FEATURE/Faux furs hot for spring; fabric for many popular characters rooted in East Tennessee mountains.--(BUSINESS WIRE FEATURES)--Jan. 13, 1997--What do stuffed dalmatians, Snuggle Bears(TM) and the ever-popular Elmo(TM) have in common? A knitted pile fabrics mill in East Tennessee East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the state of Tennessee. Unlike the names given to regions or portions of many of U.S. states, the term East Tennessee can be precisely defined. . "We cater to special fabric requirements," says Katy Seifert, Director of Marketing and Vice President of Tex-Tenn Corporation, as she gingerly strokes the black and white spotted fabric seen on coats, slippers and spotted stuffed animals across the country. Among the many other fabrics which they produce, Tex-Tenn manufactures dalmatian and other faux fur fabric, including that used in America's best loved stuffed creatures. And, yes, animal lovers, it is totally fake fur Fake fur, fun fur, or faux fur is any material designed to resemble fur, normally as part of a piece of clothing. It is also used in purses,bags, and multiple other objects. Typically it is made of synthetic fibers. ! "Faux furs are hot now," says Seifert. "It comes and goes in cycles but PETA Quadrillion (10 to the 15th power). See space/time. (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is an international nonprofit organization that supports Animal Rights and has spawned a tremendous amount of conflict and controversy from its inception. ) and some of the other animal rights groups are definitely helping us." Fake is so hot that the U.S. military has replaced its formerly real fur hood trim with the long white fur fabric made by Tex-Tenn. The company also supplies the troops in Bosnia with polyester liners for rainwear rain·wear n. Waterproof clothing. . The textile veteran is quick to point out that "fashion is fickle" and her industry survives on fine tuned niche marketing in addition to the manufacture of fake fur. Since 1982 her family owned company, nestled in the Appalachian mountains Appalachian Mountains (ăpəlā`chən, –chēən, –lăch`–), mountain system of E North America, extending in a broad belt c.1,600 mi (2,570 km) SW from the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec prov. , has grown to serve ten distinct markets. "Our biggest advantage is the size of our mill and our family owned philosophy. We stress quality and delivery of diversified products and we're able to serve a number of different markets and provide a number of different products to our customers," says Seifert. "For example, we design a lot of smaller patterns for people who make gloves and slippers. We don't have to tell a customer he has to buy a thousand yards of color not of the white race; - commonly meaning, esp. in the United States, of negro blood, pure or mixed. See also: Color ." Tex-Tenn's pet products division is a "huge market" that includes everything from Fi-Fi's cat blanket to Fido's dog-bed. The Industrial division includes paint rollers, polish mitts, air filters and the aftermarket automotive industry The automotive industry is the industry involved in the design, development, manufacture, marketing, and sale of motor vehicles. In 2006, more than 69 million motor vehicles, including cars and commercial vehicles were produced worldwide. . (They make seat covers and Porche floor covering among other things.) Many medical products including polyester crib liners and high-pile polyester bed pads, are made with Tex-Tenn fabric. Recovering patients with broken bones and those in therapy operating passive resistance machines enjoy the soft fabric. It's so soft in fact, that the Navy surrounds injured dolphins in the flexible polyester in order to hoist them out of the water for rescue. The sports industry is one of the many other places where Tex-Tenn fabric is found. Golf club covers, bag straps and liners are some examples of the many sports related fabrics. Add the liners for gun cases and musical instruments, plus fabric for the equestrian industry, and it all adds up to a growing sliver knit business that operates round-the-clock five days a week. Tex-Tenn will be unveiling new fabrics with lycra for stretchability at the upcoming outerwear show in Salt Lake City, Utah For ships of the United States Navy of the same name, see . Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake, or its initials, S.L.C. at the end of January. "Apparel was our last market to push," Seifert says. Tex-Tenn uses computerized pattern machines to translate the customers designs onto a CADD (Computer-Aided Design and Drafting) CAD systems with additional features for drafting, such as dimensioning and text entry. CADD - Computer Aided Detector Design: a project to develop standards and methods to allow cooperation between HEP system which runs two to six colors at a time as the pattern is knitted into the fabric. Seifert says that lightweight fabrics are popular because they "cut out a step for the manufacturer." She said that nothing matches the performance, durability or lightweight insulating power of pile and, with a brushed back, it needs no lining. "We made a big jump when we got into double faced fabrics last year," Seifert adds. "Double faced, lightweight fabrics and furs are keeping us very busy." CONTACT: Tex-Tenn Corporation Katy Seifert, 800/251-3027 |
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