March 2010 Broom, Brush & Mop Magazine SERVING THE INDUSTRY SINCE 1912 Toothbrush Companies Discuss Demand, Plans Wisdom Oral Care Preserve Ranir, LLC Dr. Fresh, Inc. Innovation Helps Grow Paintbrush Business Elder & Jenks Torrington Brush Works Shur-Line T.S. Simms & Co. Ltd. Import/Export Review
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March 2010
Broom, Brush & Mop MagazineS E R V I N G T H E I N D U S T R Y S I N C E 1 9 1 2
ToothbrushCompanies Discuss
Demand, PlansWisdom Oral Care
Preserve
Ranir, LLC
Dr. Fresh, Inc.
Innovation HelpsGrow Paintbrush
Business Elder & Jenks
Torrington Brush Works
Shur-Line
T.S. Simms & Co. Ltd.
Import/ExportReview
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Broom, Brush & MopA RANKIN PUBLISHING PUBLICATION March 2010 Volume 100, Number 3
OLD ADDRESS:Affix OLD mailing label or print old address here:
BROOM, BRUSH & MOP (ISSN 0890-2933) is published monthly at 204 E. Main St.,P.O. Box 130, Arcola, Illinois 61910. Telephone: (217) 268-4959. Subscriptions are $25 in theUnited States; $35 in Canada and Mexico; all others $110. The $110 foreign subscriptionsinclude first class air mail postage. Arrangements can be made for first class postage for theUnited States, Canada and Mexico. Single copies of issues are $2 for subscribers; $5 for non-subscribers, postage extra. The Suppliers Directory issue is $10 per copy.
BROOM, BRUSH & MOP is a monthly trade magazine devoted to news of broom, brushand mop manufacturers and allied industries. It was established in 1912 as the Broom &Broom Corn News. It was entered as second class mail matter Feb. 27, 1912, at the U.S. PostOffice in Arcola, Illinois, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Periodical postage paid at Arcola, IL, and additional mailing offices.Postmaster: send address changes to P.O. Box 130, Arcola, IL 61910.
4 Toothbrush Companies Talk AboutTheir Products, Their Business & The Economy _____12
Import/Export Overview________________________16
November Imports & Exports____________________18
Broom Corn Dealer Survey _____________________28
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PAGE 6 BROOM, BRUSH & MOP March 2010
By Rick MullenBroom, Brush & Mop
Associate Editor
In speaking with executives from fourNorth American paintbrush manufactur-ers about how their respective companies
have remained successful during the currenteconomic downturn, certain principlesbecame apparent.
These executives told Broom, Brush &Mop Magazine recently that, among otherthings, innovation, planning, communicationand an uncommon desire to work smarterthan ever before have moved their companiesthrough the recession and onto an evenbrighter future.
Elder & Jenks, of Bayonne, NJ, wasfounded in 1793 — the second year ofGeorge Washington’s second term as
president. According to Vice PresidentMichael Norton, Elder & Jenks is the oldestcontinuous paintbrush company in the UnitedStates and has always been a family run com-pany. The Norton family has owned Elder &Jenks since 1960.
As the nation’s economy struggles torebound from recession, Elder & Jenks con-tinues to emphasize innovation, honesty andhard work as the company’s foundationalunderpinnings of its more than 200 years ofsuccess.
Taking advantage of more than two cen-turies of accumulated knowledge in the paint-brush marketplace, Elder & Jenks has suc-cessfully weather many other economicstorms over the years, including the Great
Depression of the 1930s. Nonetheless, doingbusiness the past year has not been without itschallenges.
“It has been difficult to say the least,”Norton said. “We have seen customers reducetheir inventories. Therefore, anytime there isa positive move in sales, people need fulfill-ment in a hurry. As a result, we must manu-facture product in a hurry, and this creates anundulation in the supply chain. It is kind oflike a whipsaw action.”
While Elder & Jenks remains one of thefew companies manufacturing commoditybrushes onshore, the company’s focus is onprofessional, high-end brushes and rollers.Despite the recessionary times, sales in thissegment have remained strong.
“Professional brushes and rollers continueto be our core focus and it has gone verywell,” Norton said.
Norton explained that one of the reasonsthe company manufacturers its own commod-ity brushes has to do with maintaining controlon the quality of the brushes. Despite theirrelatively inexpensive price points, thesebrushes are used to perform important func-tions where a quality product is essential.
“Many of these brushes are used in areassuch as the aerospace industry, where theyoftentimes need a perishable brush that willperform from a quality standpoint for thegiven life of the brush,” Norton said.
As it became apparent that the economywas slipping toward recession, Elder & Jenksrealized the importance of communicatingwith customers and employees concerningwhat might lie ahead.
“From the onset, we were upfront about the
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state of affairs with our employees,” Norton said. “It is importantto communicate with your employees. Our employees were recep-tive to adjustments that we had to make as far as the workweekand other areas where we needed to be as lean as possible.
“When you tailor your inventories to current business cyclesand there is an unusual demand for a particular product, it isimportant to communicate with a customer as to your inventoryposition and timing. It may be that the customer would accept apartial order to fulfill their immediate needs. In coping with thesetypes of marketplace issues, communication is critical.”
At Elder & Jenks, brush making is considered an art. Bristle andsynthetic filament blending is done by skilled professionals, andthe company’s professional brushes are highly regarded through-out the industry.
In addition, Elder & Jenks is a division of The MuraloCompany, Inc., a paint manufacturer founded in 1894, whichmakes the well-known product “Spackle®.” The synergy betweenMuralo and Elder & Jenks has allowed for greater insights in therelationships between both paint and paint application products.
Being involved in the paint industry, Norton has traditionallykept a close eye on legislative regulations pertaining to VOCs(volatile organic compounds), which affect the way paint behaveswhen applied. Early on, VOC requirements sometimes hinderedthe performance of paint products. However, efforts to complywith VOC standards spawned innovation, which, in some cases,resulted in the development of new and improved coatings.
Now, through innovation and a lot of hard work in the laborato-ry, Muralo has developed paint products that contain zero VOCs.While the company views its zero VOC offerings as an importantcog in protecting and sustaining the environment, Norton cautionsthat some products are not as “green” as presented.
“As far as paintbrushes and paint rollers are concerned, thegreen movement has swept up a lot of products that really are notgreen,” Norton said. “We want to see truth in marketing. We don’twant to promote a green product unless it truly is eco-friendly.Some of the so-called green products need a cradle to grave analy-sis to see whether they really have less of an impact on the envi-ronment than a standard product.”
Innovation is nothing new at Elder & Jenks. The company hasa long and successful track record in developing cutting-edgeproducts. Norton considers the ability to innovate as one of themost important aspects of the company’s success.
“For example, from a paint manufacturing standpoint, we devel-op our own resins, which are the building blocks of a paint. Formanufacturers our size, this is virtually unheard of,” Norton said.“We have been vertically integrated in this area for probably 45 to50 years. Developing our own resins gives us the advantage ofbeing able to tailor an emulsion to our specific needs.”
Another foundational aspect of Elder & Jenks success is itsemphasis on customer service, and while challenges still layahead, Norton is optimistic that the company’s tried and true coreprinciples will assure future success.
“We continue to do our best to satisfy customers in our mar-ket, and hopefully by our diligence we are going to be able tocontinue to grow in the marketplace,” Norton said. “We are afamily-run business and we have never been afraid of hard work.We are going to continue to fight the good fight to provide cus-tomer satisfaction.”
Torrington Brush Works began doing business around1907 in a small wood frame building located inTorrington, CT. In the beginning, the company made
scrub brushes and bench dusters. These first brushes were sold bysalesmen who rode horseback up and down the Naugatuck RiverValley.
About 20 years ago, Torrington Brush Work’s owner, the lateSid Fitzgerald, who passed away Sept. 13, 2009, purchased amanufacturing facility in Sarasota, FL. Today, the company’smain headquarters and manufacturing operation are located inSarasota, while there remains a distribution center in Torrington.
Following Sid Fitzgerald’s death, his wife and the company’scurrent owner, Mary Fitzgerald, took over the reins of the busi-ness. Fitzgerald is determined to continue building upon her hus-band’s successful legacy, despite the enormous challenges pre-sented in today’s down economy.
“We are holding our own during these tough economic times,”Fitzgerald said. “Customers are buying, but just not as much. No oneis trying to carry an inventory at this point, because they just don’tknow what is going to happen. We still have our accounts and ourgoal for this year is to increase our sales and obtain new accounts.”
Today, Torrington’s product lines have grown and include prod-
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ucts from artist brushes to wheel brushes. Warehouses inConnecticut and Florida have more than 3 million brushes in stockfor immediate shipment. Torrington Brush Works ships brushes tocustomers all over the world.
Torrington Brush Works’ primary customer base is industrial andmanufacturing companies that oftentimes require paintbrushes toperform tasks other than painting. Craftmenship and quality areemphasized at Torrington as its products are still made by hand.
“We are unique. Our brushes are not used for everyday purpos-es such as painting; they are used for other applications,”Fitzgerald said. “In addition, we manufacture custom brushes. Ifsomeone calls and wants a particular kind of brush, we alwayscome up with a way to make that brush.
“I think we are unique in that regard because we serve whoevercalls. We don’t turn a customer away unless we absolutely cannotmake what that customer is seeking. For example, we do not makecosmetic brushes or many of the types of brushes used in foodser-vice, although there are a few foodservice brushes that we canmanufacture. If it is something we can make, we will produce it.”
Fitzgerald said the company is in the process of studying someof the unique brushes it has manufactured to see if there would beenough of a market for some of them to be included in theTorrington catalog. Indeed, historically the company’s catalog hasbeen an important and extremely effective sales and marketingtool.
“We call the catalog our ‘storefront,’” Fitzgerald said.In the past, the catalog was distributed four times each year, but,
because of the economy, last year the company issued one full-sized catalog and another smaller one officials called their “slimJim” edition.
Recently, Torrington also updated its Web site to make it moreconvenient for customers to place orders online. Preliminaryresults from the upgrade have been very encouraging.
“Following the Web site upgrade, we have seen a huge increasein sales from that source,” Fitzgerald said. “The catalog and theWeb site have been successful in obtaining new business.”
In the new catalog, the company has emphasized products thatare manufactured onshore.
“In the current catalog, we have ‘made in the USA’ a little morevisible than before,” Fitzgerald said. “We try to make many of ourproducts in the United States. We take pride in the fact that an end-user is able to pick up one of our brushes and say, ‘This was madeby Torrington Brush Works in the USA.’ We think stressing ‘madein the USA’ is going to be a big promotion for us, because thereare so many products imported.”
While Torrington has taken measures to save money in today’seconomy, the company has also strived to help its customersweather the storm as well.
“Because of the down economy, we didn’t increase prices in ourcatalog after January 1, even though our costs went up a little onraw materials,” Fitzgerald said. “We are also trying to help cus-tomers with shipping costs. For example, we pay the shipping onorders of more than $99. Otherwise, we charge a flat fee for ship-ping. Also, we don’t have re-stocking fees.”
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While Torrington spotlights its domestic offerings, the companydoes import some inexpensive throwaway type brushes.
“We import these types of brushes because there are many man-ufacturers and industrial people who just want them for a one-timeuse. For that purpose, we must have some imports that are notgoing to be costly,” Fitzgerald said.
As a bonus, Torrington is also able to modify many of the brush-es it imports to meet a customer’s unique needs.
“For example, if a customer is unhappy with the length, we canshorten the brushes,” Fitzgerald said. “Many times we can also putspecial markings on the handles of the brushes for a customer.”
In the manufacture of quality products and in providing stellarcustomer service, Torrington’s employees have been an invaluableasset throughout the company’s long history.
“We have very little turnover in employees,” Fitzgerald said.“Our people are very dedicated. They are here everyday and theyare marvelous.”
Fitzgerald spoke of one man, Frank Lauf, who will be 90 yearsold in April, and who has worked for the company for about 76years. Lauf works as the shipping manager at the company’sConnecticut facility.
“(Lauf) comes everyday and works 40 hours a week,”Fitzgerald said. “There’s nobody like him. Most everyone who hasbeen in the company has been here 10 years or more.”
Fitzgerald said several employees are facing retirement soonand it will be difficult to replace these good people and theirexpertise.
“It is going to be tough, but challenges are good things,”Fitzgerald said. “My husband always said, ‘Never give up — keeplooking forward and we will be fine.’ We will find people to train,but it will take time.
“Torrington Brush Works is a stable company. My husband madeit a stable company and we can take a hit here and there and still befine. You cut back on some things, and you keep what you know isgoing to work going forward. That is what we are trying to do.”
Despite pressures brought to bear by imports, the movement ofpaintbrush manufacturing offshore and consolidation, Fitzgeraldsees a future for the domestic paintbrush companies that remain.She also sees many smaller companies opting to deal in imports.
“There are not many paintbrush companies around anymore.Many companies import or they have sold out to bigger compa-nies,” Fitzgerald said. “With the importing, I think a lot of thesmaller companies are going to be successful acting as ‘the mid-dle man,’ so to speak. There will be a few manufacturers thatremain onshore.”
As far as Torrington’s future is concerned, there may be anoth-er Fitzgerald waiting in the wings to take the company’s helmwhen his time comes.
“I have a 7-year-old son and his dream has always been to takeover from his daddy,” Fitzgerald said. “When I had to come homeand tell my son my husband had passed away, the first words out ofhis mouth were, ‘What are we going to do about the Brush WorksMom?’ I’m hoping he has enough of my husband in him to carry on.
“My husband was a brilliant man. He took Torrington BrushWorks and brought it up from a small company to where it istoday. He always said it was a small company, but it grew a hugeamount after he bought the company.
“Sometimes he would say, ‘I’m going to sell the Brush Works,but he couldn’t — it was just in his blood. He truly loved the paint-
brush industry. He loved the people in it. They are really a nicegroup of people. Right up to the day he died he worked really hardat making improvements and trying to go forward with the com-pany. The success of Torrington Brush Works is due to him.”
When it comes to offering some of the most innovativeproducts in the paint applicator industry, Shur-Line —a Newell Rubbermaid Company has an impressive
and proven track record. The company’s ability to innovate has been highlighted, as it
has been a regular nominee (as well as a past winner) for theAmerican Brush Manufacturers Association’ William CordesInnovation Excellence Award. This prestigious award recognizesinnovation of manufactured products, components or services inthe broom, brush, mop and roller industries.
This year, two Shur-Line products have been nominated for theaward. The winner will be announced at the ABMA AnnualConvention in March in Orlando, FL. The company’s Shur-LineEco Applicators™ and Shur-Line Deck Pads and Paint Pads withDuPont Teflon® Coating are the two product nominees.
“We are extremely proud of the (Shur-Line Eco Applicators™line) because the products are 100 percent eco-friendly,” saidShur-Line Vice President of Sales - Tools & Hardware ChrisTesmer. “Whether it is the fabrics, the core materials, the epoxy,the ferrules, the filaments, the handles, the packaging — all theelements that make up this product are either coming from a 100percent recycled source or is a biodegradable material.
“Other products in the marketplace tout a green element, butwhen everything is said and done, we can feel comfortable thatour products meet a standard of what the name represents —which is eco-friendly.”
Tesmer stressed there is no “green” hyperbole going on with theEco Applicators.
“It is not just that we used materials that have been recycled,and yet do not paint well,” he said. “Consumer performance isalways at the heart of everything we make.”
Shur-Line’s partnership in recent years with DuPont has pavedthe way for some innovative paint applicator products, thanks tothe use of Teflon® on such items as paint trays, paint rollers and,most recently, paintbrushes.
The Shur-Line Deck Pads and Paint Pads with DuPont Teflon®Coating product line is designed to be faster than a brush andsmoother than a roller. This product line is highly effective forboth exterior and interior use.
“Shur-Line’s core heritage is the paint pad business,” Tesmersaid. “A paint pad is an exceptional tool. It is faster than a brush,more versatile and smoother than a roller. Paint pads are a littlebit more of an acquired taste, but once people try paint pads, theystick with them. We wanted to launch the next major innovationin paint pads. We have taken the Teflon technology that has beenproven in rollers and brushes and employed it into our paintpads.”
In addition, the new Deck Pads rest on an exclusive tear-resist-ant foam.
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“If a person is working on a deck with a rough surface or onewith exposed screws or nails that normally would tear a foam pad,this pad is going to be able to withstand those pressures,” Tesmersaid. “In addition, these pads have a thicker resiliency so you can‘scrub’ your coating into the surface.”
Tesmer said the company’s products using Teflon have met withgreat success beginning with paint rollers in 2004, paintbrushes in2006, and now paint pads.
“First and foremost, these products perform. They live up to theirbrand promise to the end-user,” Tesmer said. “Another aspect ofTeflon that resonates so well with the consumer is its global brandname recognition akin to that of such products as Coca-Cola.”
Shur-Line focuses on offering its product lines to hardwarestores and home center businesses where paint is sold.
“In general, our niche is providing high quality applicators thatreally yield success for the user,” Tesmer said. “We put the skill inthe hand of the user. A professional product in many instances isdesigned for an exacting user who uses the product 300-plus daysa year. In contrast, the average do-it-yourselfer tackles a majorpainting project once a year to once every two or three years.
“For the DIY (do-it-yourself) end-user, we really strive todevelop innovative products that pick up paint and put on paintfaster than any applicator that is out there. Our products give theuser a greater factor of safety. In other words, if the end-user push-es harder or pushes softer on the product, he or she will still getthe same results as if a pro was doing the job.
“We offer edgers, trim tools and pads that really provide simplesolutions to hard painting projects such as edging next to a ceiling,or painting in very tight areas such as inside cabinets, or behind radi-ators and commodes. We provide those items that really make thejob much more successful and easier. I think the consumer looks forinnovation. We provide innovation and we provide it at a value.”
While Shur-Line has remained highly successful, the downeconomy has had some impact. The company has taken measuresto keep its competitive edge despite the times.
“I would say that in 2009 there were certainly significant head-winds economically,” Tesmer said. “However, the do-it-yourselfpaint marketplace showed some resiliency, more so than the residen-tial construction building trades and some of the industrial trades.
“In the professional painting arena, it was more commonplace,similar to the residential construction market and the industrialmarkets, to be down by mid-double digits. Large paint retailersstruggled with the professional side of the business much morethan the paint departments at home improvement centers or hard-ware stores. Most of our home improvement center and hardwarestore customers, in general, saw their paint departments as beingone of the positive lights within their organizations. Paint out per-formed almost every other department. Paint and sundry sales gohand-in-hand, and sundries include paint applicators.
“From a paint perspective, two of three years ago there was abig push to sell the most expensive paint. In the current environ-ment, value becomes a good proposition, hence you see the pricepoints in the $25 to $30 per gallon range winning at retail, andhome centers show significant strength with that price point.”
Before the worst of the recession hit, Shur-Line’s (NewellRubbermaid) top leadership recognized the potential for an eco-nomic downturn and acted proactively. Communication withemployees played a critical role in keeping the company prosper-ous through what proved to be some of the toughest economic
times in the country’s history.“We had a mantra that came down from our CEO that every-
body had to ‘Rise to the Challenge,’” Tesmer said. “I think every-body felt like there were a lot of challenges out there, whether itwas professionally at our work, or with our customers, or at homewith our families.
“We were challenged to focus our efforts, look beyond the eco-nomic situation and to see how we were going to perform betterfor our customers, our company and our shareholders post crisis.
“We sought to perform our jobs in ways that brought addedvalue to shareholders, the company and customers. We workedhard to bring the right innovations to the field, merchandise themthe right way in our customers’ stores, train associates, spend timein retail and help the customers gain market share.”
In addition, management was encouraged to focus on furtherdeveloping their leadership skills and to focus on employee devel-opment, as well.
“We are concerned about our people. People, at the end of theday, are our No. 1 asset. They are the reason for us to either begreat or to be average,” Tesmer said. “Our people are great atNewell Rubbermaid and at Shur-Line.”
While there has been an added emphasis on such issues asworking leaner and career development during the economicdownturn, such principles have always been a part of the dailyfabric of business at Shur-Line. Furthermore, these principles willcontinue to be emphasized as the economic condition improves.
“We had to cut out some of the things that we normally did, butthose cuts were never at the expense of our consumers or our cus-tomers,” Tesmer said. “We are very proud and privileged to havethe people who work in our plants, on our merchandising teams,on our sales teams, on our marketing teams and our finance teams.We have great leadership and great management.”
While Shur-Line managers and other personnel were workinghard to see the company successfully through the down economy,they were also helping customers do the same. Among the waysShur-Line accomplished this was by deploying people andresources to customers’ locations.
“We helped customers learn about our products, sell more prod-ucts and actually increase footsteps (people in the stores) withinour retail partners,” Tesmer said. “We have done that with bothour Shur-Line and our Newell Rubbermaid umbrella. Our strate-gy with our customers is to always teach them what our productsare used for and how our products provide a good value proposi-tion for the end-user.”
While the road hasn’t been easy the past couple of yearsbecause of the economy, Shur-Line’s proactive measures, quality,innovation and service, as well as its dedicated people have placedcompany in good stead for the future.
“I think that the painting industry is showing fantastic signs ofresiliency as the professional contractor side of the business comesback and the DIY segment continues to grow,” Tesmer said. “I seethe marketplace having quite a lot of positive yield in the future.There is a very strong opportunity for a company like Shur-Line tobreak through the clutter — break through the sea of sameness anddeliver our consumer message and our brand promise.
“Our mission is delivering innovative, satisfying results to theend-user at a strong value. Our job is to make the performance of
Continued On Page 29
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PAGE 12 BROOM, BRUSH & MOP March 2010
By Harrell KerkhoffBroom, Brush & Mop Editor
Toothbrushes today come in a variety of shapes, sizes andcolors. It’s a product that has been around in one formor another for centuries but continues to be refined as
technology and machinery automation improves. The days of simply distinguishing a toothbrush with a differ-
ent color handle and/or filament are over. Many of today’sproducts are designed and marketed for individual groups, suchas children, senior citizens, those with disabilities, etc. Thereare now even toothbrushes made for the pet care industry. Afterbrowsing today’s various Web sites of toothbrushproducers/suppliers, one gets the feeling that there may be asmany different types of toothbrushes available as consumerswho use them.
Broom, Brush & Mop Magazine recently talked with fourtoothbrush company representatives to learn more about thestate of this important industry and what trends are driving themarket. Although these four companies are somewhat differentin their approach to business, one thing is in agreement —despite heavy competition, the need for both electric/battery-powered and manual toothbrushes continues to grow as theworld’s population increases.
With its primary focus centered on providing privatelabel toothbrushes and related oral care productsfound at major U.S. retailer establishments,
Wisdom Oral Care Ltd., of Evanston, IL, works with variousmanufacturers to make sure these retailers are satisfied with notonly product quality but high brand awareness as well.
“We provide both high-end manual and battery-powered
toothbrushes and other oral care items along with some lower-end products,” Wisdom Oral Care President Joel Waradysaid.
Helping with contract manufacturing for those customerswho are interested in having their company’s name on a specif-ic type of product remains an important area of business forWisdom Oral Care.
“We will develop the design, find the right manufacturer andmanage the whole project — packaging and everything,”Warady said.
The company works with several manufacturers located inthe Asian Pacific and India.
Warady reported in early February that U.S. business for thecompany has been good as of late.
“We can’t complain. There continues to be a tremendousamount of competition out there, but we bring a little bit of adifferent take on business for our customers as we can serve asa marketing group as well, creating entire marketing programsfor our clients and their brands. We are not just supplying prod-ucts,” Warady said. “In essence, we are solution providers.What a lot of other companies do is create a product and thengo out and sell that product. On the other hand, we will ask ourcustomers what they need — and then find a solution. Thisallows us to choose products that are available from a variety ofmanufacturers. We then aggregate those products in ourChicago warehouse.
“We actually visit the (manufacturing) factories we do busi-ness with overseas. Our company audits them and makes surethey meet all proper standards that our clients expect. We takethis headache away from our clients.”
Warady explained that today’s toothbrush production processis highly automated and can produce a variety of products in a
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very timely and efficient manner. All of the manufacturers thatsupply toothbrushes for Wisdom Oral Care’s client base takefull advantage of today’s automation capabilities.
“Part of our audit process is to make sure that the end-round-ing of filaments is being done properly, that the right size of sta-ples is being used to hold in the filaments, etc.,” Warady said.
Keeping up with changes within the toothbrush marketplaceis also critical to success. Many of today’s changes are focusedon filaments/bristles.
“We are seeing more companies using feathered bristles,which allows the end-user to cover a larger surface area whilebrushing. More brushes also contain softer bristles, which areless abrasive on teeth,” he explained. “In addition to helpingteeth and gums, softer bristles provide for greater product obso-lescence, requiring people to purchase a toothbrush a little moreoften.”
Another trend Warady reported has to do with changes in fil-ament filling patterns found on the toothbrush head.
“There are a lot of unique filling patterns taking place thatwe didn’t see even as recently as five years ago. For instance,a brush head may now contain filaments that form a circularpattern in the middle of the brush head, with other filamentsset in three different heights on two outer sides of the head,”he said.
Warady added that newer toothbrush production machineryallows for these new patterns to become possible, and all with-in the normal manufacturing process.
Focusing on improved innovation in other ways is also vital.For instance, Wisdom Oral Care is currently working on a newdesign for a disposable toothbrush that will not require tooth-paste in a separate tube. This could be especially beneficial forpeople traveling. Company officials hope to have this productavailable toward the end of 2010.
Despite today’s advances in toothbrush equipment and inno-vations, the real difference maker between success and failureas it pertains to selling oral care products often comes down toa company’s customer service ability.
“It’s the difference maker. Most companies that supplytoothbrushes use the same type of machinery, and tooth-brushes all tend to look alike for most people. Therefore, partof what makes us unique is our turn-around time and othercustomer service capabilities,” Warady said. “We can oftenturn an order around within one day. We also can take care ofspecific production orders with runs as short as 50,000pieces. This is part of what we offer customers — the abilityto be quick, flexible and have the systems in place to managelogistics.”
Helping customers overcome other obstacles in businessremains important as well. According to Warady, in recent yearsmany U.S. companies and consumers looked toward Asia toreceive various types of low-cost products. Today’s higherfreight costs, however, are changing how some people view thisprocess.
“Freight charges have gone up considerably. The priceadvantage of going to Asia has been reduced. It’s not the answerfor everybody,” he said. “Customers have become accustomedto low prices, and so the challenge is to provide a high qualityproduct at a good price, while not being squeezed by freight andfuel surcharges.”
Despite these obstacles, the good news for Wisdom Oral Careand other companies involved with toothbrush production andsupply is that demand remains strong.
“The need for this product doesn’t go away. People startusing a toothbrush when they are very young and continue to doso for the rest of their lives. It’s always going to be there,” hesaid. “When battery brushes became popular years ago, therewere those who thought the manual toothbrush industry wasdead. This has not been the case.
“In reality, the toothbrush has been around in its currentform for several hundred years, and it’s here to stay. Theindustry doesn’t grow at a real fast pace, but it does grow asthe population becomes larger and as there is greater aware-ness placed on proper oral care. This includes brushing teethtwice a day as well as changing the toothbrush on a regularbasis.”
Originally part of a joint venture with Wisdom UK, a Britishtoothbrush company that can trace its roots back to the inven-tion of the modern toothbrush in 1780, Wisdom Oral Care hasbeen a wholly-owned U.S. company for the past 20 years.
“Since then, we have produced products for Walgreens, CVS,Rite Aid — many of the major retailers in the United States. Ithink in these economic times, it’s pretty amazing to have acompany that has been around for 20 years,” Warady said. “Wehave a loyal group of employees, and this is what makes ourcustomer service work so well. It’s definitely one of our com-petitive advantages.”
Contact: Wisdom Oral Care, Ltd., 1010 Davis St., Evanston, IL 60201.
Today’s focus on recycling has brought greater aware-ness to the importance of protecting the environmentand sustaining natural resources. Not all products, how-
ever, are easy to recycle. With this in mind, Preserve wasformed in 1996. The company has succeeded by offering a typeof toothbrush, as well as other products, that are not only madefrom 100 percent recycled materials but are recyclable them-selves.
The Preserve® toothbrush continues to grow in popularityamong those customer groups interested in not only using aquality product, but one with a true “green” focus. The productcomes in a choice of three bristle strengths — medium, soft andultra soft. The Preserve Jr. toothbrush, meanwhile, is designedfor children ages 2 to 8.
Preserve toothbrushes feature curved, easy-to-grip handlesmade from 100 percent recycled No. 5 (polypropylene) plastic.The handles are designed to make it easy to reach every part ofthe teeth and gums. Virgin nylon bristles are placed in a tri-levelconfiguration on the brush head. Softer outer rows help protectgums and tooth enamel.
“From the beginning, our company sought to create a reallydifferent type of toothbrush. Because a toothbrush is made frommulti-materials, a consumer can’t just put it into any recyclingbin. Therefore, Preserve has always offered a take-back policyfor its toothbrushes,” Preserve Marketing Director C.A.Webb said. “For years, we have offered postage-paid mailers
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PAGE 14 BROOM, BRUSH & MOP March 2010
where people can place their used Preserve toothbrushes, andmany of our other products, and send them back to us at ourexpense. Our company will make sure these items are thenrecycled into such things as plastic lumber used for picnictables, decking, etc.”
Preserve’s mailer can be downloaded from the company’sWeb site. It has also recently introduced new Preserve tooth-brush packaging that actually includes the mailer.
“We feel this type of packaging is revolutionary within ourproduct category. It’s a very lightweight package designed tonot only contain the toothbrush, but also serve as a mailer,”Webb explained. “The packaging also features exciting graph-ics and is now available in stores.
“We conducted a lot of consumer research and found peoplewere excited and open to something different. Traditional blis-ter and cardboard packaging is fine, but research found peoplewere drawn to our fresh looking packaging. We have learnedthat many consumers are looking for less packaging. Theydon’t want to throw a lot of stuff away.”
Preserve relies on in-house employees to take care of suchjob functions as new product designs, marketing, sales and cus-tomer service. Meanwhile, the company outsources its tooth-brush production.
“We work with one of the leading toothbrush manufacturersin the United States. This company not only produces theseitems but also ships them to our customers,” Webb said.
Other Preserve products under the Preserve banner includerazors, a tongue cleaner, tableware and kitchen items. In keep-ing with the company’s goal of limiting its environmental foot-print, nearly all of Preserve’s products are made in the UnitedStates, which means shorter shipping distances using less fuel.
Webb reported that business for the company has been solidand that Preserve continues to grow distribution, thus reachingmore people and communities.
“We are selling the Preserve toothbrush nationally at Targetstores. We also continue to be the No. 1 selling toothbrush inthe natural channels which includes Whole Foods Market,Trader Joe’s and independent natural food stores,” Webb said.“We are also selling more product into regional grocery chains,which has been a big boost for us. Preserve’s toothbrush salesgrew last year, even as overall retail struggled.”
Preserve CEO Eric Hudson founded the company in 1996.He set out to start his own business that developed creativeways to conserve and re-use the earth’s resources. He enlistedthe help of his father, an industrial designer of racing cars andboats, to design the first Preserve toothbrush. This was donewith input from dentists and hygienists.
“When the company started, there was a realization that morepeople were recognizing the importance of recycling productsfound in their homes. They were dragging out their recyclingbins to the curb or loading up their cars and transporting mate-rial to the nearest recycling center,” Webb said. “(Preserve) wasvery interested in helping people understand that their effortsdid matter, and that everyday recyclables could be turned intouseful products.
“Our company focused on the toothbrush market partlybecause it’s an everyday item that is usually thrown away. Mostpeople are taught to discard their toothbrushes three to fivetimes a year. This represented a huge opportunity to make
something that could be produced from recycled materials,while also keeping it out of a landfill once the product’s life wasdone.”
Webb added that Preserve fields many customer service callsfrom people asking about various recycling options and pro-grams.
“Many people see us as a go-to solution for those hard-to-recycle materials made from No. 5 plastic, which is commonlyfound in yogurt cups, takeout containers, medicine bottles, etc,”she said.
To help with this demand, the company has implemented its“Gimme 5” program, which allows consumers to send useditems made of No. 5 plastic to Preserve where these items willbe used again in the making of new Preserve products. PreserveGimme 5 bins are located at various retail outlets throughoutthe country. People can also mail these items to Preserve via anaddress listed on the company’s Web site.
“We receive many calls about this program. It’s somethingthat helps differentiate our company from a lot of oral carecompetitors,” Webb said.
In looking ahead toward the remainder of 2010 and beyond,Webb spoke optimistically about Preserve’s future despiteongoing challenges often found in most industries.
“Preserve basically offers one type of toothbrush that must goup against a sea of other toothbrushes. Our biggest challengesinclude that of standing out on the shelf and raising awarenessthat Preserve does exist. It’s also important to get the word outabout where our products can be found,” she said. “We are for-tunate in that the company has been around long enough that itsbuilt a very solid distribution network. The consumer can basi-cally go to any community in the country and find us.”
Another benefit for Preserve is that it offers such products astoothbrushes and razors — items that people will always need.
“I feel the Preserve toothbrush will be in good shape as longas people keep brushing. It’s interesting to see innovation withelectric and other types of toothbrushes come along, but I feelthere will always be a need for a manual toothbrush,” Webbsaid. “As a company, Preserve continues to be optimistic thatmarketshare within this (toothbrush) category will continue togrow.
“We hear from consumers on how toothbrush companiescontinue to add bells and whistles while making their tooth-brushes more complicated. However, there is something aboutthe Preserve toothbrush that is refreshing with its simplicity.This is really what Preserve is all about — creating elegant,everyday high-performance products that meet people’s realneeds while also meeting the needs of the environment. Wehave an ambitious goal to bring this toothbrush to every house-hold in America. It’s something we build upon every year.”
Contact: Preserve, 657 Main St., Waltham, MA 02451. Phone: 888-354-7296.
Web Site: www.preserveproducts.com.
Since the downturn in the U.S. economy, more consumershave been switching from national brands to store brandproducts, resulting in an increase in sales for Ranir,
LLC, of Grand Rapids, MI, according to Ranir Director ofMarketing Duff Lewis.
Ranir sells an extensive range of adult and children’s manual
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March 2010 BROOM, BRUSH & MOP PAGE 15
and power toothbrushes that are sold under such customerbrand names as CVS, Target, Kroger, etc. The company wasfounded by a dentist over 30 years ago in Grand Rapids and hasgrown to become a leading supplier of oral care products in thestore brand (private label) industry, according to Lewis. Alongwith toothbrushes, Ranir also provides such items as dentalfloss, travel kits and dental whitening products.
“We continue to supply our customers with high quality oralcare products while also focusing on excellent customer serv-ice,” Lewis said.
In January 2009, Ranir acquired Placontrol, Inc., a manufac-turer and marketer of interdental oral care products under thePlackers trademark. Headquartered in San Diego, CA,Placontrol is the founder of the convenience dental flosser. Theacquisition is expected to enhance new product developmentcapabilities, open up the branded side of the business to capital-ize on Plackers’ brand name and provide increased supply chainefficiencies for Ranir.
In another effort to respond to the various needs of its cus-tomer base, Lewis said Ranir has implemented VendorManaged Inventory (VMI). This has allowed Ranir to furtherimprove its level of service by increasing the visibility of thecompany’s inventory within the customer distribution chain.VMI is a family of business models in which the buyer of aproduct provides certain information to a supplier of that prod-uct, and the supplier takes full responsibility for maintaining anagreed inventory of the material, usually at the buyer’s con-sumption location (a store).
As it pertains to current trends within the toothbrush industry,Lewis said both manual and power toothbrush suppliers arefocused on new features that add value to their products. Thisincludes tongue and cheek cleaners, feathered bristles, Teflonbristles, flexible brush heads, etc.
“The toothbrush industry is very competitive, particularlywith overseas manufacturers trying to make in-roads into theU.S. market. Therefore, Ranir is continually looking at ways todrive costs down. This includes automating processes where itmakes sense,” Lewis said. “Product innovation, costs and for-eign competition will continue to challenge Ranir and the storebrand industry in the years to come.”
He predicted the toothbrush industry will continue to grow atslow rates of 2 to 3 percent per year, which means Ranir willhave to expand into other product categories in order to main-tain its double-digit growth rate.
“Like any company, our success is also dependent on thequality of employees. Ranir employs almost 500 people, andeach one has played a role in the success we’ve been able toachieve within the store brand industry,” he said.
Contact: Ranir, LLC, 4701 East Paris Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512. Phone: 616-698-8880.
Web Site: www.ranir.com.
While working to provide quality oral care items forthe entire family at affordable prices, Dr. Freshofficials rely on product innovation and customer
service to keep the company growing. Established in 1998,Dr. Fresh Vice President of Sales Daniel Enriquez said thecompany has passed its first decade with a consistent recordof growth, going from 1 employee and $360,000 in sales in
its first year to almost 100 employees and $50 million insales.
He added that Dr. Fresh is the developer of over 250 differ-ent personal care products. The company works to redefineoral care through innovation, new technology, higher stan-dards of quality and lower prices. Among its personal careproducts are Dr. Fresh’s top-selling FireFly® flashing tooth-brush with patented light-up technology, Binaca® breathfreshening items and the recently introduced Infectiguard™
Hand Sanitizers. Enriquez said that in October 2008, Dr. Fresh acquired
Binaca breath freshening products and has since worked to revi-talize the brand through new packaging, line extensions andadded marketing support. This includes a TV, print, outdoor andInternet campaign.
Meanwhile, the new Infectiguard line of hand sanitizingproducts, consisting of 7 SKU’s, is proven to kill 99.99 percentof germs without the use of water, soap or towels, according toEnriquez.
“In each year of its existence, Dr. Fresh has grown by doubledigits. Most recently, the company earned a spot on the Inc.5000 list for 2008, ranking No. 3,873 among the fastest grow-ing private companies in America,” Enriquez said. “Meanwhile,the FireFly Toothbrush, with proprietary timer technology, hasbeen the No. 1 selling children’s light-up toothbrush for the pastfour years, according to IRI (Information Resources, Inc.)data.”
He added that Dr. Fresh continues to improve upon its propri-etary light-up technology, which is directed toward delightingchildren and aiding in their brushing capabilities. For example,the company will be introducing FireFly line extensions featur-ing Spiderman, Barbie and Hot Wheels brands, all the whilemaintaining the same compliance technology. These items areexpected to become available beginning in April with many topretailers.
“For kids, compliance-oriented oral care items that entertainare key. Popular licensed characters are a big factor. For adults,quality, efficacy and cost-effectiveness are very important interms of selecting oral care items,” Enriquez said. “We focus onthe practice of supplying high-end oral care products that pro-mote healthy teeth and gums. This includes bacteria and cavityfighting toothbrushes, toothpastes, mouthwashes and breathfresheners.”
A new state-of-the-art manufacturing and R & D facility formouthwash production has been added to the company’s head-quarters in Buena Park, CA. Dr. Fresh also has manufactur-ing plants in India and China, where all toothbrush productionprocedures, from molding to packaging, are carried out in-house. Enriquez said the plants feature modern machinery tomaintain the highest standards in quality control. These facil-ities are estimated to produce over 100 million toothbrushesannually.
“Dr. Fresh oral care products can be found among majorfood, drug, mass and value retailers. The company also enjoyssignificant distribution internationally, covering over 42 coun-tries,” he explained.
Contact: Dr. Fresh, Inc., 6645 Caballero Blvd., Buena Park, CA 90620. Phone: 714-690-1573.
Web Site: www.drfresh.com.
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By Rick MullenBroom, Brush & Mop
Associate Editor
U.S. government trade figures for the first 11 months of 2009indicate raw material imports were down in two of the three cate-gories outlined in this issue, compared to the first 11 months of2008. Figures for metal handles prior to March 2009 are not avail-able for comparison. For November 2009, raw material importswere down in all three categories outlined, other than metal han-dles, compared to November 2008.
Import totals for the first 11 months of 2009 were down in fiveof the seven finished goods categories outlined from the same timeperiod in 2008. Also, in November 2009, two of the seven cate-gories outlined recorded increases, compared to November 2008.
RAW MATERIAL IMPORTSHog Bristle
The United States imported 36,353 kilograms of hog bristle inNovember 2009, down about 36 percent from 56,875 kilogramsimported in November 2008. During the first 11 months of 2009,311,143 kilograms of hog bristle were imported, about an 18 per-cent decrease from 378,690 kilograms imported during the first 11months of 2008.
China exported 308,717 kilograms of hog bristle to the UnitedStates during the first 11 months of 2009.
The average price per kilogram for November 2009 was $7.98,down 1 cent from the average price per kilogram for November2008. The average price per kilogram for the first 11 months of2009 was $8.15, down about 45 percent from the average price perkilogram of $14.86 for the first 11 months of 2008.
Broom And Mop HandlesThe import total of broom and mop handles during November
2009 was 1.4 million, down about 42 percent from 2.4 millionbroom and mop handles imported in November 2008. During thefirst 11 months of 2009, 18.4 million broom and mop handleswere imported, compared to 28.2 million for the first 11 months of2008, a decrease of about 35 percent.
During the first 11 months of 2009, the United States imported6.9 million handles from Brazil, 5 million from Honduras, 3.5 mil-lion from China and 2.1 million from Indonesia.
The average price per handle for November 2009 was 69 cents,down about 19 percent from 85 cents for November 2009. Theaverage price for the first 11 months of 2009 was 68 cents, down1 cent from the average price for the first 11 months of 2008.
Brush BacksNovember 2009 imports of brush backs totaled 138,555, down
about 37 percent from the November 2008 total of 220,025 brushbacks. During the first 11 months of 2009, 2.5 million brush backswere imported, an increase of about 14 percent over the total forthe first 11 months of 2008 of 2.2 million.
The United States imported 1.4 million brush backs fromCanada during the first 11 months of 2009.
The average price per brush back was 37 cents during November2009, down about 33 percent from the average price for November
2008 of 55 cents. For the first 11 months of 2009, the average priceper brush back was 43 cents, down about 35 percent from the aver-age price of 66 cents for the first 11 months of 2008.
Metal HandlesThe import total of metal handles during November 2009 was 2
million, down from the October 2009 total of 2.1 million. SinceMarch 2009, 27 million metal handles were imported.
The United States imported 13 million metal handles from Italyand 11.3 million from China during the first 11 months of 2009.
The average price per handle for November 2009 was 56 cents,down from the previous month’s average price of 63 cents. Theaverage price for the first 11 months of 2009 was 62 cents.
FINISHED GOODS IMPORTSBrooms Of Broom Corn
Valued At Less Than 96 CentsThe United States imported 15,828 brooms of broom corn val-
ued at less than 96 cents per broom during November 2009, com-pared to 29,040 in November 2008, a decrease of about 45 per-cent. During the first 11 months of 2009, 138,396 brooms ofbroom corn were imported, down about 41 percent from 235,902imported during the first 11 months of 2008.
Mexico shipped 131,196 brooms of broom corn to the UnitedStates during the first 11 months of 2009.
The average price per broom for November 2009 was 73 cents,up about 6 percent from 69 cents for November 2008. The aver-age price per broom for the first 11 months of 2009 was 76 cents,up about 6 percent from the average price for the first 11 monthsof 2008 of 72 cents.
Brooms Of Broom CornValued At More Than 96 Cents
The United States imported 567,474 brooms of broom corn val-ued at more than 96 cents per broom during November 2009, com-pared to 637,710 in November 2008, an decrease of about 11 per-cent. During the first 11 months of 2009, 7.8 million brooms ofbroom corn were imported, down about 4 percent from 8.1 millionimported during the first 11 months of 2008.
Mexico shipped 7.4 million brooms of broom corn to the UnitedStates during the first 11 months of 2009.
The average price per broom for November 2009 was $2.39, upabout 8 percent from the average price for November 2008 of $2.22.The average price per broom for the first 11 months of 2009 was$2.44, up about 7 percent from $2.29 for the first 11 months of 2008.
Brooms & Brushes Of Vegetable MaterialThe import total of brooms and brushes of vegetable material
during November 2009 was 93,002, down about 74 percent from353,611 brooms and brushes imported during November 2008.During the first 11 months of 2009, 1.4 million brooms and brush-es were imported, down about 30 percent from 2 million import-ed during the first 11 months of 2008.
During the first 11 months of 2009, the United States imported759,151 brooms and brushes from Sri Lanka.
The average price per unit for November 2009 was $1.67, upabout 8 percent from $1.54 for November 2008. The average price
PAGE 16 BROOM, BRUSH & MOP March 2010
Imports, Exports Decline In Several Categories
BBM.March.x 2/22/10 8:53 AM Page 16
for the first 11 months of 2009 was $1.83, up about 21 percentfrom $1.51 for the first 11 months of 2008.
ToothbrushesThe United States imported 58 million toothbrushes in
November 2009, down about 14 percent from 67.2 millionimported in November 2008. During the first 11 months of2009, 710.6 million toothbrushes were imported, down about 4percent from 737.3 million imported during the first 11 monthsof 2008.
During the first 11 months of 2009, the United States received494.3 million toothbrushes from China.
The average price per toothbrush for November 2009 was 20cents, down 1 cent from the average price for November 2008.The average price for the first 11 months of 2009 was 21 cents,down about 16 percent from the average price of 25 cents for thefirst 11 months of 2008.
Paint RollersNovember 2009 imports of paint rollers totaled 4.7 million, up
about 15 percent from 4.1 million imported during November2008. During the first 11 months of 2009, 51.2 million paintrollers were imported, down about 9 percent from 56.4 million forthe first 11 months of 2008.
China sent 35.3 million paint rollers to the United States duringthe first 11 months of 2009.
The average price per paint roller was 34 cents duringNovember 2009, down about 13 percent from 39 cents forNovember 2008. During the first 11 months of 2009, the averageprice was 49 cents, up about 23 percent from 40 cents for the first11 months of 2008.
Paint PadsNovember 2009 imports of paint pads totaled 565,682, down
about 56 percent from 1.3 million imported during November2008. During the first 11 months of 2009, 10.8 million paint padswere imported, up about 6 percent from 10.2 million for the first11 months of 2008.
China sent 10.1 million paint pads to the United States duringthe first 11 months of 2009.
The average price per paint pad was 83 cents during November2009, up about 118 percent from 38 cents for November 2008.During the first 11 months of 2009, the average price was 70 cents,up about 43 percent from 49 cents for the first 11 months of 2008.
PaintbrushesU.S. companies imported 13.2 million paintbrushes during
November 2009, up about 7 percent from 12.3 million brush-es imported during November 2008. Paintbrush imports forthe first 11 months of 2009 were 188.7 million, up about 2percent from 185.9 million recorded for the first 11 monthsof 2008.
During the first 11 months of 2009, the United States imported145.9 million paintbrushes from China.
The average price per paintbrush for November 2009 was 28cents, down about 22 percent from 36 cents for November2008. The average price for the first 11 months of 2009 was 30cents, down 1 cent from the average price for the first 11months of 2008.
EXPORTSExport totals for the first 11 months of 2009 were down in all
four of the categories outlined, compared to the first 11 months of2008. In November 2009, two of the four categories reportedincreases in exports, compared to November 2008.
ToothbrushesU.S. companies exported 6.3 million toothbrushes during
November 2009, down about 55 percent from 13.9 million export-ed during November 2008. Toothbrush exports for the first 11months of 2009 were 80.6 million, down about 51 percent from165 million recorded for the first 11 months of 2008.
The United States shipped 30.2 million toothbrushes to Canadaduring the first 11 months of 2009.
The average price per toothbrush for November 2009 was 90cents, up about 120 percent from the November 2008 averageprice of 41 cents. The average price for the first 11 months of 2009was 76 cents, up about 111 percent from the average price of 36cents for the first 11 months of 2008.
Paint RollersThe export total of paint rollers during November 2009 was
282,834, down about 66 percent from 833,221 paint roller exportsrecorded for November 2008. During the first 11 months of 2009,4.4 million paint rollers were exported, down about 2 percentfrom 4.5 million during the first 11 months of 2008.
Canada imported 2.2 million paint rollers from the UnitedStates during the first 11 months of 2009, while Mexico imported1.1 million.
The average price per paint roller for November 2009 was$2.95, up about 55 percent from $1.90 for November 2008. Theaverage price for the first 11 months of 2009 was $2.69, up about7 percent from $2.51 for the first 11 months of 2008.
Paint PadsNovember 2009 exports of paint pads totaled 27,232, up about
279 percent from 7,194 exported during November 2008. Duringthe first 11 months of 2009, 218,439 paint pads were exported,down about 34 percent from 333,130 for the first 11 months of2008.
Mexico received 70,961 paint pads from the United States dur-ing the first 11 months of 2009.
The average price per paint pad was $2.50 during November2009, down slightly from $2.55 for November 2008. During thefirst 11 months of 2009, the average price was $4.10, down about17 percent from $4.93 for the first 11 months of 2008.
PaintbrushesU.S. companies exported 81,477 paintbrushes during
November 2009, up slightly from 81,075 brushes exported duringNovember 2008. Paintbrush exports for the first 11 months of2009 were 970,071, down about 46 percent from 1.8 millionrecorded for the first 11 months of 2008.
During the first 11 months of 2009, the United States exported401,968 paintbrushes to Canada.
The average price per paintbrush for November 2009 was $16.53,up about 9 percent from $15.18 for November 2008. The averageprice for the first 11 months of 2009 was $15.68, up about 30 per-cent from the average price for the first 11 months of 2008 of $12.08.
March 2010 BROOM, BRUSH & MOP PAGE 17
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Foreign Merchandise1404902000 Broomcorn (Sorghum Vulgare Var. Technicum)Used Primarily In Brooms Or In Brushes, Whether or Not
In Hanks or BundlesNovember Year To Date
Country Net Q/Ton Value Net Q/Ton ValueCanada 2 5,175 29 63,757Hondura 3 12,118 10 39,184U King 5 19,673TOTAL 5 17,293 44 122,614
9603100000 Brooms & Brushes, Consisting of Twigs or OtherVegetable Materials Bound Together, With or Without Handles
November Year To DateCountry Net Q/Dozen Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 291 10,084 5,176 354,139Mexico 217 15,119Norway 218 7,191TOTAL 291 10,084 5,611 376,449
9603210000 Toothbrushes, Incl. Dental-Plate BrushesNovember Year To Date
9603290000 Shaving Brushes, Hairbrushes, Nail Brushes,Eyelash Brushes & Other Toilet Brushes For Use On The Person
November Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 87,869 177,383 1,155,754 1,555,057Mexico 26,433 37,811 1,024,784 1,028,450Chile 1,800 7,785Brazil 15,432 14,234U King 5,973 53,276 38,403 281,281Nethlds 2,626 22,827Belgium 700 4,834 1,600 10,323Andorra 72 3,000
0502100000 Pigs’, Hogs’ or Boars’ Bristlesand Hair and Waste Thereof
November Year To DateCountry Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG ValueFr Germ 59 7,190Thailnd 155 11,524China 36,353 290,172 308,717 2,492,040Hg Kong 2,212 24,071TOTAL 36,353 290,172 311,143 2,534,825
0502900000 Badger Hair and OtherBrushmaking Hair and Waste Thereof
November Year To DateCountry Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG ValueMexico 2,568 7,722
0511993300 Horsehair and Horsehair Waste, Whether or NotPut Up As A Layer With or Without Supporting Material
November Year To DateCountry Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG ValueArgent 20 2,208 20 2,208Fr Germ 700 10,981China 15,706 159,606 151,408 1,579,743TOTAL 15,726 161,814 152,128 1,592,932
1404903000 Istle Used Primarily In Brooms or In Brushes,Whether or Not In Hanks or Bundles
November Year To DateCountry Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG ValueMexico 17,258 84,288 370,742 1,833,231TOTAL 17,258 84,288 370,742 1,833,231
4417002000 Broom and Mop Handles, 1.9 CM or More InDiameter and 97 CM or More In Length, Of Wood
November Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 36,600 3,786 98,950 33,148Hondura 264,068 135,540 5,011,845 2,347,560Colomb 97,686 59,303Brazil 736,700 582,415 6,897,956 5,915,237Argent 56,750 36,396Spain 193,384 90,649India 10,896 3,704Sri Lka 3,600 4,039 191,200 217,231Vietnam 100,644 92,051Malaysa 204,600 186,982Indnsia 54,198 52,162 2,076,493 1,849,686China 280,275 176,458 3,353,200 1,661,152Hg Kong 27,500 16,050Taiwan 33,000 36,190Egypt 20,000 5,000TOTAL 1,375,441 954,400 18,374,104 12,550,339
4417004000 Paint Brush and Paint Roller Handles, Of WoodNovember Year To Date
Country Net Q/Variable Value Net Q/Variable ValueGuatmal 17,581Fr Germ 4,724 19,793Czech 7,908 76,175Poland 134,754Italy 520,788 4,187,275India 97,234Indnsia 97,381 915,489China 110,619 2,761,418Taiwan 10,446TOTAL 741,420 8,220,165
4417006000 Brush Backs, Of WoodNovember Year To Date
Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 135,195 47,381 1,439,125 550,702Hondura 166,864 68,537Brazil 52,675 68,380Sri Lka 253,211 212,560Indnsia 145,448 72,463China 3,360 3,194 444,522 101,420Hg Kong 25,000 16,944TOTAL 138,555 50,575 2,526,845 1,091,006
4417008010 Tool Handles of WoodNovember Year To Date
Country Net Q/Variable Value Net Q/Variable ValueCanada 9,462 60,621
A total of 16 short tons of broom corn was imported into theUnited States during December 2009, according to the U.S.Department of Commerce. Total value of this import was $26,521,with a cost per ton of $1,658 (83 cents per pound).
According to the government, two countries provided broomcorn for the month. India was the leading importer at 10 short tons,with a total value of $13,750 and a cost per ton of $1,375 (69 centsper pound). The other country to send broom corn was Mexicowith 6 short tons. Total value of this import was $12,771, with acost per ton of $2,129 ($1.06 per pound).
It should be noted that Broom, Brush & Mop is still in theprocess of working with officials from the U.S. Department ofCommerce about the possibility that not all imported broom cornentering the United States as of late is being correctly classifiedand/or counted. An informal poll taken among several U.S. broomcorn dealers in February revealed that at least 21 short tons ofbroom corn actually were imported into the United States duringDecember. It is also suspected that the Indian import for the monthis most likely not broom corn. It could possibly be palmyra.
Final 2009 broom corn import figures for the United States showedthat 324 short tons arrived into the country. Total value of this importwas $868,463, with a cost per ton of $2,680 ($1.34 per pound).
Richard Caddy of R.E. Caddy & Co., Inc., in Greensboro,NC, said he questions whether just 6 short tons of broom corn werebrought into the United States from Mexico in December. He alsofelt the price for this Mexican corn at $1.06 per pound was too low.
“You can’t even bring in raw broom corn at $1.06 per pound,”he said.
As for current activity in Mexico as of the middle of February,Caddy reported that processors have a little more broom corn avail-
able to them than earlier expected. This is due to carry-over inven-tory and a larger-than-expected second Torreon harvest in late 2009.
“We aren’t feeling the crunch right now of trying to find enoughbroom corn like was experienced last year at this time,” Caddy said.
He added that Mexican broom corn prices should remain steadyas long as there is enough broom corn available and demand doesnot escalate.
The next Mexican broom corn expected to be available comesfrom the Apatzingan region. This crop is usually smaller in quan-tity and used mostly for Mexican broom production.
“There was actually some decent Apatzingan broom corn lastyear that I ended up buying,” Caddy reported. “Occasionally, wewill see some pretty nice Apatzingan that is of good export quality.”
After returning from a trip to Mexico in mid-February, RayLeBlanc of PelRay International, LLC, in San Antonio, TX,reported that the second crop harvested last fall from the Torreonregion turned out to be approximately twice as large as earlier expect-ed. It was also larger than the first Torreon crop harvested in 2009.
“It’s not shocking (to see the second crop larger than the first),”Leblanc said. “It’s a little surprising, however, to receive reports thatthe second crop was to be quite small when, in fact, this was not thecase. The problem is, people aren’t traveling back and forth inTorreon like in past years. This is due to safety issues. There are atleast two (drug) cartels in the area fighting for control of that region.”
He added two weather-related factors helped increase yields ofthe second Torreon — a late frost and additional rainfall inOctober and November.
LeBlanc expects fewer supply problems to take place this springdue to more broom corn now available in Mexico.
Broom Corn Dealer Allen Pelton Celebrates 100th BirthdayAllen Lincoln Pelton, born Feb. 12, 1910, celebrated his centen-
nial birthday at his home in Fort Worth, TX, with a reception heldin his honor by his children, Alice, Julie and Bart.
Over 60 friends and family members, including his 10 grand-children and 7 great-grandchildren, wished him congratulations.By his side was his bride of 68 years, Katie Pelton. The couplewere often seen together at many broom corn and industry con-ventions.
Pelton has a long history in the broom industry. His father,Harve Pelton, went to work in the broom industry in 1900 andstarted National Broomcorn Company in Wichita, KS, in 1904.Allen Pelton first started selling broom corn in 1930 for his fatherwhen his education at the University of Oklahoma was temporar-ily interrupted by the Crash of ’29. He received his degree inmechanical engineering from OU in 1932. He continued workingfor his father from 1932-34 when broom corn typically sold forabout $600 per boxcar load. In 1935, he found a better paying job($75 a month) working in the oil industry where he met his longtime friend and future business partner, Francis “Rudy” LeBlanc.
Pelton enlisted in the Navy in 1942 and served as first lieutenant
in Charleston, SC, until the end of WorldWar II. In 1946 he moved to Fort Worthand started Pelton ManufacturingCompany with his brother Charlie. Thatsame year, Harve Pelton hired RudyLeBlanc to manage Southern StatesSupply Company in Birmingham, AL.
Allen Pelton took over management ofNational Broomcorn Company in 1950 after the untimely death ofhis father. He spent many summers in the 1950s and 60s in SouthTexas buying broom corn. He started a broom corn processingplant in Oklahoma in the late 1960s and opened the first broomcorn warehouse in Laredo, TX, in 1968.
In 1977, Allen Pelton hired his son, Bart, and Rudy’s son, Ray,to work for National Broomcorn Company. (Both sons are stillworking in the industry with PelRay International.)
In his youth Allen Pelton loved to play tennis, basketball, baseballand poker. At 92, he bought his first computer and still gets on theInternet daily. He is actively managing his stock portfolio, exercis-ing on his stationary bike and will always take time to share a story.
U.S. Imports 16 Short Tons Of Broom Corn In December
Allen Pelton
Continued On Page 30
PAGE 28 BROOM, BRUSH & MOP March 2010
BBM.March.x 2/22/10 8:53 AM Page 28
that paint, that paint project and that paint retailer really shine atthe end of the day. Paint is a liquid in a can. It is a raw material.You really unlock the secrets and the attributes of that paint canwhen you use the right quality sundries. It is our job to focus our-selves on the next breakthrough of rollers, brushes and pads, andpossibly the next ‘unknowns’ in applicators or application tech-niques that lie in our future.”
For nearly a century-and-a-half, T.S. Simms & Co.Limited, of Saint John, New Brunswick, has been one ofthe foremost manufacturers of quality paint applicators in
Canada. The company is currently owned by Chairman/CEOThomas S. Simms, the founder’s great-grandson.
T.S. Simms’ started in 1866 and the company’s productionfacilities have been located in Saint John since 1872.
“We have a long history. We have been in business about 144years spanning four generations of the Simms family,” Simmssaid. “We manufacture handmade professional brushes. We alsohave an extensive consumer line of brushes that we have made inChina to our specs. This allows us to control the quality of whatwe are offering. In addition, we manufacture rollers. We offerquite a range of paint applicator accessories.”
While the worldwide economic downturn has had some impact inCanada, the country has not suffered as much as the United States.
“Business has been good for us. We have held our own in theface of all that has been happening around us, and we have actu-ally experienced significant growth,” Simms said. “We are thank-ful that things have worked out the way that they have.”
There is evidence that the down economy has spawned a signif-icant upturn in the do-it-yourself marketplace.
“We have noticed there is more emphasis on renovation andhome decorating. You can see it in the way a number of the largeretailers are promoting their businesses. It is also evident in thepopularity of television shows that are promoting renovation andhome decorating,” Simms said. “Generally, all of this has beenvery beneficial to our industry.”
T.S. Simms sells direct, both through resale and also throughdistribution. The company’s customer base includes hardware,building supply, wallpaper, paint and industrial businesses. Thecompany believes that product development is one of the keys toremaining competitive in the paint applicator and paint acces-sories marketplace.
“We feel that we are very strong in merchandising and promo-tions. With our merchandising programs, we have software thatfacilitates organizing the array of brushes and rollers that we wantto present. This system has been very effective for us,” Simmssaid. “We have also found the move to eco-friendly products hasbeen worthwhile as well.”
One of the company’s newest entries into the eco-friendly mar-ket place is its Eco Sense line of paint rollers, utilizing recycledplastic, roller fabric and compostable packaging. Simms creditedPresident Chuck Martin as having been instrumental in the suc-
cess of the Eco Sense line.“When we were developing the Eco Sense line, we wanted to
make sure we were developing environmentally friendly productsthat perform well and are durable,” Martin said. “We feel productsmust be long-lasting to be eco-friendly.”
Simms added: “The Eco Sense line is going extremely well. Ithas been very carefully developed. We wanted to make sure of ourground in terms in what materials were recycled; therefore, every-thing has been certified. We are cautious because sometimes peo-ple can present something as recycled that really isn’t. There canbe a lot of misrepresentation. So we have been very careful and wehave also made sure that what we develop really performs well.”
When it comes to the green aspects inherent in the company’sline of quality paintbrushes, longevity is also key.
“In paintbrushes you are looking for something that is durable,”Martin said. “Our feeling on paintbrushes is as long as the end-user is buying good quality products and re-using them, they arebeing friendly to the environment.”
While the company makes some professional brushes by hand,automation is also an important ingredient.
“We have continued to make investments in our operations andwe have some new state-of-the-art equipment,” Simms said. “Thisequipment is important to help us remain competitive and keepour quality at a high level. We do have a number of operations thatrequire skill, and we are fortunate to have craftsmen here whohave experience and who make certain products by hand.”
In good times or bad, there are always challenges to overcomein business. One of the challenges T.S. Simms faces is the fluctu-ating exchange rate between the U.S. and Canadian dollars.
“Some of the challenges will be the nature of consolidation inour trade. There is also uncertainty with respect to the exchangerate, especially when it is fluctuating,” Simms said. “On the otherhand, we remain very optimistic about the future. We see contin-ued growth in our roller business, which has been substantial. Also,the emphasis on home renovation and decorating is really going tohelp all of us in the paintbrush industry in the days ahead.”
When Simms thinks about what has made his company so success-ful for so long, it is T.S. Simms’ employees that he thinks of first.
“We would have never been able to achieve what we have if itwas not for them,” he said. “Also, we have been strong in introduc-ing innovations that have made a true difference. We have a num-ber of products that we have developed for which we have patents.
“We have also been strong in system development — computersystems. We feel you have to be ‘with it’ in that realm, or you arejust not going to be able to come through for the customer.
“The investment in our plant operations has been another factoras has our consistent emphasis on quality and service. Unless youkeep this in the forefront, you are going to lose ground and fade.
“We feel we have had competitive pricing over the years, andwith the combination of things we can offer, that is what certain-ly has contributed to our success.
“When we look at the future of paintbrush making and rollermaking, these products have stood the test of time. They are veryeffective economic tools for the homeowner to use.”Contact: T.S. Simms & Co., Limited, 33 Bridge Road, P.O. Box
820, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4C5. Phone: 506-635-6330; Fax:506-635-6309.
Zahoransky Develops True-Grit Abrasive Tufting System
PAGE 30 BROOM, BRUSH & MOP March 2010
The Zahoransky Group of Germany has introduced True-Grit,its latest development in staple-set machinery for tufting brusheswith abrasive filaments.
According to the company, while the current abrasive systemfrom Zahoransky has proven to be a work horse for the industry,the True-Grit system nonetheless introduces several upgrades.This includes: New cruising speed of 400 rpm for filament up to12-inches long; New patented wear free stock box; New low costnotched material picker with quick change features fabricatedfrom wear resistant material, providing significantly improved
picker life; New special suction system reducing ambient abrasivedust by up to 90 percent; and, Special filling tool with quickchange head, including low-cost wear parts.
The True-Grit system can be installed with Zahoranskymachine models ET, TH and V for producing all types of industri-al staple-set brushes.
For more information, contact: Zahoransky USA, 1981 Bucktail Lane, Sugar Grove, IL 60554.
INDEX OF ADVERTISERSABMA ..........................................................................30Amerwood ......................................................................1Caddy & Co., Inc., R.E.................................................20Carlson Tool .................................................................21Chung Thai Brushes Co..................................................8Crystal Lake ..................................................................11Jones Companies.............................................................5Line Manufacturing, Inc. ..............................................26Manufacturers Resource ...............................................31PelRay International .......................................................3St. Nick Brush Co. ........................................................21Zahoransky ...............................................................2, 32Zhenjiang Ruifeng Brush Co. ........................................7
“Whenever there is enough broom corn to have a carry-over situ-ation, it always influences pricing,” LeBlanc said. “We are now like-ly to see (Mexican broom corn) prices remain where they currentlyare or become lower somewhat heading into the new crop (season).”
LeBlanc also reported that the Apatzingan harvest is quite earlythis year with material heavy to insides.
“This broom corn is becoming better in quality and possessinglonger material with each passing week. It’s probably still 80 to 85percent insides,” LeBlanc said on February 18.
Tim Monahan of The Thomas Monahan Co., in Arcola, IL,was unavailable for comment for this month’s broom corn dealersurvey.