July/August 2011
Special Focus: Fibers/Filaments
Broom, Brush & Mop Magazine SERVING THE INDUSTRY SINCE 1912
Industrial Brush Executives Optimistic About Business, Economy J.B. Ward & Sons, Inc. Industrial Brush Corp. Schaefer Brush
5 Wire Suppliers Discuss Challenges & The Economy R.E. Caddy & Co. Jewel Wire Company Stainless Steel Products Mount Joy Wire Corp. Deligh Industries, Inc.
Import/Export April Report & Statistics
PelRay International PMM DuPont Filaments Monahan Filaments Distribuidora Perfect R.E. Caddy & Co. Brush Fibers Hahl Inc. MFC, Ltd.
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BROOM, BRUSH & MOP
July/August 2011
Broom, Brush & Mop A RANKIN PUBLISHING PUBLICATION
July/August 2011
FEATURES
Volume 101, Number 4
ASSOCIATIONS
9 Suppliers Interviewed: Fiber/Filament Sales Remain Steady __________6
AMERICAN BRUSH MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION 2111 W. Plum St., Aurora, IL 60506 • (630) 631-5217 AMERICAN HARDWARE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION 801 North Plaza Drive, Schaumburg, IL 60173-4977 • (847) 605-1025
Industrial Brush Executives Optimistic About Business, Economy _________16
FEIBP EUROPEAN BRUSH FEDERATION P.O. Box 90154, 5000 LG Tilburg, The Netherlands • 00 31 13 5944 678 INTERNATIONAL SANITARY SUPPLY ASSOCIATION 7373 N. Lincoln Avenue, Lincolnwood, IL 60646-1799 • (847) 9820800
5 Wire Suppliers Discuss Challenges & The Economy __________________________34
INTERNATIONAL HOUSEWARES ASSOCIATION 6400 Shafer Court, Suite 650, Rosemont, IL 60018 • (847) 292-4200
STAFF
DEPARTMENTS Import/Export Overview ____________________24 April Imports & Exports ____________________26 Broom Corn Dealer Survey _________________41
CO-PUBLISHERS Don Rankin
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Rick Mullen
drankin@consolidated.net
rankinmag@consolidated.net
Linda Rankin
GRAPHIC/PRODUCTION Missy Larson RECEPTION Sandy Pierce
lrankin@consolidated.net
EDITOR Harrell Kerkhoff rankinmag@consolidated.net
Rankin Publishing, Inc. 204 E. Main St., P.O. Box 130 • Arcola, Illinois 61910-0130, USA Phone: (217) 268-4959 • Fax: (217) 268-4815 Website: www.rankinpublishing.com
Send News Of Your Company To: rankinmag@consolidated.net
INDEX OF ADVERTISERS ABMA ....................................................................................40
Lemieux Spinning Mill Inc. .....................................................3
Amerwood ..............................................................................14
Line Manufacturing, Inc.........................................................39
Borghi USA ............................................................................44
Manufacturers Resource ...........................................................9
Boucherie USA.........................................................................2
Monahan Filaments ................................................................12
Caddy & Co., Inc., R.E. .........................................................22
MonahanPartners ....................................................................42
Crystal Lake ...........................................................................19
PelRay International ...............................................................43
Deco Products Co...................................................................15
PMM.........................................................................................8
Distribuidora Perfect, S.A. .....................................................41
Royal Paint Roller ..................................................................21
DuPont......................................................................................7
Shanghai AuBi Metals Co. .....................................................13
Gordon Brush Mfg. Co. Inc. ..................................................17
St. Nick Brush Co. .................................................................20
Jewel Wire ..............................................................................35
WorldWide Integrated Resources ...........................................11
Jones Companies ......................................................................1
Zahoransky ...............................................................................5
Keystone Plastics....................................................................10
9 Suppliers Interviewed
Fiber/Filament Sales
Remain Steady By Harrell Kerkhoff, Broom, Brush & Mop Editor
Bart Pelton of PelRay International
Rodrigo Ripstein of Distribuidora Perfect
Dennise Silva of PMM
Richard Caddy of R.E. Caddy & Co.
Chris Monahan of Brush Fibers
T
oday’s demand for natural and synthetic fibers/filaments remains steady as a wide variety of brushes, mops and brooms continue to be produced domestically as well as abroad. Broom, Brush & Mop Magazine recently interviewed several well-known suppliers/manufacturers of fibers and filaments to learn how their businesses have fared thus far in 2011 as well as projections for the future.
C
Tom Vichich of DuPont Filaments
ustomer service remains at the forefront of importance for PelRay International, LLC, as the company works to meet the various fiber/filament needs of North American brush, broom and mop manufacturers. “We realize that people can buy elsewhere. Therefore, it’s important to give customers a good reason to buy from us. It can’t just be about price. Service and on-time delivery are also essential,” PelRay International CFO Bart Pelton said. With a history that dates over 100 years, PelRay International has evolved from a broom corn trading company into a full-line natural and synthetic fiber/filament supplier. Natural fibers provided by PelRay International include broom corn and yucca fiber used in broom production as well as palmyra and tampi-
Brian Crawford of Monahan Filaments
Terry Hogan of Hahl Inc.
David Kalisz of MFC, Ltd.
co fiber that can mostly be found in various types of brushes. Palmyra is imported from India, while tampico and most broom corn and yucca fiber arrives from Mexico. The company, which is located in San Antonio, TX, also imports plastic fiber, such as PVC and polypropylene, used in many types of cleaning-related products. A major focus of PelRay International, however, remains natural fiber. For example, the company has set up factories in northern Mexico that manufacture both natural and black tampico fiber, which PelRay International then imports. “This program has been successful and steady for us,” Pelton said. “We can provide tampico in a relatively short lead time and warehouse some of these imports in San Antonio. A lot of it is brought in to order specifications, however, with lead times usually around 30 days.” As stated, PelRay International also imports palmyra from India. Container loads are shipped to the company’s San Antonio warehouse for the “less-than-container-load” market. “We are working with a new palmyra processor that has helped improve the quality of the palmyra we now offer,” Pelton said. “Some of the palmyra is 18 inches long and used for corn broom production. Most
PAGE 8
BROOM, BRUSH & MOP of this import, however, is brought in for making brushes and sweeps. The same thing is true with Tampico, which is primarily used for the brush market along with some corn and wire-wound whisk broom production.” Pelton noted that lead times out of India can be a challenge as the transit time alone is often 30 to 45 days. Lead times out of Mexico, however, are much better due to closer proximity and easier logistics.
“It can’t just be about price. Service and on-time delivery are also essential.” — PelRay International CFO Bart Pelton
On the synthetic fiber/filament side of business, PelRay International imports PVC and polypropylene fiber from Italy, usually in correlation with other products coming out of the European country for the benefit of company customers. Pelton said PVC is often used during the making of floor sweepers and push brooms. “Another synthetic fiber that we are taking a look at is PET, which is made from recycled plastic bottles. This fiber has a ‘green’/ecological appeal to it that many people desire,” Pelton said. When interviewed in July, he added that business for PelRay International has been fairly steady as of late and is encouraged by a recent trend he has noticed. “It looks like some overall production is coming back to the United States and Mexico from Asia. There seems to be a little stronger emphasis on products manufactured domestically, or in Mexico, to shorten lead times and make logistics easier,” Pelton said. “Part of this is in response to a weak U.S. dollar, along with the desire of more domestic companies to take care of their customers quicker. Ocean freight rates have also gone up with oil prices. “Domestic manufacturers are getting a little bit more competitive all of the time. It’s a positive trend.” When it comes to business success at PelRay International, Pelton said nothing replaces old-fashioned hard work. “We work closely with our suppliers and customers to make sure we can best match orders,” Pelton said.
July/August 2011 Challenges, however, always remain. Due to PelRay International’s close proximity and working relationship with many Mexican fiber suppliers, one main issue has to do with today’s security problems in northern Mexico. “It’s a challenge to maintain and improve our relationships in northern Mexico while limiting travel down there due to safety concerns,” Pelton said. “It’s frustrating. This is an area we used to travel to all the time. “Email, Skype and the telephone are great tools of communication, but sometimes there is no substitute for seeing people face-to-face and reviewing production. This is now limited in northern Mexico.” Despite this challenge, Pelton is optimistic that overall business in the brush, broom and mop industries will steadily improve over the long term. “Right now, business slows down for a few weeks or so, but then it picks up again. There remains an ongoing need for the products that our industries offer,
“Domestic manufacturers are getting a little bit more competitive all of the time. It’s a positive trend.” — PelRay International CFO Bart Pelton
such as cleaning and sweeping items,” Pelton said. “This need is not going away. It’s a steady business that I feel will slowly get better.” Contact: PelRay International, LLC, 610 Lanark Drive, No. 202, San Antonio, TX 78218. Phone: 210-757-4640; Fax: 210-650-8103. Web site: www.pelray.com.
S
tating that the company’s production capacity has again increased in 2011, officials at Proveedora Mexicana de Mono-filamentos (PMM) explained that additional market demands have dictated this action. PMM, which is based in Mexico City, Mexico, specializes in the production of synthetic-engineered plastic monofilaments made of nylon (nylon 6.12, nylon 6.6, nylon 6 plus and nylon 6) and polyester PBT. PMM also produces filaments made of polyethylene and polypropylene. “Our materials are mainly used for toothbrushes, cosmetic brushes and
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BROOM, BRUSH & MOP
industrial brush applications,” PMM General Manager Enrique Mejia explained. He said the company’s product line has enjoyed equal demand from customers and that, in general, sales have experienced a recovery period over 2009 and 2008 figures. PMM Sales Manager Dennise Silva added that the company continues to benefit from good product consistency and quality. Punctual deliveries and service are also key factors to success.
“Among the challenges the company is working to overcome is an instability in the market with the supply of resin.” — PMM Sales Manager Dennise Silva
“We provide a 24-hour service guarantee. All customer inquiries will be answered/serviced the same day we receive them,” Silva explained. PMM was founded in 1976 as a privately-owned company. It now has over 30 years of experience in the production of quality engineered synthetic monofilaments for different applications. The company achieved ISO 9001 certification in 1995 and ISO 14001 certification in 2003. Silva explained that hard work and over 30 years of experience have allowed PMM to become an important supplier to the brush industry. “Among the challenges the company is working to overcome is an instability in the market with the supply of resin,” Silva said. Looking ahead, both Mejia and Silva said they feel confident about their company’s future despite a business climate that continues to experience consolidations — both at supplier and customer levels. Contact Proveedora Mexicana de Monofilamentos (PMM) at the company’s toll free line for the
July/August 2011
United States and Canada: 1-877-202-9320. E-mail: pmm@pmm-mex.com. Web site: www.pmmbrightline.com.
F
ormed over 70 years ago to develop consumer products from the newly invented nylon polymer, today DuPont Filaments offers a wide range of monofilaments for premium quality brushes and industrial applications. “Business has been good over the first six months of the year, but there have been some challenges in what I think were skewed inventory positions. Coming off the 2009 recession, it appears that some companies took inventories down to minimum levels while other companies were still trying to work off excess inventory. This has resulted in some highly variable demand patterns,” DuPont Filaments Marketing & Sales Director Tom Vichich said. “We at DuPont Filaments are globally positioned in all aspects of our
“Coming off the 2009 recession, it appears that some companies took inventories down to minimum levels while other companies were still trying to work off excess inventory. This has resulted in some highly variable demand patterns.” — DuPont Filaments Marketing/Sales Director Tom Vichich
business. This has allowed the company to respond faster to some of the challenges I have described. We continue to have strong partnerships with many of our customers and have added additional capacity for the manufacture of fine filaments,” Vichich added. As a global company, DuPont Filaments’ main product line includes
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BROOM, BRUSH & MOP
nylon 6.12 and 6.10, as well as polyester. This includes: nylon 6.12 filaments under the TynexŽ brand, polyester filaments under the OrelŽ brand, mineral grit-filled nylon 6.12 filaments under the TynexŽ A brand, TEEE co-extruded filaments under the DymetrolŽ brand, and nylon 6.10 filaments under the HeroxŽ brand. Vichich explained that TynexŽ branded filaments are manufactured in level diameters for toothbrush, industrial and cosmetic applications; tapered diameters for paintbrush applications; and mineral gritfilled filaments are used for industrial machining and cleaning applications. Meanwhile, OrelŽ tapered filaments are used in paintbrush applications, DymetrolŽ co-extruded filaments are used in seating fabrics, and HeroxŽ filaments can be found in toothbrush applications. “We continue to add variations to our TynexŽ and HeroxŽ product lines. This includes HeroxŽ AD that contains diamond grit, and TynexŽA HCP that is a more caustic- and acid-resistant version of our abrasive products,� Vichich said. He added that filaments sold into brush applications for the cosmetic industry have been in high demand for the past two years. New applications for small diameters (.002- to .006-inches thick) and improving socio-economic conditions in emerging economies have been fueling this demand. “DuPont Filaments is uniquely positioned to serve the needs of brush manufacturers and others around the world for high-quality, application-tailored polymer-based filaments,� Vichich said. “Production plants in Wuxi and Shenzhen, China; Madurai, India; Landgraaf, The Netherlands; and Parkersburg, WV, turn out an extensive range of filaments based on nylon, polyester and fluoropolymers. “Each global region has locally-based technical support and sales service capabilities to serve customers making various kinds of brushes and industrial products.� Contact: DuPont Filaments - Americas, LLC, Washington Works Plant, 8480 DuPont Rd., Building 158, Washington, WV 26161. Phone: 304-863-4908 or 800-635-9695. E-mail: dupont.filaments@usa.dupont.com. Web site: www.filaments.dupont.com.
July/August 2011
assets of Specialty Filaments, of Middlebury, VT. The Middlebury plant was closed in November 2009, and now the complete focus is on operations in Arcola with cooperation from partners in Canada and Asia. Crawford said Monahan Filaments recently began a nylon stocking program, where customers needing as little as one carton of product can
“This industry was built upon innovation, and we see customers continuing to develop products for both brush and non-brush applications.� — Monahan Filaments Director of Sales & Marketing Brian Crawford
now order for immediate delivery. “This has been well received and supported,� he said. “Additionally, we have been successful in our efforts to work with customers on forecasting and assisting them in managing filament inventories.� In addition to extrusion, Crawford said MFI is exploring other manufacturing processes with key customers. “Our offering of higher value materials to meet the most stringent operating conditions will continue,� he explained. Pertaining to current industry challenges, Crawford said plastic resin pricing and availability are major obstacles, both now and in the short term. “We are seeing dramatic increases in nylon 6 resin pricing, and to a lesser degree, other basic raw materials. Alternative materials and reprocessing of resins are areas that we are working on to remain competitive, while minimizing price increases to customers,� Crawford said. While the reality of imported brushes entering the United States is cause for continued concern, Crawford said suppliers and brush producing companies in North America remain optimistic about continued growth and success.
“Creative Filament Solutions�
C
urrently experiencing a good demand for filament products over a broad spectrum of markets and materials is Monahan Filaments (MFI), according to the company’s Director of Sales & Marketing Brian Crawford. “Our business has been very strong. Hopefully, this is a sign of business returning to pre-2009 levels for MFI as well as our customers,� Crawford said. Among the items produced by Monahan Filaments are nylon 6, nylon 6.6, nylon 6.12, PBT, PET, PPS, polyethylene and polypropylene. These products are used in brush and non-brush applications for industrial, oral care, construction, food service, paint, agricultural, automotive, janitorial and cosmetic markets. “We operate with both direct sales people as well as representative agents. All are filament and brush knowledgeable,� Crawford said.
“We are seeing dramatic increases in nylon 6 resin pricing, and to a lesser degree, other basic raw materials.� — Monahan Filaments Director of Sales & Marketing Brian Crawford
“Sales efforts are backed by solid customer service and quality assurance departments, as well as a production work force in Arcola, IL, that is second to none in the industry.� Monahan Filaments began operations in 2007 with the acquisition of
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BROOM, BRUSH & MOP
“This industry was built upon innovation, and we see customers continuing to develop products for both brush and non-brush applications,” he said. “I feel the future of MFI looks especially bright. We are an American manufacturer centrally located and serving all markets of the U.S. brush-making industry.” Contact: Monahan Filaments, LLC, 215 Egyptian Trail, Arcola, IL 61910. Toll free customer service line: 888-833-1097; Phone: 217-268-4957. Email: info@monahanfilaments.com.
L
ong known for its tampico fiber, Distribuidora Perfect, S.A. de C.V., of Mexico, has been busy as well supplying other types of fibers/filaments to various brush manufacturers. This includes palmyra, rice root, hog bristle, cattle and horsehair, polypropylene and PET. The company also provides such mixtures as unión fiber that consists of tampico and palmyra. One of Distribuidora Perfect’s more popular items, however, continues to be tampico, which the company supplies in natural color or can dye the fiber. Distribuidora Perfect’s Rodrigo Ripstein added that tampico is a natural fiber that comes from Mexico. “Along with dyeing tampico, we can mix it with other materials such as palmyra, bassine, rice root, wire, nylon and polypropylene,” he said. It’s Ripstein’s opinion that there is no good substitute for tampico fiber, as it possesses several essential qualities. These qualities include a good memory, meaning the fiber will bounce back to its original shape after being bent. Other benefits include a long life, good absorption and abrasive qualities, and being able to withstand high temperatures. He added that of the many different types of fibers/filaments his company offers, those in particular high demand at the moment include tampico, unión fiber as well as a mixture of palmyra and polypropylene
July/August 2011
that features a cream color similar to tampico. Distribuidora Perfect’s various fiber/filament offerings can be found in brushes that are designed for a variety of uses such as polishing, washing, scrubbing, waterproofing, painting and other chores. Ripstein added that Distribuidora Perfect has enjoyed a busy year thus far in 2011, and works to deliver shorter lead times along with quality customer service. He remains optimistic about the future. “We spend a lot of time talking with clients and checking on their needs,” he said. “It’s also important for us to implement new machinery and technology as well as expand our product offering. For example, we are starting to make wood blocks for the marketplace.”
“I think the future is very good for all natural fibers since the world has placed a greater awareness on the environment.” — Distribuidora Perfect Executive Director Rodrigo Ripstein
He explained that companies offering different and new products continue to keep a healthy list of customers. “I also think the future is very good for all natural fibers since the world has placed a greater awareness on the environment,” Ripstein said. These types of products, he noted, naturally decompose over time once their productive lives are finished. Distribuidora Perfect was founded in 1946 as a brush maker for the Mexican market. It remains a specialist in producing such products as paintbrushes, paint rollers, power brushes and scrub brushes. It began processing tampico fiber approximately 29 years ago and started selling it to other companies 10 years ago. Contact: Distribuidora Perfect, Calle 4 No. 32, Fraccionamiento Industrial Naucalpan 53370 Naucalpan Estado de México, México. Tel. (5255) 5576 2444. Fax (5255) 5358 8929. E-mail: rrk@brochasperfect.com.mx. Web site: brochasperfect.com.mx.
F Brand Handles and Dowels Honduran and Domestic Pine Hardwoods P.O. Box 330065 Fort Worth, Texas 76133 USA
800-442-6353 (800-4-HANDLE) Phone: 817-361-8180 Fax: 817-361-8658 E-mail: amerwood@sbcglobal.net
or the past 53 years, R.E. Caddy & Co., has been supplying the needs of various commercial and craft broom makers as well as producers of other cleaning tools such as brushes and mops. The company, located in Greensboro, NC, provides both broom corn hurl, insides and raw corn as well as yucca and palmyra fibers. “The largest part of the broom market is the commercial sector. These are customers who make brooms and other cleaning products found in retail outlets and for the janitorial/sanitary industry,” said. “This is our main focus, but we also have a sizeable number of customers who produce hand-made brooms for the craft market. “It’s usually not a problem to keep inventory oriented toward the commercial side, while also having enough raw broom corn on hand for the craft people.” Regarding yucca fiber, Caddy said this material is almost exclusively used for commercial broom makers. “I do have some craft broom customers who like to use yucca fiber as well, particularly if they want to make a stiffer product such as a barn broom,” he said. According to Caddy, yucca fiber has been a popular broom making material for many years in the United States but has experienced a decrease in demand over the past 15 to 20 years. He believes this is due to the existence of fewer U.S. broom manufacturers. Also, more natural brooms that are being made in the United States today tend to be produced entirely out of broom corn, he said. The third basic fiber sold by R.E. Caddy is palmyra. The company Continued on page 32
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Industrial Brush Executives
Optimistic About Business, Economy By Rick Mullen, Broom, Brush & MopAssociate Editor
E
xecutives from three industrial brush manufacturing companies spoke with Broom, Brush & Mop Magazine sharing how their respective businesses are moving ahead as the economy struggles to shake off the down times of the past few years. These executives remain optimistic about growth opportunities, while continuing to run lean organizations, emphasizing customer service, quality and innovation.
F
ounded in 1855, making it one of the oldest brush manufacturers in the United States, J.B. Ward & Sons, Inc., of Franklin, NJ, is a staple set and wire drawn brush manufacturer that specializes in making brushes to customers’ specifications. Dealing primarily with industrial clients, the company has made custom brushes for a variety of market segments, including pharmaceutical, graphic arts, electronics, textile and rubber. “The original factory was in Cedar Grove, NJ,” said J.B. Ward & Sons President Edward Boscia. “Following a fire in 1884, the company was moved to Paterson, NJ.” The company would undergo a couple of more moves before settling in Franklin. In 1978, it moved from Paterson to Hawthorne, NJ. The company moved again in 1984 to Ogdensburg, NJ, and in 2005, it relocated to nearby Franklin. While navigating the down economy of the past several years, the company implemented steps to become “leaner” to keep costs down as much as possible. “Business this year has been better than last year; however, it still can be ‘hit or miss,’” Boscia said. Boscia explained that J.B. Ward & Sons makes brushes used in industrial machines. If the public is not buying whatever the machines are making, the machines are likely not running as much
and, therefore, not wearing out the brushes as often as before. This translates into a reduction of sales of those particular types of brushes. “We have been in business a long time and we know how to get through tough times,” Boscia said. “I am a firm believer that anyone who owns their own small business is not going to become super wealthy — you do it because you like it. “In this tough economy, the general trend is, if a brush lasted a year before, now it may be two years before the brush is replaced. People just aren’t buying as many. Also, people put off maintenance. They know the brush should be changed, but it may not be changed because many companies are cutting costs any way they can.” Boscia spoke of a recent incident to illustrate how some companies may hold off purchasing brush replacements, while cutting costs in today’s economic environment. “We have a customer who had a machine in operation with a worn brush. The process the machine was designed to complete was taking eight or nine minutes,” Boscia said. “He purchased a new brush, and
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BROOM, BRUSH & MOP
July/August 2011
“The general trend is, if a brush lasted a year before, now it may be two years before the brush is replaced. People just aren’t buying as many. Also, people put off maintenance. They know the brush should be changed, but it may not be changed because many companies are cutting costs any way they can.” - J.B. Ward & Sons President Edward Boscia
the process time was reduced to three minutes. I told him the brush should be changed once a year. He said, ‘I didn’t realize how much quicker and better the machine does the job with a new brush.’” The reduction in the processing time for the machine in the example he gave would be gradual. In a similar scenario at another company, it may be determined that the slow processing time that has built up is not that big a deal since production is off anyway. “The attitude is, in some cases, why replace the brush in today’s economy. Even with the slower machine, we can still produce more than we need,’” Boscia said. “Nobody is buying anything unless absolutely necessary. Even in our own company, we have learned to economize as much as we can.” Despite the challenges the current economy presents, Boscia looks at the situation from a positive point of view. “My favorite saying is, ‘We are just one phone call from being busy,’” he said. One philosophy at J.B. Ward & Sons is the idea that making brushes is a “skill” rather than just a mechanical operation. This is especially true as the company does not carry a set line of brushes. J.B. Ward & Sons’ brushes are made to order. “On a typical day, we will produce from 10 to 50 different products,” Boscia said. “In our company, employees must know more than one operation. They have to know every facet of making a brush. Today, maybe I need to have a different employee make blocks because the regular person is busy.” Automation is a large part of the company’s manufacturing process, but some machines require much manual dexterity to operate as well as knowledge and skill. There is handwork also, as the company manufactures wire-drawn products, Boscia said. “Our employees have the manufacturing processes refined to where they are super productive,” Boscia said. Boscia has been making brushes for 42 years at J.B. Ward & Sons, and his experience and knowledge have been a crucial element in the company’s ability to make the right brush to do the job. Boscia’s knowledge also extends to the types of machines used in customers’ manufacturing operations. He has observed that, because so much of U.S. manufacturing has either shut down or moved offshore, there may not be as many people who are experts in production machinery as there were in the past. “I have seen many different kinds of brushes in different applications that some people may not have seen,” Boscia said. Boscia explained there is much to consider when consulting with a client about what kind of brush will best meet his or her need. “Many people, which really surprises me, say they didn’t realize there was so much involved in a brush,” Boscia said. “There are many factors to consider when choosing the right brush, such as the shape of the brush, the filament and the type and diameter of the filament. “If the customer is doing cylindrical work, we have to know the rpm’s the machine is turning. We are not going to make a brush that is going to fly apart on the customer. We only manufacture staple-set
brushes that cannot withstand the higher rpm’s that a power brush will take, for example. Therefore, it is important to know the rpm’s that will be involved. “Furthermore, when working with cylinders, they have to be balanced, otherwise they will cause a vibration. This is just an example of the many factors that can be involved in selecting the best brush for the job. “We work with people. If we can’t make a particular brush, we will make recommendations — as long as they buy a brush — is my attitude. If it isn’t from me, I don’t care who it is from as long as they are using a brush — that is the most important thing.” While it may sound counterintuitive on the surface, Boscia said it is not a good strategy for a company to appear to be the only one making a particular type of brush. The idea is, if a company can only get the brush it needs from just one source and that source is no longer available, the company could find itself in a serious bind. “Customers tend to want a product that can also be produced by other companies, and rightly so,” Boscia said. “They don’t want to, all of a sudden, not be able to get spare parts for their machine. It is an important thing, and I always put people’s minds at ease by telling them we are no different than anybody else. If you go into 20 different brush companies, there is not a big difference among them. The brush companies that remain in the United States are quality manufacturers and today’s equipment is better.” Despite the ongoing challenges presented by the economy and high energy costs, Boscia is optimistic about the future. “I have a strong feeling that we will be here, and I think most of the other people (industrial brush companies) will be here as well,” he said. “I think there will always be a need for the brush business. It is not going to go away. It is probably one of the oldest trades in the world.” Boscia is confident J.B. Ward & Sons will continue on the path of success by continuing to operate on the principles that have laid a firm foundation for more than 150 years. “We have been successful because of the quality of our products, customer service and the honest answers we give customers,” Boscia said. “We have always given our customers a fair price. We may not be the cheapest, but we have always given customers value for their money.” Contact: J.B. Ward & Sons Inc., 15 Park Drive, Franklin, NJ 07416. Phone: 973-827-4600; Fax: 973-827-8119. Email: sales@jbward.com. Website: www.jbward.com.
I
ndustrial Brush Corporation, of Pomona, CA, specializes in the design and manufacture of custom brushes for the industrial sector, including strip, rotary, spiral cylinder, split cylinder and
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BROOM, BRUSH & MOP
staple set brushes. The company, established in 1947, also operates a facility in Lakeland, FL. IBC was founded to primarily serve the food processing, street sweeping and car wash industries. Since its founding, the company has moved away somewhat from the car wash and sweeping industries, while continuing to focus on the food processing segment and other specialized industrial applications. Since the height of the recent recession in 2009, business has been “improving,” said IBC President John Cottam, who is also a past president of the American Brush Manufacturers Association (20012003). “We restructured the company at the end of 2006, so we were in pretty good shape going into the recession,” Cottam said. “The low point was 2009, but 2010 was much better. This year, so far, has been
“We are working to bring younger people in because we have so many employees who are approaching retirement age. Bringing in new blood to replace the expertise and experience of those who will be retiring is definitely a challenge going forward.” - IBC President John Cottam
better than 2010, and we are hoping things will continue to improve.” In the summer of 2008, IBC completed an expansion project at the Florida plant. At that time, Cottam reported the project was necessary as the company expanded the manufacturing work force in Lakeland, while decreasing staff in Pomona. “We increased the Florida plant roughly 50 percent in size,” Cottam said. “Also, since that time, one of the two owners of the business, Robert Baldridge, retired at the end of 2009. Recently my son, James Cottam, who just graduated from college, has joined the business. Currently he is in a production and engineering support position, while learning the ropes of the business.” As the company’s forte is designing and manufacturing specialty brushes, one company slogan is “specials are our specialty.” IBC’s staff and field sales personnel are experts at consulting with cus-
July/August 2011
tomers to determine the best brush design to meet a particular application. “In our core business, which is the food industry, service is the key ingredient,” Cottam said. “We work directly with customers. For example, we provide a service where we clean and repair customers’ brushes, and replace them if necessary. This is a direct one-on-one arrangement we have with customers, providing them with service they can’t get elsewhere. “We also work with our customers in designing brushes based on the knowledge that we have in terms of the varied filaments available, and the different constructions of brushes. If we know what the application is, we can usually design a brush that will meet the customer’s needs.” To facilitate the company’s primary mission to produce specialty products, IBC’s loyal, experienced and skillful employees are critical to the company’s success. “We train most of our employees ourselves. People stay with us a long time. Once they come to work for us, they seem to like it and they stay. Probably our average length of service is around 25 years,” Cottam said. “We managed to keep our employees during the recession. We completed a restructuring of the company prior to the downturn, so we were already pretty lean. As a result, we didn’t have to make any further reductions.” One work force problem facing IBC, and other companies as well, is the aging of its knowledgeable and veteran staff. “It is an ongoing concern. We are working to bring younger people in because we have so many employees who are approaching retirement age,” Cottam said. “Bringing in new blood to replace the expertise and experience of those who will be retiring is definitely a challenge going forward.” Automation plays a major role in most brush making operations, and well-trained employees are a must to keep up with ongoing advances in technology. “We have very highly automated equipment. This year we purchased a new piece of equipment that is also highly automated,” Cottam said. “We also have some machines, although they are quite automated, that require a fair amount of knowledge to operate John Cottam properly.” While there remains much uncertainty about the economy, Cottam is certain the demand for IBC’s industrial brushes will continue to be strong. “The brush industry is not a high growth industry. Nevertheless, the brushes that we supply are an extremely important component, usually used in a fairly expensive process,” Cottam said. “The brush is probably one of the lesser expensive parts, but it is critical to the successful operation of most of the highly mechanized operations we service.” Contact: Industrial Brush Corporation, P.O. Box 2608, Pomona, CA 91769. Phone: 800-228-6146; Email: ibcsales@industrial-brush.com. Website: www.industrialbrush.com.
C
alling itself one of the most diverse brush manufacturers in the world, family-owned Schaefer Brush, of Waukesha, WI, has developed, engineered and manufactured industrial
July/August 2011
BROOM, BRUSH & MOP
brush products for several industries for more than a century. Schaefer Brush is a twisted-in-wire manufacturer. The company also produces staple goods and performs hand-drawn work. The man-
PAGE 21
couple of months down the road as far as order booking is concerned. “Today, it seems to be more and more demanding to run a business. You have to really keep your finger more on the pulse of things these days than a few years ago. You can’t get lackadaisical. There are new opportunities that seem to come up regularly. “Also, you just don’t know when there might be a turn of events in Washington, Schaefer Brush headquarters in Waukesha, WI. D.C., that may draufacturer prides itself in being diversified and can fill small and spe- matically impact the economy. We conduct business all over the country. cialized orders and well as large contracts. Our area (Waukesha is located just west of Milwaukee) is doing quite The company manufactures items for the automotive, building well. Some of our competitors in the area here are also doing well. We maintenance, foundry, glass plate, hardware, metal stamp, plastic are fortunate.” molding, foodservice, ventilation, woodworking and mining indusWhile Schaefer Brush uses state-of-the-art automated machines in tries. its day-to-day manufacturing operation, the company also excels at “We had a good year last year. We were profitable,” said designing special brush making equipment. Schaefer Brush CEO Harold Schaefer, who is the fourth genera“Many of the specialized machines we use, we developed ourtion of his family to be involved in the business. “Currently, we are selves,” Schaefer said. “Lately, we have developed some new equiprunning about 3 to 4 percent ahead of last year. Given the economy, ment with outside help from an engineering firm. We continue to try and because our turnaround on products is relatively fast, we don’t to be less labor intensive and more automated. The company must book orders too far in advance. We are usually looking maybe a continue to invest in automation to be competitive.
Royal Paint Roller Royal Paint Roller — a name known in the industry for over 35 years for top quality products, fine service and competitive prices. Manufacturer of paint rollers in ALL SIZES—from Slim Jim to Jumbo 21⁄4” I.D. in VARIETY OF FABRICS—including lambskin, kodel, lambswool, synthetic blends & “Lint Free” woven line. Also a complete line of frames, trays, paint brushes & painting accessories for the professional and Do-It-Yourself markets. Specializing in private labeling at competitive prices.
ROYAL PAINT ROLLER 248 Wyandanch Avenue West Babylon, N.Y. 11704 Tel: (631) 643-8012 • Fax: (631) 253-9428
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BROOM, BRUSH & MOP
“We make a lot of custom items for big industry. Sometimes, in addition to selling a brush to a customer, we also design a machine to go along with the brush — in other words, a complete solution to a problem.” For example, about a year ago, Schaefer Brush designed a machine for cleaning large broaches for a company. The broaches were about 6 feet long, 4 to 5 inches in diameter and cost $50,000 each. Broaching is a machining process that uses a toothed tool, called a broach, to remove material. “The company was forcing a broach through a steel sleeve, cutting grooves in the sleeve,” Schaefer said. “When a broach was extracted from a steel sleeve, employees had to clean all the chips off before they went to the next piece. While performing this process, they were breaking broaches. “We designed a brushing machine to clean the broaches while they were being used. We speeded up their process because we were able to do this automatically. It has worked out very well. They have ordered another machine for their India operation and one for another location in the United States. We not only make brushes, but we also engineer solutions for other people that entail using a brush. In fact, some of the other brush companies refer people to us because of our capabilities along these lines.” Indeed, Schaefer Brush’s commitment to offering the best in customer service is well known throughout the industry. “Customer service is the ‘heart and brains’ of any business and fortunately we have a very good staff,” Schaefer said. In working with and developing high-tech products, Schaefer Brush’s employees are highly skilled and well trained. To encourage
Supplier of Raw Materials to Manufacture Brooms, Mops, and Brushes • Galvanized & tinned wire for brush - broom - mop production • Processed Broom Corn & Yucca • Wood Broom - Mop - Brush Handles • Craft Broom Corn And Supplies • Other Materials - Broom Twine, Broom Nails, Mop Hardware We ship by pup or truck load direct from Mexico, or LTL/ UPS from our Greensboro warehouse.
P.O. Box 14634 • Greensboro, NC 27415 336-273-3609 800-213-9224 Fax: 336-378-6047 E-mail: sales@recaddy.com
July/August 2011
staff members to continue their education, the company offers a unique education program that pays employees to attend a local junior college and tech school. “We will pay all of an employee’s fees if he or she earns A’s, 75 percent for B’s, and so forth down the line,” Schaefer said. “We have a number of people who have taken advantage of this program.”
“Lately, we have developed some new equipment with outside help from an engineering firm. We continue to try to be less labor intensive and more automated. The company must continue to invest in automation to be competitive.” - Schaefer Brush CEO Harold Schaefer
While Schaefer said the greater Milwaukee area is one of the more prosperous areas in the country right now, despite the economy, skilled labor there is at a premium. “I am in a business group with owners and managers of other companies,” Schaefer said. “In our area, there is a dramatic shortage of machinists, welders, industrial electricians, etc. Companies are really scrambling. Some have gone to other states to recruit people. “A number of our people have utilized seminars and courses through MRA. I have two top managers right now involved in a leadership management course. Fortunately we have a mixture of vets and younger staff members.” Schaefer said one of the challenges of doing business these days is dealing with large retailers and box stores. “I have been involved in this company for 46 years and business has changed dramatically. Some of the big distributors, retailers, box stores, etc., have put some incredible demands on smaller companies,” Schaefer said. “For example, some of these companies demand delivery two to three days after orders are placed, which means you have to carry inventory in expectation of filling their orders. However, these companies usually don’t give much of a forecast. “Sometimes you have to look at cutting loose some of these types of customers because it is too much of a drag on your business. We have one right now we are watching very closely because of that company’s requirements for carrying inventory, etc. Businesses have to be very careful while trying to run a lean organization. Schaefer Brush is a made-to-order business for the most part, and it is very difficult dealing with some of these large companies.” Despite the obstacles of doing business in the modern marketplace, Schaefer is optimistic. “Schaefer Brush continues to be successful because it has good employees,” Schaefer said. “A great staff of good employees is the key to any operation. These are the people who make everything tick. Our staff is like family here.” Contact: Schaefer Brush Manufacturing, 1101 S. Prairie Ave., Waukesha, WI 53186. Phone: 800-347-3501; Fax: 262-547-3927. Website: www.schaeferbrush.com.
Broom, Brush & Mop
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Mail to: Broom, Brush & Mop, 204 E. Main, P.O. Box 130, Arcola, IL 61910 - USA Phone 800-598-8083 (US) • 217-268-4959 • FAX 217-268-4815 • Email: drankin@consolidated.net
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BROOM, BRUSH & MOP
July/August 2011
Imports/Exports Increase In Various Categories By Rick Mullen Broom, Brush & Mop Associate Editor U.S. government trade figures for the first four months of 2011 indicate raw material imports were up in two of the four categories outlined in this issue, compared to the first four months of 2010. For April 2011, raw material imports were also up in two of the four categories outlined, compared to April 2010. Import totals for the first four months of 2011 were down in four of the six finished goods categories outlined from the same time period in 2010. In April 2011, four of the six categories outlined also recorded decreases, compared to April 2010. RAW MATERIAL IMPORTS Hog Bristle The United States imported 50,180 kilograms of hog bristle in April 2011, up 123 percent from 22,500 kilograms imported in April 2010. During the first four months of 2011, 136,554 kilograms of hog bristle were imported, a 183 percent increase from 48,174 kilograms imported during the first four months of 2010. China sent 136,463 kilograms of hog bristle to the United States during the first four months of 2011. The average price per kilogram for April 2011 was $4.02, up 27 percent from the average price per kilogram for April 2010 of $3.17. The average price per kilogram for the first four months of 2011 was $8.16, down 29 percent from the average price per kilogram of $11.43 for the first four months of 2010. Broom And Mop Handles The import total of broom and mop handles during April 2011 was 1.9 million, up 36 percent from 1.4 million for April 2010. During the first four months of 2011, 6.9 million broom and mop handles were imported, up 21 percent from 5.7 million for the first four months of 2010. During the first four months of 2011, the United States received 2.7 million broom and mop handles from Brazil, 1.6 million from Honduras and 1.6 million from China. The average price per handle for April 2011 was 80 cents, up 8 percent from the average price for April 2010 of 74 cents. The average price for the first four months of 2011 was 78 cents, up 11 percent from 70 cents for the first four months of 2010. Brush Backs April 2011 imports of brush backs totaled 450,152, down 22 percent from the April 2010 total of 577,092 brush backs. During the first four months of 2011, 1.8 million brush backs were imported, down 25 percent from 2.4 million for the first four months of 2010. Sri Lanka shipped 1.1 million brush backs to the United States during the first four months of 2011, while Canada shipped 665,416.
The average price per brush back was 49 cents during April 2011, down 1 cent from the average price for April 2010. For the first four months of 2011, the average price per brush back was 51 cents, up 4 percent from the average price for the first four months of 2010 of 49 cents. Metal Handles The import total of metal handles during April 2011 was 2.1 million, down 22 percent from 2.7 million for April 2010. During the first four months of 2011, 10.1 million metal handles were imported, down 12 percent from 11.5 million for the first four months of 2010. During the first four months of 2011, Italy shipped 5.2 million metal handles to the United States, while China sent 2.8 million and Spain shipped 1.8 million. The average price per handle for April 2011 was 79 cents, up 49 percent from 53 cents for April 2010. The average price for the first four months of 2011 was 74 cents, up 48 percent from 50 cents for the first four months of 2010. FINISHED GOODS IMPORTS Broom Corn Brooms Valued At Less Than 96 Cents Imports of brooms of broom corn valued at less than 96 cents per broom during April 2011 totaled 10,560, up 10 percent from 9,564 brooms imported during April 2010. During the first four months of 2011, 21,936 brooms of broom corn were imported, down 24 percent from 28,740 imported during the first four months of 2010. All the brooms were imported from Mexico. The average price per broom in April 2011 was 84 cents, up 4 percent from 81 cents for April 2010. The average price per broom for the first four months of 2011 was also 84 cents, down 6 percent from 89 cents for the first four months of 2010. Brooms Of Broom Corn Valued At More Than 96 Cents The United States imported 744,399 brooms of broom corn valued at more than 96 cents per broom during April 2011, up slightly from 738,709 for April 2010. During the first four months of 2011, 2.8 million brooms of broom corn were imported, down 7 percent from 3 million imported during the first four months of 2010. Mexico shipped 2.7 million brooms to the United States during the first four months of 2011, while Honduras sent 93,822. The average price per broom for April 2011 was $2.37, down 2 percent from $2.43 for April 2010. The average price per broom for the first four months of 2011 was $2.45, the same as for the first four months of 2010. Brooms & Brushes Of Vegetable Material The import total of brooms and brushes of vegetable material during April 2011 was 144,920, down 42 percent from 250,833 brooms and brushes imported during April 2010. During the first
July/August 2011
BROOM, BRUSH & MOP
four months of 2011, 541,694 brooms and brushes were imported, down 44 percent from 969,000 imported during the first four months of 2010. Sri Lanka exported 379,741 brooms and brushes to the United States during the first four months of 2011. The average price per unit for April 2011 was $1.03, down 42 percent from $1.78 for April 2010. The average price for the first four months of 2011 was $1.21, an decrease of 21 percent from the average price recorded for the first four months of 2010 of $1.54. Toothbrushes The United States imported 69.7 million toothbrushes in April 2011, down 6 percent from 74.5 million imported in April 2010. During the first four months of 2011, 288.5 million toothbrushes were imported, an increase of 4 percent from 276.9 million imported during the first four months of 2010. China sent 192.4 million toothbrushes to the United States during the first four months of 2011, while Switzerland shipped 30.1 million. The average price per toothbrush for April 2011 was 25 cents, up 9 percent from 23 cents for April 2010. The average price for the first four months of 2011 was 22 cents, up 1 cent from the average price for the first four months of 2010. Shaving Brushes The United States imported 7.6 million shaving brushes in April 2011, down 28 percent from 10.5 million imported in April 2010. During the first four months of 2011, 36.1 million shaving brushes were imported, an increase of 5 percent from 34.3 million imported during the first 10 months of 2009. China sent 14 million shaving brushes to the United States during the first four months of 2011. Meanwhile, Mexico sent 8.6 million, Germany shipped 7.3 million and South Korea exported 5.8 million. The average price per shaving brush for April 2011 was 15 cents, up 15 percent from 13 cents for April 2010. The average price for the first four months of 2011 was 13 cents, up 1 cent from the average price for the first four months of 2010. Paintbrushes U.S. companies imported 22.6 million paintbrushes during April 2011, down 14 percent from 26.4 million paintbrushes imported during April 2010. Paintbrush imports for the first four months of 2011 were 71.2 million, down 13 percent from 81.6 million recorded for the first four months of 2010. China shipped 55.7 million paintbrushes to the United States during the first four months of 2011, while Indonesia exported 13.8 million. The average price per paintbrush for April 2011 was 29 cents, up 38 percent from 21 cents for April 2010. The average price for the first four months of 2011 was 32 cents, up 28 percent from the average price of 25 cents for the first four months of 2010. EXPORTS Export totals for the first four months of 2011 were up in two of the four categories outlined, compared to the first four months of 2010. In April 2011, two of the four categories outlined also reported increases in exports, compared to April 2010.
PAGE 25
Brooms & Brushes Of Vegetable Materials The United States exported 8,239 dozen brooms and brushes of vegetable materials during April 2011, down 15 percent from the April 2010 total of 9,708 dozen. Exports of brooms and brushes of vegetable materials during the first four months of 2011 were 29,493 dozen, down 23 percent from 38,416 dozen for the first four months of 2010. The United States shipped 11,577 dozen brooms and brushes to Canada during the first four months of 2011. The average price per dozen brooms and brushes was $42.83 in April 2011, up 13 percent from $37.85 for April 2010. The average price per dozen brooms and brushes for the first four months of 2011was $60.44, an increase of 89 percent from the average price per dozen for the first four months of 2010 of $31.95. Toothbrushes During April 2011, the United States exported 8.8 million toothbrushes, up 10 percent from the total recorded in April 2010 of 8 million. During the first four months of 2011, 33.7 million toothbrushes were exported, down slightly from 34.2 million exported during the first four months of 2010. The United States exported 12.7 million toothbrushes to Canada during the first four months of 2011, while sending 6.8 million toothbrushes to Mexico and 4 million to Ireland. The average price per toothbrush for April 2011 was 58 cents, down 27 percent from the average price for April 2010 of 79 cents. The average price per toothbrush for the first four months of 2011 was 56 cents, down 24 percent from 74 cents for the first four months of 2010. Shaving Brushes The United States exported 1.1 million shaving brushes during April 2011, down 8 percent from 1.2 million shaving brushes exported for April 2010. During the first four months of 2011, 8.3 million shaving brushes were exported, up 89 percent from 4.4 million during the first four months of 2010. Mexico imported 3.6 million shaving brushes from the United States during the first four months of 2011, while Colombia received 1.7 million and Canada imported 1.4 million. The average price per shaving brush for April 2011 was $1.01, down 2 percent from $1.03 for April 2010. The average price for the first four months of 2011 was 55 cents, down 51 percent from $1.13 recorded for the first four months of 2010. Paintbrushes The export total of paintbrushes during April 2011 was 168,139, up 4 percent from 161,952 paintbrush exports recorded for April 2010. During the first four months of 2011, 723,350 paintbrushes were exported, up 14 percent from 632,593 during the first four months of 2010. Canada imported 488,551 paintbrushes from the United States during the first four months of 2011, while Mexico received 39,631. The average price per paintbrush for April 2011 was $9.33, down 20 percent from $11.60 for April 2010. The average price for the first four months of 2011 was $10.23, down 18 percent from $12.54 recorded for the first four months of 2010.
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EXPORTS April Exports By Country
Domestic Merchandise 1404902000 Broomcorn (Sorghum Vulgare Var. Technicum) Used Primarily In Brooms/Brushes, Whether or Not In Hanks or Bundles April Year To Date Country Net Q/Ton Value Net Q/Ton Value France 8 29,376 26 97,632 Germany 1 3,020 Croatia 1 9,330 TOTAL 8 29,376 28 109,982 9603100000 Brooms & Brushes, Consisting of Twigs or Other Vegetable Materials Bound Together, With or Without Handles April Year To Date Country Net Q/Dozen Value Net Q/Dozen Value Canada 3,518 119,957 11,577 424,657 Mexico 190 6,854 190 6,854 Salvadr 104 3,444 Hondura 80 2,626 Nicarag 12 2,851 C Rica 114 2,761 324 7,498 Panama 226 7,447 238 10,079 Bahamas 156 48,777 394 103,929 Jamaica 486 14,255 Dom Rep 21 6,956 Dominca 5 2,859 Colomb 250 6,603 250 6,603 Venez 2 3,033 5 5,940 Brazil 517 23,345 U King 1,786 70,683 6,556 866,677 Ireland 319 10,512 1,886 38,748 Nethlds 269 2,953 269 2,953 Belgium 340 11,202 340 11,202 France 3 3,227 5 6,115 Germany 97 3,196 683 30,086 Poland 294 12,096 Spain 4 4,719 4 4,719 S Arab 870 34,672 Qatar 100 9,260 100 9,260 Phil R 1 2,709 1 2,709 China 886 24,614 Kor Rep 294 14,873 Hg Kong 1,749 35,512 Japan 853 36,157 1,259 58,829 Austral 83 4,920 Angola 11 2,808 11 2,808 TOTAL 8,239 352,858 29,493 1,782,689
Country Canada Mexico Guatmal Salvadr Hondura C Rica Panama Bahamas Jamaica Cayman Haiti Dom Rep Antigua Grenada Barbado Trinid N Antil
9603210000 Toothbrushes April Year To Date Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. 4,056,162 1,955,857 12,720,720 780,641 404,971 6,811,426 1,071 9,432 1,370 13,343 22,427 440 190,885 347,415 340,918 1,405 14,277 5,939 5,112 2,865 28,896 808 1,358 7,577 1,358 32,544 17,449 203,696 6,984 4,578 11,664 1,183 250 4,908 20,370 3,720 26,212 40,018 1,734 9,593 1,869
Value 6,541,447 2,623,962 10,475 7,297 69,820 4,500 440,638 28,266 13,008 7,147 7,577 106,080 8,516 12,106 23,815 112,089 12,792
Aruba Colomb Venez Guyana Ecuador Peru Chile Brazil Paragua Uruguay Argent U King Ireland Nethlds France Germany Austria Slovak Hungary Switzld Poland Russia Ukraine Italy Turkey Lebanon Kuwait S Arab Qatar Arab Em India Thailnd Vietnam Malaysa Singapr Indnsia Phil R China Kor Rep Hg Kong Taiwan Japan Austral N Zeal Rep Saf TOTAL
July/August 2011
17,804 54,268
30,751 64,303
11,520 8,586 336
3,341 14,331 9,408
1,877
19,208
4,491 918,720
48,511 280,381
214,313 150
356,309 2,725
186,816
98,842
2,054 5,540 1,240 574
21,018 10,244 2,547 5,875
1,188
12,150
11,385 3,000 10,000 278,761 1,394,486 296,814 107,640 98,194 79,680
12,544 2,521 20,000 156,386 720,698 224,105 55,656 71,051 69,574
8,791,602
5,121,524
5,780 101,918 309,341 144 28,551 16,938 51,240 125,280 828 6,724 474,300 57,228 4,008,451 33,497 9,594 336,190 29,718 618 1,396,164 400 15,320 2,100 5,760 5,873 5,540 1,240 72,918 7,451 1,188 141,446 182,400 1,573 2,639 5,040 41,937 7,242 22,400 809,394 2,513,334 2,097,806 174,624 189,554 174,925 3,300 600 33,700,743
6,021 158,919 273,550 4,443 13,522 17,981 36,929 51,735 8,469 59,841 394,605 163,602 1,354,367 161,270 14,361 1,293,165 18,210 3,508 740,730 4,867 14,033 13,902 15,030 60,099 10,244 2,547 36,037 5,138 12,150 108,622 363,773 16,100 27,000 9,347 25,749 45,923 58,141 431,749 1,240,642 1,170,699 83,061 178,000 203,214 7,009 4,128 18,951,967
9603290000 Shaving Brushes, Hairbrushes, Nail Brushes, Eyelash Brushes & Other Toilet Brushes For Use on the Person April Year To Date Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q./No. Value Canada 371,724 271,794 1,391,998 1,051,493 Mexico 58,362 336,951 3,614,557 1,116,778 Guatmal 586 5,358 Hondura 72 6,732 C Rica 665 6,510 2,442 19,777 Panama 2,000 15,800 2,000 15,800 Dom Rep 3,630 27,339 3,630 27,339 Trinid 3,483 38,000 12,292 111,097 N Antil 1,511 2,638 Colomb 453,000 141,601 1,709,146 513,054 Venez 3,007 8,796 3,007 8,796 Surinam 2,916 7,097 Ecuador 3,263 21,079 Peru 340 7,820 Chile 7,584 8,583 7,584 8,583 Brazil 196,000 40,025 325,630 77,032 Argent 884,000 177,718 Sweden 2,607 23,839 5,379 49,187 Norway 4,510 43,422 Finland 375 3,428 U King 4,421 20,342 58,749 217,146 Ireland 1,108 13,751 Nethlds 1,782 16,301 3,343 28,425
July/August 2011 Belgium France Germany Austria Czech Switzld Lithuan Ukraine Spain Italy Turkey Arab Em India Thailnd Singapr Phil R China Kor Rep Hg Kong Taiwan Japan Austral N Zeal Nigeria TOTAL
Country Canada Mexico Salvadr Hondura C Rica Panama Barbado Colomb Venez Chile Brazil Paragua Sweden Norway Finland Denmark U King Ireland Nethlds Belgium France Germany Austria Slovak Switzld Estonia Latvia Poland Russia Armenia Italy Israel Arab Em India Thailnd Vietnam Singapr Indnsia Phil R China Kor Rep Hg Kong
BROOM, BRUSH & MOP 1,100 3,021 8,446
2,891 26,191 73,724
960
5,971
3,888
35,559
1,374
12,572
3,124 46 4,253 144 1,134,621
2,674 2,800 19,171 2,655 1,140,089
17,772 14,102 35,795 2,078 648 371 1,344 684 2,928 41,046 50 1,320 70 11,137 3,924 1,390 23,854 3,155 318 405 99,397 6,867 8,325 144 8,315,562
9603300000 Artists Brushes, Writing Brushes and Similar Brushes for the Application of Cosmetics April Year To Date Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. 473,275 1,080,282 1,644,167 49,122 167,504 240,256 8,869 1,988 5,082 19,187 1,295 5,535 20,423 41,679 23,186 1,130 1,919 3,776 7,013 3,776 107,623 109,689 186,993 13,644 437 4,244 1,916 4,190 15,460 7,198 18,773 69,267 36,125 535,676 1,976,458 536,096 11,647 97,511 305,917 996 2,014 7,428 5,422 17,218 903 7,776 24,485 2,328 10,044 10,953 4,178 151 9,527 151 4,737 1,993 7,353 1,993 575 13,457 49,650 13,457 875 8,594 3,516 6,103 22,518 6,103 17,998 66,404 38,832 21,847 5,726 21,124 5,726 2,680 2,387 900 9,696 900 1,831 862 9,000 8,493 27,000 6,244 23,040 35,514 15,394 14,342 59,617 25,044
170,407 43,641 186,386 19,000 2,592 3,396 3,116 6,251 23,971 46,353 7,500 38,354 6,675 101,853 28,049 12,403 218,152 23,942 5,760 3,700 47,178 50,992 27,306 2,655 4,613,182
Value 3,553,385 838,616 14,874 41,390 4,777 114,269 85,550 5,126 9,888 7,013 188,762 50,342 9,702 26,170 133,291 1,980,360 1,355,360 3,674 25,986 63,526 119,731 48,424 13,017 9,527 20,266 7,353 8,579 49,650 19,718 22,518 143,273 80,606 21,124 4,001 12,422 9,696 15,144 3,182 25,479 131,032 91,675 101,640
PAGE 27
Taiwan Japan Austral N Zeal TOTAL
4,808 11,211 30,228
17,741 21,285 110,357
1,340,323
4,013,580
5,058 19,143 55,237 2,380 3,426,972
20,290 50,554 202,363 8,556 9,751,881
Country Canada Mexico Guatmal Hondura C Rica Panama Bermuda Jamaica Dom Rep St K N S Vn Gr Trinid Colomb Ecuador Peru Chile Paragua Argent Sweden Finland Denmark U King Ireland Nethlds Belgium France Germany Switzld Israel Qatar Arab Em India Thailnd Indnsia China Kor Rep Hg Kong Japan Austral N Zeal Rep Saf TOTAL
9603402000 Paint Rollers April Year To Date Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. 235,366 430,233 646,755 21,515 35,864 120,984 1,800 2,712 1,800 3,450 1,816 31,875 3,312 9,039 13,325 11,087 1,944 4,330 14,218 5,800 5,401 249 2,316 7,000 239 4,198 239 745 13,073 745 651 27,766 174 72 3,456 72 39 841 2,673 841 2,834 12,346 3,711 2,589 11,897 5,734 4,520 22,865 4,836 6,003 203 3,569 203 692 7,846 692 2,961 12,644 31,708 18,597 371 6,516 651 610 7,332 10,153 7,332 2,101 176 13,356 3,855 1,839 820 37,895 820 1,946 12,301 1,946 25,097 251,352 113,348 3,357 58,798 322,742 931,123 1,132,572
Value 1,440,817 322,479 2,712 11,698 58,123 17,014 21,730 5,993 90,548 4,369 2,760 7,924 4,198 13,073 11,431 36,678 3,050 3,456 3,175 2,673 19,159 41,380 28,412 39,130 3,569 7,846 116,383 40,168 11,428 3,972 10,153 36,867 11,176 69,333 67,660 32,270 37,895 12,301 942,217 12,933 40,571 3,648,724
9603404020 Paint Pads April Year To Date Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. Value Mexico 11,639 22,609 Panama 35 2,556 47 5,910 Bermuda 1,010 7,166 Barbado 166 3,215 Peru 1,173 3,127 Sweden 12 2,676 12 2,676 Finland 4,000 6,640 Belgium 1,120 2,560 Romania 728 5,171 Kuwait 1,761 12,500 S Arab 1,800 6,131 Malaysa 1,310 9,300 Singapr 584 4,144 China 1,500 4,860 Kor Rep 645 4,580 67,333 491,792 Austral 35,620 71,776 TOTAL 692 9,812 129,803 659,577 9603404050 Paint, Distemper, Varnish or Similar Brushes
PAGE 28
Country Canada Mexico Salvadr Hondura Nicarag C Rica Panama Bermuda Bahamas Jamaica Cayman B Virgn Trinid N Antil Aruba Colomb Peru Chile Brazil Argent Iceland Sweden Finland Denmark U King Ireland Nethlds Belgium France Germany Poland Spain Malta Iraq Israel S Arab Arab Em India Sri Lka Thailnd Malaysa Singapr China Kor Rep Hg Kong Japan Austral N Zeal Samoa Fr Poly TOTAL
BROOM, BRUSH & MOP (Except Brushes of 9603.30) April Year To Date Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. 119,321 830,649 488,551 3,647 59,284 39,631 150 1,954 27,664 9,484 2,853 989 10,006 2,138 1,826 48,290 4,776 1,893 29,766 1,893 146 3,725 7,972 198 4,109 323 559 224 4,647 1,594 639 530 141 2,700 56,000 4,014 181 3,758 1,396 1,815 177 3,678 177 2,314 666 1,040 13,025 3,335 1,100 8,098 394 8,169 29,738 965 10,162 3,960 300 2,988 28,515 11,177 225,421 11,177 542 4,606 3,487 1,408 31,481 5,682 324 183 3,804 183 132 1,146 5,618 133 918 258 184 600 4,720 1,007 313 11,172 4,128 229 6,273 5,853 858 17,813 880 3,889 68,158 7,904 1,800 3,048 12,332 66,071 17,607 653 13,538 4,525 901 93 168,139 1,568,977 723,350
Value 3,460,768 802,494 3,119 126,946 10,483 41,042 132,247 29,766 49,440 6,709 4,658 21,099 13,260 11,000 2,924 81,582 46,282 10,452 3,678 48,004 8,591 52,075 6,745 258,739 407,947 27,398 558,660 225,421 57,944 103,595 4,183 3,804 2,734 23,760 118,974 2,756 11,138 11,579 3,822 10,531 74,896 60,496 20,525 151,437 20,700 42,733 158,354 37,506 18,687 7,465 7,399,148
9603900000 Hand-Operated Mechanical Floor Sweepers, Not Motorized, Mops & Feather Dusters; Prepared Knots & Tufts for Broom or Brush Making, NESOI April Year To Date Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. Value Canada 239,183 2,272,578 1,037,074 9,192,654 Mexico 74,791 946,900 274,513 3,564,983 Guatmal 17,380 51,639 Belize 1,971 15,798 Salvadr 10 2,501 310 11,861 Hondura 28 7,017 C Rica 2,389 40,842 4,901 49,591 Panama 1,181 52,736 7,948 162,507 Bahamas 630 2,843 Jamaica 314 5,090 314 5,090 Cayman 536 8,689 Dom Rep 353 7,980 2,058 20,787 B Virgn 240 5,998
S Lucia Trinid N Antil Aruba Colomb Venez Ecuador Peru Chile Brazil Norway Finland Denmark U King Ireland Nethlds Belgium Luxmbrg France Germany Austria Czech Switzld Poland Russia Spain Portugl Italy Lebanon Israel Jordan Kuwait S Arab Arab Em Afghan India Sri Lka Thailnd Vietnam Laos Malaysa Singapr China Mongola Kor Rep Hg Kong Taiwan Japan Austral N Zeal Moroc Camroon Sier Ln Nigeria Angola Kenya Rep Saf TOTAL
July/August 2011
174
2,819
822
3,418
2,352 3,690 608 100 3,847
38,155 22,705 9,867 4,230 90,699
12,869 1,696 15,534 618 2,314 4,784 106 888 2,503 265
64,326 27,498 259,230 29,728 21,238 28,236 8,940 2,683 39,941 4,291
50
3,810
1,863
28,885
1,243
20,153
439
7,116
30 7,528 6,282 4,188 540 154 293
3,952 139,209 83,932 67,935 3,645 2,501 4,750
482 302 7,477
10,120 10,342 121,258
2,611 14 552 13,388 5,197 730
23,344 2,912 12,879 103,480 82,010 2,790
200 24 170
3,964 4,462 6,401
583 425,731
5,823 4,742,304
193 174 1,212 1,922 3,168 5,545 8,020 608 23,896 8,493 696 13,608 1,696 32,958 3,124 20,842 14,171 350 2,139 30,288 873 222 2,398 252 4,099 169 690 10,404 876 859 1,320 599 31,253 12,807 6,448 5,989 154 1,396 450 244 482 1,545 16,581 170 8,616 5,326 5,410 35,350 34,139 11,300 157 269 200 964 170 262 2,583 1,726,032
3,123 2,819 8,158 24,360 46,289 95,602 63,219 9,867 212,822 144,312 11,293 76,311 27,498 601,804 74,121 114,572 107,748 23,749 26,137 439,272 14,147 3,608 26,816 12,510 58,739 2,748 7,908 84,727 5,522 13,929 21,408 13,175 229,739 148,345 109,371 68,946 2,501 20,506 4,193 3,960 10,120 45,438 232,980 2,763 103,464 95,437 77,155 287,244 398,236 67,957 5,500 3,821 3,964 12,126 6,401 4,249 14,743 17,436,929
IMPORTS Broom and Brush
April Imports By Country
0502100000 Pigs’, Hogs’ or Boars’ Bristlesand Hair & Waste Thereof April Year To Date Country Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG Value Thailnd 81 6,579 China 50,180 201,965 136,463 1,107,086 TOTAL 50,180 201,965 136,544 1,113,665
July/August 2011
BROOM, BRUSH & MOP
0502900000 Badger Hair &Other Brushmaking Hair, Waste Thereof April Year To Date Country Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG Value U King 14 34,561 Germany 89 34,715 105 85,338 Thailnd 325 21,697 770 52,649 China 258 8,866 21,000 485,491 TOTAL 672 65,278 21,889 658,039 0511993300 Horsehair and Horsehair Waste, Whether or Not Put Up As A Layer With or Without Supporting Material April Year To Date Country Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG Value CChina 7,721 118,609 67,631 773,037 TOTAL 7,721 118,609 67,631 773,037 1404903000 Istle Used Primarily In Brooms or In Brushes, Whether or Not In Hanks or Bundles April Year To Date Country Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG Value Mexico 26,985 130,667 122,221 601,443 TOTAL 26,985 130,667 122,221 601,443 4417002000 Broom and Mop Handles, 1.9 CM or More In Diameter and 97 CM or More In Length, Of Wood April Year To Date Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. Value Canada 1,615 5,085 Mexico 58,880 8,099 165,236 24,994 Hondura 349,144 185,266 1,646,355 750,019 Colomb 23,352 10,024 33,072 14,036 Brazil 860,144 868,578 2,728,838 2,998,676 Belgium 29,870 36,991 India 2,495 2,158 Sri Lka 76,000 100,539 212,300 272,381 Indnsia 38,584 37,896 469,155 401,907 China 446,939 274,127 1,554,277 823,406 Taiwan 41,440 32,477 43,452 38,050 TOTAL 1,894,483 1,517,006 6,886,665 5,367,703 4417004000 Paint Brush April Country Net Q/Variable Germany Czech Poland Italy Thailnd Indnsia China Taiwan TOTAL
Country Canada Sri Lka TOTAL
Country Canada Mexico Brazil Nethlds India Vietnam China Taiwan TOTAL
and Paint Roller Handles, Of Wood Year To Date Value Net Q/Variable Value 7,167 29,926 5,787 12,425 555,884 1,800,399 14,835 27,030 72,288 222,036 109,628 538,226 4,061 758,422 2,641,270
4417006000 Brush Backs, Of Wood April Year To Date Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. 131,937 44,503 665,416 318,215 177,192 1,107,970 450,152 221,695 1,773,386 4417008010 Tool Handles of Wood April Year To Date Net Q/Variable Value Net Q/Variable 14,770 12,897 295,298
46,192 76,025 3,901 449,083
Value 275,203 638,029 913,232
Value 42,622 69,403 1,245,245 11,698 4,282 167,839 216,411 92,294 1,849,794
PAGE 29
4417008090 Tools, Tool Bodies, Broom or Brush Bodies, Shoe Lasts and Trees, of Wood April Year To Date Country Net Q/Variable Value Net Q/Variable Value Canada 104,781 298,783 Mexico 5,735 25,731 Hondura 17,200 Chile 615,617 2,006,083 U King 12,117 22,698 Germany 2,477 Austria 4,920 Czech 2,688 Poland 2,650 2,650 Spain 31,090 Italy 8,916 India 80,676 312,172 Sri Lka 105,316 Vietnam 21,255 121,864 Indnsia 19,985 China 155,081 919,807 Taiwan 16,764 Japan 333,349 1,299,001 Austral 2,145 TOTAL 1,331,261 5,220,290 7326908576 Metal Handles or Brooms, Mops, Paint Applicators April Year To Date Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. Value Canada 120,000 8,414 120,000 8,414 Mexico 20,400 6,209 Brazil 33,600 17,574 122,830 78,310 Denmark 400 3,702 965 10,098 Germany 14 2,821 14 2,821 Spain 241,920 112,011 1,831,584 824,600 Italy 832,640 818,627 5,153,169 3,786,635 China 844,356 674,610 2,791,118 2,666,982 Taiwan 100,898 79,473 TOTAL 2,072,930 1,637,759 10,140,978 7,463,542 9603100500 Wiskbrooms, of Broom Corn, LT=.96 EA. Prior to Entry or Withdrawal for Consumption of 61,655 Dozen In Calendar Year April Year To Date Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. Value Mexico 3,612 3,088 8,496 7,373 China 12,240 9,094 TOTAL 3,612 3,088 20,736 16,467 9603104000 Other Brooms, of Broomcorn, LT=.96 EA, Prior to Entry or Withdrawal For Consumption of GT=121,478 Dozen in Calendar Year April Year To Date Mexico 30,252 24,553 TOTAL 30,252 24,553 9603105000 Other Brooms, of Broomcorn, LT=.96 EA, at Entry or Withdrawal For Consumption of GT=121,478 Dozen in Calendar Year April Year To Date Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. Value Mexico 10,560 8,921 21,936 18,321 TOTAL 10,560 8,921 21,936 18,321 9603106000 Other Brooms, Of Broomcorn, Valued Over .96 Each April Year To Date Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. Value Mexico 724,431 1,720,491 2,686,092 6,615,121 Hondura 19,968 43,397 93,822 198,203 TOTAL 744,399 1,763,888 2,779,914 6,813,324 9603109000 Brooms & Brushes, of Twigs or Other Vegetable Materials Bound Together, With or Without Handles, NESOI April Year To Date Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. Value Canada 40 2,455 1,040 11,285 Mexico 5,640 10,270 19,920 31,891
PAGE 30 U King France Germany Turkey India Sri Lka Thailnd Vietnam Phil R China Kor Rep Japan TOTAL
BROOM, BRUSH & MOP
1,800 104,156
2,224 80,133
5,320 1,600 26,364
4,802 2,195 47,765
144,920
149,844
1 6 486 2,000 1,800 379,741 7,924 66,240 6,620 55,015 900 1 541,694
2,535 2,757 5,619 5,560 2,224 390,087 22,275 58,242 14,826 100,900 3,127 2,197 653,525
9603210000 Toothbrushes, Incl. Dental-Plate Brushes April Year To Date Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. Value Canada 1,771 4,955 76,036 34,518 Mexico 470,106 136,679 2,535,249 674,770 Brazil 443,664 169,388 2,064,456 650,872 Sweden 121,077 84,934 143,277 100,087 Norway 23,550 11,709 23,550 11,709 U King 4,800 16,352 Ireland 255,072 418,740 901,388 1,202,424 Nethlds 148,969 21,209 Belgium 1 2,995 Germany 2,567,500 2,128,779 9,155,563 7,687,524 Hungary 10,080 22,615 20,547 52,999 Switzld 7,397,430 2,520,719 30,070,813 10,198,787 Poland 413,952 46,663 Italy 294,000 91,001 807,100 257,999 Turkey 12,024 18,375 12,664 24,902 Israel 467,120 65,572 India 4,579,018 740,607 16,072,353 1,793,845 Thailnd 265,600 79,740 834,952 242,609 Vietnam 6,345,840 347,531 19,740,168 1,035,076 Malaysa 873,584 83,745 5,993,104 246,581 Indnsia 9,300 2,308 451,512 30,932 China 45,675,313 9,937,939 192,426,047 37,309,087 Kor Rep 43,860 22,478 2,051,330 365,051 Hg Kong 43,000 36,655 361,698 183,442 Taiwan 208,276 76,357 1,473,352 289,512 Japan 94,634 363,861 1,084,834 590,167 Austral 130 2,500 Gabon 1,171,872 164,241 TOTAL 69,734,699 17,299,115 288,506,837 63,302,425 9603294010 Hairbrushes, Valued Not Over .40 Each April Year To Date Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. Value Thailnd 33,600 12,698 Vietnam 7,200 3,088 China 2,566,624 859,026 12,894,798 3,749,171 Hg Kong 10,800 2,654 262,320 37,431 Taiwan 26,604 10,243 TOTAL 2,577,424 861,680 13,224,522 3,812,631 9603294090 Shaving Brushes, Nail Brushes, Eyelash Brushes & Other Toilet Brushes For Use On The Person April Year To Date Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. Value Mexico 2,920,850 255,557 8,550,400 733,639 France 48,000 4,473 48,000 4,473 Germany 2,112,780 432,900 7,292,871 1,447,107 Switzld 19,200 4,961 Italy 31,800 5,004 India 55,000 7,125 China 2,481,700 470,562 13,987,859 2,142,913 Kor Rep 5,822,500 107,509 Hg Kong 134,040 23,476 Taiwan 8,400 3,287 170,020 44,011 Japan 282 5,534 TOTAL 7,571,730 1,166,779 36,111,972 4,525,752 9603302000 Artists Brushes, Writing Brushes & Similar Brushes For Application Of Cosmetics, Valued Not Over .05 Each April Year To Date Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. Value Mexico 530,000 16,631 3,576,367 100,857 France 600,000 19,672 1,900,000 60,688
Germany Italy India China Kor Rep Hg Kong Taiwan Japan TOTAL
July/August 2011 2,204,000 7,997,500
95,606 83,646
8,208,856 1,100,000 225,864 750,000
250,580 37,159 4,238 17,829
21,616,220
525,361
10,889,500 24,831,600 794,880 56,906,946 6,663,000 277,824 2,020,000 200,000 108,060,117
481,575 276,570 12,821 1,447,581 171,446 6,617 54,737 9,066 2,621,958
9603304000 Artists Brushes, Writing Brushes & Similar Brushes For Application of Cosmetics, Valued Over .05 But not Over .10 Each April Year To Date Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. Value Mexico 9,073,373 682,019 26,176,596 1,964,975 Brazil 96,000 6,891 Germany 1,376,000 99,289 6,065,500 442,161 India 65,520 5,313 273,528 21,598 Thailnd 110,956 12,111 138,726 15,799 China 13,139,364 948,793 39,808,767 2,877,672 Kor Rep 305,000 22,965 1,589,940 120,393 Hg Kong 575,050 41,614 1,248,214 96,503 Taiwan 305,000 20,571 2,506,928 173,217 TOTAL 24,950,263 1,832,675 77,904,199 5,719,209 9603306000 Artists Brushes, Writing Brushes & Similar Brushes For Application Of Cosmetics, Valued Over .10 Each April Year To Date Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. Value Canada 1,344 35,629 1,474 45,168 Mexico 11,545,712 1,984,369 51,847,216 8,583,238 Dom Rep 68,539 104,064 296,824 467,262 Chile 336 2,763 U King 70,026 135,540 284,881 712,475 Ireland 738 9,353 France 85,686 330,698 325,448 1,323,628 Germany 919,552 352,763 5,309,706 1,597,957 Switzld 180 5,336 281 8,544 Spain 17,806 84,822 54,307 267,793 Italy 34,912 37,187 37,426 59,385 Greece 1,133 31,637 Israel 2,643 7,038 4,995 14,591 India 319,529 118,064 2,032,425 757,914 Sri Lka 242,076 170,709 610,116 390,199 Thailnd 307,443 185,803 1,272,899 694,968 Indnsia 20,736 12,142 20,736 12,142 Phil R 2,592 9,470 China 15,041,462 10,209,123 65,624,577 41,058,367 Kor Rep 167,174 193,053 766,104 550,888 Hg Kong 354,556 136,927 1,532,652 888,841 Taiwan 228,298 109,889 1,164,472 396,694 Japan 404,241 1,505,197 1,308,469 5,675,277 Austral 688 5,654 1,376 11,406 Mauritn 5,347 20,287 18,394 68,102 Maurit 11,000 7,600 TOTAL 29,837,950 15,744,294 132,530,577 63,645,662
Country Canada Mexico Brazil Sweden U King Nethlds Germany Italy China Hg Kong Japan TOTAL
9603402000 Paint Rollers April Year To Date Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. 14,638 1,328,620 538,694 4,501,828 5,052 5,816 5,052 600 3,456 1,600 588 8,242 952 950 6,823 950 233,153 47,474 1,050,795 23,500 3,937,552 1,748,806 13,589,139 123,735 75 5,506,515 2,359,311 19,312,264
Value 14,938 1,847,908 5,816 8,778 13,516 6,823 229,568 15,993 6,015,264 82,082 2,309 8,242,995
Country Pakistn Indnsia China TOTAL
9603404020 Paint Pads April Year To Date Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. 28,000 2,736 1,098,472 940,019 3,451,119 1,098,472 940,019 3,481,855
Value 3,297 4,321 2,649,929 2,657,547
July/August 2011
Country Canada Guatmal U King Germany Turkey Sri Lka Thailnd Vietnam Indnsia China Taiwan Japan TOTAL
9603404040 Natural Bristle Brushes, April Year To Date Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. 15,748 22,235 45,970 21,168 22,864 21,168 51,875 554 9,413 8,875 28,368 6,192 366,576 148,824 4,432,212 510,611 19,786,282 302,363 51,411 1,881,457 1,000 4,510 4,772,045 616,534 22,351,097
BROOM, BRUSH & MOP
Value 61,610 22,864 60,425 44,622 97,889 18,127 196,867 21,593 3,142,216 406,757 7,422 7,533 4,087,925
9603404060 Paint, Distemper, Varnish/Similr Brushes Exc Brushes April Year To Date Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. Value Canada 5,398 7,637 25,653 35,332 Mexico 18,504 25,474 Guatmal 37,368 40,380 37,368 40,380 Brazil 4,176 2,588 4,176 2,588 Sweden 158,496 44,148 184,396 57,518 U King 31 8,372 34 12,004 Germany 287 4,761 5,232 53,339 Italy 31,270 86,726 Greece 138 2,451 138 2,451 Turkey 6,144 23,673 India 349,632 46,070 359,978 81,268 Sri Lka 16,512 34,367 34,152 65,785 Vietnam 2,350 5,547 6,650 14,924 Indnsia 3,613,692 444,741 13,780,135 2,105,046 China 18,165,861 5,816,911 55,662,517 19,593,973 Kor Rep 38,552 14,482 Hg Kong 316,381 51,161 Taiwan 204,768 51,158 682,544 296,768 Japan 4,880 10,700 17,300 38,721 TOTAL 22,563,589 6,519,831 71,211,124 22,601,613
Country Mexico Spain China Taiwan TOTAL
9603908010 Wiskbrooms April Year To Date Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. 8,844 3,456 27,744 34,248 162,600 1,008 2,389 1,008 28,752 36,637 175,908
Value 11,394 6,456 165,874 2,389 186,113
Country Mexico Guatmal Colomb Brazil Argent Spain Italy Sri Lka China Taiwan Egypt TOTAL
9603908020 Upright Brooms April Year To Date Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. 41,087 53,420 200,281 36,532 62,909 36,532 14,280 12,372 17,640 14,400 21,335 26,789 8,944 20,088 22,800 26,186 119,199 7,872 14,648 24,024 693,502 791,791 2,758,676 1,008 6,905 3,012 11,244 9,686 24,240 842,725 999,252 3,239,425
Value 225,947 62,909 15,412 90,762 17,766 40,402 133,986 48,779 3,363,169 21,419 20,954 4,041,505
9603908030 Push Brooms, 41 CM or Less in Width April Year To Date Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. Value Mexico 448 2,457 India 1,224 2,670 Sri Lka 56,226 168,448 70,054 220,971 China 16,422 53,071 248,748 1,035,453 Taiwan 420 3,453 TOTAL 72,648 221,519 320,894 1,265,004
PAGE 31 9603908040 Other Brooms, NESOI April Year To Date Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. 61,506 104,212 303,926 478,503 793,823 1,464,908 18,600 22,010 78,144 43,800 43,978 88,116 23,981 22,889 90,596 20,424 32,988 124,580 1,413 18,743 2,060 59,136 50,937 137,016 250 26,736 80,832 137,242 304,667 1,320 4,517 6,627 16,121 60 81,018 116,981 370,304 7,250 10,998 37,750 6,000 9,539 20,560 80 2,414 80 586,060 1,807,397 1,879,973 2,600 361 6,426 1,281 1,473,481 3,187,204 4,951,048
Country Value Canada 500,276 Mexico 2,495,653 Guatmal 65,438 Salvadr 107,518 Colomb 142,031 Brazil 133,963 U King 28,299 Czech 153,722 Lithuan 5,397 Spain 37,466 Italy 519,270 Israel 2,865 India 27,313 Bngldsh 2,700 Sri Lka 648,900 Thailnd 64,253 Vietnam 30,070 Phil R 2,414 China 5,471,523 Kor Rep 4,811 Taiwan 20,351 TOTAL 10,464,233 ` 9603908050 Brooms, Brushes, Sqeegees, Etc., NESOI April Year To Date Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. Value Canada 1,926,125 8,256,210 Mexico 2,901,472 10,498,468 Guatmal 6,115 6,115 Salvadr 41,788 62,381 Hondura 1,353,649 4,979,699 Dom Rep 57,618 151,535 Colomb 83,702 304,316 Brazil 89,141 153,833 Sweden 15,820 58,884 Norway 16,691 Finland 78,398 Denmark 128,469 611,292 U King 33,247 190,327 Nethlds 204,271 1,069,547 Belgium 158,376 499,819 France 6,896 48,004 Germany 201,463 827,208 Austria 2,252 Czech 266,950 377,081 Switzld 15,541 45,438 Latvia 8,875 Lithuan 19,390 137,324 Poland 89,540 164,652 Russia 5,880 5,880 Spain 155,045 431,060 Italy 406,700 1,448,367 Slvenia 7,566 13,850 Romania 29,806 90,884 Turkey 3,863 14,112 Israel 25,485 97,460 India 48,658 201,207 Pakistn 189,819 1,562,271 Sri Lka 347,883 1,159,886 Thailnd 324,072 1,571,286 Vietnam 10,693 79,517 Malaysa 30,593 95,136 Indnsia 58,500 234,826 China 29,723,298 110,266,836 Kor Rep 182,224 795,752 Hg Kong 725,058 3,172,787 Taiwan 1,105,199 4,453,347 Japan 65,550 293,966 Austral 328,038 Egypt 23,670 58,098 TOTAL 41,069,135 154,922,915
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sells this item mostly to customers that produce wound brooms. “There are a lot of different kinds of palmyra, and we used to have customers that put this fiber into push and street brooms. However, we don’t see much of that anymore,” Caddy said. “Most of the palmyra that we provide can be found in a wound broom. These tend to be special brooms for the roofing industry or used in snow removal where extra stiff material is needed for sweeping. These types of brooms would not be good for sweeping up fine dust particles, but they are great for outdoor situations such as spreading roofing tar, etc.” Along with fiber, the company provides other supplies to help its customers produce various types of brooms — as well as brushes and mops. This includes steel wire, which is used to either wind brooms and mops, or under special applications, to staple set brushes. R.E. Caddy also supplies nails, either for nail machines or to be used when making brooms by hand; polyethylene sewing twine for stitching brooms; broom knives and a variety of other tools used in the craft broom industry. “Those in the craft trade like a variety of knives, hand sewing needles and all kinds of threads and twines. It’s quite a variety of supplies,” Caddy said. “The bulk of our sales comes from commercial factories,
“Today’s fiber demands do not come close to 10 years ago in terms of total tonnage, but they have come back from a low period during the recent recession.” — R.E. Caddy & Co. President Richard Caddy
however, so for those customers it’s confined to broom corn, yucca and palmyra fiber, wood handles, steel wire, nails — these are the main components that we supply.” Traditionally, the strongest period of demand for R.E. Caddy’s supply of fiber runs from April through October when many special promotions take place within the commercial broom, mop and brush industries. This includes nationwide “spring cleaning” and “back to school” promotions that are designed to help spur the desire for cleaning products among the public. “This demand trend has held true during the past 12 months. Despite the slow economy, there still remains a steady need for cleaning tools,” Caddy said. “Some of our customers have been ordering less fiber than in the past, however, when the economy was stronger. “We always provide good customer service which helps. It’s very difficult to pick up new accounts as there are not many new broom and mop companies entering the U.S. marketplace. Therefore, it’s vital to take care of the current customer base and treat these people the best we can.” This focus on service includes warehouse management. “We work to help our larger accounts better manage their inventories. Rather than having them buy large quantities at any given time, they can purchase smaller amounts from us while knowing we have more product available in our own warehouse,” Caddy said. “By doing this, our customers don’t have to tie up a lot of resources when making their orders. It also helps us to purchase inventory from our suppliers on a regular basis. “Typically, larger commercial shipments for customers are pretty easy to put together. They often come with multiple orders and the material is often already on skids. It’s just a matter of putting the right address label on the shipment and calling a trucking company.” In looking ahead, Caddy said U.S. demand for natural fiber used in the production of brooms and brushes continues to be steady. “I’m not sure if we can ever say again that demand will grow since there is now a limited number of U.S. manufacturers left in the industry. Demand, however, has stayed steady as of late,” Caddy said.
July/August 2011
“Today’s fiber demands do not come close to 10 years ago in terms of total tonnage, but they have come back from a low period during the recent recession.” Contact: R.E. Caddy & Company, Inc., P.O. Box 14634, Greensboro, NC 27415. Phone: 336-273-3609; Fax: 336-378-6047. E-mail: sales@recaddy.com. Web site: www.recaddy.com.
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njoying a solid year thus far in 2011 is Brush Fibers, Inc. The Arcola, IL, company supplies such natural fibers as tampico, palmyra, sherbro, coco, arenga, bassine, rice root and horsehair. Synthetic filaments include polypropylene, polystyrene, PVC, PET and wire. Brush Fibers also supplies foam and solid plastic brush blocks. “We have seen a year-over-year improvement since the lows of 2008. However, challenges remain with continuing raw material increases and global commodity volatility,” Brush Fibers President Chris Monahan said. The company has multiple warehousing facilities in North America and a centralized headquarters in Arcola, which is located in Central Illinois. In addition, Brush Fibers has its own fleet of trucks and can combine orders with The Thomas Monahan Company and Monahan Filaments to reduce shipping costs for customers. Monahan said his business remains committed to customer service. “A consistent policy of efficiently shipping products within 24 hours and keeping a large stock of inventory, at competitive prices, provides many opportunities at our company,” he explained. “Customers appreciate this effort, which includes our ability at Brush Fibers to place quite a few different orders in one shipment to save on freight costs. “Brush Fibers will continue to concentrate on providing natural fibers, polypropylene and polystyrene, which will allow Monahan Filaments to invest more heavily in highly engineered resins.” The various fiber/filament items provided by Brush Fibers are used to make brush and broom products found in different markets, such as retail, household, janitorial/sanitary and industrial. These products include angle and push brooms as well as car wash and industrial brushes.
“The gap between the United States and overseas is getting smaller. Also, inflation is hitting China, which recently raised interest rates for the fifth time in the last nine months as prices there continue to rise fast.” — Brush Fibers President Chris Monahan
Monahan said polystyrene filament is particularly in high demand at the moment. Used in snow brushes, this filament has benefited from last winter’s heavy snow activity across large portions of the United States. “The filament also makes quality car wash and push brooms. It helps that more people are outside cleaning cars, garages, etc., now that the weather has turned warm,” Monahan said. He added that “recycling” and “green” continue to be important buzz words among customers. Brush Fibers helps satisfy those seeking environmentally friendly products through the supply of various types of natural fiber and recycled material. Natural fibers are considered a renewable resource, while PET is made from recycled plastic bottles. As a domestic fiber/filament supplier, Monahan feels encouraging signs are taking place that show certain U.S. manufacturers are focusing more on purchasing raw materials “at home.” “The gap between the United States and overseas is getting smaller.
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Also, inflation is hitting China, which recently raised interest rates for the fifth time in the last nine months as prices there continue to rise fast,” Monahan said. “I feel the business climate in the United States is getting better. “We all have challenges, but hopefully there are brighter days ahead for everybody. The growth of our company mostly tracks the U.S. brush manufacturing industry.” Contact: Brush Fibers, Inc., 202 N. Oak St., Arcola, IL 61910. Phone: 217-268-3012; Fax: 217-268-3245. E-mail: chris@brushfibers.com. Website: www.brushfibers.com.
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eporting on an increase in capacity is Hahl Inc., a manufacturer of synthetic bristle, nylon (6, 66, 612, 610), polyester, polypropylene, abrasive fiber Abrafil 612 and Hahlbrasif 6 for the brush industry. This capacity upgrade will enable Hahl Inc., to fulfill a desire to manufacture 90-plus percent of all products sold from its South Carolina plant. “Hahl Inc., is always looking for ways to remain competitive through
“Our industry depends on a healthy and growing economy. Market recovery in the automotive and housing industries is a key driver to a healthy brush industry.” — Hahl Inc., Sales Manager Terry Hogan
product innovation and competitive pricing. Our new plant expansion will drive the company toward this goal,” Terry Hogan, Hahl’s sales manager for North America, said. Other changes have also taken place. In February 2010, Martin Ohrinburg and Global Equity Partners acquired Hahl Inc. (USA), Hahl GmbH (Germany) and Pedex GmbH (Germany) from Lenzing AG. The new name of the company is Hahl-Pedex. “We are growing and focused on developing products that meet different markets requirements. This strategy has helped the Hahl Group become a leader in technical/industrial applications for bristle and abrasive products around the world,” Hogan said. “Our products are used in the brush market for many applications. These brushes are predominantly found within the technical brush market as well as the professional cleaning market.” Hahl Inc., sells many products from a generic list of stock that meet the needs of most customers. For individual orders, the company sells as little as one box to several thousand pounds. “In addition to our generic stock items, Hahl Inc., manages many custom stock programs for individual customers. This enables the company to offer short lead times and take advantage of manufacturing efficiencies,” Hogan said. “Our customers are then able to meet the delivery requirements for their own customers without increasing the value of raw materials.” When asked about specific challenges found in today’s brush industry, Hogan said the marketplace still has a long way to go when it comes to full recovery. “Our industry depends on a healthy and growing economy. Market recovery in the automotive and housing industries is a key driver to a healthy brush industry,” Hogan said. “However, product quality, service and price remain the most important requirements for Hogan Inc., in 2011.” Contact: Hahl Inc., 126 Glassmaster Rd., Columbia, SC 29072. Phone: 803-359-0706; Fax: 803-359-0074. E-mail: customerservice@hahl-pedex.com. Website: www.hahl-pedex.com.
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orking hard to maintain longtime relationships and establish new customer contacts remain the focus of MFC, Ltd., located in Laredo, TX. Primarily a supplier to natural fiber brush manufacturers, the company’s history runs 100-plus years. “We have worked hard throughout those years to find good suppliers of raw materials,” MFCs David Kalisz said. “Once we find these suppliers, we work with them for many years — sometimes through several generations. This has allowed us the ability to supply fibers with quality that is second to none. “We try to have the same long-term relationships with customers. We are thrilled to be able to say that our customers’ production departments value their relationship with MFC, as the fiber we supply works well with their machinery and provides less waste and better through-put. It’s also important to our customers’ purchasing departments that our prices remain competitive.” Among the fibers that MFC supplies are tampico, unión and patent fiber, horsehair and boar bristle mixtures, cattle hair, synthetic mixtures and tapered paintbrush mixtures. These fibers are used in the manufacturing of many types of brushes including household, paint, personal, industrial and janitorial. “Each of the different fibers that we sell has its own benefits. When we make a mixture of various fibers, the manufacturer can then tailor a brush to a certain application and/or price point,” Kalisz explained. “The benefit of a mixture is having all of the fibers, each with its own special characteristic, spread out evenly over the brush.” He added that overall business at MFC during the first half of 2011 has been slightly better than 2010, which was better than 2009. “I continue to be very optimistic due to the creativity of the companies that remain in the North American brush industry. I feel the businesses that have lived through the latest recession will do well as the economy improves,” Kalisz said. He added that most of the outsourcing in the brush industry has already taken place. Today’s North American brush manufacturers have been able to adapt and learn how to compete with imports where it benefits them to compete.
“I continue to be very optimistic due to the creativity of the companies that remain in the North American brush industry. I feel the businesses that have lived through the latest recession will do well as the economy improves.” — MFC, Ltd. David Kalisz
“These brush manufacturers understand the local customer requirements better as they are located in local markets and not offshore,” Kalisz said. “The North American brush manufacturer can react quickly to their customers’ needs. This is true whether a customer has an uptick in demand or must resolve a new problem with a specialized brush. Most North American brush manufacturers also allow their customers more opportunities to purchase in smaller quantities. “Due to MFCs long-term customer relationships — along with our quality, competitive pricing and willingness to customize mixtures used in brushes — we are confident that as our customers do well, we will also succeed.” Contact: MFC LTD, 1904 Freight St., Laredo, TX 78041. Phone: 800-TAMPICO (826-7426) or 956-724-5191; Fax: 956-725-8080. Email: info@mfc-usa.com; dkalisz@mfc-usa.com; paty@mfc-usa.com. Website: www.mfc-usa.com.
5
ire Suppliers
By Rick Mullen, Broom, Brush & Mop Associate Editor
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hile doing business in a sluggish U.S. economy, executives from five companies that supply wire products to the broom, brush and mop segments shared with Broom, Brush & Mop Magazine how their respective businesses have remained competitive. One of the challenges these companies have faced is the ever-present threat of rising raw materials costs that have been up and down since the recent recession hit in 2008 and 2009.
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he late Richard Earl “Tip” Caddy Sr. founded R.E. Caddy & Company, of Greensboro, NC, in 1958, and the company has been the exclusive sales representative for Southern Steel & Wire for more than 30 years. The company also supplies processed broom corn, palmyra and yucca fiber; wood broom, brush and mop handles; wet mop hardware and handles; polyethylene broom sewing twine; nails, knives and other supplies. “We can divide our wire accounts into three broad groups — people who wind brooms, people who wind mops and people who staple set brushes,” said R.E. Caddy President Richard Caddy, son of Earl Caddy Sr. “Also, within the brush segment, there are some people we sell to who use twist quality wire and anchor set wire. Richard Caddy Right now it seems our largest wire tonnage is probably for broom and mop winding. Brushes are a little more seasonal.” As far as raw materials are concerned, Caddy said there are no serious issues in availability or quality facing the company at this time. “We haven’t had any particular problem with the availability of the proper kind of steel we need in order for our customers to make their products,” Caddy said. “This can be somewhat tricky because with tin
“Price increases are something that could be on the horizon. A lot of what happens in this area is tied into worldwide demand and is beyond our control.” — R.E. Caddy President Richard Caddy
coated broom wire, a very good raw material must be used to get good adhesion to the tin. “With staple wire, the emphasis is on the quality of the basic steel itself. We must also, in house, control diameter and tinsel rate tolerances. We have not had any negative issues with this process.
“We haven’t had any particular problem with the availability of the proper kind of steel we need in order for our customers to make their products.” — R.E. Caddy President Richard Caddy “We have seen fluctuations in the price of steel over the past year. It seems like prices have kind of leveled out somewhat. Nonetheless, we did have some pretty good run-ups in steel, not only for wire, but also for mop hardware. “It has been fairly steady for the past couple of months, but you never know. Price increases are something that could be on the horizon. A lot of what happens in this area is tied into worldwide demand and is beyond our control. If Asian manufacturing picks up and comes back strong, it will put pressure on the market worldwide for availability, as well as pricing.” R.E. Caddy’s diversity and flexibility with wire have allowed it to offer quality customer service to both small and large customers. The company’s traditional ability to quickly turn around orders is even more important as customers are seeking to keep inventories low as a cost saving measure. “We work with customers to help them anticipate when they are going to need product,” Caddy said. “Many manufacturers would rather give us a blanket order with the understanding that a certain amount of product must be available on demand. Southern Steel & Wire has always been good at this. We have been with them for 34 years as their sales rep and we have never had a negative issue with product availability. We can quickly get product out the door.” Another important aspect of R.E. Caddy’s customer service effort is its commitment to quality control. Quality control programs are in place at R.E. Caddy’s facility, where nothing is taken for granted, Caddy said. Southern Steel & Wire is also committed to quality control as both com-
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panies constantly strive to offer the best products available to maintain a competitive edge. “We have been in business for 53 years and we remain as ready and willing as ever to serve our customers,” Caddy said. Contact: R.E. Caddy & Company, Inc., P.O. Box 14634, Greensboro, NC 27415. Phone: 336-273-3609; Fax: 336-378-6047. E-mail: sales@recaddy.com. Website: www.recaddy.com.
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or 63 years, the Jewel Wire Company, of Pomfret, CT, has been serving the brush industry, while establishing a reputation of providing quality and service to its customers. “Jewel Wire was founded to produce fine diameter brush wire for the brush industry,” said Jewel Wire General Manager Sam Dixon. “The company has grown over the years and has gone through several owners.” Jewel Wire was founded in Belleville, NJ, in 1948 by John Mustica. In the early 1960s, the company was purchased by John Giannuzzi, who would own it for the next 25 years. During Giannuzzi’s tenure as owner, the company’s customer base grew to many small and large wire brush manufacturers in the United States and Canada. Also, during this time, the company’s product line grew to include stainless steel wire. In December 1986, Jewel Wire was sold to National Standard Company. Following a move to a larger facility in Mount Joy, PA, Dixon became general manager. On Aug. 16, 1991, Jewel Wire was sold to Loos & Sons Incorporated, based in Pomfret, CT. By January 1993 Jewel Wire had relocated to Pomfret, near the main Loos factory. Loos manufactures a wide variety of wire, aircraft cable and wire rope for aerospace, military, and commercial applications. In the fall of 2000, Jewel Wire acquired an additional 13,000 square feet of space for manufacturing and stocking products for distribution. “We manufacture stainless steel, brass rods, nickel silver, high carbon and low carbon steel material used for the fill in brushes and also staple set and stem wire,” Dixon said. “Excellent service, quality and competitive pricing have made us successful over the years.” Sam Dixon In addition to supplying North American brush manufacturers, Jewel Wire also services international markets, including The United Kingdom, Mexico, Germany, South Africa and South Korea. Dixon reported that sales are up from the deep recession years of 2008 and 2009. “Usage is up and we are all very happy about that,” he said. “However, business is not quite what we would like.” One of the main economic challenges Jewel Wire faces is the high cost of raw materials, especially copper. “Most of the products we deal with, especially the copper-based alloys, are being heavily impacted by speculators who drive up the price,” Dixon said. “Copper is at an all-time high and that is adversely impacting the prices we have to charge our customers. They, in turn, pass the price increases on to their customers. It is not a happy situation for anybody. “I think the government should try to figure out how to take speculators out of this equation. It is going to be a major challenge if copper doesn’t come down pretty soon and we can’t stabilize prices. “All through the 1980s and 1990s, the pricing was so stable on brush wire that year after year companies could use the same price schedules. In the 2000s, speculators got involved and it has just been a nightmare.
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“Right now, we are managing costs and trying to stabilize pricing as much as possible, not only for Jewel Wire’s sake, but also for the customer’s sake.” Despite the challenges set forth by the economy and rising material costs, Dixon is optimistic about Jewel Wire’s future. “Jewel Wire is going to be around for a lot of years. We have a good diversity of products. We can offer many types of wire in a lot of differ-
“Most of the products we deal with, especially the copper-based alloys, are being heavily impacted by speculators who drive up the price. Copper is at an all-time high and that is adversely impacting the prices we have to charge our customers.” — Jewel Wire General Manager Sam Dixon ent packages,” Dixon said. “When the brush industry comes out of these down economic times, Jewel Wire will be there to meet its needs.” Dixon credited the company’s leadership throughout the years with keeping it prosperous and competitive through good times and bad. “The people who have owned the company basically decided that they were going to run it to serve the needs of the brush industry, which was a really wise decision,” Dixon said. “Jewel Wire has, and continues, to concentrate on the brush industry. The company didn’t go after a lot of different industries or other products. We could have, but the decision was made to serve the brush industry, and that is what we have done.”
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As for Dixon’s future, he is set to retire in a couple of months, completing a distinguished 48-year career. “I have been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to deal with so many outstanding people and companies. I really feel blessed and very thankful that I had the opportunity to work in the brush industry and supply brush manufacturers,” Dixon said. “There are many privately owned companies with outstanding owners. They are all class acts. Jewel Wire also deals with corporations. We are very fortunate that the corporations we deal with have some very good people. I have been very fortunate — 48 years is a long time to be in one industry. “I wish everybody in the brush industry the best in the future and thank them all for being so good to me all these years.” Contact: The Jewel Wire Company, Route 101, Pomfret, CT 06258. Phone: 860-928-6681; Email: sales@jewelwire.com. Website: www.jewelwire.com.
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stablished in 1996, Stainless Steel Products, a division of RMR International Co., Inc., of Deer Park, NY, focuses on the sale of wire and value-added wire products to American manufacturers and distributors. SSP specializes in manufacturing wire to customers’ specifications. The company says it stocks and distributes products for quick shipments and just-in-time deliveries. SSP offerings include high-fatigue resistant wire, including brush fills, staple wire, scratch brush wire, power brush wire, crimped wire, retaining wire, straightened and cut-to-length wire, winding wire, stranded wire and flat wire. The company’s wire products are used in such applications as power brushes, scratch brushes, crimped and crimped wheel brushes, strip brushes and twisted in wire brushes. SSP also offers stainless steel and galvanized strip. Following the depth of the recession in 2008 and 2009, SSP’s business improved in 2010, and the trend continues into 2011. Ralph Rosenbaum “This year is better than last year,” said SSP President Ralph Rosenbaum. “We are not going gangbusters, but business is good. Sales of crimped fila-
“Steel prices have been relatively stable recently. They have gone up and down, but they seem to be fairly stable at this point, barring any major changes in the economy.” — SSP President Ralph Rosenbaum
ment brush wire are going fairly well, and have shown the most improvement in sales since last year. We have improved some of our machinery, and we increased our crimping capacity as a result of adding another machine.” While steel prices showed extreme fluctuations during the recession years, the up and down nature of steel pricing has leveled off the past couple of years. “Steel prices have been relatively stable recently. They have gone up and down, but they seem to be fairly stable at this point, barring any major changes in the economy,” Rosenbaum said. Rosenbaum is cautious about predicting how future steel prices would
July/August 2011
play out. “While I don’t see raw material prices changing very much, with what is going on in Washington, it is hard to predict anything,” Rosenbaum said. “The uncertainty of the economy is the main challenge, because some people don’t want to commit to adding lines and hiring people. “SSP’s ability to be flexible in offering the best in customer service extends to its ‘friendly’ attitude toward trying new products, prototyping, innovations and working with customers to develop new products. Another area where the company’s flexibility is seen is its effort to quickly supply customers with what they need.” Because of the continuing sluggishness of the economy, many companies are continuing to strive to keep their inventories as low as possible. SSP’s ability and willingness to handle emergency shipments and to offer quick turnaround times have proven to be extremely important to customers. “People are keeping inventories low more than ever,” Rosenbaum said. Another effective way SSP has helped some customers during the down economy is by offering blanket orders. Blanket orders allow a customer to lock in a price for several months and they also give SSP more
“People are keeping inventories low more than ever.” — SSP President Ralph Rosenbaum opportunity to plan ahead. “We stock material for customers. It helps them in terms of reducing their inventory and helps us with sales as well,” Rosenbaum said. “Some customers just prefer to buy every month without an order. Blanket orders kind of secure everything. They keep the prices stable.” In addition to the brush industry, SSP also services many other segments, including aircraft maintenance and the manufacturers of cable, chains, custom specialty products, dental products, filters, flexible metal hose, jewelry, medical products, pool safety cover hardware, springs, staples, wire for thread and yarn, wire braid and wire cloth. Looking down the road, Rosenbaum is optimistic that SSP will continue to prosper. “We are constantly working to be more efficient,” Rosenbaum said. “We have lean practices in place and we continue to further improve our quality.” Another area in which SSP has shown significant advancement is in its exporting efforts. “We are working to expand our exports going forward, especially with the low dollar,” Rosenbaum said. “Our exports are really up this year.” As the company moves forward, Rosenbaum said it would continue its historical long-suit of building relationships and serving the individual needs of customers. “Customers have different ways they like to be serviced,” he said. “Our goal is to continue to adapt and meet expectations, if not exceed them. We seek to minimize disappointments and to maximize the upside.” Contact: Stainless Steel Products, 561-T Acorn St., Deer Park, NY 11729. Phone: 631-243-1500. Web site: www.stainlesswires.com. E-mail: sales@stainlesswires.com.
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elebrating its 20th anniversary in August, Mount Joy Wire Corporation, of Mount Joy, PA, offers a wide variety of high quality wire products, including high and low carbon, regular tempered, high fatigue, scratch, untempered steel, brass plated and stainless steel. Fred Krieger is the owner of MJW, and Tom Duff, is the president. Fred Krieger’s son, Ty Krieger, has been with the company for nearly
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two years and is vice president of operations. Servicing the industrial brush industry, MJW’s motto is “You are never
“With the weak dollar, some companies don’t want to sell in the United States, because they can sell their products at a higher value somewhere else. Likewise, our pricing becomes more attractive for overseas sales.” — MJW Director of Sales & Marketing George Belforti far from our wire.” The motto reflects the many applications of the company’s offerings, including fishhooks, disposable lighters, cable, oil filters, musical instruments, among others. While the company makes wire products for other segments, it dedicates more square feet of its facility to the brush industry. In the manufacture of brush wire, MJW uses mostly tempered wire. The company installed a new tempering line just before the economic crash in the latter part of 2008. “This past year is the first time we have sold as much tempered wire per month as we have hard drawn wire,” said MJW Director of Sales & Marketing George Belforti. Tempered wire undergoes a process involving heat treating and quenching in oil to change the structure of the wire for special applications. Typical tempered wire types include brush wire, spring wire, cable core wire, flat wire, shape wire, lay wire and specialty wire. MJW weathered the worst of the recession in 2008 and much of 2009. In the latter part of 2009, business began to improve dramatically. “This past year, 2010, was our best year ever,” Belforti said. “This year (2011) has not been as robust as last year, but it still has been a good year, thus far. We had a tough time in 2008 and 2009. However, one of our competitors went out of business, which gained us a lot of market share. That is why 2010 was the best year we ever had.” To further enhance its production capabilities, MJW recently brought online a new rod mill breakdown machine. “It is a mega-machine, compared to some of our other equipment,” Belforti said. “It is a 12-pass machine as opposed to our 5- and 6-pass machines, which means it can perform double the amount of passes at quadruple the speed.” While business is good at this time, there are challenges and issues to be considered down the road. “We always have challenges. We are an old industry. The steel segment, lovingly called a ‘smokestack industry,’ is an old industry,” Belforti said. “There are very few companies manufacturing steel wire in this country. The economy is not great and the dollar value is weak, which makes some people kind of upset. However, a weak dollar to a company like MJW is beneficial, because it helps take imports out of the picture. “With the weak dollar, some companies don’t want to sell in the United States, because they can sell their products at a higher value somewhere else. Likewise, our pricing becomes more attractive for overseas sales. Recently, we assigned a person to The United Kingdom to handle our European sales. We are hopeful that we are going to grow, even in a market that is very mature.” Along with the economy, another issue MJW must deal with is the continuing rise of the cost of steel. “We just received an increase for August,” Belforti said. “There is really no major reason for steel prices to continue upward. Usually the price of steel has a tendency to follow scrap prices, but scrap prices are not going up.
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“In North America, there is very little outside competition coming in anymore. This gives the North American steel companies a little bit of a free reign on pricing. The demand for steel is up somewhat because the auto industry is gaining a little traction. Furthermore, steel mills are taking their summer shutdowns, causing an interference in production. This results in a lack of supply that is bringing up demand.” Located in picturesque Lancaster County, noted for its beautiful farmland and large Amish population, MJW is keenly aware of protecting the environment. MJW is poised to complete an environmentally friendly George Belforti project in October. Last year, the company received a $1.3 million state grant toward the installation of an electric generator. “The generator is supposed to generate 25 percent of our electricity and, hopefully, accomplish most of the heating of our chemical baths,” Belforti said. “Not only are we going to generate some electricity for ourselves, but we are also going to generate the heat for our chemical baths, meaning we won’t have to generate steam from our boilers. This is where the important savings will be. “We try to be as ‘green’ as we can. We did a complete changeover of our lighting system to low energy bulbs. It saved a considerable amount of electricity.” When it comes to marketing the company, Belforti reported that MJW is adopting a more aggressive approach. “We have hired a new agency to help us with our marketing program. Also, we are going to be rolling out a brand new website shortly,” Belforti said. “These efforts are part of our new push in the marketing area.” When it comes to customer service, MJW’s “advocacy” approach has
“In North America, there is very little outside competition coming in anymore. This gives the North American steel companies a little bit of a free reign on pricing. The demand for steel is up somewhat because the auto industry is gaining a little traction.” — MJW Director of Sales & Marketing George Belforti proven to be a successful one. This program involves MJW staff members who are each assigned to be an “advocate” for some of the company’s top customers. The way the program works is, anytime a customer has a need, an “advocate” will handle the needs of that customer, almost on a fulltime basis. Another ongoing customer service effort, especially important to customers during these lean economic times, is maintaining short lead times on orders. In discussing the success of MJW over the years, Belforti praised Fred Krieger’s foresight and leadership. Fred Krieger had worked for another company for 35 years that decided to scale back. That company decided to divest itself of the current MJW operation. Fred Krieger purchased the facility. “When MJW began on Aug. 16, 1991, about 50 percent of the work force was laid off and the facility had not been maintained by the former owner,” Dixon said. “Fred Krieger said the first thing to do was to fill the
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plant up and make it work 24/7. The plant used to operate Monday through Friday and shut down over the weekend. We went to 4, 12-hour shifts, working 7 days a week. “Even though we didn’t have the business at that time, Fred Krieger was determined to make it work. Once we did that, we flourished. Even though we started in a recession in 1991, we came out of it flying, and we never looked back.” Contact: Mount Joy Wire Corporation, 1000 E. Main St., Mount Joy, PA 17552-9505. Phone: 717-653-1461; Toll Free: 800-321-2305; Fax: 717-653-0221. Email: sales@mjwire.com. Website: www.mjwire.com.
F
or more than a half a century, Deligh Industries, Inc., of Brooklyn, NY, has served the broom, brush and mop industries, offering tinned wire for corn brooms, galvanized broom bands, brush stapling wire, oil-tempered wire, stainless steel wire, nickel silver wire and brass wire. “We currently sell every type of wire that is used in the broom, brush and mop industry,” said Deligh Industries President Robert Deligdish. Rudolph Deligdish DELIGH INDUSTRIES INC. founded the company in Brooklyn and originally supplied animal fiber for the brush market. About 25 years ago, the company made the transition from the animal fiber market to the wire market. “In general, business has been relatively strong,” Robert Deligdish said. “Looking at the brush industry, we are no longer selling nearly as much corn broom wire as we had previously. However, we are selling significantly more wire related to other segments of the brush industry.” After reaching unprecedented highs in 2007, steel prices backed off somewhat, but now are on the rise again. “The price of steel has risen over the past year,” Deligdish reported. “The rise is primarily due to a lack of imports of steel rod, the rise in the cost of energy and in the cost of the raw materials used to produce steel. We don’t see any abatement in the rise at this time.”
“The price of steel has risen over the past year. The rise is primarily due to a lack of imports of steel rod, the rise in the cost of energy and in the cost of the raw materials used to produce steel. We don’t see any abatement in the rise at this time.” — Deligh Industries President Robert Deligdish In addition to wire products, Deligh Industries also provides many varieties of brush blocks and broom handles. The company recently began selling injection molded mop parts as well. “Approximately a year ago, my father began selling brush blocks to the trade, and we now stock many different styles and varieties of brush blocks,” Deligdish said. “The company has been very successful in this endeavor and sales has grown dramatically since my father entered this business.” As the economy slogs on, many companies are continuing the practice of keeping inventories as low as possible as a cost cutting measure. Deligh helps customers to keep inventories low by stocking a large inven-
July/August 2011
tory of the popular sizes of wires and its ability to manufacture specialty wires with short lead times. “We stock 95 percent of the products we sell,” Deligdish said. “We maintain an extremely large inventory of raw materials as well as finished goods, so that we can focus on customer service. Our ability to ship the next day has had a dramatic effect on our company.” Looking down the road, Deligdish said he sees a “strong” future for Deligh Industries. “Some of the challenges going forward are maintaining a strong level of sales in an industry where we are faced with the consolidation of manufacturers,” Deligdish said. “The primary cause of the success of this company has been the knowledge, experience and hard work of my father, Rudy Deligdish. I’ve tried to emulate my father in many ways and, hopefully, I will be able to come close to what he has accomplished.” Contact: Deligh Industries, Inc., 255 Conover Street, Brooklyn, New York 11231. Phone: 718-875-1511; Email: rdeligdish@aol.com. Website: www.delighindustries.com.
INDUSTRY CALENDAR OF EVENTS SEPT. 29 - OCT. 1, 2011 53rd FEIBP Congress, Vienna, Austria Information: www.eurobrush.com
OCTOBER 18 - 21, 2011 ISSA/INTERCLEAN®, Las Vegas, NV Information: 800-225-4772
November 17-18 2011 National Broom & Mop Meeting, St. Louis, MO Information: 217-379-2377
MARCH 7 - 10, 2012 ABMA Annual Convention, Palm Beach Gardens, FL Information: 720-392-ABMA (2262)
MARCH 11 - 13, 2012 International Home & Housewares Show, Chicago, IL, Information: 847-292-4200
MAY 1 - 3, 2012 National Hardware Show, Las Vegas, NV Information: 203-840-5622
MAY 9 - 11, 2012 ISSA/INTERCLEAN® - Amsterdam (NL) Information: 847-982-0800
MAY 9 - 11, 2012 InterBrush, Freiburg, Germany Information: www.inter-brush.com
July/August 2011
BROOM, BRUSH & MOP
INDUSTRY NEWS
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PFERD Inc. And PFERD Milwaukee Brush Co. Announce Major Operations Upgrade Investment PFERD INC., the American subsidiary of August Rüggeberg GmbH and Co. of Marienheide, Germany, a 212-year-old company working in the design and manufacture of abrasive tools, power brushes, maintenance brushes and power tools, has completed its consolidation of all U.S. production and distribution operations into one 100,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility, located at 9201 Heather Ave., Milwaukee, WI. The building was purchased by PFERD in January and all production equipment and inventory have been moved to this location. Advance Brush products had previously been located in Menonomee Falls, WI, while PFERD distribution operations and production work had been handled at the PFERD INC. headquarters in Leominster, MA. The PFERD Massachusetts building has been sold, but executive headquarters with financial, marketing,
PFERD’s Milwaukee facility and customer service staff remaining in that state will move to new offices located in a nearby community. PFERD President Gene Huegin pointed out the advantages this investment can bring to customers and to PFERD’s operations. “First, this consolidated facility means that our distributors will have one-order, one-shipment, one-invoice service they require to reduce
Shown, left to right, are Jim Rüggeberg, CEO, and Joern Bielenberg, CEO, of August Rüggeberg GmbH & Co.; Robert Puente, Milwaukee alderman; and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.
BROOM CAPS
their costs. Second, our combined inventory of abrasive tools and brushes is now more centrally located for distribution purposes, making for quicker and easier shipping to our customers. Finally, with the company’s strong growth in recent years, we needed a larger and more leading-edge facility. When the opportunity arose to buy the 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Milwaukee it just made sense to purchase it and have ownership equity value, along with a permanent and significant upgrade in capabilities,” Huegin said. Veteran PFERD executive, Sam Birel, led all details of the consolidation move and will remain as vice president, operations in charge of the new Wisconsin facility. He will continue to report to Huegin. Birel commented on the commitment PFERD has made in this undertaking. “This is a major investment by PFERD to put our company in the best position to serve our distributors now and in the years to come. This is our permanent home and we equipped and stocked it the way we know will enable us to meet the abrasive and brush product needs of the metalworking, welding and construction markets well into the future,” Birel said.
BRUSH and HANDLE FERRULES
MANUFACTURING INCORPORATED P.O. Box 6505
Wolcott, CT 06716
Phone 203-879-1481
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BROOM, BRUSH & MOP
July/August 2011
PelRay International Welcomes New Logistics & Customer Service Director PelRay International’s CEO Mike McKenzie and COO Raymond LeBlanc recently announced that Raul Gonzalez has been named logistics & customer service director. In his new position, Gonzalez will be responsible for oversight of customer service, freight traffic and inventory control. According to McKenzie and LeBlanc, although new to the industry, Gonzalez brings vast experience to this position with over 20 years as a manager for a U.S. Customs Brokerage in Laredo, TX. LeBlanc noted, “I’ve known Raul for over 30
years and he is exceptional in customer service and has earned the respect and friendship of many.” McKenzie also added, “In addition to Raul’s strong commitment to exemplary customer service, he has also served his country in a distinguished career with the Texas State Guard, retiring in 2006 as colonel.” “I’m excited to begin a new career with PelRay International, a company known worldwide for its ability to match customers with the products they need at the best prices,” Gonzalez said. “Working with the PelRay sales team of Ray, Bart Pelton and David McGee, I’m confi-
Raul Gonzalez and Ray LeBlanc dent that we’ll continue to bring new products to our customers within a framework of stellar customer service.” Gonzalez is married to Carmen, a retired school teacher. They have twin sons, Juan and Ricardo, and four grandsons.
Zahoransky Group Develops New Website/Social Networks Customers, partners and interested parties can get comprehensive information on the Zahoransky Group and its business areas by visiting www.zahoransky-group.com, the company’s new website. Besides accessing in-depth machine descriptions, visitors also have the option of directly contacting respective contact persons. Supplementing the website, customers, partners and interested parties can also directly contact Zahoransky through Facebook. Interested persons keen on knowing about
issues dealing with brush production, mold making, packaging machines and systems technolo-
gy get informed, relations are built, and business as well as customer processes are supported. Videos on systems such as the Z.TIGER demonstrate the operating mode and functionalities as well as support sales. Besides Facebook, Zah-oransky is also represented on the micro-blogging platform Twitter. Here, short company messages are published. In addition, new machines are presented, photos shown and trade fair dates are announced. Visit www.zahoransky-group.com for more information.
July/August 2011
BROOM, BRUSH & MOP
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U.S. Imports 80 Short Tons Of Broom Corn In May By Harrell Kerkhoff Broom, Brush & Mop Editor
For the second straight month, 80 short tons of broom corn were imported into the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, which recently released its May 2011 import figures. Total value of May’s import was $167,412, with a cost per ton of $2,093 ($1.05 per pound). All imported broom corn for May came from Mexico. After the first five months of 2011, 307 short tons of broom corn had been imported into the United States. Total value of this import was $632,025, with a cost per ton of $2,059 ($1.03 per pound). In comparison, a total of 353 short tons of broom corn entered the United States after the first five months of 2010. Total value of this broom corn was $1,039,099, with a cost per ton of $2,944 ($1.47 per pound). All but 9 short tons of broom corn during the first five months of 2011 were imported from Mexico. The remaining broom corn came from Chile in February. Bart Pelton, of PelRay International, LLC, in San Antonio, TX, felt the total value of May’s imported Mexican broom corn was too
low. He noted, however, that the current trend of all imported broom corn arriving from Mexico remains active. “There is not enough business out there to really make it worthwhile to import broom corn from anywhere else,” Pelton said. Future broom corn imports will likely come from the first major harvest of the season in the Torreon region of Mexico. This area normally experiences a large harvest beginning in July. Pelton said his business partner, Ray LeBlanc, recently returned from a visit to Mexico where he had an opportunity to inspect some of this new broom corn. LeBlanc reported that the quality of the broom corn was good, while the size of the new crop is probably going to be smaller compared to last year. “There is also still a fair amount of carry-over processed broom corn available from Mexico, particularly insides,” Pelton said. “Some processors are even asking buyers to purchase a certain percentage of insides in order to receive hurl.” Meanwhile, Pelton reported that prices have recently increased 15 percent for raw Mexican broom corn. “This is not a big surprise. In fact, I think we are fortunate it’s only 15 percent considering what prices have jumped to for other agricultural crops,” Pelton said. “Overall, demand for broom corn has shrunk since last year. The corn broom market is smaller. It seems broom
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corn supplies are still adequate when considering the new crop and carry-over material available on the market.” When asked about yucca fiber, Pelton said there hasn’t been much change in pricing during the past month. He feels this trend will continue. “The weather is good for processing yucca fiber, so there shouldn’t be any problem with supply,” Pelton said. “Yucca fiber produced this time of year, however, can have some issues with color. The sun is very direct in the sky right now and may bleach the fiber during the drying process.” Richard Caddy, of R.E. Caddy & Co., Inc., in Greensboro, NC, also said that May’s reported broom corn value average of $1.05 per pound looked too low. “When combining hurl, insides and raw corn it should be in the $1.30 per pound range,” Caddy said. He added that initial reports out of Mexico have indicated the first
July/August 2011
Torreon broom corn harvest of 2011 will probably not be as large compared to past years. Meanwhile, processors in Mexico are starting to receive the recently harvested material. “I haven’t seen any of the new Torreon broom corn as of yet. It’s possible I could receive some very soon,” Caddy said, when interviewed on July 27. “Right now, I am still working off of 2010 carryover broom corn, which remains in decent quality. There is not an overwhelming amount of carry-over broom corn left, but enough to meet today’s demands. There might be a problem if someone wants a lot of short hurl from this carry-over, but the market usually doesn’t demand a whole lot of real short hurl. I have customers who use it, but not in huge quantities.” He added that even some of the No. 2 carry-over broom corn is of decent quality. As far as future Mexican broom corn pricing is concern, Caddy feels it’s necessary to take a wait-and-see attitude. “We will have to see what kind of tonnage actually comes in from this year’s first Torreon harvest as well as demand from the United States and Mexico,” he said. In discussing the current state of yucca fiber, Caddy said availability remains in the three to four week range, while quality is good. “I haven’t had any recent trouble receiving yucca fiber. Typically, 14-, 16- and 18-inch fiber are the most popular sizes, along with some 20-inch material,” Caddy said. Tim Monahan, of The Thomas Monahan Co., in Arcola, IL, was unavailable for comment for this month’s broom corn dealer survey.
FOR SALE Baltimore broom stitcher, very good working condition, no missing parts, 110v. Limited use by a blind man. Price $3,800. Also, Johnson metal broom vice, electric corn de-seeder 110v and older electric broom and mop winder 110v. Price $1,600. For more information call: 740-626-2676
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