PRESS RELEASE
December 13, 2007
Contact:
Mark Kent
Chairman / President / CEO, KENTWOOL – 864-878-6367, cell 864-444-4609
Alvin Ellison
Vice President, Sales & Service, Uster Technologies, Inc. – 704-392-7421/ext. 1090, cell 704-813-8690
Sam Konduros
President, SK Strategies, LLC – 864-232-1910, cell 864-313-2277
skonduros@skstrategies.com
KENTWOOL Awarded International Quality Certification
Upstate SC Company is First in Western Hemisphere to Receive “Usterized” Quality Certification
Greenville, SC – KENTWOOL was awarded a unique quality certification, unprecedented in North America, by Uster Technologies of Switzerland. The formal awarding of the certificate on December 11th by Uster officials was the culmination of a rigorous audit process conducted over the past two months at KENTWOOL’s 100,000 sq ft Upstate South Carolina production facility.
According to Uster Vice President, Alvin Ellison, the audit process demonstrated KENTWOOL’s best-in-class capabilities for producing some of the world’s finest wool yarns. Uster has certified approximately 45 companies in 13 countries; and, KENTWOOL is the first in North and South America to achieve this coveted designation, which quantitatively signifies defined and certified quality within the textile chain. The granting of the Usterized certificate was directly tied to KENTWOOL proving its capabilities in several production and operational categories of excellence, including a demonstrated professional quality management system fully capable of testing quality characteristics for yarns on a consistent, sustainable basis.
Mark Kent, KENTWOOL President and CEO, stated “Achieving this unique quality certification from the most respected textile quality firm on the planet, coupled with our ability to produce the finest wool yarn in North America, confirms we are on track to achieve our vision of becoming the premier wool innovation and manufacturing company in the world.”
Uster Technologies, which has been in business for more than a century, is the world’s market leader in textile quality online and laboratory monitoring systems. With three technology centers in Switzerland, China, and the United States; six worldwide service centers, including centers in Charlotte and Knoxville in the US; and fifty global offices; the company has been widely recognized over the past 50 years for setting the standards for quality control in the global textile industry. Those standards, known as Uster Statistics, are often the basis for the trading of textile products at assured levels of quality across global markets.
Earlier this year, KENTWOOL launched a new brand and became the first company in America to produce a high caliber, “superfine” wool product used exclusively by world renowned clothing retailer, Loro Piana.
The innovative SC-based textile company has been in business for 164 years, and has a state-of-the-art wool-based yarn spinning operation serving a diversified international customer base covering the knitting, spinning, weaving and industrial textile markets. As part of the corporation’s long term innovation strategies, KENTWOOL has been developing a formal research partnership with Clemson University and its Advanced Materials group. Several new product innovations are under development.
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Mark Kent is a 20-year veteran of the textile industry and has served on several national industry boards including the American Textile Export Company and the American Textile Manufacturers Institute. He has been extremely active in South Carolina manufacturing, business, economic development and philanthropic circles, and serves on numerous strategic boards including the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and the American Red Cross Upstate South Carolina Chapter. In addition to his leadership of KENTWOOL, he is also President of Greenville-based KENTWORLDWIDE and KENTWORLDWIDE DEVELOPMENT which is currently co-developing the $60+ million Peacock Hotel in downtown Greenville in conjunction with The Peacock Hotel & Spa, LLC.
PRESS RELEASE ATTACHMENTS:
Uster Technologies audit officials and corporate executives present Mark Kent, and KENTWOOL operations leaders, with the Usterized Quality Certification Award. KENTWOOL is the first company in the western hemisphere to receive this highly coveted Usterized quality certification.
Mark Kent, President and CEO of KENTWOOL, congratulated by Christine Warner of Uster Technologies AG on the awarding of the Usterized Quality Certification on December 11, 2007.
KENTWOOL’s manufacturing leadership team
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Contact:
Mark Kent
Chairman / President / CEO, KENTWOOL – 864-878-6367
Sam Konduros
President, SK Strategies, LLC – 864-232-1910
skonduros@skstrategies.com
Kent Manufacturing Launches New Brand, Global Vision
Upstate SC-Based Company Manufactures the Finest Wool Yarn Ever Produced in the US
Greenville, SC – Kent Manufacturing formally unveiled a bold new brand, KENTWOOL, for the South Carolina-headquartered company during its annual Board of Directors meeting held today. The highly innovative textile company, which has been successfully in business for 164 years, also presented its new global vision of becoming the premier wool innovation and manufacturing company in the world.
KENTWOOL recently became the first company in America to produce an extraordinarily fine wool yarn of unprecedented quality for a discriminating international customer. It is one of only a handful of companies in the world capable of achieving this highly specialized manufacturing feat. The high caliber, “superfine” wool product will be used exclusively by world renowned, Loro Piana, which integrates the 1/96 superfine yarn into the creation of Italian, handmade business suits that retail for approximately $12,000.
Mark Kent, KENTWOOL President and CEO, stated “There is no question that producing this super fine yarn puts us into a very exclusive club worldwide. Our vision to be the most innovative wool company in the world comes one step closer to reality as we announce our arrival on this unique global industry stage.”
As part of the corporation’s long term innovation strategies designed to propel its business to unprecedented levels, KENTWOOL is also exploring a formal research partnership with Clemson University and its Advanced Materials group.
The company’s Greenville headquarters supports a 100,000 square foot North American manufacturing operations base in Pickens County, with over 100 highly trained employees. KENTWOOL has a diversified wool-based knitting, spinning, weaving and industrial product portfolio. Several new product innovations are under development.
The corporation has remained consistently profitable during the textile industry’s most challenging recent decades through its successful product differentiation in the marketplace, high quality reputation, and deeply embedded relationships with globally recognized customers such as St. John. KENTWOOL is quantifiably one of the strongest examples of an emerging textile innovation cluster in America.
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A comprehensive corporate optimization initiative, focused on taking KENTWOOL to the next level in the international marketplace, was undertaken by the company in 4th quarter 2006 with direct support from Greenville-based strategic consulting partner, SK Strategies, LLC. In addition to the creation of the new brand, vision and global marketing strategies, a “Strategic Roadmap” planning tool was developed which outlines operational excellence initiatives and unique targeted marketing and brand development strategies that will be implemented over the coming months. An aggressive brand roll-out campaign with major customers and suppliers is planned.
KENTWOOL Chairman Mark Kent presided over the annual Board of Directors meeting, which was attended by several textile industry executives and board members, including Carlisle Hamrick of Hamrick Mills and Anderson Warlick of Parkdale Mills. Kent has been extremely active in South Carolina manufacturing, business, economic development and philanthropic circles, and has served on numerous strategic boards including the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and the American Red Cross Upstate South Carolina Chapter. He is also President of Greenville-based Kent Holdings and Kent Properties which is currently developing the $65 million Peacock Hotel in downtown Greenville in conjunction with partner, Grant Peacock.
PRESS RELEASE ATTACHMENTS: