Quilting equipment supplier Gribetz International, part of Leggett & Platt’s Global Systems Group in Sunrise, Fla., is celebrating its 70th anniversary. The company was founded by Dan Gribetz, who began manufacturing king–size, lock–stitch quilting machines in 1940.
The Gribetz brand of quilters counts a number of milestones in its history. In the 1970s, it developed a positive drive to accommodate thick quilt packages. In the 1980s, Gribetz pioneered the first three needle–bar quilter for sewing plush, 12–inch patterns. Its first computerized quilter, the Gribetz Ultra 12, allowed manufacturers to create 360–degree patterns and the tack–and–jump quilting style. In the late 1980s, Gribetz produced the multineedle chain–stitch machine, the DG2000 series.
In the 1990s, the company’s high–speed machinery introductions and new software helped reduce waste and better organize quilt production. Its newest Axiom quilter is even faster and its dual–bridge, multihead sewing system enhances creativity and productivity, according to the company.
