National
News
- August 2005
Seminole, FL, July 28, 2005 (PRNewswire-FirstCall) --
Superior Uniform Group, manufacturer of uniforms, career
apparel and accessories, today announced that for the second
quarter ended June 30, 2005, sales were $34,858,915 compared
with 2004 second quarter sales of $35,400,090. Net income
was $646,533 or $.09 per share (diluted), compared with
net income of $1,277,333 or $0.17 per share (diluted) in
the 2004 second quarter.
For the six months ended June 30, 2005 , sales were $66,716,004,
compared with sales of $69,165,310 in the six months ended
June 30, 2004 . Net income for the six months ended June
30, 2005 was $785,975 or $.10 per share (diluted) versus
a net income of $2,407,801 or $0.32 per share (diluted)
in the first six months of 2004.
Michael Benstock, chief executive officer, commented: "During
the first quarter of 2005, the difficulties that we experienced
with the implementation of our upgraded warehouse were
very tough on the company and on our customers. While we
were able to correct the operational problems at the beginning
of the second quarter, our sales results were impacted
as certain customers reduced their volume of business at
that time. We recognize that this has resulted in a loss
of certain business in the short-term, but we believe that
this upgrade in warehouse technology will help to keep
our company in the forefront of distribution technology
and will give us the competitive advantage that we need
to better service our customers in a very competitive marketplace
in the future. Despite the current setback in our customer
base, we are continuing to focus our efforts on building
a world-class sales force and top grading our organization.
"Earnings for the quarter were improved in comparison
to the first quarter of this year. However, they are still
down significantly from the second quarter of 2004. Lower
sales and manufacturing volumes available to absorb fixed
overheads have negatively impacted gross margins. Management
is focused on the overhead structure of the company and
has implemented staffing reductions that are expected to
result in annualized payroll reductions of over $1.4 million,
while still allowing the company to achieve improved results
in the future."
Superior Uniform Group, through its Signature marketing
brands -- Fashion Seal®, Fashion Seal Healthcare(TM),
Martin's®, Worklon®, Sope Creek® and UniVogue(TM)
-- manufactures and sells a wide range of uniforms, corporate
I.D., career apparel and accessories for the hospital and
healthcare fields; hotels; fast food and other restaurants;
and public safety, industrial, transportation and commercial
markets, as well as corporate and resort embroidered sportswear.
Brentwood , TN , July 17, 2005 (Company Release) - Perfection
Uniforms today announced that the following industry professionals
have joined the Perfection team:
Steve Gilkeson, vice president of marketing and merchandising.
Steve has over 15 years experience in the tailored uniform
and career apparel industry. Steve will be responsible
for the continuing development of the Perfection Uniform
product line and will office in the Brentwood , TN headquarters.
He may be reached at 615-309-9330 or unisonsmg@aol.com.
Dan Collins, independent sales representative. Dan has
worked in the tailored uniform business for many years.
Dan’s territory is Maine , Vermont , New Hampshire
, Rhode Island , Connecticut , Massachusetts , New York
State (with the exception of NYC/Long Island), Central
and Eastern Pennsylvania , and Washington DC . Dan may
be reached at 717-779-8038 or sac9103@cs.com.
Jim Clifton, independent sales representative. Jim has
experience in the tailored uniform industry as well as
at the distribution/dealer level. Jim’s territory
is Illinois , Wisconsin , Minnesota , North Dakota , South
Dakota , and Iowa . Jim may be reached at 630-212-5054
or jim@cliftonsalesgroup.com
These additions to the Perfection team bring a wealth
of industry knowledge and experience to one of the nation’s
fastest growing uniform companies.
Perfection Uniforms is based in Brentwood , Tennessee
, and manufactures high quality, functional image apparel
that is distributed through a national network of full
service uniform dealers
To find out more, visit www.perfectionuniforms.com,
or contact Cheryl Pate at 800-476-4964.
July 29, 2005 (NavyTimes, as reported by Mark D. Faram)
- Sailors wear-testing the Navy’s test uniforms are
telling service officials they want to keep wearing them
as long as possible.
“Ninety to 95 percent of wear-testers are telling
us they don’t want to switch back to their old working
or service uniforms,” said Command Master Chief Robert
B. Carroll, the senior enlisted member of the Navy’s
Task Force Uniform, which is charged with overhauling the
Navy’s seabag. “They are telling us that these
uniforms are more professional in appearance and function
for them, and the response has been overwhelming.”
Officially, the wear tests end Aug. 31, Carroll said,
but the data collection phase is now in high gear, with
an online poll of active-duty and Reserve service members.
The questions will assess the fleet’s likes and
dislikes of the proposed new working uniforms for all ranks,
as well as service uniforms for E-6 and below, both of
which are being wear-tested.
In addition, there are questions about:
• Enlisted and officer dress and dinner dress uniforms.
• Service uniforms for E-7 and above.
• The Navy’s existing stock of outer garments
such as pea coats, bridge coats and the all-weather coat.
• What sailors wear for physical training and whether
the Navy needs to adopt a special uniform for that purpose.
Wilmington, DE, July 5, 2005 (Textileweb) - Textronics
Inc., a new electro-textile materials and system integration
company, has secured investor financing and announced its
spin-off from Invista, one of the world's largest integrated
fiber, resin and intermediates companies.
The new venture was formed with the closure of a Series
A investment round led by NGEN Partners, a Santa Barbara-based
venture capital firm specializing in materials businesses.
Other participating investors include New York-based SAS
Investors, Santa Barbara-based Unilever Technology Ventures,
and Invista.
"The convergence of electronics and textile science
is opening up exciting new markets for fabrics that conduct,
illuminate, sense and warm," said Stacey Burr, chief
executive officer of Textronics. "With a strong technology
portfolio and powerful backing, we are well placed to play
a leading role in exploiting this potential. Our goal is
to integrate electronics in ways that make textiles the
'provider' rather than the 'container' of new functionality."
According to Burr, the infusion of capital will enable
Textronics to expand its workforce, accelerate development
of patented technologies, and drive commercialization of
promising applications in the apparel, home, transportation
and industrial textiles sectors.
"The time is right to transfer our investment in
electro-textiles to a dedicated entrepreneurial company," said
Jim DiAndreth, Invista director of corporate technology.
In addition to acquiring Invista’s electro-textile
intellectual property assets, the new company will receive
transitional support from Invista including access to its
textile development facilities.
The new company demonstrated a prototype under-garment
that senses heart rate and respiration at an international
conference in Barcelona earlier this year.
"Textronics has the opportunity to revolutionize
and functionalize the textile industry," said Peter
Grubstein, NGEN managing partner. "It has an extremely
capable management team with a proven track record of launching
fabric innovations into major consumer textile markets.
Textronics has the capability to take electronic textiles
into apparel, home and transportation markets to address
consumer desire for wellness, convenience and connectivity."
The Textronics management team is led by CEO Stacey Burr,
who brings extensive experience in the apparel industry.
Burr has filled senior positions in business development,
marketing, technology and operations at DuPont, including
leadership of the North American ready to wear sector of
the LYCRA(R) spandex business. Chief Business Development
Officer Dr. Qaizar Hassonjee, also a former Invista manager,
brings specialist knowledge of textile development, supply
chains and global markets. Other executives have expertise
in target market sectors such as biomedical, military and
automotive.
Miami , FL , July 5, 2005 , (PRNewswire) - New Generation
Computing Inc. (NGC), a wholly owned subsidiary of American
Software, today announced that Greco Apparel has selected
NGC's RedHorse, a comprehensive enterprise-resource-planning
(ERP) system designed specifically for apparel and sewn
products enterprises.
Greco Apparel Inc. will install the system at its Pennsylvania
and Dominican Republic facilities. The system will help
the company increase speed to market, reduce costs, manage
by exception and enhance workflow.
"We're excited to initiate NGC's RedHorse system
to support our explosive growth and continued superior
service to our clients," said Joseph Greco, president
of Greco Apparel. "With our global sourcing expansion,
real-time info rmation allows us to increase value to our
clients. We can now provide dependable transparency into
our supply chain with the installation of NGC's RedHorse.
This flow of quality info rmation will help reduce turn
around time and inventory costs while increasing order
fulfillment to the end users."
RedHorse is a component of the NGC SQL Series, a software
suite for the sewn products industry that is built on Microsoft's
SQL Server technology with integration to Word and Excel.
RedHorse consists of 12 software modules: Customer Order
Processing, EDI Information System, Invoicing & Accounts
Receivable, Finished Goods Inventory Control, Purchasing
and Receiving, Components Inventory with Requirement Planning,
Accounts Payable, General Ledger, Import Management, Remote
Plant Management, Production Planning and Screen Printing & Embroidery.
Since 1951, Greco Apparel has been a family-owned and
-operated company with a history and tradition of quality
service and production. The company serves as the "manufacturing
department" for its clients from product development
to full packages sourced globally. Greco Apparel produces
a wide range of woven and knit garments from tailored clothing
to work wear serving the career, uniform and retail markets.
For more info rmation, visit www.grecoapparel.com.
New Generation Computing Inc. (NGC), a wholly owned subsidiary
of American Software Inc., has developed and marketed software
for the apparel industry since 1982. Brand managers, manufacturers,
importers and retailers use NGC's business applications
to meet all of their global sourcing visibility and product
lifecycle management (PLM), enterprise resource planning
(ERP) and shop-floor control needs. For more info rmation,
visit www.ngcsoftware.com.
Lafayette, LA, July 16, 2005 (Daily Advertiser) -
What do a hammer, a paper shredder and a $250,000 truck
that can pulverize paper and metal have in common?
They are just a few of the ways the Federal Trade Commission
will allow businesses to comply with its new rules for
disposing of consumers' personal info rmation as part of
the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act. The 2005
law is one of several moves by Congress to protect businesses
and consumers from fraud and identity theft.
Since June 1, businesses have had to adhere to new FTC
rules on destroying consumer records such as credit reports
and financial data or face civil penalties.
The idea is to prevent "Dumpster diving" -
in which criminals look through trash and discarded business
files to obtain personal info rmation on customers.
The rules apply to both large and small organizations
that use consumer credit reports in business transactions.
Among those who must comply are banks, car dealers, employers,
landlords and debt collectors.
While a paper shredder purchased at a local office supply
store may do the trick, the FTC is allowing some companies
who store data on computer disks to smash magnetic material
or "pulverize it." Many businesses are just turning
to professional data management and document destruction
companies.
"It's been absolutely incredible, because we weren't
even here 10 months ago - and now we have 165 customers
and a couple hundred thousand dollars in business," said
Mike Callihan, owner of Document Destruction in Cincinnati.
Cintas, a leader in the uniform apparel industry for
several decades, entered the document destruction field
three years ago and has seen sales grow to more than $40
million a year.
"The industry was growing before FACTA came in,
but we've seen more activity now that these new rules are
being put into place," said Todd Schneider, vice president
of Cintas' document management division.
Shredding about 130 million pounds a year, Cintas is
in 57 of the largest 150 U.S. markets and expects growth
of about 30 percent annually, said Pam Lowe, corporate
communications director for the Mason, Ohio-based company.
"Our margins in document destruction are about the
same as uniforms, so it is doing very well for us," she
said. "It's a $3.6 billion industry right now in the
U.S. , but we think it will grow to as much as $8 billion
very soon."
Schneider said the key to Cintas' growth has been cross-selling
with its uniform and safety sales people, as well as the
company's ability to purchase trucks with high-end shredders
and other destruction equipment that can handle computer
hard drives, CD-ROMs and other nonpaper items that store
consumer data.
Cintas and other companies charge about $60 a visit.
The Cintas trucks can destroy 4,000 pounds of paper per
hour.
"These trucks cost $250,000 each, and they can handle
just about anything that needs to be destroyed," Schneider
said. "We show up at the business, haul the documents
in a locked container out to the truck and destroy it right
on site. It doesn't get easier than that."
Washington, July 1, 2005 , (Emerging Textiles) - A crucial
vote last night in the US senate saw senators give their
thumbs up to CAFTA - the Central American Free Trade Agreement.
The battle will now pass to the House in July where the
outcome is expected to be closer than that in the Senate
where the vote was eventually won 54-45.
President Bush was personally "appreciative" of
the bipartisan support in the Senate which saw ten Democrats
and an Independent join 43 Republicans in voting for the
pact. This ensured its successful passage after heated
debate.
Although supporters of CAFTA are clearly delighted that
the Senate has given its support, a trickier time beckons
in the House where it is far from certain that the pact
will succeed in gaining the support it needs.
The margin of victory in the Senate was significantly
smaller than for previous free trade agreements with countries
such as Australia and Chile . The dissent of 12 Republican
Senators voting against the pact weakened the majority.
A concerned U.S. Trade Representative, Rob Portman, however
attempted to alleviate worries for its passage in the House.
He said "We received more Democratic support than
anyone expected".
According to one Democratic Representative, Ben Cardin,
CAFTA will fail in the House should members vote the way
they have expressed themselves.
Some estimations predict that around 190 Democrats and
40 Republicans in the House may vote against CAFTA thus
more than the 218 votes to ensure its defeat.
Realizing this, the Bush administration has been busy
in shoring up wavering voters by promising a range of deals
to appease unhappy Representatives.
Supporters hope to press their point that CAFTA would
strengthen the area in face of Chinese exports, notably
in textiles where Central America predominantly uses U.S.
cotton. The White House believes that by removing trade
barriers between the U.S. and Guatemala , El Salvador ,
Honduras , Nicaragua , Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic
, 44 million consumers of American products would help
boost U.S. exports.
This is a sentiment shared by the two North Carolina
Senators Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr, who voted in
favor of the agreement. Dole said that CAFTA now contains
provisions that addresses the concerns of the textile industry.
Burr added "I am pleased that the side agreements
addressed my initial concerns about CAFTA's textile provisions" .
Raeford, NC, July 15, 2005 (WRAL.com) -- The military's
declining need for dress uniforms has prompted Burlington
Industries to cut at least 350 jobs, a company spokeswoman
said.
The plant in Raeford, which produces yarn to make military
dress uniforms, will lose 200 jobs, spokeswoman Delores
Sides said Friday.
Demand for those uniforms has decreased because soldiers
are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan , Sides said.
The company also plans to cut 150 to 200 jobs from its
Richmond County plant, where workers weave yarns into fabrics
for the uniforms, Sides said.
Sides would not say how many people are employed at either
plant.
San Antonio , TX , July 24, 2005 (Arizona Daily Star)
- Making the Army's new camouflage uniform isn't easy for
Dorothy Velez, who has been blind since birth.
She can't see the needle on the custom sewing machines,
so she checks her work by feel before handing each piece
to another visually impaired woman - among several dozen
sight-impaired people working on the uniform for troops
in Iraq and Afghanistan .
"This is a little more complex than a lot of the
stuff we sell out there," said Enrique Delgado, a
project manager at the San Antonio Lighthouse, the nonprofit
agency for the blind that employs Velez. "If I had
to put it on a scale between 1 and 10, I'd say 10."
The arrangement was made possible by a decades-old law
requiring the military and other federal agencies to purchase
products made at competitive prices by agencies that employ
the blind and people with severe disabilities.
The Army contract calls for about 60,000 pairs of trousers
to be made by San Antonio Lighthouse this year and 120,000
pairs at El Paso Lighthouse for the Blind.
Similar work, along with production of the accompanying
uniform jacket, is being done by sight-impaired workers
in North Carolina , New York , New Jersey and Pennsylvania
, according to the National Industries for the Blind of
Alexandria, Va., which oversees the contract.
The three-year contract is worth about $15 million to
the participating nonprofit agencies, said Jim Gibbons,
the group's president. Workers in San Antonio get $8 to
$13 an hour plus benefits, Delgado said.
Atlanta , GA , July 18, 2005 (Cox News Service) - Soldiers
in the 48th Brigade Combat Team were thrilled to be the
first to march off to war wearing the Army's new mint-green,
digital camouflage uniforms.
But after almost two months in the sands of Iraq , the
reviews on the new duds are decidedly mixed.
Some Georgia Army National Guard soldiers say the uniforms
are falling apart and aren't ready for prime-time combat
operations.
"They're just not holding up," said Staff Sgt.
John Shaw, 43, as he stitched pants seams in two of his
four uniforms. "Six uniforms might last a year over
here. I doubt four will."
Georgia Guard soldiers were supplied in February with
four uniforms each. They say the seams wear out first,
followed by the material in the seats. In addition, the
Velcro used to affix rank insignias, name tags and unit
patches creates problems because it gets clogged with sand.
Army officials said they will stand behind the uniforms
until they have evidence that the problems are widespread
and not isolated to a few soldiers. They said the changes
in the Army's battle clothing were not purely cosmetic,
but were designed to improve a soldier's performance in
combat.
Officials who work for the Army's soldier equipment division
suggested that the 48th's complaints are surfacing because
Guard soldiers are not used to wearing any uniforms around
the clock and have unrealistic expectations of normal wear
and tear.
"I will tell you that I will be the first one to
be called a goat if these uniforms don't work out," said
Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Myhre, a member of the 2nd Infantry
Division's Stryker Brigade from Fort Lewis , Wash. , which
tested the uniforms in Iraq from October 2003 to October
2004.
Lt. Col. John Lemondes, who heads the Army agency that
developed the uniform, said the new 50 percent cotton,
50 percent polyester uniforms are made of the exact same
material and have the same thread count as their old summer-weight
predecessor.
“For many of these Guard soldiers — this
is the first combat uniform they have worn," Lemondes
said. "They have no basis for comparison."
Myhre said that Stryker Brigade soldiers, when given
the new uniforms — known as the ACU for Army Combat
Uniform — for testing, preferred them over the old
Desert Combat Uniforms, now worn by most soldiers in Iraq.
Soldiers from the 48th Brigade are the only ones wearing
the new uniforms in Iraq . However, all soldiers are likely
to begin wearing them within a few years. Having a single
uniform rather than one with a green, woodland camouflage
and the other with a tan, desert camouflage, was the whole
point of developing ACUs.
The uniforms differ from their predecessors in about
20 ways. Buttons are gone; zippers are in. Slanted chest
pockets and shoulder pouches were designed to make them
more accessible while wearing body armor. Velcro patches
mean soldiers don't have to sew name tags, insignia and
unit patches.
But 48th soldiers say that in addition to filling with
dust and dirt, the Velcro frequently snags on other material
and loses its fastening ability in harsh desert conditions.
Sgt. Timothy Hass, 33, of Kennesaw said the Velcro has
another drawback.
"Every time I take my flak vest off, I end up inadvertently
removing unit patches," said Hass, a police motorcycle
cop. "Sewing them on would be a lot better."
Myhre said soldiers get specific instructions for cleaning
the Velcro patches with a small green brush that comes
in their weapons cleaning kits. "For the guy who is
doing this every single day it becomes these little tricks
of the trade. These are all learned behaviors," Myhre
said, referring to uniform maintenance habits.
The Army Combat Uniforms are more expensive — about
$88 a set, $30 more than the old style.
But Lemondes said the no-iron fabric and Velcro patches
end up saving money — as much as $6 to $20 per uniform
for patches and even more in laundering costs since no
professional care is required.
Hass said the new uniforms are well-designed but could
have been made a bit tougher.
"It's not strong enough," he said. "I
like looking cool, but it ruins the effect when you sit
down and the crotch seams rip."
|
