Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Textiles |
Founded | Alamance, U.S. (1880) |
Headquarters | , |
Area served | Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America |
Products | Aqualon Edge, Awning Composer, Causeway, Coastguard, Dickson, GlenGuard, HarborTime Edge, Hydrofend, Sleeve-It, Solair, Solamesh, StrataGrid, Sunbrella, Sunworker, Sur Last, Visilite |
Services | Third Party Logistics |
Subsidiaries | Dickson Constant, Glen Raven Asia, Glen Raven Material Solutions LLC, Glen Raven Consumer Solutions LLC, Glen Raven Logistics, Glen Raven Technical Fabrics LLC, Strata Systems Inc, Trivantage, LLC |
Website | https://www.glenraven.com/ |
Glen Raven, Inc. is a fabric manufacturing and marketing company. The company is headquartered in Glen Raven, North Carolina and headed by Leib Oehmig, who took over after Allen Erwin Gant, Jr., the grandson of John Quintin Gant and founder of the industry advocacy group National Council of Textile Organizations, retired. [1] Glen Raven has operations in the United States, France, and China.
John Quintin Gant entered the dry goods retail business in Company Shops, NC (Burlington) in 1872 and opened the John Q. Gant & Co. Gant sold his interest in the company in 1880 and then partnered with Berry Davidson to build the Altamahaw Cotton Mills in Alamance County, NC. The company was founded as John Q. Gant Manufacturing Co. in 1900 by John Quintin Gant (1847–1930), and by 1902, the company’s name was changed to Glen Raven Cotton Mills. [2] [3]
The company began manufacturing cotton duck awning fabrics in 1908 and developing pantyhose in 1953. Panti-Tights and Panti-Legs are introduced as the first commercial ladies pantyhose in 1959. In 1965, Glen Raven developed a seamless pantyhose that became popular due to the introduction of the miniskirt. [4] Glen Raven exited the hosiery business in 1996. The company was also known for making duck cloth used in tents for World War I and making tent canvas, power bags, and parachute cloth for World War II. [3]
Glen Raven claims to have woven the fabric used to make the first American flag that was planted on the moon at their weaving facility in Burnsville, NC. [5] However, there is controversy and speculation whether the manufacturer of the fabric used in the American flag was made by Glen Raven or Burlington Industrial Fabrics. Glen Raven claims that they manufactured most of the nylon used in flags in the 1960s, while Burlington claims to have been the world’s largest textile company at the time. There is no clear documentation of where the flag was bought or who manufactured the fabric, and it still remains a mystery today. [6]
The company introduced the use of yarns spun from pigmented acrylic-based fiber in 1961 with Sunbrella, which has vastly superior durability and light-fastness to cotton. [7] Today, Sunbrella fabrics are used in a variety of applications including outdoor furniture, indoor furniture, boat covers, convertible automobile tops, and awnings. Glen Raven is best known for its Sunbrella line of performance fabrics.
In 1998 Glen Raven merged with Dickson SA of France, founded by David Dickson (1811–1869), a Scotsman and Officer of the Legion of Honour. The company started production in a new manufacturing facility in China on September 21, 2006. [3]
In 2006, Sunbrella Awnings, Boat Tops, Canopies, and Umbrellas with Sun Protective Performance Fabrics UPF 50+ were awarded the "International Seal of Recommendation for UV Fabric/Umbrellas/Awnings" by The Skin Cancer Foundation, a worldwide organization dedicated to preventing skin cancer. [8]
Glen Raven acquired the Astrup Company (founded in Cleveland, Ohio in 1876 by William J.O. Astrup) and John Boyle & Company (founded in Brooklyn, New York in 1860 by John Boyle) in 2007. Strata Systems, Inc. was acquired as part of the purchase of John Boyle & Company, [9] which itself, had previously acquired Strata Systems, Inc. The combined Astrup and John Boyle companies were renamed Tri Vantage in March 2008. [10] Tri Vantage was rebranded as Trivantage in November 2012 with the tagline "Order. Done. Good Call." [11]
In October 2017, Glen Raven acquired Sunbury Textile Mills, one of their strategic business partners for over twenty years. Sunbury became a wholly owned subsidiary of Glen Raven and operated as part of Glen Raven Custom Fabrics, LLC. [12]
Subsidiaries | Founded | Country | Logo | President | Website | Headquarters | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dickson Constant | 1836 | France | David Swers | https://www.dickson-constant.com/en/ | ZI la Pilaterie 10. rue des Châteaux - BP 109 F-59443 - Wasquehal, France | [13] [14] [15] | |
Glen Raven Asia | 2006 | China | David Swers | https://www.glenraven.com/ | No. 8 Meiyi Street, East Su Hong Road, SIP Suzhou - Jiangsu Province 215026, China | [16] [17] [18] | |
Glen Raven Material Solutions LLC | 2023 | United States | David Swers | https://www.sunbrella.com | 142 Glen Raven Road - Burlington, NC 27217-1100, USA | [19] [20] [21] | |
Glen Raven Consumer Solutions LLC | 2023 | United States | David Swers | https://www.sunbrella.com | 142 Glen Raven Road - Burlington, NC 27217-1100, USA | [22] [20] [23] | |
Glen Raven Logistics | 1960 | United States | Harold W. Hill, Jr. | https://www.glenravenlogistics.com/ | 3726 Altamahaw, Union Ridge Road - Altamahaw, NC 27202, USA | [24] [25] | |
Glen Raven Technical Fabrics LLC | 1880 | United States | Harold W. Hill, Jr. | https://www.glenraven.com/ | 1831 North Park Avenue - Burlington, NC 27217-1100 - USA | [26] | |
Strata Systems, Inc. | 1990 | United States | Harold W. Hill, Jr. | https://www.geogrid.com/ | 1831 North Park Avenue - Burlington, NC 27217-1100, USA | [27] [28] | |
Trivantage, LLC | 2008 | United States | Steve Ellington | https://www.trivantage.com/ | 1831 North Park Avenue - Burlington, NC 27217-1100, USA | [29] [30] |
Brand | Owned by | Founded | Logo | Headquarters | Taglines | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sunbrella | Glen Raven, Inc. | 1961 | Sunbrella HQ, 142 Glen Raven Road - Burlington, NC 27217-1100 - USA | Give Life Texture | [20] [31] [32] | |
Dickson | Glen Raven, Inc. | 1998 | ZI la Pilaterie, 10. rue des Châteaux BP 109 - F-59443 Wasquehal, France | Innovative Textiles For Your World | [13] [33] | |
Trivantage | Glen Raven, Inc. | 2008 | 1831 North Park Avenue - Burlington, NC 27217-1100, USA | Order. Done. Good Call. | [34] [35] [36] | |
GlenGuard | Glen Raven, Inc. | 2004 | 1831 North Park Avenue - Burlington, NC 27217-1100, USA | Compliance | [37] [38] [39] | |
Aqualon Edge | Glen Raven, Inc. | 2016 | 1831 North Park Avenue - Burlington, NC 27217-1100, USA | - | [40] [41] [42] | |
Awning Composer | Glen Raven, Inc. | 1997 | 1831 North Park Avenue - Burlington, NC 27217-1100, USA | - | [43] [44] | |
Causeway | Glen Raven, Inc. | 2019 | 1831 North Park Avenue - Burlington, NC 27217-1100, USA | - | [45] [46] [47] | |
Hydrofend | Glen Raven, Inc. | 2019 | 1831 North Park Avenue - Burlington, NC 27217-1100, USA | - | [48] [49] | |
Solair | Glen Raven, Inc. | 2009 | 1831 North Park Avenue - Burlington, NC 27217-1100, USA | - | [50] [51] | |
SolaMesh | Glen Raven, Inc. | 2017 | 1831 North Park Avenue - Burlington, NC 27217-1100, USA | - | [52] [53] | |
Visilite | Glen Raven, Inc. | 2017 | 1831 North Park Avenue - Burlington, NC 27217-1100, USA | - | [54] [55] |
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the only manufacturing method, and many other methods were later developed to form textile structures based on their intended use. Knitting and non-woven are other popular types of fabric manufacturing. In the contemporary world, textiles satisfy the material needs for versatile applications, from simple daily clothing to bulletproof jackets, spacesuits, and doctor's gowns.
Alamance County is a county in North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 171,415. Its county seat is Graham. Formed in 1849 from Orange County to the east, Alamance County has been the site of significant historical events, textile manufacturing, and agriculture.
Burlington is a city in Alamance and Guilford counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the principal city of the Burlington, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Alamance County, in which most of the city is located, and is a part of the Greensboro–Winston-Salem–High Point, NC Combined Statistical Area. The population was 57,303 at the 2020 census, which makes Burlington the 18th-most populous city in North Carolina.
Glen Raven is a census-designated place (CDP) in Alamance County, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,750 at the 2010 census.
Stockings are close-fitting, variously elastic garments covering the leg from the foot up to the knee or possibly part or all of the thigh. Stockings vary in color, design, and transparency. Today, stockings are primarily worn for fashion and aesthetics, usually in association with mid-length or short skirts.
Pantyhose, sometimes also called sheer tights, are close-fitting legwear covering the wearer's body from the waist to the toes. Pantyhose first appeared on store shelves in 1959 for the advertisement of new design panties as a convenient alternative to stockings and/or control panties which, in turn, replaced girdles.
The Piedmont Triad is a metropolitan region in the north-central part of the U.S. state of North Carolina anchored by three cities: Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point. This close group of cities lies in the Piedmont geographical region of the United States and forms the basis of the Greensboro–Winston-Salem–High Point, NC Combined Statistical Area (CSA). As of 2012, the Piedmont Triad has an estimated population of 1,611,243 making it the 33rd largest combined statistical area in the United States.
Fruit of the Loom is an American company that manufactures clothing, particularly casual wear and underwear. The company's world headquarters is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Since 2002, it has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway.
Brinker International, Inc. is an American multinational hospitality industry company that owns Chili's and Maggiano's Little Italy restaurant chains. Founded in 1975 and based in Dallas, Texas, Brinker currently owns, operates, or franchises 1,672 restaurants under the names Chili's Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy worldwide.
Polar fleece is a soft fabric made from polyester that is napped and insulating.
Milliken & Company is an American industrial manufacturer that has been in business since 1865. With corporate headquarters located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the company is active across a breadth of disciplines including specialty chemical, floor covering, performance and protective textile materials, and healthcare.
Jo-Ann Stores, LLC, more commonly known as Jo-Ann, is an American haberdashery and mercery based in Hudson, Ohio. It operates the retail chains JOANN Fabrics and Crafts and Jo-Ann Etc. The headquarters of the company is located in the former General Motors Terex plant.
Ventile, is a registered trademark used to brand a special high-quality woven cotton fabric first developed by scientists at the Shirley Institute in Manchester, England. Originally created to overcome a shortage of flax used for fire hoses and water buckets, its properties were also useful for pilots' immersion suits, but expensive and leaky if exposed to sweat or oils.
Mumbo sauce or mambo sauce is a condiment developed and popularized at take-out restaurants in Washington, D.C.. The red-orange sauce is similar to barbecue sauce, but somewhat sweeter, and also somewhat spicier or more sour. It is put onto fried chicken wings, french fries, fried jumbo shrimp, and fried rice. The origin and ingredients of Mumbo sauce are subject to great dispute. It is often compared to Chicago mild sauce, found at take-out restaurants in that city’s predominantly Black neighborhoods.
The American Textile History Museum (ATHM), located in Lowell, Massachusetts, was founded as the Merrimack Valley Textile Museum (MVTM) in North Andover, Massachusetts in 1960 by Caroline Stevens Rogers. ATHM told America’s story through the art, science, and history of textiles. In June 2016, the museum closed. The bulk of the library and archives as well as many fabric samples were acquired by Cornell University.
Toyobo Co., Ltd. is one of Japan's top makers of fibers and textiles, including synthetic fibers and natural fibers, such as cotton and wool.
Allen is a brand of hand tools, most widely recognized for its wrenches, known generically as "Allen wrenches". As a brand, it is owned by Apex Tool Group.
CP Inc., doing business as Chassis Plans, is an American military and industrial computer systems manufacturer specializing in rackmount computers, military computers, rugged computers, industrial PCs, rackmount LCDs, single-board computer systems with passive and active backplanes and motherboard systems. Chassis Plans is a spin-off of Industrial Computer Source.
Ekoa is a natural biocomposite of flax available in dry fabrics and pre-pregs, as well as cores and resins. Ekoa can be used for a variety of applications, including the production of musical instruments like the ukulele and guitar, and the manufacturing of sports equipment such as bicycle frames and lacrosse sticks.
Asha Peta Thompson is a British entrepreneur and textile designer. She is the co-founder and director of Intelligent Textiles, who create wearable technology including e-uniforms for infantry.