WestPoint restructures manufacturing

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 3/21/2002 12:00:00 AM

West Point, GA — Continuing its drive to better service its customers and become more responsive, WestPoint Stevens announced today a restructuring of its manufacturing organization.

The changes also are designed to help better align the major mill's manufacturing capacity with its marketing operation. All of the changes are effective immediately.

Mirroring the move made by WPS last October in its naming of David England as vp of Basic Bedding Manufacturing, John Hurston was named to the position of vp of Bath Products Manufacturing and R.R. Lanier was named the vp of bed products manufacturing. The sum of the three moves is intended to help WestPoint achieve a three-part vertical manufacturing structure.

Hurston will also be responsible for purchasing, logistics, cotton purchasing, operations analysis, engineering, WestPoint Stevens graphics and Grifftex Chemicals while Lanier will also be responsible for customer service and planning.

Lanny Bledsoe, WestPoint's current senior vp of manufacturing has stated that he will retire at the end of the year and will help the company make the transition to its new configuration.

England, Hurston and Lanier will report to Chip Fontenot, president and coo.

Prior to being named to his new position, Hurston was serving WestPoint as general manager for Bed Products Manufacturing South since 1998. He originally joined the company in 1975 and has held several management positions, including general manager for all Sheet Greige Manufacturing from 1992.

Lanier had been serving as the general manager of Bed Products Manufacturing North, also since 1998. Like his counterpart he has held several managerial positions within WestPoint Stevens, including assistant plant manager. He joined WPS in 1977.