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TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA, September 26, 2003 - RadiciSpandex Corporation celebrates the tenth anniversary of the ground breaking of its World-Class spandex spinning plant in Tuscaloosa Alabama with the announcement of yet another expansion of its production operation – the fifth expansion since that facility opened in 1994.
2004 will be marked by celebrations and events to underscore the success of the Radicispandex Tuscaloosa operation. Rob Rebello, CEO of RadiciSpandex comments, “Our Tuscaloosa operation has proven that a U.S. fiber manufacturing plant can compete in the global market. We have innovated new products, streamlined our processes, and strategically restructured our organization while leveraging technology, market know-how and plain old hard work from our dedicated work force to be the success we are today. Intensive work on quality improvements has demonstrated better performance than major competitors’ products and has provided an improved market share position. Today, we face the necessity to further expand our capacity as a result of the continued high demand of our products.”
The proposed new manufacturing expansion would add up to 20% additional capacity bringing the total Tuscaloosa plant production capability to more than 7,000 tons per year. Combined with our sister plant in Gastonia, NC, RadiciSpandex’s US manufacturing capacity will increase to 15,000 tons per year. “Our tremendous success with our signature S-17 Chlorine resistant fiber, our high quality low cost Type S-85 product line and new exclusive products such as Type S-45 heat resistant spandex have marked RadiciSpandex as somewhat of a ‘specialist’ in an otherwise generic market”, states Bill Girrier, Vice President of Marketing and Sales. “We’ve also made great inroads into warp knits and have established a firm position there. In just a few years, we have passed the test of time on quality and value. While other spandex suppliers are shedding technical support staff and cutting back on service … we’re adding judiciously where it counts to the market and our partners. Of course, we’re watching costs, but our people work and try harder and it shows. We’ve also got “scale” on our side. We are expanding to accommodate real growth … not just pumping out spandex”.
RadiciSpandex is also ramping up the production of its new line of heavy denier spandex products for Narrow Elastic Fabrics, Baby Diaper, Hosiery and Industrial applications. “We intend to be full service to the market. No one has the denier range we have and that makes us unique”, comments Marty Moran, Global Product Manager for Performance Applications. “Our family of new products made in Gastonia, North Carolina are all hydrolysis free, available in clear or full dull lusters. We offer Type S-72 for Narrow Fabrics, Type S-72PC for Personal Care products and Type S-52 for applications requiring high elongation and flat recovery curves. These are completely new products never before manufactured at our Gastonia plant. We also have well over 2500 tons of annual capacity using new extrusion technology borrowed from our world class Tuscaloosa operation.”
Throughout 2004, RadiciSpandex will be celebrating “ten years of growth and excellence”. Stay tuned for more announcements.
Based in Italy, THE RADICI GROUP is a multi-billion dollar entity that employs approximately 7,000 individuals in 54 factories worldwide. The company is a multi-national, multi-ethnic, market oriented industry player whose integrated business activities range from synthetic fibers to chemicals, plastics, packaging and textile machinery. Man made fibers (polyamide, polyester, rayon, acrylic, polypropylene and spandex/elastane) are core activities of the group.
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