Mattress industry supplier AEC Narrow Fabrics has bought controlling interest in manufacturer Telas Elasticas S.à.r.l. in Quimiscan, Honduras.
AEC manufactures woven, knitted, rigid and elastic narrow fabrics. The new facility is the Asheboro N.C.-based supplier’s fifth plant in Central and North America. The acquisition expands AEC’s product line and development capabilities, the company said.
“This is a significant strategic step for AEC,” said Bob Lawson, AEC president. “We are now a full-range supplier of narrow elastics and rigid fabrics. In Honduras, the Tesa plant will manufacture jacquards and intimate apparel elastics. AEC’s plant in El Salvador will focus on knitted production. Our capacity will grow by more than 30%. We have increased our ability to support our customers as they increase their production in Central and North America and move more programs back from Asia.”
Jeff Crisco, AEC vice president, added: “This new location’s beam and skein dyeing and its extensive sample dyeing equipment will speed our ability to match customers’ new color requests. We will also have the region’s largest silicone coating operation. Strong quality-assurance testing is one of AEC’s strengths. The Tesa location adds new state-of-the-art QA labs, required by many of our largest customers for their exacting standards. With production in North America, Honduras and El Salvador, we are very well situated to ensure exceptional quality as we supply and service our customers.”
