Universal Fibers Inc., a Bristol, Va.-based manufacturer of solution-dyed man-made-fiber carpet
yarn, has opened a new manufacturing facility in Taicang City, China. Taicang Universal Fibers Co.
Ltd. will manufacture products for emerging automotive and commercial flooring markets in the Asia
Pacific region and Australia, and is Universal Fibers’ second manufacturing site in Asia, the other
being located in Thailand.
“We have concentrated on our core competencies,” said Mike Turner, newly appointed general
manager, Asia. “What we have been able to do to fuel our sales growth and international expansion
into Asia is compress our supply chain. We offer customers a better service proposition by getting
closer to the customers.”
Turner; Kevin Gay, director of Asia business development; and Roger Seow, director of sales
for Asia Pacific, will be responsible for expanding the company’s presence in emerging markets.
Simon Xu has been named technical sales engineer, China.
“Our strengths are innovation, commitment to stewardship and high-quality specialty
products,” said Bentley Park, president, Universal Fibers. “Our growth in the automotive flooring
and commercial carpet business can be attributed to the customer embracing our process, which
provides products of greater uniformity and quality.” He added that the demand for high-quality
products has grown substantially in Asian automotive and carpet markets.
In other news, Universal Fibers has launched EarthSmart TechnologySM as a way to define the
company’s focus on environmental stewardship. According to the company, the concept covers
production processes and equipment, waste reduction and conservation, and recycled and recyclable
products including the first post-consumer recycled nylon 6,6 carpet fiber in the market
(See
“Universal
Fibers, InterfaceFLOR Team To Recycle Nylon 6,6,” July/August 2007,
www.TextileWorld.com); as well as a corporate culture that supports environmental and social
concerns.
“It’s about stewardship through innovation,” Park said. “It’s our technology that really sets
us apart from the competition. One of our first nylon 6,6 fiber products under EarthSmart
Technology has appropriately been named Refresh Fiber™.”
March 11, 2008
