.The MedicalandIndustrial Division includes the
filtration, construction and agricultural products, industrial products, medical and consumer care,
and packaged and specialty products businesses, supported by BBAs facilities in Old Hickory, Tenn.;
Lewisburg, Penn; and Bethune, S.C.The Hygiene Division, comprised of the baby care, adult
incontinence, FemCare and natural fibers businesses, is supported by BBAs plants in Simpsonville,
S.C.; Washougal, Wash.; Green Bay, Wis.; Griswoldville, Mass; Toronto, and Mexico.

December 2000

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