By James A. Morrissey, Washington CorrespondentThe leveling off of textile and apparel
imports that occurred last year has ended as imports once again are on the rise. But what is
interesting is that imports of apparel continue to fall off while textile imports are soaring.
Charles V. Bremer, vice president of international trade at the American Textile Manufacturers
Institute (ATMI), says the continuing decline in apparel imports is due to weak retail sales, but
the sharp increase in textiles can be traced to a “rather more ominous source.” He says the data
indicate that there is an increasingly strong market for textiles but the bulk of it is being
filled by imports. “The shuttering of hundreds of mills during the past two years has taken
billions of yards of woven and knit fabric capacity off the scene, but there still is a large
demand for fabric in the domestic market.”He says the mills that remain in business are at a
competitive disadvantage, because devalued Asian currencies are resulting in lower prices which
domestic mills have difficulty meeting.Commerce Department data for the first two months of this
year show a 10.3-percent increase in textile imports over the comparable period of last year, while
and apparel imports were down 3.1 percent. Imports from North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
partners Mexico and Canada were down in both categories, with textiles off 4.2 percent and apparel
down 6.8 percent. Exports presented an even more disappointing picture for U.S. manufacturers, as
exports of textiles were down 10.5 percent and apparel down 27.2 percent.

Scholler AddressesCarolinas Textile ClubKurt Scholler, American Trutzschler Inc. CEO and American
Textile Machinery Association (ATMA) chairman, presented a message of concern and a call for unity
within the apparel and textile industries at the Carolinas Textile Clubs April meeting.Scholler
told members, Now, time and circumstances impose more change on all of us. We, collectively, are
not suffering through a down cycle. We are adjusting to a major industrial transformation a
revolution of global nature an age driven by technology and computerization. Considering the impact
of global shifts in the marketplace, Scholler said, In short, we have world overcapacity; basic
structural shifts of production; the U.S. textile industry is shrinking; the U.S. dollar is
overvalued; the textile world is targeting the U.S.A. and Washington is not responding
sufficiently. I agree it is not fair. But, it is reality: The U.S. government, the U.S. economic
system, simply has not responded adequately to what was being done and what is being done to the
apparel and textile industries of this nation.Scholler stressed the need for unity within the U.S.
industry, and detailed activities within ATMA that have led to alliances within the U.S.
manufacturing sector and other capital equipment associations, as well as the importance of the
American Textile Alliance.Scholler said he has faith American suppliers and mills will survive, as
long as they look toward new methods of cooperation among themselves. There are no short-term fixes
beyond miracles from Washington, he continued.Our associations provide fertile ground for strategic
business alliances, vertically and horizontally. Realistically, for those companies that have some
business and some reserve resources, we are looking at mid-term and long-term approaches.By Jim
Borneman, Editor In Chief
May 2002

Destin, FL Members of the Alabama Textile Manufacturers Association (ATMA) recently completed a
successful annual meeting of its membership at the Sandestin Beach Hilton in Destin, FL with over
175 in attendance.Highlighting the meeting was the election of new officers and directors. Rolland
Hollis Mann, Plant Manager of Mount Vernon Mills in Tallassee, AL, was elected to succeed W.Y. Bill
Shugart, III, Vice President of Operations for W.Y. ShugartandSons, Inc. in Fort Payne, AL, as ATMA
president. Elected to serve ATMA as vice president was David Major, Director of Manufacturing
Frontier Yarns in Wetumpka, AL. Steve Adair, Sr. V.P. MarketingandSales Center for Johnston
Industries in Valley, AL was elected treasurer and Alan Scarbrough, Sr. V.P. Engineering Specialty
Fabrics for Kappler in Guntersville, AL was elected to the position of Secretary.The new ATMA
President Hollis Mann is a graduate of Auburn University where he received his bachelors degree in
Industrial Management. He has served the textile industry for over 29 years and held positions in
Tallassee as well as Greenville, South Carolina. Hollis, a native of Tallassee, has served that
facility as plant manager since July of 1993.Major, the newly elected vice president, attended
Auburn University, graduating in 1972 with a B.S. in Textile Management and went on to receive a
M.S. from I.T.T. in 1974. He has served the textile industry for over 35 years, 28 of those years
with Russell Corporation. As of January 2002, he is the Director of Manufacturing for Frontier
Yarns. ATMAs new treasurer, Steve Adair, is a graduate of Auburn University with a B.S. in Textile
Management starting with WestPoint Pepperell in New York City, then Avondale and finally with
Johnston Industries in Valley, he has served over 31 years in this industry and; Alan Scarbrough,
elected to the position of secretary, is a graduate of Emory University where he received his
Bachelors in Chemisty in 1981 and his M.B.A. from Mercer University in 1986. He has served in
Management with Bonar Fabrics as well as with Milliken and Company and is now with Kappler serving
as Vice President of Engineered Specialty Fabrics Group.The following were also elected to the
board during the annual meeting;Directors with terms expiring in 2003 include: Tony Bennett, JohnCo
Hosiery, Inc., Fort Payne, AL; Charles Byrd, Frontier Yarns, Wetumpka, AL; Mike Fordham, Evergreen
Technologies, Evergreen, AL; and Bill Hotalen, Johnson Hosiery Mills, Fort Payne, AL.Directors with
terms expiring in 2004 include: Toni Cauble, WestPoint Stevens, West Point, GA; Ron Fantroy, Shaw
Industries, Andalusia, AL; Bill Pearson, Pearson Industries, Inc., Prattville, AL; and Tony Yawn,
Amoco FabricsandFibers, Roanoke, AL.Directors with terms expiring in 2005 include: Alan Davis,
Radicispandex, Tuscaloosa, AL; Jim Dixon, Twitchell, Dothan, AL; Craig Ivey, Solutia, Inc., Foley,
AL; and JT Taunton, Russell Corporation, Alexander City, AL.Also serving on the Board of Directors
is immediate past President Bill Shugart of W.Y. ShugartandSons, Inc. and Steve Hildebrant of
Alabama Power Company, who is the ATMA Associates Chairman.Named to head up the various committees
for ATMAs year 2002-2003 include the following: Annual Meeting Planning Hollis Mann, Mount Vernon
Mills; EnergyandEnvironmental Oscar Crawley, Jr., Johnston Industries; Finance Steve Adair,
Johnston Industries; Human Resources Tom Borie, Shaw Industries; Legislative Oscar Crawley,
WestPoint Stevens; Membership David Major, Frontier Yarns; Nominating Tommy Johnson, Frontier
Yarns; Operating Executives Charles Byrd, Frontier Yarns; Public Relations Sundra Kinman, Russell
Corp.; Resolutions — Bernie Wedge, Elastic Corporation of America;and Safety Wayne Gentry,
Wehadkee Yarn MillsDavid H. Seagraves serves as Legislative Director and Rebecca Camerio is
Director of ATMA.The Alabama Textile Manufacturers Association is the only trade association
representing the exclusive interest of the textile/apparel/fiber/home furnishings and textile
related industry in Alabama. Textiles is the largest industrial employer in Alabama with
approximately 58,500 employees.