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VO L U M E
F O R T Y- S E V E N • N U M B E R T E N • O C TO B E R 2 0 0 5
A P U B L I C AT I O N F O R T H E H O S I E R Y I N D U S T R Y
From fossil fuels to renewable resources
NatureWorks
leading the way
HTC receives $397,000 grant
Two dyestuff
producers
on the move
Building hosiery relationships in Japan
2
LEGWEA R TRENDS A ND FA SHION S
/ October
2005
Trends & Fashions
table of contents
VOLUME FORTY-SEVEN • NUMBER TEN • October 2005
legislative column................. 4
Fashion abroad
Culture change
Japanese women enjoy the
eloquent look and that means
they’re still buying hosiery. High
fashion and moisture
management key elements.
NatureWorks out front in a
changing materials world.
7
Greenville Colorants
11
Capacity and product development
leading growth for S.C. dyestuff firm.
9
Marketing abroad
Standard Dyes
18
N.C. chemical supplier
develops strategies for
global marketplace.
The ONLY monthly magazine dedicated to the hosiery industry
PUBLISHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paul Fogleman
EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brent Childers
ASSISTANT EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charlene Nelson
ART DIRECTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J. Johnson
MARKETING DIRECTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . Denise Hatcher
P.O. Box 1708, Hickory, NC 28603 Phone: 828.322.7766 Fax: 828.322.4868
To Advertise in Legwear Trends please call
Brent or Denise at 828.322.7766
October 2005 / L EG W EA R T R EN DS
AN D FAS H I O N S
5
U.S. sock producers
look for marketing
potential in Japan.
advertisers in this issue
We appreciate Legwear Trends & Fashions advertisers and encourage you to
consider them when selecting a product or service.
The Textile Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Cifra SPA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Chemical Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Del-Mark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Exeltor Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Fiber and Yarn Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Fine Line Hosiery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Hickory Throwing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Jones Textile Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Roselon Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Ruppe Hosiery Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Southern Colortype . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Wellman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Carolina Textiles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Omara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Fox River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Twin City Knitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
W.Y. Shugart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Harriss & Covington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Holofiber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Carolina Mills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Hosiery Technology Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Standard Dyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Greenville Colorants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Ingeo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Textile Fibers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
• Advertisement concept and design by the Legwear Trends creative team.
Like what you see? We offer reasonable design and advertising packages.
3
legislative column
by PAUL FOGLEMAN, Hosiery Governmental Affairs Director
THE FALLING
LEAVES drift by
our windows…and
also drifting by are
the invitations from
state and national
lawmakers to fundraisers. The average
cost for a N.C.
House member
who represents
65,000 people is about $98,000. For a senator who each represents some 146,000, the
expenses amount to $125,000 on average.
It takes a lot of money for a “part-time” job
that pays about $40,000 including salary and
per diem.
Money is raised from local supporters.
But a sizable chunk, sometimes the majority,
of funds come from lobbyists and political
action committees (PACs). This practice came
under the spotlight during the recent session
when laws were adopted to require lobbyists
to more fully disclose where money is being
spent–and for whom.
Rep. Joe Hackney (D) Chatham, Democratic majority leader, led the House campaign for “lobbying reform.” The new bill
requires monthly reports from lobbyists while
the legislature is in session and also puts
a limit on gifts and expenses for individual
lawmakers. But the amount of money given
to candidates is unchanged: up to $4,000
for each election cycle. If a lawmaker has a
primary, the contribution can be $8,000.
The hosiery industry has sponsored a
lobbyist in the state legislature since 1991 and
over the years this has solidified support for
the Hosiery Technology Center. This year, the
center’s annual $600,000 appropriation was
placed in the recurring budget which means
it will be automatically included in future budgets. This did not happen by accident.
Sen. David Hoyle of Gaston County was
the chief spokesman for the hosiery industry
in the budget process. The staff of House
Speaker Jim Black, especially appropriations
coordinator Rita Harris, protected the HTC
funds in House negotiations.
Sen.Walter Dalton, co-chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Rep. Joe Tolson, and Rep.
Julia Howard were important to our success.
4
The industry will do well to keep these
legislators in office. It’s time to re-invest.
LT. GOV. BEVERLY PERDUE continues to lead
the polls among Democratic hopefuls for the
2008 gubernatorial nomination. Perdue’s deciding vote for a state lottery has played well
with the public, as polls show that almost 70
per cent of people favor a lottery to support
schools.
North Carolina was the last state on the
East Coast to adopt a lottery. The votes for
the lottery were close in both Chambers as
almost all Republicans lined up in opposition. The senate had to maneuver around
five Democrats who also opposed the
lottery. Three House Republicans bucked
their caucus and voted for the lottery.
which now is part of Gaston College. Language
in the budget document also calls for the textile
center to be revamped with the hosiery technology center as the model.
The legislation provides for an Advisory
Board at the textile center to set priorities for
the operations, focusing on the needs of the
industry. This board is to represent industry
across North Carolina—not just the western
Piedmont. The first meeting of the board is
scheduled for Oct. 19 in Belmont.
The agenda for the first meeting calls for
establishing a job description for an executive
director (manager) and a timetable for getting
the manager in place. With the industry facing
more market challenges, some observers feel
that activity needs to be accelerated. Marketing the services of the textile center is seen
as a top priority.
THE 2005-06 STATE BUDGET also includes
over $956,000 for the Textile Technology Center,
Hosiery Governmental Council
Membership Campaign Launched
Hosiery industry executives from manufacturing and supplier companies are being
recruited for the new Hosiery Governmental Affairs Council.
The council will set policies for the hosiery industry’s legislative agenda in North
Carolina and also support the Washington lobbying efforts through AMTAC. Membership dues will support both undertakings, Paul Fogleman, the veteran state lobbyist
has emphasized.
Since there is no longer a trade association to support legislative efforts, the council will
fulfill that role, it was stressed. Members of the council also will have the opportunity to
participate at functions and meet leading political figures at the state and national level.
Trade issues have dominated the agenda at the national level, but there are more issues of interest to independent, family-owned companies as well as larger multi-national firms. “All company executives are concerned about maintaining a business-friendly
environment for manufacturing in America,” Fogleman said.
The chairman is Darrell Frye, vice president of Harriss & Covington Hosiery Mill in
High Point, a longtime political leader at local and state levels. Frye is co-chair of the
Domestic Manufacturers Committee.
The 2006 elections will bring out issues that are critical to the future of hosiery
manufacturing, it was observed. Environmental regulations, economic incentives, higher
minimum wage proposals, and workplace regulations all have a price tag. The council
will be the voice of the industry as these issues are debated.
Membership dues are low to allow participation of mills of all sizes. Members will
receive ongoing communications involving trends and voting records of legislators.
The council also will sponsor HOSEPAC, the political action committee that raises
contributions for industry supporters in congress and the state legislature.
LEGWEA R TRENDS A ND FA SHION S
/ October
2005
U.S. Socks Producers See Market Potential
LEGWEAR TRENDS staff
Can the U.S. hosiery industry survive by
continuously looking inward? Should all energy
be directed at fighting to maintain control of
the domestic market? Or should the American
manufacturers take their fight to other markets?
Take Japan, for example.
For the past three years, the Hosiery Technology Center has applied for a grant from
the Market Developer Cooperator Program
in the International Trade Administration of
the U.S. Department of Commerce. Soon the
2005 grants will be announced and it is possible the HTC will hit pay dirt.
When U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt of Alabama at the last moment agreed to vote for
free trade with CAFTA, approval of the HTC
grant was mentioned as part of a trade-off.
This would give the HTC almost $400,000 to
help U.S. manufacturers knock on doors of
retailers outside the U.S., Japan included.
According to recent figures, Japanese
consumers purchase 1.5 billion pairs of socks,
tights or pantyhose each year. Some 21.6
percent of Japanese hosiery sales are imports
and of that, some 65 percent was shipped out
of China. South Korean exports accounted
for 19.5 per cent, Thailand 7.8 per cent and
the balance from other countries.
As in the U.S., sock prices have dropped in
Japan due to growing imports from China
and multi-pairs packaging.
Japan also is experiencing the trend to casual
attire in the workplace. As a result, socks are
gaining, pantyhose are losing. Retailers are
appealing to fashion-conscious women with
pantyhose that feature plaids, bold designs,
stripes and bright colors.
To find a niche in the Japanese market, manufacturers must differentiate their products.
Sales also are enhanced by western brands.
Because U.S. manufacturers have experienced the changing dynamics in sales and
distribution, they may have an advantage in
reaching the marketplace. Retailer consolidations and mergers now are changing the
Japanese landscape as they have done in the
U.S. since the early 1980s. U.S. manufacturers
were adept at adjusting to the new climate
which eliminated agents and wholesalers serving large customers.
Almost three years ago, the Hosiery
Technology Center and five manufacturers
from North Carolina participated in the
October 2005 / L EG W EA R T R EN DS
AN D FAS H I O N S
International Fashion Fair in Tokyo. Contacts
were made with retailers and buyers and
it was determined that price points and
consumer preferences were consistent with
U.S. manufacturing capabilities and marketing
objectives. The trip was a learning experience
and reinforced the view that Japan is a land of
opportunities.
In the past three years global competition
has made domestic manufacturers more sensitive to the need for new thinking. It’s time
for West to meet East at the hosiery counter.
5
Leading a renewable resource culture change
BRENT CHILDERS, editor
It takes only a headline glance in any national
or international publication these days to realize
the world is moving away from its dependence
on petroleum as the driving force behind our
industrial engine.
Headlines such as “U.S. one natural disaster
away from energy crisis” are prevalent in mainstream newspapers and other periodicals.
The framework for economies driven by
renewable resources versus non-renewable
resources are being laid. Hydrogen fuel cells
for transportation and other forms of energy
and continued development of solar and wind
energy platforms are examples.
Efforts are underway to replace petroleum
as a building block for other non-fuel products,
such as textiles. NatureWorksLLC is leading that
charge. And the world is taking notice.
The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Los Angeles
Times and numerous other media voices over
the previous year have been heralding the technology that is producing polylactic acid (PLA)
– compostable, thermoplastic, aliphatic polyester
derived from lactic acid – as a building block for
everything from food packaging and pillows to
legwear and shirts.
PLA particularly is attractive as a sustainable
alternative to petrochemical-derived products,
since the lactate from which it is ultimately produced can be derived from the fermentation of
agricultural by-products such as corn starch or
other starch rich substances like sugar or wheat.
Moreover researchers have found little made
from conventional plastics that can’t be made
from polylactic acid.
Polylactic acid can be easily produced in
a high molecular weight form through ringopening polymerization using a stannous
octoate catalyst.
NatureWorks LLC is a stand-alone company
wholly owned by Cargill. It is the first company to offer a family of commercially available
polymers derived from 100 percent annually renewable resources with cost and performance
that compete with petroleum-based packaging
materials and fibers.
According to energy industry analysts, the
creation of raw material-based Ingeo™ Fibers
products requires about half the energy needed
to make polyester, and it emits 50 percent fewer
greenhouse gases than polyester production.
In September, NatureWorks LLC announced
it will achieve a greenhouse-gas-neutral position
for NatureWorks PLA, making it the first, and
6
only, commercially available greenhouse-gas-neutral polymer in the industry.
The achievement of this milestone will give
the corn-derived polymer another competitive advantage versus petroleum-based plastics,
such as PET. It offers customers in Europe, Asia
and North America a meaningful way to help
achieve compliance with the Kyoto Protocol for
reduction of greenhouse gases.
NatureWorks will achieve the greenhousegas-neutral position through the purchase of
renewable energy certificates (RECs), which
serve as an offset to cover all of the emissions
from the energy used for the production of
Dakota and South Dakota.The company will
be purchasing enough certificates to cover
projected 2006 production at its 300-millionpound (140,000-metric-ton) capacity manufacturing plant and the world’s largest lactic acid
plant (400-million-pound or 182,000-metric-ton
capacity) in Blair, Neb., as well as at its corporate
offices in Minnetonka, Minn.The amount of
energy NatureWorks will be purchasing, 59,000
mega-watt hours per year, is equivalent to the
amount needed to power 6,300 homes for one
year. This purchase of RECs will make NatureWorks one of the top ten corporate buyers of
renewable energy certificates in the
Cargill launched its plant in Blair, Neb., in 2002 and now produces 300,000
pounds of pellets a day.
NatureWorks PLA.The certificates ensure the
production of renewable energy in an amount
equal to that of the non-renewable energy used
by NatureWorks LLC. The net result will be a
68 percent reduction in fossil fuel use compared
to traditional plastics from the manufacture
of NatureWorks PLA compared with traditional plastics. (Even before this announcement,
NatureWorks had represented a 30-50 percent
reduction in fossil fuel use and a 30-55 percent
reduction in greenhouse gas emissions versus
petroleum-basedpolymers.)
NatureWorks will be purchasing renewable energy certificates from a variety of U.S.
Midwest projects - including wind, hydro and
solar – in Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, North
United States.
“NatureWorks is committed to product
and process innovations that deliver valuable
solutions to our global customer base,” says Vice
President and Chief Marketing Officer
Dennis McGrew.
Or as Kathleen Bader, NatureWorks’ chief
executive, puts it: “ We’re using material that’s renewable in 90 days instead of 90 million years.”
While the implicatons for the energy and the
environment are obvious, NatureWorks LLC’s
Ingeo fiber has a whole set of other characteristics that is establishing it as a premier ingredient
for apparel.
Those attributes were summed up in the
LEGWEA R TRENDS A ND FA SHION S
cont’d page 24
/ October
2005
P.O. Box 298 • 227 Poplar Street • Osage, Iowa 50461
641-732-3798 fax 641-732-5128
October 2005 / L EG W EA R T R EN DS
AN D FAS H I O N S
7
S.C. dyestuff producer poised for growth
BRENT CHILDERS, editor
Success for most manufacturers in today’s
global environment hinges on an ability to
develop diverse product lines and to get those
items delivered on time.
It’s the business model for today’s manufacturer and it is the business plan that one
Greenville, S.C., dyestuff producer has been
working during the last 12 months to develop
as its roadmap for the years ahead.
Greenville Colorants co-chairman Robert
Weiss believes diversity and an ability to adapt
quickly will be crucial for manufacturers to stay
financially healthy.
After a year of major restructuring moves
that has put such a plan in place at his company, Weiss says Greenville Colorants is ready
to set new standards in the industry.
He adds that the company has the experience and resources to assist its customers in
meeting the demands of tomorrow’s global
marketplace.
“We’ll go through walls to get our customers the product and our laboratory facilities
are state-of-the-art,” Weiss says.
Weiss knows well some of the challenges
involved in positioning a company to supply a
diverse mix of manufacturing sectors, such as
textiles, paper and agriculture.
For Greenville Colorants, meeting those
challenges has positioned the company as the
largest independent dyestuff supplier in the
United States.
It announced the opening of the 160,000square-foot Greenville, S.C., facility in March of
this year. The company was formerly known as
the ADI Group USA.
Weiss, with more than 50 years experience
in the dyestuff industry, grew up in the business
as his father was founder and president of
New Jersey-based Albanil Dyestuffs Corporation, later known as The ADI GROUP USA.
For some time, the ADI Group USA had been
seeking to diversify and modernize its equipment.
8
In September 2004, the company announced it was purchasing the former Yorkshire Americas (Crompton and Knowles) facility in Greenville, S.C. Then in January, Greenville
Colorants announced it was purchasing certain
assets of Synalloy Corporation’s Blackman
Uhler LLC dye business.
As the official opening of the plant took
place earlier this year, Weiss said he, his brother
and co-chairman Ronald M. Weiss , CEO Joe
Lynch and President/COO Howard L. Printz
along with other key executives continued
putting crucial aspects of their reorganization
plan into effect.
The company’s headquarter offices will
local deliveries.
In addition to the production capacity, Weiss
said Greenville Colorants has made product
development assistance to its customers a
primary piece of its customer service program.
“The use of our state-of-the-art laboratory facilities allows us to offer a much higher
level of technical and analytical support to our
customers,”
Weiss said. “As some manufacturers have had
a tough time coping with off-shore pressures,
they have a greater need for product development assistance. We have the technical staff and
the lab facilities to help meet those needs.”
Transforming the company to its current
With a state-of-the-art laboratory and
unparelled production capacity, Greenville
Colorants Co-Chairman, Robert Weiss,
pictured on right above, says the company
is poised for continued growth.
position has been nothing short of “a monumental achievement,” Weiss said.
The result of those efforts is what Weiss
describes as a “very strong and cohesive team”
and one that is positioned to provide consistent quality and quick service.
With the restructuring now complete,
Greenville Colorant’s management team is
excited about the company’s future.
“We believe we are exceptonally well positioned to meet the demands of the industry
and to continue serving our customers with
even greater effectiveness,” Weiss said.
Weiss says there is another ingredient of
Greenville Colorants’ business philosphy that
its customers have come to appreciate – experience and a devotion to quality.
As hosiery manufacturers are geared up for
2006, their attention to quality, product development and their ability to turn orders around
quickly continues to dominate their business
strategies as well.
Ed Tessener, who formerly was with the
Blackman Uhler division, has several decades of
experience and is Greenville Colorants point
man for its textile and hosiery manufacturing
clientele.
Tessener said uniformity in blending is es-
remain in Clifton, New Jersey. The 15-acre site
in Greenville, S.C., will serve as the location for
manufacturing operations. Weiss now splits his
schedule between the two locations.
The move to the upstate South Carolina
facility enabled the company to increase its
production range significantly and make new
specialty formulations available. With the addition of highly sophisticated testing equpment at
the Greenville facility, Weiss said the company’s
ability to serve increasingly diversified customers in the United States and abroad has been
enhanced.
He said close to 250 truck loads of inventory was shipped from the former warehouse
facility in New Jersey to the Greenville site.
It is that inventory, says Weiss, that gives
Greenville Colorants unparalleled production
capacity. The increased warehousing capacity
has allowed for inventory expansion as well as
faster delivery times – especially to customers
in the Southeast. The company will continue
to maintain inventory in regional warehouses
throughout the country to enable prompt
LEGWEA R TRENDS A ND FA SHION S
cont’d page 26
/ October
2005
“Keep it simple, do it right, and do it better.”
Our winning philosophy for 45 years.
104 Rock Barn Rd. NE., P.O. Box 1179 Conover, NC 28613
(tel.)828.464.4830 www.TwinCityKnitting .com
legwear
fashions
by CHARLENE NELSON,
Fashion Editor
Remember when women didn’t go to
work or few other places for that matter without a beautiful pair a hose?
At a recent suppliers meeting in Hickory, a
panelist of young women and men spoke about
their hosiery wearing and shopping habits. It
was obvious from the female participants in the
group discussion that the younger women in
America don’t shop hosiery like their mothers
once did.
One participant said the only time she wears
sheers is when she goes to church on Sunday
and even that wasn’t a given.
While the U.S. hosiery shopper is less conscious these days about a nice pair of hose to
accentuate her wardrobe, that’s not the case in
other countries – and that’s why hosiery companies these days are looking for new markets
abroad.
Hosiery, for example, is an important fashion
item in Japan. The Japanese are very conscious
of what they wear on their feet because they
take their shoes off before entering homes and
many public places. Hosiery with moisturemanagement properties also is very important to Japanese consumers because of the
country’s high humidity.
With that is mind, some U.S. hosiery manufacturers are beginning to look at the Japanese
hosiery market as a way to help leverage their
companies in the increasingly competitive
legwear marketplace.
The Japanese market for hosiery is
very good and U.S.. and Japanese analysts
report that Japan is condusive to imported hosiery. There is a huge potential market for U.S.
manufacturers, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
“Since we take off our shoes, hosiery is
certainly a part of fashion, therefore, we have
more selection of hosiery than you have in the
states,” explains Hirono Taki, of the U.S. Department of Commerce in Japan.
With a hosiery market estimated at $4.3 billion a year and legwear considered “a necessary
consumer product,” Japan is “open to import-
10
fashion trends
in Japan
ed hosiery and tariff or non-tariff barriers are
not noted as a problem in the market,” says a
recent report on the Japanese hosiery market
by the U. S. Department of Commerce.
At least one North Carolina manufacturer
has already found a niche in the Japanese market and others are planning to test the waters
in the near future. Carolina Textile Co., Inc. of
Dobson, NC has been exporting Japanese
loose socks to Japan for the past four years.
The heavy-weight slouch socks are a wardrobe
must-have for Japanese high school girls.
Carolina Textiles began making loose socks
because it acquired the 72-needle machinery
the original socks were made on.The company
ships containers of loose socks to Japan about
five times a year.
Knitted on 72-needle machines, the Carolina
Textiles socks are very similar to legwarmers
except that they have a foot. They are long
– extending all the way to the thigh. And, they
are heavy – weighing up to a pound per pair.
For the fashion look they want, Japanese girls
slouch them down to below the knee.
“They are a fashion statement that comes
and goes in Japan,” explains Dale York, owner of
Carolina Textile Co., “They have been popular
for years, and the second or third generation
of girls are wearing them. They were originally
made as part of the school uniforms in Japan.”
York’s company began making loose socks
because it acquired the 72-needle machinery
the original socks were made on. The company
ships containers of loose socks to Japan about
five times a year.
Carolina Textiles makes the socks, knitted
with a cardigan sweater stitch, and sends them
to Japan for dyeing. Most Japanese girls prefer
the socks in white.
As Japanese culture continues to gain
popularity in the United States, several websites
are offering loose socks for sale in the United
States as a fashion item for American teenagers.
One website advertises the socks as “a part
of Japanese high school culture and famous all
around the world,” and recommends using ‘socks
glue’ to hold your socks up as Japanese girls do.”
The socks sell for $28 on the web site. “
As far as I know, no one is knitting the socks
anywhere (here or in Japan) except for our
company because of the uniqueness of the
knitting machine with the cardigan stitch,” says
York. “The market is relatively good but not as
good as it was three or four years ago.”
Although York has found a niche in loose
socks, they are not the only products U.S. manufacturers are eyeing as potential exports to Japan.
Several manufacturers are considering entering the market with hosiery that meets the
Japanese demand for legwear with moisturecontrol and anti-fungul properties. Japanese are
very concerned with developing athlete’s foot
because of the high humidity in the country.
Hosiery that offers both high fashion and
moisture management would be very popular
in Japan, especially among women, according to
the Department of Commerce. Other items
that would sell well in the Japanese market
are no-show socks, toe socks and men’s support dress socks as well as sport socks, finger
socks and sandal pads. For young school girls,
traditional knee-highs to pair with school uniforms
are popular.They must be ribbed, and the young
cont’d page 26
LEGWEA R TRENDS A ND FA SHION S
/ October
2005
HTC receives grant to develop global markets
The Hosiery Technology Center has received
a $397,000 federal grant to help U.S. hosiery
manufacturers compete internationally
through exports.
Announcement of the award came from
James C. Leonard III, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of Commerce for Textiles and
Apparel, during a visit to Harriss & Covington
Hosiery Co. in High Point NC. It is the largest
single grant to the Hosiery Technology Center
since its inception in 1990.
Leonard said the center will help domestic
manufacturers compete through training,
research and development and new product
development. “The Commerce Department is
pleased to partner with HTC on this project,”
Leonard said. “This partnership reflects
our commitment to opening new markets,
developing better American jobs and creating
an environment for businesses to innovate,
compete and prosper.”
As an initial effort, the HTC will introduce
U.S. hosiery manufacturers to Japan’s retail
market. As part of the project, HTC will
organize a marketing campaign and trade
missions to Japan followed by similar activities
targeted at consumers in Singapore, Eastern
Europe, and Scandinavia. Leonard said HTC will
help U.S. firms with several facets of exporting
from translation and repackaging to developing
e-commerce methods.
HTC will also introduce
innovative hosiery
products and confirm
product quality through
testing and certification, it
was stressed.
The U.S. Department
of Commerce has
Washington-based industry
experts, Japan-based
trade specialists, and
four Export Assistance
Centers in North Carolina
and Alabama. All will be
Leonard
involved in the partnership
with the HTC,
Leonard continued.
Other partners include the N.C.
Department of Commerce, the Alabama
International Trade Division, and the Small
Business Development and Technology
Center. The financial awards and technical
assistance are made available to the HTC
through the Commerce Department’s
Market Development Cooperator Program, a
public-private partnership developed to help
small and medium-sized U.S. firms expand
exports that support jobs. The program
builds partnerships by providing financial and
St. Louis
technical assistance to non-profit organizations
involved in improving competitiveness and
developing foreign markets.
“We’re going to open new markets,” said
Dan St. Louis, director of the HTC. “The help
from the Department of Commerce over the
years has been tremendous and this will put us
on the road to global markets,” he continued.
“Any U.S. hosiery manufacturer who is
interested in developing a program for exports
can contact us and we’ll be ready to use our
resources for support,” St. Louis emphasized.
"Committed to innovation and
a proud supplier of Ingeo spun yarn"
Carolina Mills
618 Carolina Ave. Maiden, NC 28650
828-428-9911
12
LEGWEA R TRENDS A ND FA SHION S
/ October
2005
roots
by PAUL FOGLEMAN, Publisher
Politics Have Helped Hosiery Stay Viable
In the last quarter of the 20th
century, the hosiery industry began to understand the importance
of politics in their world…where
meeting a payroll, increasing sales,
and maintaining a motivated
workforce mattered most.
Hosiery executives voted on
their instincts which tended
toward the
Republican
party. Government was
considered
an invader…wanting
companies
to pay more
taxes and
conform to
more regulatory standards.
The less they saw of government, the better.
But in the 1970s, some hosiery leaders were getting involved with political
figures. And the Carolina Hosiery Assn.
(then the Catawba Valley Hosiery Assn.)
began to invite elected officials to meetings. U.S. Sen. Robert Morgan was among
the first and he explained why corporate
executives feel isolated.
Sen. Morgan said that during his
campaign he was escorted away from a
mill gate where at 6:30 in the morning he
arrived to shake hands with employees.
The mill executives said “no.” Several
employees walked with Morgan across
the road from the mill and brought friends over to
shake his hand.
“Who would you choose if you were elected?”
Morgan asked. The room was silent.
In 1976, John R. Jordan, son of the late U.S. Sen.
B. Everett Jordan spoke to the hosiery executives
during his campaign for lieutenant governor. In
the 1980s, with President Reagan and U.S. Jesse
Helms riding a crest, several Republican lawmakers mingled at hosiery events, notably U.S. Sen. Jim
Broyhill and U.S. Rep. Cass Ballenger.
In 1991, faced with loss of funding for the Ho-
14
siery Technology Center, hosiery executives across
the state mounted a full-press on the North
Carolina General Assembly. With the help of Rep.
Jim Black, now the House Speaker, the industry
was able to get non-recurring appropriations
each year in the state budget. Lt. Gov. Dennis
Wicker also played a key role.
Over the years, the hosiery industry has developed an ongoing lobbying program at state level.
Day-to-day contact is made with representatives
and senators while the General Assembly is in
session. Legislators and key government officials
receive hosiery gift boxes during the holidays.
“Hosiery Day at the Legislature” is an annual
event for industry executives to meet
with legislators.
The result: the annual appropriation to the Hosiery Technology Center is now $600,000 from
recurring funds. The industry also is consulted on
bills involving regulations and taxes. The hosiery
industry voice is one of the strongest among
manufacturing sectors.
During the past five years, the activities have
encompassed members of Congress. Eleven of
the state’s 13 members of congress opposed the
CAFTA treaty (Reps. Sue Myrick and Robin Hayes
voting yes). Efforts in Washington led by industry
lobbying professions in AMTAC resulted in safeguards being put on imports from China. In May
of 2005, U.S. domestic mills saw some recovery
after dramatic erosions.
Visits to U.S. Commerce officials and bureaucrats in the U.S. Department of Labor have
helped the Hosiery Technology Center expand
its outreach. The hosiery presence in Washington
has helped.
Especially effective have been the efforts of
the Alabama hosiery manufacturers under the
leadership of Charles Cole, president of Alabama
Footwear Inc. Through his working relationship
with U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt and U.S. Sen.
Richard Shelby, the voice of industry has helped in
the navigation of trade issues.
Recently, in the final minutes leading up the
LEGWEA R TRENDS A ND FA SHION S
/ October
2005
CAFTA vote, Cole and
Rep. Aderholt saw an
opportunity: Aderholt’s
critical vote for CAFTA
in exchange for continuation of the safeguards and
delay of open-door flood
of socks from Central
America.
It was time to cut a deal,
Cole reflected. In politics,
timing is everything.
Pauline Lavitt Co-Founded Mill
Mrs. Pauline J. Lavitt, wife of Paul Lavitt and co-founder of the hosier y company that bears his name, died unexpectedly at her home in Boca Raton, FL.
on August 17.
Mrs. Lavitt ser ved as marketing and design director for the company, and
was responsible for innovations to the Nicole Miller and Alexander Julian lines,
among others. She was active in the company until her death.
In addition to her husband Paul, who is chairman, she is sur vived by a son,
Ar thur Lavitt, who is president of Paul Lavitt Mills, and another son, Howard
Lavitt of New York City. Sur vivors also include her daughters-in-law and five
grandchildren.
Mrs. Lavitt made her home for many years in Hickor y and also maintained
residences in Florida and Watauga County, NC. She graduated from LenoirRhyne College and for years owned and operated Pauline Lavitt’s, a women’s
apparel store that specialized in fashion.
October 2005 / L EG W EA R T R EN DS
AN D FAS H I O N S
15
THE TEXTILE TECHNOLOGY CENTER AT GASTON COLLEGE
Carolina Textiles
In-house specialty yarn knitting.
It’s
why
no one
knits
a true
cardigan
rib like
we do.
Carolina Textile
208 E Atkins Street Dobson, NC 27017 (tel.) 336.386.4959
The Standard Dyes Inc. management team includes, left to right, Tom Picha,
Jack Humble, Amanda Picha and David Picha.
Standard Dyes Innovates In
A Global Environment
Futurists who are proposing solutions for business survival in a global climate could point to
Standard Dyes Inc. as an example.
This 26-year old company is growing its business in the domestic market—including hosiery
and textiles—while pursuing strategic alliances
with suppliers in Asia and Europe. And, it is
diversifying.The profile of Standard Dyes could
have been a page from Tom Friedman’s book,
“The World is Flat.”
Second-generation family management is
in place. Amanda Picha and Tom Picha, whose
father, David, is founder and owner, are bringing young, energetic leadership to the company.
They work under the experienced eye of Jack
Humble, president.
When discussing the strategies for the future,
they all sing out of the same book: readily available inventory at fair prices, consistent quality,
customer service that focuses on same-day
18
shipments, on-site products processing. Other
assets include skilled research and development
personnel and a quick-response laboratory that
handles technical issues for customers.
While the customer base for Standard Dyes is
growing, hosiery and textiles represent the largest segment of the business. “While the face of
our domestic textiles industry is changing, there
will always be a textiles industry in the United
States with a focus on changing fashion trends
and quick response,” Humble reflects. “We’ll
be here to service the needs of each individual
manufacturer. As our ‘Perma’ trade name suggests, we offer a permanent relationship to
address the needs of both our suppliers and our
customers so we may enjoy continued success
together,” he continues.
Acknowledging that commodity products may
eventually be shipped into the U.S. market from
offshore low-wage countries, Humble under-
stands the surviving U.S. producers will need
quick turnaround service. “They can buy the
desired quantity of dye from us instead of a container load from exporters,” he explains. “We’ll
deliver any amount of dye to a customer even if
we have to put it in the trunk of our cars.”
Standard Dyes and its in-house manufacturing unit, Classic Dyestuffs, are making significant
financial investments in the textile industry.The
company carries the inventory for immediate
deliveries and also maintains a trained technical
staff for trouble-shooting in the field.
Amanda Picha, who came to Standard Dyes
a year after graduating from Duke University
in 1998, says the future of the company will be
based on value-added service: outreach from the
laboratory and a priority on customer service.
“We are seeing a demand for more diverCont’d on page 26
LEGWEA R TRENDS A ND FA SHION S
/ October
2005
October 2005 / L EG W EA R T R EN DS
19
19
AN D FAS H I O N S
LEGWEA R TRENDS A ND FA SHIONS
/ september
2005
Fine Line Hosiery
Business Types
Sheer Hosiery, Vertical Knitting (Knitting & Finishing), Greige Knitting
(Knitting Only), Branded Products
Distribution Channels
Wholesale, Retail, Internet
Minimum Products Sold
12 Pair
Products Sold
Women’s, Speciality, Bodysuits, Trouser, Pattern,
Knee High, Footie, Ladys’ Hosiery, Crotchless, Sheer, Control Top,
Support, Opaque
Yarns Used
Spandex, Twisted Yarns, Nylon
Knitting Equipment
Single Cylinder (Sheer)
Manufacturer
Model
Needle Count
Cylinder Size
Matec
Ultra 4
402
4
Matec
Ultra S
402
4
Sewing Methods
Hand Toe Closing, Automatic Toe Closing, Hand Crotch and Panel
Finishing
Overall Processes
Boarding, Dyeing, Folding, Inserting
Dyeing Processes
Rotary Tub
Drying Processes
Flat Dry Air, Steam Heated Tumble
Boarding Methods
Automatic (Cortese, TMC, etc.),
“We’re unique in that we tackle projects that most folks won’t do, from
fishnet to lace-top thigh highs. We have 27 styles in the exotic market.
We’ll make about anything anybody wants. We take pride in producing
a quality product and of course its produced here in the United States.
Our customers find that we are more flexible than many operations and
we can do smaller orders. We can deliver within two weeks and can get a
sample out the same day a lot of times but always within a week.”
Lisa Eliot
1480 South Main Street
Randleman, NC 27317
Phone: 336-498-1600
Fax: 336-498-1601
[email protected]
Setting New Standards
A lot of businesses say
they will. We are.
ivery
Del
New Jersey Location
50 Page Rd,
Clifton, N.J. 07012
Phone: 973.778.0122
Fax: 973.778.1124
roduction Capac
P
ity
t•
n
e
•
pm
pt
om
Pr
Produ
ct D
eve
lo
colorants
South Carolina Location
105 Wood Street,
Greenville , S.C. 29611
Phone: 864-295-1170
Fax: 864.295.5670
www.greenvillecolorants.com
• Customer Service 800.832.8985 Fax 800.763.1001
AND FASHIONS
October 2005 / LE GWEA R TRENDS
21
Industry briefs
GMAC Finance opens
Commercial Services Office
SOUTHFIELD, Mich.— GMAC Commercial Finance (GMAC CF), a
wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors Acceptance Corporation Financial Services (GMACFS) since 1999, announces the opening of its new
Commercial Services Division office in Greensboro, N.C.The new office
address is: 300 North Greene St., Suite 2195, Greensboro, N.C., 27401
John Nooney, Senior Vice President/Portfolio Manager, oversees business development and day-to-day operations for the Greensboro group.
Office staff also includes Senior Business Development Officers Steve
Smith and Ernie White.Together, these executives offer clients more than
66 years of experience in the Southeast U.S. factoring market.
The Greensboro office holds local credit authority, complete with
expert credit and support staff located in Atlanta, Ga. With account management teams in both locations, GMAC CF provides a high level of local
service to valued Southeast clients.
Opening an office in Greensboro is a key part of our strategy to aggressively grow our factoring business across North America,” said John
Waxlax, President, CSD North America. “We are delighted to bring on
board a team of professionals with exceptional industry knowledge and a
commitment to customer service.”
“Relationships and accessibility are keys to success in the Southeast
marketplace,” says Smith. “The opening of the Greensboro office expands
our physical presence and service commitment to the region, assuring our
existing and prospective clients that the relationship they require is alive
22
and well at GMAC CF.”
GMAC Commercial Finance, considered a leader in its segment of the
financial services market, provides asset-based lending, equipment finance/
leasing, structured finance, factoring and supplier early payment services to
a wide variety of middle-market clients in diverse industries. Loan facilities
are in the $1 million to $350 million range. With locations in the United
States, Canada, Hong Kong, Poland, the United Kingdom, and plans to
open an office in Germany the 1st Quarter of 2006, GMAC Commercial
Finance is positioned to provide lending services worldwide.
DAK Americas LLC
Announces Force Majeure
Due to the major event on the US Gulf Coast, polyester raw material
cost and availability are uncertain.
DAK Americas began notifying its polyester staple customers that all of
its staple fiber products sold to carpet, home furnishings, apparel, industrial,
and fiberfill markets will be subject to a $.15/lb price surcharge, effective
October 1, 2005.This surcharge is intended to capture the dramatic
increase in raw material ingredient and energy cost associated with the
events on the US Gulf Coast..
In a press release, DAK Americas said it understands the stress that the
entire fiber industry is facing, but it must offset these ingredient increases
in order to remain a quality supplier in this market. DAK Americas remains
committed to the polyester staple business.
LEGWEA R TRENDS A ND FA SHION S
/ October
2005
October 2005 / L EG W EA R T R EN DS
AN D FAS H I O N S
23
NatureWorks
Continued from page 8
message that Ingeo Fiber took to Designers and
Agents (D&A), a trade exhibition and a market
place for thousands of retailers who define the
cutting edge in fashion and lifestyle.The message
to the 24 young designers who designed T-shirts
using Ingeo fiber was – responsibility, performance and aesthetics.
• Responsibility, because Ingeo fiber is the
first and the only man-made fiber created from
100 percent annually renewable resources. It
is the only fiber able to say that it is made 100
percent from plants, not oil.
• Performance, because clothing made with
Ingeo fiber is competing with the best synthetic
fibers available in every category, making it attractive to clothing manufacturers.
Characteristics like strength, resilience,
comfort and drape combined with loft, natural
insulating warmth, moisture management and
easy care and wear properties make Ingeo fiber
for both outer and inner fabric performance
needs.
• Aesthetics, because NatureWorks says it
understands that sustainability and performance
mean nothing without an attractive appearance
and touch. For those in the hosiery industry
who have begun looking at Ingeo fiber for their
genre of apparel, the feel and touch of Ingeo is
described as luxurious.
Hosiery manufacturers have begun seeing the
benefits of those attributes in the production of
their products.
Dan St. Louis, director of the N.C.-based
NatureWorks LLC has taken its Ingeo fiber to new destinations such as the bedding and
carpet markets. Hosiery manufacturers have begun manufacturing socks with the fiber as well.
reports from those working at the hands-on
level with the fiber indicate it offers a host of
qualities that they believe the consumer will find
irresistable.
St. Louis, one of those who have been
working directly with putting the fiber into
legwear products, describes the luxurious feel of
the product as “unbelievable.”
Natureworks lists several other Ingeo fiber attributes that has placed its Ingeo ™ Fiber at the
forefront of apparel manufacturers looking for
an earth-friendly product that offers maximum
comfort and performance.
• Versatility: Ingeo fiber is available in both
natural hand offering a new material to stimulate
creativity.
• Thermal insulation: Ingeo fiberfill allows
outerwear garment makers to offer a complete
story and a more environmentally friendly
alternative to polyester and nylon combinations
in padded garments, providing a light, warm,
breathable alternative for both the outer shell
and the padding.
• UV resistance: Ingeo fiber reportedly
outperforms other synthetics in resistance to
UV light, retaining strengh color and properties
over time.
• Easy care: independent wash and dry
With North Carolina’s large concentration of hosiery manufacturers,
it comes as no surprise that NatureWorks would turn its attention to
that geographic locale to begin inroducing the fiber to hosiery markets.
Hosiery Technology Center, says he has been
working with several hosiery manufacturers
who are working to develop new product lines
using the Ingeo Fiber.
With North Carolina’s large concentration of
hosiery manufacturers, it comes as no surprise
that NatureWorks would turn its attention
to that geographic locale to begin inroducing
the fiber to hosiery markets. Carolina Mills of
Maiden, N.C., is producing the spun fiber for
those manufacturers while Rutherford College,
N.C.-based O’Mara Inc. is producing the filament yarn.
As innovative minds within the hosiery
manufacturing sector realize the obvious
environmental implications for a fiber produced
from a 100-percent annual renewable resource,
24
spun and filament forms in a wide variety of
counts forma micro denier for the finest lightest
fabrics to higher counts for more robust applications.
• More sustainable: Ingeo fiber is derived
from naturally occurring plant sugars. When
products come to the end of their useful
life, they can be returned to the earth, unlike
petroleum based products, which can only be
disposed of through thermal recycling, physical
recycling or landfill.
• Comfort and confidence: Ingeo fiber is
reported to have outstanding moisture management properties and low odor retention, giving
the wearer optimum confort and confidence.
• Luster and drape: Ingeo fiber filament is said
to have a subtle luster and fluid drape with a
cleaning tests have shown that the Ingeo fiber
garments tested can be laundered using standard washing and drying machines. Garments in
Ingeo fiber reportedly demonstrate good soil
release, quick drying and show excellent afterwash appearance.
It’s no doubt that those Ingeo™ Fiber qualities
are fueling NatureWorks rapid advance in the
textile sector.
Couple that with the national and international
media exposure focusing on NatureWorksLLC
and its Ingeo™ Fiber and what emerges
appears indisputable: A host of new destinations
within the apparel markets is indeed this fiber’s
destiny.
LEGWEA R TRENDS A ND FA SHION S
/ October
2005
Fashion
abroad
Continued from page 10
girls like them with small logos or designs on them.
On the fashion front, the traditional Japanese
tabi, the split-toe socks worn with traditional
kimono, have come to the forefront to wear
with western fashions.
The trend has been fueled by western
designers intrigued by the shape of the tabi.
Traditional tabi have two toe areas, one for the
big toe and one for the other four. A newer
version with five toes is also becoming popular
and are seen in Japanese stores in a variety of
patterns and colors.
“The fact that Japanese end-users appreciate and purchase high-end functional hosiery
is a positive sign for U.S. hosiery manufacturers,” says the U.S. Department of Commerce
report. “However, to succeed in the market,
U.S. companies may need to accept orders for
small quantities and offer short delivery time. “
While the Japanese market for imported
hosiery is good, with no substantial tariff or
non-tariff barriers to entry into the market, it
is also competitive. Fashion trends that have
caught on in Japan during recent years such as
wearing shoes without hosiery have caused the
market to shrink. Japanese manufacturers who
are making high-end hosiery themselves and
have the advantage of small orders and quick
shipment are the major competitors for U.S.
manufacturers. But, with Japanese manufacturers doing a lot of outsourcing, they could be
customers of U.S. manufacturers, according to
the Department of Commerce.
Most Japanese manufacturers outsource
their sock production, according to the report.
The leading Japanese hosiery manufacturers have
Colorants
Continued from page 8
their own knitting facilities while the smaller ones
outsource pantyhose and stocking production.
The Japanese market has two extreme
sectors: basic but inexpensive legwear selling
for less than $2 and value-added, high-fashion
and functional high-end hosiery such as the
European super-brand socks selling for up to
$250, according to the report. In general, the
report say, Japanese manufacturers are producing low-end products overseas and the high
value-added products domestically.
Although the market for hosiery has decreased over the past decade, the number or
hosiery imports have been growing each year,
and the Department of Commerce expects
that growth to continue.
In 2004, Japan imported approximately
$270 million in hosiery products. (19 percent
of the total Japanese hosiery market). United
States manufacturers only supply about 1.5
percent of Japanese imports. The leading
supplier is China with 82 percent. A large
part of the imports from China, however,
are made by Japanese-owned companies in
China, the report says. Commercial Service
of Japan believes that sock imports from the
U.S. can be increased if U.S. suppliers meet the
Japanese market demands which include small
orders, quick shipment and innovative products.
Although there are no hosiery shows in Japan,
the Department of Commerce report says the
best way to enter the market it to show buyers
the products. The report suggests two shows:
the International Fashion Fair and the Tokyo
Gift Show.
Standard Dye
Continued from page 18
sification,” she says.The company, she adds, is
sensitive to its role in the modern supply-chain. “If
customers require us to keep things on the floor
for them, we are happy to do that…”
As globalization of the marketplace continues
as the major trend for U.S. industries, Standard
Dyes is anticipating requirements to be com-
26
petitive. “We have customers (larger mills) that
are having their dyeing work done in Central
America, but the technical work is still in the
U.S.,” Humble observes. “We have to maintain a
technical staff that can go out into the field…and
eventually we’ll have to send them to Central
America,” he predicts.”
sential for quality and Greenville Colorants has
the equipment to ensure such quality. Tessener
said the company will also do shade matching
with in-house fabric or supplied fabric.
As far as the company’s ability to deliver,
Tessener cited an example of one customer
calling and requesting 8,800 pounds of reactive
black. They were able to have 4,900 pounds of
the product in Florida the next day with the
rest on its way soon after.
Tessener said as Greenville Colorants went
through the restructuring process, making the
operations as efficient as possible was one of
the objectives.
“When we take the cost out of our process,
we take that cost out for our customers as
well,” Tessener said.
Core Point Captial Announces
Aquisition and Merger In
Chemical Industry
Core Point Capital, LP, a Charlottebased private equity firm, has aquired the
assets of FCI Technology, Inc. of Bessemer
City, NC. Core Point also has merged
its specialty chemical business, Chemical
Technologies, LLC, with Apollo Chemical
Corporation, Inc. of Burlington, NC. These
recent moves prompted Core Point to
form CPC Chemical Holdings, LLC to hold
and manage those assets for its fund.
CPC Chemical Holdings, LLC will be
headed by Dexter Barbee, former chairman
of Apollo; Rocky Butler, former chairman
of Chemical Technologies; Dixon Fleming, a
partner at Core Point and Rich Montanaro,
president of CPC Holdings, LLC.
LEGWEA R TRENDS A ND FA SHION S
/ October
2005