broom, brush & mop jan/feb 2014

January/February 2014

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

GoldenStar

4th GenerationLeads Golden Star Into Its 106th Year

Paint BrushCompanies

Starting To SeeSteady Growth

Torrington Brush Works

Nour TradingPurdy Corporation

Toothbrushes: The State Of The Industry

RadiusPreserve

Imports/Exports First 10 Months Down

ABMA To Hold97th Annual Conventionin Rancho Mirage, CA

4th Generation Leads Golden Star Into Its 106th Year___________________________6

Paint Brush Companies Starting To See Steady Growth________________14

Toothbrush Companies Continue To Improve Product, While Emphasizing What’s Good For The Environment ____________22

ABMA To Hold 97th Annual ConventionIn Rancho Mirage, California _________________28

Industry News ______________________________32

2013 ISSA Show Photo Gallery_______________46

First 10 Months Down_______________________36

October 2013 Import & Export Statistics____________________37

Features Associations

Rankin Publishing, Inc.204 E. Main St., P.O. Box 130 • Arcola, IL 61910-0130, USAPhone: (217) 268-4959 • Fax: (217) 268-4815 Website: www.rankinpublishing.com

CO-PUBLISHERSDon Rankin [email protected]

Linda Rankin [email protected]

EDITORHarrell [email protected]

ASSOCIATE EDITORRick [email protected]

GRAPHICS/PRODUCTIONAndrew WebbDavid Opdyke

RECEPTIONMisty Douglas

Imports/Exports

AMERICAN BRUSH MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION736 Main Ave., Suite 7, Durango, CO 81301 • (720) 392-2262

AMERICAN HARDWARE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION801 North Plaza Drive, Schaumburg, IL 60173-4977 • (847) 605-1025

FEIBP EUROPEAN BRUSH FEDERATIONP.O. Box 90154, 5000 LG Tilburg, The Netherlands • 00 31 13 5944 678

INTERNATIONAL SANITARY SUPPLY ASSOCIATION7373 N. Lincoln Avenue, Lincolnwood, IL 60646-1799 • (847) 982-0800

INTERNATIONAL HOUSEWARES ASSOCIATION6400 Shafer Court, Suite 650, Rosemont, IL 60018 • (847) 292-4200

Staff

A RANKIN PUBLISHING PUBLICATION January/February 2014 | Volume 104, Number 1 Magazine

PG 4 BBM MAGAZINE | JAN/FEB 2014

Index Of Advertisers

Broom, Brush & Mop

ABMA..............................................................................21American Select Tubing.....................................................16Amerwood ........................................................................30Borghi USA ..........................................................Back CoverBoucherie USA ...................................................................3Briarwood.........................................................................32Caddy & Co., Inc., R.E. .....................................................38Culicover & Shapiro ..........................................................42Deco Products Co. ............................................................27Distribuidora Perfect, S.A. .................................................20DuPont ............................................................................11G.D.F. .............................................................................13Garelick ...........................................................................26Gordon Brush Mfg. Co. Inc. ...............................................23Hahl Pedex ........................................................................9Himesa ......................................................................29, 31Jewel Wire........................................................................12Jones Companies..................................................Front Cover

Keystone Plastics..............................................................12Line Manufacturing, Inc. ...................................................39Mill-Rose .........................................................................25Monahan Filaments...........................................................51Monahan Partners.............................................................24Paul Marsh LLC................................................................15PelRay ...............................................................................2PMM ...............................................................................17Royal Paint Roller .............................................................37St. Nick Brush..................................................................43Tai Hing Filaments............................................................10Vonco ..............................................................................19Wolf Filaments .......................................................5, 34, 35WOMA .............................................................................17Young & Swartz ................................................................43Zahoransky.........................................................................7Zelazoski..........................................................................18


Entering its 106th year of operation, with a history of fourgenerations of family ownership at the helm, several key factorshave helped Golden Star Inc., located in the Kansas City

metropolitan area, prosper during this long time span. Near the top of thelist is a strong focus on innovation as the company continues to expandits various product lines featuring wet and dry mops, brooms, brushes,microfiber items, cloths and accessories.

Innovation and change have been welcome friends for Golden Star, acompany that started in the car polish business but found a long history ofsuccess and loyalty by producing hard-surface cleaning products.

“Given the background of our company, it’s hard to overlook whatinnovation and change has brought over the past 106 years,” Golden StarVice President of Sales & Marketing Mark Julo said. “First of all, it’spretty rare to see a company in its fourth generation of family ownership.The odds of this happening are long. In my opinion, the only way thisoccurs is through innovating, adapting, adjusting and changing.

“We, at Golden Star, have introduced many product patents over theyears that have impacted the business and industry in a positive way. Ourhistory of innovation and meeting customer needs has greatly helpedGolden Star reach the 100-plus year mark.”

At first glance, an outsider to the cleaning industry may fail to see theimportance of innovation when it comes to producing such items as mops,brooms and brushes. However, those responsible for keeping a buildingclean and healthy know better.“Our philosophy has always been to help people keep their buildings

clean and safe, while also focusing on costs. Golden Star representativeswork to provide quality products and innovation to the industry, and to dothis in such a way where we are partnering with companies to help themmake a profit. This is our goal,” Julo said. “Customer service is high onthe priority list at Golden Star. As long as we can keep this as our focus,we will succeed.”

It’s also vital that Golden Star representatives help customers findsolutions for hard and ever-changing cleaning industry challenges. This isespecially important when it comes to the health focus of cleaning.

“Our job is basically to have products available that work and toeducate customers about superior cleaning methods,” Julo said.

Automobile Era Ushers In A New Business

The original founders of Golden Starwould probably be hard-pressed torecognize today’s company 106

years after its beginning. This is because theoriginal idea for the business had nothing todo with hard-surface floor care. Rather, thefounders were looking to help consumers inthe early automobile era take better care oftheir new “horseless carriages.”

Golden Star was opened in 1908 by two Pittsburg, KS, businessmen,Emil Gradinger and R.W. Morris. This was the same year that HenryFord’s new company started to mass produce the Ford Model T.Gradinger and Morris noticed that many of that era’s cars wereconstructed with unfinished steel. This made them not only vulnerableto corrosion, but also perfect for the young entrepreneurs’ newautomobile “protection polish.” The Golden Star Polish ManufacturingCompany was soon launched. Its automobile protection polishesquickly led to cleaners and polishes for many hard surfaces, includingwood, metal, ceramic and glass.

During the 1930s, after it was observed that furniture polish was beingswabbed on hardwood floors as a sealer, Golden Star officials inventedthe “polish mop,” and a whole new world of textile manufacturing wasintroduced to the company. Soon, Golden Star was producing andmarketing mops pre-treated with its own polish, and it was also privatelabeling mops for many national chemical brands. Cleverly refillablemetal containers were used to store and re-treat the mops.

Golden Star’s experience with mop and textile manufacturing led to theintroduction of the first cotton “dust control” floor mats in the 1960s andto more durable, efficient, and attractive synthetic-yarn mats in the 1970s.While matting and chemicals are no longer part of Golden Star’s offering,its textile-manufacturing tradition has flourished worldwide.

“Basically, we started in the early part of the last century focusing on

Mark Julo

Continued On Page 8

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the automotive industry. The company has since been completelytransformed for the cleaning industry. This happened over a period ofyears,” Julo said. “The company went from developing applicationproducts, such as pads and hand mitts used to apply car finishes andpolishes, to hard-surface cleaning products. Despite these changes, thecompany has remained in ownership by the Gradinger family.”

Today, the company provides floor care and hard-surface cleaningsolutions from vertically integrated manufacturing facilities located in theUnited States (Atchison, KS) and China. Every aspect of mop, pad, clothand other types of production is undertaken in each of the company’splants, including fiber selection; blending and spinning; product research,design, and testing; and ultimately, sewing, finishing, and inspecting.Customers are served from these facilities on six continents in multiplemarkets.

“Most of our products today are used for hard-surface floor cleaning,but Golden Star also produces vertical cleaning products,” Julo said. “Thisincludes such items as hand and high dusters. They are used to clean suchplaces as window blinds, ceiling fans, furniture – anything above ground.

“Our hard-surface floor products include dust and wet mops, brooms,microfiber items and all the hardware that accommodates these products.”

The company has various partnerships in place for overseas production.A certain percentage of the company’s products is also made in Atchison,which Julo noted is located in the middle of the United States. Golden Starofficials rely on a skilled workforce to produce high quality products. Thecompany has approximately 300 employees worldwide.

“We manufacture textile products. Most of these items are made withsewing machines. We have a lot of people who are considered skilledlabor. They operate sewing machines and other production stations. Manyof our employees have been with the company for decades,” Julo said.

He added that this type of worker is very hard to replace. It’s notunusual for a Golden Star employee to work the majority of his/her careerat the company. Many enjoy working for a family-run operation.

“Golden Star has benefited from a very strong employee base for manyyears. It would be difficult to replace and succeed without them. It’s hardto put into words the value they bring to our company,” he said. “This istrue not only for those employees who work here now, but we also owe alarge debt to the many people who have since retired after putting decadesof dedication in our company.

“Golden Star employees have been the backbone of this company for along time. They have allowed it to succeed. We can’t say enough about allof the work they have done to get us to where we are today. Thisdedication has led Golden Star to become a fourth-generation company.”

Helping Customers Through Private Labeling

There are two basic Golden Star customer groups at work in today’scleaning industry: janitorial supply houses (jan/san distributors)and those companies involved with the textile rental industry.

“Our customers are any type of company that sells or rents janitorialsupplies. Traditional janitorial supply houses have been a longtime stapleof our company,” Julo said. “We now sell products all over the world. Thisis done through private branding. The average person wouldn’t recognizeour products in the industry as they are mostly private labeled. We put thename of our customers on these products, not the Golden Star name. Inother words, if a person was to walk through a school and see a GoldenStar mop head, that person wouldn’t see our name on that product, butrather the name of our customer.

“This is how we conduct most of our business and go to market. Wedon’t market our name, although we do have a microfiber branded namecalled ‘MIMA.’ Typically, however, we go to market by allowing ourcustomers to use their own names for private labeling. This helpscustomers further develop their companies, which in turn makes us, atGolden Star, also stronger.”

Julo reported business for Golden Star has been very good as of late.Even during the recession years of 2008 and 2009, although businessslowed, the company maintained a steady course.

“Since then, we have seen an increase in activity and continue to growat a pretty good clip every year,” Julo said.

He credits several factors for Golden Star’s recent success, one beingan influx of microfiber cleaning-related products offered by the companythat continue to be demanded by various types of customers.

“Overall, microfiber has enjoyed steady growth in the U.S. cleaningindustry after the material had been used in Europe for quite some time.The microfiber product category has also grown considerably every yearfor us,” Julo said. “I feel what really makes Golden Star a little differentis that the company has a strong background – maybe the strongest in theUnited States – of providing different types of hard-surface cleaningproducts. This includes many conventional products such as traditionalwet and dust mops along with our microfiber items.

“We have been able to take the advantages that microfiber brings to ourindustry, along with our conventional products, and break downapplication uses for the benefit of each type of product.”

Julo said it’s important for company representatives to not only marketand sell the benefits of traditional products but also the innovation thatmicrofiber brings to the table. “We help educate customers on when it’s best to use each type

of product, where they should be used and why. It’s importantcustomers understand the advantages and disadvantages of everytype of product that we provide,” Julo said. “This has helped ourmicrofiber products complement our traditional items and vice versa.”

Education is also key when it comes to helping customers defeat themany challenges found within the cleaning industry. Golden Starofficials rely on the company’s 100-plus years of experience to helpthese people.

“A lot of people need help implementing both microfiber andconventional cleaning practices into their hard-surface floor care,” Julosaid. “This is not information that many companies have becausefrankly, they don’t have the same depth and knowledge that we do. Thisis all we, at Golden Star, have done for the better part of 100 years.

“Therefore, we can provide a different angle than a lot of othercompanies. We are able to take this knowledge and use it for differentmarkets, whether it’s health care, schools, higher education, etc. It reallydoesn’t matter. We can help people understand what it takes to clean abuilding, which products work and why.”

Although Julo said the introduction of microfiber has led to majorchanges and advancements in cleaning over the past 5 to 10 years, thereare limitations that customers must recognize.

“Microfiber is a great cleaning tool, but there are some areas where aconventional product is better. I feel there has been a recent realizationby many people in the cleaning industry of these limitations,” Julo said.“For example, microfiber can be a fragile product. Laundering amicrofiber item can be a challenge to some companies. There are alsoplaces with large areas of square footage that may be better served byusing a more traditional product.

“Part of our job at Golden Star is to help people use the right type ofcleaning product for the job at hand.”

Golden Star: Continued From Page 6

Continued On Page 10

Golden Star’s U.S. factory is located in Atchison, KS.


A Hands-on Manufacturer

Knowing exaltly what’s in a mop, broom, brush or other cleaningtool is another factor that has led Golden Star to over a centuryof business. In this light, all of the fiber found in company

products is spun and blended in-house.“Doing this helps set our company apart from many other

manufacturers. We control fiber content from the ground up. At one point,we actually grew our own cotton and ginned it, which was rare,” Julosaid. “Because we, at Golden Star, spin and blend our own fiber, we cancontrol exactly what goes into an item such as a mop. There are a lot of

different mops available through Golden Star and the industry. Bycontrolling our fiber, we can make sure customers receive a qualityGolden Star product.”

When it comes to mop production, a combination of four differentfibers can be used. These fibers are cotton, rayon, acrylic and polyester.

“Because we have the ability to control the exact percentage of whatfibers are used, we can adjust the quality and cost of a mop based onapplication and purpose,” Julo said. “Therefore, if a customer wants a lessexpensive mop made of 100 percent cotton, we can take care of this order.Or, we can use higher rates of acrylic and polyester. This can satisfy acustomer who wants a blended product that will hold up a little longer andexhibit better attributes while cleaning a hard surface.”

Helping customers meet environmental demands is also part of GoldenStar’s customer service offering. For example, the company is a memberof the U.S. Green Building Council and can control the amount ofrecyclable content in many of its products.

“Our mops are made with a certain amount of post-consumer cottoncontent and post-consumer PET (plastic.) We can control exactly howmuch is used. I would say we are at the top of the industry when it comesto using post-consumer content, both cotton and PET,” Julo said.

Golden Star also uses several sources of raw materials to make sure noshortages are felt.

“We don’t put ourselves in a situation where we are going to be shorton raw material supply. As a manufacturer, it’s vital that we don’t run outof raw material,” Julo said. “There are multiple reliable sources that weuse when it comes to fiber. This helps us find a good consistency. It alsohelps that we have been in business for such a long time. Experience is areal asset.”

New Products Lead Golden Star’s Future

Constantly coming up with new ideas andproviding different products that will helppeople do a better job at cleaning – while also

remaining cost effective – remains an important GoldenStar objective as the company moves forward.

“Considering labor is the most expensive part ofcleaning any building, if we can find a product that helpsa person do the job faster and better, then that productobviously has value. We are constantly looking for suchproducts,” Julo said. “For example, Golden Starintroduced a new wet mop called ‘Nova’ at the recentISSA Annual Convention. We feel Nova meets thecriteria of ‘better and faster.’”

Featuring a blend of microfiber and traditional yarn,the Nova mop combines the deep cleaning power ofmicrofiber with the strength and longevity of atraditional blended mop, according to Golden Star. Theyarn is a 4-ply blend that is designed to glide over floors,and can be used in all general cleaning applications.

“Mops that feature 100 percent microfiber tend toshrink significantly after laundering and can becomefragile. From a longevity standpoint, end-users have tofollow washing instructions very closely or a pure

Shown above are handles used in the production of hard-surfacecleaning products at Golden Star.


Golden Star officialsrecently introduced thecompany’s Nova mop.


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microfiber mop can be ruined,” Julo said. “The Nova mop comes with moreflexible laundering instructions. The microfiber in the Nova mop adds to theproduct’s cleaning ability as an end-user maintains a building, but (the Nova)also provides the longevity of a conventional mop.

“The Nova mop is one example of Golden Star constantly looking forproducts that add value, last longer and are available at a reasonable price.”

In looking toward the future, Julo said a main objective at Golden Star willcontinue to be that of helping people keep their buildings safe and healthy byoffering a combination of quality and value.

“As long as Golden Star can continue to add value for its customers it isgoing to be just fine as a company,” Julo said. “The cleaning industry islike the health care industry – it’s not going to go away. It’s an industrythat is viable, valuable and becoming even more important. As the U.S.population continues to grow at a record pace, the need for moreinfrastructure such as schools, hospitals, homes, etc., becomes greater. Themore buildings there are, the more demand is placed on the cleaningindustry and Golden Star’s products. The way I look at it, each day ourindustry grows.”

Julo added that there is more to cleaning a building than simplying makingit shine. The health aspect involved is critical.

“This is apparent when MRSA and other outbreaks take place in hospitals,schools, etc.,” Julo said. “Keeping the spread of germs and cross-contaminationissues at bay is essential. There is more awareness about these issues than everbefore. Part of this is because the population continues to grow.

“As the population grows, the necessity for properly handling health issues isgreater. This can be done, partly, with better cleaning products and procedures.”

This is a challenge that officials at Golden Star look forward to working onas the company continues with the second century of its operation.

Contact: Golden Star Inc., 6445 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, KS 66202-3927; Phone 1-816-842-0233.

Website: www.goldenstar.com.


While the so-called U.S. Great Recession isofficially over, there lingers a sluggisheconomy in many ways. However, things arelooking up and executives from threepaintbrush manufacturers, two in the UnitedStates and one in Canada, shared with Broom,Brush & Mop Magazine recently how theirrespective companies are gearing up for betterdays ahead.

When she took the reins of TorringtonBrush Works, of Sarasota, FL, in2009, in the depths of the Great

Recession, owner Mary Fitzgerald’s goal wasto oversee and maintain slow, steady growth forher company. Thus far, this strategy has beensuccessful, she reported.

“We are doing really well,” she said. “Wehave been able to hire a few more employees thepast couple of years, which is a good thing.Many of our manufacturing customers havecome back to us, and we have picked up a lot ofnew custom brush business again.

“We are not growing in big, giant steps,rather we are taking little baby steps, which isa good sign that we are coming back from therecession. A number of industrial companiesare coming back or are opening, and they areordering large numbers of brushes again.”

Torrington’s primary customer base isindustrial and manufacturing companies thatmany times are looking for paintbrushes toperform tasks other than painting.

When it first started in the early 1900s inTorrington, CT, the company made scrubbrushes and bench dusters, which were sold bysalesmen who rode on horseback up and downthe Naugatuck River Valley.

About 24 years ago, the late Sid Fitzgerald,Mary Fitzgerald’s husband and owner of thecompany at that time, purchased amanufacturing facility in Sarasota, which is nowthe company’s main headquarters andmanufacturing facility. The original warehousestill remains in Torrington. Mary Fitzgerald tookover running the company after Sid Fitzgerald’sdeath in September 2009.

The company’s warehouses in Connecticutand Florida house more than 3 million brushesin stock for immediate shipment. TorringtonBrush ships its brushes to customers andbusinesses all over the world.

Today, the company’s product lineup includespaintbrushes; chip brushes; acid-dope and fluxbrushes; artist brushes; auto cleaning and partsbrushes; chimney brushes; foam applicators;floor brushes and brooms; glue and cementbrushes; wire scratch brushes; wire wheel andcup brushes; roller covers; roller frames; faux

finishing brushes; custom brushes; and more.One popular product line recently introduced isa selection of faux-finishing brushes constructedwith high quality natural bristle.

Torrington’s brushes are made with bothnatural and synthetic bristles and are still madeby hand. Torrington Brush also offers differenttypes of handles, as well as paint roller products,including covers, roller kits, frames, cages andaccessories.

Another of Fitzgerald’s goals, when she tookover the company during the tanked economy,was to prove U.S. manufacturers could prosperand thrive onshore. While Torrington’spaintbrushes are assembled in the United States,the company has to look overseas to sourcesome of its raw materials. In its brush makingoperation, Torrington Brush uses a significantamount of natural bristle, which it imports fromoverseas through a third-party company. Thecompany also maintains a large inventory of

synthetic bristles.Stainless steel and tin are sourced

domestically for ferrules, but Torringtonofficials must also reach out overseas for someof its wooden handles.

“Years ago, we obtained our handles in theUni t ed S ta t e s , bu t many o f t hosemanufacturers are gone,” Fitzgerald said.“Now, we are trying to reach out to the U.S.market again as some handle makers arecoming back.

“We import handles from China. I recentlyhired a new general manager, MichaelGrimaldi, who is my son. I sent him to Chinafor 12 days to learn about raw materials overthere and how they are processed.

“We must be able to price brushes so peoplewill buy them. Brushes made entirely withmaterials sourced in the United States tend tocost more. It is a challenge to get that across tosome of the industrial people. Whatever theindustry, no one really wants to spend the moneyright now as they are still trying to build backtheir companies following the recession. Thereare a few people who come to us looking foronly products ‘Made in the USA,’ which I love,because that is saying something about us in theUnited States.”

A part of Sid Fitzgerald’s legacy wasestablishing the foundational principal that all ofTorrington’s customers, whether large or small,are equally as important. The age-old adage “thecustomer is always right” is also taken veryseriously at the company.

“The customer is always right — I learnedthat years ago in retail,” Mary Fitzgerald said.“If a customer says he or she didn’t receive thecorrect brush, we ask questions. We try to findout why. If it is our mistake, we immediatelyship the right brush to the customer. Sometimes,depending on the type of brush, we tell thecustomer he or she can keep the one wemistakenly sent.

“In the case of a customer receiving adefective brush, we will, by all means, take itback and replace it with a new one.”

Fitzgerald told the story of an extreme case of

By Rick Mullen | Broom, Brush & Mop Associate Editor

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going the extra mile for a customer who felt her broom was defective. Anelderly lady, who had purchased a broom from Torrington many, manyyears ago, wrote the company saying her broom was defective. However,the company never received the letter because she put the wrong addresson the envelope. However, the lady persisted and kept writing letters toTorrington.

“I finally got one and I just felt for her,” Fitzgerald said. “She hadowned the broom for many years and the bristles were falling out. Becauseshe was elderly, I called her and told her I felt really bad. She knew westand behind our products and her broom was shedding. Since she felt likeit was defective, I sent her a new broom.

“We bend over backwards for all of our customers. At Torrington, wewill break up a package to sell a person one piece of something, if that iswhat they want. We would prefer to sell the whole package, but at thesame time, we know it is hard to find a company out there that will just sellone product out of a multi-pack. We also provide a lot of samples, becausecustomers often aren’t sure if a particular design is going to work, so wework with them.

“All of our customers are very important to us. We sell to anyone. If aperson who lives down the road calls and wants a brush, we will sell himor her a brush.”

In speaking of new developments at the company, Fitzgerald is excitedabout Torrington’s new membership in the American Brush ManufacturersAssociation (ABMA).

“We joined the ABMA this year and I’m thrilled,” she said. “We areexcited about how membership in the ABMA is going to help thecompany. As soon as we signed and paid our dues, we started gettingphone calls from other ABMA members just welcoming us, which Ithought was really an impressive gesture.”

Torrington’s new membership in the ABMA dovetailed nicely withanother positive development, that of hiring some new people during thepast year.

“Hiring a couple of younger people has been a good contribution to thecompany because they have a lot of new ideas,” Fitzgerald said. “It will begood for them to attend the annual ABMA trade show in March to learnabout all the different products out there. Joining the ABMA was a greatmove on our part to help keep us from getting stagnant.”

While Torrington has brought some younger faces on board, most of thecompany’s skilled and loyal staff has been with Torrington for up to twoor three decades.

“Most of our employees are long-standing,” Fitzgerald said. “Thegeneral manager left last year because he had some family health issues.He wasn’t sure how long he would need to take off, so he felt it was betterto just resign, I appreciated that from him. Most everybody else has beenhere up to 30 years.

“It is like you really want to do something really nice for them forcontributing 20 or 30 years of their lives. They show up everyday and theyreally like being here, which is important.”

One employee, Frank Lauf, the shipping manager at Torrington’sConnecticut facility, has been with the company for about four decades.

“Frank is 94 and has worked for Torrington Brush since he was 14 yearsold,” Fitzgerald said. “He had his hip replaced this summer, so he had totake three weeks off, but he still works a 40-hour week. He is amazing.”

Fitzgerald is looking forward to another 100 years of success atTorrington as her vision is for her sons, Michael and Joshua, who justturned 11, to someday be at the helm together.

Contact: Torrington Brush Works, Inc., 4377 Independence Court, Sarasota, FL 34234.

Phone: 800-262-7874. Email: [email protected]: www.torringtonbrushes.com.

Nour Trading House Inc., Waterloo, ON, is a supplier of paintapplicators to the Canadian paint industry with facilities inCanada, Vietnam and Egypt. In addition to the Canadian market,


Paintbrush Companies: Continued From Page 14

BBM MAGAZINE | JAN/FEB 2014 PG 17

Nour also sells to the rest of North America, Europe, theMiddle East, Australia and New Zealand. The company wasfounded in 1978.

“We were very fortunate in 2013,” said Nour VicePresident of Sales and Marketing Bob Shaw. “We had avery good year, both in the Canadian market as well as theexport market. In terms of the overall Canadian economy andthe different businesses we operate, we put in a very good

growth number for 2014 and we believe we will be able to attain this goal.“We expanded our business in Egypt last year and it has grown substantially over

the past 12 months.”Nour manufactures a full range of paintbrushes and rollers, using synthetic and

natural bristle for its prof essional bristle paintbrush products. The company sorts,cleans and mixes the bristle to create a high-quality, prof essional painting tool.Synthetic brushes are made with high-quality polyester and nylon filaments.

The company also offers extension poles, trays and tray liners, foam brushes, wirebrushes and more. In addition, Nour’s paint roller refills are hand wound to eliminategaps and overlaps.

According to the company, by fabricating in its own manufacturing plantsworldwide, Nour is able to control all aspects of production and supply products thatcontinuously meet its exacting standards. The company’s headquarters and mainproduction facilities in Waterloo occupy more than 90,000 square feet. Additionalmanufacturing facilities are in Vietnam and Egypt.

The company says it is vertically integrated in most areas of manufacturing. Nourproduces its own wooden paintbrush handles. Custom color handles for the Nour lineand private label products are manufactured at the company’s handle painting facilityin Egypt. All professional brushes are made by hand.

Nour also manufactures most of its own ferrules for paintbrush production. Thecompany says it is the only Canadian manufacturer that processes all syntheticfilaments in house to ensure the best flagging and tipping of DuPont Tynex® nylonand Orel® polyester.

“We have started making brushes with DuPont™ Chinex®, which has been wellreceived by our customer base,” Shaw said. “We have also expanded our national


brand in Canada and a little in the United Statesas well.”

Historically, Nour catered to theprofessional marketplace, but, in recent years,with the state of the economy and markettrends, the company saw the do-it-yourself(DIY) segment as an area for potentialgrowth. The company adapted and begandoing more business with box stores, buildingcenters and home improvement stores, astrategy which has been successful.

“We’ve grown the DIY business in the lumberand building materials market, as well as with thebox stores,” Shaw said. “These are businessesthat we weren’t traditionally heavily involved in,but where most of our growth has come in recentyears.

“The consolidation of paint companies hasaffected everybody in the industry as thismeans fewer customers for manufacturerssuch as Nour.”

When it comes to raw materials, Shaw said,“Availability is fine. On the cost end of it, theCanadian dollar has decreased about 10percent versus the American dollar over thepast year. Since we buy most of ourcommodities in American dollars, that willdrive up our costs.”

In this era of shrinking markets wheremoney is tight and competition is tougher thanever, offering the best in customer service canbe a game changer.

“Looking at customer service from aproduction standpoint, it involves maintainingthe quality of the products we manufactureand doing it efficiently,” Shaw said. “From thecustomer and sales end of it, it is a matter ofbeing very close to customers, understandingwhat their needs are and being able to developproducts to satisfy those needs. From thepurchasing side, we strive to know everybodyin the marketplace. The marketplace is gettingsmaller and if there are advantages to be hadout there, we have to make sure we takeadvantage of them.”

Looking ahead, Shaw sees the biggestchallenge is just the commitment it takes tomanaging the company’s businesses aroundthe globe.

“Also, in terms of day-to-day operations, itis a challenge dealing with the foreignexchange rates,” Shaw said. “Because we arenot based in the United States, the exchangerate between the Canadian and U.S. dollars isextremely important.

“As for Nour, the future looks very good.We are a lean business and the managing ofour growth has been good. That being said, itwill never be easy. If it was easy, everybodywould be doing it.”

Contact: 637 Colby Drive, Waterloo, ON N2V 1B4.

Phone: 800-886-6687. Email: [email protected]: www.nour.com.

In 1925, S. Desmond Purdy began makingpaintbrushes in a converted two-car garagein Portland, OR. Today, still located in

Portland, Purdy Corporation has evolved intoa leading manufacturer of high-quality paintingtools.

“The art of making premium painting tools isthe heart of our story,” said Purdy ProductManager Andrew Marsden. “We deliverhandmade paintbrushes, as well as other quality,durable tools to cover the painting process fromstart to finish, including surface preparationtools, roller covers and frames, and accessories.

Purdy workshard to be theone-stop-shop

for any painter’s needs.”In addition to paintbrushes, the company

offers roller covers, mini-rollers, scrapers, puttyknives, poles, wire brushes and buckets.

While Purdy assembles paint brushes byhand, there is a role for automation in thecompany’s manufacturing process.

“For Purdy, it’s a balance,” Marsden said.“Our brush makers assemble Purdy paintbrushesby hand. They have since the beginning andthat’s not going to change. With automation, wecan manufacture and offer durable, high-qualityroller covers.

“The newest addition to our product line is



Continued On Page <None>

Marathon™ roller covers. These roller covers excel in dur ability, pr o d uc -t ivity and fi n ish. Ma r athon roller covers are made with a proprietary blendof nylon and polyester exclusive to Purdy. They can be used with all latex-and oil-based paints for a painting solution that saves professional painterstime and keeps them ahead of their competition.”

When asked about trends he sees in the industry, Marsdenacknowledged the important role environmental awareness continues toplay.

“A trend we’re seeing in the paintbrush segment is a growing need forapplicators that perform well with low or no VOC (volatile organiccompounds) paints. With many homeowners looking to make healthierchoices for their indoor air quality, paint manufacturers created paints withlower or no emissions. This altered the paint formulation.”

Environmental awareness also guides Purdy’s manufacturing process.The company has a long-standing commitment to environmentallyfriendly products and practices.

“Our Portland facility operates at ‘zero waste to landfill status.’ We don’t throwanything away — we find a way to reuse or recycle every component that comesinto the facility,” Marsden said. “Our ‘Green Machine’ team helps us continue toperform at a level of sustainability of which we can all be proud.”

When it comes to Purdy’s customer sales and service efforts, usingtechnology tools to communicate and respond to customers is a keycomponent.

“Social media and consumer ratings play an important role in howpeople respond to products and brands,” Purdy Brand Manager LisaGrdina explained. “We make sure we have processes in place to interactwith Purdy customers in any form they may choose. Whether answeringquestions on our Facebook page, our website or via phone calls, our abilityto efficiently and properly address our customers’ needs is always our toppriority. To aid in this, we recently updated Purdy.com with increasedfunctionality, product information, how-to videos, product ratings andreviews, and an overall easy online shopping experience.”

Purdy employees have been making quality painting tools at the highest

level for decades. In doing so they have demonstrated not only a highdegree of skill, but also a solid commitment to customers and the overallsuccess of the company, according to Marsden. Today, the companyemploys more than 450 people.

“Many of our brush makers have two to three decades of service —some even over 30 years,” Marsden said. “We’re proud of our Purdyheritage built on the quality of our paintbrushes. Yet, we understandsuccessfully completing a painting project may require items other than abrush. Therefore, we are committed to designing and offering roller framesand covers, like our new Marathon line, worthy of carrying the Purdyname. We also want to ensure the widest possible audience is familiar with thededication, quality and craftsmanship that define the Purdy brand. Specifically, weare working on efforts to reach out and connect with the Hispanic market.”

In speaking of opportunities the company faces as it moves ahead,Marsden said the goal is “to raise the bar high through innovation,developing and testing new products that consistently yield superior results.”

He added: “Our success is tied to the success of our customers. Whetherthe market is soft due to inclement weather or new competitors, Purdystays focused on our customers and providing them with quality productsand service.

Marsden feels that with Purdy’s commitment to excellence in itsmanufacturing operation, high quality products and willingness toinnovate, the company’s future is bright.

“Because Purdy was built on such a strong foundation, we feel thefuture holds continued success for us and our customers,” he said. “We’restrengthening our position in the roller cover and mini roller markets andadding products that make sense and add value. We know what reallycounts are quality products painters can trust. We deliver that now and willcontinue to do so far into the future.”

Contact: The Sherwin-Williams Company, 101 Prospect Ave. NW, Cleveland, OH 44115.Phone: 800-547-0780. E-mail: [email protected].

Website: www.purdy.com.

Paintbrush Companies: Continued From Page 18

An essential part of good oral health care is thepractice of properly brushing teeth and gums,and doing so for the correct amount to time.

This practice is made easier with the right type of tool,i.e. a quality toothbrush. Since the 1980s, officials atRADIUS, of Kutztown, PA, have been designing and

producing toothbrushes that look different for a reason. They are producedwith ergonomics and healthier brushing in mind.

Looking to reinvent something that had not been changed much for along time, architects Kevin Foley and James O’Halloran invented adifferent kind of toothbrush over 30 years ago. It looked different comparedto the conventional small-headed, hard-bristled toothbrush of the day. Whatwas developed was the RADIUS Original Toothbrush. It featured a largehandle and came in both right- and left-handed versions. Also, the productincluded very fine filaments placed on a large, oval head.

By 1988, RADIUS also introduced another toothbrush design called theSCUBA. It looked similar to the Orignal, but featured a flexible, rubberhandle. The purpose of the non-slip, flexible rubber material was to help theuser avoid applying too much pressure on the brush head.

The Original and the SCUBA are still available today from RADIUS,along with other types of toothbrush products, including those designed forchildren. Also available are complementary items such as travel cases anddental floss. All products, with the exception of the dental floss, areproduced by RADIUS at its Kutztown facility.

Today, Kevin Foley’s daughter, Saskia Foley, is the company’s CEO.She noted that RADIUS’ oral care items, including the Original and theSCUBA toothbrush lines, are made with four main factors in mind.

“Our products are clinically accepted by the American DentalAssociation, are sustainable, and are aesthetically pleasing and ergonomic,”Saskia Foley said. “They are effective beyond just cleaning teeth. It startswith the gums.

“Our handles are wider than a conventional toothbrush as its importantto use a product that is easy to hold and provides a relaxed grip. This helpsthe user avoid unwanted pressure placed on the brush head when cleaningteeth and gums. RADIUS also provides toothbrushes that have three timesthe bristles of conventional toothbrushes.”

The nylon bristles of the company’s toothbrushes are vegetable base, anew development for RADIUS that took place approximately three yearsago.

“Our bristles are based from castor oil rather than petroleum. Again,sustainability is one of the major legs that we stand on. We areconstantly trying to use reverse-engineering in an effort to make ourproducts better. We made the switch to vegetable-based bristles asimprovements in technology became available,” Saskia Foley said.

The RADIUS facility in Kutztown, which is 85 percent solar powered,houses the company’s own injection molding and bristling machinery.Advanced automation is important, according to Saskia Foley, as this helpsRADIUS remain competitive and efficient.

“The more times a worker touches a product, the more expensive thatproduct becomes in terms of labor. We have machinery that runs 24/7. Thisequipment is running at a very low energy level with very little wasteinvolved,” she added. “We have engineered our manufacturing process tobe very streamlined.”

Product development also remains vital. One of the leaders in thecompany’s research and development department is RADIUS co-founderKevin Foley. Although he is semi-retired, Kevin Foley remains active whenit comes to developing new products.

Saskia Foley said part of her role at RADIUS is to keep an eye on markettrends and demands, looking for ways her company can meet thesedemands with new products and/or line extensions. Once an idea is formed,it’s passed to Kevin Foley who works with industrial engineers to come upwith possible new products.

“He (Kevin Foley) provides sketches and helps bring a new product tolife, along with the engineers. This involves CAD (Computer-aided Design)drawings and the making of molds,” Saskia Foley said.

One new product recently released by RADIUS is its ‘SuperSoft’ bristlereplacement toothbrush head that is part of the company’s The Source™toothbrush line.

“One of the great things about having a replacement head toothbrushproduct is that the user can insert heads with different bristle types onto thesame handle. This now includes our new SuperSoft bristle product,” SaskiaFoley said. “We feel there is a huge potential with SuperSoft. The bristlesare even softer than the standard ‘soft head’ toothbrush. They are tapered toa slimmer point at the tip.”

She added that this helps the bristles get further underneath the gum line. “It’s a whole different type of bristle,” Saskia Foley said. “We, at

RADIUS, are also working on some other new items. For example, there isa huge potential for line extensions in the children’s toothbrush market.Currently, one of our top toothbrushes is designed for children.”

The company says that due to all the work and design that goes into eachtype of RADIUS toothbrush, it’s not surprising that its products areconsidered high-end. According to Saskia Foley, a large percentage ofRADIUS’ customers have disposable incomes. These are people who arevery interested in investing in their long-term health by using qualityproducts.

“We are not looking for the standard $2 toothbrush purchaser. We are

Toothbrush CompaniesContinue To Improve Product, While EmphasizingWhat’s Good For The EnvironmentBy Harrell Kerkhoff | Broom, Brush & Mop Editor

Simply distinguishing a toothbrush with a different color handle and/or filament is often notenough to attract customers in today’s competitive retail marketplace. Many of today’stoothbrushes are designedand marketed for individual groups, such as children, senior citizensand those with disabilities. There are even toothbrushes made for the pet care industry. Broom, Brush & Mop Magazine recently talked with representatives of two toothbrushcompanies to learn more about the state of this important industry and whattrends are driving the market.



much more focused, for example, on the person who is shopping at anatural products store. These people are generally more interested ininvesting in products that come at a higher cost but last longer,” SaskiaFoley said. “Our products are also made in the USA, and they featurecompetitive advantages and attributes to take the user far beyond a standardtoothbrush.”

She noted that one of the company’s highly-designed, oversizedtoothbrushes is part of a permanent collection in the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York City.

Products produced by RADIUS are available in a variety of retail storesacross the United States, including Whole Foods Market, Saskia Foley said.They can also be purchased online.

“One of our target markets is females, as they tend to be the mainpurchasers of toothbrushes for the entire family. It’s important to offersolutions for the entire family,” she said. “Customer targets do change,however, depending on each of our products.

“It’s important that we are careful on who we target and that our branddoes not become diluted. Our products sell better if there is education

available. We want the staff working in the stores that we sell in to be ableto educate customers. It’s important that these staff members actually haveused our products. Not all stores are set up this way.”

Saskia Foley said she is optimistic that business will remain brisk in2014.

“I believe a large part of our recent success is due to line extensions andrevamping current products. This includes repackaging,” Saskia Foley said.“For example, we recently changed packaging to reduce the visual size ofour toothbrush handle and head (for certain products). “Improving what we currently have available in the marketplace,

focusing on new customer trials and seeking new accounts are allimportant. I have found over the years that if you are going to sell apremium product, it’s really important to participate in customer trialsand make sure education is available at the store level.”

This includes conducting demonstrations in stores. These demonstrationscan also involve a person handing out coupons, as well as having customersexchange one of their conventional toothbrushes for a free RADIUStoothbrush.

“We also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if someone is notsatisfied with one of our products, he/she can contact us and we willprovide a refund,” Saskia said. “The point is, most people who try ourproducts love them, and that is what we are banking on.”

She added that competing against competitor products that come withlower price points can be a challenge. However, it’s refreshing to find amarket where people are interested in higher-end items.

“The challenge is to understand how to market and educate people aboutour company. Distribution can be a challenge as well,” Saskia Foley said.“The Internet has helped by showing people who formerly used ourproducts how to find us again.”

Another important factor to the success of RADIUS is the company’steam of employees. Saskia Foley noted that her company’s entire workforcetoday is comprised of women.

“We wouldn’t be where we are today without ourteam. This includes those in assembly, support andmanagement,” Saskia Foley said.

Contact: RADIUS, 207 Railroad St., Kutztown, PA 19530. Phone: 610-683-9400.Website: www.radiustoothbrush.com.

Ergonomics and sustainability are two mainselling points for Preserve, a producer of 100percent recycled household products designed

for everyday use. This includes the Preserve®toothbrush, which continues to grow in popularityamong those customer groups interested in not onlyusing a quality product, but one with a true “green”focus.

The Preserve Toothbrush comes in a choice of threebristle strengths— medium, softand ultra soft.The PreserveTo o thbrush for children, meanwhile, is a soft bristledesigned for ages 2 to 8.

Besides Preserve’s personal care offerings includingtoothbrushes, razors, tongue cleaners and flavoredtoothpicks, Preserve also produces and sells everydayhousehold essentials of food storage, tableware, andkitchen products.

All Preserve products are made from 100 percentrecycled plastic, with the exception of virgin nylontoothbrush bristles, razor blades and the company’stoothpicks.



RADIUS toothbrushesfeature a unique wide

handle design.

Toothbrush Companies: Continued From Page 22

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Preserve CEO & Founder Eric Hudson startedthe company in 1996. He set out to start his ownbusiness that developed creative ways to conserveand re-use the earth’s resources. Hudson enlisted thehelp of his father, an industrial designer of racingcars and boats, to design the first Preservetoothbrush. This was done with input from dentistsand hygienists.

Preserve toothbrushes feature curved, easy-to-grip handles made from 100 percent recycled No. 5polypropylene. The handle is designed to make iteasy for the user to reach every part of teeth andgums, including those areas where plaque can behard to remove. Virgin nylon bristles are placed in atri-level configuration on the brush head to helpmessage gums. Softer outer rows help protect gumsand tooth enamel.

The company offers its toothbrush in two types ofpractical packaging. The travel case features areusable case with ventilation holes and a cap to keepa toothbrush clean and dry during storage. The mail-back pack provides a mail-back system for customersto send their used toothbrushes back to Preserve inthe package to be recycled. Preserve’s mailer can bedownloaded from the company’s website.

“From the beginning, our company sought tocreate a really different type of toothbrush. Thisincludes making sure the product can have a secondlife. Because a toothbrush is generally made frommulti-materials, a consumer can’t just put it into anyrecycling bin. Therefore, Preserve has beencommitted to creating a take-back policy for itstoothbrushes and designing them for recyclability,” Preserve Sales &Marketing Associate Laurie Burgess said. “For years, we have offeredpostage-paid mailers where ‘Preservers’ can place their used Preservetoothbrushes to send back at our expense. Our company will make surethese products are then recycled.

“This type of packaging has been revolutionary within our productcategory. It’s very lightweight and designed to not only contain the toothbrush,but also serve as the mailer,” Burgess explained.

“When the company started, more people were recognizing the importanceof recycling products found in their homes,” Burgess said. “(Preserve)’s CEOand founder was very interested in helping people understand that everydayrecyclables could be turned into useful, high-quality, beautifully designedproducts.

“Today, customers see Preserve as a go-to solution for recycling materialsmade from No. 5 plastic, which is commonly found in yogurt cups, takeoutcontainers, medicine bottles, etc.,” she said. Together with the support of partner brands including Stonyfield,

Burt’s Bees & Brita, Preserve runs a “Gimme 5” recycling program,which collects used items made of No. 5 plastic. Preserve Gimme 5 binsare located at various retail outlets throughout the country. People canalso mail these items to Preserve via an address listed on the company’swebsite.

In keeping with the company’s goal of limiting its environmental footprint,nearly all of Preserve’s products are made in the United States, which meansshorter shipping distances using less fuel. In addition to being offered atleading retailers, Preserve’s products are available online. The company’stoothbrush even offers a subscription service.

In looking ahead toward the remainder of 2014, Preserve remains optimisticabout the company’s future of transforming recycled yogurt cups intotoothbrushes.

Contact: Preserve, 657 Main St., Waltham, MA 02451. Phone: 888-354-7296. Web Site: www.preserveproducts.com.

Preserve’s toothbrushhandles are made from recycled yogurt cups.

Toothbrush Companies: Continued From Page 24

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The 97th Annual American Brush Manufacturers Association (ABMA)Convention is scheduled for March 26-29 at the Westin Mission HillsResort & Spa in Rancho Mirage, CA.The ABMA event is billed as four days of networking, fellowship and

information sharing. The theme of this year’s convention is “CorporateBranding.” It will include the awarding of the 2014 William CordesInnovation Excellence Award, the Suppliers Display, divisionalmeetings, guest speakers, receptions and other key events. (Acomplete schedule accompanies this article.)

Convention Program HighlightsWednesday, March 26, is the first full day of activities for the 97th AnnualABMA Convention. The Convention Committee Breakfast Meeting isscheduled from 8 to 9:20 a.m., followed by the Public RelationsCommittee Meeting from 9:30 to 10:20 a.m., and then the MembershipCommittee Meeting from 10:30 to 11:50 a.m.

ABMA convention registration on Wednesday is scheduled from 11a.m. to 6 p.m. A Statistical Committee Lunch Meeting is set for noon to12:50 p.m. on Wednesday, to be followed by a Safety & StandardsCommittee Meeting from 1 to 1:50 p.m.

This year’s ABMA Divisional Meetings are also slated for Wednesday.The Paint Applicator Division Meeting will convene from 2 until 2:50p.m.; the Broom & Mop Division Meeting from 3 to 3:50 p.m.; theIndustrial Maintenance Division Meeting from 4 to 4:50 p.m.; and theSuppliers Division Meeting from 5 to 5:30 p.m.

Technical presentations will be incorporated again into this year’s firstthree divisional meetings. Marcus Roth, of UPS Logistics, will discussRecent Changes in Logistics and the Effects on Your Business during thePaint Applicator Division Meeting; while a roundtable discussion on thetopic How Has the ACA (Obamacare) Affected Your Business? is slatedduring the Broom & Mop Division Meeting. Two technical presentationswill be presented during the Industrial Maintenance Division Meeting.Matthias Peveling, of Woehler Brush Tech, will discuss Strip Brush 101;while Robert Dous, of Zahoransky AG, will give a talk on Staple Stripand The European Market. All divisional meetings are open to everyone

who attends the convention. Wednesday evening’s events include the New Members & First Time

Attendees Welcome Reception from 6 to 7 p.m., followed by theWelcoming Reception from 7 to 9 p.m. Dress is business casual for bothevents.

A day earlier, on Tuesday, March 25, the Directors Finance Meetingwill take place from 5 to 6 p.m., and will be followed by the 100thAnniversary Task Force Meeting from 7 to 9 p.m.

The main program to start Thursday, March 27, will be the OpeningBusiness Session from 8 to 8:50 a.m. The event will include a welcomegiven by ABMA President Jeff Malish, of The Malish Corporation. Priorto the Business Session, a continental breakfast will be available from 7to 8:30 a.m. Registration will open at 7:30 a.m. and remain open until 2p.m.

Following the Opening Business Session there will be an ABMA All-Attendee Educational Institute from 9 to 11 a.m. The event features guestspeaker Ira Blumenthal, who will present the first of his two part programtitled, Corporate Branding. He will return on Saturday, March 29, for thesecond half of his presentation. Blumenthal is president of Co-Opportunities, Inc., an Atlanta-based consulting company that hascounseled such clients as Coca-Cola, Nestle, Kroger, McDonald’s, Exxonand Walmart in areas related to “branding,” “strategic alliances,” “changemanagement,” “re-invention” and “business development.” He is also apublished author.

The Suppliers Display setup time is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.on Thursday, while the ABMA Golf Scramble Tournament will takeplace from 1 to 6 p.m. at the Pete Dye Course, located at the WestinMission Hills Golf Resort & Spa. The tournament cost includes greensfees, golf cart rental, range balls and prizes. Participants are asked tomake their own club rental arrangements directly by calling 760-328-3198 to be connected to the pro shop. Bookings can also be made onlineat www.playmissionhills.com/palm-springs-tee-times.html.

Thursday’s Mid-Convention Reception is slated for 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

In Rancho Mirage, CaliforniaABMA To Hold 97th Annual Convention

By Harrell Kerkhoff | Broom, Brush & Mop Editor



Lunch and dinner on Thursday are open. A full day of activities is planned for Friday, March 28, starting with a

continental breakfast from 7 to 8:30 a.m. Registration is scheduled from7:30 a.m. to noon.

One highlight will be the ABMA Suppliers Display, which will beginat 8 a.m. and run until noon. This event provides a showcase for ABMAmembers to see the latest products, ideas and components offered byexhibiting suppliers. In addition, the event is another opportunity formembers to network.

From 9 to 10:30 a.m., meanwhile, the ABMA Companion Program willtake place, featuring fashion expert William Squire. The session’s title isYour Signature Style.

A buffet lunch is slated for noon until 1 p.m. on Friday and will befollowed by a San Andreas Fault Line Jeep Tour from 2 to 5:30 p.m. Alsotaking place on Friday, from 2 to 5 p.m., is a tennis clinic and round-robintournament.

Friday evening’s featured event will be the Suppliers Reception, whichtakes place from 7 to 10 p.m. The theme is Easy Rider Biker Night. Theevent is dedicated to motorcycles, dancing and fun. Dress is businesscasual. Jackets are optional. Attendees are urged to come dressed in themegarb, including leather jackets.

The final day of the convention is Saturday, March 29, beginning witha continental breakfast from 7:30 to 9 a.m., and followed by the ClosingBusiness Session and the William Cordes Innovation Excellence Awardpresentation. This all takes place from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.

After the award presentation, Saturday’s ABMA All-AttendeeEducational Institute is scheduled from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. with thesecond part of Ira Blumenthal’s presentation on Corporate Branding.From 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, the ABMA Board of DirectorsLuncheon and Meeting is scheduled. The final event of the 2014 ABMAAnnual Convention will be the Board of Directors Dinner from 6:30 to9:30 p.m.

Also during this year’s convention, attendees who have not done so

already are urged to take part in the ABMA 100th Anniversarydocumentary project. Interview times are available on Wednesday throughFriday during the convention week. Contact ABMA for more details.

Hotel Registration, Dress And Weather InformationThe Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa is located at 71333 Dinah ShoreDrive, in Rancho Mirage, CA 92270. The phone number for reservationsis 877-253-0041. For ABMA events, comfortable and casual dress isappropriate. Daytime attire is casual and sportswear is customary (golfshirts and slacks or shorts for men; slacks, shorts or skirts/dresses forwomen). Evening activities feature “nice” informal or daytime businesscasual attire and may include sport coats for men; pantsuits, slacks,skirts/dresses for women.

Located in Southern California, Rancho Mirage has average daytimetemperatures during March in the 70s to mid-80s. Nighttime temperaturesaverage in the low- to mid-60s.

Call 720-392-2262 or visit www.abma.org for additional informationabout this year’s ABMA Annual Convention.

Innovation Award CandidatesOne of the six following candidates will be presented with the WilliamCordes Innovation Excellence Award during a ceremony scheduled for9:20 a.m. on Saturday, March 29. This will be part of the ABMA ClosingBusiness Session.

The award, which recognizes innovation of manufactured products,components or services in the broom, brush, mop and roller industry, isnamed after William Cordes, who served as the first ABMA president from1917-1928. This award serves as a reminder that new and excitingendeavors have beginnings that connect with real people. The 2014candidates are:Borghi’s e-STROKE With KERS

After three years of research and development,Borghi s.p.a. has introduced an electronic strokedrill/fill staple-set brush manufacturing machinethat is also “green,” according to the company.New technology has been used to reduce powerconsumption due to the KERS (Kinetic EnergyRecovery System) electronics package. Thissystem is able to recover energy generated bymotors and feed it back into the machine.

Production studies by the University of Bolognahave verified that on average, Borghi’s new Jupiter machine using KERSconsumes only 60 percent of the electricity that a normal, cam-drivenJupiter machine with fixed stroke would consume. This means the newtechnology can save customers up to 40 percent in electricity, according toBorghi. An added bonus is improvement for operator health in regards tonoise reduction.

Freudenberg Household Products’ O’Cedar Dual ActionAngler® Broom & Dust Pan

Freudenberg Household Products offersadvanced sweeping technology designed tocapture and completely dispose of dust, hair anddirt. A special foam blade located in the broomhead is used, along with firm angled bristles thatgrab dirt from corners. Rubber bumpers protectfurniture and cabinets, while the anti-static dustpan fully releases fine dust. Patented cleaningcones on the dust pan helps get rid of hair and dirt from the broom. Nomore hand-cleaning of the broom head is necessary, particularly with hairstuck in the bristles.

ABMA 97th Annual Convention: Continued From Page 28

Magnetools’ Organization SystemMagnetools consist of a magnetic grip that

attaches to any broom, mop or other cleaning utensiland is used with a metallic plate. The utensils can behung by placing the plate inside a storage closet, ona wall or from a ceiling. There are different platesavailable for different purposes, as well as grips thatcome in several sizes including a new universal grip.The idea behind Magnetools is to provide more hygienic and organizedstorage solutions through the use of magnets.

The Wooster Brush Company’s Jumbo-Koter® Pipe Painter

From 1 inch in diameter to 13 feet, the WoosterJumbo-Koter® Pipe Painter incorporates twosmooth-spinning rollers so the user can paint twosides of a pipe simultaneously. The product can alsobe used to paint railings, posts, I-beams and bridges. The cage frames adjustin 30-degree increments – with one or both arms moveable – to accuratelyfit different surfaces. It professionally applies all coatings.

The product is made from copolymer polypropylene and includes a thumbrest for comfort. It can be attached to a threaded or Sherlock GT® extensionpole for added reach, and works with all 4.5-inch and 6.5-inch Jumbo-Koter® minirollers.

The Wooster Brush Company’s Lock Jaw™ High Performance Tool Holder

The design of the Lock Jaw™ High PerformanceTool Holder allows it to lock in eight positions inorder to cover all planes of a surface. It securelyfastens to such tools as brushes, trim rollers, flashlights, scrapers, rollerframes, sanders and dusters to avoid loosening and downtime. Made ofengineering-grade plastics, the Lock Jaw™ works with threaded and SherlockGT® extension poles.

Zahoransky’s Tuft Control™Zahoransky’s “Tuft Con -

trol” is a mechatronical sol -ution to automatically detect defective brushes during production. Accordingto Zahoransky AG, it identifies and ejects defective brushes immediatelythrough a high-resolution sensor and control system.

Tuft Control identifies: blowholes, bubbles and shrinkage within brushblocks; relevant breakage/splitting, e.g. during drilling; missing tuftdensity/bad picking; wear and tear of driver/bad driver; and blunt drills as wellas retracted drill bits.

Tuft Control stops the machine when an increase in “bad” brushes develops.It also provides immediate fault detection, eliminates the incertitude of randomsampling, avoids waste and production losses, saves money and allows safetystandards to be followed, according to the company.

New Ownership At GeerpressGeerpres, a West Michigan company, has announced

the sale of the company to a local owner. Established in 1935, the company’s history within the

cleaning industry began at the height of the GreatDepression, when the company introduced its downpressmetal wringer.

Today, Geerpres manufactures a variety of products instainless steel, cold rolled steel, plastic and microfiberapplicators including: mop wringers, buckets,housekeeping carts, mop handles, wall washing kits, etc.The company operates from a wholly owned, 85,000-square-foot facility in Muskegon, MI.

The new owner is Scott Ribbe. Prior to purchasing thebusiness, Ribbe held senior positions at several fortune500 companies. Geerpres will continue offering its lineof products, with a focus on new product development“designed to meet customer needs and deliver value,”according to the company.

To receive an update on the complete Geerpresproduct line, contact the company at 800-253-0373 [email protected].

The 2014 International Home +Housewares Show Opens March 15The 2014 International Home + Housewares Show

opens at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 15, and closes at 3 p.m.Tuesday, March 18 in Chicago’s McCormick Place.

Spokespeople for the show say this year it will hostmore than 2,100 exhibitors from around the world,including 400 new companies exhibiting for the firsttime.

The association says highlights will include DiscoverDesign, a destination for buyers seeking unique productsfrom high-design, design-focused and innovativecompanies; the Hall of Global Innovation, featuring theshow’s special exhibits, including Pantone ColorWatch,Going Green, and the 3rd annual IHA InnovationAwards.


For more information, visit www.briarwoodproducts.com

That’s the Briarwood Microfiber Surface Cleaning Mop

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The new Microfiber Surface Cleaning Mops from Briarwood Products feature a strong molded base and two super aggressive Velcro® strips that keep the pads secure. The mops are the perfect solution for any surface cleaning application.

Durable and easy to clean, the Briarwood Microfiber Surface Cleaning Mop can slide under furniture and equipment, increasing efficiency and preventing injury. The base allows the mop to sit flat on the floor, which also helps prevent streaking. The durable head can fit any standard threaded handle. Standard sizes are 18" and 24." Smaller sizes also available.

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Check out BBM’s archives at:www.broombrushandmop.com

97th Annual ABMA Convention

Schedule Of EventsTuesday, March 25

5 to 6 p.m. Directors Finance Meeting 7 to 9 p.m.100th Anniversary Task Force Meeting

Wednesday, March 268 to 9:20 a.m.Convention Committee Breakfast Meeting 9:30 to 10:20 a.m. Public Relations Committee Meeting 10:30 to 11:50 a.m. Membership Committee Meeting 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.Registration / “Gathering Place” Noon to 12:50 p.m. Statistical Committee Lunch Meeting 1 to 1:50 p.m.Safety & Standards Committee Meeting2 to 2:50 p.m. Paint Applicator Division Meeting& Technical Presentation3 to 3:50 p.m. Broom & Mop Division Meeting & Technical Presentation4 to 4:50 p.m. Industrial Maintenance Division Meeting& Technical Presentations5 to 5:30 p.m. Suppliers Division Meeting 6 to 7 p.m.New Members & First-Time Attendees Welcome Reception Dress: Business Casual7 to 9 p.m.Welcoming Reception Dress: Business Casual

Thursday, March 277 to 8:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration / “Gathering Place” 8 to 8:50 a.m.Opening Business Session - President’s Welcome 9 to 10:45 a.m.ABMA All-Attendee Educational Institute Speaker: Ira Blumenthal“Corporate Branding - Part I”

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Suppliers Display Setup 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.Lunch on Own1 to 6 p.m.Golf Scramble Tournament6:30 to 7:30 p.m.Mid-Convention Reception7:30 p.m.Dinner on Own

Friday, March 287 to 7:45 a.m.Suppliers Display Setup 7 to 8:30 a.m.Continental Breakfast 7:30 a.m. to NoonRegistration / “Gathering Place”

8 A.M. TO NOONABMA SUPPLIERS DISPLAY9 to 10:30 a.m.Companion Program — Your Signature StyleNoon to 1 p.m.Buffet Lunch2 to 4 p.m. Tennis Clinic & Round-Robin Tournament2 to 5:30 p.m. San Andreas Fault Line Jeep Tour7 to 10 p.m.Suppliers Reception Theme: Easy Rider Biker Night Dress: Business Casual

Saturday, March 297:30 to 9 a.m. Continental Breakfast8:30 to 9:20 a.m. Closing Business Session 9:20 to 9:30 a.m. Innovation Award Presentation 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.ABMA All-Attendee Educational InstituteSpeaker: Ira Blumenthal “Corporate Branding - Part II”11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Board of Directors Luncheon & Meeting 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.Board of Directors Dinner

March 26-29, 2014 | Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa | Rancho Mirage, CA

Advertorial

U.S. government trade figures for the first 10 months of2013 indicate raw material imports were down in the twocategories outlined: broom and mop handles and metalhandles, compared to the first 10 months of 2012. For October2013, raw material imports were up in one of the categoriesoutlined: metal handles, compared to October 2012.Import totals for the first 10 months of 2013 were up in two

finished goods categories outlined: toothbrushes andpaintbrushes, compared to the same time period in 2012. InOctober 2013, two categories outlined recorded decreases:toothbrushes and hairbrushes, compared to October 2012.

Raw Material ImportsBroom And Mop Handles

The import total of broom and mop handles during October 2013 was 1.6million, down 16 percent from 1.9 million for October 2012. During the first 10months of 2013, 12.8 million broom and mop handles were imported, down 12percent from 14.5 million for the first 10 months of 2012.

During the first 10 months of 2013, the United States received 5.1 millionbroom and mop handles from Brazil, 3.3 million from Honduras, 2.2 millionfrom China and 1.8 million from Indonesia.

The average price per handle for October 2013 was 84 cents, up 47 percentfrom the average price for October 2012 of 57 cents. The average price for thefirst 10 months of 2013 was 86 cents, up 10 percent from 78 cents the first 10months of 2012.

Metal HandlesThe import total of metal handles during October 2013 was 3.2 million, up 10

percent from 2.9 million for October 2012. During the first 10 months of 2013,21 million metal handles were imported, down 11 percent from 23.5 million forthe first 10 months of 2012.

During the first 10 months of 2013, Italy sent 11.7 million metal handles tothe United States, while China shipped 4.4 million and Spain sent 4.1 million.

The average price per handle for October 2013 was 66 cents, up 20 percentfrom 55 cents for October 2012. The average price for the first 10 months of2013 was 71 cents, up 9 percent from the average price for the first 10 monthsof 2012 of 65 cents.

Finished Goods ImportsToothbrushes

The United States imported 83.6 million toothbrushes in October 2013, down1 percent from 84.4 million imported in October 2012. During the first 10months of 2013, 894.3 million toothbrushes were imported, up 1 percent from888.2 million imported during the first 10 months of 2012.

China sent 670.3 million toothbrushes to the United States during the first 10months of 2013, while Vietnam shipped 70.5 million.

The average price per toothbrush for October 2013 was 23 cents, up 1 centfrom the average price for October 2012. The average price for the first 10months of 2013 was 23 cents, up 15 percent from 20 cents for the first 10 monthsof 2012.

HairbrushesOctober 2013 imports of hairbrushes totaled 4.1 million, down 42 percent

from the October 2012 total of 7.1 million hairbrushes. During the first 10months of 2013, 38.8 million hairbrushes were imported, down 19 percentfrom 48 million for the first 10 months of 2012.

China shipped 38.2 million hairbrushes to the United States during the first10 months of 2013.

The average price per hairbrush was 29 cents during October 2013, up 1cent from the average price for October 2012. For the first 10 months of 2013,the average price per hairbrush was 27 cents, the same as the average pricefor the first 10 months of 2012.

PaintbrushesU.S. companies imported 16.9 million paintbrushes during October 2013,

up 8 percent from 15.6 million paintbrushes imported during October 2012.Paintbrush imports for the first 10 months of 2013 were 205.1 million, up 3percent from 198.4 million recorded for the first 10 months of 2012.

China shipped 144.9 million paintbrushes to the United States during thefirst 10 months of 2013, while Costa Rica exported 34.8 million andIndonesia sent 21 million.

The average price per paintbrush for October 2013 was 26 cents, down 19percent from the average price for October 2012 of 32 cents. The averageprice for the first 10 months of 2013 was 26 cents, down 19 percent from 32cents for the first 10 months of 2012.

ExportsExport totals for the first 10 months of 2013 were down intwo categories outlined: shaving brushes and paintbrushescompared to the first 10 months of 2012. In October 2013,two categories outlined reported decreases: toothbrushesand shaving brushes, compared to October 2012.

ToothbrushesDuring October 2013, the United States exported 12.7 million

toothbrushes, down 22 percent from the total recorded in October 2012 of16.2 million. During the first 10 months of 2013, 152.8 million toothbrusheswere exported, up 23 percent from 124.1 million exported during the first 10months of 2012.

TheUnited States exported 60.3 million toothbrushes to Canada during thefirst 10 months of 2013, while sending 24.2 million toothbrushes to Mexicoand 21 million to Germany.

Theaverage price per toothbrush for October 2013 was 46 cents, up 12percent from the average price for October 2012 of 41 cents. The averageprice per toothbrush for the first 10 months of 2013 was 44 cents, down 8percent from 48 cents for the first 10 months of 2012.

Shaving BrushesThe United States exported 1.4 million shaving brushes during October

2013, down 22 percent from 1.8 million shaving brushes exported forOctober 2012. During the first 10 months of 2013, 13.6 million shavingbrushes were exported, down 33 percent from 20.3 million during the first 10months of 2012.

Canada imported 4.8 million shaving brushes from the United Statesduring the first 10 months of 2013, while Brazil received 4.2 million.

The average price per shaving brush for October 2013 was $1.23, up 84percent from the average price for October 2012 of 67 cents. The averageprice for the first 10 months of 2013 was 95 cents, up 48 percent from 64cents recorded for the first 10 months of 2012.

PaintbrushesThe export total of paintbrushes during October 2013 was 118,121, up 14

percent from 103,787 for October 2012. During the first 10 months of 2013,1.1 million paintbrushes were exported, down 27 percent from 1.5 millionduring the first 10 months of 2012.

Canada imported 473,011 paintbrushes from the United States during thefirst 10 months of 2013.

The average price per paintbrush for October 2013 was $17.59, up 8percent from $16.28 for October 2012. The average price for the first 10months of 2013 was $17.65, up 32 percent from $13.34 recorded for thefirst 10 months of 2012.

Imports/ExportsFirst 10 MonthsDown

By Rick Mullen | Broom, Brush & Mop Associate Editor


Royal Paint RollerRoyal Paint Roller — a name known in the industry for over35 years for top quality products, fine service and competitive prices.

Manufacturer of paint rollers in ALL SIZES—from Slim Jim to Jumbo 21⁄4”I.D. in VARIETY OF FABRICS—including lambskin, kodel, lambswool,synthetic blends & “Lint Free” woven line.

Also a complete line of frames, trays, paint brushes & painting accessories forthe professional and Do-It-Yourself markets.

Specializing in private labeling at competitive prices.

ROYAL PAINT ROLLER248 Wyandanch Avenue West Babylon, N.Y. 11704

Tel: (631) 643-8012 • Fax: (631) 253-9428


Domestic Merchandise1404902000 Broomcorn (Sorghum Vulgare Var. Technicum)Used Primarily In Brooms Or In Brushes, Whether or Not

In Hanks or BundlesOctober Year To Date

Country Net Q/Ton Value Net Q/Ton ValueColomb 18 34,000Brazil 1 3,583Paragua 2 9,000U King 1 4,844France 48 186,624TOTAL 70 238,051

9603100000 Brooms & Brushes, Consisting of Twigs or OtherVegetable Materials Bound Together, With or Without Handles

October Year To DateCountry Net Q/Dozen Value Net Q/Dozen ValueCanada 2,815 111,721 29,672 1,361,980Mexico 133 4,400 1,033 31,886Guatmal 22 4,087C Rica 1,790 51,208Panama 1,095 26,045 2,781 96,281Bermuda 344 16,288Bahamas 121 38,733 1,019 185,440Jamaica 257 7,085Cayman 88 2,892 88 2,892Haiti 290 4,516Dom Rep 77 7,148St K N 100 2,580

S Vn Gr 76 5,251Barbado 218 7,854Guadlpe 72 3,183Colomb 95 5,661Venez 530 17,470Peru 306 10,088Chile 345 16,322Brazil 168 7,837 11,527 397,216Sweden 481 21,628Norway 110 3,613Finland 121 4,000U King 209 10,162 9,179 254,319Ireland 318 10,500Nethlds 52 6,330 237 15,233Belgium 183 6,037France 106 33,638Germany 2,761 89,006Poland 84 3,460Kazakhs 49 27,924Turkmen 10 7,841Spain 166 3,283Malta 39 2,817Italy 161 5,302S Arab 640 28,021 3,163 159,668Qatar 16 9,250Arab Em 160 21,219India 40 2,614Singapr 518 20,141Phil R 10 3,552China 946 31,186 1,654 59,056Hg Kong 1,710 37,105Japan 2,585 99,004Austral 419 20,710Libya 331 6,437Guinea 35 11,567Nigeria 452 14,906 452 14,906Angola 23 8,263 23 8,263Rep Saf 185 29,710TOTAL 6,742 290,496 75,948 3,226,239

exportsOCTOBER EXPORTS BY COUNTRY


9603210000 ToothbrushesOctober Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 5,680,496 2,265,463 60,288,004 26,427,436Mexico 2,863,513 884,934 24,218,240 7,404,610Guatmal 9,344 48,147 9,344 48,147Belize 648 4,670 1,368 7,381Salvadr 1,955 20,000Hondura 5,704 41,663C Rica 42,164 57,855Panama 575,064 243,806 3,786,522 2,059,565Bermuda 864 9,100Bahamas 491 8,005 2,465 27,823Jamaica 9,968 6,548 134,364 65,018Haiti 31,368 12,305 51,335 18,272Dom Rep 79,337 42,365 457,687 254,388B Virgn 490 2,782St K N 96 3,877Antigua 14,164 16,024S Lucia 418 4,280 1,092 11,176S Vn Gr 247 2,522Grenada 210 7,728Barbado 61,708 40,265Trinid 47,010 68,676 573,126 584,429S Maarte 246 2,513 842 5,899Curaco 315,096 104,218Aruba 28,272 10,909Colomb 18,522 23,657 331,199 458,896Guyana 32,114 27,119Surinam 30,200 22,118 31,357 33,958Ecuador 55,004 36,420Peru 84,673 107,835Chile 1,600 4,816 92,257 94,429Brazil 15,131 54,717Paragua 5,112 6,543 9,700 24,546Uruguay 3,168 4,118 14,295 103,016Argent 2,999,452 985,390

Sweden 7,884 12,757Finland 15,276 19,557U King 12,072 13,991 103,265 179,235Ireland 13,353 136,618 975,649 1,426,979Nethlds 45,180 27,447 89,300 223,106Belgium 5,472 7,918France 114 4,515 8,603 23,094Germany 2,481,588 403,292 20,958,880 3,738,820Czech 231,264 111,474 5,916,835 2,920,197Switzld 5,294,280 777,490Poland 19,781 8,719Russia 500 7,153Ukraine 5,440 14,997Spain 31,685 4,276Italy 43,530 81,405Bosnia 3,688 7,754Turkey 335 9,465Iran 1,437,465 274,395Israel 283 2,894Jordan 2,274 23,267Kuwait 11,165 11,237 16,589 26,632S Arab 5,480 5,999Arab Em 10,502 11,315Oman 4,524 4,125India 5,248 53,694 7,821,303 4,952,762Thailnd 800,140 121,763Vietnam 9,770 25,305Singapr 26,690 72,959Indnsia 296,000 102,765Phil R 2,712 15,689China 57,480 573,938 2,584,432 3,269,503Kor Rep 70,389 542,248 967,582 3,326,103Hg Kong 441,461 257,194 9,585,781 3,697,467Taiwan 1,530 24,461 314,782 319,575Japan 13,628 13,533 1,443,934 933,307Austral 6,108 62,500 228,740 704,097Algeria 52,776 31,513Nigeria 1,080 2,952Rep Saf 735 4,939 51,952 140,438TOTAL 12,747,820 5,894,045 152,805,735 66,685,160

9603290000 Shaving Brushes, Hairbrushes, Nail Brushes,Eyelash Brushes & Other Toilet Brushes For Use on the Person

October Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q./No. ValueCanada 694,368 450,678 4,814,735 3,454,963Mexico 118,825 204,149 1,732,592 1,151,741Guatmal 239 3,333 4,299 33,148Salvadr 32,793 134,922Hondura 1,008 3,074Nicarag 101 5,195 101 5,195C Rica 920 3,319 4,623 12,344Panama 10,000 21,383Bahamas 16 3,652Dom Rep 5,064 12,296 7,654 21,721Trinid 8,394 18,648 41,100 304,985S Maarte 309 5,466Curaco 3,436 7,563Colomb 10,662 97,507 115,640 276,443Venez 112,000 84,000 277,150 209,450Ecuador 110,432 90,099Peru 30 6,490 180 9,603Bolivia 9,489 16,870Chile 7,524 14,806 61,553 115,350Brazil 94,554 71,615 4,175,160 1,562,127Paragua 66,412 122,151Uruguay 3,147 18,986Argent 154,134 39,451 662,818 159,188Sweden 1,576 19,725Finland 4,057 24,002U King 22,263 57,364 199,056 631,839Nethlds 63,061 265,407Belgium 1,335 12,206 11,646 110,320France 24,324 76,822 162,197 701,057Germany 38,106 125,734 130,794 497,313Switzld 660 4,458 6,197 40,490Latvia 3,576 9,838Poland 1,000 6,210

• Galvanized & tinned wire for brush - broom - mop production

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• Other Materials - Broom Twine, Broom Nails, Mop Hardware

Supplier of Raw Materials to Manufacture Brooms, Mops, and Brushes

P.O. Box 14634 • Greensboro, NC 27415

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E-mail: [email protected]

We ship by pup or truck load direct from Mexico, or LTL/ UPS from our Greensboro warehouse.

Russia 1,916 16,798 5,030 42,753Georgia 4,120 37,680Spain 40,836 97,555Italy 1,394 12,750 15,274 107,208Turkey 3,903 34,357Israel 217 3,566Jordan 5,012 44,047Kuwait 2,473 22,615 20,387 185,927S Arab 11,428 56,172Arab Em 4,470 55,325 21,787 145,172India 21,419 23,898Pakistn 16 3,440Burma 1,094 10,000Thailnd 1,564 6,770Malaysa 22,396 98,936Singapr 8,250 23,761 36,707 137,585Indnsia 1,065 15,765 2,907 32,607Phil R 7,884 13,808 155,428 101,357China 13,550 43,088 306,130 567,171Kor Rep 1,626 8,979 25,097 89,632Hg Kong 6,154 32,869 25,664 143,741Taiwan 12,298 24,458Japan 4,304 23,464 44,436 237,014Austral 12,110 110,252 84,785 639,991N Zeal 3,772 6,581Rep Saf 668 8,967 12,866 50,267TOTAL 1,359,367 1,676,512 13,602,380 12,974,510

9603300000 Artists Brushes, Writing Brushes and Similar Brushesfor the Application of Cosmetics

October Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 471,275 925,519 5,188,052 10,346,811Mexico 12,002 52,054 473,493 1,535,739Guatmal 1,663 14,798Salvadr 3,250 2,925 3,658 5,529C Rica 2,789 10,292 4,750 19,694Panama 18,084 66,720 74,358 178,688Bahamas 64 4,001 1,313 8,611Dom Rep 15,125 43,102 34,782 137,298Antigua 1,228 3,815S Lucia 3,786 9,713Barbado 9,562 10,055 13,108 23,141Trinid 2,016 5,302 11,156 24,388S Maarte 3,633 8,611Curaco 1,499 6,561Colomb 29,612 98,878Venez 6,768 11,431 28,230 95,664Ecuador 14,238 44,260Peru 19,277 47,747Chile 8,460 26,583 27,420 91,650Brazil 2,091 7,716 120,574 416,404Paragua 37,960 141,108Uruguay 9,434 34,810Argent 4,609 17,005Sweden 400 2,520 18,798 117,410Norway 5,633 27,115 42,009 184,838

Finland 11,272 41,589Denmark 1,633 6,027 2,540 14,299U King 48,335 186,838 272,413 986,577Ireland 1,074 3,963 21,726 78,491Nethlds 18,420 53,896Belgium 8,673 32,001 64,201 244,333France 48,873 176,052 89,517 307,348Germany 10,285 58,932Austria 388 2,977Slovak 1,163 4,292Hungary 808 2,980Switzld 36,880 136,078 128,972 483,427Latvia 2,253 5,328 2,425 13,285Lithuan 903 3,332 2,171 8,009Poland 2,391 20,238Russia 17,843 76,652Spain 2,887 16,188Italy 15,048 59,203 51,325 222,116Slvenia 3,384 6,772Romania 3,726 17,303Turkey 11,993 44,249 18,286 76,524Israel 19,933 62,387Kuwait 15,623 60,816S Arab 11,817 51,972Arab Em 3,946 14,560 15,793 78,381Sri Lka 124 3,160Thailnd 34,590 129,969 103,197 448,884Malaysa 19,569 72,200Singapr 21,114 64,660Indnsia 516 17,735 1,373 20,896Phil R 747 3,352China 8,499 31,360 258,237 956,233Kor Rep 2,232 15,671 18,719 98,197Hg Kong 22,266 386,582 76,872 618,962Taiwan 1,700 4,228 62,276 130,968Japan 82 2,520 29,779 114,452Austral 16,269 51,906 217,899 1,099,969New Gui 2,448 6,016N Zeal 4,646 22,611Fiji 1,968 6,153Libya 5,421 20,000Egypt 2,333 8,608Eq Guin 734 2,707 734 2,707Nigeria 150 8,677Rep Saf 72,599 116,448 95,881 152,613TOTAL 896,617 2,622,092 7,881,436 20,462,273

9603402000 Paint RollersOctober Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 81,541 182,240 636,879 1,541,696Mexico 4,836 11,757 115,636 341,989Guatmal 225 3,942 3,525 13,594Belize 3,533 5,409 3,533 5,409Salvadr 449 8,340 968 17,446Hondura 4,788 6,379C Rica 2,197 53,142 3,368 73,686

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Panama 4,256 9,909 12,118 37,337Bermuda 17,234 27,396Bahamas 2,700 24,195Jamaica 10,965 15,510 18,657 25,586Dom Rep 60,340 150,723B Virgn 242 4,050St K N 2,287 10,089S Vn Gr 3,584 6,497Barbado 1,552 7,159Trinid 10,454 11,762 36,060 66,877S Maarte 430 5,242Curaco 317 5,559Aruba 200 2,712Colomb 8,197 16,805Venez 1,822 31,973Guyana 2,976 7,646Peru 14,829 12,540 41,494 34,870Chile 540 3,369Sweden 1,728 2,943U King 400 3,360 4,254 33,163Ireland 155 2,723Nethlds 2,384 18,844 23,608 132,695Belgium 3,360 2,512 3,540 5,666France 818 14,355Germany 10,266 18,177 56,655 124,744Switzld 13 2,600Poland 88 4,266Russia 17,376 32,353Turkey 663 11,641Israel 1,868 34,993S Arab 57,207 59,028Arab Em 22,154 20,464Afghan 171 3,000India 9,090 80,879Thailnd 50 5,750 3,390 28,277Malaysa 371 10,198 2,938 29,654Singapr 2,510 6,048Phil R 960 4,336China 4,069 49,900Mongola 1,117 2,888Kor Rep 65 4,700 27,900 201,906Hg Kong 607 38,130Taiwan 182 3,200Japan 710 12,462Austral 26,570 44,494 221,738 304,773New Gui 2,234 5,115N Zeal 2,170 9,578 37,059 95,039Fiji 24,408 27,906Angola 1,000 3,000 1,720 5,827Rep Saf 4,108 43,597TOTAL 179,921 435,164 1,514,485 3,892,855

9603404020 Paint PadsOctober Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 3,300 8,433 85,535 274,029Nicarag 3,240 23,000 3,240 23,000C Rica 650 11,961Panama 528 3,750Haiti 100 3,200Dom Rep 423 9,632Trinid 5,556 6,568Colomb 48 2,640Chile 254 14,796 454 17,386Brazil 1,440 78,847Argent 1,080 4,862Finland 6,000 11,660 17,772 36,453Denmark 458 3,091U King 265 9,419 6,348 50,301Ireland 431 3,060Russia 665 7,749Romania 26 4,233Turkey 10,383 19,412Israel 5,819 41,306Jordan 2,112 14,991 2,112 14,991S Arab 652 4,630India 1,277 9,065

Singapr 5,244 12,850Hg Kong 6,800 11,560Japan 786 6,306Austral 9,050 7,467 30,430 26,399N Zeal 6,542 7,641TOTAL 24,221 89,766 194,799 694,922

9603404050 Paint, Distemper, Varnish or Similar Brushes(Except Brushes of 9603.30)

October Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 47,413 672,775 473,011 7,202,200Mexico 1,338 21,787 11,606 194,621Belize 868 18,001Salvadr 884 18,648Hondura 3,873 68,839Nicarag 971 15,914C Rica 249 5,164 2,844 93,196Panama 128 3,186 13,929 218,536Bermuda 1,306 27,067Bahamas 340 8,570 5,807 93,951Jamaica 1,742 41,064Cayman 2,848 44,011Haiti 201 4,160Dom Rep 40 4,442 3,977 98,265B Virgn 1,124 41,282St K N 1,519 31,159 1,673 34,348Antigua 304 6,302Monsrat 140 7,528S Lucia 125 2,599 336 6,969S Vn Gr 357 7,396Grenada 100 3,123Barbado 852 17,678Trinid 1,701 35,282 7,109 148,006S Maarte 517 16,557Colomb 899 18,644 4,778 91,148Venez 2,116 17,959Guyana 2,146 59,118Ecuador 6,787 61,366 25,179 224,887Peru 276 5,720 1,275 26,457Chile 64 3,894 506 13,071Brazil 664 22,121Uruguay 1,899 17,413Argent 4,673 96,936Finland 340 4,275 1,158 18,632Denmark 468 9,716U King 12,069 292,187 77,634 1,539,107Ireland 6,435 44,931Nethlds 19,081 440,294 143,252 4,055,160Belgium 1,536 58,971France 2,131 41,092 4,324 62,808Germany 1,437 18,766 12,102 357,925Austria 1,380 6,563Czech 2,515 52,160 9,865 204,806Lithuan 90 4,407 2,901 57,828Poland 718 13,228 1,591 21,326Russia 185 3,830 1,691 35,067Georgia 19 2,770Italy 18,148 167,227Slvenia 518 10,743Turkey 931 19,305Israel 706 17,295 6,662 118,918S Arab 14,005 159,426Arab Em 139 2,884 1,985 35,502Bahrain 206 4,273Afghan 159 3,301India 259 7,991Thailnd 240 13,173Vietnam 2,758 30,026Malaysa 1,652 15,752Singapr 3,839 68,649 14,097 248,005Indnsia 4,982 78,444Brunei 686 7,745Phil R 15,681 168,076China 4,205 43,740 26,657 490,347Kor Rep 3,074 63,762 40,973 924,376


Hg Kong 4,205 89,472 19,484 462,343Taiwan 1,276 24,866Japan 1,200 25,306Austral 500 3,090 13,089 79,087N Zeal 1,284 26,628 31,474 149,317Samoa 542 11,245 1,217 25,240Solmn I 424 8,798Libya 120 7,020Eq Guin 102 2,808 102 2,808Niger 123 2,559Angola 133 2,750Djibuti 199 4,121Mozambq 150 10,000Rep Saf 80 3,210 728 9,283TOTAL 118,121 2,077,610 1,064,289 18,788,510

9603900000 Hand-Operated Mechanical Floor Sweepers,Not Motorized, Mops & Feather Dusters; Prepared Knots & Tufts

for Broom or Brush Making, NESOIOctober Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 222,052 2,910,451 2,134,684 25,348,371Mexico 53,974 704,823 605,434 7,818,523Guatmal 373 7,926 1,949 33,492Belize 125 4,975Salvadr 299 4,850 1,464 23,769Hondura 1,213 19,677 3,847 57,782Nicarag 3,638 28,356C Rica 4,277 88,726 31,843 465,935Panama 45 4,132 10,514 153,222Bermuda 6,230 26,678Bahamas 6,850 42,701Jamaica 399 6,617Turk Is 352 6,736Cayman 2,453 12,385Haiti 801 13,000Dom Rep 346 3,443 3,364 49,456B Virgn 17 3,828S Lucia 1,104 2,639Barbado 2,680 24,832Trinid 1,056 17,116 4,806 58,011S Maarte 985 15,970Curaco 630 10,220 1,085 22,171Aruba 3,221 40,339Colomb 3,025 24,085 17,734 220,748Venez 355 5,759 26,538 861,395Ecuador 1,632 26,474 27,088 358,541Peru 1,184 15,408 14,855 205,285Chile 4,014 74,565 46,982 454,341Brazil 4,611 21,621 80,707 933,014Paragua 451 7,323Uruguay 1,319 67,659Argent 642 2,881 16,128 140,069Iceland 2,411 39,106Sweden 1,196 19,391 5,099 90,416Norway 10,909 78,543Finland 4,537 57,890Denmark 2,268 36,780 24,711 267,098U King 9,642 92,533 89,630 1,019,975Ireland 1,744 5,443 38,191 595,613Nethlds 772 12,093 20,912 177,227Belgium 2,915 18,989 47,593 268,243Luxmbrg 180 10,491 760 39,659France 615 12,054 7,059 181,673Germany 3,010 57,742 28,130 392,113Austria 527 2,713Czech 318 5,159 8,986 145,746Slovak 200 2,969Switzld 900 6,417 11,033 138,034Estonia 8,242 135,669Latvia 208 3,372 3,298 34,136Lithuan 4,200 12,990 4,392 16,111Poland 1,405 23,730Russia 2,123 34,439 20,167 175,830Kazakhs 219 3,558 438 7,112Turkmen 287 4,654

Spain 335 5,426 6,327 102,366Portugl 485 7,859Malta 3,227 21,095Italy 3,577 35,256 20,929 265,461Greece 716 23,728Turkey 2,916 30,124Lebanon 550 10,818Iraq 640 3,834Israel 11,379 187,669Jordan 317 7,817Kuwait 42 3,024 3,850 17,911S Arab 3,848 32,047 106,732 1,173,466Qatar 691 11,200 2,618 42,455Arab Em 4,925 22,025 34,819 313,887Oman 253 4,100 497 16,984Bahrain 1,534 19,688Afghan 481 7,800 2,493 44,437India 2,959 32,839 13,190 150,703Pakistn 333 12,258 514 15,192Thailnd 4,729 92,158Vietnam 8,832 145,569Malaysa 417 6,482 9,846 144,619Singapr 3,316 24,646 27,876 297,362Indnsia 36,600 171,298Phil R 508 11,694 5,817 132,492China 6,545 108,868 39,322 544,847Mongola 216 3,497Kor Rep 3,783 61,358 35,336 466,438Hg Kong 2,102 29,419 40,793 633,964Taiwan 6,008 121,797Japan 28,897 240,986 132,605 1,336,920Austral 13,502 193,757 122,567 1,433,092New Gui 2,619 33,682N Zeal 3,472 24,588 17,836 220,606Algeria 362 5,875Libya 300 2,700Egypt 306 2,820 306 2,820Eq Guin 547 8,877Camroon 80 6,866Togo 510 4,437Nigeria 1,406 21,356Angola 1,099 20,747Congo B 160 2,593Djibuti 801 13,000Tnzania 678 11,000Rep Saf 5,309 66,496Zambia 1,150 8,915Malawi 1,650 14,454TOTAL 410,330 5,144,201 4,117,657 49,826,394

0502100000 Pigs’, Hogs’ or Boars’ Bristlesand Hair and Waste Thereof

October Year To DateCountry Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG ValueGermany 350 15,015Thailnd 162 10,482 273 16,870China 44,482 536,314 249,278 3,683,599TOTAL 44,644 546,796 249,901 3,715,484

0502900000 Badger Hair and OtherBrushmaking Hair and Waste ThereofOctober Year To Date

Country Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG ValueU King 4 11,668Thailnd 505 5,012 2,920 137,683China 9,418 208,086 35,978 843,592TOTAL 9,923 213,098 38,902 992,943


importsOCTOBER IMPORTS BY COUNTRY

0511993300 Horsehair and Horsehair Waste, Whether or NotPut Up As A Layer With or Without Supporting Material

October Year To DateCountry Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG ValuePeru 591 16,941Paragua 20,510 253,282Belgium 7,299 66,720Germany 12,457 161,568Italy 1,769 11,685China 18,715 234,240 219,582 2,608,085N Zeal 28 6,534 43 10,123TOTAL 18,743 240,774 262,251 3,128,404

1404903000 Istle Used Primarily In Brooms or In Brushes,Whether or Not In Hanks or BundlesOctober Year To Date

Country Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG ValueMexico 17,050 89,529 275,948 1,380,210TOTAL 17,050 89,529 275,948 1,380,210

4417002000 Broom and Mop Handles, 1.9 CM or More InDiameter and 97 CM or More In Length, Of Wood

October Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 480 2,225Mexico 55,690 50,086 144,926 124,970Hondura 374,396 206,877 3,326,685 1,584,546Dom Rep 9,360 12,189 9,360 12,189Colomb 5,712 2,857 142,010 66,644Brazil 682,392 748,847 5,102,986 6,022,945U King 12,800 12,807 12,800 12,807Belgium 900 9,919 900 9,919Indnsia 127,872 172,262 1,834,161 1,749,172China 363,325 161,153 2,172,076 1,426,004Taiwan 1,440 3,287 5,688 6,525TOTAL 1,633,887 1,380,284 12,752,072 11,017,946

4417004000 Paint Brush and Paint Roller Handles, Of WoodOctober Year To Date

Country Net Q/Variable Value Net Q/Variable ValueMexico 2,009U King 5,622Germany 8,795 34,171Czech 99,470Italy 611,177 5,873,008Thailnd 27,729 161,471Indnsia 141,892 1,088,239China 269,244 2,777,080Taiwan 17,232TOTAL 1,058,837 10,058,302

4417006000 Brush Backs, Of WoodOctober Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 105,593 54,806 2,540,883 1,059,483Germany 48,909 13,525Sri Lka 265,648 156,249 2,109,377 1,141,772China 83,520 27,788 89,520 32,419TOTAL 454,761 238,843 4,788,689 2,247,199

4417008010 Tool Handles of WoodOctober Year To Date

Country Net Q/Variable Value Net Q/Variable ValueCanada 8,498 83,069Mexico 47,736 672,402Salvadr 7,003Colomb 3,592 7,754Brazil 66,289 4,851,683U King 6,182Nethlds 3,757Switzld 3,073Spain 2,535 68,729Italy 106,321Sri Lka 3,475Thailnd 2,478Vietnam 49,413 439,463Indnsia 19,940 212,188China 40,555 560,774Taiwan 35,191 418,161TOTAL 273,749 7,446,512

4417008090 Tools, Tool Bodies, Broom or Brush Bodies,Shoe Lasts and Trees, of Wood

October Year To DateCountry Net Q/Variable Value Net Q/Variable ValueCanada 87,434 928,582Mexico 18,935 118,021Colomb 4,530 4,530Chile 570,520 6,230,824Brazil 3,253Sweden 2,161U King 5,395 179,295Nethlds 5,562France 2,431 75,684Germany 15,007 68,978Austria 2,357Lithuan 4,211Spain 9,034 46,028Italy 11,490 97,054Croatia 2,161Romania 7,445Turkey 2,782India 218,745 683,127Sri Lka 89,360 370,678Vietnam 27,433 202,367Singapr 10,768Indnsia 104,697China 308,393 3,669,430Hg Kong 13,455


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Taiwan 52,524 187,454Japan 567,468 3,827,505TOTAL 1,988,699 16,848,409

7326908576 Metal Handles For Brooms, Mops, Paint ApplicatorsOctober Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 12 3,407Mexico 12,042 5,091 429,338 158,290Colomb 16,140 7,537Brazil 31,284 24,455 100,284 68,055Finland 400 5,010Denmark 999 10,423 1,584 27,021Germany 1,989 6,374 4,680 24,245Spain 1,685,088 808,516 4,130,484 1,940,243Italy 920,388 565,019 11,675,293 8,425,035Israel 2,000 2,187Sri Lka 4,700 2,256 76,705 64,564China 495,559 649,058 4,436,921 4,134,135Hg Kong 17,264 19,703Taiwan 92,734 66,361TOTAL 3,152,049 2,071,192 20,983,839 14,945,793

9603100500 Wiskbrooms, of Broom Corn, LT=.96 EA. Prior to Entryor Withdrawal for Consumption of 61,655 Dozen In Calendar Year

June Year To DateMexico 8,412 7,765 56,776 52,877China 12,696 13,701TOTAL 8,412 7,765 69,472 66,578

9603104000 Other Brooms, of Broomcorn, LT=.96 EA, Prior to Entry orWithdrawal For Consumption of GT=121,478 Dozen in Calendar Year

June Year To DateMexico 13,332 8,622 123,288 70,534TOTAL 13,332 8,622 123,288 70,534

9603105000 Other Brooms, of Broomcorn, LT=.96 EA, at Entry orWithdrawal For Consumption of GT=121,478 Dozen in Calendar Year

June Year To DateMexico 2,400 2,103 12,996 11,288China 4,800 4,971TOTAL 2,400 2,103 17,796 16,259

9603106000 Other Brooms, Of Broomcorn, Valued Over .96 EachJune Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 671,020 1,609,443 6,556,556 15,547,639Hondura 2,640 5,638 51,330 107,152Italy 7,900 23,390China 12,500 27,888TOTAL 673,660 1,615,081 6,628,286 15,706,069

9603109000 Brooms & Brushes, Consisting of Twigsor Other Vegetable Materials Bound Together,

With or Without Handles, NESOIJune Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 718 12,770Mexico 5,160 4,149 81,808 191,457Colomb 1,920 2,504Sweden 200 2,181Norway 8,411 23,698U King 42 3,280 1,172 12,437Estonia 26,218 19,306 117,976 134,493Italy 24,196 29,268India 22,500 16,736Sri Lka 134,795 178,327 1,021,231 1,161,356Thailnd 10,000 11,235 48,238 87,680Vietnam 18,350 17,669 172,272 191,400Phil R 600 2,865 19,220 45,730China 5,392 17,194 173,172 268,857Japan 4,830 16,813TOTAL 200,557 254,025 1,697,864 2,197,380

9603210000 Toothbrushes, Incl. Dental-Plate BrushesOctober Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 4,163 11,602 340,856 169,004Mexico 377,424 181,405 3,216,752 1,700,788Guatmal 153,600 29,090Brazil 109,368 35,430 2,067,264 571,641Sweden 156,375 249,950Denmark 2,280 2,486U King 64,656 25,224 1,081,004 652,090Ireland 641,912 337,407 7,479,162 4,179,400Nethlds 63,706 13,193 699,654 92,468France 3,600 2,742Germany 2,581,622 1,873,389 25,421,411 16,886,031Hungary 89,710 4,772 276,712 271,502Switzld 4,461,510 2,610,102 50,453,433 28,360,391Italy 154,848 644,117India 5,429,136 682,486 44,257,208 5,601,910Thailnd 319,824 85,141 1,544,623 423,109Vietnam 8,399,341 612,541 70,518,012 3,615,423Malaysa 355,000 24,872 3,423,005 326,138Singapr 3,120 5,227Indnsia 123,360 20,778 3,254,160 166,303China 60,189,845 12,549,173 670,313,274 136,215,604Kor Rep 252,300 85,008 3,457,096 819,516Hg Kong 81,720 42,463 1,008,614 177,989Taiwan 6,654 10,290 2,559,609 907,541Japan 9,312 14,633 2,485,412 427,585N Zeal 7,000 3,857TOTAL 83,560,563 19,219,909 894,338,084 202,501,902



9603294010 Hairbrushes, Valued Not Over .40 EachOctober Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueVietnam 25,920 5,661Malaysa 30,000 2,250China 4,078,904 1,200,814 38,167,054 10,225,169Kor Rep 7,320 2,755Hg Kong 556,176 85,239Taiwan 24,048 7,375TOTAL 4,078,904 1,200,814 38,810,518 10,328,449

9603294090 Shaving Brushes, Nail Brushes,Eyelash Brushes & Other Toilet Brushes For Use On The Person,

Valued Not Over .40 EachOctober Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 176,200 24,632 2,490,050 344,473Denmark 12,000 4,208U King 25,500 5,349Germany 1,211,088 261,849 6,307,369 1,449,256Switzld 44,640 10,325Italy 54,688 19,893 149,080 49,827India 660,000 14,869China 2,612,603 485,532 29,306,096 5,010,823Kor Rep 6,903,620 236,292Hg Kong 81,552 18,552Taiwan 1,113,906 81,254Japan 627,500 151,554TOTAL 4,054,579 791,906 47,721,313 7,376,782

9603302000 Artists Brushes, Writing Brushes & Similar Brushes ForApplication Of Cosmetics, Valued Not Over .05 Each

October Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 1,370,096 22,952 12,493,943 315,448France 1,990,000 84,078 10,295,000 401,787Germany 3,523,000 95,749 39,122,000 1,379,475Italy 7,474,000 107,845 83,807,700 1,042,538India 6,090,680 184,914Thailnd 109,000 4,770Vietnam 65,000 2,340 10,375,840 125,538China 17,099,277 517,809 110,435,553 3,084,023Kor Rep 5,994,000 145,864 23,308,900 521,695Hg Kong 594,000 12,448Taiwan 120,000 4,235 5,574,031 112,292TOTAL 37,635,373 980,872 302,206,647 7,184,928

9603304000 Artists Brushes, Writing Brushes & Similar Brushes ForApplication of Cosmetics, Valued Over .05 But not Over .10 Each

October Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 5,106,454 400,701 59,217,145 4,693,167France 230,000 16,379Germany 834,800 61,323 11,850,100 924,703Italy 175,600 12,926India 752,616 57,578Thailnd 137,264 10,912China 14,506,025 1,105,763 152,370,678 11,435,741Kor Rep 350,000 29,622 3,800,810 288,748Hg Kong 1,322,000 94,515Taiwan 174,432 14,591 4,102,224 312,388TOTAL 20,971,711 1,612,000 233,958,437 17,847,057

9603306000 Artists Brushes, Writing Brushes & Similar Brushes ForApplication Of Cosmetics, Valued Over .10 Each

October Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 1,391 8,524 7,138 102,585Mexico 10,703,853 1,855,385 112,497,944 19,424,462Dom Rep 89,712 113,011 1,514,447 1,640,046B Virgn 91 2,138Barbado 2,881 12,625U King 69,469 141,033 633,589 1,522,363Ireland 10 5,295France 71,792 340,763 885,350 4,832,363Germany 726,793 291,848 6,303,136 2,923,570

Switzld 1 4,144 1,706 69,995Spain 13,873 63,719 88,344 367,561Italy 13,608 162,499 243,221 911,526Greece 1,536 2,501Israel 8,382 30,841India 704,184 247,574 5,292,844 2,591,409Sri Lka 228,240 99,245 2,029,404 997,816Thailnd 186,766 167,900 2,736,749 1,799,306Vietnam 241,376 58,097 1,860,034 528,320China 30,040,932 22,755,546 222,220,492 171,409,488Kor Rep 305,249 281,142 1,966,810 1,571,144Hg Kong 189,791 311,821 1,715,291 1,477,646Taiwan 1,114,308 242,759 6,409,791 1,803,822Japan 259,446 1,347,132 2,562,441 14,353,620Austral 310 12,060Mauritn 52,717 224,625Maurit 81,912 581,935 227,007 1,496,963TOTAL 45,042,696 29,074,077 369,261,665 230,114,090

9603402000 Paint RollersOctober Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 11,499 3,368 44,066 39,008Mexico 639,656 211,298 6,450,851 2,291,388Sweden 2,800 19,964U King 12,000 5,965Nethlds 2,223 6,782Germany 246,475 87,388 1,832,938 460,046Greece 32,360 103,771India 14,166 5,781 14,166 5,781Indnsia 216,959 39,326China 3,620,906 1,938,749 35,891,394 20,754,978Hg Kong 24,000 4,478Taiwan 2,000 8,800Japan 10,097 8,549TOTAL 4,532,702 2,246,584 44,535,854 23,748,836

9603404020 Paint Pads (Other Than Of Subheading 9603.30)October Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 4,038 11,234Mexico 36 3,445U King 99,372 66,454Pakistn 24,000 2,532 323,400 33,993China 1,629,325 391,728 22,858,949 6,259,427Taiwan 1,350 3,618TOTAL 1,653,325 394,260 23,287,145 6,378,171

9603404040 Natural Bristle Brushes, Other Than Brushes OfSubheading 9603.30

October Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 25,224 25,960 157,256 195,702Sweden 1,000 3,872U King 11,500 19,565 118,904 284,463Germany 342 5,561 121,019 116,393Italy 177,767 60,982 1,058,208 685,458Turkey 8,004 22,968 250,336 269,092India 809,772 135,831Vietnam 792,181 165,194Indnsia 6,747,844 1,136,037 50,000,014 8,448,895China 2,893,625 481,701 21,621,733 5,490,344Kor Rep 9,500 4,803Taiwan 48,384 12,483 633,334 235,586TOTAL 9,912,690 1,765,257 75,573,257 16,035,633

9603404060 Paint, Distemper, Varnish/Similr Brushes Exc Brushes ofSubheading 9603.30 NESOI

October Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 7,345 19,043 97,956 165,679Mexico 500 3,169 500 3,169Guatmal 26,800 28,275C Rica 2,531,000 48,984 34,845,333 641,093Brazil 18,678 13,463Sweden 25,000 11,271 136,011 101,393

BBM MAGAZINE | JULY/AUG 2013 PG 45

Denmark 1,100 6,848U King 26,652 103,594 281,790 252,538Ireland 5,692 5,674Nethlds 2,539 5,805Belgium 288 2,478Germany 4,492 29,007 178,221 321,700Czech 240 8,199Poland 1,500 5,143Italy 4,200 27,436Turkey 9,044 37,335 43,096 164,606India 30,367 8,446Sri Lka 74,221 102,158Thailnd 156,240 5,187Vietnam 2,228 6,920 2,728 10,587Malaysa 4,050 5,029Singapr 21,575 23,658Indnsia 693,396 112,048 20,989,944 4,028,322Phil R 172,700 11,772 2,710,500 61,578China 13,380,181 4,001,398 144,907,838 47,457,196Kor Rep 4,200 12,062Hg Kong 41,000 8,011Taiwan 30,696 14,756 423,289 225,280Japan 3,500 9,369 68,590 119,118TOTAL 16,886,734 4,408,666 205,078,486 53,820,131

9603908010 WiskbroomsOctober Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueNethlds 568 2,266Serbia 51,300 91,694China 68,436 64,241 1,004,368 987,612TOTAL 68,436 64,241 1,056,236 1,081,572

9603908020 Upright BroomsOctober Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 300 2,708Mexico 73,628 113,095 447,038 718,392Guatmal 135,825 224,537Hondura 13,400 29,181Colomb 3,840 3,932 15,972 16,365Brazil 10,908 71,776 101,765 529,445Sweden 104 3,579Germany 154 2,109Portugl 2,400 3,411Italy 75,200 110,249 671,976 902,255India 4,884 5,921 27,484 27,995Sri Lka 100,164 188,949 536,046 1,054,234Vietnam 6,050 6,336China 826,910 1,190,922 9,837,751 14,227,212Taiwan 53,904 320,066TOTAL 1,095,534 1,684,844 11,850,169 18,067,825

9603908030 Push Brooms, 41 CM or Less in WidthOctober Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 281 2,958 2,031 15,787Mexico 24,768 87,707Italy 7,704 18,422Sri Lka 43,812 169,902 560,978 1,864,254China 94,152 289,152 529,656 1,560,793Taiwan 420 3,683TOTAL 138,245 462,012 1,125,557 3,550,646

9603908040 Other Brooms, NESOIOctober Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 255,803 483,563 1,657,247 3,344,008Mexico 542,825 936,104 4,912,708 8,359,519Guatmal 14,028 24,636 70,236 73,888Salvadr 19,648 20,267 278,698 341,460Hondura 39,396 80,507Dom Rep 21,192 35,812Colomb 28,711 26,408 299,540 383,378Brazil 22,926 35,154 288,778 486,721U King 2,481 29,518

Germany 1,123 14,482Czech 51,240 42,667 342,048 431,068Estonia 320 2,934Spain 10,560 21,846 74,448 151,071Portugl 96 3,521Italy 31,680 55,769 129,286 222,174Israel 13,503 31,473India 4,500 2,654 23,964 18,050Sri Lka 86,412 117,206 690,236 1,273,438Thailnd 7,500 8,031 38,672 71,139Vietnam 42 4,674 120,755 178,340Phil R 210 4,620China 533,316 1,023,309 4,830,251 7,694,625Taiwan 19,876 60,631Egypt 7,956 3,327 7,956 3,327TOTAL 1,617,147 2,805,615 13,863,020 23,295,704

9603908050 Brooms, Brushes, Sqeegees, Etc., NESOIOctober Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 1,560,385 16,452,666Mexico 4,352,023 42,874,339Salvadr 22,027 217,579Hondura 1,296,764 13,302,464C Rica 4,970Dom Rep 3,223 352,117Colomb 103,986 807,078Brazil 5,624 532,440Argent 112,392Sweden 28,474 144,249Finland 51,819Denmark 336,405 2,894,447U King 30,919 333,133Nethlds 13,253 1,690,573Belgium 90,490 1,039,607France 52,605 183,410Germany 328,379 3,589,503Austria 76,467 470,321Czech 96,119 504,329Lichten 22,483Switzld 6,045 161,549Estonia 2,693 20,033Latvia 2,477 12,219Lithuan 235,547Poland 59,534 510,146Spain 111,861 1,177,114Portugl 6,524Italy 178,921 2,815,646Slvenia 8,492Romania 4,230 164,481Turkey 4,051 57,743Cyprus 5,178Israel 75,662 293,074Arab Em 32,063India 36,728 542,646Pakistn 514,479 4,120,578Bngldsh 16,063 83,470Sri Lka 284,824 1,897,423Thailnd 334,451 2,201,732Vietnam 47,843 624,319Malaysa 55,251 559,595Indnsia 220,137 740,898China 32,577,249 353,661,148Kor Rep 126,050 2,870,022Hg Kong 323,521 7,073,534Taiwan 1,456,561 12,981,689Japan 38,786 696,280Austral 176,770 1,002,648N Zeal 33,103 54,995Egypt 10,360 209,880Camroon 2,482Namibia 14,975TOTAL 45,094,793 480,418,042

ACS Industries, Inc./Scrubble Division provides stainless steel scrubbers, nylonscouring pads, grill cleaning products, mops, brooms, brushes, floor pads, andsteel wool and sand screen disks. Pictured is the ACS team showing many of thecompany’s new products.

Haviland Corp. officials would like to thank everyone who came by the company’sbooth. Haviland specializes in floor and window squeegees, vac and automaticsqueegees, gaskets and splash guards, handles, floor scrapers, water brooms,paving and concrete hand tools and applicators. Shown, left to right, are companyrepresentatives Patty Lind, Joyce Dudenhoeffer, Alice (Haviland) Andrews, BobWeyand, Jan Haviland and Randy Wolfe.

Magnolia Brush Manufacturers, Ltd., offers many types of brushes, brooms, mops,squeegees, buckets, handles, sponges and dust pans for the janitorial supplytrade. Pictured, left to right, are company representatives Gary Townes, Jim Jefferand Kurt Fisk.

Milwaukee Dustless Brush, Gordon Brush Wisconsin, LLC, manufactures floorbrushes, upright brooms, hand-held brushes, counter duster brushes, floorsqueegees, sponge mops, truck washing brushes, deck scrubs, hygienic andmicrofiber cleaning tools, and handles. Shown, left to right, are Jeff Feder, nationalsales manager; and Ken Rakusin, president & CEO.

Nexstep Commercial Products provides a complete line of commercial-gradesanitary maintenance products. This includes wet mops, mop sticks, mop bucketsand wringers, janitor carts, trash can dollies, waste receptacles, dust mops, floorsweeps, angle brooms, corn brooms, microfiber products and squeegees.

Zephyr Manufacturing Co., Inc., offers wet mops, dust mops, brooms, brushes,dusters, handles and more. Pictured, left to right, are company representatives BobSchneider, R.J. Lindstrom and Sean Pence.

ABCO Products Corp. is a vertically integrated manufacturer of cleaning tools andrecipient of the ISSA Best Customer Service Award - 2013. Shown, left to right, areIsacio Albir, vice president of production; Carlos Albir, operations manager; andLuis Janania, administrative & sales manager.

Briarwood Products Co. specializes in labor-saving and cost-cutting cleaningtools. Items include Shank-free correctional facility tools, Adjust-a-Turn surfacecleaning tools, wet mop holders, all-plastic floor squeegees, dry dust mop frames,sweeping equipment and fiberglass extension poles. Shown, left to right, arecompany representatives Larry Stephenson and Manfred Tomm.

Crystal Lake Manufacturing, Inc., supplies the cleaning industry with suchproducts as wet and dust mops, microfiber mops and pads, carpet bonnets, mophandles, corn and plastic brooms, push brooms, assorted brushes and brushhandles. Shown is Edward Pearson, president.

Golden Star Inc. is a full line, verticallyintegratedmanufacturer ofprofessional surfacecleaning tools,systems andaccessories. Productsinclude wet and dustmops, microfiberpads and cloths,dusters, bonnets,corn brooms, pushbrooms andhardware.

Lambskin Specialties is the manufacturer of the original Dust Wand LambswoolDusters, applicator pads, polishing bonnets and Window Pro strip washers. Thecompany’s product lineup also includes feather, synthetic and microfiber dusters;squeegees; utility handles; chamois; microfiber cloths; complete floor systems; andhigh, low, wall and ceiling dusting products. Among those people shown arecompany sales representatives.

The Malish Corp.supplies floormachine brushes, theDiamabrush™ prepand polish system,push brooms, handmaintenancebrushes, handles,plastic extrusionsand specialtybrushes.

Cequent ConsumerProducts now includesHarper Brush andLaitner Brushcompanies. Itemsinclude various typesof brooms, brushes,wet and dust mops.

Filmop USA designs, manufactures and distributes a large range of microfibermop systems; mop buckets; and maid, janitorial, health care and hospitality cartsstocked in the United States.company’s new products.

Fuller Commercial Products supplies such items as floor finish, sealers, strippersand maintainers; carpet care products; degreasers; disinfectants; odor controlproducts; aerosols; wet and dry mops; brushes, brooms and hand operated carpetsweepers; and Texas Feathers dusting products.

Padco, Inc., offers a full line of floor finish applicators, trim pads, extension polesas well as paint applicators and accessories. Padco’s floor coaters can be used toapply finish to hardwood, vinyl, concrete, tile and slate floors. Shown are companyrepresentatives Ludmilla and Ed Goldstein.

Remco Products provides color-coded cleaning tools designed specifically for thefood, pharmaceutical, safety and material handling industries. Products includebrushes, brooms and squeegees. Shown, left to right, are Summer Talley, accountmanager; Rob Middendorf, business development director; and Dustin Milstead,national accounts manager.

S.M. Arnold, Inc., offers cleaning maintenance accessories for the professional,industrial and consumer markets. Products include brushes, microfiber, broomsand dusters. Shown is company representative Kelly Friederich.

Carlisle Sanitary Maintenance Products is a manufacturer of cleaning items forsanitary maintenance, food processing and food service professionals. Productsinclude color-coded cleaning tools, wet and dry floor care items, window cleaningitems, rotary brushes and power sweepers.

Continental Commercial Products, LLC, offers a complete line of janitorial andsanitary maintenance items. This includes various types of mops, brooms andbrushes.

ETC of Henderson, Inc., provides such products as synthetic and natural fiber floorpads, mops, carpet bonnets, brooms and brushes.

Ettore Products Co. is a manufacturer of general and window cleaning tools andaccessories such as squeegees, dusters, microfiber, floor finish applicators andextension poles.

The Libman Company manufactures various types of brooms, mops, brushes,squeegees and other cleaning-related products. This includes items designed forthe janitorial, foodservice, hospitality and health care segments. Shown, left toright, are Desi Csoka, commercial sales; Jon Franklin, quality manager; and TerryWiggins, director of sales - south.

Unger Enterprises,Inc., supplies productsfor professionalwindow cleaning,restroom cleaning,floor mopping, high-access dusting, litterremoval as well asmicrofiber clothsystems.

Kristin Draper Wayne Pringle

RawMaterial Roundup

By Harrell Kerkhoff | Broom, Brush & Mop Editor

Ahealthy brush, mop and broom marketplace depends on theavailability of various types of raw materials. Representativesfrom two industry suppliers reported on different issues that are

influencing the raw materials they work with and/or supply. As a provider of paint roller fabric for the paint applicator industry,

Draper Knitting Company President & General Manager KristinDraper said the raw materials used to produce this type of fabric are ingood supply, although there are always challenges. “We use polyester, acrylic and different staple fibers

when producing paint roller fabric,” Draper said.“Polyester is readily available, although our sources dochange. It’s not like it used to be where we could signup with a supplier and that supplier would be aroundfor 50 years. There are (suppliers) that come and go. It’s importantthat we stay on top of what type of (fiber) they provide. We don’t want tosupply our customers in the paint roller market with a different fiberwithout them testing it first.”

Draper reported that the acrylic market remains a challenge. “The last acrylic manufacturer in the United States left the country a

number of years ago. Our acrylic suppliers are all now at offshorelocations. We had moved our acrylic purchasing to Spain, but now thatsource has closed. Therefore, we now get acrylic from another source.Changes like this are always a challenge,” Draper said. “Meanwhile,there doesn’t seem to be any major issue with the supply of yarn. We areable to get this on a very consistent basis.”

She added that various types of dyes and chemicals are also needed forprocessing paint roller fabric. The supply of such materials remains fairlysteady, although some pricing has started to increase.

“There are government regulations that can lead to price increaseswhen it comes to dyes and different chemicals. Everything in this area isvery regulated. Companies that supply this material have to reporteverything. Many dyes and chemicals have become obsolete or bannedover the years. They must be replaced with safer items and disposed ofproperly. This costs everyone money,” Draper said.

Besides paint rollers, Draper Knitting, which is located in Canton,MA, provides material used in such items as buffing pads, performanceclothing liners, footwear liners, gloves and air filtration.

Despite various raw material challenges that are often part of everydaybusiness, Draper said 2013 was a good year for her company, and looksforward to a prosperous remainder of 2014.

“We experienced a slight increase in business regarding the paint rollermarket in 2013, and anticipate another increase for this year,” she added.“We continue to look for more business in this marketplace. I’mcautiously optimistic.”

According to Draper, overall demand for paint rollers in the UnitedStates appears to be stable despite the ups and downs of the U.S. housingmarket.

“When the housing market is good, contractors are buying paintrollers and paint brushes to use in their new homes. When the housingmarket is down, however, there are still a lot of people refurbishing

their current homes,” she said. “I don’t think the market for paintapplicators, even those designed for professional painters, is quite asvolatile compared to other items that come with a higher price point.You can redo a room relatively cheaply with one or two gallons of paintand a paint roller.”

Reporting on the supply of pine handles from the Central Americancountry of Honduras was Wayne Pringle, of Amerwood, in Evant, TX.These handles are generally used for such items as brooms, mops,janitorial brush rods and paint rollers.

“The manufactured handle is a by-product from logs that are cut inorder to provide various types of lumber. The side cuts are usually usedto make tomato stakes and handles,” Pringle said. “The supply ofraw material right now from Honduras is excellent. Weare heading into the dry part of the year in Honduraswhich should last through May. This is a good time toget quality handles from the country. The drying time is a lotfaster now. A lot of (wood) squares will be dried in the open, which takessome relief away from the kilns. During the dry season, the (Honduran)forests are usually open, the roads are dry and the loggers can harvest thetrees.”

Pringle noted that the Honduran rainy season usually coincides withthe Caribbean hurricane season. This can stretch from June throughDecember.

“There have been some years when Honduras experiencedexceptionally wet rainy seasons, forcing the forests to be closed tologging. This was to prevent the roads in the area from receivingexcessive damage. In this case, people have had to rely on their inventoryof logs until the situation improved. Sometimes these forests have beenshut down for months at a time,” Pringle said. “We haven’t seen thissituation lately. In fact, during the past two years, the rainy season hasn’tbeen that bad.”

Another big advantage to harvesting Honduran pine during the dry partof the year is that staining becomes less of a problem, according toPringle.

“One of the biggest issues with Honduran pine is trying to eliminatethe stain. The logs don’t sit long enough during the dry time of year todevelop too much stain. They get used pretty fast,” he said.

Pringle added that raw material prices for Honduran pine have beenfairly stable as of late. Overall business, meanwhile, has been good,although extreme weather events in various parts of the United Stateshave slowed handle sales a bit.“One recent challenge involves a new surcharge in

Honduras. This concerns containers of both importedand exported goods,” Pringle said. “Part of theresponsibility for regulating Honduran ports has beengiven to a private company. With this action, thesurcharge soon followed.”

Pringle has been involved with the Honduran prine industry for 38years. He works with, Brooks Giles, who is located in San Pedro Sula,Honduras.

PG 50 BBM MAGAZINE | JULY/AUG 2013

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