Exclusive Research: Top 5 Gain New Leaders

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

NEW YORK - There are several new standings among the Top 5 category leaders in HTT's annual ranking and one manufacturer more than any other is responsible for the change: Springs Global.  For the complete report (Home Textiles Today Supplier Giants, 2012) click here.
     The one-time industry leader was a top player in 10 out of 15 categories in 2010. In 2011, it ranks on just one chart - the newly created Top of Bed category, which combines sales of comforter/duvet sets, bed in a bag and sheets.
     A decade ago, the biggest U.S. mills were leading suppliers in category after category. Today's manufacturing landscape shows much more diversity. Although Welspun is the second largest home textiles supplier to the U.S. with multiple lines of business, it is dominant in three categories: bath towels, bath rugs and top of bed. Alok, now the U.S.'s third largest supplier, is growing steadily, but expanded its presence among top suppliers from one category in 2010 to two in 2011: top of bed (where it now ranks No. 1) and blankets.
     This year's newcomers to the rankings include:
• Alok, blankets;
• Downlite, sleep pillows;
• Loftex, bath towels;
• Saturday Knight, shower curtains;
• Simomax, foam pillows/toppers;
• Softline, curtains/draperies;
• Welspun, bath rugs.
     Indo Count Industires would have been a newcomer to the list this year except for the merger of the comforter and sheet categories into top of bed. It was poised to enter the top sheet suppliers list at No. 4 with $105 million in sales. Indo Count has also stepped up its efforts to become a bigger supplier of bedding sets, and unless Springs reverses its trajectory, could find its way into the top 5 in the new ranking within the next two or three years.