Word: patricks
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...Patrick is not looking for government intervention to save his business, however. The company's manufacturing business model may seem counterintuitive. In a world where the efficiencies of scale have prompted textilemakers to mass-produce a limited line of goods, Patrick Yarns spins a wide range of products for a diverse group of customers. While a maker of industrial conveyor belts requires a sturdy yarn with minimal flexibility, for example, a safety-apparel manufacturer needs yarn that offers protection from cuts and heat. Patrick spins highly abrasion-resistant yarn for military applications, moisture-absorption and -retention yarn for fiber-optic...
...broad-reach strategy has worked. When Patrick took over operation of the business in 1993, the company ran a single plant with 50 employees. Today there are 170 employees and two state-of-the-art mills with more than 426,000 sq. ft. (about 40,000 sq m) of manufacturing space operating three shifts, six days a week...
When describing exactly what he makes, Patrick cribs from a well-known ad campaign: "We don't make the products you buy. We make the products you buy better." Most yarn spinners, says Patrick, "will supply you with a list of yarns and say, 'Here's the prices.' We haven't tried to be everything to everybody in one market. We focus on partnering with our customers to engineer products and services to keep their product line innovative and profitable. Our approach is, 'Here are our capabilities. This is our expertise. Where can we be of assistance...
This strategy earned the yarnmaker a loyal customer in the protective-glove industry. Although that company's existing product line met cut-protection specs, low abrasion properties contributed to a short life span. Patrick Yarns developed a fiber that could double the cut protection and increase the abrasion resistance more than 300%. A minimal increase in production cost resulted in a longer-lasting, more malleable product that saved money over time. Patrick also creates earth-friendly products and operates the EarthSpan recycling program, which uses fibers from finished apparel or fabric and incorporates customers' unwanted textiles and scraps into engineered...
Supplying fibers to so many different markets means the company is not reliant on any one segment for survival. Patrick has made production evolution and new designs the key components of his business model. Patrick Yarns holds nine patents and six trademarks in engineered yarns and those used for filtration. Natural fibers such as cotton and hemp end up in blankets and upholstery. Synthetic yarns have a variety of commercial uses, including in water filtration, as carpet backing and for automotive fan belts. The technical yarns developed from stainless steel, glass or Teflon find their way into fiber-optic cables...