Staple nylon could be used in constructions and styles that were not possible with a continuous filament yarn — plush, lustrous constructions. And in recent years, the industry has made increasing use polypropylene and other continuous filament yarns. By the end of the s, the new tufted carpet industry had raced past the old woven industry. While the total volume of carpet sales skyrocketed, woven sales actually fell. Tufted products accounted for all the growth in the industry through the s.
Tufted carpet sales increased from about 6 million square yards in to nearly million yards in Carpet finally became a staple of middle and working class home furnishings — indeed, it became the default floor covering over much of the nation for decades. The logjam had been broken by product substitution. Per household sales increased for the first time since the turn of the century.
By , Americans consumed over 12 square yards of carpet per family per year, up from 1. Woven sales drifted downward in the same period from 67 million yards to just over 40 million. Woven products did not disappear. High-end consumers still sought the assumed quality of woven goods, and woven products continued to dominate specialty commercial markets — hotel lobbies, casinos, etc.
But tufted carpet achieved total dominance of not just the residential carpet market, but the residential flooring market in general. The brief narrative sketched above outlines the emergence of an industrial district. By the s, the district had developed several distinct features. The carpet complex was characterized by the rapid emergence of new firms.
The industry had developed from the deep roots of textile manufacture and, specifically, bedspread making. Carpet manufacture was also a decentralized affair. A few large firms, such as Cabin Crafts and E.
Barwick Mills, spun some of their own yarn and finished some of their own carpets in-house by the s, but most of the hundreds of small firms relied on independent yarn spinning or production mills and independent commission finishing firms. Carpet finishing provided the industry with significant flexibility.
Mills produced some carpets with pre-dyed yarns, but tufted significant yardage with undyed yarn. Commission finishing companies provided these services. Initially post-production dyeing was handled in dye becks, or large drums. That is, finishers dyed carpets by the piece albeit large pieces, feet or more in length. Dye becks were produced locally and regionally.
Clearly this industry originated in northwest Georgia because of the peculiar skill set developed among managers, mechanics, and workers. With so many firms and workers in close proximity, improvements in technology, management practices, marketing, and other arenas were rapidly transmitted throughout the industry. Though different in many ways, Paul Krugman has observed, the relatively low-tech carpet industry of the Appalachian foothills was quite similar to the high-tech Silicon Valley in these respects.
In the s, European firms introduced continuous dyeing equipment to the U. Continuous dyeing equipment held out the potential for more effective use of mass production techniques — an endless stream of white carpet moving through a dye range capable of rapidly shifting colors.
The continuous ranges were, however, frightfully expensive compared to dye becks. The relative expense of the equipment in this evolving industry offers a window into the strategic options available to management. Through the s, the well-nigh indestructible tufting machines were available second-hand — a bit slower than brand new models installed by larger mills, but still effective for smaller product runs. That particular barrier to entry into this new industry was quite low.
The stakes in finishing were much higher, but the risks were shared among the finisher and his many customers. The capital stakes rose for finishers. The carpet boom slowed in the s as did the rest of the US economy. The recessions of the mids brought an end to the double-digit annual growth rates of the earlier period.
In a slower growth environment, attention to cost became critical. Some firms adapted to the changing environment, but many did not. Adaptation generally involved vertical integration. Particularly during the s, a few firms took the lead in bringing yarn spinning and eventually production of extruded, continuous filament yarn in-house, integrating backward toward raw materials.
Check out the colors below:. Introducing In-Line, the latest introduction to the Tuva Bloomsburg product offering. In-Line offers a sleek modern design in a rugged Wilton construction, suitable for corporate and hospitality uses.
Check out In-Line for yourself by contacting your local agent, downloading the In-Line Brochure here or by ordering a free sample at BloomsburgCarpet.
This month marks the 44th year Bloomsburg Carpet has been weaving the finest luxury carpets. We would like to thank all of our loyal employees and talented craftsman who give the utmost attention to quality and detail and for all their hard work throughout the years.
And to our customers, we are floored by your loyalty and thank you for your commitment to the craftsmanship and quality of Bloomsburg Carpets. We look forward to many more years of carpeting your spaces. The latest addition to the Tuva Bloomsburg collection is Amulet! Amulet features the hottest commercial color palette and is crafted to fit any commercial space. Check out Amulet for yourself by contacting your local agent, downloading the Amulet brochure here or by ordering a free sample at BloomsburgCarpet.
Read these exciting trad publication announcements regarding the partnership between Zeftron Nylon and Bloomsburg Carpet.
The style of carpet was so sought-after that for several years the company stuck with the same color and pattern. Another innovator in the carpet industry, Alexander Smith of West Farms, New York, teamed with Halcyon Skinner to form a profitable carpet company employing over a thousand people…Smith was elected to Congress in but died the very same day.
By the late s the company was the largest carpet manufacturer in the world. He realized there was also a demand for affordable Oriental style area rugs and decided to become his own supplier. In the s he built his own plant in North Carolina to manufacture area rugs. Some of the equipment of that era is still in use today! Production started in , and the company was able to produce beautiful and long-lasting area carpets that equaled the look of hand-knotted Persian rugs at a much more agreeable price point than the Middle Eastern versions.
Side note: Here at D. Their quality and longevity is comparable to many hand-knotted Oriental rugs. In spite of incremental progress in production efficiency, woven carpets still seemed to be too expensive for the working class market.
Cons: price for the higher end lines. Olefin polypropylene — Pros: durable, water and stain resistant. Cons: resiliency. Recommended for low-pile carpets only. Polyester — Pros: soft, holds color, resists soil. Acrylic — Pros: can look and feel like wool, moisture and mildew resistant. Not recommended for carpeting in rooms usually reserved for bathroom mats.
Cons: difficult to keep clean. Can be used in high traffic areas. Example: berber Cut-pile carpets — Pros: look and feel. Cons: durability. Examples: least durable to most velvets , saxonies, friezes Cut-loop pile — Pros: durability.
0コメント