Santens of America Shuts Down

By Cecile B. Corral -- Home Textiles Today, 6/4/2007 12:00:00 AM

Anderson, S.C. —

After 18 years of manufacturing jacquard and jacquard-border terry bath ensembles, beach towels and embroidered varieties, Santens of America permanently shut down on May 18. The company was the U.S. division of parent company Santens in Belgium.

Santens officials did not respond by press time to HTT's requests for comment. But in a press release related to the closing and the layoffs of its employees, evp and manager of the facility Phil Tucker said the company had been "actively engaged in meeting with and seeking capital, investments and/or business partnerships from a variety of potential sources which, if successfully achieved, would have enabled the company to avoid or postpone a shut down."

There had been one such entity considering investing in the company, but it had ultimately declined. Tucker added that the reason for the closing of the facility was due to increased competition from foreign manufacturers.

The Santens of America plant here included its own dye house and weaving department. According to the local newspaper Independent Mail, Santens of America would wind down and liquidate its assets over the following several weeks.