98th abma convention coverage - broom, brush & mop … · 98th abma convention coverage...

March/April 2015

Broom, Brush & Mop MagazineS E R V I N G T H E I N D U S T R Y S I N C E 1 9 1 2 ABMA Holds 98th Annual Convention

98th ABMAConventionCoverage

Reshoring: BringingManufacturing JobsBack To The U.S.

California’s Prop. 65

2015 ABMASuppliers DisplayPhoto Gallery

2015 Housewares Show Photo Gallery

2014 Year-EndImport/Export

Totals

Raw MaterialReport

www.zahoransky.com

“RUSI Cosmetic is one of the lead-

ing companies in the cosmetics

industry. We have been cooperating with ZAHORANSKY for years on the

strength of their reliable and durable machines. The company has an excep-

tional wealth of experience at its disposal and always delivers well thought

out designs combined with exemplary service and support.”

Karl Schwarz, RUSI Cosmetic GmbH & Co. KG, Germany

Associations

Rankin Publishing, Inc.204 E. Main St., P.O. Box 130 • Arcola, IL 61910-0130, USAPhone: (217) 268-4959 • Fax: (217) 268-4815 Website: www.rankinpublishing.com

On the cover: ABMA outgoing president Jeff Malish, left, welcomes new ABMA president Mark Fultz.

CO-PUBLISHERSDon Rankin [email protected]

Linda Rankin [email protected]

EDITORHarrell [email protected]

ASSOCIATE EDITORRick [email protected]

GRAPHICS/PRODUCTIONAndrew WebbDavid Opdyke

RECEPTIONMisty Douglas

AMERICAN BRUSH MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION736 Main Ave., Suite 7, Durango, CO 81301 • (720) 392-2262

AMERICAN HARDWARE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION801 North Plaza Drive, Schaumburg, IL 60173-4977 • (847) 605-1025

FEIBP EUROPEAN BRUSH FEDERATIONP.O. Box 90154, 5000 LG Tilburg, The Netherlands • 00 31 13 5944 678

INTERNATIONAL SANITARY SUPPLY ASSOCIATION7373 N. Lincoln Avenue, Lincolnwood, IL 60646-1799 • (847) 982-0800

INTERNATIONAL HOUSEWARES ASSOCIATION6400 Shafer Court, Suite 650, Rosemont, IL 60018 • (847) 292-4200

Staff

A RANKIN PUBLISHING PUBLICATION March/April 2015 | Volume 105, Number 2 Magazine

PG 4 BBM MAGAZINE | MAR/APR 2015

Index Of Advertisers

Broom, Brush & Mop

ABMA....................................................55

American Select Tubing...........................18

Borghi USA ................................Back Cover

Caddy & Co., Inc., R.E. ...........................44

Deco Products Co. ..................................23

Distribuidora Perfect, S.A. .......................39

DuPont Filaments ...................................11

Garelick .................................................25

Gordon Brush Mfg. Co. Inc. .....................19

Himesa ............................................17, 21

Jiasheng Products...................................24

Jones Companies ......................................7

Lemieux .............................................Cover

Loos & Co. .............................................25

Monahan Filaments...................................9

Monahan Partners...................................20

Northeast - Brazil ...................................13

PelRay International..................................2

PMM .....................................................15

Royal Paint Roller ...................................43

Rubbermaid ...........................................28

St. Nick Brush........................................27

Wolf Filaments .........................................5

Zahoransky...............................................3

New ABMA President, Mark Fultz:“We Are An Association Of Brush Makers, But More Than That We Are An Association Of Friends.” _____________________6

Reshoring: Working To Bring Good PayingManufacturing Jobs Back To The U.S. _________16

How California’s Prop. 65 Could Affect You ____22

Jones Companies, Ltd., Announces Corporate Management Restructuring__________26

2015 ABMA Suppliers Display Photo Gallery ______30

2015 Housewares Show Photo Gallery___________51

Industry News ______________________49, 50, 53

Imports, Exports Mixed Bag For All Of 2014 ___40

December 2014 Import & Export Statistics____________________41

Features

Imports/Exports

Celebrating all that the brush and related industries have to offerin North America and beyond, the 98th American BrushManufacturers Association (ABMA) Annual Convention

took place March 17-21 at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort in St.Petersburg, FL.

It was reported that 259 people attended the event, an increase ofalmost 11 percent from the prior year, to hear guest speakers, learnabout industry reports, attend the annual Suppliers Display and network.

Among the guest speakers were Bruce Nye, who spoke on“Understanding California Prop. 65,” Harry Moser, who gave apresentation on “Reshoring,” and Mark Mayfield, who discussed“Manage Change Using Creativity.”

“I think everything went extremely well this week,” ABMAPresident Jeff Malish, of The Malish Corporation, Willoughby, OH,said during the Closing Business Session on March 21.

He noted there were 24 first-time attendees at this year’s annualconvention, along with 45 exhibitor displays, 52 active (manufacturer)members and 49 affiliate (supplier) members present.

“I hope everyone has enjoyed their stay. It’s always a fun time. Thereis also a lot of learning that goes on,” Malish said, whose two-year termas ABMA president came to a close at the conclusion of this year’sannual meeting.

The ABMA officers elected to new two-year terms during the ClosingBusiness Session were: President — Mark Fultz, of AbtexCorporation, Dresden, NY; Vice President — Carlos Petzold, ofBodam International/Borghi USA, Aberdeen, MD; and Treasurer —Scott Enchelmaier, of Industrial Brush Company, Fairfield, NJ.

Malish will remain on the ABMA Board as Immediate PastPresident.

Toward the end of the Closing Business Session, Fultz thanked

“We Are An Association Of Brush Makers, But MoreThan That We Are An Association Of Friends.”

New ABMA President Mark Fultz:

New President Mark Fultz, right, presented outgoing president JeffMalish with a crystal bowl and a new set of golf clubs in appreciation

for his service to ABMA.

ABMA Got Rhythm--President Jeff Malish was drafted into a precisiondrum group using tools of the brush trade.

By Harrell Kerkhoff | Broom, Brush & Mop Editor

Steve Workman, right, was recognized for his years of service to ABMA by Jeff Malish.

Ian Moss was recognized for his years of service to ABMA. He was also presented “a tribute as the ABMA member

most resembling Albert Einstein.”


Malish for his work as ABMA president, and presented him with a newset of golf clubs in appreciation.

“Jeff and all of the ABMA Board of Directors have put in a lot of hardwork to ensure the convention, and association in general, movesforward and remains vibrant,” Fultz said. “There is plenty ofcommitment involved, such as attending many committee meetings andtraveling. For somebody like Jeff, who has been involved with thisassociation for such a long time, it’s a long road, but it’s also anenjoyable road. It’s something that we all (on the ABMA Board ofDirectors) tremendously enjoy.

“We are an association of brush makers, but more than that, we are anassociation of friends. For those of us who serve on the ABMA Board,the friendships are what really keeps us coming back and committed tothe association.

“I can personally speak of the commitment that Jeff has made to thisassociation over the years. He has been a champion of ABMA and isleaving some very big shoes to fill. He is also part of a family legacywith ABMA. His father, Terry Malish, served as ABMA president inthe early 1980s. I’m sure it has been very satisfying for Terry to see hisson serving as president.”

Fultz added that it’s a honor of his to lead ABMA for the next twoyears.

“I know that these two years are going to go by very quickly,” he said.Malish finished his service as ABMA president by encouraging other

members of the association to look into becoming part of the board ofdirectors.

“It’s a truly rewarding experience. I have found that you will getmuch more out of the experience than you put into it,” Malish said.

Two outgoing board members for ABMA were also recognized at theClosing Business Session. They were Ian Moss, of Static Faction, Inc.,Salem, MA, who served as ABMA president from 2011 to 2013 as wellas many other posts with the association; and Steve Workman, ofWooster Brush, Wooster, OH, who also served many different roles overthe years for ABMA, including the past chairmanship of the ABMAPaint Applicator Division.

“I have been on the board, and involved with this association, for along time, and it’s been wonderful,” Moss said. “It’s a great experiencefor a guy like me, who runs a small company, to have the opportunity towork with, and learn from, people who run very large companies. It’sbeen life changing.”

Workman stated: “I have been able to get to know a lot of greatpeople, and encourage everyone to become involved with thisassociation.”

Committee Reports Highlight Closing Business Session

Various ABMA committee reports were presented during thisyear’s Closing Business Session. This included the ABMAFinance Committee report, presented by Chair Carlos

Petzold, who gave a positive review on the association’s finances.ABMA Convention Committee Chair Mark Fultz reported that it’s

the mission of the committee to deliver, and promote, an annualconvention that best meets the needs of the entire membership.

“The way we do this is by collecting feedback from members. Thisincludes surveys that members fill out, telling us what they do and don’tlike,” Fultz said.

He added that 70 golfers participated in this year’s ABMA GolfScramble Tournament during the annual convention. Hole-in-onesponsors for the golf outing were: Hahl Pedex, of Lexington, SC; BrushFibers and Monahan Filaments, of Arcola, IL; Lanoco Specialty WireProducts, of Sutton, MA; PMM, of Mexico City, Mexico; andZahoransky USA, of West Chicago, IL.

Fultz also reported that many people enjoyed the companion program

as well, which was titled, “History of the Vinoy Walk.” Participantswere able to take a history walking tour of The Renaissance VinoyResort & Spa. This included the facility’s historic building and gardens.

Fultz discussed the locations and dates of the next three ABMAAnnual Conventions: They are: March 2-5, 2016, at the Hyatt CoconutPoint, Bonita Springs, FL; March 22-25, 2017, at the Hyatt GrandCypress, Orlando, FL; and March 21-24, 2018, at the Westin Kierland,Scottsdale, AZ.ABMA Membership Committee Chair Carlos Petzold reported

that the association now has 165 members and encouraged members toadd to this total.

“ABMA membership is the lifeblood of this organization. It needs thecontinued support of new members, helping ABMA grow andstrengthen,” Petzold said. “It’s important to sell the many benefits thatABMA has to offer to potential new members.” ABMA Safety & Standards Committee Chair Scott Enchelmaier

reported that the new ABMA safety slips are available. “These slips are icon-driven and feature fewer words than in the

past,” Enchelmaier said. “Our committee is also pleased to report thatthe ANSI (American National Standards Institute) B165.1 standard hasbeen reaccredited for the next five years.”

This standard focuses on safety requirements for the design, care anduse of power-driven brushing tools.

“Our committee also had a discussion (during its meeting at thisyear’s ABMA Annual Convention) between U.S. and Europeanmembers regarding the possibility of developing a uniform (brush)standard for both the United States and Europe,” Enchelmaier said. “Adiscussion also took place involving a possible joint safety slip that bothgroups could use in their packaging. Our committee has offered itssupport, along with the efforts of ABMA Executive Director DavidParr, to try to work toward this end.”ABMA Statistical Committee Chair Jill Shinners, of Pioneer

Packaging, Chicopee, MA, discussed the importance of ABMAmembers participating in this year’s Data Collection Survey.

She added that the survey does not take long to complete, and theinformation from each company is strictly confidential.

“This is one of the easiest surveys for companies to participate in,”Shinners said, adding that information from the survey is beneficial forall ABMA member companies. ABMA Public Relations Committee Chair Greg Miller, of The

Mill-Rose Company, Mentor, OH, discussed the upcoming ABMA100th anniversary celebration, which will take place during the 2017Annual Convention.

“There is a lot of hard work going on within different committees tomake sure this celebration is a great one,” Miller said.


Lance Cheney, of Braun Brush, left, inducted Fred Spach, of CarolinaBrush, into his recently created “Inter-Galactic Brush MakersAssociation.” Both companies, along with Gordon Brush, manufacture brush products used in the space program.


Thorsten StollbergRepresenting

FEIBP

Daniel StrowitzkiMesse

Freiburg/InterBrush

Carlos PetzoldMembership

Committee Chair

Scott EnchelmaierSafety & StandardsCommittee Chair

(wearing safety glasses)

Jill ShinnersStatistical

Committee Chair

Greg MillerPublic RelationsCommittee Chair

He urged all ABMA members, who have not done so already, tocontact Robin Christian Peters, of Dreamscape Design, so they can beinterviewed for the documentary, “The Brush Industry: AManufacturing Love Story.” This documentary will be part of theABMA 100th anniversary celebration.

Miller also urged ABMA members to start thinking about artifactsthat can be exhibited during the event in 2017.

“This can include such items as old pictures, old brushes, etc.,” Millersaid.

Those people wanting to participate in the anniversary effort in anyway, including the documentary, can contact David Parr or members ofthe ABMA 100th Anniversary Task Force.

Task force members include: Chair Greg Miller; Jeff Malish;Carlos Petzold; Ian Moss; Kristin Draper, of Draper Knitting,Canton, MA; Chris Monahan, of Brush Fibers, Inc., Arcola, IL;Andrew Dailey, of Jones Companies LTD, Humboldt, TN; DanielSinykin, of Monterey Mills/Roller Fabrics, Janesville, WI; and BruceGale, of Michigan Brush, Detroit, MI.

During the Opening Business Session on March 19, Malish statedthat the documentary will chronicle the brush industry over the past 100years. It is hoped the documentary can be aired on such media outlets asDiscovery, PBS, History Channel, etc.

“The documentary will show how resilient, vibrant and important ourindustry has been, and how we are well positioned to carry on for thenext 100 years,” Malish said. “The entire (anniversary) project is fundedthrough donations. Those people interested can donate online byvisiting the ABMA website (www.abma.org) and then clicking on the‘100th Anniversary’ link.

“We appreciate donations of any amount, and are grateful for thecontributions already received. We still have a long way to go.”

Donations to the 100th anniversary effort at four specific levelsinclude the following benefits:

n Platinum— Donations or pledges of $50,000 and above. Benefitsinclude recognition in Brush Up Monthly, special recognition at everyannual convention through 2017, banner advertising on www.abma.org100th anniversary pages, special banner advertising on www.abma.orghome page, and named as “official sponsor” on all media, material andWeb information;

n Gold — Donations or pledges of $25,000 and above. Benefitsinclude recognition in Brush Up Monthly, special recognition at everyannual convention through 2017, banner advertising on www.abma.org100th anniversary pages, and special banner advertising onwww.abma.org home page. Contributors may combine entities toachieve Gold Sponsorship level and will be entitled to have up to threelinks and three full-sized logos to the entities of the contributors’choice;

n Silver — Donations or pledges of $10,000 and above. Benefits

include recognition in Brush Up Monthly, special recognition at everyannual convention through 2017, and special banner advertising onwww.abma.org 100th anniversary pages. Contributors may combineentities to achieve the Silver Sponsorship level, but will be entitled onlyone link to an entity of choice, and all logos will be reformatted by thesponsor to fit in the space allowed other Silver Sponsors; and

n Bronze — Donations or pledges of $5,000 and above. Benefitsinclude recognition in Brush Up Monthly and special recognition atevery annual convention through 2017.

Companies that have donated or pledged thus far include:n Gold: Osborn International; the Zahoransky Group; The Mill-Rose

Company; Gordon Brush; Malish Corporation; BodamInternational/Borghi USA; and, Brush Fibers/Monahan Filaments/StaticFaction;

n Silver: Purdy Corp; Felton Inc.; SilvaCor Inc.; Monterey Mills;Precision Brush; DuPont Filaments; Abtex Corp.; Wooster BrushCompany; Industrial Brush Co.; Weiler Corp.; Beatty Machine and ToolWorks; MFC Ltd.; PMM; InterBrush Freiburg; Woehler Brush Tech;Broom, Brush & Mop Magazine and other trade magazines; the ABMAPaint Applicator Division; Tanis Inc.; Boucherie USA; Jewel Wire, ADiv. of Loos & Co.; Sanderson MacLeod; Lanoco Specialty WireProducts; Corona Brushes; Epic Resins; and Hahl Pedex; and,

n Bronze — Draper Knitting Co.; Pferd Milwaukee Brush; SpiralBrushes Inc.; E. Gornell & Sons, Inc.; Pioneer Packaging Inc.; andMichigan Brush.

It was noted that YY Wire; Hans Schuhmann Holzwarenfabrik; iDAdditives; Power Brushes, Inc.; Maryland Brush Company; MelanieMoss; S.M. Arnold; and United Rotary Brush have also made donations.

Also during the Opening Business Session, Malish reported that over$8,000 from the Canadian Brush Manufacturers Association (CBMA),which ended activity in 2009, is now included in the ABMA treasury.The funds were received in 2009. Under Canadian law, the CBMAmoney had to be moved to another not-for-profit organization.

“We would like to thank all of our Canadian members, and theCBMA Board, for their generosity in helping make ABMA evenstronger,” Malish said.

Malish also stated during the Opening Business Session that the firstgrant was awarded on Dec. 23, 2014, from the ABMA Foundation. Acheck for $2,500 was presented to Greg Pauldo, an employee of ABMAmember Freudenberg Household Products LP, of Aurora, IL, whosehouse burned on Dec. 17, 2014. The money helped Pauldo purchaseChristmas presents for his family.

Malish explained that as a philanthropic and charitable organization,the ABMA Foundation is a catalyst for uniting people and organizationsto make a difference through better education and opportunity. TheFoundation, he said, secures contributions and provides grants forsustainable programs in research, education, and assistance for ABMA’s

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Tim MorganVonco Products, Inc.

Frank KigyosFranklin Automation

NEW ABMA MEMBERS

Tom KlattK D Brush Manufacturing

Megan WesselsAccurate Color &Compounding, Inc.

Holger KruseGustav Wolf

Wilson LauTai Hing Nylon Filament

Products Co.

industry associates and their families in need. “The Foundation’s strategic ties with ABMA, coupled with our strong

volunteer leadership and generous donors, give us a powerful, yetflexible, infrastructure to anticipate and quickly respond to the needsaffecting our industry and the welfare of its associates,” Malish said. “Inaddition to giving grants, scholarships, and opportunities, the ABMAFoundation also allows for special purpose funding so individuals ofmember companies can receive funds.”

Malish urged business owners and managers in attendance at theOpening Business Session to remind their employees that scholarship andgrant opportunities are available. More information about the Foundation,including how to donate, is available at the ABMA website.

“We welcome your tax deductible contributions to the ABMAFoundation,” Malish said. “It’s very gratifying to know that as weapproach our 100th anniversary as an association, we are in strongposition to give back to the industry, our member associates and theirfamilies.”

Malish also discussed the Kathy K. Parr Memorial Endowment Fund,designed to provide two $2,500 annual scholarships to industryemployees and members of their families for the purpose of continuingeducation. Applications for the award are to be submitted to the ABMAFoundation Board. Monies shall be paid out upon satisfactory completionof coursework with a passing grade of “C”, or better, or the equivalentcertification.

Also during the Opening Business Session, Lance Cheney, of BraunBrush, Albertson, NY, recognized ABMA member companies that havebrush products involved in various space programs. This includes brushesthat have made it all the way to Mars. Those companies recognized byCheney were Carolina Brush, of Gastonia, NC, and Gordon Brush, ofCommerce, CA. Cheney’s own company, Braun Brush, is also able tomake this claim.

In response to the brush industry’s success of making products thathave helped push back the boundaries of space, Cheney quipped that hehas started the “Inter-Galactic Brush Makers Association,” and said,“membership is out of this world!”

A mobile app was available for those attending the ABMA AnnualConvention. It featured schedule and event information. Sponsors for theapp were: The Boucherie/Borghi Group, Brush Fibers/MonahanFilaments, Lanoco Specialty Wire Products and PMM.

ABMA Welcomes Visitors From Abroad, NewMembers & First-Time Convention Attendees

Representatives from several Europeanbrush associations spoke during theOpening Business Session. They

discussed their specific organizations andupcoming events.FEIBP/European Brushware Federation

President Thorsten Stollberg reported thatthe brush industry in Europe is a very diverseand important part of European manu -facturing.

“There are many family-owned companieslocated in such places as Germany, Italy,France, the Scandinavian countries, TheNetherlands and Switzerland,” Stollbergsaid. “(FEIBP) represents 225 companies thathave nearly 10,000 employees.

“Currently, the brush industry (in Europe) is performing rather well,although there are challenges for each country. The overall mood ispositive.”

He added that FEIBP will soon have a new website.Also speaking was Andrea Acquaderni, representing the Italian brush

Andrea Acquaderni representedAssospazzole

Magali Malinski, Michael Grossmann and Paulo Malinski

Anticipating the Challenges and Opportunities of the Future.

√ Handles of the highest quality

√ Quality, agility and thorough knowledge of products

√ Ecological and economical sustainability

144 West 27th Street, Suite 2F, New York, NY 10001917-842-5062

[email protected]

Rua Lisboa, 453, Sao Paulo S.P. 05413-000 BRAZIL55 11 3085 4955

www.northeast-brazil.com


and broom manufacturers association Assospazzole. Acquaderni urgedABMA members to attend the FEIBP 57th Congress, whichAssospazzole is helping to organize. The event is scheduled forSeptember 24-26, 2015, in the Puglia region of southern Italy.

“This area is known for its great food and great history,” Acquadernisaid. Daniel Strowitzki, representing Messe Freiburg/InterBrush,

reminded ABMA members that the next InterBrush trade fair isscheduled for April 27-29, 2016, in Freiburg, Germany.

This global specialized trade fair — held once every four years —features machinery, materials and accessory equipment for the broom,brush, paint roller and mop industries.

“We have already sold 65 percent of the (exhibit) space that wasoccupied during the last InterBrush in 2012,” Stowitzki said.

Several new ABMA active (manufacturer) and affiliate (supplier)member companies were also recognized during the OpeningBusiness Session. Representatives of these companies who were inattendance at the session spoke about their individual businesses.They included:

n Tom Klatt, of K D Brush Manufacturing, Suwanee, GA, who

Suppliers Division Officers: The officers for the Suppliers Division were, from left, Carlos Petzold, Bodam International, Ltd./Borghi USA, Chair;Jill Shinners, Pioneer Packaging, 2nd Vice Chair; Chris Monahan, Brush Fibers, 3rd Vice Chair; David Kalisz, MFC Ltd., Vice Chair; (recordingsecretary) and Kevin Lannon, Lanoco Specialty Wire, At Large. Officers elected for the next 2 years are David Kalisz, Chair; Jill Shinners, Vice

Chair; Chris Monahan, 2nd Vice Chair; Kevin Lannon, 3rd Vice Chair; Kirk Beatty, Ad Hoc 2017; and Enrique Mejia, AD Hoc 2019.

Broom & Mop Division: Tina Burnet, right, Freudenberg HouseholdProducts, is the Chair of the Broom & Mop Division for the next

2 years. Gary Townes, Magnolia Brush, is the vice chair.

Industrial & Maintenance Division Officers: Officers of the Industrial &Maintenance Division, were, from left, Greg Miller, The Mill-Rose

Company, Vice Chair; Scott Enchelmaier, The Industrial Brush Co., Chair;and Jim Benjamin, Precision Brush Co., Secretary. For the next 2 years,the newly elected officers are Greg Miller, Chairman; Jim Benjamin, vice

chair, and Jeff Ghilani, United Rotary Brush Corp., secretary.

Paint Applicator Division Officers: Pictured during the Paint ApplicatorDivision Meeting are, from left, Connie McKinney, The SherwinWilliams Company, Division Secretary; and Steve Workman, TheWooster Brush Co., Chair. The newly-elected officers for the next 2 years are Brent Swenson, Linzer Products, Chair; and Connie

McKinney, Vice Chair.

BBM MAGAZINE | MAR/APR 2015 PG 15

stated that among the products his company makes are various types and sizes ofstrip brushes;

n Holger Kruse, of Gustav Wolf, Gutersloh, Germany, who reported thatthe company has been in business for over 125 years and has decades ofexperience in the production of steel wire, cord and rope.

“We conduct business all over the world, including Europe, Asia and NorthAmerica,” Kruse said;

n Wilson Lau, of Tai Hing Nylon Filament Products Co., Ltd., HongKong, who explained that the company provides a wide variety of filaments usedin brush making and competes in the U.S. market;

n Frank Kigyos, of Franklin Automation Inc., Sugar Grove, IL, who notedhe is technically a new member, but has personally been to the ABMA AnnualConvention for at least 18 years. Kigyos currently represents Woehler BrushTech, of Bad Wunnenberg, Germany, as well as his own business, FranklinAutomation, which designs and builds custom machinery.

“I have really enjoyed my relationships in the brush industry over the years,and look forward to the future. It’s a special group,” Kigyos said;

n Tim Morgan, of Vonco Products, Lake Villa, IL, who explained that thecompany is a flexible packaging manufacturer located in the Chicagometropolitan area.

“Vonco has a long history in flexible packaging and supplying the broomsegment. We had a fantastic year in 2014 from a business standpoint. Wemanufacture all of our products in the Chicago area, and supply a wide varietyof broom manufacturers in the United States,” Morgan said; and,

n Megan Wessels, of Accurate Color & Compounding, Aurora, IL, whoexplained that the manufacturer of color concentrates for plastics has been inbusiness for 22 years.

“We recently had a record month and are still growing,” Wessels said.Meanwhile, first-time ABMA Annual Convention attendees for 2015 not

already mentioned included: Connie McKinney, of The Sherwin Williams Co.,Cleveland, OH; Ted Richardson, of Lomont Molding, Inc., Mt. Pleasant, IA;Vasko Naumovski, of Zahoransky USA, Inc., West Chicago, IL; TerryParkinson, of S.M. Arnold Inc., St. Louis, MO; Bruce Massey, of Inter-WireGroup, Armonk, NY; Silke Dietrich, of Leistner Werkzeug GmbH,Stuetzengrun, Germany; Ralf Hellinger, of Hahl-Pedex, Lexington, SC; AlexTovar, of Carlson-STI Inc., North Elgin, IL; Jeff Miller and Mark Kappes, ofTanis, Inc., Delafield, WI; John C. Cottam, of Industrial Brush Corporation, St.George, UT; Peter Skaalen, of Pferd Milwaukee Brush, Milwaukee, WI; DarylWene, of Venture Plastics, Newton Falls, OH; Ralf Krone, of Gustav Wolf,Gutersloh, Germany; Peter Pang, of Tai Hing Nylon Filament Products Co.,Ltd., Hong Kong; Michael Grimaldi, Mary Fitzgerald and Steve Steury, ofTorrington Brush Works, Sarasota, FL; and Sophia Schuhmann, of HansSchuhmann Holzwarenfabrik, Germany.

Also recognized during the Opening Business Session were past ABMApresidents in attendance: Terry Malish, The Malish Corporation, 1981-1983;John Cottam, Industrial Brush Corporation, 2001-2003; Bruce Gale, MichiganBrush, 2003-2005; Ken Rakusin, Gordon Brush, 2005-2007; Barry Harper,Harper Brush Works, 2007-2009; and Ian Moss, Static Faction, 2011-2013.

The following are new ABMA Division Officers announced at the ABMAAnnual Convention. They are:

n Broom & Mop Division: Chair — Tina Burnet, of FreudenbergHousehold Products, Aurora, IL; and Vice Chair — Gary Townes, of MagnoliaBrush, Clarksville, TX;

n Industrial & Maintenance Division: Chair — Greg Miller, of The Mill-Rose Company, Mentor, OH; Vice Chair — Jim Benjamin, of Precision Brush,Solon, OH; and, Secretary — Jeff Ghilani, of United Rotary Brush, Lenexa, KS;

n Paint Applicator Division: Chair — Brent Swenson, of Linzer Products,West Babylon, NY; and Vice Chair — Connie McKinney, of The SherwinWilliams Co., Cleveland, OH; and,

n Suppliers Division: Chair — David Kalisz, of MFC Ltd., Laredo, TX;Vice Chair — Jill Shinners, of Pioneer Packaging, Chicopee, MA; Second ViceChair — Chris Monahan, of Brush Fibers, Arcola, IL; Third Vice Chair —Kevin Lannon, of Lanoco Specialty Wire Products, Sutton, MA; At Large —Kirk Beatty, of Beatty Machine and Tool Works, Scarborough, Ontario; andEnrique Mejia, of PMM, Mexico City, Mexico.


The goal of the Reshoring Initiative is tobring good-paying manufacturing jobs back tothe United States.

In defining reshoring, Moser told those inattendance, “If you sell brushesand you have been buying somebrushes off shore and now youare making them here, you arereshoring. If you had beengetting some of your com -ponents offshore and now youare getting them here, you andyour source are resh oring.

“If you are making brushes forsomeone and that company haspreviously been buying theirbrushes offshore, you and thecustomer have reshored. Also, ifa manufacturer moves assemblyback onshore, that company, andits suppliers, have reshored.”

In sharing his background and whatmotivated him to found the ReshoringInitiative, Moser told about growing up inElizabeth, NJ, across the Hudson River fromNew York City. In those days, the SingerSewing Machine factory was indicative of theUnited States’ industrial might.

“When everybody had a sewing machine athome and the United States dominated worldmanufacturing, the Singer factory in Elizabeth

was the largest factory building in the world,”Moser said.

He told of later traveling from city to city inthe United States selling machine tools and

seeing factories withshuttered windows.His first reaction wasalways realizing thatsomebody some whe -re was making whatthose closed factor -ies once produced.

Moser discussedterms often used inthe reshoring discus -sion, including near -shoring, onshoringand insourcing.

“They all basicallymean the same thing— to produce prod -

ucts where it makes the most economicalsense, and, in general, that means to producewherever it will be consumed, where it will besold, where it will be assembled,” Moser said.

Moser said that of the more than 200industries he has addressed, the brush makingindustry has the highest re shoring percentagerate, based on a show of hands and dis cussionswith attendees.

Another reshoring category is foreign direct

investment (FDI)/ transplant, according toMoser. An FDI is a controlling ownership in abusiness ent erprise in one country by an entitybased in another country.

“When Toyota decides to produce cars in theUnited States, that is foreign directinvestment,” Moser said. “Companies do thisbecause it makes more sense and is bettereconomics to be close to their market, ratherthan producing somewhere else and shippingproducts across the ocean. This worksespecially well for the United States, becausewe have the most markets in many categories.If products were produced locally, eventuallythe trade deficit would go away. When thetrade deficit goes away, that will bring backroughly $500 to $600 billion dollars per yearof manufac turing.”

During his PowerPoint presentation, Mosershowed a slide to illustrate sourcingalternatives for nearshoring, reshoring andoffshoring. In the case of the United States asthe customer country, reshoring refers towithin the boundaries of the 50 states.Nearshoring would include moving business toCanada and Central America, while offshoringrefers to the rest of the globe.

Likewise, in the case of Brazil, for example,reshoring would pertain to bringing businessback to Brazil. Nearshoring would be movingbusiness to the rest of South America, andoffshoring would be everywhere else. Mosersaid the logic and economical benefits ofreshoring have made it an internationallyaccepted concept.

“The United Kingdom has an office ofreshoring within its Commerce Departmentthat is totally focused on reshoring,” he said.“Reshoring is a natural desire and makes

Reshoring: Working To Bring Good PayingManufacturing JobsBack To The U.S.By Rick Mullen | Broom, Brush & Mop Associate Editor

Harry Moser

The theme of the 98th American Brush Manufacturers Association’s(ABMA) Annual Convention, held March 17-21 in St. Petersburg, FL,was “Reshoring.” Speaking on the subject was Harry Moser, anexpert on reshoring, during the ABMA All-Attendee EducationalInstitute. Moser is founder of the Reshoring Initiative and formerpresident of GF AgieCharmilles, a machine tool maker.

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economic sense for many countries.”Moser said one of the things the Reshoring Initiative has documented

is that companies have not accurately counted the costs of doingbusiness overseas.

“Companies tend to use very simple and rudimentary methods forcalculating what to produce or source here, or what to produce or sourceover there,” Moser said. “The most simplistic measure would be wagearbitrage — companies are going where rates are lowest. The mostcommonly used measure is PPV (purchase price variance).”

Working from a PowerPoint presentation, Moser showed a slide thatindicated 60 percent of manufacturers apply rudimentary cost models inmaking their decision to go offshore, ignoring 20 percent or more of thetotal cost of offshored products.

Moser spoke on what he called TCO (total cost of ownership), andhow it involves more than just labor costs or purchase price. Indeed, hesaid, there are about 29 factors that are often overlooked bycompanies when eval uating doing business offshore. These includeinventory carrying costs, travel costs, intellectual property risks andmore.

“Typically, not one of the factors is a ‘magic bullet,’ but each one ofthem represents 0.5 to 3 percent. So, when you add all the 29 or 30factors, you get another 15 to 30 percent of the total costs. This isenough ultimately to close the gap between doing business overseas andonshore.”

Moser said the gap is getting easier to close in reference to China, aswages there have gone up dramatically.

“Right now, the unit labor in China is four times as large as it wasback in 2000,” Moser said. “This has created the opportunity forcompanies to go back, do the math and re-evaluate their position.”

In 2012, the Boston Consulting Group estimated the net labor costsfor manufacturing in China and the United States would converge in2015, Moser said.

The Reshoring Initiative group he founded provides tools and data tohelp companies in their reshoring efforts.

“Probably the most important resource is the Total Cost of OwnershipEstimator™, or TCO Estimator, that companies can use for sourcingdecisions,” Moser said. “The TCO Estimator will answer such questionsfor manufacturers as: Where should I get the blocks? Where should I getthe wire? Where should I get the brush? Where should I makesomething?”

The TCO Estimator can be accessed at the Reshoring Initiativeswebsite, www.reshorenow.org.

“Suppliers of the brush, or the block, or the wire, or the machine thatmakes these items can use the TCO Estimator to produce a sales tool toconvince their customers it makes sense to buy something that is madehere, or, at least, to prod uce more here,” Moser said.

The Reshore Initiative has a library of 2,000 reshoring articles. Mosersaid manufacturers can access the articles to see who in their customerbase has reshored. With this information, manufactur ers can decide ifthey want to do business with com panies that are offshoring, or thosecommitted to producing here.

The Reshoring Initiative provides:n Free Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) software used by companies

for sourcing and by suppliers of parts and equipment for selling;n Companies for sourcing;n Suppliers of parts and equipment for selling;n Online library of 2,000 reshoring articles;n Statistics from TCO and library databases;n Case study template for posting cases;n Solutions to major supply chain problems; andn Motivation for skilled manufacturing careers.Moser showed some slides of companies that have reshored. One

example was a large, well-known manufacturer of appliances thatindicated it is bringing a “significant piece” of its production of water

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heaters, refrigerators and washing machines tothe United States. The effort included therenovation of a unionized facility — $800million invested — and the creation of 1,300jobs.

The reasons the appliance manufacturergave for reshoring included: tax incentives,high-tech new model, ease of designcollaboration with workers, and others. Themanufacturer also indicated the 30 percent incost savings it estimated by doing business inChina became 6 percent more than doingbusiness onshore, when considering inventoryand delivery problems.

Moser spoke of another well-known U.S.retailer deeply involved in reshoring.

“Walmart is the biggest reshorer in thecountry,” he said.

Moser showed a slide that indicated Walmartwill make $250 billion in incrementalpurchases over 10 years, beginning in 2012and ending in 2022. In the 10th year, it isexpected Walmart will make $50 billion inincremental purchases.

“That $50 billion in incremental purchasesin the 10th year amounts to, by ourcalculations, about 300,000 U.S. manu -facturing jobs,” Moser said. “The job count,including indirect jobs, will be 1 million.”

Moser showed a slide indicating negativeoffshore issues cited by companies thatreshored, including lead times; quali -

ty/rework/warranty; rising wages and currencyvariation; freight cost; total cost; inventory; IPrisk/supply chain interruption risk; delivery;communications; green considerations/loss ofcontrol; travel cost/time; price; difficulty ofinnovation/product differentiation/regulatorycompliance; burden of staff, emergency airfreight, political instability; and employeeturnover, strained offshore relationships,natural disaster risk.

“How many of you were impacted by theWest Coast dock labor dispute?” Moser askedthe audience. Several audience members raisedtheir hand.

“Hopefully, it (the lab or dispute) was ateach able moment for the cus tomers andcompanies that import products,” Moser said.“Hopefully some percentage of them say, ‘I

don’t want that to happen again.’ This is anexcellent moment to go to your customers andsay, ‘I hear you got impacted by the jobdispute. Isn’t it time we sit down and revisitwhether you should be getting your productsfrom us, rather than from offshore?’”

Moser also showed a slide outliningpositive reasons cited by reshoringcompanies, including a skilled workforce;image/brand; government incen tives; auto -mation/tech nology/3D printing; U.S. energyprices; redesign; higher productivity; researchand development; lean; eco-system synergies;infrastructure; customer respon siveness;lower real estate/construction; and laborconcessions.

Moser said reshoring is gaining momentumthroughout the country. He showed a slide thatindicated, for cases recorded by the ReshoringInitiative from 2007 through Aug. 31, 2014,South Carolina was the leading state.According to the Reshoring Initiative, SouthCarolina had reshored 7,780 jobs, involving 7companies, with an average jobs per facility of1,111. Michigan was second with 6,721 jobsreshored, by 13 companies, with an average of517 jobs each.

Moser encouraged companies to re-evaluatetheir offshoring and to help their customers dothe same. Tools and data are free on theReshoring Initiative website. People can askfor help at [email protected].

As a longtime attorney, Bruce Nye is used toreceiving irate phone calls from peopleconcerning law issues. As the saying goes,

“It comes with the territory.” Calls from peoplewho have just received a 60-day notice due to analleged California Proposition 65 violation,however, often reach new levels of amazementand bewilderment, according to Nye, who was aguest speaker at the 98th American BrushManufacturers Association (ABMA) AnnualConvention.

It’s very common to see Proposition 65 labels and signs at restaurants,hotel lobbies and other public places in California. There has been a fearin recent years that similar requirements will start taking place in otherstates, although Nye said that nothing has come from these efforts thusfar.

Often referred to as Prop. 65, the Safe Drinking Water and ToxicEnforcement Act of 1986 was born from a ballot initiative widelyapproved by California voters in 1986. It is administered by the Officeof Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), which is part ofthe California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA).

Persons doing business in California may not expose individuals tochemicals known to cause cancer and/or reproductive toxicity, accordingto Prop. 65, without first giving proper warning.

Under Prop. 65, the State of California publishes a list of chemicalsthat it claims cause cancer or reproductive harm. First published in 1987,the list has been updated many times over the years. There are currently

over 900 chemicals and substances on the list.Problems occur when one or more of these chemicals is found in a

household product, or used in manufacturing, construction or in abyproduct of a chemical process. Many products that fall victim to Prop.65 are manufactured by companies located outside California. Theseproducts can eventually show up in the Golden State. That is whenattorneys, such as Nye, can receive quite vocal phone calls.

“Just about every week I get a call from somebody who just receiveda 60-day notice. These calls are from manufacturers, wholesalers,importers and retailers. Many of these people are from out of state, butnot all. There are still some company officials in California, believe it ornot, who have never heard of Prop. 65,” Nye said. “The person who justreceived the 60-day notice often says the following: ‘Bruce, what theheck is this? Prop. 65? What are they talking about? Cancer?Reproductive harm? They claim my products made somebody sick?’”

According to Prop. 65, any product that contains a chemical on theproposition’s list must come with a clear and reasonable warning, whichusually appears on a label or sign. If not, and somebody files a

By Harrell Kerkhoff | Broom, Brush & Mop Editor

HowCalifornia’sProp. 65CouldAffect You

“Not too many people paid attention to ‘Part 2’ ofProp. 65. This is the part of the statute that states,‘No person in the course of doing business shallknowingly and intentionally expose any individual toa chemical known to the state to cause cancer orreproductive toxicity, unless first giving clear andreasonable warning to individuals.’ The problem is,how do you enforce something like this?”

Bruce Nye


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complaint, a 60-day notice is sent, and a fine and legal fees can ensue.These costs can be large.

A History LessonWhen Prop. 65 was approved by California voters in 1986, it was

largely considered a safeguard from unsafe drinking water, according toNye, who is an attorney at Adams | Nye | Becht LLP,(www.adamsnye.com) of San Francisco, CA.

“This is what everybody talked about when it went on the ballot — to

make it unlawful from someone in the course of doing business to put achemical known to cause cancer or reproductive harm in drinkingwater,” Nye said. “I don’t know about you, but I like clean water.Protecting drinking water doesn’t sound like such a bad idea. This iswhat the discussion was about during the election in 1986, and that iswhat most voters thought they were voting on.

“However, not too many people paid attention to ‘Part 2’ of Prop. 65.This is the part of the statute that states, ‘No person in the course ofdoing business shall knowingly and intentionally expose any individualto a chemical known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity,unless first giving clear and reasonable warning to individuals.’ Theproblem is, how do you enforce something like this?”

Because of Part 2, a warning label or sign is supposed to be placed inassociation with a product that contains a chemical found in Prop. 65’slist. Often, however, the out-of-state manufacturer and/or supplier of thatproduct is unaware that such a need exists until it’s too late, and the 60-day notice arrives.

California district and city attorneys can file suit against alleged Prop.65 violators, but they rarely do, Nye said.

“The California Attorney General actually has a department devotedto (Prop. 65), and this department files maybe two or three lawsuits ayear, if that,” he said. “The real action comes from what are called‘private party enforcers.’ They are also known as ‘bounty hunters.’”

Nye explained that if a district attorney, city attorney or CaliforniaAttorney General doesn’t want to pursue a case, any person “acting inthe public’s best interest” can file a lawsuit against a company thathe/she feels violates Prop. 65. It’s these “bounty hunters,” Nye said, whohave caused the most headaches for manufacturers and suppliers ofproducts with chemicals on the proposition’s list.

Incredibly, he added, under Prop. 65, the bounty hunter doesn’t haveto prove that any person actually had any contact with the product inquestion. There is also no need to prove that a person actually becamesick from exposure to the product.

“If (the bounty hunter) wins the case, there are a number of thingshe/she can, and probably will, get from the judge. The first thing is aninjunction, which says the company receiving notice must provide

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If a district attorney, city attorney or CaliforniaAttorney General doesn’t want to pursue a case, anyperson “acting in the public’s best interest” can filea lawsuit against a company that he/she feelsviolates Prop. 65. It’s these “bounty hunters” whohave caused the most headaches...

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warnings (for future products) regarding possible dangers from a certainchemical,” Nye said. “However, there is nothing in the statute under Prop.65 that says the company has to stop using the chemical. There is alsonothing that says the company must provide mailings or Web notices aboutthe chemical in its product that is on the list.

“Really, nobody knows if this type of action is required or not under Prop.65. This is because, in the 29 years that the proposition has been around, veryfew cases have gone to trial. Therefore, nobody knows what a judge mightor might not be able to do with Prop. 65.”

He added, however, a judge can level penalties of up to $2,500 per day perviolation, of which 75 percent can go to the state of California and 25percent to the bounty hunter.

What exactly $2,500 per day per violation means is also unknown since,again, so few Prop. 65 cases have gone to trial.

“Prop. 65 doesn’t mention the words ‘attorney fees.’ However, California,like many states, has a private attorney general statute. It says the court mayaward attorney fees to someone who is acting ‘in the public’s interest,’” Nyesaid.

Prop. 65 settlements are very common, he added. These settlements cantake the form of an out-of-court action, which is basically a contract put inplace between the company and bounty hunter. Or the settlement can involvea consent judgement. This means a lawsuit was filed and a judgement wasagreed to by the parties and presented to the court for signature and entry. Itfeatures binding effects for both sides.

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“The average Prop. 65 settlement paid in 2013 wasapproximately $48,000. This included penalties, pay -ments in lieu and attorney fees.”


Officials from Jones Companies, Ltd. (JCL), a supplier of productsto the floor cleaning industry for over 79 years, have announceda strategic realignment concerning the organ ization’s corp orate

man age ment structure.While most individuals in the floorcare market recognize Jones (JCL)

for its yarn spinning capabilities, they may not be as familiar with theJones Fiber Products, Inc. (JFP) side of the business. This entitysupplies nonwoven stratified products for a number of markets.

“As a product innovator for the bedding and furniture industries, JFPhas earned similar industry recognition as JCL, pertaining to therespective markets of both entities,” according to Jones officials.

Both JCL and JFP will continue to operate under the familiar respectivegreen and burgundy JONES banners; however, the corporate renovationis now more accurately recognized as The Jones Family of Companies.Realignment changes became effective on Jan. 1, 2015.

The two entities have operated parallel to one another since 1981, whenthe Jones family acquired Hogan & Associates, located in Memphis, TN.Following a second acquisition, the nonwoven operation was renamedJones Fiber Products, Inc., in 1998.

In the Spring of 2014, Ralph Jones III, JCL president/CEO, andRichard Ayers, CFO for both JCL and JFP, as well as managing directorof JFP, “began a process of corporate structure realignment to positionboth operations for future growth, sustained success and to ensurelongevity,” according to company officials.

According to Jones, the first move involved naming Ayers asCEO/CFO of The Jones Family of Companies. Ayers is the first non-Jones family member to take the helm of the company, which is headinginto its 80th year of operation.

Jones commented, “Even though he doesn’t have the last name ofJones, Richard has not only held true to the core values of our founders inhis 28-year commitment to our organization, he lives these values like amember of the family. As our longtime CFO, Richard has my utmostconfidence that his guidance will sustain our corporate success, and hehas our full support to achieve the goals set before him.

“Richard will actively head our Senior Leadership Team, which isworking across both organizations,” Jones added. “I will assume the roleof executive chairman, and will remain in the office every work day. It’sa title hard to define, but basically I will be the driver of strategy. I’m alsoin charge of the family governance, working with our outside board ofadvisors. I will be the keeper of our company’s values as well. My job isto ensure that these values are maintained in all that we do.”

Although serving in a new role as CEO of The Jones Family ofCompanies, Ayers is very familiar with not only the business, but thecorresponding industries.

“My role with the Jones Companies Group has evolved over the past29 years. It began in 1986 on the yarn side by managing financial andadministrative activities. I started working on the nonwoven side with ouraffiliated JFP company in 1990, becoming involved with the finances andbeing named the managing director,” Ayers said. “I have spent a lot of

time developing relationships with individuals in the beddingmarketplace, and working with our associates while managing the growthof JFP.

“I will still have that responsibility, but my title has changed frommanaging director of JFP to CEO, as well as CEO of JCL. I also wear theCFO hat for both entities.”

According to Ayers, the recent realignment will improve overallcustomer service at The Jones Family of Companies, as officials will beable to take resources from both sides and deploy them across all businesslines.

These announced changes have been brought about as companyofficials and employees continue to look toward the years ahead,according to Jones.

“The objective has been to realign in such a way as to bring thegreatest strengths to all our functions,” Jones said. “I’m the only (Jones)family member who is still actively engaged in the business, althoughthere are several family members who remain owners. It’s importanttherefore, from a succession standpoint, to see what the future will looklike if there is not a Jones family member leading the business on aneveryday basis.”

Jones added: “We wanted to set up an organization that would bringtogether its greatest strengths, and where the Jones family could still havegovernance over the business, but not necessarily be in directmanagement. There have been a lot of changes with other companiesinvolved in the industries that we serve. In some cases, they have beenabsorbed by other entities or have gone out of business. We, at The JonesFamily of Companies, are committed to longevity. After 79 years, it’s theintent of this organization to continue forward for many more years.

“This desire should give our customers greater assurance that Jones ishere to stay, and working to get better.”

The realignment will not change any of the facility locations pertainingto The Jones Family of Companies.

“This is really just an organizational change; and from our standpoint,it’s the biggest organizational change that has happened in 79 years,”Jones said.

Senior Leadership Team CreatedFollowing the realignment decision, Jones and Ayers developed a

strategy to renovate the JCL and JFP management structure by creating aSenior Leadership Team.

“This process has brought together a proven team, borrowing andsharing the strengths exhibited in each operation,” Jones said.“Completed in late 2014, the process has resulted in a number of focusand responsibility realignments. However, JCL sales, headed by AndrewDailey, and JFP sales, led by Kenny Oliver, will remain separate withclear product line distinctions. In other words, JCL and JFP will joinforces below the sales line.”

“This transition is a union of those operations below sales in all areas of JCL

Jones Companies, Ltd.,Announces Corporate ManagementRestructuring

Richard Ayers and Ralph Jones III


and JFP,” Dailey added. “It joins the synergies and strengths of both sides.”Ayers likened the continued separation of sales and marketing at JCL

and JFP as “being the canopy of an umbrella,” with the joint departmentsof operations, sourcing, engineering, finance and human resources nowcombining to provide the supporting structure.

According to Ayers, “This realignment allows us to maximize skills,talents and expertise to produce the best results. Using a baseball analogy,it’s like recognizing that we have a team member who was used as apitcher, but, by moving that person to play first base, puts us in a betterposition to win. We not only want to win the game, we want to ensure ourcompetitiveness season-after-season.”

Although JCL and JFP serve different markets, Jones added that withinthe actual production processes and the administration, there are a lot ofsynergies and similarities between the two entities. There are also similarraw materials used and technology involved.

“With all of these similarities, we brought together senior leadershipand started the process last year to develop a strategic plan for thesechanges,” Jones said. “In doing so, we designed an organization modelthat would add to our overall growth and sustainability.”

Key components of the management realignment combine alloperations (of both JCL and JFP) under the direction of Scott Butler, asvice president of operations. Meanwhile, Steve Wolf, as vice president ofengineering/QA, will direct all continuous process improvementstrategies throughout each facility and manufacturing technology.Additionally, all sourcing will be centralized and guided by Jim Thomas,as vice president of supply chain and logistics.

“An in-house team, along with a facilitator, helped us put together thisnew plan with the idea of designing the best organization possible, andthen backfill it with talented people,” Jones said. “We recognized therewere certain activities that could be shared. This includes engineering,supply chain management, accounting and administrative functions.

Therefore, we have reorganized along these lines and have invested inpeople. This is something we have been relatively slow to do in the past.We predominantly have invested in machinery, and now we are investingin people with an eye toward the future.”

The 11 members of the newly formed Senior Leadership Team have acombined 197 years of investment in the success of the organization. Thebusiness plan of the Senior Leadership Team includes strategies that willhelp direct the company to maintain a strong customer focus. Each of thestrategies supports the vision of The Jones Family of Companies as beingthe preferred supplier in both new and existing markets, which ensuresthe continued growth and relevancy of the overall operation.

Members of the Senior Leadership Team and their titles are as follows:Richard Ayers, CEO/CFO; Gena Simmons, corporatesecretary/treasurer; Andrew Dailey, JCL vice president of sales; ScottButler, vice president of operations; Jim Thomas, vice president ofsupply chain/logistics; Jeremy Raines, Morristown, TN, JFP plantmanager; Kenny Oliver, JFP president; Alan Posner, JFP vice presidentof sales; Steve Wolf, vice president of engineering/QA; Richard Long,human resource manager; and, Patrick Owen, JFP vice president ofmarketing/business development.

“The Senior Leadership Team is comprised of 11 people who areworking diligently to assure customers that we are making businessdecisions to better sustain our organization and better serve them —whether it be with products, services and/or other attributes,” Ayers said.“It’s important that we continue to increase customer intimacy and obtainthe voice of the customer. This is done by understanding their needs andworking to address issues that will help them better compete in themarketplace.”

Visit www.jonesyarn.com and www.jonesfiber.com for more information.


“Prop. 65 settlements for smaller companies are typically somewhat less in dollar amounts thansettlements for larger companies,” Nye said. “To provide some prospective, the average Prop. 65settlement paid in 2013 was approximately $48,000. This included penalties, payments in lieu andattorney fees.

“Prop. 65 settlements in 2013 resulted in $17.4 million taken, of which $2.7 million werepenalties.”

He added that many companies want to avoid expensive trials associated with Prop. 65 andsimply settle out of court.

“I am one of perhaps five or six lawyers who have tried a Prop. 65 case to conclusion in thepast 29 years, and I don’t think there is anybody who has tried more than two such cases,” Nyesaid. “The reason is, the economics (of a trial) are crazy.

“I will often have a conversation with a Prop. 65 client, make a proposal on how to successfullydefend the case, and then the client will simply say, ‘Bruce, thank you very much. It all soundsvery good, but I’m going to treat this as an expensive traffic ticket (and settle).’”

The Bounty Hunter’s Obligations

There are not a lot of steps a bounty hunter has to take to have a 60-day notice sent to analleged violator of Prop. 65, Nye said. The bounty hunter does have to prove that thecompany in question caused an exposure to a listed chemical.

“The first thing (the bounty hunter) does in a typical case is send a particular product to ananalytical lab that he/she has had a relationship with for a long time. The bounty hunter will tellthe lab to test the product for a particular chemical and report back,” Nye said. “If a chemical onthe Prop. 65 list is found, the bounty hunter will then turn the lab’s findings over to a “scientist”who he/she also regularly works with and ask, ‘What kind of exposure would this product cause?’The scientist will then send a letter back stating, ‘I think there is significant exposure and here’swhy.’

“The bounty hunter is then required, when he files the 60-day notice, to send the letter from thescientist to the California Attorney General’s office to prove that he/she has something to pursue.To better show how much exposure there was to a product, (the bounty hunter) will have asubpoena sent to the company in question for business records. This is done to find out how manyproducts were sold in California in the past one or so years. The bounty hunter will then try toprove a large number of people were exposed to a listed chemical. Then they have to show thatthe exposure was knowing and intentional, and that the company failed to give ‘clear andreasonable warning.’”

Although there are over 900 chemicals listed under Prop. 65 that the state of California says areknown to cause cancer and/or reproductive toxicity, Nye said most 60-day notices focus on amuch smaller number of these chemicals. Many notices involve a compound called DEHP that isused as a plasticizer in many plastic-related products. Another common culprit cited by thesenotices is lead.

Nye said he is often asked, “Under Prop. 65, what is ‘knowing and intentional exposure?’”“Again, nobody has ever tested this question in court. However, I feel that if a company knows

a product is going to California, and it knows the product contains a listed chemical, and there isa reasonable likelihood the product can present some exposure of that chemical to a personhowever slight, then this would be ‘knowing and intentional exposure,’” he said. “If amanufacturer (official) sells the product to a large retailer, and he/she knows that product will gothrough a central distribution facility in Nevada, then there should be reasonable belief that theproduct is probably going to enter California at some point. I would include this scenario as,‘knowing and intentional exposure.’”

Of course, the best way to avoid a 60-day Prop. 65 notice is to make sure required warninglabels or signs are present with all products that contain one of the 900 or so listed chemicals.

“If a proper (warning) is seen anywhere on the product, its labeling, packaging or use-and-careguide, then it should be considered a ‘clear and reasonable warning,’” Nye said.

Such a warning label on a product could state: “WARNING: This product contains a chemicalknown to the state of California to cause cancer.”

The wording can be changed as necessary, so long as it communicates that a chemical in questionin the product is known to the state to cause cancer, or birth defects or other reproductive harm.

“I know of Fortune 500 companies that take these warnings and put them in every ‘use-and-care’ guide of every product that they manufacture or sell,” Nye said. “I have never had a clientget busted for over-warning, and I have never seen a regulation, court decision or statute sayingyou can’t ‘over-warn.’”

According to Nye, companies that have fewer than 10 employees are exempt from Prop. 65requirements.

Prop. 65: Continued From Page 25

Continued On Page 39

The American Brush

Manufacturers Association

held a Suppliers Display

Program on March 20 during

the 98th Annual Convention,

which was held at the

Renaissance Vinoy Resort in

St. Petersburg, FL.

SUPPLIERS ON DISPLAY

Jones Companies Borghi, Boucherie

PelRay International, of San Antonio, TX, was an exhibitor

at the ABMA Suppliers Display Program. Pictured, from

left, are Bart Pelton, Katie Pelton, and Ron Cherryholmes.

Jones Companies, Ltd., of Humboldt, TN, was an exhibitor

at the ABMA Suppliers Display Program. Pictured is

Andrew Dailey, Jones Companies.

The Boucherie Borghi Group, with Machines Boucherie

NV, of Izegem, Belgium; Borghi SpA, of Castelfranco

Emilia, Italy; Borghi USA, of Aberdeen, MD; and Boucherie

USA, of Knoxville, TN, were exhibitors at the ABMA

Suppliers Display Program. Pictured, from left, are Ale

Acquaderni, Societa Italiana Tecnospazzole SpA; Paolo

Roversi, Borghi SpA; Matt Tompkins, Borghi USA; Carlos

Petzold, Borghi USA; Greg Miller, Mill-Rose Company;

and Kris Geldof, Machines Boucherie NV.

PelRay International

2015 Booth Photos


Jewel Wire Co.

Vonco ProductsZAHORANSKY USA Inc. &ZAHORANSKY AG

Hahl, Inc. and Hahl-Pedex

Vonco Products, of Lake Villa, IL, was an exhibitor at the

ABMA Suppliers Display Program. Pictured is Tim Morgan.

ZAHORANSKY USA, of West Chicago, IL, and

ZAHORANKY AG, of Germany, were exhibitors at the

ABMA Suppliers Display Program. Pictured from left, are

Ulrich Zahoransky, ZAHORANSKY AG; Judy McGuire,

Weiler Corp.; Artur Seger, ZAHORANSKY USA; Vasko

Naumovski, ZAHORASNSKY USA; and Robert Dous,

ZAHORANSKY AG.

Hahl, Inc., of Lexington, SC, and Hahl-Pedex were

exhibitors at the ABMA Suppliers Display Program.

Pictured, from left, are Andrew McIlroy, Hahl, Inc.; Terry

Hogan, Hahl, Inc.; Jeff Ghilani, United Rotary Brush Corp.;

Tom Klatt, K D Manufacturing, Inc.; and Florian Kisling,

Hahl-Pedex.

Jewel Wire Co, a division of Loos & Co., of Pomfret, CT,

was an exhibitor at the ABMA Suppliers Display

Program. Pictured, from left, are Mike Fredrickson and

Deb Couture, of Jewel Wire Co.; and Sheri Reichart and

Jeff Schaefer, of Schaefer Brush Manufacturing Co., Inc.,

of Waukesha, WI.

2015 Booth Photos


Woehler Brush Tech GmbH

DuPont Filaments, of Wilmington, DE, was among the

exhibitors at the ABMA Suppliers Display Program.

Pictured, from left, are Thom MacLean, Osborn

International; Tom Vichich, DuPont; John Feathers,

DuPont; and John Hackney, DuPont.

Woehler Brush Tech GmbH, of Bad Wunnenberg,

Germany, was among the exhibitors at the ABMA

Suppliers Display Program. Pictured, from left, are Frank

Kigyos, Franklin Automation; Claudia Peveling, Woehler

Brush Tech; Gus Treslo, E. Gornell & Sons, Inc.; Imre

Karetka, Pferd, Inc.; and Matthias Peveling, Woehler

Brush Tech.

Draper Knitting Co., of Canton, MA, was an exhibitor at

the ABMA Suppliers Display Program. Pictured, from left,

are Bill Shaul, Kristin Draper and Bob Vassi.

DuPont FilamentsStainless Steel Products

Stainless Steel Products, of Deer Park, NY, was an

exhibitor at the ABMA Suppliers Display Program. Pictured

is Ralph Rosenbaum.

2015 Booth Photos

Draper Knitting


2015 Booth Photos

Unimac srl, of Castelfranco Emilia, Italy was an exhibitor at

the ABMA Suppliers Display Program. Pictured is Vanes

Villani.

Monahan Filaments, of Arcola, IL, was an exhibitor at the

ABMA Suppliers Display Program. Pictured, from left, are

Todd Leventhal, Nexstep Commercial Products; Matt

Monahan and Laura Hebert, both of Monahan Filaments.

Beatty Machine and Tool Works Limited, of Scarborough,

ON, was an exhibitor at the ABMA Suppliers Display

Program. Pictured is Kirk Beatty.

Unimac srlBrush Fibers

Brush Fibers, Inc., of Arcola, IL, was an exhibitor at the


Chuck Copp, Brush Fibers; Lance Cheney, Braun Brush;

Chris Monahan, Brush Fibers; and Ken Rakusin, Gordon

Brush.

Beatty Machine and ToolWorks Limited

Monahan Filaments


2015 Booth Photos

Keystone Plastics, Inc., of South Plainfield, NJ, was an

exhibitor at the ABMA Supplier Display Program. Pictured,

from left, are Keith Smith, Smith Challenger Manufacturing

& Services, Inc.; Marvin Naftal and Michael Naftal, both of

Keystone Plastics.

Multi Brosses, of Saint-Jules, Quebec, was an exhibitor at


are Marcel Pare, Multi Brosses; Gus Treslo, E. Gornell &

Sons, Inc.; and Yves Germain, Multi Brosses.

Monahan Partners was among the companies attending

the ABMA Convention. Pictured are Pat Monahan and

Kevin Monahan.

Keystone Plastics, Inc. Static Faction, Inc.

Static Faction, Inc., of Salem, MA, was an exhibitor at

the ABMA Suppliers Display Program. Pictured is Ian

Moss, Static Faction, and Reinhold Hoerz, DKSH

Switzerland, Ltd.

Monahan Partners Multi Brosses


Lanoco Specialty WireProducts, Inc.

Hans SchuhmannProveedora Mexicana DeMonofilamentos (PMM)

Industrial Wood Products

Hans Schuhmann, of Pegnitz, Germany, was an exhibitor

at the ABMA Suppliers Display Program. Pictured, from

left, are Evelyn Schuhmann and Sophia Schuhmann.

Proveedora Mexicana De Monofilamentos (PMM), of

Mexico City, Mexico, was an exhibitor at the ABMA

Suppliers Display Program. Pictured from left, are Scott

Enchelmaier, The Industrial Brush Co.; Nora Bravo, PMM;

Dennise Silva, PMM; and Enrique Mejia, PMM.

Industrial Wood Products, Inc., of Burlington, NJ, was an


is Fred Mirsky.

Lanoco Specialty Wire Products, Inc., was an exhibitor at


are Kevin Lannon, of Lanoco Specialty Wire Products;

Chip Preston, Spiral Brushes, Inc.; Kathy Lannon and

John Lannon, of Lanoco Specialty Wire Products.

2015 Booth Photos


2015 Booth Photos

Inter-Wire Group

Northeast-Brazil LLCTai Hing Nylon Filament Products Co.

Lanka Brush Exports

Northeast-Brazil LLC, of New York City, NY, was an


is Michael Grossmann.

Tai Hing Nylon Filament Products Co. Ltd,, Hong Kong,

was an exhibitor at the ABMA Suppliers Display Program.

Pictured, from left, are Wilson H. Lau and Peter Pang.

Lanka Brush Exports, of Sri Lanka, was an exhibitor at the


Derek Smith, Karen Smith and Dave Parr, ABMA Executive

Director.

Inter-Wire Group and Inter-Wire Products, of Armonk, NY,

were exhibitors at the ABMA Suppliers Display Program.

Pictured, from left, are Sergio Gallo and Bruce D. Massey.


MFC Ltd.

Accurate Color &Compounding

Gustav Wolf

Pioneer Packaging, Inc.

Accurate Color & Compounding, Inc., of Aurora, IL, was an


is Megan Wessels.

Gustav Wolf, of Gutersloh, Germany, was an exhibitor at

the ABMA Suppliers Display. Pictured, from left, are Ralf

Krone, Richard Lindemeyer, and Holger Kruse.

Pioneer Packaging, Inc., of Chicopee, MA, was an

exhibitor at the ABMA Suppliers Display Program.

Pictured, from left, are Mark Scagliarini and Jill Shinners.

MFC Ltd., of Laredo, TX, was an exhibitor at the ABMA

Suppliers Display Program. Pictured, from left, are Bob

Shaw, Nour Handcrafted Painting Tools; and David Kalisz,

MFC.

2015 Booth Photos


Fabrica De Brochas Perfect, of Naucalpan, Mexico, was

an exhibitor at the ABMA Suppliers Display Program.

Pictured, from left, are Eduardo Bertello and Jorge

Ripstein Verbitzky.

Charles E. Green & Son, Inc., of Newark, NJ, was an

exhibitor at the ABMA Suppliers Display Program.

Pictured, from left, are John V. Green, Caitlin Green and

Rebecca Sullivan.

Cesyl Mills, Inc., of Millbury, MA, was an exhibitor at the


Bruce Gale, Michigan Brush; and Bob Goralski, Cesyl

Mills.

Fabrica De Brochas PerfectLeistner Werkzeug GmbH

Leistner Werkzeug GmbH, of Stutzengrun, Germany, was

an exhibitor at the ABMA Suppliers Display Program.

Pictured, from left, are Jorg Pauls, Silke Dietrich and Bob

Anderson.

2015 Booth Photos

Cesyl Mills Charles E. Green & Son, Inc.



“Every bounty hunter I know accepts payroll registers with the SocialSecurity numbers deleted. They know not to go after companies withfewer than 10 employees. That’s the end of the story, as far as they areconcerned,” Nye said.

There can be a problem, however, for such a small company if it sellsa product to a larger distributor, and that distributer receives a 60-dayProp. 65 notice concerning the item.

“The distributor will likely come back to the small company lookingfor help. In this case, the fact that the company only has nine or feweremployees is not going to be off the hook as far as contractualobligations are concerned,” Nye said. “I have had clients actually go to

their retailer’s place of business and put warning labels on certainproducts; or they will write letters to their retailers saying, ‘We havediscovered this particular product (contains a listed chemical) thatrequires a warning under Prop. 65 in California. We urge you to includethe enclosed warnings on any of these products shipped to California.’”

Another way companies can reduce the risk of Prop. 65 problems isby getting their products tested on a regular basis by respected U.S.certified labs.

“However, it does you no good to do this testing after the 60-daynotice has been sent to your company. The testing must be donebeforehand,” Nye said. “I know of company officials who feel they havea Prop. 65-listed chemical completely out of a particular product due toreformulation, but they make sure yearly tests are conducted as a kind ofinsurance policy.”

He added that there are three types of exposure under Prop. 65: oral,dermal, and inhalation — or a combination of all three.

Nye warns companies to not fall for claims from oversees labs thatstate particular products have passed Prop. 65.

“There is no such thing as passing Prop. 65 unless you either give aclear and reasonable warning or you don’t create exposure to a listedchemical,” Nye said.

There have been efforts in California over the years to reform Prop.65. Among the changes Nye would like to see implemented include:limiting attorney fees to a percentage of the penalties from companies,such as is the practice with personal injury and medical malpracticecases; moving the burden of proof to the bounty hunter to show that anexposure to a listed chemical exceeded the “no significant risk level,”rather than making the defense prove this; and implementing a 60-daycuring period so a company has time to fix a problem with a productwithout penalty.

“A lot of people have suggested other things, but to no avail,” Nye said.There has been a push to make Prop. 65 warning labels more specific.

It remains to be seen, however, what, or if, any changes will actually takeplace in the near future. In the meantime, the best way to reduce thelikelihood of a Prop. 65 violation is to have proper labels or signs inplace for specific products headed toward California.

“There is a range of things people can do to protect their companies.It’s probably a good idea to speak with a material person, analyticalchemist and/or Prop. 65 lawyer about particular product lines,” Nye said.“No company is going to screen for all 900-plus listed chemicals underProp. 65. That is just not realistic. Therefore, it’s important to havepeople in place who can keep track of Prop. 65, including where thetrends are heading with this proposition.”

Nye said it would also be good if groups of companies were to cometogether and showcase to the people of California the types of businessesthat have been seriously victimized by Prop. 65.

Prop. 65: Continued From Page 29

There can be a problem, however, for a smallcompany if it sells a product to a larger distributor,and that distributer receives a 60-day Prop. 65notice concerning the item.

U.S. government trade figures for all of 2014 indicate raw materialimports were up in one category outlined: metal handles, compared toall of 2013. For December 2014, raw material imports were up in onecategory outlined: hog bristle.Import totals for all of 2014 were up in two finished goods

categories outlined: brooms and brushes of vegetable material andshaving brushes, compared to all of 2013. In December 2014, threecategories outlined recorded increases: brooms and brushes ofvegetable material, shaving brushes and paintbrushes.

Raw Material ImportsHog Bristle

The United States imported 43,374 kilograms of hog bristle inDecember 2014, up 19 percent from 36,429 kilograms imported inDecember 2013. During all of 2014, 287,913 kilograms of hog bristlewere imported, down 2 percent from 295,101 kilograms imported duringall of 2013.

China sent 287,232 kilograms of hog bristle to the United States duringall of 2014.

The average price per kilogram for December 2014 was $12.77, up 24percent from the average price per kilogram for December 2013 of$10.32. The average price per kilogram for all of 2014 was $15.38, up 9percent from the average price per kilogram of $14.17 for all of 2013.

Metal HandlesThe import total of metal handles during December 2014 was 2

million, down 38 percent from 3.2 million for December 2013. During allof 2014, 29.3 million metal handles were imported, up 12 percent from26.2 million for all of 2013.

During all of 2014, Spain exported 11.8 million metal handles to theUnited States, while China shipped 8.6 million and Italy sent 7.7 million.

The average price per handle for December 2014 was $1.23, up 86percent from 66 cents for December 2013. The average price for all of2014 was 91 cents, up 28 percent from the average price for all of 2013of 71 cents.

Finished Goods Imports

Brooms & Brushes Of Vegetable MaterialThe import total of brooms and brushes of vegetable material during

December 2014 was 250,012, up 161 percent from 95,645 brooms andbrushes imported during December 2013. During all of 2014, 2.6 millionbrooms and brushes were imported, up 37 percent from 1.9 million for allof 2013.

Sri Lanka exported 1.5 million brooms and brushes to the UnitedStates during all of 2014.

The average price per unit for December 2014 was 96 cents, down 56percent from $2.19 for December 2013. The average price for all of 2014was $1.37, down 2 cents from the average price recorded for all of 2013.

ToothbrushesThe United States imported 86 million toothbrushes in December

2014, down 8 percent from 93.4 million imported in December 2013.During all of 2014, 1 billion toothbrushes were imported, down 9percent from 1.1 billion imported during all of 2013.

China sent 769.9 million toothbrushes to the United States during allof 2014.

The average price per toothbrush for December 2014 was 23 cents,up 10 percent from 21 cents for December 2013. The average price forall of 2014 was 24 cents, up 9 percent from 22 cents for all of 2013.

Shaving BrushesThe United States imported 12.4 million shaving brushes in

December 2014, up 114 percent from 5.8 million imported in December2013. During all of 2014, 116.9 million shaving brushes were imported,up 103 percent from 57.6 million imported during all of 2013.

Germany sent 56.7 million shaving brushes to the United Statesduring all of 2014, while China shipped 41.1 million.

The average price per shaving brush for December 2014 was 9 cents,down 36 percent from the average price for December 2013 of 14 cents.The average price for all of 2014 was 10 cents, down 38 percent fromthe average price for all of 2013 of 16 cents.

PaintbrushesU.S. companies imported 15.8 million paintbrushes during

December 2014, up 21 percent from 13.1 million paintbrushes importedduring December 2013. Paintbrush imports for all of 2014 were 219.4million, down 7 percent from 235.2 million recorded for all of 2013.

China shipped 198.5 million paintbrushes to the United States duringall of 2014.

The average price per paintbrush for December 2014 was 30 cents,the same as for December 2013. The average price for all of 2014 was29 cents, up 7 percent from 27 cents for all of 2013.

ExportsExport totals for all of 2014 were up in one category outlined:

paintbrushes, compared to all of 2013.In December 2014, one category outlined reported an increase:

toothbrushes, compared to December 2013.

ToothbrushesDuring December 2014, the United States exported 11.5 million

toothbrushes, up 62 percent from the total recorded in December 2013of 7.1 million. During all of 2014, 166 million toothbrushes wereexported, down 3 percent from 170.6 million exported during all of2013.

The United States exported 54.7 million toothbrushes to Canadaduring all of 2014, while sending 30.9 million toothbrushes to Mexicoand 26 million to Germany.

The average price per toothbrush for December 2014 was 67 cents,up 18 percent from 57 cents for December 2013. The average price pertoothbrush for all of 2014 was 47 cents, up 4 percent from 45 cents forall of 2013.

PaintbrushesThe export total of paintbrushes during December 2014 was 77,489,

down 10 percent from 85,988 for December 2013. During all of 2014,1.5 million paintbrushes were exported, up 15 percent from 1.3 millionduring all of 2013.

Canada imported 626,367 paintbrushes from the United States duringall of 2014, while The United Kingdon received 193,580.

The average price per paintbrush for December 2014 was $16.66, up9 percent from $15.28 for December 2013. The average price for all of2014 was $15.85, down 8 percent from $17.26 recorded for all of 2013.

Imports/ExportsIMPORTS, EXPORTS MIXED BAG FOR ALL OF 2014

By Rick Mullen | Broom, Brush & Mop Associate Editor


Domestic Merchandise1404902000 Broomcorn (Sorghum Vulgare Var. Technicum)Used Primarily In Brooms Or In Brushes, Whether or Not

In Hanks or Bundles December Year To Date Country Net Q/Ton Value Net Q/Ton ValueFrance 12 46,656Germany 1 4,397India 1 3,050 1 3,050Sri Lka 1 2,601China 74 280,160 102 385,025Taiwan 1 8,914TOTAL 75 283,210 118 450,643

9603100000 Brooms & Brushes, Consisting of Twigs or OtherVegetable Materials Bound Together, With or Without Handles

December Year To Date Country Net Q/Dozen Value Net Q/Dozen ValueCanada 2,853 83,204 31,881 1,213,665Mexico 1,414 41,941C Rica 528 10,989Panama 100 5,000Bermuda 278 9,706Bahamas 85 6,607 2,455 166,655Jamaica 13 2,639 38 7,022Cayman 12 3,110St K N 100 2,760S Lucia 17 6,602S Vn Gr 220 8,094Trinid 1,620 25,000Colomb 1,241 30,033Venez 217 7,376Ecuador 26 8,380Peru 301 9,936Chile 186 32,570Brazil 333 3,440Uruguay 6 9,430Argent 1,101 38,639U King 148 14,492 4,502 210,316Ireland 83 12,000Nethlds 732 12,122Belgium 111 3,654France 101 3,320Germany 50 4,640 771 41,303Czech 27 3,178Poland 124 6,920Kazakhs 14 7,916Lebanon 9 2,969Israel 150 6,800 150 6,800Kuwait 58 3,563S Arab 1,832 100,332Arab Em 362 34,412Thailnd 98 10,300Singapr 1,868 61,600 2,865 195,411China 70 37,300 1,029 92,757Kor Rep 1,495 31,926Hg Kong 4,463 98,766Taiwan 270 8,914Japan 1,187 30,944Austral 560 21,756N Zeal 1,348 21,589Samoa 156 3,624Nigeria 496 17,595Rep Saf 71 6,086TOTAL 5,237 217,282 64,988 2,628,821

9603210000 Toothbrushes December Year To Date Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 4,176,060 4,843,327 54,666,462 33,010,627Mexico 3,056,267 946,984 30,856,225 10,008,665Guatmal 3,024 4,032 32,592 11,634Belize 69,295 38,413Salvadr 4,960 49,142 12,754 129,114Hondura 34,082 64,911Nicarag 7,308 7,935C Rica 39,848 65,246Panama 401,760 240,211 4,713,711 2,662,929Bahamas 1,740 17,808 3,494 39,871Jamaica 98,976 35,368Cayman 6,000 4,740Haiti 7,416 3,087 51,848 18,692Dom Rep 61,493 34,929 600,167 333,605Antigua 252 2,576 16,740 18,468S Lucia 16,936 24,063Barbado 74,501 37,387Trinid 39,576 32,882 759,738 553,372S Maarte 1,235 11,343Curaco 212,760 82,123Aruba 17,257 22,245Colomb 81,144 48,291 785,111 541,883Guyana 14,096 84,501 30,575 111,358Surinam 111 3,762Ecuador 99,386 100,066Peru 45,128 78,690Chile 103,671 61,718Brazil 15,377 117,963Paragua 2,534 25,929Uruguay 71,577 132,500Argent 243,576 46,965 4,012,554 1,318,492Sweden 5,492 7,955Finland 48,384 65,318Denmark 3,312 4,458 5,760 8,332U King 57,621 10,652 274,047 425,566Ireland 259,200 88,776 2,538,000 852,771Nethlds 9,696 11,520 38,832 117,052Belgium 3,637 7,177 22,592 42,594France 38,058 71,584Germany 1,565,198 278,816 26,021,826 4,435,737Czech 70,435 330,586 4,637,559 3,753,308Hungary 16,524 9,073 25,236 14,225Switzld 1,579 16,158 1,584,050 245,825Lithuan 2,711 12,142Poland 7,806 31,685Ukraine 3,888 11,217Italy 118,777 144,511Slvenia 1,248 4,413Greece 5,112 7,412Turkey 1,526 13,341Lebanon 977 10,000Iraq 2,232 3,598Israel 4,008 11,952Kuwait 4,567 30,786S Arab 53,424 78,711Qatar 624 2,801Arab Em 800 6,360 121,490 171,805India 199,658 75,988 1,507,337 1,241,731Pakistn 6,300 9,450Thailnd 49,660 18,845 848,871 170,130Malaysa 5,727 15,004Singapr 414 4,233 8,118 12,532Indnsia 207,992 76,126Phil R 2,579 26,390 26,589 166,540China 43,920 21,486 6,190,953 3,857,173Kor Rep 240,109 143,199 10,496,095 6,364,560Hg Kong 631,992 301,717 11,580,430 4,000,832Taiwan 392,272 256,999Japan 202,282 35,555 1,334,094 400,731Austral 60,552 23,017 268,643 243,886N Zeal 14,152 15,768Rep Saf 39,338 109,146TOTAL 11,510,532 7,768,741 165,953,090 77,188,361


exportsDECEMBER EXPORTS BY COUNTRY

9603290000 Shaving Brushes, Hairbrushes, Nail Brushes,Eyelash Brushes & Other Toilet Brushes For Use on the Person

December Year To Date Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q./No. ValueCanada 218,076 432,094 3,534,240 4,682,753Mexico 77,183 95,444 3,458,010 1,858,976Guatmal 6,006 8,488 9,309 28,682Belize 3,000 2,750Salvadr 4,000 2,618 8,225 28,914Hondura 42,481 49,304Nicarag 1,824 2,625C Rica 916 5,058 14,574 80,993Panama 882 5,853 11,484 69,054Jamaica 4,704 9,145Haiti 1,086 4,941Dom Rep 11,000 20,690Trinid 50,826 549,367S Maarte 2,012 10,732Aruba 2,533 5,413Colomb 36,824 28,864 376,507 195,299Venez 173,289 461,475Ecuador 136,633 237,827Peru 100 2,716 4,139 37,092Chile 12,948 28,827 93,300 158,843Brazil 311,796 112,808 4,909,012 2,592,839Paragua 6,296 27,397Uruguay 1,049 9,591 18,183 57,134Argent 993,222 478,857Iceland 200 4,320Sweden 1,064 26,952Norway 50 2,936Finland 3,528 8,259Denmark 4,735 43,295U King 32,012 86,014 345,192 1,078,566Nethlds 18,495 381,150Belgium 2,170 22,159 17,753 181,686Monaco 756 8,758 756 8,758France 51,567 147,575 264,025 804,493Germany 6,954 26,620 215,165 873,346Czech 760 3,760Switzld 154 3,180 2,123 21,245Poland 1,973 5,248Russia 6,642 78,182Ukraine 984 3,456Spain 29,929 97,376Portugl 5,184 13,216Italy 3,260 46,522Serbia 2,592 5,856Turkey 16,992 28,591 99,294 197,733Israel 282 2,580 3,114 30,249Kuwait 16,185 138,804S Arab 300 9,714 4,320 60,390Qatar 263 4,249Arab Em 2,775 13,334 38,367 432,119Oman 41 6,302India 13,442 9,584Thailnd 4,032 3,786 76,738 149,552Malaysa 897 8,197Singapr 18,859 82,825 157,221 634,994Indnsia 17,296 35,836 46,888 85,483Phil R 22,580 27,082 107,796 151,455China 6,336 19,800 215,589 767,357Kor Rep 3,282 10,627 78,172 331,600Hg Kong 6,982 33,719 71,352 296,838Taiwan 11,908 40,748 67,085 285,523Japan 2,943 26,787 70,650 397,963Austral 4,772 55,800 85,556 395,905N Zeal 23 3,127 1,413 17,035Egypt 375 21,409Rep Saf 209 2,699 2,890 41,353Malawi 200 3,524TOTAL 882,964 1,423,722 15,948,147 19,807,342

9603300000 Artists Brushes, Writing Brushes and Similar Brushesfor the Application of Cosmetics

December Year To Date Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 539,514 1,221,805 6,906,122 13,324,096Mexico 43,625 162,057 445,473 1,650,155Hondura 1,377 5,080C Rica 5,681 37,187Panama 6,474 9,063 47,710 162,633Bahamas 13,051 48,154Jamaica 1,615 5,959 2,958 18,614Cayman 927 3,421Haiti 144 2,577 4,325 65,012Dom Rep 1,586 5,850 120,719 156,748Anglla 1,920 6,451B Virgn 702 2,590Barbado 14,147 26,985Trinid 7,879 26,932Martinq 1,412 5,210Colomb 102,588 424,407Venez 141,440 344,489Ecuador 5,843 44,179Peru 820 3,024 21,887 58,629Bolivia 3,479 12,838Chile 2,068 16,744 19,995 64,970Brazil 2,152 7,941 326,683 1,056,015Paragua 36,771 135,675Argent 5,280 8,955Sweden 6,055 29,586 43,236 228,221Norway 11,252 48,540 53,748 220,986Finland 29,825 106,232Denmark 20,678 81,982U King 23,961 111,128 561,453 2,195,835Ireland 1,230 8,940 33,361 120,960Nethlds 1,498 11,527 22,330 199,195Belgium 44,644 168,939France 4,752 17,535 154,277 642,034Germany 6,524 24,072 72,608 254,393Czech 396 2,809Hungary 906 3,342Switzld 197,925 689,709Estonia 922 3,403Latvia 9,872 26,492Lithuan 576 3,634 2,123 9,340Poland 5,202 22,689 28,405 110,050Russia 2,597 15,368Spain 6,639 26,066Italy 1,202 4,435 40,302 175,135Slvenia 4,561 15,651Serbia 19,069 37,443Greece 4,327 10,208Turkey 161,622 614,854Lebanon 831 5,759Israel 2,461 9,080 38,402 132,643Jordan 1,730 6,197Kuwait 14,170 52,286Qatar 1,455 5,370 1,455 5,370Arab Em 3,189 11,766 15,571 66,934Oman 1,180 4,352Pakistn 693 2,558Bngldsh 22,094 81,520Sri Lka 19,640 55,999 25,486 77,567Thailnd 1,009 3,723 40,614 198,923Vietnam 4,338 16,005Malaysa 5,019 18,520 17,985 66,359Singapr 780 2,878 23,197 88,375Indnsia 801 2,956Phil R 1,859 6,861Macau 826 3,046China 13,850 53,805 235,548 731,996Kor Rep 2,265 24,799 130,440 361,458Hg Kong 868 3,202 122,547 791,890Taiwan 2,102 7,755 5,415 26,192Japan 13,074 56,860 91,562 537,269Austral 11,863 48,775 373,992 1,310,856


N Zeal 33,920 74,169Tunisia 9,253 9,606Libya 12,456 78,158 12,456 78,158Nigeria 19,220 72,054Rep Saf 45,417 181,131TOTAL 750,281 2,097,796 11,045,197 28,640,562

9603402000 Paint Rollers December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 62,220 155,391 755,683 2,187,617Mexico 21,002 56,118 226,971 613,523Guatmal 4,644 3,239Salvadr 696 15,740Hondura 7,692 12,360Nicarag 80 3,077C Rica 15,442 64,902Panama 24,877 215,914Bermuda 7,514 25,196Bahamas 1,361 4,650 10,758 51,143Jamaica 1,663 9,918 8,047 27,279Cayman 1,536 2,800 1,536 2,800Haiti 3,850 10,878Dom Rep 5,200 3,936 209,122 366,488Anglla 17 3,320B Virgn 6,535 5,578Antigua 947 2,738Barbado 496 8,699Trinid 8,610 66,810S Maarte 10 2,775Curaco 757 13,279Aruba 942 2,838 2,481 10,581Colomb 4,740 4,742 5,311 7,402Peru 23,281 30,468Brazil 8,549 16,299Sweden 45 4,501U King 597 2,914 5,433 43,591Ireland 1,385 12,832Nethlds 39 3,052 245 9,523

Belgium 805 26,060France 48 5,850Germany 10,132 15,051 69,906 152,284Czech 20 5,410Switzld 910 15,980Estonia 560 3,842Poland 141 8,467 191 11,450Spain 2,134 2,928Turkey 383 6,714Israel 891 15,637S Arab 500 3,500 113,456 108,219Arab Em 11,818 12,518India 2,016 6,844 10,741 63,723Thailnd 329 19,716Vietnam 80 8,898Malaysa 1,292 10,050 3,276 35,658Singapr 280 4,920 1,580 8,172China 148 6,277Kor Rep 38,640 91,990Hg Kong 1,400 6,146Taiwan 15 3,000Japan 1,008 3,286Austral 10 3,073 64,806 228,389N Zeal 23,363 78,125Fiji 38,778 46,617Gabon 790 2,537Rep Saf 243,199 180,123TOTAL 113,671 298,264 1,970,289 4,988,101

9603404020 Paint Pads December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 215 4,618 23,318 98,178Salvadr 8,320 59,055Hondura 3,246 23,039 3,246 23,039Nicarag 6,651 49,500C Rica 410 9,500 410 9,500Panama 4,096 8,945Bahamas 121 7,393 4,084 35,522

Royal Paint Roller

Royal Paint Roller — a name known in the industry for over45 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 forthe professional and Do-It-Yourself markets.

Specializing in private labeling at competitive prices.

ROYAL PAINT ROLLER248 Wyandanch Avenue

West Babylon, N.Y. 11704Tel: (631) 643-8012 • Fax: (631) 253-9428


Dom Rep 414 2,940Trinid 200 5,683Colomb 3,658 10,120Venez 181 4,540Chile 996 3,260Brazil 1,000 58,614 1,000 58,614Argent 924 3,373Falk Is 3,945 28,000Sweden 1,200 4,128Finland 24,080 46,704Denmark 516 3,663U King 6,275 27,106Ireland 431 3,060France 174 6,745Spain 941 5,908Greece 67 2,977Israel 66 11,653Thailnd 743 5,272Singapr 3,000 8,109 5,520 15,070Brunei 30 8,189Kor Rep 720 3,789Austral 25,548 49,039N Zeal 1,500 4,260TOTAL 7,992 111,273 129,254 597,832

9603404050 Paint, Distemper, Varnish or Similar Brushes(Except Brushes of 9603.30)

December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 38,231 605,988 626,367 8,946,319Mexico 857 14,339 20,457 325,619Guatmal 3,629 35,632Salvadr 289 5,999 289 5,999Hondura 2,313 47,635 23,155 236,335

Nicarag 929 20,100 2,611 55,491C Rica 1,733 9,227 12,683 136,556Panama 884 24,128 20,911 385,979Bermuda 393 8,152 2,123 42,026Bahamas 147 3,040 1,937 22,066Jamaica 137 2,850 772 16,019Cayman 2,357 28,450Haiti 285 5,018Dom Rep 5,382 91,973B Virgn 1,882 45,510St K N 165 3,420Antigua 139 2,873S Lucia 152 3,155Grenada 526 10,912Barbado 524 16,740Trinid 142 2,940 7,797 155,179Curaco 263 5,553Aruba 1,337 19,416Colomb 9,800 203,273Venez 971 25,590Guyana 696 20,393Ecuador 31,608 267,622Peru 1,471 30,509Bolivia 55 8,325Chile 202 4,187 6,114 96,702Brazil 1,172 25,669Argent 4,802 120,578Norway 108 3,337Finland 337 13,802U King 17,589 256,123 193,580 3,001,262Ireland 146 7,537 3,936 51,810Nethlds 141,663 3,687,504France 3,977 75,593Germany 1,539 31,921 12,722 227,830Czech 168 4,171 2,168 15,451Lithuan 3,357 64,688Poland 30 5,026 5,205 65,464Kazakhs 80 4,800Spain 406 10,693Italy 1,458 13,065Romania 23 3,195Turkey 3,576 36,401Israel 2,155 49,835S Arab 4,843 56,298Arab Em 220 4,570 2,242 70,441Bahrain 156 3,227India 126 2,613Thailnd 264 2,718Vietnam 3,257 67,547Malaysa 2,881 20,517Singapr 14,900 207,771Indnsia 480 2,748 480 2,748Phil R 15,642 183,770China 13,158 297,506Kor Rep 10,303 217,438 97,241 2,055,094Hg Kong 45,027 933,964Taiwan 2,585 46,834Japan 421 9,261 4,534 59,670Austral 132,278 1,301,465N Zeal 336 3,920 31,843 359,829Samoa 202 4,185Libya 174 4,216Eq Guin 1,056 15,145Guinea 1,031 5,865Nigeria 2,360 39,151Angola 110 3,846TOTAL 77,489 1,291,300 1,543,573 24,464,051

9603900000 Hand-Operated Mechanical Floor Sweepers,Not Motorized, Mops & Feather Dusters; Prepared Knots & Tufts

for Broom or Brush Making, NESOI December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 173,263 2,356,410 2,620,440 31,488,717Mexico 48,098 608,606 797,375 9,941,216

• 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

Supplier of Raw Materials to Manufacture Brooms, Mops, and Brushes

P.O. Box 14634 • Greensboro, NC 27415

336-273-3609 800-213-9224 Fax: 336-378-6047

E-mail: [email protected]

We ship by pup or truck load direct from Mexico, or LTL/ UPS from our Greensboro warehouse.


Guatmal 1,995 35,224Salvadr 1,092 23,279Hondura 450 14,525 8,412 68,997Nicarag 825 23,572C Rica 594 10,823 21,676 217,086Panama 4,819 78,161 24,322 278,617Bermuda 6,783 75,410Bahamas 1,194 6,130 15,167 132,741Jamaica 450 7,987Turk Is 1,000 9,000Cayman 2,288 16,933Haiti 1,118 16,911Dom Rep 368 2,613 4,212 61,307B Virgn 124 2,600Dominca 197 3,198S Lucia 69 3,302 2,510 15,405Barbado 500 11,747Trinid 7,184 69,155S Maarte 150 2,550Curaco 373 8,511Aruba 1,516 24,587Colomb 876 10,113 17,792 290,308Venez 6,850 119,216Guyana 3,504 10,336 3,504 10,336Ecuador 3,007 7,983 34,682 199,423Peru 304 7,460 33,941 523,631Chile 3,351 93,941 27,844 535,648Brazil 2,937 25,058 77,629 798,248Paragua 750 3,273 750 3,273Uruguay 1,151 24,899 5,296 51,187Argent 2,589 41,544Falk Is 40 2,530Iceland 2,260 6,736Sweden 850 4,905 7,674 89,013Norway 10,282 122,803Finland 7,476 60,227Denmark 3,795 61,553 14,351 283,478U King 30,413 139,097 131,504 1,297,275Ireland 900 6,757 15,281 231,375Nethlds 24,835 197,579Belgium 8,592 92,729 80,785 767,182Luxmbrg 264 6,226 1,381 61,874France 490 24,110 16,211 317,539Germany 5,243 66,045 56,670 671,057Austria 630 10,217Czech 2,628 42,627 8,849 148,347Hungary 376 6,105Switzld 5,790 59,662Estonia 155 2,510 356 5,771Latvia 5,113 82,459Lithuan 3,178 51,531Poland 381 6,183 2,874 42,824Russia 1,015 16,466 27,672 311,944Ukraine 8,880 56,970Azerbjn 618 10,017Georgia 1,050 7,998Kazakhs 412 6,680Spain 170 2,760 10,429 149,269Portugl 6,764 52,588Malta 1,260 7,534Italy 14,131 226,069Turkey 1,759 38,724 5,320 89,708Lebanon 2,397 17,995Iraq 454 7,361Israel 10,040 174,383Jordan 986 16,000Kuwait 2,243 27,143S Arab 1,080 18,420 114,463 1,483,774Qatar 289 4,688 2,076 33,952Arab Em 1,918 19,795 53,104 395,120Oman 140 3,655Bahrain 6,275 45,896Afghan 9,459 153,433India 2,500 5,984 19,620 265,917Pakistn 224 6,966

Nepal 375 3,619Sri Lka 300 3,783 300 3,783Burma 59 3,360Thailnd 254 5,780 2,934 66,489Vietnam 1,070 17,357 3,728 72,879Malaysa 5,375 87,178 16,467 296,055Singapr 6,605 93,230 56,369 739,925Indnsia 648 4,324 27,513 180,321Phil R 181 2,940 18,147 264,058China 7,975 117,754 78,897 1,173,976Kor Rep 21,758 312,392Hg Kong 15,796 243,509 101,424 1,608,412Taiwan 1,027 22,611 12,277 245,377Japan 20,474 205,283 126,064 1,435,413Austral 5,609 77,383 116,673 1,462,628New Gui 642 6,475N Zeal 500 7,220 16,709 135,818N Caldn 186 6,111Moroc 230 3,727Algeria 499 8,100Libya 400 5,636Egypt 40 4,052Eq Guin 480 12,243Niger 850 15,538Nigeria 176 2,850Burkina 1,700 30,719Angola 1,765 49,710Congo B 800 14,624Liberia 120 3,292Uganda 389 15,015Rep Saf 12,137 165,410Botswan 560 9,088Zmbabwe 180 2,925TOTAL 372,991 4,711,564 5,045,367 61,533,540

0502100000 Pigs’, Hogs’ or Boars’ Bristlesand Hair and Waste Thereof

December Year To DateCountry Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG ValueGermany 642 25,389Thailnd 39 4,771China 43,374 553,909 287,232 4,398,493TOTAL 43,374 553,909 287,913 4,428,653

0502900000 Badger Hair and OtherBrushmaking Hair and Waste Thereof

December Year To DateCountry Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG ValueU King 32 2,795Germany 224 533,585Thailnd 58 4,224 3,088 119,539China 445 36,499 54,501 1,229,098Japan 13 38,286TOTAL 503 40,723 57,858 1,923,303

0511993300 Horsehair and Horsehair Waste, Whether or NotPut Up As A Layer With or Without Supporting Material

December Year To DateCountry Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG ValueBrazil 1 2,053 1 2,053Paragua 32,330 400,103France 1 2,330Germany 4,730 44,368China 5,074 125,672 173,977 2,279,309Austral 3 2,190 3 2,190N Zeal 46 10,685TOTAL 5,078 129,915 211,088 2,741,038

importsDECEMBER IMPORTS BY COUNTRY


1404903000 Istle Used Primarily In Brooms or In Brushes,Whether or Not In Hanks or Bundles

December Year To DateCountry Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG ValueMexico 30,532 175,494 296,392 1,589,370China 55,202 186,178TOTAL 30,532 175,494 351,594 1,775,548

4417002000 Broom and Mop Handles, 1.9 CM or More InDiameter and 97 CM or More In Length, Of Wood

December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 12,975 7,136 294,113 246,610Hondura 453,315 244,216 3,976,553 2,089,688Dom Rep 92,820 59,226Colomb 16,728 8,420 97,548 48,889Brazil 770,914 907,538 10,279,388 11,495,906Indnsia 77,526 103,677 1,052,867 1,190,282China 176,175 61,360 2,559,393 1,458,302Taiwan 15,336 15,859TOTAL 1,507,633 1,332,347 18,368,018 16,604,762

4417004000 Paint Brush and Paint Roller Handles, Of Wood December Year To DateCountry Net Q/Variable Value Net Q/Variable ValueGermany 27,191 84,617Czech 8,032 86,746Poland 372,705Italy 563,801 6,997,538India 3,582Thailnd 29,065 259,102Indnsia 204,432 1,033,794China 50,734 2,372,924Taiwan 16,141TOTAL 883,255 11,227,149

4417006000 Brush Backs, Of Wood December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 313,937 123,450 3,234,227 1,263,230Hondura 675,792 216,046Germany 7 5,875Spain 1 6,175Slvenia 3,000 5,785Sri Lka 154,522 83,214 2,548,670 1,383,172Vietnam 25,424 25,992TOTAL 468,459 206,664 6,487,121 2,906,275

4417008010 Tool Handles of Wood December Year To DateCountry Net Q/Variable Value Net Q/Variable ValueCanada 10,588 296,833Mexico 110,330 660,486Guatmal 23,333 79,640Hondura 82,464 761,646Brazil 432,841 5,091,429Sweden 2,450U King 10,484Nethlds 13,382Germany 3,132 21,097Switzld 5,375Spain 79,665Italy 56,725 498,879India 18,314Pakistn 6,710Vietnam 52,274 655,626Indnsia 66,280China 63,341 884,809Taiwan 45,236 589,595TOTAL 880,264 9,742,700

4417008090 Tools, Tool Bodies, Broom or Brush Bodies,Shoe Lasts and Trees, of Wood

December Year To DateCountry Net Q/Variable Value Net Q/Variable ValueCanada 13,222 819,853Mexico 7,973 141,576

Guatmal 16,489Dom Rep 2,510Chile 693,049 7,241,856Brazil 2,621 801,177Sweden 17,395U King 45,825 240,356France 7,818 79,013Germany 28,641 180,027Austria 4,042Switzld 3,257Russia 3,959Spain 4,798 29,898Italy 2,086 139,051Croatia 3,111Romania 4,924Israel 2,920India 400,643 2,240,668Pakistn 2,986Sri Lka 72,463 687,186Thailnd 61,547Vietnam 9,580 210,299Indnsia 3,201 32,417China 693,006 5,263,245Kor Rep 9,882Taiwan 2,730 148,997Japan 614,982 4,293,590TOTAL 2,602,638 22,682,231

7326908576 Metal Handles For Brooms, Mops, Paint Applicators December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 72 3,868Mexico 27,576 10,896 941,028 348,506Colomb 12,000 6,104Brazil 82,221 53,559Sweden 103 2,124Denmark 410 11,510 8,781 119,492U King 13,961 74,856Nethlds 340 7,266France 2,932 8,010Germany 5,984 20,836Switzld 1,680 3,029Spain 773,856 368,513 11,808,864 5,790,603Italy 370,362 902,710 7,679,380 9,342,049Turkey 2,000 6,275Sri Lka 16,536 16,487Thailnd 340 5,177China 847,455 1,196,307 8,635,343 10,655,413Hg Kong 14,000 18,459Taiwan 67,536 81,489TOTAL 2,019,659 2,489,936 29,293,101 26,563,602

9603100500 Wiskbrooms, of Broom Corn, LT=.96 EA. Prior to Entryor Withdrawal for Consumption of 61,655 Dozen In Calendar Year December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 6,888 6,569 53,836 48,794China 74,064 67,346TOTAL 6,888 6,569 127,900 116,140

9603104000 Other Brooms, of Broomcorn, LT=.96 EA, Prior to Entry orWithdrawal For Consumption of GT=121,478 Dozen in Calendar Year December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 77,736 63,394China 6,048 6,206TOTAL 83,784 69,600

9603105000 Other Brooms, of Broomcorn, LT=.96 EA, at Entry orWithdrawal For Consumption of GT=121,478 Dozen in Calendar Year December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 70,524 20,172TOTAL 70,524 20,172


9603106000 Other Brooms, Of Broomcorn, Valued Over .96 Each December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 1,482 15,876Mexico 570,778 1,426,959 7,895,441 19,790,792Hondura 29,916 67,837Italy 6,620 19,161Indnsia 350 4,475China 6,384 14,479 37,729 74,024TOTAL 577,162 1,441,438 7,971,538 19,972,165

9603109000 Brooms & Brushes, Consisting of Twigsor Other Vegetable Materials Bound Together,

With or Without Handles, NESOI December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 64,792 64,966 301,588 359,266Mexico 6,180 21,774 26,285 99,936Colomb 41,760 70,298Brazil 1,600 3,037Sweden 300 3,297Norway 25 5,356Finland 21,547 14,770 21,547 14,770U King 1 2,785France 108 7,358Germany 11,265 22,985Estonia 24,058 48,835Italy 1,324 11,674Israel 16,848 12,101India 11,505 16,396 72,321 76,621Pakistn 36,840 37,542Sri Lka 98,755 75,741 1,449,091 1,928,649Thailnd 2,500 4,697 64,515 92,476Vietnam 13,070 12,850 257,220 275,779Indnsia 650 7,025Phil R 40,111 72,181China 31,163 20,545 250,340 422,411Kor Rep 3,700 9,551Taiwan 6,960 5,997Japan 500 7,474 3,206 24,356TOTAL 250,012 239,213 2,631,663 3,614,286

9603210000 Toothbrushes, Incl. Dental-Plate Brushes December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 81,930 26,557 666,668 297,815Mexico 611,964 198,990 3,947,294 1,630,194Guatmal 1,188,864 681,054 5,448,560 1,335,418Brazil 122,688 41,827 1,904,551 650,854Sweden 205,980 272,641U King 118,158 75,493Ireland 372,720 159,787 8,506,273 4,287,913Nethlds 24,000 5,607 368,151 59,064Germany 2,101,146 1,752,633 29,821,084 22,126,377Hungary 163,632 235,168Switzld 3,621,212 2,682,187 53,696,867 37,389,803Italy 810 2,967 46,410 310,968Greece 121 2,818Israel 20,000 4,700India 2,218,280 650,088 50,879,877 7,555,182Thailnd 106,464 111,648 1,893,440 567,056Vietnam 5,364,282 413,479 58,988,283 4,821,592Malaysa 325,207 44,856 3,019,608 315,055Indnsia 113,936 41,345China 65,700,922 12,554,983 769,858,991 156,799,451Kor Rep 1,195,900 174,520 4,035,886 1,131,527Hg Kong 451,797 220,118Taiwan 1,630,570 431,850 10,698,690 2,402,173

Japan 1,124,388 103,604 5,132,866 690,160Austral 1,008 2,102Egypt 193,392 41,579 193,392 41,579Camroon 7,320 4,869TOTAL 85,984,739 20,078,216 1,010,188,843 243,271,435

9603294010 Hairbrushes, Valued Not Over .40 Each December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueVietnam 10,000 3,046Indnsia 10,000 4,731China 3,487,749 949,442 36,268,833 10,027,656Hg Kong 112,992 21,222Taiwan 51,792 13,199TOTAL 3,487,749 949,442 36,453,617 10,069,854

9603294090 Shaving Brushes, Nail Brushes,Eyelash Brushes & Other Toilet Brushes For Use On The Person,

Valued Not Over .40 Each December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 16,750 2,663 4,413,973 635,419U King 37,958 15,001France 60,000 2,930Germany 7,303,250 438,007 56,705,122 4,011,282Switzld 152,800 4,671Portugl 22,116 3,115Italy 1,050,000 32,043 3,242,132 93,099India 83,800 9,725Thailnd 92,766 23,774China 3,578,681 539,373 41,131,614 6,264,090Kor Rep 7 4,315 8,077,517 227,228Hg Kong 35,710 11,448Taiwan 25,200 7,043 1,740,415 82,239Japan 399,850 81,559 1,114,750 276,893TOTAL 12,373,738 1,105,003 116,910,673 11,660,914

9603302000 Artists Brushes, Writing Brushes & Similar Brushes ForApplication Of Cosmetics, Valued Not Over .05 Each

December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 147,500 4,666Mexico 470,000 15,876 9,236,274 256,257France 2,090,000 78,841 27,938,815 1,071,107Germany 1,207,324 43,616 34,550,888 962,012Italy 3,623,500 46,941 62,160,100 746,804India 8,842,000 245,205Vietnam 1,710,000 20,027 11,030,000 141,818China 17,748,890 594,806 140,353,751 4,555,744Kor Rep 1,855,400 50,498 27,747,368 635,400Hg Kong 142,464 3,009 344,064 7,741Taiwan 352,000 6,779 7,633,233 130,898TOTAL 29,199,578 860,393 329,983,993 8,757,652 9603304000 Artists Brushes, Writing Brushes & Similar Brushes ForApplication of Cosmetics, Valued Over .05 But not Over .10 Each

December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 2,189,964 163,860 55,674,466 4,281,957France 310,000 22,068Germany 1,010,000 72,654 8,264,000 710,565Italy 35,900 3,313India 109,060 8,026 1,070,532 78,954Indnsia 92,900 6,836China 9,242,380 720,041 152,680,886 11,824,549Kor Rep 2,638,954 232,951Hg Kong 1,745,825 121,567Taiwan 2,287,533 179,787TOTAL 12,551,404 964,581 224,800,996 17,462,547

9603306000 Artists Brushes, Writing Brushes & Similar Brushes ForApplication Of Cosmetics, Valued Over .10 Each

December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 16,405 244,258Mexico 12,081,137 1,793,690 153,950,262 26,856,851


Dom Rep 103,123 193,738 1,358,627 1,798,709Colomb 2,797 2,185Sweden 10,008 16,473U King 71,976 156,156 774,929 1,699,416Ireland 2,554 10,238Nethlds 28,000 42,494Monaco 756 81,701France 67,448 361,835 1,078,121 5,427,769Germany 19,850 156,219 1,368,247 2,401,384Switzld 3,612 78,192Poland 33,593 65,122Russia 2,816 4,691Spain 17,455 99,116 146,842 759,611Italy 202,305 188,134 1,059,983 1,075,707Greece 192 2,659Turkey 4,060 10,503Israel 5,645 22,084India 682,624 274,379 7,792,357 3,415,849Pakistn 20,160 13,456Sri Lka 188,966 114,385 2,580,381 1,919,500Thailnd 199,171 114,012 3,670,686 1,682,147Vietnam 57,498 27,088 2,626,426 1,073,884Singapr 58,200 15,726Indnsia 581,487 165,820Phil R 7,560 4,097China 24,418,001 20,183,088 299,773,985 242,892,388Kor Rep 216,047 287,346 3,053,534 2,449,087Hg Kong 131,090 260,179 2,385,115 3,240,653Taiwan 63,685 38,105 3,716,087 1,339,074Japan 202,866 718,663 2,805,717 13,478,261Mauritn 6,119 22,126 80,135 343,472Maurit 26,410 126,149 209,953 1,229,604TOTAL 38,755,771 25,114,408 489,209,232 313,863,065

9603402000 Paint Rollers December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 1,536 4,519 133,946 243,284Mexico 439,228 166,253 8,493,759 3,035,465Brazil 5,538 8,485Sweden 3,840 15,656 13,187 50,897U King 16,000 7,680 28,000 13,576Germany 286,388 71,615 1,962,161 455,329Czech 28,800 14,682 190,090 62,525Poland 1,444 2,100India 47,304 10,360Cambod 271,784 44,365 1,378,412 246,590Indnsia 137,962 28,835China 4,681,990 2,347,516 42,041,707 22,636,027Hg Kong 432 11,048Taiwan 34,944 21,785Rep Saf 280 4,822 280 4,822TOTAL 5,729,846 2,677,108 54,469,166 26,831,128

9603404020 Paint Pads (Other Than Of Subheading 9603.30) December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 14,200 10,345U King 163,915 60,490Pakistn 28,000 2,935 260,800 27,490China 653,706 410,862 22,928,496 6,916,301Taiwan 25,914 20,705 58,611 45,337TOTAL 707,620 434,502 23,426,022 7,059,963

9603404040 Natural Bristle Brushes, Other Than Brushes OfSubheading 9603.30

December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 10,908 12,900 183,914 217,626Mexico 1,000 2,358Guatmal 9,936 7,572Sweden 6,810 20,444U King 15,750 21,201 107,678 227,250Nethlds 827 3,587Germany 2,283 14,056 16,393 126,863

Switzld 1 4,657Italy 21,336 163,649 198,916 1,531,821Greece 2,000 3,150Turkey 67,816 265,688India 362,832 75,466 4,118,420 482,779Sri Lka 4,572 7,385Vietnam 349,503 48,998Indnsia 3,621,100 581,416 55,016,573 9,291,089China 3,325,541 714,258 49,602,456 9,420,334Kor Rep 650 4,325Taiwan 166,654 113,130Austral 150 7,905TOTAL 7,359,750 1,582,946 109,854,269 21,786,961

9603404060 Paint, Distemper, Varnish/Similr Brushes Exc Brushesof Subheading 9603.30 NESOI

December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada5,052 6,324 83,274 163,689Dom Rep 10,612 25,943Sweden 49,600 16,755 322,201 147,405Denmark 100,662 62,267U King 52,600 23,993 337,126 244,942Nethlds 480 2,518 409,278 76,153France 999 15,444Germany 5,565 23,827 265,568 526,659Switzld 20 26,508Spain 1,265 7,819Italy 1 3,287 3,858 16,530Greece 59 2,153 59 2,153Turkey 6,708 31,737 74,076 280,961India 427,012 20,798Sri Lka 1 2,576Vietnam 3,165 11,366Cambod 215,640 39,909Indnsia 1,517,448 341,870 16,509,280 3,588,445Phil R 1,213,894 20,636China 14,127,388 4,173,335 198,512,582 58,751,763Kor Rep 42,300 16,788 78,819 33,449Hg Kong 106,160 25,375Taiwan 489,250 275,376Japan 29,073 35,470 149,526 198,283Rep Saf 86,642 38,075TOTAL 15,836,274 4,678,057 219,400,969 64,602,524

9603908010 Wiskbrooms December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 5,092 22,427Italy 27,528 44,597China 143,404 75,051 1,548,559 1,038,988Hg Kong 18,684 22,479 18,684 22,479Taiwan 2,016 4,968 4,032 10,596TOTAL 164,104 102,498 1,603,895 1,139,087

9603908020 Upright Brooms December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 9,102 39,121Mexico 9,670 33,677 238,903 569,707Guatmal 2,850 22,552 61,738 291,092Salvadr 11,436 2,559Hondura 7,890 18,572Colomb 16,500 14,240Venez 20,400 33,459Brazil 5,400 37,804 82,159 444,457Argent 3,104 8,599U King 3,096 11,479Germany 3,755 15,405 33,866 210,389Switzld 14,948 62,053Spain 13,920 30,499 120,360 244,650Portugl 150 2,503Italy 84,144 141,793 929,161 1,823,546India 10,000 23,500Sri Lka 51,780 91,261 727,528 1,354,533


Thailnd 1,002 5,726Vietnam 32,500 32,394China 1,413,063 1,871,702 13,385,665 18,759,500Taiwan 1,500 8,422TOTAL 1,584,582 2,244,693 15,711,008 23,960,501

9603908030 Push Brooms, 41 CM or Less in Width December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 4,957 15,442Mexico 3,289 11,488Salvadr 77,896 52,723Italy 9,162 22,063Pakistn 2,500 2,402Sri Lka 50,612 167,760 717,252 2,496,777China 27,528 65,694 341,677 965,335Taiwan 840 7,151TOTAL 78,140 233,454 1,157,573 3,573,381

9603908040 Other Brooms, NESOI December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 116,628 1,405,951 1,275,877 7,017,983Mexico 340,738 423,816 5,298,880 7,722,263Guatmal 28,056 24,386 149,424 128,761Salvadr 17,880 17,878 345,484 382,452Hondura 64,800 24,323C Rica 9,060 12,384Colomb 67,086 61,995 395,353 548,383Venez 38,695 35,918Brazil 13,670 25,099 296,701 513,009U King 1,805 19,421Nethlds 311 3,547France 105 4,509Germany 16,150 7,901 17,200 19,955Czech 34,272 11,151 626,304 353,332Switzld 3,400 18,362Latvia 1,720 5,448Spain 70,096 142,302Italy 56,086 110,100 207,117 779,141Israel 1,212 9,298India 1,200 7,651 21,866 35,826Sri Lka 62,160 102,039 928,488 1,806,418Thailnd 60,227 118,604Vietnam 15,986 31,617 129,503 214,337Phil R 4,290 13,064China 422,876 459,403 5,737,932 8,004,659Kor Rep 200,000 18,880Hg Kong 35,496 68,582Taiwan 7,200 8,891 22,623 60,702TOTAL 1,199,988 2,697,878 15,943,969 28,081,863

9603908050 Brooms, Brushes, Sqeegees, Etc., NESOI December Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 1,309,986 18,614,945Mexico 4,749,979 61,099,188Guatmal 57,488Salvadr 27,297 279,198Hondura 1,805,182 18,462,401C Rica 11,425Dom Rep 16,758 390,254Colomb 124,343 796,467Venez 8,400Brazil 17,644 603,485Argent 224,134Sweden 18,162 162,824Finland 63,764 256,627Denmark 295,347 3,509,643U King 86,373 1,119,980Nethlds 33,529 448,929Belgium 40,673 1,446,791France 10,425 92,828Germany 255,003 4,221,916Austria 25,361

Czech 429,738Slovak 34,747Hungary 49,387Lichten 55,544Switzld 23,808 271,479Estonia 68,104Latvia 8,955Lithuan 224,607Poland 21,324 938,107Spain 173,783 1,403,536Italy 267,937 3,545,193Slvenia 7,365 15,174Romania 12,733Turkey 12,248 122,266Lebanon 2,914Israel 135,138 920,615Arab Em 26,613 49,370India 73,079 1,189,925Pakistn 450,792 5,278,424Bngldsh 58,198 237,637Sri Lka 102,297 2,349,918Thailnd 222,424 2,783,047Vietnam 39,537 905,666Cambod 50,142Malaysa 198,462 1,495,457Indnsia 109,530 621,665China 39,184,400 447,697,374Kor Rep 265,968 2,776,176Hg Kong 547,293 6,376,670Taiwan 1,624,736 15,255,120Japan 31,539 663,330Austral 1,143,761N Zeal 41,465 316,405Egypt 23,599 268,069Sier Ln 35,086Rep Saf 7,375 7,375TOTAL 52,503,375 609,436,000

Loos & Co., Inc. has launched itsnew website featuring all of theproducts it has been manu facturingfor the past 50-plus years. The newwww.loosco.com is mobile compat -ible, presents an updated look andfeel, and is user-friendly.

“The Loos and Company websiteis built to display information on its

wire, cable, and cable assembly products. The new site delivers a clean,modern design without sacrificing the availability of any of the informationthe user may need. Upgraded functionality will allow visitors to view thesite, easily navigate the site and view it from any mobile device,” saidcompany representatives.

“We are excited about this new website and its improved functionality,”said Robert Davis, sales and marketing manager at Loos and Company.“With consumers beginning to focus on ‘mobile-first’ websites, we knewthis was a feature we must incorporate on this new site.

“When designing the new website, ease of use and availability ofinformation were the primary considerations. Through the main menus andthe page level menus, visitors will be able to easily get to any page they mayneed. Additionally, because the website is built to be viewed on mobiledevices first, none of this functionality will be lost when viewing on asmartphone or tablet.”

Loos & Co., Inc. is a manufacturer of military specification aircraft cableand aircraft cable assemblies. It has over 50 years of experience in the cableindustry and supplies flight control assemblies to all major aircraftmanufacturers. Visit www.loosco.com for a complete listing of capabilities,including: stainless steel and specialty alloy wire and wire products, aircraftcable, wire rope, and military and commercial cable assemblies.

Loos & Company Has New Website


Hahl-Pedex has extended its range ofproducts for the technical brush and abrasiveindustry.

“Using its knowledge in monofilament and

abrasive monofilament extrusion, and thewrapping and coating technology of SurtelElectronica sl, Hahl-Pedex is now able to offera range of multifilament products which

complement its existing range, specificallydesigned for use in brushes and brush rolls forthe flat steel and primary metal industries.Other applications include glass washingmachines, printing machines, stone polishingand wood processing,” said the company.

What is a Multifil?Multifil is an engineered bristle based on

multiple extruded synthetic filaments inside thesame bristle wrapped and coated to ensuremaximum stability and bending stiffnessproperties.

What are the benefits versus standard monofilaments?

Multifil bristles deliver more workingfilaments to the surface to be cleaned orprocessed, which in turn results in a highergrinding efficiency or cleaning capacity.

Other advantages can include a reduction infilament breakage, are high cleaning perf -ormance in oily and greasy environments,adding a capillary effect to the brush as well aslonger life time.

The Multibrasif® abrasive range comes inthe form of the hard wearing coating, protectingbrush making machinery from wear and tear.Alkaline applications in the steel industry.A highlight of the range is MultiBil®. This

multifil version of the Hahl Pedex Bilon®range offers an improvement in lifetime andcleaning performance for use in chemicalwashing sections, using alkaline solutions. Thisproduct is also resistant to acid attack, whenused inside the pickling process.

Industry expertise and service.The Multifil range will also be supplied from

a range of standard inventory in hank lengthsfor quick delivery.

Hahl-Pedex has hired Raimon Nosas, anindustry expert in the field of multifilamentwith more than 30 years experience inproducing industrial brushes, to help offertechnical advice and support on this range.


Sales in 2014 of the ZAHORANSKYGROUP rose to a new record high of almost81 million euro compared with 70 millioneuro the year before.

With a plus of 19 percent, incoming ordersin 2014, totaling 85 million euro, were thehighest in the company’s history. This is theoutcome of the continuous expansion in allfive production sites worldwide.

“The strategy of opting for direct sales inmarkets abroad has developed exceedingly welland is being pursued further. After the new orrestructured branches in Japan and China, salesand service in the United States and in India willbe 100 percent managed in their own initiative

with immediate effect,” said company officials.The ZAHORANSKY GROUP splits into

three business divisions: mechanical eng ineering,mold making and system technology.

As a worldwide brush machine maker, thecompany has plants and production sites inTodtnau, Germany, Spain and India. Thisdivision showed an increase in incomingorders in 2014 of 20 percent. The productprogram ranges from machines for makingsmall interdental brushes via mascara and hairbrushes for body care, brooms, hand brushes,household WC and toilet brushes up tocylinder brushes and other technical andindustrial brushes.

Strong Growth Of The ZAHORANSKY GROUP ACS Names Rory Beaudette COOCleaning Products Division

ACS Industries,Inc., (ACS) hasnamed Rory Beau -dette chief opera -ting officer ofACS’ Cleaning Pr -o d ucts Division.

Beaudette hasheld the position of

vice president of sales for the Scrubble ProductsDivision for many years, and now has assumedcomplete responsibility for all operations of thisbusiness unit.

Visit www.acs-cp.com to learn more aboutCommon Sense Cleaning Products from ACS.

The U.S. brush manufacturer CarolinaBrush, of Gastonia, NC, is a long-standingcustomer of Wöhler Brush Tech, and isconvinced of the high machine quality.Carolina Brush offers a wide range of variousbrushes with the focus always on individualcustomer requirements, mostly customsolutions with a high priority on quality andservice.

In order to meet these demands, it wasclear to Carolina Brush President and CEOFred Spach that he needed the rightmachinery for the reliable and flexibleproduction of these quality brush products.

This is why Carolina Brush relies onWöhler Brush Tech, combining its U.S. brushmaking expertise with German engineeringand over 80 years of experience in theindustry.

“Wöhler is an unbeatable partner in stripbrush production – living and loving theircommitment to innovation just like we do. Wehave a number of Wöhler machines inoperation and are always impressed by theirhigh quality and flexibility,” ProductionManager Mike Carpenter stressed, having justreturned from an acceptance test for a newstrip brush machine at the Wöhler facility inGermany.

“Not only Carolina Brush is convinced bythe brush quality produced on Wöhlermachines; Honeybee Robotics, for example,

is a direct supplier to NASA and customer ofCarolina Brush. This is how strip brushesfrom Carolina Brush came to be part of theprestigious Mars mission. To meet the mostexacting demands of the U.S. space agency isa great honor and an award in itself. Absolutereliability of every probe component is a mustas probes are exposed to many unknownfactors on the 56 million km journey to Mars.

“We are both pleased and proud that

Wöhler Brush Tech and Carolina Brush havebeen able to contribute to NASA research andthe successful realization of the Marsmissions,” Wöhler Brush Tech GmbHManaging Director Matthias Peveling said.

Such cooperation with internationalcustomers has made Wöhler Brush Tech oneof the global leaders in brush makingmachinery. Visit www.bt.woehler.com.

Strip Brushes On A Mission To Mars:Carolina Brush Uses Wöhler Machinery To Produce Brushes For NASA’s Mars Mission

Hahl-Pedex Launches New Range Of Multifil Based Products

ADVERTORIAL

The dust removal tool (DRT) was speciallydesigned for cleaning the layers of pervasive,dark Mars dust from the natural surfaces ofrock. This is the application of the custombrushes.

2015 International Home & Housewares Show

Photo Tour Of Brush, Broom,Mop And Related IndustrySuppliers Exhibiting At The International Home & Housewares Show

Located in Plattsburgh, NY, Brushtech provides such items as

barbecue, bath, car washing and wire brushes; kitchen tools and

various accessories. Shown are Zaven Gunjian, vice president of

sales; and Nora Gunjian, vice president of marketing.

Brushtech

Freudenberg Household Products LP, of Aurora, IL, features the O-

Cedar® brand. Items include brooms, mops, brushes and

scrubber sponges. Shown is Cheri Schmidt, brand manager.

Freudenberg Household Products

The FootMate® System by Gordon Brush, of Commerce, CA,

features a product with contoured bristles that are designed for

foot massage and care. FootMate® also provides hand care

brushes, while Gordon Brush’s product offering includes cleaning

items. Shown are FootMate® representatives Alan Schechter and

Sissy Quinn.

Gordon Brush

Gator Cleaning Products, LLC, of Eugene, OR, provides grout

cleaning solutions. Its Grout Gator® features movable beveled

brushes to clean grout lines. Shown is Jim Hill, managing partner.

Gator Cleaning Products

Among the various cleaning aids from Butler Home Products, LLC,

are brooms; kitchen/vegetable and scrub brushes; scrubber

sponges; disposable cleaning supplies; mops; and lint rollers. The

company is located in Marlborough, MA.

Butler Home Products


Many leading companies involved in the world’shome and housewares marketplace once againmet at Chicago’s McCormick Place for theInternational Home & Housewares Show. The2015 edition was held March 7-10. This year’sshow included many exhibitors of broom, brush,mop, squeegee and related cleaning products,including those companies featured in thefollowing gallery.



Armaly Brands

Offering a variety of products for the cleaning industry is Hayco

Manufacturing Ltd., of Hong Kong. Items include brooms, mops,

brushes, squeegees, carpet and floor sweepers. Shown, left to

right, are Lena Wong, associate director of corporate accounts;

Suanne Wong, associate director of sales & marketing; and Henk

D. in ‘t Hof, vice president of marketing & business development.

Hayco Manufacturing

The Wool Shop, of Grant City, MO, offers various types of

lambswool cleaning products such as dusters and floor mops.

Shown, left to right, are Jeff Andrews, vice president; and Allen

Andrews, president.

The Wool Shop

The Libman Company, of Arcola, IL, provides a variety of

housewares including dust, sponge and wet mops; brooms;

brushes; and buckets.

The Libman Company

Providing a wide variety of housewares is L C Industries, of

Durham, NC. Products include brooms, dust pans, sponges and

wet mops. Shown, left to right, are Jeffrey Hawting, president; and

Woody Hebenstreit, vice president of sales.

L C Industries

Offering houseware-related products such as sponges, steel wool

soap pads, car wash and stick-good cleaning items is Armaly

Brands, of Walled Lake, MI. Shown is assistant marketing & brand

manager Eric Phillips.

Quickie Mfg. Corp.

Quickie Manufacturing Corporation, of Cinnaminson, NJ, supplies

the cleaning industry with various products such as brooms,

brushes (bath, kitchen/vegetable), mops, scrubbers and

squeegees.



Ettore Products

The Fuller Brush Company, of Napa, CA, provides such cleaning-

related products as brushes, mops, brooms and sponges. Shown

is Caitlin Keller, vice president of product development.

The Fuller Brush Company

Among the housewares provided by Lola Products, of

Hackensack, NJ, are brooms, brushes, mops, scrubbers,

sponges, scourers and cloths. Shown is Nicole Kulhawy, sales &

marketing coordinator.

Lola Products

Offering a variety of cleaning items including squeegees,

scrubbers, dusters, car washing brushes, buckets and microfiber

products is Ettore Products Company, located in Alameda, CA.

Shown is Wayne Schultz, vice president of sales.

Eagle Home Products

Various cleaning-related items provided by Eagle Home Products,

Inc., include bath and scrub brushes; brooms; scouring pads and

sponges. The company is located in Huntington, NY. Shown is

Setko Seter, vice president of operations.

Herold Partco ProductsTo Be Sold Under

The Osborn BrandOsborn, a supplier of industrial brushes,

polishing compounds and buffs, has addedproduct lines from newly acquired Herold PartcoManufacturing, Inc.

Jason Inc. announced the completed tran -saction to acquire the manufacturing assets andcustomer list from Cleveland, OH-based HeroldPartco on March 25. Herold Partco products willbe manufactured and distributed by Osborn, aunit of Jason Inc.

“This move is a great step in continuing tobuild Osborn’s leadership in the North Americanmarket,” said Osborn Vice President of Sales andMarketing Mark Johnson. “The products coming

under our brand will be excellent additions toOsborn’s offerings, providing more solutions toexisting customers. Current Herold Partcocustomers will now benefit from the depth andbreadth of the Osborn product lines, creatingmutual gain.”

The acquisition was part ofJason’s growth strategy,expanding through acquiringcompanies that fit well withinthe existing companies andcomplement the current product lineup.

“As part of our dedication to providingcustomers with best-in-class solutions, we arecontinuously looking for opportunities toexpand our product offering,” said JasonFinishing Group President Dr. Florestan vonBoxberg. “In acquiring the manufacturingassets of Herold Partco, we broaden our catalogin the area of power brushes, thereby creating

increased value for our current customers andthose of Herold Partco.”

Herold Partco manufacturing equipment willbe relocated to Osborn’s plant in Richmond, IN,where production of Herold Partco products will

resume. According to Osbornofficials, current customers willcontinue to receive the samequality products to which theyare accustomed.

Osborn is a supplier of surfacetreatment solutions and finishing tools forindustrial and commercial applications such asmetal finishing, honing and surface polishing.

Founded in 1887, Osborn now includesoperations in 15 countries and serves customers inmore than 100 countries. A unit of Jason Inc.,Osborn carries more than 10,000 standardproducts.

Visit www.osborn.com for more information.

RawMaterial ReportBy Rick Mullen | Broom, Brush & Mop Associate Editor

Broom, Brush & Mop Magazine recently spoke with executivesfrom two suppliers about the availability and pricing of woodand metal handles.

In its production of handles for the broom, mop and brush industry,Whitley-Monahan Handle Co., of Midland, NC, sources varioushardwoods and softwoods, primarily from Brazil, Honduras and Indonesia.

“Overall, the picture in the wood handle industry is there has been goodavailability of raw material and the pricing has remained steady for the pastseveral years,” said Whitley-Monahan Sales Manager Jim Monahan.

Monahan said the strength of the U.S. dollar against the Brazilian real andother currencies has caught the attention of industry executives lately.

“In Honduras, where we get pine, and Indonesia and Brazil, where we gethardwood, the strong dollar is helping hold down prices,” Monahan said.“Brazil, Indonesia and Honduras are facing high inflation in their owncountries.”

Because of inflation, the cost of doing business, including wages, has goneup in these countries. With inflation, higher costs and environmental issues,foreign saw mills are having to raise prices, Monahan said.

“There are more government controls in these countries watching thenumber of trees cut. There are stricter guidelines for cutting and replanting,so there are more costs involved,” Monahan said. “However, the strongdollar has helped offset some of these costs. As a result, we expect to seesteady prices through the end of this year.”

While pricing and availability of hardwoods and softwoods currently poseno major issues, the rainy seasons in both Brazil and Honduras can cause sawmills some production problems. The Brazilian rainy season is typically fromJanuary/February through May. The wet season in Honduras is usually fromAugust to December.

“Honduras, like Brazil, has a rainy season, which curtails productionsomewhat,” Monahan said. “However, they are experienced enough now tostock up through the rainy season. As a result, the wet conditions don’t havequite the impact as in the past. There has been a very steady flow of rawmaterial out of Honduras. I don’t think it has increased or decreased over thepast few years.

“Most of the usage of pine is for shorter lengths used for mop handles andother lighter weight applications. For longer lengths, used in most heavypush brooms and other applications, tauari hardwood is the wood of choice.”

There are domestic hardwoods, such as ash, oak and poplar, but their usein the broom, mop and brush industry is limited. Likewise, the same is truefor domestic pine, a softwood. Poplar is comparable to Brazilian tauari instrength and appearance. Poplar is a consistent, light grain wood that makesquality broom and mop handles, but can be more expensive than Braziliantauari, according to Monahan.

Also, the production of pine in Honduras nearly matches the demand in theUnited States, and people seem to be happy with the Honduran pine.

“People want ‘made in the USA’ products, but they want to pay the sameprice as the foreign woods. It is still a hard sell,” Monahan said.

A tentative five-year agreement was reached in February between theInternational Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and port operators onthe West Coast, ending nine months of negotiations. The dispute impactedinternational trade at West Coast seaports that handled about $1 trillion worthof cargo annually, according to news reports.

“Ocean freight costs are stable for now,” Monahan said. “I’m sure after thissettlement on the West Coast, there will be some increases coming in port charges.

“The labor dispute has been settled, but there is such a backlog that is stillcausing some delays. We found that people who saw this coming manymonths ago shipped some of their containers to the East Coast or Gulf ports.Even though the transit time was a lot longer, companies did this in order toensure they had some product. It did cause some delays at East Coast andGulf ports, but it wasn’t weeks upon weeks like it was on the West Coast.There was maybe a delay of a week here or a week there.

“(Whitley-Monahan) also must deal with intense inspections by thefederal Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency that can cause delaysand extra expense. We must follow their rules, which is good. Theinspections can cause some problems and unforseen expenses, but nothingmajor.”

Business at Whitley-Monahan has been “steady,” Monahan said.“The harsh winter kind of slowed business down a little,” he said.

“November and December were probably a little slower than what we hadexperienced in the past. I think people just stayed inside and didn’t get outand shop much. The winter months for us were a little slower than we werehoping for, but it seems like things are starting to pick up.

“We are optimistic that warm weather will bring out the shoppers. Theeconomy seems to be bouncing back. Jobless rates are down, which is a signpeople are making money. Hopefully people will need new brooms and mopswhen they start shopping again.”

Reporting on last summer’s steel prices, American Select TubingGeneral Manager Mark Maninfior said price increases in thedomestic market seemed out of step with the rest of the world.

However, that picture has changed.“Steel prices have been all over the map,” Maninfior said. “They went up

last fall pretty sharply, and then leveled off and fell down this past winter.Currently, prices are fairly stable.”

Maninfior predicted current steel prices are as low as they are going to go;however, while prices have creeped up somewhat in recent weeks, he doesn’tforesee any major hikes in the near future.

American Select Tubing, located in Mattoon, IL, specializes in theproduction and sale of metal handles to the broom, brush and mop industry,as well as the tool trade. In its manufacturing operation, American SelectTubing’s primary raw material is full-hard steel.

“The availability of steel is not a problem,” Maninfior said. “I think theprice of steel is going to hover around where it is currently. Also, the price ofresins has been coming down at a decent rate. As with steel, I think resinprices have bottomed out. We have seen prices start to come up for the pastmonth or so. They follow oil prices to some extent.

“We still have some parts we are molding outside, but we are looking tobring that work in-house sometime this summer,” he said. “We are addingcapacity in our handle assembly operation. We have a couple of machines wepurchased that will be brought online in early summer. Our capacity is goingup, as are our orders. Our business has grown quite a bit since this time lastyear, and we are adding new products. We have a couple of new extensionhandles coming online this month (April). We are at the end of that project,with customers waiting.”

A second harsh winter in a row has had American Select Tubing hustlingto supply snow shovel handles to the market.

“We were busy all fall and winter making snow shovel handles,”Maninfior said. “We are now making snow shovel handles for next seasonnow. It looks like it is going to be a real strong year for that market.”

Jim Monahan Mark Maninfior


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