broom, brush & mop march 2010

March 2010

Broom, Brush & Mop MagazineS E R V I N G T H E I N D U S T R Y S I N C E 1 9 1 2

ToothbrushCompanies Discuss

Demand, PlansWisdom Oral Care

Preserve

Ranir, LLC

Dr. Fresh, Inc.

Innovation HelpsGrow Paintbrush

Business Elder & Jenks

Torrington Brush Works

Shur-Line

T.S. Simms & Co. Ltd.

Import/ExportReview

BBM.March.x 2/22/10 8:52 AM

Broom, Brush & MopA RANKIN PUBLISHING PUBLICATION March 2010 Volume 100, Number 3

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CALENDAR

ASSOCIATIONSAMERICAN BRUSH MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION

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BROOM, BRUSH & MOP (ISSN 0890-2933) is published monthly at 204 E. Main St.,P.O. Box 130, Arcola, Illinois 61910. Telephone: (217) 268-4959. Subscriptions are $25 in theUnited States; $35 in Canada and Mexico; all others $110. The $110 foreign subscriptionsinclude first class air mail postage. Arrangements can be made for first class postage for theUnited States, Canada and Mexico. Single copies of issues are $2 for subscribers; $5 for non-subscribers, postage extra. The Suppliers Directory issue is $10 per copy.

BROOM, BRUSH & MOP is a monthly trade magazine devoted to news of broom, brushand mop manufacturers and allied industries. It was established in 1912 as the Broom &Broom Corn News. It was entered as second class mail matter Feb. 27, 1912, at the U.S. PostOffice in Arcola, Illinois, under the Act of March 3, 1879.

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FEATURES

CO-PUBLISHERS

Don Rankin [email protected]

Linda [email protected]

EDITOR

Harrell [email protected]

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Rick [email protected]

GRAPHIC/PRODUCTION

Jennie GraceDavid OpdykeRECEPTION

Sandy Pierce

STAFF

MARCH 14 - 16, 2010International Home & Housewares Show, Chicago, ILInformation: 847-292-4200

MARCH 17 - 20, 2010ABMA Annual Convention, Orlando, FLInformation: 630-631-5217

APRIL 26 - 29, 2010ISSA/INTERCLEAN®, Amsterdam, The NetherlandsInformation: 847-982-0800

MAY 4 - 6, 2010National Hardware Show, Las Vegas, NVInformation: 203-840-5622

MAY 22 - 25, 2010National Restaurant Association Annual Show, Chicago, ILInformation: 312-853-2525

NOVEMBER 9 - 12, 2010ISSA/INTERCLEAN®, Orlando, FLInformation: 800-225-4772

Innovation, Planning Drive SuccessFor Paintbrush Manufacturers____________________6

4 Toothbrush Companies Talk AboutTheir Products, Their Business & The Economy _____12

Import/Export Overview________________________16

November Imports & Exports____________________18

Broom Corn Dealer Survey _____________________28


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BROOM, BRUSH & MOP March 2010

By Rick MullenBroom, Brush & Mop

Associate Editor

In speaking with executives from fourNorth American paintbrush manufactur-ers about how their respective companies

have remained successful during the currenteconomic downturn, certain principlesbecame apparent.

These executives told Broom, Brush &Mop Magazine recently that, among otherthings, innovation, planning, communicationand an uncommon desire to work smarterthan ever before have moved their companiesthrough the recession and onto an evenbrighter future.

Elder & Jenks, of Bayonne, NJ, wasfounded in 1793 — the second year ofGeorge Washington’s second term as

president. According to Vice PresidentMichael Norton, Elder & Jenks is the oldestcontinuous paintbrush company in the UnitedStates and has always been a family run com-pany. The Norton family has owned Elder &Jenks since 1960.

As the nation’s economy struggles torebound from recession, Elder & Jenks con-tinues to emphasize innovation, honesty andhard work as the company’s foundationalunderpinnings of its more than 200 years ofsuccess.

Taking advantage of more than two cen-turies of accumulated knowledge in the paint-brush marketplace, Elder & Jenks has suc-cessfully weather many other economicstorms over the years, including the Great

Depression of the 1930s. Nonetheless, doingbusiness the past year has not been without itschallenges.

“It has been difficult to say the least,”Norton said. “We have seen customers reducetheir inventories. Therefore, anytime there isa positive move in sales, people need fulfill-ment in a hurry. As a result, we must manu-facture product in a hurry, and this creates anundulation in the supply chain. It is kind oflike a whipsaw action.”

While Elder & Jenks remains one of thefew companies manufacturing commoditybrushes onshore, the company’s focus is onprofessional, high-end brushes and rollers.Despite the recessionary times, sales in thissegment have remained strong.

“Professional brushes and rollers continueto be our core focus and it has gone verywell,” Norton said.

Norton explained that one of the reasonsthe company manufacturers its own commod-ity brushes has to do with maintaining controlon the quality of the brushes. Despite theirrelatively inexpensive price points, thesebrushes are used to perform important func-tions where a quality product is essential.

“Many of these brushes are used in areassuch as the aerospace industry, where theyoftentimes need a perishable brush that willperform from a quality standpoint for thegiven life of the brush,” Norton said.

As it became apparent that the economywas slipping toward recession, Elder & Jenksrealized the importance of communicatingwith customers and employees concerningwhat might lie ahead.

“From the onset, we were upfront about the


state of affairs with our employees,” Norton said. “It is importantto communicate with your employees. Our employees were recep-tive to adjustments that we had to make as far as the workweekand other areas where we needed to be as lean as possible.

“When you tailor your inventories to current business cyclesand there is an unusual demand for a particular product, it isimportant to communicate with a customer as to your inventoryposition and timing. It may be that the customer would accept apartial order to fulfill their immediate needs. In coping with thesetypes of marketplace issues, communication is critical.”

At Elder & Jenks, brush making is considered an art. Bristle andsynthetic filament blending is done by skilled professionals, andthe company’s professional brushes are highly regarded through-out the industry.

In addition, Elder & Jenks is a division of The MuraloCompany, Inc., a paint manufacturer founded in 1894, whichmakes the well-known product “Spackle®.” The synergy betweenMuralo and Elder & Jenks has allowed for greater insights in therelationships between both paint and paint application products.

Being involved in the paint industry, Norton has traditionallykept a close eye on legislative regulations pertaining to VOCs(volatile organic compounds), which affect the way paint behaveswhen applied. Early on, VOC requirements sometimes hinderedthe performance of paint products. However, efforts to complywith VOC standards spawned innovation, which, in some cases,resulted in the development of new and improved coatings.

Now, through innovation and a lot of hard work in the laborato-ry, Muralo has developed paint products that contain zero VOCs.While the company views its zero VOC offerings as an importantcog in protecting and sustaining the environment, Norton cautionsthat some products are not as “green” as presented.

“As far as paintbrushes and paint rollers are concerned, thegreen movement has swept up a lot of products that really are notgreen,” Norton said. “We want to see truth in marketing. We don’twant to promote a green product unless it truly is eco-friendly.Some of the so-called green products need a cradle to grave analy-sis to see whether they really have less of an impact on the envi-ronment than a standard product.”

Innovation is nothing new at Elder & Jenks. The company hasa long and successful track record in developing cutting-edgeproducts. Norton considers the ability to innovate as one of themost important aspects of the company’s success.

“For example, from a paint manufacturing standpoint, we devel-op our own resins, which are the building blocks of a paint. Formanufacturers our size, this is virtually unheard of,” Norton said.“We have been vertically integrated in this area for probably 45 to50 years. Developing our own resins gives us the advantage ofbeing able to tailor an emulsion to our specific needs.”

Another foundational aspect of Elder & Jenks success is itsemphasis on customer service, and while challenges still layahead, Norton is optimistic that the company’s tried and true coreprinciples will assure future success.

“We continue to do our best to satisfy customers in our mar-ket, and hopefully by our diligence we are going to be able tocontinue to grow in the marketplace,” Norton said. “We are afamily-run business and we have never been afraid of hard work.We are going to continue to fight the good fight to provide cus-tomer satisfaction.”

Contact: Elder & Jenks, 148 E. 5th St., Bayonne, NJ 07002.Phone: 201-437-0770; Fax: 201-437-2317.

E-mail: [email protected] site: www.elderandjenks.com.

Torrington Brush Works began doing business around1907 in a small wood frame building located inTorrington, CT. In the beginning, the company made

scrub brushes and bench dusters. These first brushes were sold bysalesmen who rode horseback up and down the Naugatuck RiverValley.

About 20 years ago, Torrington Brush Work’s owner, the lateSid Fitzgerald, who passed away Sept. 13, 2009, purchased amanufacturing facility in Sarasota, FL. Today, the company’smain headquarters and manufacturing operation are located inSarasota, while there remains a distribution center in Torrington.

Following Sid Fitzgerald’s death, his wife and the company’scurrent owner, Mary Fitzgerald, took over the reins of the busi-ness. Fitzgerald is determined to continue building upon her hus-band’s successful legacy, despite the enormous challenges pre-sented in today’s down economy.

“We are holding our own during these tough economic times,”Fitzgerald said. “Customers are buying, but just not as much. No oneis trying to carry an inventory at this point, because they just don’tknow what is going to happen. We still have our accounts and ourgoal for this year is to increase our sales and obtain new accounts.”

Today, Torrington’s product lines have grown and include prod-

March 2010 BROOM, BRUSH & MOP PAGE 7



ucts from artist brushes to wheel brushes. Warehouses inConnecticut and Florida have more than 3 million brushes in stockfor immediate shipment. Torrington Brush Works ships brushes tocustomers all over the world.

Torrington Brush Works’ primary customer base is industrial andmanufacturing companies that oftentimes require paintbrushes toperform tasks other than painting. Craftmenship and quality areemphasized at Torrington as its products are still made by hand.

“We are unique. Our brushes are not used for everyday purpos-es such as painting; they are used for other applications,”Fitzgerald said. “In addition, we manufacture custom brushes. Ifsomeone calls and wants a particular kind of brush, we alwayscome up with a way to make that brush.

“I think we are unique in that regard because we serve whoevercalls. We don’t turn a customer away unless we absolutely cannotmake what that customer is seeking. For example, we do not makecosmetic brushes or many of the types of brushes used in foodser-vice, although there are a few foodservice brushes that we canmanufacture. If it is something we can make, we will produce it.”

Fitzgerald said the company is in the process of studying someof the unique brushes it has manufactured to see if there would beenough of a market for some of them to be included in theTorrington catalog. Indeed, historically the company’s catalog hasbeen an important and extremely effective sales and marketingtool.

“We call the catalog our ‘storefront,’” Fitzgerald said.In the past, the catalog was distributed four times each year, but,

because of the economy, last year the company issued one full-sized catalog and another smaller one officials called their “slimJim” edition.

Recently, Torrington also updated its Web site to make it moreconvenient for customers to place orders online. Preliminaryresults from the upgrade have been very encouraging.

“Following the Web site upgrade, we have seen a huge increasein sales from that source,” Fitzgerald said. “The catalog and theWeb site have been successful in obtaining new business.”

In the new catalog, the company has emphasized products thatare manufactured onshore.

“In the current catalog, we have ‘made in the USA’ a little morevisible than before,” Fitzgerald said. “We try to make many of ourproducts in the United States. We take pride in the fact that an end-user is able to pick up one of our brushes and say, ‘This was madeby Torrington Brush Works in the USA.’ We think stressing ‘madein the USA’ is going to be a big promotion for us, because thereare so many products imported.”

While Torrington has taken measures to save money in today’seconomy, the company has also strived to help its customersweather the storm as well.

“Because of the down economy, we didn’t increase prices in ourcatalog after January 1, even though our costs went up a little onraw materials,” Fitzgerald said. “We are also trying to help cus-tomers with shipping costs. For example, we pay the shipping onorders of more than $99. Otherwise, we charge a flat fee for ship-ping. Also, we don’t have re-stocking fees.”



While Torrington spotlights its domestic offerings, the companydoes import some inexpensive throwaway type brushes.

“We import these types of brushes because there are many man-ufacturers and industrial people who just want them for a one-timeuse. For that purpose, we must have some imports that are notgoing to be costly,” Fitzgerald said.

As a bonus, Torrington is also able to modify many of the brush-es it imports to meet a customer’s unique needs.

“For example, if a customer is unhappy with the length, we canshorten the brushes,” Fitzgerald said. “Many times we can also putspecial markings on the handles of the brushes for a customer.”

In the manufacture of quality products and in providing stellarcustomer service, Torrington’s employees have been an invaluableasset throughout the company’s long history.

“We have very little turnover in employees,” Fitzgerald said.“Our people are very dedicated. They are here everyday and theyare marvelous.”

Fitzgerald spoke of one man, Frank Lauf, who will be 90 yearsold in April, and who has worked for the company for about 76years. Lauf works as the shipping manager at the company’sConnecticut facility.

“(Lauf) comes everyday and works 40 hours a week,”Fitzgerald said. “There’s nobody like him. Most everyone who hasbeen in the company has been here 10 years or more.”

Fitzgerald said several employees are facing retirement soonand it will be difficult to replace these good people and theirexpertise.

“It is going to be tough, but challenges are good things,”Fitzgerald said. “My husband always said, ‘Never give up — keeplooking forward and we will be fine.’ We will find people to train,but it will take time.

“Torrington Brush Works is a stable company. My husband madeit a stable company and we can take a hit here and there and still befine. You cut back on some things, and you keep what you know isgoing to work going forward. That is what we are trying to do.”

Despite pressures brought to bear by imports, the movement ofpaintbrush manufacturing offshore and consolidation, Fitzgeraldsees a future for the domestic paintbrush companies that remain.She also sees many smaller companies opting to deal in imports.

“There are not many paintbrush companies around anymore.Many companies import or they have sold out to bigger compa-nies,” Fitzgerald said. “With the importing, I think a lot of thesmaller companies are going to be successful acting as ‘the mid-dle man,’ so to speak. There will be a few manufacturers thatremain onshore.”

As far as Torrington’s future is concerned, there may be anoth-er Fitzgerald waiting in the wings to take the company’s helmwhen his time comes.

“I have a 7-year-old son and his dream has always been to takeover from his daddy,” Fitzgerald said. “When I had to come homeand tell my son my husband had passed away, the first words out ofhis mouth were, ‘What are we going to do about the Brush WorksMom?’ I’m hoping he has enough of my husband in him to carry on.

“My husband was a brilliant man. He took Torrington BrushWorks and brought it up from a small company to where it istoday. He always said it was a small company, but it grew a hugeamount after he bought the company.

“Sometimes he would say, ‘I’m going to sell the Brush Works,but he couldn’t — it was just in his blood. He truly loved the paint-

brush industry. He loved the people in it. They are really a nicegroup of people. Right up to the day he died he worked really hardat making improvements and trying to go forward with the com-pany. The success of Torrington Brush Works is due to him.”

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

Phone: 800-262-7874; Fax: 800-528-0109.E-mail: [email protected] site: www.torringtonbrushes.com.

When it comes to offering some of the most innovativeproducts in the paint applicator industry, Shur-Line —a Newell Rubbermaid Company has an impressive

and proven track record. The company’s ability to innovate has been highlighted, as it

has been a regular nominee (as well as a past winner) for theAmerican Brush Manufacturers Association’ William CordesInnovation Excellence Award. This prestigious award recognizesinnovation of manufactured products, components or services inthe broom, brush, mop and roller industries.

This year, two Shur-Line products have been nominated for theaward. The winner will be announced at the ABMA AnnualConvention in March in Orlando, FL. The company’s Shur-LineEco Applicators™ and Shur-Line Deck Pads and Paint Pads withDuPont Teflon® Coating are the two product nominees.

“We are extremely proud of the (Shur-Line Eco Applicators™line) because the products are 100 percent eco-friendly,” saidShur-Line Vice President of Sales - Tools & Hardware ChrisTesmer. “Whether it is the fabrics, the core materials, the epoxy,the ferrules, the filaments, the handles, the packaging — all theelements that make up this product are either coming from a 100percent recycled source or is a biodegradable material.

“Other products in the marketplace tout a green element, butwhen everything is said and done, we can feel comfortable thatour products meet a standard of what the name represents —which is eco-friendly.”

Tesmer stressed there is no “green” hyperbole going on with theEco Applicators.

“It is not just that we used materials that have been recycled,and yet do not paint well,” he said. “Consumer performance isalways at the heart of everything we make.”

Shur-Line’s partnership in recent years with DuPont has pavedthe way for some innovative paint applicator products, thanks tothe use of Teflon® on such items as paint trays, paint rollers and,most recently, paintbrushes.

The Shur-Line Deck Pads and Paint Pads with DuPont Teflon®Coating product line is designed to be faster than a brush andsmoother than a roller. This product line is highly effective forboth exterior and interior use.

“Shur-Line’s core heritage is the paint pad business,” Tesmersaid. “A paint pad is an exceptional tool. It is faster than a brush,more versatile and smoother than a roller. Paint pads are a littlebit more of an acquired taste, but once people try paint pads, theystick with them. We wanted to launch the next major innovationin paint pads. We have taken the Teflon technology that has beenproven in rollers and brushes and employed it into our paintpads.”

In addition, the new Deck Pads rest on an exclusive tear-resist-ant foam.



“If a person is working on a deck with a rough surface or onewith exposed screws or nails that normally would tear a foam pad,this pad is going to be able to withstand those pressures,” Tesmersaid. “In addition, these pads have a thicker resiliency so you can‘scrub’ your coating into the surface.”

Tesmer said the company’s products using Teflon have met withgreat success beginning with paint rollers in 2004, paintbrushes in2006, and now paint pads.

“First and foremost, these products perform. They live up to theirbrand promise to the end-user,” Tesmer said. “Another aspect ofTeflon that resonates so well with the consumer is its global brandname recognition akin to that of such products as Coca-Cola.”

Shur-Line focuses on offering its product lines to hardwarestores and home center businesses where paint is sold.

“In general, our niche is providing high quality applicators thatreally yield success for the user,” Tesmer said. “We put the skill inthe hand of the user. A professional product in many instances isdesigned for an exacting user who uses the product 300-plus daysa year. In contrast, the average do-it-yourselfer tackles a majorpainting project once a year to once every two or three years.

“For the DIY (do-it-yourself) end-user, we really strive todevelop innovative products that pick up paint and put on paintfaster than any applicator that is out there. Our products give theuser a greater factor of safety. In other words, if the end-user push-es harder or pushes softer on the product, he or she will still getthe same results as if a pro was doing the job.

“We offer edgers, trim tools and pads that really provide simplesolutions to hard painting projects such as edging next to a ceiling,or painting in very tight areas such as inside cabinets, or behind radi-ators and commodes. We provide those items that really make thejob much more successful and easier. I think the consumer looks forinnovation. We provide innovation and we provide it at a value.”

While Shur-Line has remained highly successful, the downeconomy has had some impact. The company has taken measuresto keep its competitive edge despite the times.

“I would say that in 2009 there were certainly significant head-winds economically,” Tesmer said. “However, the do-it-yourselfpaint marketplace showed some resiliency, more so than the residen-tial construction building trades and some of the industrial trades.

“In the professional painting arena, it was more commonplace,similar to the residential construction market and the industrialmarkets, to be down by mid-double digits. Large paint retailersstruggled with the professional side of the business much morethan the paint departments at home improvement centers or hard-ware stores. Most of our home improvement center and hardwarestore customers, in general, saw their paint departments as beingone of the positive lights within their organizations. Paint out per-formed almost every other department. Paint and sundry sales gohand-in-hand, and sundries include paint applicators.

“From a paint perspective, two of three years ago there was abig push to sell the most expensive paint. In the current environ-ment, value becomes a good proposition, hence you see the pricepoints in the $25 to $30 per gallon range winning at retail, andhome centers show significant strength with that price point.”

Before the worst of the recession hit, Shur-Line’s (NewellRubbermaid) top leadership recognized the potential for an eco-nomic downturn and acted proactively. Communication withemployees played a critical role in keeping the company prosper-ous through what proved to be some of the toughest economic

times in the country’s history.“We had a mantra that came down from our CEO that every-

body had to ‘Rise to the Challenge,’” Tesmer said. “I think every-body felt like there were a lot of challenges out there, whether itwas professionally at our work, or with our customers, or at homewith our families.

“We were challenged to focus our efforts, look beyond the eco-nomic situation and to see how we were going to perform betterfor our customers, our company and our shareholders post crisis.

“We sought to perform our jobs in ways that brought addedvalue to shareholders, the company and customers. We workedhard to bring the right innovations to the field, merchandise themthe right way in our customers’ stores, train associates, spend timein retail and help the customers gain market share.”

In addition, management was encouraged to focus on furtherdeveloping their leadership skills and to focus on employee devel-opment, as well.

“We are concerned about our people. People, at the end of theday, are our No. 1 asset. They are the reason for us to either begreat or to be average,” Tesmer said. “Our people are great atNewell Rubbermaid and at Shur-Line.”

While there has been an added emphasis on such issues asworking leaner and career development during the economicdownturn, such principles have always been a part of the dailyfabric of business at Shur-Line. Furthermore, these principles willcontinue to be emphasized as the economic condition improves.

“We had to cut out some of the things that we normally did, butthose cuts were never at the expense of our consumers or our cus-tomers,” Tesmer said. “We are very proud and privileged to havethe people who work in our plants, on our merchandising teams,on our sales teams, on our marketing teams and our finance teams.We have great leadership and great management.”

While Shur-Line managers and other personnel were workinghard to see the company successfully through the down economy,they were also helping customers do the same. Among the waysShur-Line accomplished this was by deploying people andresources to customers’ locations.

“We helped customers learn about our products, sell more prod-ucts and actually increase footsteps (people in the stores) withinour retail partners,” Tesmer said. “We have done that with bothour Shur-Line and our Newell Rubbermaid umbrella. Our strate-gy with our customers is to always teach them what our productsare used for and how our products provide a good value proposi-tion for the end-user.”

While the road hasn’t been easy the past couple of yearsbecause of the economy, Shur-Line’s proactive measures, quality,innovation and service, as well as its dedicated people have placedcompany in good stead for the future.

“I think that the painting industry is showing fantastic signs ofresiliency as the professional contractor side of the business comesback and the DIY segment continues to grow,” Tesmer said. “I seethe marketplace having quite a lot of positive yield in the future.There is a very strong opportunity for a company like Shur-Line tobreak through the clutter — break through the sea of sameness anddeliver our consumer message and our brand promise.

“Our mission is delivering innovative, satisfying results to theend-user at a strong value. Our job is to make the performance of

Continued On Page 29



By Harrell KerkhoffBroom, Brush & Mop Editor

Toothbrushes today come in a variety of shapes, sizes andcolors. It’s a product that has been around in one formor another for centuries but continues to be refined as

technology and machinery automation improves. The days of simply distinguishing a toothbrush with a differ-

ent color handle and/or filament are over. Many of today’sproducts are designed and marketed for individual groups, suchas children, senior citizens, those with disabilities, etc. Thereare now even toothbrushes made for the pet care industry. Afterbrowsing today’s various Web sites of toothbrushproducers/suppliers, one gets the feeling that there may be asmany different types of toothbrushes available as consumerswho use them.

Broom, Brush & Mop Magazine recently talked with fourtoothbrush company representatives to learn more about thestate of this important industry and what trends are driving themarket. Although these four companies are somewhat differentin their approach to business, one thing is in agreement —despite heavy competition, the need for both electric/battery-powered and manual toothbrushes continues to grow as theworld’s population increases.

With its primary focus centered on providing privatelabel toothbrushes and related oral care productsfound at major U.S. retailer establishments,

Wisdom Oral Care Ltd., of Evanston, IL, works with variousmanufacturers to make sure these retailers are satisfied with notonly product quality but high brand awareness as well.

“We provide both high-end manual and battery-powered

toothbrushes and other oral care items along with some lower-end products,” Wisdom Oral Care President Joel Waradysaid.

Helping with contract manufacturing for those customerswho are interested in having their company’s name on a specif-ic type of product remains an important area of business forWisdom Oral Care.

“We will develop the design, find the right manufacturer andmanage the whole project — packaging and everything,”Warady said.

The company works with several manufacturers located inthe Asian Pacific and India.

Warady reported in early February that U.S. business for thecompany has been good as of late.

“We can’t complain. There continues to be a tremendousamount of competition out there, but we bring a little bit of adifferent take on business for our customers as we can serve asa marketing group as well, creating entire marketing programsfor our clients and their brands. We are not just supplying prod-ucts,” Warady said. “In essence, we are solution providers.What a lot of other companies do is create a product and thengo out and sell that product. On the other hand, we will ask ourcustomers what they need — and then find a solution. Thisallows us to choose products that are available from a variety ofmanufacturers. We then aggregate those products in ourChicago warehouse.

“We actually visit the (manufacturing) factories we do busi-ness with overseas. Our company audits them and makes surethey meet all proper standards that our clients expect. We takethis headache away from our clients.”

Warady explained that today’s toothbrush production processis highly automated and can produce a variety of products in a



very timely and efficient manner. All of the manufacturers thatsupply toothbrushes for Wisdom Oral Care’s client base takefull advantage of today’s automation capabilities.

“Part of our audit process is to make sure that the end-round-ing of filaments is being done properly, that the right size of sta-ples is being used to hold in the filaments, etc.,” Warady said.

Keeping up with changes within the toothbrush marketplaceis also critical to success. Many of today’s changes are focusedon filaments/bristles.

“We are seeing more companies using feathered bristles,which allows the end-user to cover a larger surface area whilebrushing. More brushes also contain softer bristles, which areless abrasive on teeth,” he explained. “In addition to helpingteeth and gums, softer bristles provide for greater product obso-lescence, requiring people to purchase a toothbrush a little moreoften.”

Another trend Warady reported has to do with changes in fil-ament filling patterns found on the toothbrush head.

“There are a lot of unique filling patterns taking place thatwe didn’t see even as recently as five years ago. For instance,a brush head may now contain filaments that form a circularpattern in the middle of the brush head, with other filamentsset in three different heights on two outer sides of the head,”he said.

Warady added that newer toothbrush production machineryallows for these new patterns to become possible, and all with-in the normal manufacturing process.

Focusing on improved innovation in other ways is also vital.For instance, Wisdom Oral Care is currently working on a newdesign for a disposable toothbrush that will not require tooth-paste in a separate tube. This could be especially beneficial forpeople traveling. Company officials hope to have this productavailable toward the end of 2010.

Despite today’s advances in toothbrush equipment and inno-vations, the real difference maker between success and failureas it pertains to selling oral care products often comes down toa company’s customer service ability.

“It’s the difference maker. Most companies that supplytoothbrushes use the same type of machinery, and tooth-brushes all tend to look alike for most people. Therefore, partof what makes us unique is our turn-around time and othercustomer service capabilities,” Warady said. “We can oftenturn an order around within one day. We also can take care ofspecific production orders with runs as short as 50,000pieces. This is part of what we offer customers — the abilityto be quick, flexible and have the systems in place to managelogistics.”

Helping customers overcome other obstacles in businessremains important as well. According to Warady, in recent yearsmany U.S. companies and consumers looked toward Asia toreceive various types of low-cost products. Today’s higherfreight costs, however, are changing how some people view thisprocess.

“Freight charges have gone up considerably. The priceadvantage of going to Asia has been reduced. It’s not the answerfor everybody,” he said. “Customers have become accustomedto low prices, and so the challenge is to provide a high qualityproduct at a good price, while not being squeezed by freight andfuel surcharges.”

Despite these obstacles, the good news for Wisdom Oral Careand other companies involved with toothbrush production andsupply is that demand remains strong.

“The need for this product doesn’t go away. People startusing a toothbrush when they are very young and continue to doso for the rest of their lives. It’s always going to be there,” hesaid. “When battery brushes became popular years ago, therewere those who thought the manual toothbrush industry wasdead. This has not been the case.

“In reality, the toothbrush has been around in its currentform for several hundred years, and it’s here to stay. Theindustry doesn’t grow at a real fast pace, but it does grow asthe population becomes larger and as there is greater aware-ness placed on proper oral care. This includes brushing teethtwice a day as well as changing the toothbrush on a regularbasis.”

Originally part of a joint venture with Wisdom UK, a Britishtoothbrush company that can trace its roots back to the inven-tion of the modern toothbrush in 1780, Wisdom Oral Care hasbeen a wholly-owned U.S. company for the past 20 years.

“Since then, we have produced products for Walgreens, CVS,Rite Aid — many of the major retailers in the United States. Ithink in these economic times, it’s pretty amazing to have acompany that has been around for 20 years,” Warady said. “Wehave a loyal group of employees, and this is what makes ourcustomer service work so well. It’s definitely one of our com-petitive advantages.”

Contact: Wisdom Oral Care, Ltd., 1010 Davis St., Evanston, IL 60201.

Phone: 847-859-1802; Fax: 847-859-1804.E-mail: [email protected] site: www.wisdomusa.com.

Today’s focus on recycling has brought greater aware-ness to the importance of protecting the environmentand sustaining natural resources. Not all products, how-

ever, are easy to recycle. With this in mind, Preserve wasformed in 1996. The company has succeeded by offering a typeof toothbrush, as well as other products, that are not only madefrom 100 percent recycled materials but are recyclable them-selves.

The Preserve® toothbrush continues to grow in popularityamong those customer groups interested in not only using aquality product, but one with a true “green” focus. The productcomes in a choice of three bristle strengths — medium, soft andultra soft. The Preserve Jr. toothbrush, meanwhile, is designedfor children ages 2 to 8.

Preserve toothbrushes feature curved, easy-to-grip handlesmade from 100 percent recycled No. 5 (polypropylene) plastic.The handles are designed to make it easy to reach every part ofthe teeth and gums. Virgin nylon bristles are placed in a tri-levelconfiguration on the brush head. Softer outer rows help protectgums and tooth enamel.

“From the beginning, our company sought to create a reallydifferent type of toothbrush. Because a toothbrush is made frommulti-materials, a consumer can’t just put it into any recyclingbin. Therefore, Preserve has always offered a take-back policyfor its toothbrushes,” Preserve Marketing Director C.A.Webb said. “For years, we have offered postage-paid mailers



where people can place their used Preserve toothbrushes, andmany of our other products, and send them back to us at ourexpense. Our company will make sure these items are thenrecycled into such things as plastic lumber used for picnictables, decking, etc.”

Preserve’s mailer can be downloaded from the company’sWeb site. It has also recently introduced new Preserve tooth-brush packaging that actually includes the mailer.

“We feel this type of packaging is revolutionary within ourproduct category. It’s a very lightweight package designed tonot only contain the toothbrush, but also serve as a mailer,”Webb explained. “The packaging also features exciting graph-ics and is now available in stores.

“We conducted a lot of consumer research and found peoplewere excited and open to something different. Traditional blis-ter and cardboard packaging is fine, but research found peoplewere drawn to our fresh looking packaging. We have learnedthat many consumers are looking for less packaging. Theydon’t want to throw a lot of stuff away.”

Preserve relies on in-house employees to take care of suchjob functions as new product designs, marketing, sales and cus-tomer service. Meanwhile, the company outsources its tooth-brush production.

“We work with one of the leading toothbrush manufacturersin the United States. This company not only produces theseitems but also ships them to our customers,” Webb said.

Other Preserve products under the Preserve banner includerazors, a tongue cleaner, tableware and kitchen items. In keep-ing with the company’s goal of limiting its environmental foot-print, nearly all of Preserve’s products are made in the UnitedStates, which means shorter shipping distances using less fuel.

Webb reported that business for the company has been solidand that Preserve continues to grow distribution, thus reachingmore people and communities.

“We are selling the Preserve toothbrush nationally at Targetstores. We also continue to be the No. 1 selling toothbrush inthe natural channels which includes Whole Foods Market,Trader Joe’s and independent natural food stores,” Webb said.“We are also selling more product into regional grocery chains,which has been a big boost for us. Preserve’s toothbrush salesgrew last year, even as overall retail struggled.”

Preserve CEO Eric Hudson founded the company in 1996.He set out to start his own business that developed creativeways to conserve and re-use the earth’s resources. He enlistedthe help of his father, an industrial designer of racing cars andboats, to design the first Preserve toothbrush. This was donewith input from dentists and hygienists.

“When the company started, there was a realization that morepeople were recognizing the importance of recycling productsfound in their homes. They were dragging out their recyclingbins to the curb or loading up their cars and transporting mate-rial to the nearest recycling center,” Webb said. “(Preserve) wasvery interested in helping people understand that their effortsdid matter, and that everyday recyclables could be turned intouseful products.

“Our company focused on the toothbrush market partlybecause it’s an everyday item that is usually thrown away. Mostpeople are taught to discard their toothbrushes three to fivetimes a year. This represented a huge opportunity to make

something that could be produced from recycled materials,while also keeping it out of a landfill once the product’s life wasdone.”

Webb added that Preserve fields many customer service callsfrom people asking about various recycling options and pro-grams.

“Many people see us as a go-to solution for those hard-to-recycle materials made from No. 5 plastic, which is commonlyfound in yogurt cups, takeout containers, medicine bottles, etc,”she said.

To help with this demand, the company has implemented its“Gimme 5” program, which allows consumers to send useditems made of No. 5 plastic to Preserve where these items willbe used again in the making of new Preserve products. PreserveGimme 5 bins are located at various retail outlets throughoutthe country. People can also mail these items to Preserve via anaddress listed on the company’s Web site.

“We receive many calls about this program. It’s somethingthat helps differentiate our company from a lot of oral carecompetitors,” Webb said.

In looking ahead toward the remainder of 2010 and beyond,Webb spoke optimistically about Preserve’s future despiteongoing challenges often found in most industries.

“Preserve basically offers one type of toothbrush that must goup against a sea of other toothbrushes. Our biggest challengesinclude that of standing out on the shelf and raising awarenessthat Preserve does exist. It’s also important to get the word outabout where our products can be found,” she said. “We are for-tunate in that the company has been around long enough that itsbuilt a very solid distribution network. The consumer can basi-cally go to any community in the country and find us.”

Another benefit for Preserve is that it offers such products astoothbrushes and razors — items that people will always need.

“I feel the Preserve toothbrush will be in good shape as longas people keep brushing. It’s interesting to see innovation withelectric and other types of toothbrushes come along, but I feelthere will always be a need for a manual toothbrush,” Webbsaid. “As a company, Preserve continues to be optimistic thatmarketshare within this (toothbrush) category will continue togrow.

“We hear from consumers on how toothbrush companiescontinue to add bells and whistles while making their tooth-brushes more complicated. However, there is something aboutthe Preserve toothbrush that is refreshing with its simplicity.This is really what Preserve is all about — creating elegant,everyday high-performance products that meet people’s realneeds while also meeting the needs of the environment. Wehave an ambitious goal to bring this toothbrush to every house-hold in America. It’s something we build upon every year.”

Contact: Preserve, 657 Main St., Waltham, MA 02451. Phone: 888-354-7296.

Web Site: www.preserveproducts.com.

Since the downturn in the U.S. economy, more consumershave been switching from national brands to store brandproducts, resulting in an increase in sales for Ranir,

LLC, of Grand Rapids, MI, according to Ranir Director ofMarketing Duff Lewis.

Ranir sells an extensive range of adult and children’s manual



and power toothbrushes that are sold under such customerbrand names as CVS, Target, Kroger, etc. The company wasfounded by a dentist over 30 years ago in Grand Rapids and hasgrown to become a leading supplier of oral care products in thestore brand (private label) industry, according to Lewis. Alongwith toothbrushes, Ranir also provides such items as dentalfloss, travel kits and dental whitening products.

“We continue to supply our customers with high quality oralcare products while also focusing on excellent customer serv-ice,” Lewis said.

In January 2009, Ranir acquired Placontrol, Inc., a manufac-turer and marketer of interdental oral care products under thePlackers trademark. Headquartered in San Diego, CA,Placontrol is the founder of the convenience dental flosser. Theacquisition is expected to enhance new product developmentcapabilities, open up the branded side of the business to capital-ize on Plackers’ brand name and provide increased supply chainefficiencies for Ranir.

In another effort to respond to the various needs of its cus-tomer base, Lewis said Ranir has implemented VendorManaged Inventory (VMI). This has allowed Ranir to furtherimprove its level of service by increasing the visibility of thecompany’s inventory within the customer distribution chain.VMI is a family of business models in which the buyer of aproduct provides certain information to a supplier of that prod-uct, and the supplier takes full responsibility for maintaining anagreed inventory of the material, usually at the buyer’s con-sumption location (a store).

As it pertains to current trends within the toothbrush industry,Lewis said both manual and power toothbrush suppliers arefocused on new features that add value to their products. Thisincludes tongue and cheek cleaners, feathered bristles, Teflonbristles, flexible brush heads, etc.

“The toothbrush industry is very competitive, particularlywith overseas manufacturers trying to make in-roads into theU.S. market. Therefore, Ranir is continually looking at ways todrive costs down. This includes automating processes where itmakes sense,” Lewis said. “Product innovation, costs and for-eign competition will continue to challenge Ranir and the storebrand industry in the years to come.”

He predicted the toothbrush industry will continue to grow atslow rates of 2 to 3 percent per year, which means Ranir willhave to expand into other product categories in order to main-tain its double-digit growth rate.

“Like any company, our success is also dependent on thequality of employees. Ranir employs almost 500 people, andeach one has played a role in the success we’ve been able toachieve within the store brand industry,” he said.

Contact: Ranir, LLC, 4701 East Paris Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512. Phone: 616-698-8880.

Web Site: www.ranir.com.

While working to provide quality oral care items forthe entire family at affordable prices, Dr. Freshofficials rely on product innovation and customer

service to keep the company growing. Established in 1998,Dr. Fresh Vice President of Sales Daniel Enriquez said thecompany has passed its first decade with a consistent recordof growth, going from 1 employee and $360,000 in sales in

its first year to almost 100 employees and $50 million insales.

He added that Dr. Fresh is the developer of over 250 differ-ent personal care products. The company works to redefineoral care through innovation, new technology, higher stan-dards of quality and lower prices. Among its personal careproducts are Dr. Fresh’s top-selling FireFly® flashing tooth-brush with patented light-up technology, Binaca® breathfreshening items and the recently introduced Infectiguard™

Hand Sanitizers. Enriquez said that in October 2008, Dr. Fresh acquired

Binaca breath freshening products and has since worked to revi-talize the brand through new packaging, line extensions andadded marketing support. This includes a TV, print, outdoor andInternet campaign.

Meanwhile, the new Infectiguard line of hand sanitizingproducts, consisting of 7 SKU’s, is proven to kill 99.99 percentof germs without the use of water, soap or towels, according toEnriquez.

“In each year of its existence, Dr. Fresh has grown by doubledigits. Most recently, the company earned a spot on the Inc.5000 list for 2008, ranking No. 3,873 among the fastest grow-ing private companies in America,” Enriquez said. “Meanwhile,the FireFly Toothbrush, with proprietary timer technology, hasbeen the No. 1 selling children’s light-up toothbrush for the pastfour years, according to IRI (Information Resources, Inc.)data.”

He added that Dr. Fresh continues to improve upon its propri-etary light-up technology, which is directed toward delightingchildren and aiding in their brushing capabilities. For example,the company will be introducing FireFly line extensions featur-ing Spiderman, Barbie and Hot Wheels brands, all the whilemaintaining the same compliance technology. These items areexpected to become available beginning in April with many topretailers.

“For kids, compliance-oriented oral care items that entertainare key. Popular licensed characters are a big factor. For adults,quality, efficacy and cost-effectiveness are very important interms of selecting oral care items,” Enriquez said. “We focus onthe practice of supplying high-end oral care products that pro-mote healthy teeth and gums. This includes bacteria and cavityfighting toothbrushes, toothpastes, mouthwashes and breathfresheners.”

A new state-of-the-art manufacturing and R & D facility formouthwash production has been added to the company’s head-quarters in Buena Park, CA. Dr. Fresh also has manufactur-ing plants in India and China, where all toothbrush productionprocedures, from molding to packaging, are carried out in-house. Enriquez said the plants feature modern machinery tomaintain the highest standards in quality control. These facil-ities are estimated to produce over 100 million toothbrushesannually.

“Dr. Fresh oral care products can be found among majorfood, drug, mass and value retailers. The company also enjoyssignificant distribution internationally, covering over 42 coun-tries,” he explained.

Contact: Dr. Fresh, Inc., 6645 Caballero Blvd., Buena Park, CA 90620. Phone: 714-690-1573.

Web Site: www.drfresh.com.


By Rick MullenBroom, Brush & Mop

Associate Editor

U.S. government trade figures for the first 11 months of 2009indicate raw material imports were down in two of the three cate-gories outlined in this issue, compared to the first 11 months of2008. Figures for metal handles prior to March 2009 are not avail-able for comparison. For November 2009, raw material importswere down in all three categories outlined, other than metal han-dles, compared to November 2008.

Import totals for the first 11 months of 2009 were down in fiveof the seven finished goods categories outlined from the same timeperiod in 2008. Also, in November 2009, two of the seven cate-gories outlined recorded increases, compared to November 2008.

RAW MATERIAL IMPORTSHog Bristle

The United States imported 36,353 kilograms of hog bristle inNovember 2009, down about 36 percent from 56,875 kilogramsimported in November 2008. During the first 11 months of 2009,311,143 kilograms of hog bristle were imported, about an 18 per-cent decrease from 378,690 kilograms imported during the first 11months of 2008.

China exported 308,717 kilograms of hog bristle to the UnitedStates during the first 11 months of 2009.

The average price per kilogram for November 2009 was $7.98,down 1 cent from the average price per kilogram for November2008. The average price per kilogram for the first 11 months of2009 was $8.15, down about 45 percent from the average price perkilogram of $14.86 for the first 11 months of 2008.

Broom And Mop HandlesThe import total of broom and mop handles during November

2009 was 1.4 million, down about 42 percent from 2.4 millionbroom and mop handles imported in November 2008. During thefirst 11 months of 2009, 18.4 million broom and mop handleswere imported, compared to 28.2 million for the first 11 months of2008, a decrease of about 35 percent.

During the first 11 months of 2009, the United States imported6.9 million handles from Brazil, 5 million from Honduras, 3.5 mil-lion from China and 2.1 million from Indonesia.

The average price per handle for November 2009 was 69 cents,down about 19 percent from 85 cents for November 2009. Theaverage price for the first 11 months of 2009 was 68 cents, down1 cent from the average price for the first 11 months of 2008.

Brush BacksNovember 2009 imports of brush backs totaled 138,555, down

about 37 percent from the November 2008 total of 220,025 brushbacks. During the first 11 months of 2009, 2.5 million brush backswere imported, an increase of about 14 percent over the total forthe first 11 months of 2008 of 2.2 million.

The United States imported 1.4 million brush backs fromCanada during the first 11 months of 2009.

The average price per brush back was 37 cents during November2009, down about 33 percent from the average price for November

2008 of 55 cents. For the first 11 months of 2009, the average priceper brush back was 43 cents, down about 35 percent from the aver-age price of 66 cents for the first 11 months of 2008.

Metal HandlesThe import total of metal handles during November 2009 was 2

million, down from the October 2009 total of 2.1 million. SinceMarch 2009, 27 million metal handles were imported.

The United States imported 13 million metal handles from Italyand 11.3 million from China during the first 11 months of 2009.

The average price per handle for November 2009 was 56 cents,down from the previous month’s average price of 63 cents. Theaverage price for the first 11 months of 2009 was 62 cents.

FINISHED GOODS IMPORTSBrooms Of Broom Corn

Valued At Less Than 96 CentsThe United States imported 15,828 brooms of broom corn val-

ued at less than 96 cents per broom during November 2009, com-pared to 29,040 in November 2008, a decrease of about 45 per-cent. During the first 11 months of 2009, 138,396 brooms ofbroom corn were imported, down about 41 percent from 235,902imported during the first 11 months of 2008.

Mexico shipped 131,196 brooms of broom corn to the UnitedStates during the first 11 months of 2009.

The average price per broom for November 2009 was 73 cents,up about 6 percent from 69 cents for November 2008. The aver-age price per broom for the first 11 months of 2009 was 76 cents,up about 6 percent from the average price for the first 11 monthsof 2008 of 72 cents.

Brooms Of Broom CornValued At More Than 96 Cents

The United States imported 567,474 brooms of broom corn val-ued at more than 96 cents per broom during November 2009, com-pared to 637,710 in November 2008, an decrease of about 11 per-cent. During the first 11 months of 2009, 7.8 million brooms ofbroom corn were imported, down about 4 percent from 8.1 millionimported during the first 11 months of 2008.

Mexico shipped 7.4 million brooms of broom corn to the UnitedStates during the first 11 months of 2009.

The average price per broom for November 2009 was $2.39, upabout 8 percent from the average price for November 2008 of $2.22.The average price per broom for the first 11 months of 2009 was$2.44, up about 7 percent from $2.29 for the first 11 months of 2008.

Brooms & Brushes Of Vegetable MaterialThe import total of brooms and brushes of vegetable material

during November 2009 was 93,002, down about 74 percent from353,611 brooms and brushes imported during November 2008.During the first 11 months of 2009, 1.4 million brooms and brush-es were imported, down about 30 percent from 2 million import-ed during the first 11 months of 2008.

During the first 11 months of 2009, the United States imported759,151 brooms and brushes from Sri Lanka.

The average price per unit for November 2009 was $1.67, upabout 8 percent from $1.54 for November 2008. The average price


Imports, Exports Decline In Several Categories


for the first 11 months of 2009 was $1.83, up about 21 percentfrom $1.51 for the first 11 months of 2008.

ToothbrushesThe United States imported 58 million toothbrushes in

November 2009, down about 14 percent from 67.2 millionimported in November 2008. During the first 11 months of2009, 710.6 million toothbrushes were imported, down about 4percent from 737.3 million imported during the first 11 monthsof 2008.

During the first 11 months of 2009, the United States received494.3 million toothbrushes from China.

The average price per toothbrush for November 2009 was 20cents, down 1 cent from the average price for November 2008.The average price for the first 11 months of 2009 was 21 cents,down about 16 percent from the average price of 25 cents for thefirst 11 months of 2008.

Paint RollersNovember 2009 imports of paint rollers totaled 4.7 million, up

about 15 percent from 4.1 million imported during November2008. During the first 11 months of 2009, 51.2 million paintrollers were imported, down about 9 percent from 56.4 million forthe first 11 months of 2008.

China sent 35.3 million paint rollers to the United States duringthe first 11 months of 2009.

The average price per paint roller was 34 cents duringNovember 2009, down about 13 percent from 39 cents forNovember 2008. During the first 11 months of 2009, the averageprice was 49 cents, up about 23 percent from 40 cents for the first11 months of 2008.

Paint PadsNovember 2009 imports of paint pads totaled 565,682, down

about 56 percent from 1.3 million imported during November2008. During the first 11 months of 2009, 10.8 million paint padswere imported, up about 6 percent from 10.2 million for the first11 months of 2008.

China sent 10.1 million paint pads to the United States duringthe first 11 months of 2009.

The average price per paint pad was 83 cents during November2009, up about 118 percent from 38 cents for November 2008.During the first 11 months of 2009, the average price was 70 cents,up about 43 percent from 49 cents for the first 11 months of 2008.

PaintbrushesU.S. companies imported 13.2 million paintbrushes during

November 2009, up about 7 percent from 12.3 million brush-es imported during November 2008. Paintbrush imports forthe first 11 months of 2009 were 188.7 million, up about 2percent from 185.9 million recorded for the first 11 monthsof 2008.

During the first 11 months of 2009, the United States imported145.9 million paintbrushes from China.

The average price per paintbrush for November 2009 was 28cents, down about 22 percent from 36 cents for November2008. The average price for the first 11 months of 2009 was 30cents, down 1 cent from the average price for the first 11months of 2008.

EXPORTSExport totals for the first 11 months of 2009 were down in all

four of the categories outlined, compared to the first 11 months of2008. In November 2009, two of the four categories reportedincreases in exports, compared to November 2008.

ToothbrushesU.S. companies exported 6.3 million toothbrushes during

November 2009, down about 55 percent from 13.9 million export-ed during November 2008. Toothbrush exports for the first 11months of 2009 were 80.6 million, down about 51 percent from165 million recorded for the first 11 months of 2008.

The United States shipped 30.2 million toothbrushes to Canadaduring the first 11 months of 2009.

The average price per toothbrush for November 2009 was 90cents, up about 120 percent from the November 2008 averageprice of 41 cents. The average price for the first 11 months of 2009was 76 cents, up about 111 percent from the average price of 36cents for the first 11 months of 2008.

Paint RollersThe export total of paint rollers during November 2009 was

282,834, down about 66 percent from 833,221 paint roller exportsrecorded for November 2008. During the first 11 months of 2009,4.4 million paint rollers were exported, down about 2 percentfrom 4.5 million during the first 11 months of 2008.

Canada imported 2.2 million paint rollers from the UnitedStates during the first 11 months of 2009, while Mexico imported1.1 million.

The average price per paint roller for November 2009 was$2.95, up about 55 percent from $1.90 for November 2008. Theaverage price for the first 11 months of 2009 was $2.69, up about7 percent from $2.51 for the first 11 months of 2008.

Paint PadsNovember 2009 exports of paint pads totaled 27,232, up about

279 percent from 7,194 exported during November 2008. Duringthe first 11 months of 2009, 218,439 paint pads were exported,down about 34 percent from 333,130 for the first 11 months of2008.

Mexico received 70,961 paint pads from the United States dur-ing the first 11 months of 2009.

The average price per paint pad was $2.50 during November2009, down slightly from $2.55 for November 2008. During thefirst 11 months of 2009, the average price was $4.10, down about17 percent from $4.93 for the first 11 months of 2008.

PaintbrushesU.S. companies exported 81,477 paintbrushes during

November 2009, up slightly from 81,075 brushes exported duringNovember 2008. Paintbrush exports for the first 11 months of2009 were 970,071, down about 46 percent from 1.8 millionrecorded for the first 11 months of 2008.

During the first 11 months of 2009, the United States exported401,968 paintbrushes to Canada.

The average price per paintbrush for November 2009 was $16.53,up about 9 percent from $15.18 for November 2008. The averageprice for the first 11 months of 2009 was $15.68, up about 30 per-cent from the average price for the first 11 months of 2008 of $12.08.



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

In Hanks or BundlesNovember Year To Date

Country Net Q/Ton Value Net Q/Ton ValueCanada 2 5,175 29 63,757Hondura 3 12,118 10 39,184U King 5 19,673TOTAL 5 17,293 44 122,614

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

November Year To DateCountry Net Q/Dozen Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 291 10,084 5,176 354,139Mexico 217 15,119Norway 218 7,191TOTAL 291 10,084 5,611 376,449

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

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 1,096,641 1,033,193 12,029,734 10,716,352Mexico 121,954 116,874 520,955 434,732Belize 6,336 2,850Hondura 3,456 2,848C Rica 3,456 2,845 3,456 2,845Jamaica 17,959 51,774Dom Rep 32,616 12,273Antigua 12,960 5,830Colomb 4,070 8,140Finland 9,456 4,001Denmark 180 5,616U King 7,532 75,078Ireland 23,856 26,502Nethlds 59,149 215,553France 670 3,283Fr Germ 111,462 69,424Switzld 4,320 3,500Italy 384 3,930India 85,008 33,507Malaysa 737,437 267,851Singapr 36,480 26,525 421,586 266,336Phil R 34,680 15,681Kor Rep 79,819 35,333Hg Kong 5,136 2,557Taiwan 111,152 56,063Japan 725 5,950Austral 17,640 8,590 220,178 118,544N Zeal 337 3,452Algeria 31,392 22,006TOTAL 1,276,171 1,188,027 14,576,001 12,471,811

9603290000 Shaving Brushes, Hairbrushes, Nail Brushes,Eyelash Brushes & Other Toilet Brushes For Use On The Person

November Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 87,869 177,383 1,155,754 1,555,057Mexico 26,433 37,811 1,024,784 1,028,450Chile 1,800 7,785Brazil 15,432 14,234U King 5,973 53,276 38,403 281,281Nethlds 2,626 22,827Belgium 700 4,834 1,600 10,323Andorra 72 3,000

France 1,556 83,996 835,225 765,908Fr Germ 210 11,356 208,043 398,883Switzld 5,021 10,219Italy 3,784 41,649Croatia 3,682 3,070Lebanon 1,500 4,580Arab Em 25,096 28,826Indnsia 939 8,583Phil R 18,640 45,620China 1,514 13,849Taiwan 720 26,145Japan 87,635 27,596 739,030 286,728Austral 5,941 21,851Rep Saf 3,410 5,920TOTAL 210,376 396,252 4,093,016 4,584,788

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

November Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 249,241 862,437 2,913,915 9,051,418Mexico 24,213 57,876 406,396 902,511Guatmal 7,579 27,967Salvadr 240 5,198Nicarag 144 3,119C Rica 480 10,396Dom Rep 185 2,642Aruba 2,160 3,119Brazil 53,700 44,913 85,732 120,560Argent 26,089 72,481Sweden 16,000 31,410 108,328 318,584Norway 300 3,842 8,907 67,270Finland 128,608 476,579 130,308 483,883U King 22,991 88,773 453,732 1,522,975Ireland 1,450 5,351Nethlds 1,080 13,219 6,824 57,285Belgium 11,273 41,595 264,174 974,714France 543 7,403 27,994 155,059Fr Germ 9,289 34,273 66,193 112,149Czech 1,731 6,388 13,641 24,791Switzld 2,882 10,633 60,177 222,032Estonia 738 3,657Poland 2,230 8,227 4,421 15,285Russia 19,110 72,170 508,008 1,128,918Ukraine 3,985 13,640 99,125 250,696Kazakhs 3,804 10,673 53,594 95,093Moldova 1,101 4,063 1,101 4,063Spain 11,880 12,980 20,488 33,735Italy 48,582 161,713Greece 80,177 293,770 82,337 297,154Israel 4,303 15,878Arab Em 1,971 7,271 94,820 341,725Thailnd 26,900 103,564Malaysa 963 3,553Singapr 2,807 10,354 21,067 82,587Indnsia 2,379 8,778Phil R 1,020 3,288China 22,000 19,663 637,906 1,024,846Kor Rep 13,043 36,251 132,029 327,215Hg Kong 10,669 39,365 41,110 163,818Taiwan 1,530 5,646 33,974 140,129Japan 13,062 43,549 80,733 335,002Austral 9,851 38,024 194,203 615,259N Zeal 2,576 9,503 2,576 9,503Senegal 3,828 23,534Rep Saf 2,810 12,476TOTAL 721,647 2,304,490 6,683,663 19,344,973

9603402000 Paint RollersNovember Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 33,190 57,243 219,717 574,173Mexico 313 5,486 166,842 373,843U King 4,025 17,731


EXPORTSNovember Exports By Country



Ireland 354 6,206Nethlds 146 2,564Fr Germ 498 5,185Turkey 144 2,520Arab Em 215 10,080China 615 10,800Austral 396 6,944TOTAL 33,503 62,729 392,952 1,010,046

9603404020 Paint PadsNovember Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 2,514 10,281 159,058 388,094TOTAL 2,514 10,281 159,058 388,094

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

November Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 7,526 45,209 55,935 566,495Mexico 5,415 112,284Salvadr 359 7,456 359 7,456Trinid 236 4,898Sweden 153 3,176Nethlds 493 10,221Fr Germ 1,180 24,455Spain 326 6,762Malta 437 9,057Greece 630 13,066Indnsia 2,500 31,248Austral 806 16,716TOTAL 7,885 52,665 68,470 805,834

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

For Broom or Brush Making, NESOINovember Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 61,882 536,308 470,172 4,925,007Mexico 1,347 23,787 98,762 1,329,627C Rica 871 14,129 11,631 188,603Panama 5,951 96,514 29,767 482,855Bermuda 2,331 14,427Jamaica 98 2,506Trinid 850 11,218Chile 2,397 38,854Brazil 236 3,251 17,516 55,336Uruguay 825 5,472Iceland 98 5,360Sweden 245 3,966Norway 515 8,346 2,351 38,129Finland 210 3,400 685 11,096Denmark 89,998 959,414U King 258 5,927 24,394 268,269Ireland 243 3,947 977 15,844Nethlds 6,093 70,576Belgium 150 8,757France 20,548 262,118Fr Germ 3,426 55,562 29,881 350,208Czech 1,002 10,306Estonia 374 3,300Poland 166 2,687Russia 400 2,880Ukraine 4,663 75,639Spain 389 6,308Italy 403 8,373Turkey 750 2,790 750 2,790Iraq 604 9,794Israel 770 5,712Arab Em 1,605 24,121India 620 2,516 1,078 9,947Malaysa 502 8,148 502 8,148Singapr 182 2,947 182 2,947Phil R 436 7,061

China 253 13,245 253 13,245Kor Rep 256 4,148Japan 3,350 53,965Austral 1,425 23,115 17,158 163,393Rep Saf 1,606 21,446TOTAL 78,671 803,932 845,716 9,483,852

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

In Hanks or BundlesNovember Year To Date

Country Net Q/Ton Value Net Q/Ton ValueMexico 16 58,590Venez 4 14,500 4 14,500Denmark 1 3,434U King 1 4,100 1 4,100Ireland 4 16,241France 9 31,800 26 89,858Fr Germ 1 4,262Malaysa 1 3,530TOTAL 14 50,400 54 194,515

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

November Year To DateCountry Net Q/Dozen Value Net Q/Dozen ValueCanada 3,417 96,646 27,466 897,791Mexico 136 12,642 2,240 126,265Guatmal 24 4,530Belize 1,108 40,124Salvadr 361 8,573C Rica 152 3,006 273 6,993Panama 825 30,446Bermuda 1,044 38,321Bahamas 169 17,897 2,818 172,250Jamaica 147 4,049 457 13,973Antigua 12 2,549S Lucia 120 2,784Barbado 110 3,902 497 10,407Trinid 1,082 37,324N Antil 12 3,550Venez 120 3,211Ecuador 18 2,915Peru 17 5,025Chile 85 59,303Brazil 435 15,122 448 27,556Uruguay 91 7,114Argent 426 12,168Finland 17 5,172Denmark 622 25,053U King 6,545 283,740Ireland 1,278 73,810France 1,438 114,680Fr Germ 1,965 27,316Poland 419 17,300Italy 2,846 97,658Croatia 24 12,229Greece 189 6,685Turkey 57 4,130Iraq 59 20,448Israel 41 3,840S Arab 127 2,509 1,010 76,385Arab Em 50 7,074Afghan 12 5,762India 50 2,850Malaysa 3 2,945Singapr 39 10,212Phil R 207 3,540 259 8,356China 7,695 261,600Kor Rep 200 8,372 552 28,394Hg Kong 3,061 91,950Taiwan 4 2,610 43 7,904Japan 159 18,483 4,435 144,022


Austral 276 28,276Libya 503 16,575Nigeria 4 9,500Angola 10 3,690Rep Saf 891 32,393TOTAL 5,263 188,778 73,937 2,943,121

9603210000 ToothbrushesNovember Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 3,124,668 1,617,610 30,198,731 20,024,513Mexico 961,629 518,258 18,436,615 7,326,959Guatmal 8,999 9,093Belize 222,315 91,500Salvadr 137,881 93,519Hondura 3,456 2,848Nicarag 5,184 4,272C Rica 33,720 23,012Panama 137,851 74,515Bermuda 7,560 2,824 7,560 2,824Jamaica 10,704 3,613 50,489 33,793Cayman 666 6,085Haiti 749 7,667 22,973 18,357Dom Rep 23,544 6,308 460,895 241,691Antigua 194,364 60,555 638,558 334,441Barbado 35,402 31,942Trinid 35,958 21,281 296,422 303,800N Antil 43,235 44,034Aruba 7,415 6,537Colomb 150,147 139,821Venez 17,184 14,475 431,586 223,714Guyana 10,440 9,180Surinam 529 6,115Ecuador 22,104 5,790 159,525 65,342Peru 123,768 63,543 332,568 147,406

Chile 85,777 41,659 464,116 246,503Brazil 1,626,950 786,414Paragua 1,202 19,191Uruguay 4,892 35,349 11,137 74,059Argent 35,617 57,568 976,772 686,681Iceland 10,560 16,341Sweden 4,000 7,759 9,408 47,498Denmark 8,957 44,462U King 52,170 271,499 247,966 1,322,987Ireland 432,000 126,630 2,619,405 2,558,278Nethlds 62,715 582,123 3,063,562 5,096,340Belgium 6,931 6,971Luxmbrg 278 2,849France 5,653 57,836 1,450,268 800,247Fr Germ 90,597 796,835 1,720,899 5,002,838Austria 5,580 6,294Czech 1,163 11,899Hungary 4,894 5,875Switzld 24,059 17,677Lithuan 247 2,526Poland 3,096 2,509Russia 1,308 11,424Spain 5,012 50,040 410,468 235,324Italy 355 3,629 99,606 135,083Bulgar 908 4,449Turkey 350 5,532Lebanon 240 5,702 3,323 37,250Israel 9,250 57,098Kuwait 144,927 66,640S Arab 2,892 4,309 15,732 16,766Qatar 2,000 12,500Arab Em 18,056 91,979India 78,048 147,854 756,288 1,495,059Thailnd 1,170 11,969 238,518 137,599Vietnam 207,330 106,200Malaysa 7,152 16,858Singapr 64,584 25,110 1,215,512 579,508Phil R 12,069 11,898China 14,030 128,173 657,172 1,809,766Kor Rep 337,921 138,769 6,230,717 2,730,121Hg Kong 46,649 159,746 1,276,679 974,531Taiwan 119,566 71,633 1,437,578 717,175Japan 49,601 417,187 1,459,831 4,748,546Austral 236,932 133,063 2,293,302 1,327,343N Zeal 1,772 11,958Moroc 168 6,090Nigeria 360 3,681Rep Saf 10,368 3,648TOTAL 6,252,653 5,596,366 80,601,356 61,377,778

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

November Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q./No. ValueCanada 316,398 316,806 2,867,861 2,834,268Mexico 153,358 116,617 3,595,945 3,487,639Salvadr 418 6,352C Rica 8,421 21,966Panama 9,062 12,485Bermuda 336 6,553Bahamas 6,328 23,548Jamaica 1,721 8,749Dom Rep 3,408 40,070Barbado 172 6,377Trinid 2,490 26,000 19,852 181,445Aruba 2,496 4,524Colomb 122,551 28,988 235,701 262,111Venez 3,742 34,222 5,104 54,075Guyana 360 3,046 1,656 15,329Ecuador 29,114 49,471Peru 3,756 23,629Chile 9,532 39,400Brazil 135,000 28,620 373,059 193,652Uruguay 430 4,666Argent 1,374 21,838


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

• Processed Broom Corn & Yucca

• Wood Broom - Mop - Brush Handles

• Craft Broom Corn And Supplies

• 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

336-273-3609 800-213-9224 Fax: 336-378-6047

E-mail: [email protected]

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


Norway 1,098 10,040Finland 10,430 13,769Denmark 117 2,691U King 8,921 41,339 95,565 585,088Ireland 525 4,802 7,327 38,872Nethlds 1,323 9,936 33,816 294,384Belgium 16,031 136,228France 2,926 19,085 52,060 430,065Fr Germ 11,559 84,702 85,941 382,549Czech 226 11,712Hungary 504 4,608Switzld 1,017 9,300Poland 938 8,575Spain 9,412 91,213Italy 8,069 59,890Turkey 10,094 15,192Cyprus 2,638 24,128Lebanon 1,404 3,383Iraq 1,097 11,498S Arab 1,985 22,856Arab Em 15,148 190,712India 1,009 12,250Pakistn 7,736 15,813Thailnd 2,578 23,579 17,973 155,278Malaysa 858 3,605Singapr 1,566 14,144Indnsia 1,703 11,140Phil R 85,155 69,168China 8,601 78,664 249,223 1,288,482Kor Rep 315 2,883 7,513 58,083Hg Kong 5,151 49,722 387,331 772,542Taiwan 30 5,550Japan 84,070 35,172 539,906 586,877Austral 392 6,248 17,405 172,328N Zeal 1,566 15,965Rep Saf 1,885 45,445TOTAL 860,260 910,431 8,851,522 12,871,570

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

November Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 311,113 657,113 3,742,189 9,003,486Mexico 22,280 82,206 457,016 1,918,363Salvadr 3,312 8,348Hondura 12,093 39,127 15,685 50,356Nicarag 3,552 3,817C Rica 6,129 39,165Panama 4,302 5,266 21,956 73,013Bahamas 5,488 7,386Jamaica 1,255 4,629Cayman 3,184 17,846Dom Rep 48,469 64,379Barbado 3,279 3,908Trinid 914 3,374 3,492 6,246Aruba 1,920 3,010Colomb 3,440 8,930 43,249 129,321Venez 24,753 59,712Ecuador 22,263 109,850Peru 1,871 9,232Bolivia 174 7,490Chile 2,500 8,551Brazil 1,314 4,849 11,376 47,976Paragua 1,051 3,878Uruguay 4,324 77,753Sweden 3,418 12,611Norway 121,209 454,749Finland 17,025 73,280Denmark 3,252 12,000U King 37,603 155,081 431,906 2,701,659Ireland 889 3,279 65,777 224,524Nethlds 841 3,103 182,826 680,104Belgium 5,078 18,734 37,825 139,560France 23,247 84,704 229,454 1,051,956Fr Germ 86,491 339,322Austria 11,176 41,233Czech 1,355 5,000Slovak 1,599 5,900Switzld 16,368 70,402Estonia 4,911 17,033Poland 6,284 23,186Russia 18,401 72,942Ukraine 6,947 25,631 6,947 25,631Spain 8,988 7,087 8,988 7,087Italy 63,607 248,651Greece 51,584 190,326Bulgar 5,024 18,538Turkey 19,257 71,050 31,805 94,175Lebanon 909 12,631Israel 6,689 23,436S Arab 5,760 7,819Arab Em 5,559 29,900 31,325 213,551Oman 157 3,211

Double LipSpur DrillsDrills For Plastics

Special Half-Round andSpoon Drills

Often CopiedBut NEVER EqualledStandard Sizes Normally In Stock For Rapid DeliveryFor Availability And Pricing Contact Our Parts Dept.

TEL: 630.232.2460 • FAX: 630.232.2016EMAIL: [email protected]

Carlson Drills



India 20,878 77,031Thailnd 501 2,645 28,986 107,136Vietnam 5,111 35,590Malaysa 799 2,949Singapr 9,445 53,993Indnsia 974 3,593 3,783 13,956Phil R 680 2,508 12,312 45,425China 17,343 63,989 390,971 1,216,876Kor Rep 10,398 38,365 108,742 811,653Hg Kong 4,112 27,353 102,353 404,217Taiwan 14,684 59,775Japan 10,210 38,550 136,491 558,319Austral 15,731 72,206 307,912 1,188,152N Zeal 3,206 10,453 6,280 31,502Tokelau 1,357 5,008Moroc 21,941 80,956Algeria 17,630 68,717Ivy Cst 6,183 111,186Ghana 1,200 4,115Nigeria 21,930 80,914Rep Saf 2,476 9,136 3,804 15,945TOTAL 529,496 1,468,232 7,103,351 23,401,647


Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 173,551 535,004 2,239,152 7,587,407Mexico 15,219 42,171 1,149,303 2,221,860Salvadr 100 8,995C Rica 2,009 53,012Panama 10,310 29,854Bermuda 38 2,513 20,516 49,959Bahamas 5,140 11,209Jamaica 10,270 30,013Dom Rep 104,892 218,006B Virgn 3,804 4,720S Lucia 200 3,900Trinid 4,352 76,384 6,142 90,459Aruba 175 3,067Colomb 6,005 35,187Venez 113,127 171,662Ecuador 3,432 12,279Peru 1,000 32,953 8,660 40,962Brazil 9,163 45,837Argent 1,362 21,234Finland 10,334 22,544U King 2,400 9,288 5,471 33,751Ireland 150 6,374Nethlds 560 2,808France 197 3,452Fr Germ 1,150 20,196 33,394 81,474Austria 177 3,100Italy 170 7,493Croatia 322 5,655Slvenia 3,560 8,414Turkey 507 8,900Israel 349 6,118 9,749 35,179Jordan 190 3,562S Arab 1,528 44,441Arab Em 5,929 23,081India 225 3,941 225 3,941Pakistn 35,000 29,475Malaysa 188 3,300 188 3,300Singapr 29 3,835Indnsia 796 3,598China 1,000 3,440 12,681 41,026Kor Rep 14,172 18,520 14,560 34,201Hg Kong 279,512 289,914Japan 2,888 12,229Austral 28,495 259,916New Gui 4,392 18,127 4,392 18,127N Zeal 4,836 24,071Marshal 706 3,405Fiji 6,000 21,592 20,228 51,786Rep Saf 58,798 40,571 235,556 165,570TOTAL 282,834 834,118 4,406,092 11,874,244

9603404020 Paint PadsNovember Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 70,961 166,156Hondura 151 7,265Panama 336 2,768Dom Rep 120 3,720Grenada 3,083 21,882Barbado 60 2,910Aruba 121 8,260Martinq 876 6,215Colomb 2,684 19,056Venez 1,691 12,000 4,775 33,889Peru 5,855 41,560Chile 87 2,981Brazil 2,117 10,427U King 752 12,320France 247 10,445Israel 2,000 16,857Arab Em 1,576 11,190Malaysa 545 3,869China 8,079 57,353Kor Rep 649 4,608Hg Kong 11,316 80,326Taiwan 10,080 13,104 23,704 30,815Japan 670 4,754 10,259 37,804Austral 14,791 38,256 61,634 256,516Rep Saf 6,452 45,800TOTAL 27,232 68,114 218,439 894,992

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

November Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 24,942 338,977 401,968 5,208,165Mexico 211 4,378 9,733 125,769Guatmal 6,343 95,111Hondura 376 9,740 2,574 53,707Nicarag 755 13,579C Rica 366 7,605 4,450 87,753Panama 1,929 44,984 13,260 204,073Bermuda 739 32,271 9,019 146,440Bahamas 15,515 331,506Jamaica 1,357 28,138Turk Is 78 7,820Cayman 493 10,223 7,366 77,590Haiti 126 2,608Dom Rep 4,704 52,208Anglla 246 5,093B Virgn 484 11,475Antigua 3,777 45,229Monsrat 1,019 27,909S Lucia 2,090 48,209 2,975 68,350S Vn Gr 498 10,334Grenada 1,611 33,406Barbado 551 24,261Trinid 5,990 84,449N Antil 120 3,000 653 13,950Colomb 1,320 8,423 7,499 108,330Venez 2,720 40,356Guyana 432 3,227 607 6,863Surinam 822 6,000 973 8,661Ecuador 727 15,071 2,629 64,850Peru 1,428 37,806Chile 6,162 127,917Brazil 13,296 516,809Argent 465 15,142Sweden 2,462 39,120 10,007 154,364Norway 422 11,327Finland 259 5,371 720 14,933Denmark 2,472 10,009 19,721 80,825U King 8,625 145,398 89,958 1,405,224Ireland 1,625 10,305 11,877 98,834Nethlds 19,870 345,387 173,855 3,503,649



Belgium 17,587 366,613France 236 2,554 5,851 84,331Fr Germ 699 4,428 11,089 142,966Czech 489 11,215Lithuan 233 7,435Poland 481 8,207 6,717 117,749Russia 615 7,257Ukraine 1,226 4,819Spain 1,320 7,426Italy 772 24,341Croatia 156 3,234Greece 1,149 66,196Turkey 483 10,010Cyprus 129 2,679Lebanon 719 15,818Israel 232 4,816 9,541 183,662Kuwait 2,937 21,142S Arab 711 14,742Arab Em 6,146 90,682Afghan 171 3,548India 485 14,500 485 14,500Thailnd 3,838 38,459Vietnam 1,693 35,112Singapr 164 3,402 8,581 83,787Phil R 28 6,581China 396 12,073 6,778 123,965Kor Rep 4,385 92,425Hg Kong 2,849 90,559Taiwan 850 3,410Japan 7,998 94,182Austral 1,260 18,375 10,727 149,170N Zeal 261 8,999 5,778 96,077W Samoa 72 3,348 72 3,348Egypt 3,296 119,012 3,296 119,012Eq Guin 98 2,780Ivy Cst 969 20,104Nigeria 750 6,525Rwanda 4,015 59,464 4,015 59,464Rep Saf 1,329 27,566Namibia 120 3,099TOTAL 81,477 1,346,876 970,071 15,210,803

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

for Broom or Brush Making, NESOINovember Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 237,434 2,026,903 2,745,907 25,585,723Mexico 59,046 855,895 670,114 8,568,683Guatmal 820 8,434Belize 281 4,562 281 4,562Salvadr 941 15,259Hondura 4,428 71,820Nicarag 581 9,427 759 12,313C Rica 5,659 40,978Panama 933 15,128 13,280 212,354Bermuda 90 6,139 2,784 24,586Bahamas 3,155 51,273Jamaica 582 3,727 826 7,689Haiti 247 4,000Dom Rep 1,027 16,652 7,299 63,295B Virgn 152 3,314St K N 1,073 17,410S Vn Gr 83 2,877Barbado 1,476 9,890Trinid 1,458 5,618 5,214 39,168N Antil 3,896 45,009Aruba 221 3,580Colomb 2,227 26,234 11,871 127,246Venez 1,675 27,169 9,524 128,014Ecuador 35,974 578,142Peru 9,076 138,287Bolivia 215 3,480Chile 80 9,456 28,502 386,320Brazil 765 14,897 17,070 263,023Uruguay 116 2,601Argent 2,760 28,730

Sweden 1,293 20,119Norway 860 12,329Finland 3,317 58,479Denmark 4,337 31,495U King 3,952 22,296 91,483 1,039,863Ireland 192 6,967 4,702 80,644Nethlds 3,022 31,003 42,589 373,178Belgium 47 7,218 20,630 215,143Luxmbrg 213 3,455France 848 13,762 11,660 169,523Fr Germ 28,470 445,373Czech 792 12,849Slovak 341 5,524Switzld 5,592 91,165Estonia 369 5,988Lithuan 902 12,806Poland 2,592 53,170Russia 6,717 90,730Ukraine 203 3,140Georgia 420 6,804Kazakhs 497 8,072Spain 1,272 3,115 3,220 35,582Italy 480 4,056 11,096 132,246Greece 1,013 11,772Romania 1,541 25,000Lebanon 1,192 12,340Iraq 8,298 132,194Israel 2,329 42,907Jordan 400 3,220Kuwait 1,744 9,698S Arab 164 2,658 5,611 60,684Qatar 675 11,829Arab Em 1,280 16,442 12,802 197,312Bahrain 215 3,485India 108 2,916 958 18,354Pakistn 356 5,782Bngldsh 160 2,600 160 2,600Thailnd 1,751 38,294Malaysa 658 8,595Singapr 3,236 47,280 4,438 91,129Indnsia 5,643 77,559Phil R 285 4,628Maldive 14,875 92,960China 3,673 42,625 22,943 424,927Kor Rep 1,225 9,595 21,671 214,461Hg Kong 426 6,898 14,204 212,804Taiwan 855 13,875 12,705 176,108Japan 5,675 42,510 56,050 539,740Austral 6,453 74,351 83,848 836,117N Zeal 1,596 8,189 13,575 94,906Moroc 135 2,624Angola 235 2,571 1,734 27,766Djibuti 546 8,850Uganda 150 3,338Rep Saf 813 13,337TOTAL 341,078 3,382,734 4,119,336 42,761,057

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

November Year To DateCountry Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG ValueFr Germ 59 7,190Thailnd 155 11,524China 36,353 290,172 308,717 2,492,040Hg Kong 2,212 24,071TOTAL 36,353 290,172 311,143 2,534,825

0502900000 Badger Hair and OtherBrushmaking Hair and Waste Thereof

November Year To DateCountry Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG ValueMexico 2,568 7,722


IMPORTSBroom and Brush

November Imports By Country



Paragua 9,099 105,061 22,086 246,909U King 6 11,352 496 57,886Fr Germ 2,414 122,168Italy 62 3,008Thailnd 1,665 84,917China 5,761 102,363 26,488 462,580Japan 413 13,062TOTAL 14,866 218,776 56,192 998,252

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

November Year To DateCountry Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG ValueArgent 20 2,208 20 2,208Fr Germ 700 10,981China 15,706 159,606 151,408 1,579,743TOTAL 15,726 161,814 152,128 1,592,932

1404903000 Istle Used Primarily In Brooms or In Brushes,Whether or Not In Hanks or Bundles

November Year To DateCountry Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG ValueMexico 17,258 84,288 370,742 1,833,231TOTAL 17,258 84,288 370,742 1,833,231

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

November Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 36,600 3,786 98,950 33,148Hondura 264,068 135,540 5,011,845 2,347,560Colomb 97,686 59,303Brazil 736,700 582,415 6,897,956 5,915,237Argent 56,750 36,396Spain 193,384 90,649India 10,896 3,704Sri Lka 3,600 4,039 191,200 217,231Vietnam 100,644 92,051Malaysa 204,600 186,982Indnsia 54,198 52,162 2,076,493 1,849,686China 280,275 176,458 3,353,200 1,661,152Hg Kong 27,500 16,050Taiwan 33,000 36,190Egypt 20,000 5,000TOTAL 1,375,441 954,400 18,374,104 12,550,339

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

Country Net Q/Variable Value Net Q/Variable ValueGuatmal 17,581Fr Germ 4,724 19,793Czech 7,908 76,175Poland 134,754Italy 520,788 4,187,275India 97,234Indnsia 97,381 915,489China 110,619 2,761,418Taiwan 10,446TOTAL 741,420 8,220,165

4417006000 Brush Backs, Of WoodNovember Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 135,195 47,381 1,439,125 550,702Hondura 166,864 68,537Brazil 52,675 68,380Sri Lka 253,211 212,560Indnsia 145,448 72,463China 3,360 3,194 444,522 101,420Hg Kong 25,000 16,944TOTAL 138,555 50,575 2,526,845 1,091,006

4417008010 Tool Handles of WoodNovember Year To Date

Country Net Q/Variable Value Net Q/Variable ValueCanada 9,462 60,621

Mexico 33,349 131,879Salvadr 24,924C Rica 2,439 26,722Colomb 6,328Brazil 173,495 2,786,077Paragua 31,818Nethlds 5,533Poland 30,568Spain 18,514India 11,117Pakistn 2,340Indnsia 53,868China 28,517 545,601Taiwan 13,670 47,649TOTAL 260,932 3,783,559

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

November Year To DateCountry Net Q/Variable Value Net Q/Variable ValueCanada 87,965 735,342Mexico 24,722Hondura 2,327 37,181Nicarag 2,542Colomb 10,305Chile 542,514 6,134,505Brazil 3,284 5,665Finland 6,114 6,114U King 20,637 68,587France 12,318Fr Germ 64,968Austria 5,143Russia 3,194Spain 12,405Italy 13,288 42,214Slvenia 91,015India 104,336 950,893Pakistn 6,540Sri Lka 89,545 986,463Vietnam 27,280Singapr 3,682Indnsia 51,433 302,470China 441,835 2,358,426Taiwan 90,636Japan 352,072 3,431,635TOTAL 1,715,350 15,414,245

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

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 186 13,465 577 27,921Mexico 36,192 12,084 247,962 94,569C Rica 4 2,929Chile 8,040 3,699Brazil 157,882 57,492Denmark 445 4,765 2,092 19,396U King 218 2,234 218 2,234Luxmbrg 450 3,272France 78 2,851Fr Germ 55,568 31,788Spain 161,280 72,692 2,178,180 953,612Italy 755,640 303,337 12,985,851 6,024,286Malaysa 605 7,608China 1,003,581 694,674 11,304,402 9,452,518Hg Kong 74,740 58,000Taiwan 23,148 34,273Japan 616 6,142TOTAL 1,957,542 1,103,251 27,040,413 16,782,590

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

November Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 8,316 7,747



China 7,200 4,757TOTAL 15,516 12,504

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

November Year To DateMexico 54,456 40,808China 2,520 2,456TOTAL 56,976 43,264

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

November Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 15,828 11,611 131,196 99,565China 7,200 5,020TOTAL 15,828 11,611 138,396 104,585

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

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 540,864 1,291,069 7,362,802 18,173,578Hondura 26,610 67,197 413,310 848,777Fr Germ 3,200 7,910China 42,390 77,739TOTAL 567,474 1,358,266 7,821,702 19,108,004

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

With or Without Handles, NESOINovember Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 320 2,388 5,727 39,636Mexico 85,174 174,942Salvadr 22,080 20,139Haiti 600 3,568Colomb 25,208 31,718Nethlds 36 3,883Fr Germ 8 7,013Estonia 2,400 17,042Italy 3,849 21,959Turkey 1,100 4,640Israel 174 5,130India 584 20,784Sri Lka 68,090 127,540 759,151 1,401,117Thailnd 5,000 5,045 97,884 183,810Vietnam 17,000 17,546 156,510 151,015Phil R 7,000 10,293China 2,592 2,962 185,072 371,668Taiwan 1,200 2,401TOTAL 93,002 155,481 1,353,757 2,470,758

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

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 73,836 124,381Mexico 1,327,441 206,453 11,286,242 1,952,932Chile 38,016 9,216Brazil 11,769,452 3,337,973Sweden 27,736 9,082 157,504 166,404Denmark 2,220 2,478U King 113,293 66,027Ireland 373,176 255,236 6,927,792 2,739,782Nethlds 38,597 7,813 615,326 67,062France 447 4,287Fr Germ 1,822,789 1,271,757 34,670,356 20,883,231Hungary 3,696 7,930Lichten 630 3,466Switzld 6,401,016 1,566,721 77,492,418 25,869,531Italy 220,500 88,934 1,731,608 823,666Greece 20,724 5,960 20,724 5,960Turkey 5,710 13,872Israel 20,736 3,469 786,632 167,705India 1,126,410 155,558 24,075,582 4,117,835

Thailnd 1,308,620 125,894 6,247,084 762,518Vietnam 5,601,672 325,817 15,311,685 1,987,855Malaysa 1,965,560 113,320 13,347,662 787,184Indnsia 12,900 3,049 891,916 65,058China 36,136,862 7,181,289 494,344,324 85,253,338Kor Rep 39,750 35,531 1,265,530 313,910Hg Kong 15,200 29,419 367,936 253,075Taiwan 437,573 113,887 4,045,422 975,171Japan 1,135,984 159,560 4,576,339 804,034Austral 383,000 56,709N Caldn 93,456 24,162Kenya 3,264 4,176TOTAL 58,033,246 11,658,749 710,649,102 151,650,928

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

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValuePoland 13,824 4,460Thailnd 77,040 23,086Vietnam 86,112 28,445China 4,440,786 1,087,095 43,788,242 11,479,751Kor Rep 149,030 28,307Hg Kong 64,800 8,826 707,136 123,448Taiwan 10,080 2,866TOTAL 4,505,586 1,095,921 44,831,464 11,690,363

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

Valued Not Over .40 EachNovember Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 2,419,800 161,790 39,110,497 3,244,874Nethlds 1,420,000 69,877Belgium 90,000 4,155France 564,364 141,117Fr Germ 5,420,370 582,439 44,375,829 7,601,351Italy 3,023,337 676,119India 1,058,580 32,574China 3,508,673 386,440 37,811,002 5,393,503Kor Rep 12,251,156 315,325Hg Kong 469,000 56,993Taiwan 247,240 56,872TOTAL 11,348,843 1,130,669 140,421,005 17,592,760

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

November Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 282,500 9,451Mexico 537,000 8,530 5,577,200 95,527U King 500,000 12,337Fr Germ 3,107,500 43,133 23,216,000 598,407Italy 11,725,000 131,687 34,277,900 388,014India 1,980,000 27,196Thailnd 4,320,000 15,612 4,320,000 15,612China 9,397,232 283,832 114,708,946 2,761,984Kor Rep 725,000 26,995 27,830,000 744,720Hg Kong 1,003,760 37,166 3,296,020 105,729Taiwan 100,128 2,421 1,578,208 35,750TOTAL 30,915,620 549,376 217,566,774 4,794,727

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

November Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 6,463,105 498,018 60,405,852 4,838,698Dom Rep 33,060 2,874Brazil 96,000 6,717 480,000 33,703U King 104,000 8,626Fr Germ 1,232,500 88,813India 739,308 60,200Indnsia 261,504 27,476China 10,505,470 772,215 110,598,247 8,944,204Kor Rep 5,513,320 372,932



BROOM CAPS BRUSH and HANDLE FERRULES

MANUFACTURING INCORPORATEDP.O. Box 6505 Wolcott, CT 06716 Phone 203-879-1481

Hg Kong 652,000 54,486Taiwan 144,720 12,510 1,541,496 107,525TOTAL 17,209,295 1,289,460 181,561,287 14,539,537

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

November Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 216 15,275 5,696 223,411Mexico 11,839,723 1,953,036 113,649,052 18,109,578Dom Rep 78,097 91,422 1,760,295 1,804,335Denmark 220 3,020U King 64,058 147,590 1,706,287 2,645,531Nethlds 5,000 12,734Belgium 55,160 76,219France 36,397 142,756 697,300 2,451,014Fr Germ 191,037 234,738 3,005,458 2,270,353Czech 120 2,267Switzld 662 23,871Spain 8,979 42,287 111,253 545,853Italy 27,223 25,560 261,681 237,431Greece 188 3,707Israel 2,500 5,450 7,742 20,441India 568,256 258,925 5,187,488 2,279,670Sri Lka 117,756 64,380 1,316,854 739,551Thailnd 303,461 154,217 2,759,093 1,798,653Vietnam 70,200 26,700China 13,536,611 7,780,043 152,291,638 102,871,227Kor Rep 128,880 84,411 2,239,364 2,276,489Hg Kong 396,926 170,387 4,626,757 2,420,829Taiwan 242,340 64,845 1,608,215 548,804Japan 296,675 763,578 2,770,153 7,972,787Austral 4,348 19,679Microns 2,240 3,114Mauritn 3,788 12,312 3,788 12,312Maurit 38,500 92,783TOTAL 27,842,923 12,011,212 294,184,752 149,492,363


Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 5,428 5,713 474,998 452,463Mexico 969,639 395,714 10,745,494 5,967,215Brazil 44,652 32,369Sweden 400 4,449 400 4,449U King 32,889 31,023Nethlds 70,770 9,613Fr Germ 353,743 134,425 3,718,334 943,343Austria 800 4,009Czech 25,060 9,777Italy 32,360 44,694Singapr 14,843 9,307 73,394 21,831China 3,100,411 1,017,567 35,353,031 17,617,799

Hg Kong 287,152 46,283 588,104 104,477Taiwan 15,000 15,525Japan 41,750 34,546TOTAL 4,731,616 1,613,458 51,217,036 25,293,133

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

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 7,000 3,110U King 94,715 59,140Nethlds 1,315 6,600Fr Germ 1,000 2,364Italy 44 7,438Thailnd 5,040 4,119Indnsia 433,440 52,819China 565,682 471,392 10,104,241 6,489,250Taiwan 117,308 928,313TOTAL 565,682 471,392 10,764,103 7,553,153

9603404040 Natural Bristle Brushes, Other Than Brushes OfSubheading 9603.30

November Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 24,024 26,720 38,319 41,362Sweden 100 4,542U King 169,741 137,817Nethlds 642 5,085France 1,340 3,475Fr Germ 43,752 37,633Italy 75,810 157,109Turkey 20,088 57,220 121,962 393,448Israel 12,000 9,423Thailnd 4,135 3,095 375,799 55,815Vietnam 569,244 75,999Indnsia 4,273,271 602,503 37,677,467 5,583,324China 61,199 35,060 903,849 365,802Taiwan 500 3,281 622,074 172,456Japan 6,600 56,958TOTAL 4,383,217 727,879 40,618,699 7,100,248

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

November Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 5,053 10,440 154,493 202,061Mexico 212 6,069Guatmal 33,420 29,187 76,737 81,319Brazil 61,948 33,372Sweden 25,000 10,527 50,331 49,851U King 103,396 82,306Nethlds 3,918 17,540France 1,663 6,872 1,663 6,872Fr Germ 17,637 50,555 86,233 266,651



Czech 24,000 15,098Switzld 517 2,358Poland 6 2,409 6 2,409Italy 51,053 77,207Turkey 8,856 24,875 19,188 55,111India 30,000 3,381Vietnam 47,416 14,011 950,268 258,439Singapr 20,250 8,805Indnsia 2,854,199 437,841 38,158,634 6,437,420China 9,825,677 3,004,971 145,909,173 48,728,471Kor Rep 216,400 37,030Hg Kong 48,000 7,340Taiwan 388,304 86,800 2,353,978 600,708Japan 13,252 36,188 354,903 170,113TOTAL 13,220,483 3,714,676 188,675,301 57,149,931

9603908010 WiskbroomsNovember Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 20,160 10,482Mexico 5,911 10,254Brazil 2,429 30,033China 68,734 50,977 565,495 470,980Taiwan 1,938 6,446Rep Saf 2,784 9,233TOTAL 68,734 50,977 598,717 537,428

9603908020 Upright BroomsNovember Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 496 12,171Mexico 55,302 46,540 509,092 525,337Guatmal 17,400 23,682 93,272 133,444Salvadr 41,054 39,858Colomb 64,020 51,978Brazil 7,368 57,144 268,055 434,764Fr Germ 670 6,848Spain 22,431 85,218Italy 92,454 120,319 351,176 505,534Vietnam 2,700 3,302 4,300 42,638Phil R 2,750 2,841China 790,668 1,027,276 6,383,139 7,102,677Hg Kong 11,520 15,366Taiwan 3,000 7,132 55,452 60,340Japan 100 15,000Egypt 7,020 5,668 42,360 29,762TOTAL 975,912 1,291,063 7,849,887 9,063,776

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

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueArgent 12,106 22,279Sri Lka 864 3,608 4,500 19,823China 3,000 15,705 75,090 184,601Taiwan 600 5,090TOTAL 3,864 19,313 92,296 231,793

9603908040 Other Brooms, NESOINovember Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 205,757 485,366 1,696,638 2,742,007Mexico 405,820 506,815 4,563,925 7,482,857Guatmal 143,655 142,780Salvadr 30,900 29,952 96,983 150,514Panama 12,120 21,842Dom Rep 1,577 27,278Colomb 15,000 18,750 326,540 393,453Venez 725,793 86,988Brazil 32,863 94,210 251,856 680,448U King 995 7,812 2,471 18,793Czech 28,176 27,014 291,482 251,171

Hungary 27,900 8,777Poland 18,992 13,658 18,992 13,658Spain 68,586 99,167 205,364 266,170Italy 158,195 188,502 805,031 1,194,637Israel 3,986 3,257India 5,625 4,320 18,719 18,141Sri Lka 71,232 132,134 515,424 1,159,199Thailnd 5,000 8,459 21,500 31,019Vietnam 3,400 5,001 51,190 48,058Indnsia 38,150 38,974China 524,571 518,588 6,209,163 7,101,572Kor Rep 182 2,789Taiwan 33,455 42,416 49,370 136,167Egypt 3,600 2,904Rep Saf 4,170 15,370TOTAL 1,608,567 2,182,164 16,085,781 22,038,823

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

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 2,724,805 23,273,758Mexico 2,414,529 35,856,743Salvadr 58,619 175,415Hondura 1,228,727 15,376,441Panama 9,716Dom Rep 76,122 395,971Colomb 85,331 1,251,911Chile 7,365 7,365Brazil 65,439 738,191Argent 143,088Sweden 13,528 172,258Norway 7,345 7,345Finland 10,595Denmark 167,831 1,226,493U King 11,975 864,883Ireland 3,612Nethlds 267,138 2,262,987Belgium 42,412 1,643,652France 5,695 132,581Fr Germ 144,564 2,147,886Austria 243,588Czech 1,306,500 1,548,419Switzld 2,347 248,073Estonia 2,309 2,309Lithuan 5,692 36,237Poland 5,934 53,403Russia 4,643Spain 63,192 556,203Portugl 2,290Italy 354,823 6,271,336Serbia 29,056Romania 8,611Turkey 2,480 49,649Syria 3,299Israel 439,817India 64,736 1,053,036Pakistn 287,922 3,985,541Sri Lka 263,306 3,729,707Thailnd 527,978 7,064,700Vietnam 14,865 485,040Malaysa 12,410 360,695Singapr 33,662Indnsia 19,676 513,738China 22,846,716 273,013,882Kor Rep 141,575 2,509,858Hg Kong 466,661 4,823,173Taiwan 995,861 10,817,380Japan 53,396 516,073Austral 298,569 1,830,523W Samoa 83,464Egypt 9,297 196,533TOTAL 35,067,670 406,214,829


A total of 16 short tons of broom corn was imported into theUnited States during December 2009, according to the U.S.Department of Commerce. Total value of this import was $26,521,with a cost per ton of $1,658 (83 cents per pound).

According to the government, two countries provided broomcorn for the month. India was the leading importer at 10 short tons,with a total value of $13,750 and a cost per ton of $1,375 (69 centsper pound). The other country to send broom corn was Mexicowith 6 short tons. Total value of this import was $12,771, with acost per ton of $2,129 ($1.06 per pound).

It should be noted that Broom, Brush & Mop is still in theprocess of working with officials from the U.S. Department ofCommerce about the possibility that not all imported broom cornentering the United States as of late is being correctly classifiedand/or counted. An informal poll taken among several U.S. broomcorn dealers in February revealed that at least 21 short tons ofbroom corn actually were imported into the United States duringDecember. It is also suspected that the Indian import for the monthis most likely not broom corn. It could possibly be palmyra.

Final 2009 broom corn import figures for the United States showedthat 324 short tons arrived into the country. Total value of this importwas $868,463, with a cost per ton of $2,680 ($1.34 per pound).

Richard Caddy of R.E. Caddy & Co., Inc., in Greensboro,NC, said he questions whether just 6 short tons of broom corn werebrought into the United States from Mexico in December. He alsofelt the price for this Mexican corn at $1.06 per pound was too low.

“You can’t even bring in raw broom corn at $1.06 per pound,”he said.

As for current activity in Mexico as of the middle of February,Caddy reported that processors have a little more broom corn avail-

able to them than earlier expected. This is due to carry-over inven-tory and a larger-than-expected second Torreon harvest in late 2009.

“We aren’t feeling the crunch right now of trying to find enoughbroom corn like was experienced last year at this time,” Caddy said.

He added that Mexican broom corn prices should remain steadyas long as there is enough broom corn available and demand doesnot escalate.

The next Mexican broom corn expected to be available comesfrom the Apatzingan region. This crop is usually smaller in quan-tity and used mostly for Mexican broom production.

“There was actually some decent Apatzingan broom corn lastyear that I ended up buying,” Caddy reported. “Occasionally, wewill see some pretty nice Apatzingan that is of good export quality.”

After returning from a trip to Mexico in mid-February, RayLeBlanc of PelRay International, LLC, in San Antonio, TX,reported that the second crop harvested last fall from the Torreonregion turned out to be approximately twice as large as earlier expect-ed. It was also larger than the first Torreon crop harvested in 2009.

“It’s not shocking (to see the second crop larger than the first),”Leblanc said. “It’s a little surprising, however, to receive reports thatthe second crop was to be quite small when, in fact, this was not thecase. The problem is, people aren’t traveling back and forth inTorreon like in past years. This is due to safety issues. There are atleast two (drug) cartels in the area fighting for control of that region.”

He added two weather-related factors helped increase yields ofthe second Torreon — a late frost and additional rainfall inOctober and November.

LeBlanc expects fewer supply problems to take place this springdue to more broom corn now available in Mexico.

Broom Corn Dealer Allen Pelton Celebrates 100th BirthdayAllen Lincoln Pelton, born Feb. 12, 1910, celebrated his centen-

nial birthday at his home in Fort Worth, TX, with a reception heldin his honor by his children, Alice, Julie and Bart.

Over 60 friends and family members, including his 10 grand-children and 7 great-grandchildren, wished him congratulations.By his side was his bride of 68 years, Katie Pelton. The couplewere often seen together at many broom corn and industry con-ventions.

Pelton has a long history in the broom industry. His father,Harve Pelton, went to work in the broom industry in 1900 andstarted National Broomcorn Company in Wichita, KS, in 1904.Allen Pelton first started selling broom corn in 1930 for his fatherwhen his education at the University of Oklahoma was temporar-ily interrupted by the Crash of ’29. He received his degree inmechanical engineering from OU in 1932. He continued workingfor his father from 1932-34 when broom corn typically sold forabout $600 per boxcar load. In 1935, he found a better paying job($75 a month) working in the oil industry where he met his longtime friend and future business partner, Francis “Rudy” LeBlanc.

Pelton enlisted in the Navy in 1942 and served as first lieutenant

in Charleston, SC, until the end of WorldWar II. In 1946 he moved to Fort Worthand started Pelton ManufacturingCompany with his brother Charlie. Thatsame year, Harve Pelton hired RudyLeBlanc to manage Southern StatesSupply Company in Birmingham, AL.

Allen Pelton took over management ofNational Broomcorn Company in 1950 after the untimely death ofhis father. He spent many summers in the 1950s and 60s in SouthTexas buying broom corn. He started a broom corn processingplant in Oklahoma in the late 1960s and opened the first broomcorn warehouse in Laredo, TX, in 1968.

In 1977, Allen Pelton hired his son, Bart, and Rudy’s son, Ray,to work for National Broomcorn Company. (Both sons are stillworking in the industry with PelRay International.)

In his youth Allen Pelton loved to play tennis, basketball, baseballand poker. At 92, he bought his first computer and still gets on theInternet daily. He is actively managing his stock portfolio, exercis-ing on his stationary bike and will always take time to share a story.

U.S. Imports 16 Short Tons Of Broom Corn In December

Allen Pelton

Continued On Page 30



that paint, that paint project and that paint retailer really shine atthe end of the day. Paint is a liquid in a can. It is a raw material.You really unlock the secrets and the attributes of that paint canwhen you use the right quality sundries. It is our job to focus our-selves on the next breakthrough of rollers, brushes and pads, andpossibly the next ‘unknowns’ in applicators or application tech-niques that lie in our future.”

Contact: Shur-Line — A Newell Rubbermaid Company, 8935NorthPointe Executive Dr., Huntersville, NC 28078.

Phone: 704-987-6083; Fax: 704-987-4340.Web site: www.shurline.com.

For nearly a century-and-a-half, T.S. Simms & Co.Limited, of Saint John, New Brunswick, has been one ofthe foremost manufacturers of quality paint applicators in

Canada. The company is currently owned by Chairman/CEOThomas S. Simms, the founder’s great-grandson.

T.S. Simms’ started in 1866 and the company’s productionfacilities have been located in Saint John since 1872.

“We have a long history. We have been in business about 144years spanning four generations of the Simms family,” Simmssaid. “We manufacture handmade professional brushes. We alsohave an extensive consumer line of brushes that we have made inChina to our specs. This allows us to control the quality of whatwe are offering. In addition, we manufacture rollers. We offerquite a range of paint applicator accessories.”

While the worldwide economic downturn has had some impact inCanada, the country has not suffered as much as the United States.

“Business has been good for us. We have held our own in theface of all that has been happening around us, and we have actu-ally experienced significant growth,” Simms said. “We are thank-ful that things have worked out the way that they have.”

There is evidence that the down economy has spawned a signif-icant upturn in the do-it-yourself marketplace.

“We have noticed there is more emphasis on renovation andhome decorating. You can see it in the way a number of the largeretailers are promoting their businesses. It is also evident in thepopularity of television shows that are promoting renovation andhome decorating,” Simms said. “Generally, all of this has beenvery beneficial to our industry.”

T.S. Simms sells direct, both through resale and also throughdistribution. The company’s customer base includes hardware,building supply, wallpaper, paint and industrial businesses. Thecompany believes that product development is one of the keys toremaining competitive in the paint applicator and paint acces-sories marketplace.

“We feel that we are very strong in merchandising and promo-tions. With our merchandising programs, we have software thatfacilitates organizing the array of brushes and rollers that we wantto present. This system has been very effective for us,” Simmssaid. “We have also found the move to eco-friendly products hasbeen worthwhile as well.”

One of the company’s newest entries into the eco-friendly mar-ket place is its Eco Sense line of paint rollers, utilizing recycledplastic, roller fabric and compostable packaging. Simms creditedPresident Chuck Martin as having been instrumental in the suc-

cess of the Eco Sense line.“When we were developing the Eco Sense line, we wanted to

make sure we were developing environmentally friendly productsthat perform well and are durable,” Martin said. “We feel productsmust be long-lasting to be eco-friendly.”

Simms added: “The Eco Sense line is going extremely well. Ithas been very carefully developed. We wanted to make sure of ourground in terms in what materials were recycled; therefore, every-thing has been certified. We are cautious because sometimes peo-ple can present something as recycled that really isn’t. There canbe a lot of misrepresentation. So we have been very careful and wehave also made sure that what we develop really performs well.”

When it comes to the green aspects inherent in the company’sline of quality paintbrushes, longevity is also key.

“In paintbrushes you are looking for something that is durable,”Martin said. “Our feeling on paintbrushes is as long as the end-user is buying good quality products and re-using them, they arebeing friendly to the environment.”

While the company makes some professional brushes by hand,automation is also an important ingredient.

“We have continued to make investments in our operations andwe have some new state-of-the-art equipment,” Simms said. “Thisequipment is important to help us remain competitive and keepour quality at a high level. We do have a number of operations thatrequire skill, and we are fortunate to have craftsmen here whohave experience and who make certain products by hand.”

In good times or bad, there are always challenges to overcomein business. One of the challenges T.S. Simms faces is the fluctu-ating exchange rate between the U.S. and Canadian dollars.

“Some of the challenges will be the nature of consolidation inour trade. There is also uncertainty with respect to the exchangerate, especially when it is fluctuating,” Simms said. “On the otherhand, we remain very optimistic about the future. We see contin-ued growth in our roller business, which has been substantial. Also,the emphasis on home renovation and decorating is really going tohelp all of us in the paintbrush industry in the days ahead.”

When Simms thinks about what has made his company so success-ful for so long, it is T.S. Simms’ employees that he thinks of first.

“We would have never been able to achieve what we have if itwas not for them,” he said. “Also, we have been strong in introduc-ing innovations that have made a true difference. We have a num-ber of products that we have developed for which we have patents.

“We have also been strong in system development — computersystems. We feel you have to be ‘with it’ in that realm, or you arejust not going to be able to come through for the customer.

“The investment in our plant operations has been another factoras has our consistent emphasis on quality and service. Unless youkeep this in the forefront, you are going to lose ground and fade.

“We feel we have had competitive pricing over the years, andwith the combination of things we can offer, that is what certain-ly has contributed to our success.

“When we look at the future of paintbrush making and rollermaking, these products have stood the test of time. They are veryeffective economic tools for the homeowner to use.”Contact: T.S. Simms & Co., Limited, 33 Bridge Road, P.O. Box

820, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4C5. Phone: 506-635-6330; Fax:506-635-6309.

E-mail: [email protected] site: www.simms.ca.


PaintbrushContinued From Page 10


Zahoransky Develops True-Grit Abrasive Tufting System


The Zahoransky Group of Germany has introduced True-Grit,its latest development in staple-set machinery for tufting brusheswith abrasive filaments.

According to the company, while the current abrasive systemfrom Zahoransky has proven to be a work horse for the industry,the True-Grit system nonetheless introduces several upgrades.This includes: New cruising speed of 400 rpm for filament up to12-inches long; New patented wear free stock box; New low costnotched material picker with quick change features fabricatedfrom wear resistant material, providing significantly improved

picker life; New special suction system reducing ambient abrasivedust by up to 90 percent; and, Special filling tool with quickchange head, including low-cost wear parts.

The True-Grit system can be installed with Zahoranskymachine models ET, TH and V for producing all types of industri-al staple-set brushes.

For more information, contact: Zahoransky USA, 1981 Bucktail Lane, Sugar Grove, IL 60554.

Phone: 630-466-1901.E-mail: [email protected]

INDEX OF ADVERTISERSABMA ..........................................................................30Amerwood ......................................................................1Caddy & Co., Inc., R.E.................................................20Carlson Tool .................................................................21Chung Thai Brushes Co..................................................8Crystal Lake ..................................................................11Jones Companies.............................................................5Line Manufacturing, Inc. ..............................................26Manufacturers Resource ...............................................31PelRay International .......................................................3St. Nick Brush Co. ........................................................21Zahoransky ...............................................................2, 32Zhenjiang Ruifeng Brush Co. ........................................7

“Whenever there is enough broom corn to have a carry-over situ-ation, it always influences pricing,” LeBlanc said. “We are now like-ly to see (Mexican broom corn) prices remain where they currentlyare or become lower somewhat heading into the new crop (season).”

LeBlanc also reported that the Apatzingan harvest is quite earlythis year with material heavy to insides.

“This broom corn is becoming better in quality and possessinglonger material with each passing week. It’s probably still 80 to 85percent insides,” LeBlanc said on February 18.

Tim Monahan of The Thomas Monahan Co., in Arcola, IL,was unavailable for comment for this month’s broom corn dealersurvey.

Dealer SurveyContinued From Page 28


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• Available, No Import Delays• Quality Made In The USA

• Competitive Pricing

P.O. Box 720396, Atlanta, GA 30358Fax: 770-491-0101Phone: 800-772-8503 or 770-491-0080E-mail: [email protected]

MANUFACTURERSRESOURCE, INC.


broom, brush & mop march 2010

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