Exclusive Research: Slow Climb for Top 15 Suppliers

Jennifer Marks -- Home Textiles Today, 1/2/2012 2:00:00 AM

NEW YORK - What a difference a decade makes. Nothing illustrates the diffusion of business brought on by globalization and retail-direct sourcing than a look at the leader board for the Top 15 suppliers.
     In 2001, three of the top five manufacturers each generated more than $1 billion in sales. In 2011, the largest home textiles supplier was Mohawk Home with $636 million in sales - compared to $600 million it produced in 2001. Still, 2011 saw two multi-category mills make gains. Welspun broke the half-billion-dollar threshold, producing sales of $550 million in the United States. Alok continues to march toward the mark, with U.S. sales up 8% to $430 million.
     Meanwhile, two one-time billion-dollar mills fell further in the rankings. WestPoint, now a division of Icahn Enterprises with manufacturing facilities in Pakistan and Bahrain, saw its sales tumble 18% and moved from No. 4 to No. 5 in HTT's Top 15 Suppliers ranking.
     Sales at Springs Global, now the U.S. division of a Brazilian manufacturer, dropped 41% last year after falling 45% in 2010. Springs, which in 2002 sold more than $2 billion in goods, slipped from No. 2 to No. 6 in the rankings with $310 million in sales.
     For the complete report, see the 02 Jan. 2012 print issue of Home Textiles Today, or click here for the exclusive online version.