| 75 years Southern Mills in Atlanta, USA KISSING FROGS OR HOW TO FIND AND DEVELOP SPECIALITY MARKETS |
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| 75 years Southern Mills in Atlanta, USA KISSING FROGS OR HOW TO FIND AND DEVELOP SPECIALITY MARKETS |
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In 1964 Southern Mills kissed the second frog and started to process the new fiber “Nomex” developed by DuPont. The fiber was as tough as nylon, but it would not melt or burn under normal conditions. First the inner lining fabrics and then the outer shell for firemen’s coats and pants were produced, later NASA accepted the fabric for astronauts’ suits. Today, Southern Mills is the largest manufacturer of fire protection garments in the USA. The petroleum industry and munitions manufacturers are also supplied with fabrics produced from other high performance fibers. Using state-of-the-art machinery labor costs have been reduced to only 7.5% of the sales price, and here 92 DORNIER rapier weaving machines make their contribution. The education levels of employees have been continuously improved with the company introducing an education program in the mid 80’s. The company is well equipped to meet the chal-lenges of the future, and it only remains for us to wish Southern Mills continued success and changing many more frogs into princes.
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The eventful history of
Southern Mills, Inc., began in 1925 when the father of the current
president of the company William D. “Doug” Ellis purchased two
machines to knit heavy cotton padding for laundry presses. This laundry
program “Fabricare” generated a large amount of business for 50 years.
When this market began to stagnate, it was time to start kissing frogs –
hoping to find a prince that would allow the company to continue to grow.
Replacement automobile seat
cover fabrics provided such a chance and this business was a hot item from
1939 until the mid 50’s. Later a green needlepunched outdoor carpet for
miniature golf courses was developed for Monsanto. It was also tried on
tennis courts and golf greens, but without success. Southern Mills also
developed a heavy needlepunched pad for Monsanto to go under the
company’s Astroturf for football fields and also a blaze orange Acrilan
fabric for hunting garments. The company tried its hand with thermal
blankets, walk off mats, mop yarn, and meat netting, and all these frogs
were only frogs. Then in the mid 60’s two frogs turned into princes. The
first was a grass catcher bag for lawn mowers. The fabric was woven and
cut and sewn into bags by Southern Mills. Soon well known mowing machine
manufacturers in the US such as Murray, Jacobsen, Toro, Snapper and John
Deere were customers and a business in Europe flourished.