DAK Americas Unveils Poly-Based Products For Home Furnishings
August 7, 2002
Joint-Venture Between DAK and DuPont Targets NAFTA Market
Charlotte, N.C. (USA) - DAK Americas is targeting the home furnishings and apparel business with a stable of new polyester-based yarns, according to Sonny Walker, vice president of sales and marketing. The company has named Richard Downing business director of home furnishings trusted to bring the new products to the home furnishings marketplace. Walker worked at DuPont for 28 years before joining DAK in April 1999.
Walker said that more new products would be announced later this year.
DAK Americas is the producer of Dacron Plus®, which is said to have a softer hand to polyester. The company also produces Hydrotec® - a moisture management product, and Colorbrite®, which allows polyester to be cationically dyed. DAK''s Dacron® Duracotton is a certification program, enabling companies to use the optimum level of polyester with the look and feel of cotton, leading to better whiteness and durability. Recently, DAK unveiled High Trek®, a new wool-like product made of a washable blend of wool, polyester, and acrylic. DAK Americas, led by president and managing director Hector Camberos, is the name of new joint venture between Dak and DuPont in Mexico. The Monterrey, Mexico-based Akra Group is the parent company of DAK Americas. Akra is owned by Alpha in Monterrey, a publicly held holding company with sales of $4 billion.
Akra purchased full ownership of the Mexico-based polyester business last July from DuPont. This purchase gave DAK Americas the brand marketing rights for Dacron.
''The polyester market is growing worldwide by seven percent a year, but it is only growing two percent a year in the U.S.A.,'' Walker said. ''DAK Americas is the only producer fully integrated from the polyester yarn through TPA terephthalic acid. We expect to grow this business and breathe new life into it. ''We will compete with the Asian polyester suppliers,'' he added. DAK Americas, which has a sales office in Mexico City, will focus on growing business in the NAFTA region and South America. It currently has $650 million in sales and produces 700 pounds of staple polyester annually.
DAK is headquartered in Charlotte, N.C. It operates from three plants in the United States and one in Mexico. The Fayetteville, N.C., plant makes the polyester resin; the Cape Fear, N.C., plant produces TPA - the basic chemical used to make polyester resin and staple. The Cooper River plant in Charleston, S.C., produces staple polyester, as does the Monterrey plant. F&FI
Charlotte, N.C. (USA) - DAK Americas is targeting the home furnishings and apparel business with a stable of new polyester-based yarns, according to Sonny Walker, vice president of sales and marketing. The company has named Richard Downing business director of home furnishings trusted to bring the new products to the home furnishings marketplace. Walker worked at DuPont for 28 years before joining DAK in April 1999.
Walker said that more new products would be announced later this year.
DAK Americas is the producer of Dacron Plus®, which is said to have a softer hand to polyester. The company also produces Hydrotec® - a moisture management product, and Colorbrite®, which allows polyester to be cationically dyed. DAK''s Dacron® Duracotton is a certification program, enabling companies to use the optimum level of polyester with the look and feel of cotton, leading to better whiteness and durability. Recently, DAK unveiled High Trek®, a new wool-like product made of a washable blend of wool, polyester, and acrylic. DAK Americas, led by president and managing director Hector Camberos, is the name of new joint venture between Dak and DuPont in Mexico. The Monterrey, Mexico-based Akra Group is the parent company of DAK Americas. Akra is owned by Alpha in Monterrey, a publicly held holding company with sales of $4 billion.
Akra purchased full ownership of the Mexico-based polyester business last July from DuPont. This purchase gave DAK Americas the brand marketing rights for Dacron.
''The polyester market is growing worldwide by seven percent a year, but it is only growing two percent a year in the U.S.A.,'' Walker said. ''DAK Americas is the only producer fully integrated from the polyester yarn through TPA terephthalic acid. We expect to grow this business and breathe new life into it. ''We will compete with the Asian polyester suppliers,'' he added. DAK Americas, which has a sales office in Mexico City, will focus on growing business in the NAFTA region and South America. It currently has $650 million in sales and produces 700 pounds of staple polyester annually.
DAK is headquartered in Charlotte, N.C. It operates from three plants in the United States and one in Mexico. The Fayetteville, N.C., plant makes the polyester resin; the Cape Fear, N.C., plant produces TPA - the basic chemical used to make polyester resin and staple. The Cooper River plant in Charleston, S.C., produces staple polyester, as does the Monterrey plant. F&FI
