BBM eNews

By Rick Mullen, Broom, Brush & Mop Associate Editor

In its sixth generation of family-owned and operated leadership, Draper Knitting Company has been located in Canton, MA, for 155 years. The company produces several finished products, including fabrics for paint rollers, racecar driver suit liners, firefighter’s turnout gear liners, air filtration products, and fabrics for fashion wear.

“We are probably the only textile mill in the United States with three different types of fabric formation,” said Draper Knitting President and Marketing & Development Manager Kristin Draper, who represents the sixth generation of family leadership at the company. “One is called non-woven stitch bonded, which is a fabric that is only made with fiber. We have conventional knit goods, which are only made with yarn. We also have circular-knit high pile used in paint rollers, which incorporates fiber and yarn.”

Draper said the paint roller fabric manufacturing segment of the company constitutes about 25 percent of the business.

“I love the paint roller fabric segment,” Draper said, during a recent interview with Broom, Brush & Mop. “It is where I cut my teeth 23 years ago when I came into the company. I keep all of the paint roller development under me directly. I do most of it hands-on, because I love it and I love the people in the industry. It has been a lot of fun and I hope to continue being involved in this area for a long time.”

Draper explained that the fabric formation used in manufacturing paint rollers — circular-knit high pile, which incorporates fiber and yarn — is what makes Draper Knitting’s paint rollers stand out from the competition.

“It is in the construction of the fabric that results in a high quality paint roller,” Draper said. “We are able to use different blends, depending on what the customer desires. We can use any kind of synthetic such as acrylic, nylon and polyester. We also use a lot of wool.”

Despite the country’s economic woes of recent years, Draper reported that business has been “good.” Draper Knitting has not been totally immune to recent negative market trends such as U.S. companies moving offshore. For example, one of the company’s larger customers is relocating overseas this year. Nonetheless, careful planning and foresight has kept the company on an upward arc.

Shown are various products made from Draper Knitting fabrics.

“Even though we are losing a significant customer, we still anticipate our sales will continue to grow this year, which is really great,” Draper said. “Things are good. We have had a very good start this year.”

Draper explained that, while the company remains busy year round, there are times when it is busier than others.

“This is the beginning of a period when we are not as busy as at other times,” Draper said. “This has a lot to do with the fashion market. Many of our fashion-related orders are for the fall season and they are usually pretty much wrapped up by this time. After this period, business normally picks up again, and we see every indication that that will happen this year. We also have some renewed marketing efforts that we are very excited about.

“Our quality is what really separates us from the competition. Because of our diversification, we have the ability to make smaller runs of very specialized items. This has been an amazing plus for us, because when one area is slow, another segment of the business will pick up. We stay very focused on diversification and making sure that we are covering all these areas.”

The company currently has 45 employees, and the way the work force is structured and trained has proven to be an effective strategy in keeping people working and motivated. This helps to turn out the high quality products that Draper Knitting demands.

“Our employees are second to none. It is an amazing team. When we speak of employees who have been here from 5 to 10 years, we consider them ‘short-timers,’” Draper said. “We have a large storehouse of knowledge. We have a wonderful mix of younger employees — ‘fresh eyes,’ I like to call them — as well as people with years of experience to teach them.

“I am sixth generation in the business. My father, Scott Draper, is the vice president of the company. A member of my development team, Dave Wedge, who is also product manager in another segment of the business, is the fourth generation of his family to work for the company.

“Our employees find that the benefits and working conditions are good and they tend to stay with the company, which is really flattering and so helpful as well. We tend to have a lot of families. We have a mother and two daughters, and we have a husband, wife and one of their children who work here. So it is very much a family business in a lot of ways.”

Shown are Draper Knitting Company Production Manager Bill Shaul and President and Marketing & Development Manager Kristin Draper.

Draper Knitting has developed several strategies over the years involving employees that have enabled the company to experience sustained growth.

“Remaining focused on what we are good at has been really fantastic for us through the years,” Draper said. “Another strategy that has worked well for us is maintaining a very lean work force. We are careful not to carry extra people. In doing this, we require that all of our employees are cross-trained. They love it because it is an opportunity to earn more. The more they know; the more they can earn.

“Our people also like the cross-training program because they are not always working on the same thing. It challenges them and it is what allows us to be so flexible with our three types of fabric formations.

“The name of the game is diversification. We have the ability to literally shut down one department and move all of the people to another department where it is busy. We do not have to worry about layoffs. We just move people around where we need them and it has been tremendous. It has been a major company goal for the past 10 years to make sure everybody who comes in the door is able to do more than one job. Our employees work in multiple departments and they are able to accomplish this easily.”

Draper said, because of the geographical location of the company and its high quality products, Draper Knitting’s pricing tends to be a little higher.

“Some of this is because we are based near Boston. Prices of goods overall in this market tend to be a little higher. People here seem to expect more, so we really have to be quality conscious and customer service driven,” she said. “When a customer has an issue, he or she can come right back to the person who is in charge who will say, ‘I will get right on that,’ and this is so important.”

Pictured is a pile knitting machine. Draper Knitting is able to make three different types of fabric formation.

(Continued on Top Right Column)

Draper Knitting Stays True

To Its Core Mission

While the company’s ability to diversify and innovate are keys to its success, there is a certain criteria involved in the decision-making about what projects or markets the company may want to tackle.

“We always look at new projects and ask ourselves, ‘Is this a part of our core business, or are we getting too far off the mark?’” Draper said.

“If we think a proposed project may be getting too far off the mark, we won’t accept it, because it would take away from what we do well. We are very careful about making sure we are enhancing the strength of the company by staying focused and not separating our efforts in too many areas.”

Within the parameters established to make sure the company doesn’t stray too far from its core mission, Draper Knitting is continually working with new fibers to help develop and introduce new products to the market. For example, the company is currently working on projects with specialized fiber for the U.S. government, Draper said.

“There are a lot of opportunities out there right now, which is great,” Draper said. “We are always looking at new fibers, especially in the paint roller industry. It is a rare occasion when we are not testing a new fiber.

Shown is shearing equipment used at Draper Knitting Company.

“One of the things we are focusing on is how to reach more people and supply additional fabrics in the markets in which we are already selling, in other words, to saturate those markets.”

Another important aspect of Draper Knitting’s operation is the company’s commitment to environmentally friendly practices and products.

Draper Knitting bills itself as the only U.S. pile knitter able to produce EcoPile®, the company’s trademark for fabric made from 100 percent post consumer recycled polyester (recycled bottles.)

One of Draper Knitting’s customers is Patagonia, which is a high-end designer of outdoor clothing and gear, and has been committed to protecting the environment for many years.

“Our relationship started with Patagonia more than 20 years ago,” Draper said. “About 15 years ago, Patagonia began to really get hot on environmental issues, and we worked very closely with them asking, ‘What can we do to be ahead of the curve?’ We knew environmentally friendly practices and products were going to take off.

“We started recycling immediately. We made the decision that none of our trash will go into a landfill. We pay a little more, but whatever we can’t resell or re-use is burned for energy. This was a decision we made many years ago.

“A lot of our scrap and yarn cones that we have no use for, that years ago would go into a landfill, we now donate to organizations like the Boston Children’s Museum, or other associations that are looking for craft-type items.”

Draper Knitting also recycles plastics, cardboard and paper. One of the company’s largest efforts is to use as much recycled fiber as possible.

“Our entire Patagonia program is made with recycled fiber, which means the fiber was once a soda or water bottle. It is then melted down and re-extruded into polyester fiber,” Draper said. “There was a lot of concern at first because people thought, ‘You are making fiber out of trash and how is that going to be as good or last as long?’ We worked hard to teach and convince people that the recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) we are using is of the highest grade because it is food quality. It is very strong, lasts forever and has been a really great product for us.”

Selling recycled PET fiber to other markets, such as the paint roller industry, has not always been an easy task.

“People didn’t really see the value of it in a lot of ways because they were going to throw the product away,” Draper said. “It has taken a lot of effort to convince people that they are, at least, giving the product a second life. As a result, we use a lot of recycled fiber in our paint rollers that we don’t necessarily promote, because we know it is good, reliable fiber that is fairly priced and readily available. We also use it in other applications that we don’t specifically advertise as recycled fiber. It is a first-run polyester fiber, meaning it is first quality.”

Draper said one of the factors driving the push to recycle and operate businesses with environmental issues in mind is the change in consumer habits in recent years.

“People’s mindset has changed. We became a very throwaway society, and now people are looking more at purchasing quality products that last longer,” Draper said. “For example, when bottled water became popular, people were using 10 water bottles a day. Now, people are looking at buying a stainless steel water bottle. It costs a little more, but in the end, it lasts longer. Instead of buying a $20 jacket that is going to last them a couple of years, people are buying the $150 jacket that is probably going to last a lifetime. Things are changing and that is helping us a great deal, as we tend to be on the high end of things, as far as quality goes.”

Another trend driven by environmental issues, such as preserving energy as gas prices continue to rise, is businesses are looking to locate nearer to the markets they serve and their vendors.

“People are really looking to produce locally, and that is a huge thing for us. We are getting phone calls like crazy about people who want to produce in New England or produce in Massachusetts,” Draper said. “They want to have everything within a certain mile radius so they are not paying as much for gas and are not leaving as large of a carbon footprint. They are looking for companies like us, that are working with local cut-and-sew operations, and are interested in the idea of using recycled fiber. It becomes a very local story, which is wonderful.”

Draper also said, because consumers are tending to seek quality over price, and businesses are seeking to better position themselves geographically, some companies are coming back to the United States from offshore. On the negative side, Draper said the lack of availability of certain fibers and raw materials is worrisome.

“There is no acrylic made in the United States anymore,” she said. “It is very scary how much of the industry in the United States has gone away, and the fact that we are not as self-sufficient as we used to be as a country.”

Nonetheless, Draper is optimistic about the future of Draper Knitting and the economy as a whole.

“There is a lot of potential. I tend to be the ‘glass is half full’ kind of person,” she said. “Business is very good. We are always finding new markets and trying to find new things that support our core, but, at the same time, are a little different. This year, for example, we took on a job that had to do with dyeing. We have our own dye house, which is very unique compared to other manufacturers in the United States making products like ours. Most people have their products dyed elsewhere.

Draper Knitting operates its own dye house, which is very unique compared to other U.S. manufacturers

in the United States making similar products.

“Because we have our own dye house, we have had some very interesting and unique opportunities to do some packaging projects that we might not normally have taken on. We are sort of branching out in that area.”

Thinking back over the years, Draper attributed the success of the company to diversification, flexibility and the ability to deliver a quality product on time.

Contact: Draper Knitting Company, 28 Draper Lane,

Canton, MA 02021. Phone: 800-808-7707;

Fax: 781-828-3034.
Website: www.draperknitting.com.

Draper Knitting is located in Canton, MA.

Gordon Brush Acquires Brush Supply Company

Gordon Brush, Mfg. Co., Inc., has announced it has acquired Brush Supply Company (BSC) of Glen Ellyn, IL, from G. Geoff Shaw, vice president. Shaw has joined Gordon Brush as regional sales manager.

Gordon Brush is a manufacturer of specialty and standard brushes.

"Business is robust. We are expanding our operations, our equipment and our staff. When Geoff Shaw approached us with his idea to better serve his customer base, it seemed like a natural fit and a win-win for everyone," Gordon Brush President and CEO Ken Rakusin said.

Shaw's father, George Shaw, president, founded BSC 44 years ago.

Geoff Shaw notes, "My father built a reputation as a sincere and knowledgeable leader. Throughout my tenure, I have honored his legacy. From this solid foundation, I have grown the trust of our customer base and our standing in the industry. We have been seeking a way to offer more to our customers and have found it in Gordon Brush. Dad greatly admired Gordon Brush and we both worked hard to make this happen. We are thrilled."

Since 1967, BSC has been a leading supplier of brushes, offering a wide range of diverse industrial and maintenance products, both stock and custom brushes, for multifarious industries. BSC has also designed and created new and replacement brushes for industrial equipment.

Rakusin added, "The brush industry is like a football game. If someone like Geoff Shaw hands you the ball and yells, 'run,' well, you listen, because you know you are going to score a touchdown. Geoff Shaw's acute knowledge and unparalleled sales abilities, combined with the manufacturing expertise of Gordon Brush, will better serve our customer base and exponentially expand business opportunities."

Gordon Brush, an ISO 9001 company, is a manufacturer of specialty, custom and standard brushes for industrial purposes, and stocks over 2,000 different brushes for same day shipment. Gordon Brush sells to the medical, electronics, manufacturing, military, aerospace and pharmaceutical industries.

Visit www.gordonbrush.com for more information.

Zahoransky Features Automatic Trimming, Cleaning-Out
And Flagging Machine With The NA/F24

Zahoransky now offers the totally refurbished NA/F24. The model is used for the production of brooms up to approximately 750 mm in length, with straight trim-in-length direction (920 mm with only four clamping devices) and a cutting length of 15-140 mm.

Zahoransky's refurbished NA/F24

The machine features clamping devices of 400 mm in length, with double-clamping slides and set-up for a particular broom model. Continuous working operation is also available for highest output with stepless, electronic speed regulation for three to six brooms.

Two brooms can be inserted in two automatically opened clamping plates on the upper side of the machine at any time.

The NA/F24 offers the following work stations:

• One serrated trimming device, complete with a serrated trimmer (150 mm cutting width and with central lubrication);

• Two counter rotating flagging units with flagging blades;

• One cleaning-out device (rotating steel combs) in length direction of the brushes/brooms;

• One trimming unit with rotating blades; and,

• One tapping device with tapping brush for increasing the flagging effect (giving a fuller appearance).

Work stations include all necessary suction connections.

Machine’s outer dimensions are: width 0.90m, length 3.20m, and height 1.50m.

Call 630-466-1901 or send an email to
zusa@zahoransky-group.com for more information.

Raw Material Imports Up In 2 Of 4 Categories In January

Including complete list of January 2011

Export/Import Statistics

By Rick Mullen, Broom, Brush & Mop Associate Editor

Trade data released by the U.S. government indicated that in January 2011 raw material imports were up in two of the four categories outlined in this issue of Broom, Brush & Mop compared to January 2010.

Import totals for January 2011 were up in three of the six finished goods categories outlined from January 2010.

RAW MATERIAL IMPORTS

Hog Bristle

The United States imported 29,261 kilograms of hog bristle in January 2011, compared to 4,427 kilograms during January 2010.

China sent 29,239 kilograms of hog bristle to the United States during January 2011.

The average price per kilogram for January 2011 was $7.50, down 73 percent from the average price per kilogram for January 2010 of $28.24.

Broom And Mop Handles

The import total of broom and mop handles during January 2011 was 1.9 million, up 46 percent from 1.3 million broom and mop handles imported in January 2010.

Brazil exported 726,848 broom and mop handles to the United States in January 2011, China shipped 603,978, and Honduras sent 350,627.

The average price per handle for January 2011 was 77 cents, up 7 percent from 72 cents for January 2010.

Brush Backs

January 2011 imports of brush backs totaled 423,676, down 26 percent from the January 2010 total of 572,620 brush backs.

The Unites States imported 208,530 brush backs from Canada, and 215,146 from Sri Lanka during January 2011.

The average price per brush back was 51 cents during January 2011, down 1 cent from the average price for January 2010.

Metal Handles
The import total of metal handles during January 2011 was 2.8 million, down 7 percent from the January 2010 total of 3 million.

The United States imported 1.6 million metal handles from Italy, 587,520 from Spain and 579,474 million from China during January 2011.

The average price per handle for January 2011 was 84 cents, up 64 percent from 50 cents for January 2010.

FINISHED GOODS IMPORTS

Brooms Of Broom Corn Valued At

More Than 96 Cents

The United States imported 637,072 brooms of broom corn valued at more than 96 cents per broom during January 2011, compared to 651,439 in January 2010, an decrease of 2 percent.

Mexico shipped 600,382 brooms to the United States in January 2011.

The average price per broom for January 2011 was $2.43, down 4 percent from $2.53 for January 2010.

Brooms & Brushes Of Vegetable Material

The import total of brooms and brushes of vegetable material during January 2011 was 190,202, down 25 percent from 253,330 brooms and brushes imported during January 2010.

Sri Lanka exported 135,766 million brooms and brushes to the United States during January 2011.

The average price per unit for January 2011 was $1.81, up 11 percent from $1.33 for January 2010.

Toothbrushes

The United States imported 84.6 million toothbrushes in January 2011, up 26 percent from 67.4 million imported in January 2010.

In January 2011, China shipped 60.7 million toothbrushes to the United States.

The average price per toothbrush for January 2011 was 18 cents, up 1 cent from the average price for January 2010.

Shaving Brushes
The United States imported 14.4 million shaving brushes in January 2011, up 112 percent from 6.8 million imported in January 2010.

South Korea exported 5.5 million shaving brushes to the United States during January 2011, while China sent 5.1 million.

The average price per shaving brush for January 2011 was 9 cents, down 40 percent from 15 cents for January 2010.

Paintbrushes
U.S. companies imported 20.1 million paintbrushes during January 2011, up 22 percent from 16.5 million brushes imported during January 2010.

In January 2011, China shipped 16.2 million paintbrushes to the United States, while Indonesia exported 3.5 million.

The average price per paintbrush for January 2011 was 32 cents, up 14 percent from the January 2010 average price of 28 cents.

EXPORTS

U.S. export totals for January 2011 were up in three of the five categories outlined, compared to January 2010, according to government trade data.

Toothbrushes

During January 2011, the United States exported 9.2 million toothbrushes, up 24 percent from the total recorded in January 2010 of 7.4 million.

In January 2011, Mexico imported 3.4 million toothbrushes from the United States, while Canada imported 2.8 million.

The average price per toothbrush for January 2011 was 53 cents, down 24 percent from the January 2010 average price of 70 cents.

Shaving Brushes

The export total of shaving brushes during January 2011 was 2.3 million, up 166 percent from 865,435 recorded for January 2010.

During January 2011, Mexico imported 1 million brushes from the United States, while Argentina imported 517,500.
The average price per shaving brush for January 2011 was 43 cents, down 59 percent from $1.05 for January 2010.

Artist Brushes

The export total of artist brushes during January 2011 was 631,461, down 7 percent from 681,320 artist brushes for January 2010.

During January 2011, Canada imported 394,500 artist brushes from the United States.

The average price per artist brush for January 2011 was $2.96, up 10 percent from $2.69 for January 2010.

Paint Rollers

During January 2011, 245,283 paint rollers were exported, down 33 percent from 363,813 paint rollers for January 2010.

The average price per paint roller for January 2011 was $2.88, up 4 percent from $2.78 for January 2010.

Paintbrushes

The export total of paintbrushes during January 2011 was 154,126, up 69 percent from 91,395 paintbrush exports recorded for January 2010.

During January 2011, Canada imported 121,761 paintbrushes from the United States.
The average price per paintbrush for January 2011 was $9.31, down 48 percent from $17.75 for January 2010.

Click here for January 2011 Export/Import Statistics

2012 International Home & Housewares Show To Open Extra Half Day

In a move that show executives say will provide increased value to exhibitors as well as to U.S. and international buyer attendees, the International Housewares Association has announced that the 2012 International Home & Housewares Show will open at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 10 and run through 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 13.

IHA’s Board of Directors approved this additional time in response to ever-intensifying requests from multiple Show stakeholders. Additionally, the board approved a freeze of booth space fees to remain at 2011 rates.

“This additional Show time will allow exhibitors to schedule ample time for appointments with key retailer partners in a more relaxed and unhurried atmosphere,” said Phil Brandl, IHA president. “It will offer all buyer attendees additional time to seek out new supplier partners while also giving time for meetings with current suppliers.”

The Board considered input from several Show audiences when making this decision:

· Many exhibitors across Show categories expressed concern about the lack of time during the show to conduct in-depth strategic meetings with key retailer partners and were seeking dedicated time

to achieve this goal;

· Independent retailers and key channel buyers with broad category responsibilities said that they were not able to both visit their current suppliers and investigate new relationships with the Show’s new exhibitors;

· Many senior retail managers already schedule meetings on Saturday before the Show with key supplier partners, but would prefer to be able to hold those meeting in suppliers’ Show booths.

Along with buyer attendees, manufacturers’ representatives and news media attendees will be allowed on the exhibit floor Saturday. Trade guests, however, will not be allowed on the Show floor Saturday.

The 2012 International Home & Housewares Show will be held at Chicago’s McCormick Place on the following hours:

Saturday, March 10, 12:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 11, 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Monday, March 12, 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 13, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

To register for the Show or for information on exhibiting, visit www.housewares.org.

Malish Now Offers Color In Grit Brush Line

Malish Corporation, a manufacturer of floor machine and surface cleaning brushes, has simplified matching the right brush to the right application. The Malish Color Solution™ System provides five grit brushes matched in color to the industry-standard pad color-coding system.

The Malish Color Solution™ System features MAL-GRIT XTRA™ with orange bristles for heavy-duty stripping and scrubbing, MAL-GRIT LITE™ with red bristles for light cleaning and scrubbing, CLEAN-GRIT™ with blue bristles for medium scrubbing, MAL-GRIT SCRUB™ with green bristles for general scrubbing and MAL-GRIT™ with black bristles for stripping.

Each color-coded brush can now be matched to the similar color-coded floor pad making brush/pad selection easy.

The Malish Corporation has over 60 years of experience and expertise in the brush industry.

Visit www.malish.com for more information.

The Libman Company Kicks Off Cross-Country Freedom Tour

And Video Contest

The Libman Company, manufacturer of the FREEDOM® Spray Mop, wants to know: “What Does Freedom Mean to You?” And, to find out, the company is launching a nine-city, cross-country event, the Libman Freedom Tour, which will be led by an aunt-niece duo.

The twosome, Dixie and Ali Shaw, will travel to freedom-themed monuments, historical sites and various retailer partner locations during the nine-week tour, which kicked off on May 1, 2011, in New York City, with stops in Atlanta, Cincinnati/Dayton, Chicago, St. Louis, San Antonio, Albuquerque/Santa Fe and Phoenix, before ending in San Francisco on July 4, 2011.

At each tour stop, the public will have the opportunity to visit with the duo and participate in the Libman “What Freedom Means to Me” contest. To enter, participants must be video-taped by the Freedom Tour team answering the questions, “What does freedom mean to you?” and, “Who in your family most represents freedom?”

Then, each week of the tour, a panel of judges will select one winning video answer from each city, based on relevance to the question, originality and delivery, with winners earning $200 each. Each city’s winning video will also be entered into a period of online voting from July 11-31, 2011, to select the best in the nation. The grand-prize winner will receive a seven-day, six-night trip for two to up to three of the cities on the Freedom Tour, in addition to $500 cash. Videos will be posted to www.LibmanFreedomTour.com.The public will also have the opportunity to win $1,776 cash in the Libman Freedom Tour Sweepstakes.

For complete contest and sweepstakes rules, visit www.LibmanFreedomTour.com.

The Freedom Tour celebrates the Libman FREEDOM® Spray Mop, a mop innovation that, according to the company, gives users the liberty to clean their way. The Freedom Mop provides freedom from the cost and waste of disposable cleaning pads, the freedom to choose any cleaning solution, and the freedom to make cleaning more convenient, without buckets or batteries.

To follow the cross-country experience, visit the Libman Freedom Tour blog at www.LibmanFreedomTour.com, follow them on Twitter (@LibmanCompany) or become a fan on Facebook (www.facebook.com/libmancompany).