Having tried its hand at making and selling rubber products, Asia Fiber Holdings settled on textile production. The company, which operated as Regal International and then Asia Resources Holdings, sold holding company Westronix and purchased Far Beyond Investments, a China-based textile maker. Far Beyond owns a 70% stake in Harbin Asibao Chemical Fiber, which manufactures and sells polyester staple fiber (under the brand name Yin Chau) and filament used in clothing, home decor, and industrial fabrics. Virtually all the company's sales are to textile factories and wholesalers of polyester fiber in China.

Avondale Incorporated,
506 S. Broad St.
Monroe, GA 30655 (Map) Phone: 770-267-2226
Fax: 770-267-5196

Bassetti lets the sunshine in -- or shuts it out. The company manufactures a variety of natural and synthetic fiber textiles used in home-furnishing products such as curtains and drapes, towels, and linens. Bassetti also markets its own home textile products, which it sells through retail outlets, including its own chain of C'è Bassetti stores. Brands for its products include Brio, La Natura, Silhouette, and Tutti Frutti. Although the company sells its products throughout Italy, the company derives a substantial amount of its revenue from exports. Bassetti is a subsidiary of Italian textile group Vincenzo Zucchi.

Products from Beaulieu of America (BOA) have floored a lot of customers. A vertically integrated manufacturer, BOA produces fibers and fabrics for its own carpets as well as for other carpet companies. Through its Coronet division the company produces berber, commercial, indoor/outdoor, and needle-punched carpet. Its products also include artificial grass, mats, and wall coverings. BOA has sold its rug division to Springs Industries and is currently closing and consolidating other operations in order to pay down debt. Chairman and CEO Carl Bouckaert and his wife, Mieke, whose family made carpets in Europe, founded Beaulieu in 1978; the Bouckaerts control BOA.

BGF Industries, Inc.
3802 Robert Porcher Way
Greensboro, NC 27410 (Map)
Phone: 336-545-0011
Fax: 336-545-0233
Toll Free: 800-476-4845

http://www.bgf.com

Burke Mills hopes that the yarns it spins keep its customers in stitches. The company's primary business is the twisting, texturing, winding, dyeing, processing, and selling of filament, novelty, and spun yarns. Burke Mills also dyes and processes yarns for other manufacturers on a commission basis. The company principally serves the automotive, home furnishings, and contract upholstery markets. Quaker Fabric Corporation is the company's largest customer, accounting for more than 10% of sales. Burke Mills sells its products throughout Canada, the Caribbean Basin, Mexico, and the US, with revenue primarily coming from the eastern US. Chairman and CEO Humayun Shaikh owns about 53% of the company.

Burlington Industries, Inc.,

3330 W. Friendly Ave.
Greensboro, NC 27410-4800 (Map) Phone: 336-379-2000
Fax: 336-332-0815

http://www.burlington.com

Burlington Industries could be considered a fabricator for the fashion industry. The company is one of the largest US fabric makers, along with Milliken and Springs Industries. It makes wool worsted and worsted-blend fabrics, denim, cotton and cotton-blend fabrics, and waterproof synthetics for the apparel market. Burlington's interior furnishing fabrics include woven jacquard mattress ticking and woven jacquard and textured fabrics used in furniture upholstery, comforters, and window treatments. Its Lees division manufactures carpets for offices, airports, and hospitals. Burlington has factories in the US and Mexico and joint ventures in India and Mexico. The company is under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Seamstresses all over depend on Carlyle to keep things together. The company manufactures, packages, and distributes buttons for the home sewing market. Carlyle buys its buttons from more than 75 manufacturers worldwide and packages them for sale under the La Mode, Le Chic, La Petite, Streamline, and other names. Carlyle also distributes appliques, craft kits, and fashion accessories. Wal-Mart, Jo-Ann Stores, Hancock Fabrics, and Michael's account for about 75% of sales. Carlyle's European subsidiary makes casein and polyester buttons. The company is being acquired by textile converting business Levcor International. Chairman and CEO Robert Levinson controls about 21% of the company.

Chargeurs,

38, rue Marbeuf
75008 Paris, France Phone: +33-1-49-53-10-00
Fax: +33-1-49-53-10-01

http://www.chargeurs.fr

Chargeurs is a wolf in sheep's clothing. The acquisitive-minded company is a wool processor and maker of pure and blended wool products (accounting for 40% of sales). Its global operations produce wool blends, wool-based fabrics, and woven and nonwoven garment interlinings. Chargeurs also makes other non-wool fabrics as well as self-adhesive protective linings used for temporary protection of surfaces for the building, appliance, and transportation industries. Chargeurs operates in 32 countries. Current CEO Eduardo Malone and former CEO Jérôme Seydoux jointly own about 37% of Chargeurs and 51% of the voting rights.

Chori Co. has woven quite a business. The company, which began as a wholesaler of raw silk in 1861, now has subsidiaries worldwide. Chori's operations include the manufacture of textiles, chemicals, machines, and metals. The company's textile units make knits, silk, and lace, and consumer products such as socks and underwear. In chemicals, Chori manufactures plastics, synthetic resins, and household goods. Other units make automatic vending machines, printing machines, and image-processing components used in manufacturing systems. Chori is also engaged in real estate, insurance, and temporary employment services. Shareholders include Asahi Chemical and Toray Industries.

Coats plc,

1 The Square
Stockley Park, Middlesex UB11 1TD, United Kingdom Phone: +44-20-8210-5000
Fax: +44-20-8210-5028

http://www.coats.com

Coats Viyella has stripped down to just its Coats. The company ran two main businesses: Coats (industrial and craft thread) and Viyella (branded clothing and home furnishings). It has divested most of it Viyella unit, keeping only two retail fashion brands: Jaeger (clothing for men and women) and former namesake Viyella (womenswear) -- and those are up for sale. Most of the company's revenues now come from its Coats division; hence, the name change to Coats. The Coats division primarily manufactures apparel sewing thread, specialty thread, zip fasteners and trim, and craft thread.

Concord Fabrics caters to the crafty. The decorative textile manufacturer mainly produces cotton and cotton blend fabrics that appeal to craft enthusiasts and to those who sew their own clothes and make home-decorating items. The company's Andover Fabrics unit specializes in fabrics used in quilts, made in a variety of colors and patterns. Its Concord Knits unit produces polyester circular knits and fleece. Concord sells to apparel makers and to retailers (such as independently owned fabric stores). In 2002 the company sold its Concord Home division. Chairman Alvin Weinstein, his family, and members of Concord Fabrics' management own the company after taking it private in 1999.

Cone Mills Corporation,

3101 N. Elm St.
Greensboro, NC 27408 (Map) Phone: 336-379-6220
Fax: 336-379-6287

http://www.cone.com

When it comes to denim, Cone Mills wears the pants. The world's #1 maker of denim is also the largest commission printer of home-furnishings fabrics in North America. Levi Strauss, its largest customer (nearly 40% of sales), makes its 501 jeans solely from Cone Mills' proprietary fabric. Cone Mills also makes jacquard fabrics (customers include Valley Forge Fabrics and Westpoint Stevens), and it offers custom printing and plainshade dyeing services to the home-furnishings market. Tightening its belt, the company has exited the khaki business and sold its John Wolf converted fabrics unit, resulting in the consolidation of several facilities and job cuts.

Conso International is a fringe company on the leading edge. The company is the world's #1 maker of decorative trim for home furnishings. Its trimmings products, sold through Conso Products US and British Trimmings, include fringe, cords, tassels, and knitted and woven braid for edging upholstery (called gimp). Conso also sells fashion trims and patterns for sewing apparel and home decorations through its Simplicity subsidiary. Additionally, the company makes resin furnishings and decorative window items such as hardware. Conso sells its products to manufacturers, distributors, and retail outlets.

Couristan Inc.,

2 Executive Dr.
Fort Lee, NJ 07024 (Map)
Phone: 201-585-8500
Fax: 201-585-8552
Toll Free: 800-223-6186

http://www.couristan.com

Couristan manufacturers power-loomed and hand made area rugs as well as broadloom carpets.

Culp just wants to keep on ticking. The company is one of the world's largest makers of furniture upholstery fabrics and mattress fabrics (known as ticking). Its upholstery fabrics include wovens (jacquards and dobbies), prints (heat-transfer), and velvets (woven and tufted). Culp's fabrics are used in upholstering residential and commercial furniture such as recliners, sofas, love seats, and sectionals. Its ticking is used for covering mattresses and box springs. Major customers include furniture makers Bassett, Flexsteel, and La-Z-Boy, and mattress makers Sealy, Serta, and Simmons.

Day International Group, Inc.

130 W. Second St.
Dayton, OH 45402 (Map) Phone: 937-224-4000
Fax: 937-226-1855

http://www.dayintl.com

Day International Group helps printing companies with an image problem. The company divides its business into two segments: image transfer products for the printing industry (80% of sales); and textile products, which makes components for yarn spinning machinery. Its image transfer products segment manufactures and sells offset-printing blankets and sleeves (which transfer ink from printing plates to paper) and pressroom chemicals. Customers include advertising, magazine, newspaper, and packaging printers. Its textile products unit makes rubber cots (rollers), aprons (belts), and other components used in textile machinery. Investment firms GSC Partners and SG Capital Partners LLC own almost all of the company.

Delta Woodside Industries is trying to weave its way through the difficult business of textile manufacturing. The company produces woven textile fabrics in its Delta Mills unit, which makes cotton, wool, and synthetic finished fabrics for use in the production of apparel. Levi Strauss and VF Corporation (owner of brands such as Wrangler and Lee) together account for about 35% of the company's sales. Other customers include Haggar, The Gap, Liz Claiborne, and manufacturers of private-label merchandise for J. C. Penney, Sears, and Wal-Mart. Goods made from its fabrics include Levi's Dockers pants, Haggar's Wrinkle-Free pants, women's apparel, and work uniforms and camouflage fabric for the US military.

Deveaux SA,

Le Pont de la Cote
F-69240 Saint-Vincent-de-Reins, France Phone: +33-4-74-89-69-68
Fax: +33-4-74-89-69-70

For Deveaux, nothing is frivolous -- it's all material. The textile company makes knitted and woven fabrics for the consumer and industrial markets. Its plain, printed, and yarn-dyed fabrics are used in sportswear, private-label apparel, and household linens. While fabrics is its major line, Deveaux also produces its own brand of household linens, towels, and related products. Deveaux makes its products in France, but exports account for more than 70% of sales. Company directors Frederique Von Tschammer Und Quaritz and Rodolph Deveaux together control about 60% of Deveaux.

The Dixie Group takes its business to the carpet. The company sold its textile operations to concentrate on carpet (about 90% of sales) and yarns used to manufacture carpets. The Dixie Group subsidiaries, including Masland Carpets and Carriage Carpets, sell specialty carpets and rugs, tufted broadloom carpet, floor mats, and a variety of needlebond carpets to makers of manufactured homes and recreational vehicles, commercial businesses, and retail outlets. The Home Depot accounts for 15% of sales. The Dixie Group continues to consolidate its tufting, finishing, and distribution operations as it tries to cut debt. Chairman Daniel Frierson, VP Paul Frierson, and other Frierson family members control the company.

Dogi S.A.,

Pintor Doménech Farré 13-15
08320 El Masnou, Barcelona, Spain
Phone: +34-93-462-80-00
Fax: +34-93-462-80-36

http://www.dogi.com

Dogi International Fabrics, one of Europe's largest textile manufacturers, makes elastic fabrics and yarns for lingerie, swimwear, and sports apparel. Founded in 1954, the company now has seven plants located in the Americas, Asia, and Europe.

Textile conglomerate Dollfus Mieg and Company (DMC) began ripping out its old seams and stitching itself back together at the end of the 1990s. Gone are its printed fabric, trimmings, and spinning and weaving subsidiaries. DMC primarily has two core activities: apparel sportswear fabrics (about 50% of sales) and craft supplies (such as wool and cotton threads used for needlepoint and embroidery). DMC's customers include VF and Levi Strauss. Established in 1746 as a hand-printed fabric factory, DMC now has production facilities in France, Germany, Hong Kong, South America, and the US. While France accounts for nearly a quarter of DMC's total sales, the company's products are sold worldwide.

Fab Industries, Inc.,

200 Madison Ave.
New York, NY 10016 (Map) Phone: 212-592-2700
Fax: 212-689-6929

http://www.fab-industries.com

Fab Industries is trying to iron out its problems in the textile industry. The company produces warp and circular knit fabrics, raschel laces, and laminated fabrics. Fab sells its fabrics and laces to manufacturers of swimwear, intimate apparel, sleepwear, and sportswear. The company also makes blankets, sheets, and other bedding for mail-order companies, airlines, cruise lines, and hospitals. Its Gem Urethane subsidiary produces fire-resistant fabric and apparel adhesives and sells its products to the transportation, military, and seating markets. Chairman and CEO Samson Bitensky, who owns about 28% of Fab, and the rest of the board have agreed to put the company up for sale.

Filatura di Pollone is the thread that runs through many textile products. The textile company makes natural and synthetic textiles and yarns for clothing and furnishings. Through the use of carded ultra-fine technology, the company produces extra-fine threads (twice as fine as traditional yarn) for use in high-quality clothing. With textile manufacturer Zegna Baruffa Lane Borgosesia, Filatura di Pollone operates a joint venture, Panital, in Hungary. The company has moved its production facilities to Poland and Hungary, where wage rates are lower than in Italy. The Maffeo and Botto families own 28% and 22%, respectively, of Filatura di Pollone.

Fuji Spinning Company Limited,

1-18-12, Ningyo-cho Nihonbashi-Ningyocho, Chuo-ku
Tokyo 103-0013, Japan Phone: +81-3-3665-7777
Fax: +81-3-3665-7675

http://www.fujibo.co.jp

Fuji Spinning puts a spin on cotton, wool, and synthetic fibers. The company specializes in developing value-added, functional textile products such as Spanfresh, a moisture-absorbing and -releasing elastane yarn used primarily in underwear. Other products include Chitopoly, a substance extracted from the shells of crab and shrimp that gives it odor-preventing and antibacterial properties. Fuji Spinning also produces spandex and makes and markets BVD-brand undergarments and shirts in Japan through a licensing agreement with Fruit of the Loom. The company is developing a vitamin-laced fiber that when used in apparel would absorb through human skin.

Galey & Lord will never get too big for its britches. The Galey & Lord Apparel division is a leading maker of woven cotton fabrics, blended cotton fabrics, and corduroy. Through the company's Swift Denim unit (35% of sales), Galey & Lord is also one of the US's largest producers of denim (along with Cone Mills and Burlington Industries). Levi Strauss accounts for about 20% of total sales. The company's Klopman International subsidiary supplies polyester and cotton blended fabrics in Europe and its Home Fashion Fabrics division makes dyed and printed fabrics used by home furnishing manufacturers. Galey & Lord is currently under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Citicorp Venture Capital owns 47% of Galey & Lord.

Greenwood Mills,

104 Maxwell Ave.
Greenwood, SC 29646 (Map) Phone: 864-229-2571
Fax: 864-229-1111

From garments to golf, Greenwood Mills has it covered. The company manufactures specialty fabrics for the apparel and military markets. Greenwood Mills also produces garments, including jeans and other denim products, through its SingleSource Apparel denim operations in Mexico. Suffering from cheaper imports and a sluggish US economy, Greenwood Mills has recently been forced to close several of its plants in South Carolina and dramatically pare back its denim operations. Through affiliated units, the company operates golf course, resort, and real estate developments. Founded in 1888 by James Self, Greenwood Mills is headed by chairman William Self and is owned by the Self family.

Guilford Mills makes fabrics to cover your ride and your hide. The company produces textiles used in automobiles and apparel. With the textile industry in turmoil though, Guilford Mills has been paring back production of apparel fabrics to focus on its more lucrative automotive textiles. Customers are OEMs and their suppliers, which convert the fabrics into seat covers, headliners, and upholstery for cars and trucks. The company's mills are located in the Americas, Portugal, and the UK. Burdened with $270 million in debt, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It emerged about six months later with its debt reduced by $125 million. Guilford Mills' lenders now own 90% of the company.

Headlam Group plc,

PO Box 1, Gorsey Lane, Coleshill
Birmingham B46 1LW, United Kingdom
Phone: +44-1675-433-000
Fax: +44-1675-433-030

http://www.headlam.com

Headlam Group distributes floorcoverings to independent retailers and contractors.

Interface goes underfoot and around the office with modular carpet and office panel and upholstery fabrics. The company is the world's #1 producer of commercial carpet. Interface markets its modular (tiles and rolls) and broadloom carpets under such names as Bentley, Heuga, Interface, and Prince Street. It also produces raised-access flooring, adhesives, antimicrobial additives, and other chemical compounds used in flooring. Interface's Re:Source division both installs and maintains the company's flooring products. Interface sells its products in more than 100 countries, with the US accounting for a majority of sales.

Johnston Industries, Inc.,

105 13th St.
Columbus, GA 31901 (Map) Phone: 706-641-3140
Fax: 706-641-3158

http://www.johnstonind.com

Diversified fabric manufacturer Johnston Industries, Inc. (JII) has you covered. A niche textile manufacturer, JII operates three autonomous business units: the JI Fabrics Division, Fiber Products Division, and Johnston Industries Composite Reinforcements, Inc. Its JI Fabrics Division, which includes its Greige Fabrics and Finished Fabrics units, makes cottons, synthetics, and dyed and finished fabrics for upholstery and furniture, bedding, as well as for automotive and industrial uses. The other divisions make fabrics used in engineered composite materials and reprocess textiles for sale to specialty markets. The company was bought by CGW Southeast Partners IV LLP in an all-cash deal in 2000.

La Seda de Barcelona has a PET project. Although long associated with manufacturing artificial silk, La Seda de Barcelona (Spanish for "the silk of Barcelona") is turning its attention toward the production of petrochemicals such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET, used to make plastic containers), polyester resins, and polyester fibers. The company also makes ingredients used in detergents (ethylene oxide) and antifreeze (glycols). Customers include members of the textile, food, paper, paint, and cosmetics industries. Spain accounts for more than 80% of sales. Spanish chemical-textile group Grupo Seda is La Seda de Barcelona's parent company.

Lamont Holdings PLC ,

Lamont House, 429 Holywood Rd.
Belfast BT4 2LN, United Kingdom
Phone: +44-28-9076-0011
Fax: +44-28-9076-0066

http://www.lamontholdings.co.uk

Lamont Holdings manufactures nonwoven fabrics primarily for the automotive, clothing, hygiene, and medical sectors.

Levcor International, Inc.

462 7th Ave.
New York, NY 10018 (Map)
Phone: 212-354-8500
Fax: 212-354-4938

Levcor International purchases dyed and undyed yarn, knits the yarn into greige fabric, and sells it to manufacturers of women's apparel. The company is acquiring button and craft products manufacturer Carlyle Industries.

Linificio & Canapificio Nazionale S.p.A.,

462 7th Ave.
New York, NY 10018 (Map)
Phone: 212-354-8500
Fax: 212-354-4938

Levcor International purchases dyed and undyed yarn, knits the yarn into greige fabric, and sells it to manufacturers of women's apparel. The company is acquiring button and craft products manufacturer Carlyle Industries.

Malden Mills Industries' high-tech fabrics, some made partially of recycled plastic, are designed for the outdoor type. The company makes Polartec all-season synthetic fabrics for use primarily in apparel and footwear. The textiles are found in products sold by outdoor apparel retailers such as L.L. Bean and Lands' End, and at Malden Mills' own stores. About 10% of its business comes from the US military. Henry Feuerstein founded the company in 1906 and the Feuerstein family still owns it. After a fire destroyed Malden Mills' factory in 1995, resulting debt eventually forced the company into bankruptcy.

Milliken & Company Inc.,

920 Milliken Rd.
Spartanburg, SC 29304 (Map) Phone: 864-503-2020
Fax: 864-503-2100
Toll Free: 800-257-3987

http://www.milliken.com

Milliken & Company makes fabrics and chemicals used in products ranging from crayons to space suits. One of the world's largest textile companies, Milliken produces finished fabrics for uniforms, space suits, rugs, and carpets, as well as textiles used in automobiles, sails, tennis balls, and printer ribbons. It also makes chemicals (used in plastics) and petroleum products. Milliken's dyes infuse products such as Crayola crayons with color, its clarifying agents make plastics clear, and its chemicals are used in such things as the production of car dashboards. Milliken holds more than 1,300 patents and operates about 65 plants worldwide. The company has about 200 shareholders (most from the Milliken family).

Mohawk Industries doesn't mind being trampled under foot. The company is the second-largest maker of commercial and residential carpets and rugs in the US (after Shaw Industries) and one of the largest carpet makers in the world. It produces woven and tufted broadloom carpets and rugs under such names as Mohawk, Aladdin, Durkan, Karastan, and Bigelow. Mohawk's Dal-Tile International division is one of the US's largest makers of ceramic tile and stone flooring. Laminate, wood, and vinyl flooring round out Mohawk's operations. The company sells its wares to carpet retailers, home centers, mass merchandisers, department stores, and dealers.

Mount Vernon Mills, Inc.,

55 Beattie Place, Ste. 700
Greenville, SC 29602-3478 (Map) Phone: 864-233-4151
Fax: 864-370-2315

http://www.mvmills.com

Mount Vernon Mills weaves a colorful tapestry of textiles. One of the largest textile mills in the US, the company makes fabrics, yarn, and finished goods for the apparel (50% of sales), home textile, and health care industries (among others) through its 17 manufacturing plants nationwide. Mount Vernon Mills is also one of the largest global producers of denim, which is used to make jeans and other clothing for retailers such as The Gap. (Denim makes up about half of all apparel fabric sales.) The company's La France unit makes upholstery for the automotive and home fashion (pillows, comforters) industries. Mount Vernon Mills is owned by conglomerate R. B. Pamplin Corp.

National Spinning manufactures spun and dyed yarn for the apparel, home furnishings, industrial, hosiery, and home craft markets.

National Textiles, L.L.C.,

111 W. 40th St.
New York, NY 10018 (Map)
Phone: 212-382-6400
Fax: 212-951-3550
Toll Free: 800-868-7104

http://www.natspin.com

National Spinning manufactures spun and dyed yarn for the apparel, home furnishings, industrial, hosiery, and home craft markets.

Nisshinbo Industries has been spinning its textile spell since 1907, but today only 35% of the company's sales are from textile products. Its textile group spins, weaves, knits, dyes, and finishes cotton material for bedding, shirts, denim, and polyester and cotton blended fabric used in uniforms. The company also makes spandex, used in panty hose, under the Nisshinbo Mobilon name. Nisshinbo's nontextile products include automobile brakes, chemical products, tissue and other paper products, and machine tools (laser cutting machines, press brakes). In response to Japan's economic slowdown, Nisshinbo continues to move its textile operations overseas, primarily to China and Indonesia.

Olcese SpA,

Via Santo Spirito, 14
20121 Milan, Italy
Phone: +39-02-77228
Fax: +39-02-77228-200

http://www.olcese.it

Olcese is Italy's leading maker of cotton yarn produces spun yarn and woven and texturized fabrics.

Like that nice, soft-spun cotton in your undies? Thank Parkdale Mills. Parkdale, founded in 1916, is the largest independent yarn spinner in the US. The company manufactures cotton and cotton-polyester blend yarns and specializes in spun yarn that winds up in consumer goods such as sheets, towels, underwear, and hosiery. Parkdale has customers worldwide, including Jockey International, Lands' End, Fieldcrest Cannon, L.L. Bean, and Springmaid. The company operates and owns 66% of Parkdale America, a joint venture with polyester and nylon yarn maker Unifi. It also operates mills in Mexico through a joint venture with Burlington Industries. Chairman Duke Kimbrell owns about half of Parkdale.

Polymer Group, Inc.,
4838 Jenkins Ave.
North Charleston, SC 29405 (Map) Phone: 843-566-7293
Fax: 843-747-4092

http://www.polymergroupinc.com

Pockets mean more than pocket change to QST Industries. QST supplies clothing construction components -- including pocketing materials, elastics, linings and interlinings, insulations, and waistbands -- to the apparel industry. The company's brands include Q-Loop resin tape (designed to guard against belt loop fray on blue jeans) and Quick Stretch clear elastics. It also supplies home furnishing fabrics and offers custom printing and die and table cutting. Sam Haber founded QST in 1880, when he began selling trimmings to Chicago tailors and sewers. Haber's descendants, including president Ely Lionheart, still own and run the company.

Quaker Fabric Corporation,

941 Grinnell St.
Fall River, MA 02721 (Map) Phone: 508-678-1951
Fax: 508-678-2656

http://www.quakerfabric.com

Quaker Fabric would profit if more people were couch potatoes. As one of the world's largest makers of jacquard upholstery fabrics the company has a vested interest in lounging. (Jacquard fabrics are woven with complex designs and manufactured on special looms.) The company also produces chenille yarns for use in its own fabrics and for other manufacturers. Its upholstery fabrics -- available in thousands of colors, textures, patterns, and styles -- account for more than 90% of sales. Quaker Fabric sells its yarns and fabrics to more than 3,000 furniture makers and exports to 40 countries overseas. Company brands include Quaker, Ankyra, and Whitaker. About 85% of its fabrics are produced to customer order.

Ratti is always chic. The company was founded in 1945 and is a leading producer of printed silk fabrics. Ratti specializes in silk and cashmere fabrics. It also produces linen, wool, and cotton fabrics. Most of Ratti's fabrics are made for women's clothing (60% of sales) and for accessories such as ties and scarves for men and women (14% of sales), but the company also makes fabrics for home furnishings. It operates four mills and distributes products worldwide, with offices in Paris, New York, and Singapore. Two-thirds of the company's sales are outside Italy. Ratti is also active in cultural textile exhibitions and publishes art books on ancient textiles.

R. B. Pamplin Corp.,

805 SW Broadway, Ste. 2400
Portland, OR 97205 (Map) Phone: 503-248-1133
Fax: 503-248-1175

http://www.pamplin.org

Founded by a man of the cloth, R. B. Pamplin casts a wide net. The family-owned conglomerate, started in 1957 by minister and company CEO Robert Pamplin Jr. (Robert Sr. is chairman), has operations ranging from entertainment to retail stores to manufacturing interests (asphalt, concrete, and textiles.) The company's Mount Vernon Mills is one of the largest denim producers in the US. Pamplin's entertainment concerns include radio broadcasting, newspapers, and record labels in the northwestern US. The company's other units are as diverse as retail stores offering Christian products to Columbia Empire Farms, which grows berries and grapes used in preserves and wine, then sold through its Your NorthWest stores.

Reflec plc,

Road 1, Winsford Industrial Estate
Winsford, Cheshire CW7 3QQ, United Kingdom
Phone: +44-1606 593911
Fax: +44-1606 559535

http://www.reflec.co.uk

Reflec makes reflective products and provides micro-grinding and material processing services using micro-material technology. It maintains offices in Hong Kong, the UK, and the US.

Reeves Brothers, Inc.

Hwy. 29 South
Spartanburg, SC 29301 (Map)
Phone: 864-576-1210
Fax: 864-595-2181

http://www.reevesbrothers.com

Reeves Brothers manufactures offset printing blankets as well as fabrics for the automotive restraints, aerospace, military, industrial, and specialty markets. The company operates manufacturing facilities in North and South Carolina, and Milan, Italy.

Reliance, Inc.

3rd Floor Maker Chambers IV
222 Nariman Point
Mumbai 400021
Maharashtra, India.
Phone: 91-22-22831633/22826070/22842384
Fax: 91-22-22042268/22852214

http://www.ril.com

Reliance Industries (RIL), controlled by the Ambanis, commenced operations with a synthetic fabric mill at Naroda, Ahmedabad, where texturising/twisting facilities were set up in 1979. RIL commissioned a PFY project in 1982, a PSF unit in 1986, a linear alkyl benzene (LAB) and a PTA unit in 1988, all at Patalganga, Maharashtra. The technical collaborator for PFY and PSF was DuPont, US, and for PTA, UOP Processors, US, and ICI, UK. In 1991-92, RIL commissioned a petrochemicals unit to manufacture HDPE and PVC at Hazira, Gujarat, in technical collaboration with DuPont and BF Goodrich respectively. In 1995-96, it entered the telecom industry through a joint venture with Nynex, US. RIL is India's largest private sector enterprise, is a major player in the Indian petrochemicals sector. Its operations capture value addition at every stage from producing crude oil and gas to polyester and polymer products and are vertically integrated to the production of textiles. Reliance has one of the largest marketing networks in Indian industry. All its brands are market leaders. RIL has obtained ISO 9002 certification from BVQI for its Patalganga and Hazira complexes. RIL is the first private sector company in India to be rated by the international credit rating agencies. During 1999-2000, the company completed its integrated jamnagar complex, in a record period of less then 3 years. The Jamnagar complex houses the world's largest grassroot refinery (under Subsidiary company Reliance Petroleum), paraxylene and polypropylene project with the capacity of 27 million tonnes, 1.4 million tonnes and 6,00,000 tonnes per annum respectively together with country's largest all weather port, power plants and all related infrastructure.

Saint-Gobain BTI (BTI) is reinforcing its place in the world of technical fabrics. BTI makes reinforcement fabrics using glass, carbon, and Kevlar. The company's fabrics are used to produce composite materials for products such as boats, skis, diving boards, helmets, car parts, and industrial tanks and pipes. BTI's primary markets include the transportation, oil and gas, corrosion protection, marine, infrastructure, and consumer products industries. The company has factories in the UK and the US. Formerly Brunswick Technologies Inc., BTI was acquired by France-based Compagnie de Saint-Gobain in 2000 and is now a part of that company's worldwide technical fabrics segment.

Saurer AG,

Textilstrasse 2
9320 Arbon, Thurgau, Switzerland
Phone: +41-71-447-52-91
Fax: +41-71-447-52-88

http://www.saurer.com

Saurer manufactures textile spinning, twisting, and embroidery machinery. The company also makes transmissions for agricultural, earth moving, and passenger vehicles.

Go ahead, walk all over them. Shaw Industries is the world's #1 carpet manufacturer. The company sells woven and tufted broadloom carpet in Canada, Mexico, and the US, and exports worldwide. Its carpet brand names include Cabin Crafts, Queen, Designweave, Philadelphia, and Trustmark. Shaw sells its residential products to distributors and retailers and offers commercial products directly to customers through Shaw Contract Flooring, which also provides installation services. The company also sells area rugs, ceramic tile, and laminate and hardwood flooring. Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway owns Shaw Industries.

SI Corporation,

309 LaFayette Rd.
Chickamauga, GA 30707 (Map) Phone: 706-375-3121
Fax: 706-375-6953

http://www.Sind.com

SI Corporation, formerly Synthetic Industries, wants you to walk all over it. The diversified textiles producer is a leading maker of carpet backing. It also makes construction and civil engineering products (concrete-reinforcement fibers) and environmental products (erosion-control textiles and landfill liners). Additionally, SI produces technical textiles including liquid- and air-filtration products and professional landscaping products such as shade and ground cover. Founded in 1967 as a supplier of sand bags for the Vietnam War, the company today operates plants in Georgia, Illinois, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Global investment group Investcorp acquired SI Corporation in 1999.

Southern Mills is involved in yarn formation, weaving, piece dyeing, knitting, nonwovens, and cut and sew operations. The company primarily produces thermal protective fabrics, press pads and covers for the dry cleaning industry, and grass catcher bags.

Sudamtex de Venezuela, C.A., S.A.C.A.,

Edificio Karam, Piso 2 , Ibarras a Pelotas, Avenida Urdaneta, Apartado 3025
Caracas, Venezuela Phone: +58-2-562-9222
Fax: +58-2-564-1987

Sudamtex de Venezuela is barely hanging on by a thread. The company produces and markets natural textiles and synthetic fabrics for the garment industry, as well as fiberglass products for the oil, marine, construction, and automotive industries. Sudamtex's textile products include cotton, polyester, nylon, and greige fabrics and yarns. The company's Fibratank UST subsidiary makes fiberglass underground storage tanks that hold gasoline and water. Unable to pay bank debt, the company was forced into bankruptcy and has since applied with the court to sell all assets. George Soros controls about 15% of the company.

A stitch in time may save nine, but a stitch in Tavex Algodonera is probably in denim. The company, founded in 1846 and formally Algodonera de San Antonio S.A., is one of the largest textile manufactures in Spain. Customers oustide of Spain account for about 80% of sales. The Spain-based investment firm INVERSIONES IBERSUIZAS sold its 25% stake in Tavex to a group of investors, including several board members.

Texfi Industries, Inc.,

1430 Broadway, 13th Fl.
New York, NY 10018 (Map) Phone: 212-930-7200
Fax: 212-930-7208

http://www.texfi.com/

Texfi Industries weaves its way through the clothing and furnishings markets by making woven finished fabrics from natural and synthetic fabric. The company's wool, rayon, and polyester blends are used in clothing, uniforms (medical), and home furnishings. Texfi Industries operates two weaving, dyeing, and finishing plants in North Carolina and one yarn spinning and weaving plant in Georgia. The company's Rival Sport joint venture with NHL Enterprises makes hockey-related sportswear. In part because of the Asian economy, the company has filed for bankruptcy protection.

Toray Industries, through a string of about 200 subsidiaries and affiliates, has sewn together a diversified enterprise engaged in the worldwide production of synthetic fibers and textiles, films, resins, chemicals, plastics, and other products. Toray's fibers and textiles segment (about 40% of sales) makes such products as spun yarns, woven and knitted nylon fabrics, and polyester fabrics, mainly for the apparel industry. The company's plastics and chemicals segment (22% of sales) makes resins and specialty films. Other products range from artificial kidneys to contact lenses. Toray has subsidiaries in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Japan accounts for nearly three-fourths of the company's sales.

Toyobo Co., Ltd.,

2-2-8 Dojima Hama, Kita-ku
Osaka 530-8230, Japan Phone: +81-6-6348-3191
Fax: +81-6-6348-3206

http://www.toyobo.co.jp

Toyobo is one of Japan's top makers of fibers and textiles, including synthetic fibers (polyester, nylon, acrylics) and natural fibers such as cotton and wool. The company's textiles are designed for clothing, home furnishings, and for industrial uses. Its textiles include spandex yarn for apparel, polyurethane fiber for pantyhose, and yarns for airbags and tire cords. Toyobo also manufactures plastic films (industrial and packaging) and resins. Biochemical products (reagents and instruments), medical products (fiber membranes for artificial organs), and purification devices round out the company's primary manufacturing operations.

Unifi spins more yarns than Mark Twain. The company is involved in texturing, dyeing, and twisting polyester and nylon yarns. Unifi's polyester yarns are sold to knitters and weavers that make apparel, industrial, home furnishing, and auto upholstery fabrics. Nylon yarns are used to make apparel, hosiery, and socks. It buys unfinished yarn, usually in the form of raw polyester or nylon filament fiber, and treats it to draw out various physical qualities, depending on the yarn's use. Most of the raw materials are purchased from DuPont. Sluggish yarn sales and falling average unit prices continue to shrink Unifi's net sales. The company has partnered with Thai textile firm Tuntex, giving Unifi a presence in Asia.

Velcro Industries N.V.,

15 Pietermaai
Willemstad, Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles Phone: +599-9-433-5000
Toll Free: 800-235-6640

http://www.velcro.com

Velcro Industries' story is fasten-ating. The company's versatile hook-and-loop fasteners originated as the brainchild of Swiss inventor George de Mestral, who became curious about cockleburs that stuck to his clothes. The resulting trademarked invention VELCRO (named for the French words for "velour" and "crochet") can be separated and reclosed 10,000 times and can hold up to nine pounds per square inch. VELCRO has been around for more than 50 years and has been used in a plethora of company-designed and consumer-devised applications. Velcro markets its products to the apparel, auto, electronic, and consumer markets, and sells its products worldwide. Chairman Robert Cripps controls two-thirds of Velcro.

W. L. Gore & Associates would like your clothing to take a deep breath. The company makes a variety of fluoropolymer products; best known is its breathable, waterproof, and windproof GORE-TEX fabric. Product uses range from clothing and shoes to guitar strings, dental floss, space suits, and sutures. In addition to its apparel (popular among hikers and hunters), W. L. Gore makes insulated wire and cables, filtration products, and sealants. Fabrics are offered under such brands as CROSSTECH, DRYLOFT, and WINDSTOPPER. The Gore family owns about 75% of the company; Gore associates own the rest.

Worldtex, Inc.

915 Tate Blvd. SE, Ste. 106
Hickory, NC 28602 (Map) Phone: 828-322-2242
Fax: 828-322-3617

Covered elastic yarn is not just for pantyhose anymore. Worldtex makes covered elastic yarn products and, through Elastic Corporation of America, narrow elastic fabrics (waistbands). The company manufactures these elastic products for use in the apparel, textile, home furnishings, and specialty end-use markets. Worldtex primarily serves markets in North and South America, as well as Europe. Deep in debt and forced to file for bankruptcy protection in 2001, Worldtex emerged from Chapter 11 when it worked out a deal to exchange debt for equity stakes in the company. The agreement left private equity firm GSC Partners, the largest noteholder, with a controlling stake in Worldtex.