Tietex Investing in Upgraded Equipment for U.S. Factory

November 1, 2007  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in on November 2007 Fabric supplier Tietex International plans to invest in new equipment to increase its focus and support of the domestic residential and contract upholstery markets.

Orders for new dying and finishing equipment have been placed, and the company plans to move some equipment from its Rocky Mount, N.C., finishing operation to its Spartanburg, S.C., facilities.

“Within the next 12 months we will consolidate all finishing operations in our larger Spartanburg facility,” said Reed Cunningham, Tietex president and chief operating officer. “This relocation will improve both our cost efficiencies and our flexibility to service the ever-increasing demand for faster deliveries of smaller quantities.”

Cunningham said Tietex remains committed to a vigorous domestic capability.

“We believe that a strong, cost effective and flexible manufacturing presence on the home front remains a critical element of our balanced fabric strategy,” he said. “In light of recent developments in the upholstery fabric market, we are confident this direction is viable, important and urgently needed by our U.S. customer base. In this regard, we will continue investing to make this strategy more lean, more productive and more competitive for selected US markets.”

According to Tietex Interiors President Mike Durham, new dyeing equipment offers customers flexibility. “We would be hard pressed to overstate the benefits of this new capability,” he said. “Now our customers will be able to order smaller dye lots and have more fabric and color choices—at competitive prices.”

The new dyeing equipment is more efficient and generates less waste, enabling the company to honor its continuing commitment to environmental stewardship. “As we stretch to improve, we believe we must simultaneously work to improve the quality of the environment we share with our people and our community,” Durham said.

The decision to invest in new equipment has implications that go well beyond domestic capability, said Martin Wildeman, chairman and CEO.

“This development is just one step in what has been our ongoing resolve to grow as a global fabric resource,“ he said. “We will continue to take advantage of our position as a global partner to our customers.

The updating of U.S. upholstery production parallels the company investment in facilities worldwide. Tietex has expanded its capacity in Asia and now operates a sales and distribution center in Europe.