Broom, Brush & Mop May 2009

92nd ABMAAnnual Convention

Coverage

ABMA DivisionReports

Industrial & MaintenancePaint Applicator

Broom & Mop

Suppliers

ABMAPhoto Gallery

Imports/ExportsImports Show MixedSigns To Start 2009

May 2009

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

BBM.May.v 4/27/09 9:15 AM Page 1

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Broom, Brush & MopA RANKIN PUBLISHING PUBLICATION May 2009 Volume 99, Number 5

CALENDAR

ASSOCIATIONSAMERICAN BRUSH MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION

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

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

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

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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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Import/Export Overview ________________________28January Imports & Exports _____________________30Broom Corn Dealer Survey _____________________36

FEATURES

CO-PUBLISHERS

Don Rankin Linda Rankin

EDITOR

Harrell Kerkhoff

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Rick MullenGRAPHIC/PRODUCTION

Jennie GraceDavid Opdyke

STAFF

RECEPTION

Sandy Pierce

Mark Godfrey New ABMA PresidentAttendance, Membership Strong As ABMAHolds 92nd Convention In Miami Beach, FL _________6

ABMA Divisions Elect New Officers,Report On Industry Events ______________________13

ABMA Speaker Gives Tips On Being Green ________17

ABMA Photo Gallery __________________________20

PAGE 4 BROOM, BRUSH & MOP May 2009

MAY 5-7, 2009National Hardware Show, Las Vegas, NVInformation: 203-840-5622

JUNE 27-28, 2009Canadian Brush Manufacturers Association Annual ConferenceNiagara-on-the-Lake, OntarioInformation: 416-971-7800

OCTOBER 6-9, 2009ISSA/INTERCLEAN®, Chicago, ILInformation: 800-225-4772

NOVEMBER 19-20, 2009National Broom & Mop Meeting, St. Louis, MOInformation: 800-626-7282 or 800-637-7739

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

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

DEPARTMENTS




By Harrell KerkhoffBroom, Brush & Mop Editor

With the theme “Going Green” serving as a backdrop,the 92nd Annual American Brush ManufacturersAssociation (ABMA) Annual Convention took place

March 25-28 at the Eden Roc Renaissance Resort & Spa in MiamiBeach, FL.

The event was full of networking and educational opportunitiesas brush, mop, broom, roller, squeegee and related industry man-ufacturers and suppliers gathered for four days of meetings, sem-inars, receptions and recreational activities.

Included in this year’s convention was the annual SuppliersDisplay on March 27. Suppliers from across North America andthe world displayed various products and had a chance to meetboth new and existing ABMA active manufacturer members.During this display time two companies gave technical presen-tations. They were Monahan Filaments, of Middlebury, VT,which discussed the topic “Not All Nylons Are Created Equal”;and MYTec Soft, of Lexington, SC, which presented “UsingERP To Streamline And Enhance Your Organization.”

The Suppliers Display was then followed by the AnnualFinished Goods Display, where several manufacturers displayedtheir finished products.

A highlight near the start of the Annual Convention was theOpening Business Session/President’s Welcome on March 26.Presiding over the event was ABMA President Barry Harper, ofHarper Brush Works, Fairfield, IA.

Harper expressed his appreciation to all those who attended thisyear’s convention, especially in the wake of hard economic condi-tions influencing many of today’s businesses. It was announcedthat 225 people attended this year’s Annual Convention, anincrease over last year’s final number of 200 participants whichwas attributed, in part, to the 2008 show being close on the calen-dar to last year’s InterBrush.

During its 2009 Annual Convention, ABMA welcomed 35 first-time attendees, 8 new member companies and 4 prospective mem-ber companies.

Harper also introduced several members from other trade asso-ciations at the Opening Business Session who made the trip toMiami Beach for the ABMA event. They were: Henk Slettenhaarof the European Brushware Federation (FEIBP), Tony

Ponikvar of the Canadian Brush Manufacturers Association(CBMA); and Gianantonio Pogliani of ASSOSPAZZOLE (TheItalian Brush & Broom Manufacturers Association).

Slettenhaar spoke of the importance of “going green” in today’sbusiness world, which not only was the theme of this year’sABMA Annual Convention, but also is very popular in his homecountry of The Netherlands.

“There are more bicycles than cars in The Netherlands — 20million bikes to 16 million people. Almost all of these people goto work on their bikes,” Slettenhaar said.

He added that despite today’s economic recession in many partsof the world, it’s important for brush makers and other manufac-turers/suppliers to remain optimistic.

“It’s important to pull out all the stops to ride out this storm. Alarge number of European brush companies have existed for gen-erations and have built financial reserves which have helped them

Outgoing ABMA President Barry Harper, left, was honored by NewABMA President Mark Godfrey at the ABMA Convention.


May 2009 BROOM, BRUSH & MOP PAGE 7

Machines Boucherie NV was the winner of theInnovation Excellence Award. Bart Boucherie,left, accepted the award from Carlos Petzold,

chair of the Award Committee.

Jim Furgale, left, and Fred Spach, retiringABMA Board Members were honored by

ABMA. Presenting their plaques is outgoingABMA President Barry Harper.

Retiring ABMA Officer, Board Member,and Committee Member Ken Rakusin,

left, was also honored by ABMA and Harper.

through this crisis,” Slettenhaar said. Tony Ponikvar spoke of CBMA’s close relationship with the

ABMA — both in the past, present and well into the future.“There is tremendous value coming to (ABMA) meetings, vis-

iting with suppliers and networking with other brush makers,”Ponikvar said.

Also introduced during the Opening Business Session was

Messe Freiburg Director Daniel Strowitzki, who discussed lastyear’s InterBrush. Messe Freiburg is Freiburg, Germany’s exhi-bition and conference center.

InterBrush, which is held every four years, is an event forthose associated with the brush, broom and related industries,allowing these people to visit with various machinery manu-facturers from around the world and see the latest in equip-


ment.Strowitzki reported an attendance increase for the April 2008

InterBrush event over 2004 figures. “In 2008, there were 185 exhibitors from 28 countries in

attendance, compared to 148 exhibitors from 21 countries in2004,” Strowitzki said. “From the visitors side, there were6,000 visitors and 89 countries represented in 2008, while in2004 we saw 5,500 visitors participate and 88 countries repre-sented.”

He added that a large attendance of exhibitors and visitors areexpected again for the 2012 InterBrush event.

“We have not finalized the exact dates of when (InterBrush)will be held in 2012. We are still hoping to move the show datesback a little bit toward the end of April or beginning of May. Thiswould allow more time to take place between the ABMA andInterBrush conventions during that year,” Strowitzki said. “We arevery proud to have this show in Freiburg and to also work with theABMA. It’s a lot of fun and I think we will have a very good showagain in 2012.”

Harper also discussed the importance of InterBrush.“As many here know, (InterBrush) is a great show. One of the

benefits is that ABMA is now a partner (of the event),” Harpersaid.

He added that part of the $55,000-plusreceived from InterBrush in 2008 allowedABMA officials to reduce fees that ABMAmembers pay in order to attend the AnnualConvention. Harper continued that a verygood alliance remains in place betweenABMA and InterBrush.

Several trade partners of ABMA werealso recognized during the OpeningBusiness Session. This included JackChambers, president of freight vendorTransportation Programs for Associations (TPA), of West Orange, NJ. TPAhas been partnering with ABMA for nineyears to provide transportation programs atnegotiated rates. A goal of the company isto deliver cost efficient shipping, ware-house and distribution solutions to ABMAmembers.

“I want to lead off with two very positivethings,” Chambers told those in attendanceat the Opening Business Session. “Both theprice of diesel and fuel surcharges aredown.

“Also, we have (recently) found in rene-gotiating people’s freight programs, thateven though their volume of business hasfallen, it’s possible right now to get bettertransportation rates with less volume dueto the excess capacity available amongtruckers in the marketplace. We are findingthat costs are actually falling in transporta-tion.”

Harper added that one of the benefits ofmembership in ABMA is the availability ofsuch third party partners as TPA.

ABMA Welcomes New Members /First-Time Convention Attendees

Nine new ABMA-member compa-nies were recognized during theOpening Business Session. These

companies are: Haviland Corporation, of


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Linn, MO; Crystal Lake Mfg., Inc., of Autaugaville, AL;Redtree Industries, LLC, of Commerce, CA; K DManufacturing, of Suwanee, GA; Smith Equipment & SupplyCompany, of Lakeland, FL; Corona Brushes, of Tampa, FL;Unimac s.r.l., of Zola Predosa, Italy; Brush One, of Millersburg,PA; and Atlas Graham Industries Co. LT., of Winnipeg,Canada.

Several representatives of these companies presented briefdescriptions of their individual businesses during the OpeningBusiness Session. They include:

n Jan Haviland, of the Haviland Corporation, who explainedthat her 63-year-old company is a U.S. manufacturer that special-izes in providing a large selection of squeegee and other relatedproducts;

n Edward Pearson, of Crystal Lake, who said his company,which dates back to 1935, manufactures such cleaning products ascorn brooms, plastic brooms, wet mops and dust mops inAlabama. The company not only is strong in OEM manufacturing,but it also sells through distributors who are located in manyregions;

n John Leone, of Redtree Industries, LLC, who, along withBill Loitz and Ken Rakusin, have recently acquired the 32-year-old company, said Redtree’s operations have been moved fromNew Jersey to the Los Angeles, CA, area. The business manufac-tures and distributes a full line of paint applicator products;

n Tom Klatt, of K D Manufacturing, who said his companymanufactures strip brushes and strip brush products. It specializesin supplying brushes to fit special needs markets and short runs;and,

n Vanes Villani, of Unimac s.r.l., who explained that the Italiancompany produces equipment for the manufacture of such prod-ucts as broom handles and brushes. He said the company’s cus-tomer base is mostly located in Europe and has recently expandedinto the United States.

Others attending their first ABMA Annual Convention werealso announced. They were: Caleb Gonzalez, Alamo BroomCompany, San Antonio, TX; Albert Waksman, CoronaBrushes, Tampa, FL; Patrick Debideen, Felton BrushesLimited, Hamilton, ON; Joyce Dudenhoeffer, Haviland

Corporation, Linn, MO; Charles Coward and Phillip Coward,Hill Brush, Wiltshire, United Kingdom; Mark Saji, LinzerProducts Corp., Wyandanch, NY; Andrew Marsden and DennisDe Renzo, Paint Sundry Brands LLC, Portland, OR; RobertMcMahon, Precision Brush Co., Solon, OH; Sandy Arnold,S.M. Arnold, St. Louis, MO; Doug Mattice, Sealeze, Richmond,VA; Cathy Sutton, Shur-Line, Huntersville, NC; Karey Smith,Smith Equipment & Supply Co., Lakeland, FL; David Maliziaand Ryan Cortner, United Rotary Brush Corp., Lenexa, KS;R.J. Lindstrom, Zephyr Manufacturing Co., Sedalia, MO;Glauco Generali, Borghi s.p.a., Castelfranco, Italy; MarkHartig, Hahl Inc., Lexington, SC; Bob Dill, MonahanFilaments, Middlebury, VT; Christopher Marshall, OsbornInternational, Cleveland, OH; Raul Molina, Paul Marsh LLC.,New York, NY; Robert Dous, Zahoransky AG, Todtnau,Germany; Henk Slettenhaar and Eveline Lourens, FEIBP,Tilburg, The Netherlands; Bryan Peters, MB Companies, Inc.,New Holstein, WI; Barry Berhoff, Shurhold Industries, Inc.,Palm City, FL; Mike Ho and Stephen Tzeng, Union Brush-Eang Lian Corp., Chia Ting, Taiwan; and Steve Pandolfo,Sunset Transportation, Livingston, NJ.

Also recognized were four past ABMA presidents in attendance.They were: John Lindstrom 1997-1999, Zephyr Mfg. Co.,Sedalia, MO; John Cottam 2001-2003, Industrial BrushCorporation, Pomona, CA; Bruce Gale 2003-2005, MichiganBrush Mfg. Co., Inc., Detroit, MI; and Immediate Past ABMAPresident Kenneth Rakusin 2005-2007, Gordon Brush Mfg., Co.,Inc., Commerce, CA.

New ABMA Officers Elected

New ABMA officers were elected and announced duringthe Closing Business Session held on the final day (March28) of the ABMA Annual Convention. They are:

President — Mark Godfrey, of Felton Brush Inc., Londonderry,NH; Vice President — Ian Moss, Static Faction, Salem, MA;Treasurer — Jeff Malish, The Malish Corporation, Willoughby,OH.; and Past President — Barry Harper. Terms for these postsrun three years (2009-2011).

Henk Slettenhaarof FEIBP/European Brushware Federation

Tony Ponikvarof CBMA

Daniel Strowitzkiof Messe Freiburg

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Also recognized during the Closing Business Session wereretiring directors James Furgale, of Furgale Industries,Winnipeg, Canada; Frederick Spach Jr., of Carolina BrushMfg., Co., Inc., Gastonia, NC; and Past President KennethRakusin. These men were thanked for their lengthy service to theindustry and ABMA.

Incoming ABMA President Mark Godfrey presented outgoingPresident Barry Harper with a salute and gifts, including a newracing bicycle due to Harper’s desire to participate in futuretriathlons.

According to Harper, it’s been his honor to serve in variousleadership roles for ABMA throughout the years.

“I would like to thank the (ABMA) Board and members for allof their support that they have given me. It’s a great organization,”Harper said. “I also urge everyone to consider being active in anyABMA committee or the board. The association is only as good asits membership and support.”

Various committee reports also highlighted the ClosingBusiness Session. ABMA Treasurer Ian Moss reported that theassociation remains in good financial condition. He added it wasgood to see 225 people attend this year’s Annual Convention inthe wake of today’s economic recession.

Moss was also the chair of the ABMA MembershipCommittee and reported on recent growth figures of the associa-tion, which included nine new member companies and four

prospective member companies. He reported that ABMA mem-bers Mark Fultz, of Abtex Corporation, Dresden, NY; DanielSinykin, of Monterey Inc./Roller Fabrics, Janesville, WI; andCarlos Petzold, of Borghi USA, Aberdeen, MD, were awardedthe prize for bringing in the most new ABMA members duringthe past year.

“We (at ABMA) try to attract 8 to 10 new members a year tostay where we are due to normal attrition that takes place amongexisting members,” Moss said. “I encourage everybody who feelsthey know someone who might want to become a member tomake that phone call and see if they can a least get them toexpress an interest. (ABMA Executive Director David Parr)will then send them a package that details all of the benefits ofmembership. Our benefits are also displayed on the Web site(www.abma.org).”

Harper added that it helps when ABMA-member manufactur-ers encourage their different suppliers to look into ABMAmembership, and that suppliers who are currently members canalso help by asking their manufacturer customers to join aswell.

ABMA Convention Committee Chair Mark Godfreyspoke of a main format change to this year’s convention sched-ule, as ABMA’s different division meetings were held onWednesday as opposed to Saturday. Godfrey said he felt thisformat change had been successful and that the ABMA

BBM.May.v 4/27/09 9:16 AM Page 11


Convention Committee always welcomes feedback from mem-bers.

“The Convention Committee really does look at (survey forms)from attendees. We take the information very seriously on how weare doing and seek feedback in order to improve the convention,”Godfrey said.

He noted that future ABMA Annual Convention dates and loca-tions are as follows: March 17-20, 2010, at Champions GateOmni Resort, Orlando, FL; March 23-26, 2011, at Hyatt RegencyLost Pines, Austin, TX; and March 7-10, 2012, at PGA NationalResort and Spa, Palm Beach Gardens, FL.

Godfrey noted that the ABMA Convention Committee is alsostarting to make plans for the 2013 and2014 conventions.

ABMA Public Relations CommitteeChair Carlos Petzold discussed changesmade last year to www.abma.org. He alsonoted that the ABMA staff now internal-ly maintains this site, saving the associa-tion approximately $6,000 per year.

It was also noted by Petzold thatABMAs 100th anniversary of 2017 isfast approaching. A working committeehas been formed to plan for this mile-stone.

“There is a task force that is trying toput together ideas of what we (as anassociation) want to do for the 100thanniversary; how we can look back onthe history of ABMA as well as looktoward the future,” Petzold said. “Wewill be sending out some informationrequesting historical documents, etc., tohelp in this celebration. We want to holdon to our history as we work toward thenext 100 years.”

Presenting an ABMA Safety &Standards report was Committee Co-Chair Fred Spach Jr. He reported thatABMA is 100 percent compliant withits Safety Slip Program. These slips are used on products to warnconsumers of potential hazards in the design, care and use ofpower brushes. The slips are a copyrighted document thatincludes the ABMA logo, address and Web site. ABMA sellssafety slips to various companies that make power brushes andthat comply with proper standards. Companies that purchasesafety slips through ABMA must also provide a manufacturer’smark.

Safety slip sales provide ABMA dollars that go toward main-taining the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) B165.1standard. This standard establishes requirements for the design,care and use of power-driven brushing tools in order to preventinjuries to users.

Spach also stated that the current American Society for Testingand Materials (ASTM) standard for brooms and mops remains ineffect.

Another report was presented by ABMA Statistical CommitteeChair Jill Shinners, of Pioneer Packaging, Inc., Chicopee, MA.She explained that the goal of this committee “is to help determinewhat surveys, studies and other activities are helpful to ABMAmembers while conducting their businesses. The committee alsoworks to encourage membership to participate in various activitiesin an attempt to add value. The Statistical Committee does nothave access to any individual members’ content or figures regard-ing surveys.”

Three ABMA surveys are distributed and published on a rotat-ing three-year cycle. They are the Data Collection Survey, theBusiness Ratio Survey and the Wage and Benefit Survey. Shinners

said that in 2008, 18 member companiesresponded to the Business Ratio Surveyand in 2009, the Data Collection Surveywill be distributed. She urged strong par-ticipation for this and all ABMA sur-veys.

GB Boucherie NV Wins The 2009 ABMA Innovation Excellence Award

Toward the end of the ClosingBusiness Session, it was an-nounced that ABMA had award-

ed its Fourth Annual William CordesInnovation Excellence Award toMachines Boucherie NV, of Izegem,Belgium, for the company’s AFT-HHbrush making machine. There wereeight products nominated for this year’saward.

Machines Boucherie President BartBoucherie thanked the ABMA for theaward, adding, “The award helps pro-vide the stimulus to continue to developthis technology.”

The Boucherie AFT-HH brush mak-ing machine features a reduction inmaterial costs while also maintaining

high output of up to 1,500 picks per minute with zero indextime. Its design allows for dissimilar component technologyand a fully recyclable product. The AFT-HH utilizesBoucherie’s patented anchorless technology.

The William Cordes Innovation Excellence Award recog-nizes outstanding innovation of manufactured products,components or services in the brush, broom, mop and rollerindustries. The award is named after William Cordes, whoserved as the association’s first president from 1917 to1928.

The award serves as a reminder that all new and excitingendeavors have beginnings that connect with real people.Interested parties are encouraged to submit nominations to ABMAduring any calendar year for consideration. All nominations mustbe readily available in the marketplace during the year in whichthey are to be considered.

Barry Harper served as ABMA President for the 2007-2009 term.

BBM.May.v 4/27/09 9:16 AM Page 12



Divisional meetings that traditionally were held on theSaturday morning of the ABMA Annual Conventionwere moved this year to a new Wednesday afternoon for-

mat (March 25). This was done, in part, so that the results of thesemeetings could be reported during Saturday’s Closing BusinessSession.

The following are highlights from the meetings involving thePaint Applicator, Broom & Mop, Industrial & Maintenanceand Suppliers divisions.

PAINT APPLICATOR DIVISION

The majority of the 2009 ABMA Paint ApplicatorDivision meeting was spent discussing possible defense ofan anti-dumping order on natural bristle paintbrushes from

China. A “Sunset Review” on the matter is slated for later this year(2009). All anti-dumping orders must be reviewed once every fiveyears.

The last action on the Sunset Review was a positive one for thebrush industry. The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC)voted in 2004 to continue the anti-dumping order on natural bris-tle paintbrushes from China. The ITC determined that continua-tion of this order was necessary to prevent material injury to U.S.producers. Continuation of the order is expected to maintain thecurrent level of protection against dumped imports from China.

“We have to make a decision in the upcoming months onwhether we want to have the anti-dumping issue extended. It’sgoing to be put to a vote (by the ITC) later this year (2009),” saidPaint Applicator Division Vice Chair Bill Pavilonis, of PaintSundry Brands, LLC, Portland, OR.

ABMA’s legal counsel Steve Jones, of King & Spalding LLP,Washington, D.C., monitors all activities associated with theSunset Review and has been working with the ABMA PaintApplicator Division on the subject for several years. Jones gavean update during this year’s division meeting on what needs totake place to help extend the anti-dumping order on natural bris-tle paintbrushes from China for another five years.

At the start of his discussion, Jones said King & Spalding spe-cializes in representing U.S. industries to make sure internationaltrade laws are being enforced in an effort to protect domestic man-

ufacturing and employment. According to Jones, King & Spalding has been working with

the ABMA Paint Applicator Division since 1996 and has repre-sented the industry in two prior Sunset Reviews. He explained forthose at the Paint Applicator Division meeting who were notfamiliar with the events leading up to these reviews, an anti-dumping order on natural bristle paintbrushes was imposed in1985. Due to a change in the law, the order came up for a SunsetReview in 1999 to determine on whether the anti-dumping meas-ure should be continued or revoked. King & Spalding was suc-cessful in helping to get the order continued, both in 1999 andagain in 2004.

King & Spalding has also assisted in helping the paintbrushindustry regarding the Byrd Amendment, otherwise known as theContinued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act (CDSOA). The ByrdAmendment was a law enacted by Congress in 2000 at the requestof Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV). The law provided that collectedanti-dumping duties be distributed to domestic producers, such asspecific paintbrush manufacturers, that petitioned the governmentor otherwise supported the petition, as long as these producerswere still in operation and producing specified products.

The Byrd Amendment was challenged over the years by theWorld Trade Organization (WTO), and there was an increasingamount of political and diplomatic pressure to repeal the amend-

Pictured during the Paint Applicator Division Meeting are, from left,Chris Tesmer, Shur-Line, new Vice Chair; and Bill Pavilonis,

Paint Sundry Brands, Sherwin-Williams, Chair, for 2009-2011.

BBM.May.v 4/27/09 9:16 AM Page 13


ment, which finally occurred in 2006 with respect to imports on orafter Oct. 1, 2007. However, Jones said there may be legislationbrewing to either reinstate the Byrd Amendment or create an alter-native to this amendment in the future.

“However, the Byrd Amendment is a statute that (is currently)repealed, but it did provide for payment of collected anti-dumpingduties to affected domestic producers,” Jones said. “Meanwhile,we (King & Spalding) have represented U.S. manufacturers in alot of Sunset Reviews. I have counted 32 over the years, includinga lot of reviews involving imports from China.

“In a Sunset Review, the government determines whether anorder should be continued or revoked. The (domestic) industry (inquestion) must participate for the order to continue. If the industrysteps forward and says, ‘Yes, we want this order to continue,’ thena review is conducted,” Jones explained.

He added that initiation of the third Sunset Review is scheduledto take place in November 2009 regarding the anti-dumping orderon natural bristle paintbrushes from China. The domestic paint-brush industry is required to submit information showing that ifthe order were to be revoked, dumping of natural bristle paint-brushes from China would take place in the United States, and thatthe domestic paintbrush industry would be injured from thisdumping.

“We have to submit information showing these two thingswould take place and argue that the order should be continued,”Jones said.

He added that information for this needs to be collected and pre-pared by late fall of this year.

“If the domestic industry’s response is adequate, and no onefrom the Chinese industry or from effected importers submit aresponse, then the ITC will conduct what is called an ‘ExpeditedReview,’” Jones said. “This is what has happened twice before, in1999 and 2004. The domestic industry submitted an adequateresponse to the Notice of Initiation. There was no response fromthe Chinese industry or from U.S. importers of paintbrushes, andso the ITC determined that it should conduct an ExpeditedReview.

“However, if there are adequate responses from both sides, thenthere will be a ‘Full Review.’ We haven’t had a Full Review of thisorder to date. It’s a longer and more involved process than anExpedited Review.”

Jones said the domestic industry almost always wins anExpedited Review. This is because the only information in front ofthe ITC is what the domestic industry submits — and this usuallysupports continuation of the order. However, it’s not always thecase that the domestic industry wins, therefore the industry mustprovide good information.

“You have to show that imports (of natural bristle paintbrushes)will increase if the order is revoked, that the price of these importsis going to be lower than the price of domestically-produced mer-chandise and that this impact is going to (harm) sales, production,employment and performance of the domestic industry,” Jonessaid. “It’s important to provide good information on which theITC can base an affirmative determination to continue the order.”

According to Jones, imports of natural bristle paintbrushes fromChina have declined since 2004. Indonesia is now the predominateforeign supplier. Average unit prices for imports from China arehigher than from Indonesia. These facts, therefore, generally sup-port continuation of the order because they tend to raise the infer-ence that imports from China would increase if the order wererevoked.

“This all shows that the order has been effective in doing whatit is intended to do, which is to reduce the volume of imports (fromChina) and increase their price. This is why anti-dumping ordersare imposed and usually provide relief to the domestic industry,”Jones said. “For the companies that produce natural bristle paint-brushes, the order has had commercial benefits.

“Questions that now must be asked are: Does the order continue tohavecommercialbenefits?Ifso,arethesebenefitsgreater thanthecostof continuing the order? What would happen if the order is revoked?”

Jones stated that the cost to represent the paintbrush industry inan Expedited Review would be lower than if a Full Review wasrequired.

“It’s a much longer and involved process (for a Full Review).It’s really considered litigation at that point as there is a partywanting the order to continue and another party wanting itrevoked,” Jones said.

After Jones’ presentation, he recommended that members of theABMA Paint Applicator Division begin thinking about the courseof action they want to take regarding the upcoming SunsetReview.

“This is not something I would suggest you vote on today (atthat ABMA division meeting). It’s something (domestic ) compa-nies that produce natural bristle paintbrushes need to think about,”Jones said.

After Jones’ presentation, Division Vice Chair Pavilonis agreedthat the industry needs to make a decision as an organization in thecoming months concerning this issue.

Also at the division meeting, a motion was passed to approve$12,000 to be used to cover 2009 retaining costs for King &Spalding.

Toward the end of meeting, The Paint Applicator Division elect-ed the following new officers to serve 2009-2011 terms: William

Stephen A. Jones, King & Spalding, makes a presentation regarding an Administrative Review of the Anti-Dumping duty levied against China at the Paint Applicator Division Meeting.

BBM.May.v 4/27/09 9:16 AM Page 14


Pavilonis, Paint Sundry Brands, Chair; Chris Tesmer, Shur-Line, Vice Chair; and Steve Workman, The Wooster BrushCo, Secretary.

BROOM & MOP DIVISION

ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) stan-dards were part of the discussion that took place at thisyear’s Broom & Mop Division meeting. ABMA Broom

& Mop Division Chair Jim Furgale, of Furgale Industries,Winnipeg, MB, reminded those at the meeting that current ASTMstandards are in place for brooms and wet mops, and that moreinformation on these standards can be found by visitingwww.astm.org. These are voluntary packaging/marketing stan-dards.

Furgale added that discussions during past division meetingshave taken place on the possibility of forming future ASTM stan-dards for microfiber. There have been problems in the past, howev-

er, on how best to go about setting such standards for this material.It was noted at this year’s meeting that there is not an easy test

to perform in order to judge how much microfiber is actually in aparticular piece of fabric or type of product. However, similarproblems have also arisen with mops and brooms, but definitionswere still developed by the industry and certified by ASTM.

Unfortunately, the industry is experiencing degradation inmicrofiber quality as some low cost producers are diluting thelevel of actual microfiber in finished products and generally mis-labeling such products to the end-user.

The general consensus at the division meeting was to let thisissue go for now regarding possible microfiber standards, but tomonitor the situation for possible action in the future.

Another topic that was brought up during the Broom & MopDivision meeting concerned a report on the 2008 National Broom& Mop Meeting that took place in St. Louis last November.

It was noted by Broom & Mop Division Vice Chair JimNairn, of Harper Brush Works, Fairfield, IA, that there was alot of educational information shared at this meeting on such

industry topics as handles, wire, fiber and broom corn. Anexchange rate presentation was also given in St. Louis by BartPelton, of PelRay International, San Antonio, TX.

The recent issue with broom corn fumigation at the U.S.-Mexicanboarder was also discussed at the St. Louis meeting and talked aboutagain during the ABMA Boom & Mop Division meeting.

The fumigation issue began in October 2008 when the UnitedStates Department of Agriculture required that all incomingbroom corn from Mexico be fumigated at the border in an effort toprotect against corn bores, although corn bores have been in theUnited States for decades. The fumigation requirement causedconcerns from U.S. broom corn dealers and users over what influ-ence the requirement would have on supply and costs.

It was noted at the Boom & Mop Division meeting that thosewho attended the St. Louis meeting were successful in a letterwriting campaign to help reverse the fumigation issue.

“We were able to get our broom corn import permit amended sothat fumigation is no longer required on Mexican broom corn,”Pelton said. “I talked to at least one other importer who also hadan import permit changed, so this situation was largely resolvedsuccessfully at a very minimal cost.”

Pelton also discussed during the Broom & Mop Division meet-ing his concerns regarding amendments to The Lacey Act. This actis primarily designed to regulate the importation of non-nativeanimal and plant species.

According to Pelton, these amendments could negatively influ-ence future importation of wooden handles brought into theUnited States.

“(Wood) species have to be properly identified, and there is a lota paperwork involved, along with significant penalties if youbring in wooden handles that are not properly identified,” Peltonsaid. “The problem is, when wood is imported, sometimes it’shard to know what you are really getting. This includes woodenhandles on corn brooms imported from Mexico; as well as wood-en brush blocks and other products that impact our industry.”

Also during the Broom & Mop Division meeting, Nairn report-ed that those non-ABMA members who attended the St. Louismeeting were urged to consider membership in the association.Likewise, those who attended this year’s ABMA Broom & MopDivision meeting were advised to look into attending the St. Louis

James B. Furgale, left, Furgale Industries, is the outgoing Chair andJim Nairn, Harper Brush Works, is the new Division Chair of

the Broom & Mop Division.

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meeting. This year’s ABMA Broom & Mop Division meeting came to a

conclusion shortly after electing officers for the term running from2009 to 2011. New officers are Jim Nairn, Chair; and EdwardPearson, Crystal Lake Manufacturing, Vice Chair.

INDUSTRIAL & MAINTENANCE DIVISION

Participation in ABMA’s upcoming Data Collection Surveywas among the various topics discussed during theIndustrial & Maintenance Division meeting. Division

Chair Fred Spach Jr., of Carolina Brush Mfg. Co., Inc.,Gastonia, NC, said this year’s ABMA survey seeks data from par-

ticipants on such topics as health insurance, safety and humanresources, freight, orders, computer integration, quality assurance,financial and sales production.

“The survey provides a good opportunity to benchmark yourselfagainst your peers. I would highly encourage everyone to partici-pate. I think you will find it very worthwhile. This informationyou provide is also completely confidential,” Spach said.

He added that ABMA received just 18 responses frommember companies regarding the 2008 Business RatioSurvey.

“This particular survey can be very useful.Unfortunately, with the low level of participation, it was-n’t as useful as it could have been if more companies hadparticipated,” Spach said.

Also during the Industrial & Maintenance Division meet-ing, ABMA Executive Director Dave Parr presented aSafety & Standards Report. He spoke about the currentANSI (American National Standards Institute) B165.1 stan-dard that controls power brushes. The goal of this standardis to establish requirements for the design, care and use ofpower-driven brushing tools in order to prevent injuries tousers.

Parr said that once every five years the standard goes underreview, and that this review process will begin again toward theend of 2009.

A report on safety slips was also given by Parr. He noted thattwo European companies are now licensing ABMA safety slips foruse on products that are shipped into the United States. Both ofthese companies are currently ABMA members.

“In lieu of buying these slips in the United States and then ship-ping them to an offshore manufacturing site, (the two companies)are using a licensing agreement now in place,” Parr said.

Safety slips are used on products to warn consumers of poten-tial hazards in the design, care and use of power brushes.Companies that purchase these slips through ABMA must providea manufacturer’s mark.

“The safety slip process also involves a shared product liabilityexpert witness agreement. An ABMA-member company that par-ticipates in the safety slip program can hire an expert witness fromanother ABMA company to represent them regarding a possiblelitigation trial,” Parr said. “There have been some great additionsto our safety slip program.”

Another matter discussed during the Industrial & MaintenanceDivision meeting was the idea of creating a color-coded label sys-tem for the packaging of nylon filament products. This matter wasalso brought up during the ABMA Suppliers Division meeting.

The following people were elected to 2009-2011 terms regard-ing the Industrial & Maintenance Division. They are: D. MarkFultz, Abtex Corporation, Chair; Eugene Huegin, PferdMilwaukee, Vice Chair; and D. Scott Enchelmaier, TheIndustrial Brush Co, Secretary.

SUPPLIERS DIVISION

Members of the ABMA Suppliers Division agreed dur-ing their meeting to work with David Parr and thosecompanies involved with the Industrial & Maintenance

Division concerning a color-coded labeling project for nylon prod-ucts. It was noted that color-coding could possibly help employeesbetter differentiate between various nylon items.

The officers of the Industrial & Maintenance Division are pictured during the Division meeting. The officers are, from left,

Fred Spach, Jr, Chair; and Mark Fultz, Vice Chair. Fultz is the new Division Chair for 2009-2011.

The officers of the Suppliers Division are, from left, Jill Shinners, PioneerPackaging, At Large; Andrew Dailey, Jones Companies, Vice Chair; Ian Moss,

Static Faction, Chair; Carlos Petzold, Borghi USA, 3rd Vice Chair-ExhibitChair; and Dan Sinykin, Roller Fabrics, 2nd Vice Chair-Secretary/Treasurer.

Andrew Dailey is the new Chair of the Suppliers Division for 2009-2011.

Continued On Page 38

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The threat of negative climate change has helped lead manypeople and companies throughout the world to become“greener” as they strive to use less and conserve more in

day-to-day activities. How to do this while also remaining pro-ductive and profitable was the central message of AlisonGannett, who works with individuals, businesses and govern-ments while training them on her four-step solution frameworkfor global warming calledCROP™.

Gannett was the featuredspeaker during the ABMA All-Attendee Educational Sessionduring the 2009 ABMA An-nual Convention in MiamiBeach, FL. She opened her firstbusiness dedicated to climatechange in 1991, and has sincefounded and operates four non-profit organizations dedicatedto solutions for global warm-ing.

According to Gannett, theissue of climate change is veryreal. Although it’s true thattemperatures on Earth naturallyrise and fall as carbon dioxide(CO2) levels rise and fall,recent changes in the climatehave caused wide-spreadalarm.

“About every 150,000 yearsthere is a warming spell and then an ice age. This is because theEarth and the sun become closer together and then farther apart.However, what is happening now (with global warming) is some-thing different,” Gannett said.

Regarding today’s CO2 concentration and where it’s headed inthe near future, she said: “We are entering into uncharted territo-ry.”

Gannett also spoke about the Kyoto Protocol, an interna-tional environmental treaty intended to achieve stabilizationof greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. Sheadded another issue that is influencing the world is oil pro-

duction and how this has had a profound influence ontoday’s world population, as evident by last summer’s highfuel prices.

“What we saw in 2008 was the first signals of a worldwidedecline in oil production. I think this is very dramatically going toaffect manufacturing businesses in the years to come. We aregoing to see some small peaks and valleys in the price in oil, butoverall, we are going to see a worldwide decline (in oil produc-tion),” Gannett said.

She added that it’s important to find out how future events willinfluence each business andhow to take advantage of thesechanges in order to becomemore efficient. Gannett ex-plained that the common term“global warming” is mislead-ing. What is actually takingplace is a greater abundance of“extreme weather.” This in-cludes more flooding anddrought conditions.

“We are experiencing greaterstorms — more water wherewe don’t need it and less waterwhere we do,” Gannett said.

How climate change influ-ences eco-systems is also veryimportant to the entire plant.

“It has huge implicationson our eco-systems aroundthe world including placeslike Europe, Africa andNorth America. There aretrees and plants dying due to

increases in temperature. What is being exacerbated by thesetrees dying is wildfires, which has a big effect on the ranch-ing industry and agriculture,” she said.

Not everything is doom and gloom, however. According toGannett, the purpose of her presentation at the ABMA AnnualConvention centers around solutions to climate change and howbusinesses can take advantage of these solutions to become morecompetitive.

“In today’s economic environment, your business must make adifference, improve its bottom line and become more sustainableas a company,” she said.

Alison Gannett

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Four Steps To Fight Climate Change

For the past 20-plus years working on climate change,Gannett said she has noticed that many people havebecome frustrated when trying to help solve this issue.

Whether it is a home, business, school or government, people ingeneral tell her that they are overwhelmed and don’t know whereto start.

“What I realized was that people had to have an easy thing toremember when it came to finding solutions to climate change,”Gannett said.

In response to this need, Gannett devised the acronymCROP™, a program which helps people to Calculate their car-bon footprints; place strategies for Reducing carbon footprints inbuildings, transportation, consumption and policy; educating theproper way to purchase carbon Offsets; and showing how toProduce a person’s or company’s own power, through suchsources as wind, solar, geothermal and mini-hydro.

When it comes to calculating energy use, otherwise known as “acarbon footprint,” Gannett said, “If you can’t measure it, you can’tmanage it.

“It’s important to get away from the idea that being green is a‘hippie’ kind of thing to do. Instead, we are talking about a busi-ness plan for being green and how to become more sustainable.But more importantly, we are going to talk about how (a business)can be more profitable and make a difference,” Gannett said.

When calculating a company’s carbon footprint, Gannett rec-ommends visiting www.carbonfootprint.com and looking for thebusiness calculator on the site. It’s possible for a company tobreakdown its carbon footprint by individual sections, such as aparticular retail store, manufacturing plant, entire business, etc.

According to Gannett, the average U.S. citizen uses 20 tons ofcarbon a year, while the average European citizen uses 10 tons ofcarbon a year and the average world citizen uses 3 tons of carbona year. The goal, she said, is to get down to 2 tons of carbon perperson per year to effectively help the planet.

Regarding individual businesses, Gannett said mandates willbecome the norm in the future, forcing companies in the UnitedStates to meet certain carbon levels. When calculating a compa-ny’s carbon footprint, she recommends a business receive theproper understanding of how it’s impacting the planet. This willhelp each company receive a baseline for future production tar-gets.

Gannett also discussed emission targets that are coming up invarious parts of the world. For instance, in the United States, thereis a pledge to have a 7 percent reduction in emissions by 2012.

“This is mandated right now in all of the industrialized nationsin the world except the United States. All European countries arealready in the process of meeting the 2012 target. They have anintense competitive advantage against (companies) in the UnitedStates that are not already moving toward this (target),” Gannettsaid. “Most companies (in the United States) don’t know whattheir carbon footprint is; and more importantly, most companiesdon’t know how to reduce their carbon footprint.

“Some state mandates have already begun, however, such as inCalifornia, while 17 other states are looking at state mandates thatwill go into effect within the next few years.”

She added that a new Kyoto Agreement will go into effect in

2012 and includes the United States as the Bush Administrationdecided to join this effort. It is expected that the ObamaAdministration will also honor the agreement.

“We don’t know exactly what the (target) numbers are going tobe, but we will probably know by the end of this year. Most like-ly, for your company, there will be international targets that youare going to have to meet by 2012. This is very important,”Gannett said.

How To Reduce Carbon Footprints

Although knowing what each company’s carbon footprint isremains very important in today’s business world, it’seven more important to understand how to properly

reduce this footprint in buildings, transportation, consumption andpolicy, according to Gannett.

“I’ve been asked how this all can influence businesses world-wide? If there is a carbon tax in the future, it’s possible that a(product) from the United States will be less expensive than (thesame product) from China due to a carbon tax. This may haveprofound effects on manufacturing in the future, depending onhow much your business depends on transportation,” Gannettsaid.

She added that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) has recently announced that it is looking into the possibili-ty of ruling carbon a pollutant.

“If this happens, (a business is) going to have to meet pollutionmandates on carbon. One way or another, this is going to effectyou,” Gannett said. “However, to put this in a positive spin.Instead of thinking about mandates, I believe this is going to givecompanies a marketing advantage and a return on their invest-ments for meeting carbon (goals).”

She said there are major companies today that are very commit-ted to power reduction when it comes to reducing their carbonfootprint. Part of this objective provides for great marketing, whileit also can save these companies lot of money by reducing theirenergy costs.

“When you calculate your carbon footprint, each company isgoing to look different. Every business is different. That is why it’sso important to go to www.carbonfootprint.com and calculate whatyour footprint is for your business. There is no blanket solution forevery business. You have to calculate your carbon footprint,whether it’s for your home, your business, or government — andthen you have to systematically reduce it, depending on whicharea is the highest,” Gannett said.

For many companies, transportation provides a very high areaof carbon output. Gannett explained, however, that there are greatexamples of companies saving money by replacing their fleet ofvehicles. She recommended that each company visit www.fuele-conomy.gov to find out more.

“It’s not always cost effective or environmentally effective toreplace vehicles. Therefore, it’s important to calculate this first,”Gannett said.

She added that many companies are taking advantage of usingvehicles that operate on clean diesel engines.

“These engines are coming to the United States and they pro-vide a huge impact for the transportation sector,” Gannett said.“It’s also very important that if you are going to use hybrid

BBM.May.v 4/27/09 9:17 AM Page 18


engines that operate on electricity, to know where that electricityis coming from. Is it coming from coal or is it coming from cleansources of energy? It is not a good solution to plug into dirtypower.”

She added that technology is improving every day when itcomes to electric vehicles and that the cost of these vehicles con-tinues to come down. She also said that people who drive oldervehicles could use homemade bio-diesel, such as from used cook-ing oil.

“Look at what you have locally for a fuel source. Every loca-tion is going to be different. It’s not going to make sense to usecorn-based ethanol if you live in the Caribbean. However,(companies in the Caribbean) are looking at using coconut-based fuel sources. Look around and see what is available,”Gannett said.

Another point that Gannett made when it comes to reducing acompany’s carbon footprint is to think smart.

“In other words, you don’t want to replace your whole vehiclefleet at a cost of $2 million; this is not going to bring a very goodreturn on your investment unless you drive all of the time,” shesaid. “Therefore, look at costs that are going to save your compa-ny money immediately. This includes placing incentives to driveless as a main priority.”

She also spoke of software systems in place that can help com-panies reroute their shipping runs in an effort to reduce fuel costsand a company's carbon footprint.

“These are all little solutions that add up to making huge differ-ences,” Gannett said. “This includes making sure tires on proper-ly inflated. If everyone properly inflated their tires every time theyfilled up with gas, we would save 800,000 barrels a oil a day.”

Other ways to save fuel and money for a company include hav-ing employees car pool or starting a program where people canride a bicycle to and from work every day.

Gannett also spoke of the next highest carbon footprint area formany businesses, which is buildings.

“Buildings actually provide the highest carbon footprint world-wide if you factor in everything in the manufacturing process,”she said. “Being more efficient with your buildings translates intoa lot of money savings.”

Again, it’s often the small things that can add up to savingmoney and the environment, she said. This includes making surecomputers are shut off at night when not in use, using a combina-tion of sky lights and high-efficient lighting in such areas as ware-houses, using motion sensors in buildings for lights, turning backthermostats and installing energy saving smart strips for comput-ers.

“By going to www.energystar.gov, you can determine how bestto save money at your office. If you want to find the most efficientprinter, etc., everything is listed on this Web site,” she said.“Grants are also available from local states. This is part of theObama stimulus package. There is a lump sum of money going tovarious states to help businesses become more efficient.”

Gannett also spoke about conducting thermographic scans ofhouses and businesses to see where heat losses occur and where toadd insolation, improve windows, etc.

“You can have entire scans done (from the air) of your businessor manufacturing plant to see which areas are doing well regard-ing energy efficiency and which areas are doing poorly,” she said.

“Plus, there are many other simple things, such as changing thecolor of the roof to reduce utility usage.”

Another important area for companies to look into is LEEDcertification — a recognition that a construction project orbuilding can attain by utilizing environmentally friendlybuilding practices during construction or remodeling. LEEDis the acronym for Leadership in Energy and EnvironmentalDesign and is the Green Building Rating System developedby the U.S. Green Building Council. The model was devel-oped in 1998 to encourage environmental awareness amonggovernment agencies, architects, engineers, developers, andbuilders.

“What is great about achieving LEED certification for yourbuilding is that it can lead to marketing advantages as well as pro-viding huge energy savings. There are those who say LEED build-ings are more expensive, but generally, LEED buildings pay forthemselves in the first year when it comes to energy savings,”Gannett said.

She added that many types of businesses are heading towardLEED certification including restaurants and manufacturingplants.

There are also ways to become green while making businesstrips, according to Gannett, thus further reducing a person’s orcompany's carbon footprint. This includes lumping business tripsand vacations together and using electronic ticketing to savepaper.

“Check your carbon footprint to see whether you should fly ordrive. A lot of people think that flying always uses more energy.It’s actually often more carbon effective to fly rather than to drivebecause more people are in a single airplane than in a single car,”she said.

Another area to keep in mind when it comes to reducing a car-bon footprint is with foods that a person consumes. According toGannett, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers used in food pro-duction can lead to a large carbon footprint. It’s better to eat organ-ic and locally grown foods when possible.

When it comes to the manufacturing process, companies caneither reduce or increase their carbon footprints in many ways.

“The interesting thing about carbon footprinting each type ofproduct is how much of that product comes from raw materials.It’s possible to actually break down the carbon footprint of abrush being made, for example, and then look at why that par-ticular brush is higher or lower in carbon as it relates to certainareas (of the product),” Gannett said. “Are there specific mate-rials in a particular brush that make a difference? Is it the actu-al manufacturing process? How about packaging and distribu-tion? Every single type of brush you make is going to be differ-ent.”

As mentioned, part of the carbon footprint of a product is relat-ed to how much or little packaging is used. Gannett mentionedPioneer Packaging’s Eco Friendly product that was one of the can-didates for the ABMA William Cordes Innovation ExcellenceAward. This packaging serves as a reusable paintbrush keepermade from 100 percent post-consumer waste material, making itfully compostable. Additionally, it utilizes soy-based inks and spe-cial water-based coatings to protect and extend the life of thekeeper.

Continued On Page 35

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Machines Boucherie and Boucherie USA of Izegem, Belgiumand Knoxville, TN, were exhibitors at the ABMA SuppliersDisplay Program. Pictured are from left, Ray Wilson, BoucherieUSA.; Bart Boucherie Jr., Machines Boucherie NV; and JohnWilliams, Boucherie USA.

Boucherie USA/Machines Boucherie

Jones Companies, Ltd. of Humboldt, TN, was an exhibitor at theABMA Suppliers Display Program. Pictured are Andrew Dailey,left, and Ralph Jones.

Jones Companies

Monahan Filaments of Middlebury, VT, was among the exhibitorsat the ABMA Suppliers Display Program. Pictured from left areJon Monahan, Brian Crawford and Pat Monahan.

Monahan Filaments

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Zahoransky USA of Sugar Grove, IL, which representsZahoransky in the United States, was an exhibitor at the ABMASuppliers Display Program. Pictured from left are Frank Kigyos,Zahoransky USA; Robert Dous, Zahoransky AG; UlrichZahoransky, Zahoransky AG; and Artur Seger of ZahoranskyUSA.

Zahoransky USA/Zahoransky AG

Proveedora Mexicana De Monofilamentos of Mexico City,Mexico, was an exhibitor at the ABMA Suppliers DisplayProgram. Pictured from left are Enrique Mejia, Dennise Silva andCynthia Sauza.

Proveedora Mexicana De Monofilamentos

Carlson Tool & Machine Co. was among the exhibitors at theABMA Suppliers Display Program. Pictured from left are JohnCarlson, Carlson Tool; Mark Fultz, Abtex Corporation; andChuck Tanis.

Carlson Tool & Machine Co.

PelRay International of San Antonio, TX, was an exhibitor at theABMA Suppliers Display Program. Pictured from left are RayLeBlanc and Bart Pelton.

PelRay International

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Lanoco Specialty Wire Products, Inc. of Sutton, MA, was anexhibitor at the ABMA Suppliers Display Program. Pictured,from left, are John Lannon and Kevin Lannon.

Lanoco Specialty Wire Products, Inc.

Keystone Plastics, Inc. of South Plainfield, NJ, was an exhibitor atthe ABMA Suppliers Display Program. Pictured from left areMarvin Naftal and Michael Naftal of Keystone Plastics.

Keystone Plastics, Inc.

Brush Fibers, Inc. of Arcola, IL, was an exhibitor at the ABMASuppliers Display Program. Pictured are Chris Monahan, BrushFibers; and Joyce Harper, Harper Brush.

Brush Fibers

Borghi USA of Aberdeen, MD, and Borghi S.P.A., of Italy, wereamong the exhibitors at the ABMA Suppliers Display Program.Pictured from left, are Matt Tompkins, Borghi USA; Tony Ponikvar,CBMA president; Carlos Petzold, Borghi USA; Jim Furgale,Furgale Industries; Vanes Villani, Unimac; Enzo Ferrari, BorghiS.P.A.; and Glauco Generali, Boghi S.P.A.

Borghi USA & Borghi S.P.A.

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Distribuidora Perfect, S.A. de C.V. of Naucalpan, Edo. deMexico, was an exhibitor at the ABMA Suppliers DisplayProgram. Pictured are Eduardo Bertello and Rodrigo Ripstein.

Distribuidora Perfect

Mount Joy Wire of Mount Joy, PA, was an exhibitor at the ABMASuppliers Display Program. Pictured is George Belforti, MountJoy Wire.

Mount Joy Wire

Stainless Steel Products of Plainview, NY, was an exhibitor atthe ABMA Suppliers Display Program. Pictured, from left, areBryan Peters of M-B Companies and Ralph Rosenbaum ofStainless Steel Products.

Stainless Steel Products

Jewel Wire Co. of Pomfret, CT, was an exhibitor at the ABMASuppliers Display Program. Pictured is Sam Dixon.

Jewel Wire Co.

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Paul Marsh, LLC of New York, NY, was an exhibitor at the ABMASuppliers Display Program. Pictured, from left, are Raul Molinaand Paul Marsh.

Paul Marsh LLC

Connors & Co., Inc. of Ramsey, NJ, which represents WohlerBrush Tech in the United States, was among the exhibitors at theABMA Suppliers Display Program. Pictured from left are MatthiasPeveling, Claudia Peveling, Wendy Connors and Brian Connors.

Connors & Co. Inc.

Hahl, Inc. of Lexington, SC, was an exhibitor at the ABMASuppliers Display Program. Pictured, from left, are Terry Hogan,Guenter Muckenfuss and Mark Hartig.

Hahl, Inc.

Plasticfibre S.P.A. of Italy, was an exhibitor at the ABMA SuppliersDisplay Program. Pictured, from left, are Glenn Guyette andCristiana Cerati.

Plasticfibre S.P.A.

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Fiberglass Innovations of Rockford, IL, was an exhibitor at theABMA Suppliers Display Program. Pictured is Jeff Jones.

Fiberglass Innovations

DuPont Filaments of Newark, DE, was among the exhibitors atthe ABMA Suppliers Display Program. Pictured from left areJohn Hackney, DuPont; Tom Vichich, DuPont; and Bill Shaul,Draper Knitting Co.

DuPont Filaments

Static Faction, Inc., Salem, MA, was an exhibitor at the ABMASuppliers Display Program. Pictured is Ian Moss.

Static Faction, Inc.

MYTec Soft of Lexington, SC, was an exhibitor at the ABMASuppliers Display Program. Pictured, from left, are Pat Laydenand Tim Hill.

MYTec Soft

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Borghi s.p.a., located in Castelfranco Emilia (Modena) Italy,a world leading manufacturer of machinery and technologyfor the brush industry, has announced a new business part-

nership with Unimac s.r.l., located in Zola Predosa (Bologna) Italy.Unimac is a producer of machinery for the production of power

brushes as well as equipment for the production of metal handles,both fixed and telescopic. It was announced that the goal of thispartnership is to deliver out-of-the-box solutions in every branchof the brush industry.

Borghi s.p.a. is not new to this kind of strategic alliance, alreadyhaving experienced successful partnerships with Mass–Osmas andTechnoplastic. Borghi s.p.a.’s Export Manager Paolo Roversi hadthe following answers to questions regarding this announcement:

Why did Borghi and Unimac decide to work together?“First of all, on a general basis, I think that strategic alliances

are the best way for a company to compete and succeed in today’snetworked economy. Borghi s.p.a. has gained valuable experienceover the years working together with companies likeMass–Osmas and recently Technoplastic.

“These synergies have stimulated new ideas and projects thatput Borghi s.p.a. in the position to offer wider and better solutionsfor every kind of request coming from the brush industry.Although, I have to admit that building a strategic alliance andmaking it work are not always easy, Borghi s.p.a. has the capabil-ity that I would call ‘leadership’ to convey the best skills of suchcompanies into a huge range of opportunities for our customers.”

Can you summarize what is Unimac’s core business andhow it relates with Borghi?

“Unimac has been in the business for 20 years as a manufacturerof complete lines of machinery for the highly automated productionof a full range of metal broom handles and metal power brushes.This can be considered a niche market, but to obtain high qualityfinal products it is necessary to have a very particular competence

that Unimac achieved with many years of experience in automation.“In a market where ‘complexity’ is increasing, it is illogical to

think that ONE company has the required TOTAL expertise tobest serve the customers at 360-degrees. This is why the partner-ship with Unimac is important in Borghi’s continual growth. Ibelieve Unimac has the technical know-how for those specificfields, while Borghi has the resources and sales network to bringthis know-how to a global market.”

What are the main advantages that this partnership willbring about?

“Actually there are many advantages, such as:n Expanding the range of products and solutions we can offer;n Developing new applications to benefit customers;n Increasing our sales penetration capacity;n Developing new distribution channels;n Cross-promoting our businesses to offer combined solutions; n Engineering new ideas from our combined expertise.”Is there anything else that you would like to say regarding

this partnership?“Yes. ‘Evolution is the Solution’ is more than a catchy slogan.

If a company stands still, it is lost. A famous Italian, Leonardo daVinci, is known to have said, ‘Iron rusts from disuse. Water losesits purity from stagnation. Even so does inaction sap the vigor ofthe mind.’ To succeed in business, we have to continually evolveto improve upon what we do to help our customers so that theycan do the same and be successful. This is why we also say:‘Borghi...Solutions for the Brush Industry.’ We are ready to provehow we can live up to what we say.”

The Borghi-Unimac alliance was first announced at the March2009 American Brush Manufacturers Association (ABMA) AnnualConvention, held in Miami Beach, FL. The announcement cameduring the “Suppliers Display” where Borghi s.p.a. and Unimacs.r.l. had a combined booth, displaying their product offerings.

Borghi s.p.a. President Enzo Ferrari (right) and Unimac PresidentVanes Villani shake hands at the ABMA Annual Convention

during the partnership announcement.

The Borghi s.p.a., Borghi USA and Unimac team started workingtogether at the ABMA Annual Convention.

BBM.May.v 4/27/09 9:18 AM Page 27

Finished Goods Imports Show SignsOf Life At Beginning Of 2009

By Rick MullenBroom, Brush & Mop

Associate Editor

Trade data released by the U.S. government indicated that inJanuary 2009 raw material imports were down in two of the threecategories outlined in this issue of Broom, Brush & Mop com-pared to January 2008.

Import totals for January 2009 were up in 4 of the 8 finishedgoods categories outlined from January 2008.

RAW MATERIAL IMPORTSHog Bristle

The United States imported 42,662 kilograms of hog bristle inJanuary 2009, down about 29 percent from the total of 60,219kilograms imported in January 2008.

The decline of hog bristle imports this past January overJanuary 2008 was in keeping with the overall downturn of hogbristle imports recorded in all of 2008, which recorded a decreaseof about 22 percent from 2007 totals.

In January of 2009, the United States imported 40,450 kilo-grams of hog bristle from China.

The average price per kilogram for January 2009 was $15.98, upabout 8 percent from the average price per kilogram for January2008 of $14.82. The January 2009 average price was significantlyless than the previous month’s (December 2008) average price of$31.55 per kilogram. The average price for all of 2008 was $15.37.

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

2009 was 2.6 million, up slightly from 2.59 million broom andmop handles imported in January 2008. Import totals for all of2008 were up about 10 percent over all of 2007.

Brazil exported the most broom and mop handles to the UnitedStates in both January 2009 (1.6 million) and January 2008 (1.5million). Also in January 2009, China shipped 254,825 handlesand Indonesia shipped 225,916.

The average price per handle for January 2009 was 76 cents, upabout 15 percent from 66 cents for January 2008. The averageprice per handle for December 2008 was 63 cents, and 69 cents forall of 2008.

Brush BacksJanuary 2009 imports of brush backs totaled 101,236, down

about 50 percent from the January 2008 total of 203,902 brushbacks. Overall in 2008, brush back imports were down about 62percent over the previous year’s total.

Much of the difference between the January 2009 and January2008 import totals was due to Brazil shipping no brush backs tothe United States in January of this year, compared to 117,600 inJanuary 2008.

The average price per brush back was 64 cents during January2009, down about 20 percent from the average price for January2008 of 80 cents. The average price per brush back in December

2008 was 29 cents. The average for all of 2008 was 63 cents.

FINISHED GOODS IMPORTSBrooms Of Broom Corn

Valued At More Than 96 CentsThe United States imported 605,909 brooms of broom corn val-

ued at more than 96 cents per broom during January 2009, comparedto 744,014 in January 2008, a decrease of about 19 percent. Importtotals for all of 2008 were down about 11 percent from all of 2007.

Mexico shipped 552,005 brooms to the United States in January2009, compared to 659,846 in January 2008.

The average price per broom for January 2009 was $2.25, downslightly from $2.29 for January 2008. The average price for December2008 was $2.26. The average price for all of 2008 was $2.28.

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

during January 2009 was 103,852, down about 45 percent from187,446 brooms and brushes imported during January 2008.Imports of brooms and brushes of vegetable material for all of2008 were up about 3 percent from all of 2007.

During January 2009, Sri Lanka sent 57,764 brooms and brush-es to the United States compared to 115,940 during January 2008.

The average price per unit for January 2009 was $1.49, downabout 3 percent from $1.54 for January 2008. The December 2008average price was $1.78, and the average price for all of 2008 was$1.54.

ToothbrushesThe United States imported 67.1 million toothbrushes in

January 2009, up slightly from 66.3 million imported in January2008. In all of 2008, the United States imported about 4 percentfewer toothbrushes than in all of 2007.

In January 2009, China shipped 47.6 million toothbrushes tothe United States. Other countries shipping more than 1 mil-lion included Switzerland (6 million), India (4.2 million),Germany (3.5 million), Taiwan (1.5 million) and Thailand (1.1million).

The average price per toothbrush for January 2009 was 22cents, down 1 cent from the average price for January 2008. TheDecember 2008 average price per toothbrush was 22 cents. Theaverage price for all of 2008 was 24 cents.

HairbrushesU.S. companies imported 6.3 million hairbrushes during

January 2009, up about 19 percent from 5.3 million imported dur-ing January 2008. Imports recorded for all of 2008 were downabout 12 percent from all of 2007.

China shipped 6.1 million hairbrushes to the United States inJanuary 2009.

The average price per brush for January 2009 was 19 cents,down about 21 percent from the January 2008 average price of 24cents. The average price for December 2008 was 25 cents, and theaverage price for all of 2008 was 26 cents.


BBM.May.v 4/27/09 9:18 AM Page 28

Shaving BrushesJanuary 2009 imports of shaving brushes totaled 13.3 million,

up about 18 percent from 11.3 million imported during January2008. Shaving brush imports for all of 2008 were up slightly fromthe previous year.

Mexico shipped 4.3 million brushes to the United States duringJanuary 2009. Meanwhile, China sent 3.8 million; Germany, 2.5million; and South Korea, 1.5 million.

The average price per brush was 15 cents during January 2009,up about 15 percent from the average price of 13 cents for January2008. The average price for December 2008 was 14 cents. Theaverage price for all of 2008 was 13 cents per brush.

Paint RollersThe import total of paint rollers during January 2009 was 3.4

million, down about 36 percent from 5.3 million paint rollersimported during January 2008. Import totals for all of 2008 weredown about 12 percent from totals recorded for all of 2007.

China shipped 2.4 million paint rollers during January 2009,compared to 4.4 million in January 2008.

The average price per paint roller for January 2009 was 65cents, up about 103 percent from 32 cents for January 2008. Theaverage price for December 2008 was 46 cents. For all of 2008,the average price was 41 cents.

Paint PadsThe United States imported 805,002 paint pads in January 2009,

a significant increase from 136,264 imported in January 2008.Paint pad imports for all of 2008 were down about 13 percent fromall of 2007.

China shipped a majority of the paint pads received by U.S.companies during January 2009 at 787,182, compared to 131,427in January 2008.

The average price per paint pad for January 2009 was 77 cents,down about 40 percent from the average price for January 2008 of$1.28. The average price for December 2008 was 65 cents. Theaverage price for all of 2008 was 50 cents.

PaintbrushesU.S. companies imported 17.5 million paintbrushes during

January 2009, down about 5 percent from 18.5 million brushesimported during January 2008. Overall, imports of paintbrushes dur-ing 2008 were down about 20 percent from the previous year’s total.

In January 2009, China shipped 13.8 million paintbrushes to theUnited States, compared to 13.9 million in January 2008.

The average price per paintbrush for January 2009 was 38 cents,up about 36 percent from the January 2008 average price of 28cents. The average price for December 2008 was 31 cents. Theaverage price for all of 2008 was also 31 cents.

EXPORTSU.S. export totals for January 2009 were down in four of the

five categories outlined, compared to January 2008, according togovernment trade data.

Brooms & Brushes Of Vegetable MaterialsThe United States exported 3,706 dozen brooms and brushes of

vegetable materials during January 2009, down about 61 percent

from the January 2008 total of 9,410 dozen. Export totals for allof 2008 of brooms and brushes of vegetable materials were downabout 10 percent from all of 2007.

Canada imported 1,575 dozen brooms and brushes from theUnited States in January 2009, while Mexico imported 1,150dozen.

The average price per dozen brooms and brushes was $40.27 inJanuary 2009, compared to $38.86 for January 2008, an increase ofabout 4 percent. The average price for December 2008 was $35.09per dozen. The average price per dozen for all of 2008 was $42.96.

ToothbrushesDuring January 2009, the United States exported 10.9 million

toothbrushes, down about 37 percent from the total recorded inJanuary 2008 of 17.3 million. Toothbrush exports from the UnitedStates for all of 2008 were down less than 1 percent from all of 2007.

In January 2009, Mexico imported 4 million toothbrushes fromthe United States; Canada, 3 million and South Korea, 1.7 million.

The average price per toothbrush for January 2009 was 55 cents,up about 96 percent from the January 2008 average price of 28cents. The average price for December 2008 was also 55 cents,and the average price for all of 2008 was 37 cents.

Shaving BrushesThe export total of shaving brushes during January 2009 was

492,452, up about 24 percent from 397,447 recorded for January2008. In all of 2008, the United States shipped 11 percent fewershaving brushes than all of 2007.

During January 2009, Mexico imported 260,951 shaving brush-es from the United States, while Canada received 92,076 andJapan imported 87,103.

The average price per shaving brush for January 2009 was$2.17, down about 21 percent from $2.73 for January 2008. InDecember 2008, the average price was $1.82. For all of 2008, theaverage price was $2.16.

Artist BrushesThe United States exported 601,443 artist brushes in January

2009, down about 11 percent from the total of 676,286 exported inJanuary 2008. Exports of artist brushes were also down during allof 2008 by about 29 percent from 2007.

Canada imported 329,650 artist brushes from the United Statesin January 2009.

The average price per artist brush for January 2009 was $3.35,down slightly from the average price for January 2008 of $3.38.The average price for December 2008 was $3.26. The averageprice for all of 2008 was $3.42.

PaintbrushesThe export total of paintbrushes during January 2009 was

52,956, down about 69 percent from 170,545 paintbrush exportsrecorded for January 2008. U.S. paintbrush exports for all of 2008were up about 6 percent from all of 2007.

During January 2009, Canada imported 23,826 paintbrushesfrom the United States, compared to 64,734 during January 2008.The United Kingdom also imported significantly fewer paint-brushes during January 2009 at 578, compared to 59,190 duringJanuary 2008.


BBM.May.v 4/27/09 9:18 AM Page 29

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

In Hanks or BundlesJanuary Year To Date

Country Net Q/Ton Value Net Q/Ton ValueCanada 6 12,752 6 12,752TOTAL 6 12,752 6 12,752

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

January Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 1,927 68,233 1,927 68,233TOTAL 1,927 68,233 1,927 68,233

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

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 904,414 770,232 904,414 770,232Mexico 22,464 8,162 22,464 8,162Jamaica 312 3,726 312 3,726Singapr 13,752 9,702 13,752 9,702Taiwan 36,456 14,559 36,456 14,559TOTAL 977,398 806,381 977,398 806,381

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

January Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 84,924 107,386 84,924 107,386Mexico 112,537 57,454 112,537 57,454U King 1,286 11,758 1,286 11,758France 14,655 173,555 14,655 173,555Fr Germ 3,501 48,065 3,501 48,065Switzld 1,580 3,073 1,580 3,073Italy 1,421 12,995 1,421 12,995Croatia 3,682 3,070 3,682 3,070Arab Em 7,728 8,346 7,728 8,346Phil R 985 9,011 985 9,011Taiwan 720 26,145 720 26,145TOTAL 233,019 460,858 233,019 460,858

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

January Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 140,328 466,402 140,328 466,402Mexico 19,170 35,710 19,170 35,710Argent 10,040 32,655 10,040 32,655Sweden 23,509 39,333 23,509 39,333Norway 1,150 9,552 1,150 9,552U King 25,721 76,348 25,721 76,348Nethlds 324 4,030 324 4,030Belgium 13,722 50,629 13,722 50,629France 2,328 11,301 2,328 11,301Russia 4,657 25,662 4,657 25,662Ukraine 5,053 24,199 5,053 24,199Italy 8,245 25,728 8,245 25,728China 44,734 52,475 44,734 52,475Kor Rep 7,997 25,897 7,997 25,897Hg Kong 831 3,066 831 3,066Japan 2,916 14,766 2,916 14,766Austral 4,979 18,373 4,979 18,373TOTAL 315,704 916,126 315,704 916,126

9603402000 Paint RollersJanuary Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 153 2,686 153 2,686Mexico 53,359 75,112 53,359 75,112TOTAL 53,512 77,798 53,512 77,798

9603404020 Paint PadsJanuary Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 65,184 114,972 65,184 114,972TOTAL 65,184 114,972 65,184 114,972

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

January Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 1,357 28,117 1,357 28,117Mexico 983 20,388 983 20,388Nethlds 256 5,301 256 5,301Fr Germ 152 3,150 152 3,150TOTAL 2,748 56,956 2,748 56,956

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

For Broom or Brush Making, NESOIJanuary Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 25,098 253,980 25,098 253,980Mexico 15,210 212,634 15,210 212,634C Rica 812 13,176 812 13,176Panama 801 12,993 801 12,993Chile 620 10,042 620 10,042Denmark 1,448 60,835 1,448 60,835U King 2,233 54,754 2,233 54,754Nethlds 558 13,733 558 13,733Belgium 150 8,757 150 8,757France 589 31,971 589 31,971Fr Germ 572 29,577 572 29,577Estonia 374 3,300 374 3,300Poland 166 2,687 166 2,687Italy 41 2,506 41 2,506Austral 986 2,539 986 2,539TOTAL 49,658 713,484 49,658 713,484

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

In Hanks or BundlesJanuary Year To Date

Country Net Q/Ton Value Net Q/Ton ValueMexico 2 5,705 2 5,705TOTAL 2 5,705 2 5,705

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

January Year To DateCountry Net Q/Dozen Value Net Q/Dozen ValueCanada 1,575 48,876 1,575 48,876Mexico 1,150 40,563 1,150 40,563Bahamas 169 5,579 169 5,579N Antil 12 3,550 12 3,550U King 10 2,550 10 2,550Ireland 8 7,200 8 7,200Fr Germ 127 3,820 127 3,820Poland 335 13,840 335 13,840Turkey 57 4,130 57 4,130Israel 41 3,840 41 3,840Kor Rep 83 4,920 83 4,920Hg Kong 130 2,750 130 2,750


EXPORTSJanuary Exports By Country

BBM.May.v 4/27/09 9:18 AM Page 30

Japan 9 7,636 9 7,636TOTAL 3,706 149,254 3,706 149,254

9603210000 ToothbrushesJanuary Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 3,001,715 2,659,104 3,001,715 2,659,104Mexico 3,983,800 1,508,686 3,983,800 1,508,686Salvadr 15,000 9,825 15,000 9,825Hondura 3,456 2,848 3,456 2,848C Rica 19,896 11,629 19,896 11,629Jamaica 6,912 5,695 6,912 5,695Dom Rep 21,168 10,726 21,168 10,726Antigua 13,824 14,378 13,824 14,378Barbado 3,456 2,848 3,456 2,848Trinid 3,456 2,847 3,456 2,847N Antil 480 3,590 480 3,590Colomb 696 3,412 696 3,412Venez 20,880 8,261 20,880 8,261Guyana 10,440 9,180 10,440 9,180Brazil 83,520 28,048 83,520 28,048Argent 262,848 121,289 262,848 121,289U King 15,552 7,457 15,552 7,457Ireland 182,208 293,195 182,208 293,195Nethlds 151,200 52,722 151,200 52,722France 499,587 94,992 499,587 94,992Fr Germ 42,207 37,928 42,207 37,928Switzld 1,058 5,184 1,058 5,184Italy 19,800 14,966 19,800 14,966Bulgar 908 4,449 908 4,449Israel 1,174 5,753 1,174 5,753S Arab 12,600 9,817 12,600 9,817Thailnd 7,608 3,161 7,608 3,161Vietnam 200,000 31,200 200,000 31,200Singapr 170,608 62,663 170,608 62,663China 23,568 11,158 23,568 11,158Kor Rep 1,746,226 653,350 1,746,226 653,350Hg Kong 44,352 12,906 44,352 12,906Taiwan 26,140 15,728 26,140 15,728Japan 66,882 117,174 66,882 117,174Austral 225,210 120,194 225,210 120,194TOTAL 10,888,435 5,956,363 10,888,435 5,956,363

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

January Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q./No. ValueCanada 92,076 216,607 92,076 216,607Mexico 260,951 276,837 260,951 276,837Colomb 5,250 160,464 5,250 160,464Venez 90 3,830 90 3,830Chile 2,016 13,888 2,016 13,888Brazil 4,280 39,142 4,280 39,142U King 12,292 50,812 12,292 50,812Ireland 357 3,262 357 3,262Nethlds 1,256 10,940 1,256 10,940Belgium 600 3,015 600 3,015France 3,961 41,053 3,961 41,053Fr Germ 1,938 17,725 1,938 17,725Switzld 1,017 9,300 1,017 9,300Spain 5,562 49,710 5,562 49,710Italy 1,857 3,083 1,857 3,083Iraq 847 7,750 847 7,750India 705 6,450 705 6,450Thailnd 2,467 22,563 2,467 22,563China 7,201 67,898 7,201 67,898Kor Rep 626 8,121 626 8,121Japan 87,103 58,137 87,103 58,137TOTAL 492,452 1,070,587 492,452 1,070,587

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

January Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 329,650 924,657 329,650 924,657Mexico 53,813 199,028 53,813 199,028Panama 9,005 32,620 9,005 32,620Cayman 1,742 10,652 1,742 10,652Ecuador 789 10,797 789 10,797Brazil 1,131 8,087 1,131 8,087Norway 650 3,768 650 3,768Finland 804 2,968 804 2,968U King 12,147 61,412 12,147 61,412Ireland 1,641 6,053 1,641 6,053Nethlds 50,546 186,499 50,546 186,499Belgium 14,229 52,500 14,229 52,500France 7,215 32,363 7,215 32,363Fr Germ 18,502 81,519 18,502 81,519Czech 1,355 5,000 1,355 5,000Switzld 1,537 5,670 1,537 5,670Russia 17,317 63,895 17,317 63,895Italy 857 3,162 857 3,162Arab Em 4,500 9,152 4,500 9,152Thailnd 717 5,458 717 5,458Singapr 1,438 5,307 1,438 5,307China 758 2,797 758 2,797Hg Kong 3,829 15,767 3,829 15,767Taiwan 1,553 6,621 1,553 6,621Japan 42,397 185,206 42,397 185,206Austral 5,691 22,610 5,691 22,610Algeria 17,630 68,717 17,630 68,717TOTAL 601,443 2,012,285 601,443 2,012,285


Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 155,725 516,918 155,725 516,918Mexico 396,780 1,090,689 396,780 1,090,689Bermuda 2,444 5,349 2,444 5,349Bahamas 1,812 4,058 1,812 4,058Jamaica 1,168 20,503 1,168 20,503Dom Rep 1,500 39,652 1,500 39,652Colomb 481 8,450 481 8,450Peru 2,640 2,956 2,640 2,956Brazil 6,198 20,007 6,198 20,007Finland 8,000 13,340 8,000 13,340U King 1,051 5,328 1,051 5,328Nethlds 560 2,808 560 2,808Fr Germ 2,050 8,247 2,050 8,247S Arab 1,215 21,333 1,215 21,333Arab Em 464 5,721 464 5,721China 450 11,988 450 11,988N Zeal 1,644 6,700 1,644 6,700Fiji 1,452 7,586 1,452 7,586TOTAL 585,634 1,791,633 585,634 1,791,633

9603404020 Paint PadsJanuary Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueHondura 20 3,400 20 3,400Grenada 3,083 21,882 3,083 21,882Israel 809 5,740 809 5,740Taiwan 13,624 17,711 13,624 17,711Japan 5,160 3,769 5,160 3,769TOTAL 22,696 52,502 22,696 52,502

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

January Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 23,826 300,226 23,826 300,226Mexico 139 2,877 139 2,877Guatmal 54 5,998 54 5,998C Rica 1,069 22,176 1,069 22,176


BBM.May.v 4/27/09 9:18 AM Page 31

Bermuda 2,246 7,453 2,246 7,453Bahamas 320 5,622 320 5,622Cayman 402 8,338 402 8,338Trinid 1,689 11,695 1,689 11,695N Antil 400 4,864 400 4,864Venez 501 10,398 501 10,398Peru 120 3,084 120 3,084Brazil 478 21,355 478 21,355Argent 18 3,906 18 3,906Sweden 1,040 15,600 1,040 15,600Denmark 1,370 6,328 1,370 6,328U King 578 11,975 578 11,975Ireland 516 3,806 516 3,806Nethlds 14,665 304,171 14,665 304,171France 935 21,934 935 21,934Israel 1,121 31,807 1,121 31,807S Arab 711 14,742 711 14,742Singapr 22 4,960 22 4,960China 736 25,543 736 25,543TOTAL 52,956 848,858 52,956 848,858

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

for Broom or Brush Making, NESOIJanuary Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 213,230 2,275,475 213,230 2,275,475Mexico 76,250 934,755 76,250 934,755Panama 2,875 46,626 2,875 46,626Dom Rep 678 3,359 678 3,359S Vn Gr 83 2,877 83 2,877Barbado 240 6,500 240 6,500N Antil 1,320 24,131 1,320 24,131Venez 858 13,910 858 13,910Peru 11 3,159 11 3,159Chile 7,455 94,833 7,455 94,833Argent 295 4,780 295 4,780Sweden 669 9,846 669 9,846U King 3,061 36,905 3,061 36,905Nethlds 514 8,338 514 8,338Belgium 455 9,325 455 9,325France 259 4,205 259 4,205Fr Germ 1,640 18,966 1,640 18,966Estonia 369 5,988 369 5,988Lithuan 880 9,050 880 9,050Israel 433 7,021 433 7,021S Arab 598 9,692 598 9,692Qatar 191 3,100 191 3,100Arab Em 467 11,024 467 11,024Thailnd 598 4,676 598 4,676Singapr 458 18,356 458 18,356Indnsia 2,082 25,524 2,082 25,524China 291 4,719 291 4,719Kor Rep 2,708 18,514 2,708 18,514Hg Kong 505 14,745 505 14,745Taiwan 974 18,777 974 18,777Japan 2,260 35,011 2,260 35,011Austral 4,642 85,816 4,642 85,816N Zeal 257 4,167 257 4,167Rep Saf 763 10,307 763 10,307TOTAL 328,369 3,784,477 328,369 3,784,477

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

January Year To DateCountry Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG ValueChina 40,450 657,612 40,450 657,612Hg Kong 2,212 24,071 2,212 24,071TOTAL 42,662 681,683 42,662 681,683

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

Country Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG ValueParagua 12,987 141,848 12,987 141,848China 4,237 61,628 4,237 61,628TOTAL 17,224 203,476 17,224 203,476

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

January Year To DateCountry Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG ValueChina 13,075 181,587 13,075 181,587TOTAL 13,075 181,587 13,075 181,587

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

Country Net Q/KG Value Net Q/KG ValueMexico 34,226 170,779 34,226 170,779TOTAL 34,226 170,779 34,226 170,779

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

January Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueHondura 374,476 214,041 374,476 214,041Colomb 9,648 3,947 9,648 3,947Brazil 1,602,243 1,312,109 1,602,243 1,312,109Spain 32,064 14,758 32,064 14,758Sri Lka 6,000 6,740 6,000 6,740Vietnam 66,420 63,392 66,420 63,392Indnsia 254,825 215,823 254,825 215,823China 225,916 103,052 225,916 103,052Taiwan 33,000 36,190 33,000 36,190TOTAL 2,604,592 1,970,052 2,604,592 1,970,052

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

Country Net Q/Variable Value Net Q/Variable ValueFr Germ 8,102 8,102Italy 701,815 701,815Indnsia 156,509 156,509China 463,814 463,814Taiwan 8,364 8,364TOTAL 1,338,604 1,338,604

4417006000 Brush Backs, Of WoodJanuary Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 42,132 14,264 42,132 14,264Sri Lka 34,104 34,060 34,104 34,060Hg Kong 25,000 16,944 25,000 16,944TOTAL 101,236 65,268 101,236 65,268

4417008010 Tool Handles of WoodJanuary Year To Date

Country Net Q/Variable Value Net Q/Variable ValueCanada 7,400 7,400Mexico 16,656 16,656Salvadr 3,050 3,050C Rica 2,640 2,640


IMPORTSBroom and Brush

January Imports By Country

BBM.May.v 4/27/09 9:18 AM Page 32

Colomb 3,088 3,088Brazil 469,046 469,046Nethlds 5,533 5,533Indnsia 24,899 24,899China 32,257 32,257Taiwan 7,020 7,020TOTAL 571,589 571,589

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

January Year To DateCountry Net Q/Variable Value Net Q/Variable ValueCanada 44,575 44,575Mexico 3,100 3,100Hondura 3,079 3,079Colomb 2,696 2,696Chile 702,610 702,610U King 5,199 5,199Italy 5,672 5,672India 122,826 122,826Sri Lka 104,266 104,266Vietnam 18,499 18,499Indnsia 36,631 36,631China 278,286 278,286Taiwan 21,576 21,576Japan 205,627 205,627TOTAL 1,554,642 1,554,642

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

January Year To DateMexico 22,992 16,752 22,992 16,752China 2,520 2,456 2,520 2,456TOTAL 25,512 19,208 25,512 19,208

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

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 552,005 1,249,747 552,005 1,249,747Hondura 38,064 81,644 38,064 81,644China 15,840 32,432 15,840 32,432TOTAL 605,909 1,363,823 605,909 1,363,823

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

With or Without Handles, NESOIJanuary Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 13,600 7,818 13,600 7,818Sri Lka 57,764 97,331 57,764 97,331Thailnd 3,750 9,605 3,750 9,605Vietnam 15,050 12,546 15,050 12,546Phil R 1,000 2,504 1,000 2,504China 12,688 24,856 12,688 24,856TOTAL 103,852 154,660 103,852 154,660

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

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 31,707 61,147 31,707 61,147Mexico 521,581 226,732 521,581 226,732Chile 38,016 9,216 38,016 9,216Brazil 896,184 242,169 896,184 242,169Ireland 764,832 340,187 764,832 340,187Nethlds 39,700 5,416 39,700 5,416France 447 4,287 447 4,287Fr Germ 3,502,344 2,934,476 3,502,344 2,934,476Switzld 6,036,912 1,566,908 6,036,912 1,566,908

Italy 74,880 37,425 74,880 37,425Israel 113,576 74,249 113,576 74,249India 4,168,990 560,184 4,168,990 560,184Thailnd 1,102,360 135,337 1,102,360 135,337Vietnam 600,648 195,629 600,648 195,629Indnsia 134,000 8,896 134,000 8,896China 47,642,938 8,022,604 47,642,938 8,022,604Taiwan 1,461,306 195,259 1,461,306 195,259TOTAL0 67,130,421 14,620,121 67,130,421 14,620,121

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

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueVietnam 7,200 3,086 7,200 3,086China 6,140,923 1,162,728 6,140,923 1,162,728Hg Kong 136,512 25,214 136,512 25,214TOTAL 6,284,635 1,191,028 6,284,635 1,191,028

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

Valued Not Over .40 EachJanuary Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 4,336,154 413,229 4,336,154 413,229France 167,911 34,551 167,911 34,551Fr Germ 2,528,170 493,734 2,528,170 493,734Italy 544,604 141,038 544,604 141,038China 3,841,225 809,833 3,841,225 809,833Kor Rep 1,452,600 41,042 1,452,600 41,042Hg Kong 384,000 29,396 384,000 29,396Taiwan 35,000 9,767 35,000 9,767TOTAL 13,289,664 1,972,590 13,289,664 1,972,590

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

January Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 269,200 4,945 269,200 4,945Fr Germ 2,500,000 6,126 2,500,000 6,126Italy 3,542,900 48,496 3,542,900 48,496China 5,486,774 144,636 5,486,774 144,636Kor Rep 1,365,000 34,949 1,365,000 34,949TOTAL 13,163,874 239,152 13,163,874 239,152

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

January Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 5,597,206 450,456 5,597,206 450,456China 8,062,941 651,992 8,062,941 651,992Kor Rep 300,000 16,600 300,000 16,600Hg Kong 30,000 3,037 30,000 3,037Taiwan 900,016 52,989 900,016 52,989TOTAL 14,890,163 1,175,074 14,890,163 1,175,074

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

January Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 45 2,163 45 2,163Mexico 7,641,777 1,246,416 7,641,777 1,246,416Dom Rep 87,705 88,571 87,705 88,571U King 91,411 167,897 91,411 167,897France 49,156 236,170 49,156 236,170Fr Germ 46,300 135,212 46,300 135,212Spain 7,299 32,459 7,299 32,459Italy 95,853 32,934 95,853 32,934India 419,338 209,001 419,338 209,001Sri Lka 235,008 123,038 235,008 123,038


BBM.May.v 4/27/09 9:18 AM Page 33

Thailnd 270,714 159,968 270,714 159,968China 17,136,329 10,643,811 17,136,329 10,643,811Kor Rep 256,046 177,657 256,046 177,657Hg Kong 542,890 270,693 542,890 270,693Taiwan 141,252 50,323 141,252 50,323Japan 224,633 673,052 224,633 673,052Maurit 1,890 8,602 1,890 8,602TOTAL 27,247,646 14,257,967 27,247,646 14,257,967


Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 39,008 32,377 39,008 32,377Mexico 708,692 446,163 708,692 446,163Fr Germ 242,000 74,843 242,000 74,843China 2,443,646 1,678,628 2,443,646 1,678,628TOTAL 3,433,346 2,232,011 3,433,346 2,232,011

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

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueItaly 44 7,438 44 7,438China 787,182 483,657 787,182 483,657Taiwan 17,776 132,046 17,776 132,046TOTAL 805,002 623,141 805,002 623,141

9603404040 Natural Bristle Brushes, Other Than Brushes OfSubheading 9603.30

January Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueU King 13,480 14,680 13,480 14,680Fr Germ 1,428 4,050 1,428 4,050Turkey 23,112 69,943 23,112 69,943Indnsia 2,689,610 433,114 2,689,610 433,114China 24,280 34,244 24,280 34,244Taiwan 3,000 8,590 3,000 8,590Japan 1,800 16,144 1,800 16,144TOTAL 2,756,710 580,765 2,756,710 580,765

9603404060 Paint, Distemper, Varnish/Similr Brushes Exc Brushesof Subheading 9603.30 NESOI

January Year To DateCountry Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 12,288 26,837 12,288 26,837Fr Germ 12,920 42,497 12,920 42,497Vietnam 6,078 6,416 6,078 6,416Singapr 10,750 4,309 10,750 4,309Indnsia 3,473,488 739,267 3,473,488 739,267China 13,863,668 5,675,684 13,863,668 5,675,684Taiwan 59,400 73,456 59,400 73,456Japan 68,615 19,610 68,615 19,610TOTAL 17,507,207 6,588,076 17,507,207 6,588,076

9603908010 WiskbroomsJanuary Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 1,520 2,893 1,520 2,893China 60,108 50,462 60,108 50,462Rep Saf 768 2,467 768 2,467TOTAL 62,396 55,822 62,396 55,822

9603908020 Upright BroomsJanuary Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueMexico 25,392 28,431 25,392 28,431Colomb 9,288 10,070 9,288 10,070Brazil 23,883 30,771 23,883 30,771Italy 18,658 14,080 18,658 14,080China 687,350 731,973 687,350 731,973

TOTAL 764,571 815,325 764,571 815,325

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

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueSri Lka 720 3,213 720 3,213China 9,840 21,371 9,840 21,371TOTAL 10,560 24,584 10,560 24,584

9603908040 Other Brooms, NESOIJanuary Year To Date

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 95,601 204,946 95,601 204,946Mexico 274,813 518,750 274,813 518,750Salvadr 19,644 17,292 19,644 17,292Colomb 27,900 27,994 27,900 27,994Venez 720,252 41,437 720,252 41,437Brazil 30,753 66,820 30,753 66,820Hungary 27,900 8,777 27,900 8,777Spain 22,200 22,495 22,200 22,495Italy 1,343 14,248 1,343 14,248Sri Lka 43,348 118,344 43,348 118,344Thailnd 6,500 9,034 6,500 9,034Vietnam 2,740 6,363 2,740 6,363Indnsia 38,150 38,974 38,150 38,974China 709,830 783,518 709,830 783,518TOTAL 2,020,974 1,878,992 2,020,974 1,878,992

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

Country Net Q/No. Value Net Q/No. ValueCanada 1,817,095 1,817,095Mexico 3,801,318 3,801,318Hondura 979,274 979,274Panama 9,716 9,716Dom Rep 7,173 7,173Colomb 82,232 82,232Brazil 53,988 53,988Argent 70,906 70,906Sweden 24,286 24,286Denmark 54,347 54,347U King 43,909 43,909Nethlds 15,074 15,074Belgium 150,460 150,460Fr Germ 162,216 162,216Austria 166,219 166,219Czech 8,093 8,093Switzld 12,501 12,501Poland 6,424 6,424Spain 6,083 6,083Italy 719,433 719,433Romania 3,835 3,835Israel 87,487 87,487India 190,977 190,977Pakistn 476,679 476,679Sri Lka 223,322 223,322Thailnd 992,820 992,820Vietnam 77,240 77,240Malaysa 25,652 25,652Singapr 18,615 18,615Indnsia 73,954 73,954China 27,985,983 27,985,983Kor Rep 384,425 384,425Hg Kong 335,931 335,931Taiwan 845,577 845,577Japan 77,097 77,097Austral 108,503 108,503W Samoa 25,469 25,469Egypt 11,581 11,581TOTAL 40,135,894 40,135,894


BBM.May.v 4/27/09 9:18 AM Page 34


BROOM CAPS BRUSH and HANDLE FERRULES

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

“This is the type of innovation that can help change the indus-try,” Gannett said. “By being ahead of the curve, (Pioneer) isgoing help save people money in the long run.”

She added that suppliers are starting to be required by customersto package their products more efficiently to cut down on shippingcosts.

“There are all kinds of ideas while thinking outside the boxwhen it comes to packaging,” Gannett said.

The “O” of CROP™ that Gannett detailed has to do with “off-sets” as in “carbon offsets.” She said there are two types of carbonoffsets for a company.

“An example of the first kind is when you contact your localelectric company and say, ‘I would like to buy green power suchas from wind, solar or hydro.’ Sometimes this requires payingextra, although in some areas, it’s becoming possible to get(green) power at the same price,” Gannett said. “The second typeof offset is called ‘voluntary carbon offset.’ If a company calcu-lates its carbon footprint at, for example 650,000 tons, it can actu-ally offset that carbon (by purchasing offsets) and become what iscalled ‘carbon neutral.’

“That money then goes to alternative energy projects. A compa-ny is basically producing carbon at its manufacturing plant, andthen offsetting that carbon by supporting a project which isabsorbing carbon in another place,” Gannet explained.

Producing Your Own Power

The final part of CROP™ is known as “producing your ownpower.” According to Gannett, many people feel they can’tafford to go green. However, for a typical house or busi-

ness, there are many low or no-cost steps that can be taken tomake a big difference.

“Generally, 50 percent of the carbon footprint for a business canbe taken care of with low or no-cost solutions. However, every-body looks at the big ticket items first, instead of reducing carbonfootprints through efficient lighting, etc.,” Gannett said. “It isimportant to look at cuts that are first and foremost saving youmoney. Big ticket items that cost money include solar panels,replacing windows, etc. These things have a higher up-front cost.”

Gannett recommends that companies calculate their carbonfootprints first, then “reduce, reduce, reduce.”

“I would say most companies should spend 5 to 10 years reduc-ing their carbon footprints before they tackle producing their ownpower,” she said.

When the time comes, however, for a company to look into pro-ducing its own power, it’s important to seek all alternatives.

“For example, many companies are looking at installing eithersolar electric panels or solar hot water panels. I believe solar hotwater panels have a much higher return on investment,” Gannettsaid. “Right now there are great tax incentives to use alternativeenergy for buildings.”

She added that companies like Borghi s.p.a., of Italy, haveinstalled solar panels on top of their manufacturing plants.Because of the Kyoto Agreement, many European companieshave become very aggressive in reducing their carbon footprintsdue to mandates already in place.

Gannett also discussed hydro-power and its many benefits. Sheexplained that there are companies finding a higher return oninvestment with hydro-power compared to other power sources.Another good prospect for future electricity generation is windpower.

“There are small-scale windmills now that can be placed at theperimeter of your manufacturing facility and are very cost effec-tive. Technology is changing by the day. Again, there are many taxincentives available,” she said. “It’s important to think about yourreturn on investment.”

When marketing a company’s green efforts, Gannett discussedthe importance of being transparent about not only improvementsa company is making but also current weaknesses.

“We have found that customers love it when a company says,‘Here is what we are doing well and here is where we are going toimprove’ when it comes to green,” she said.

Greening a business also helps improve employee retention,Gannett added. For example, she has found employees in ware-houses love to show off new green improvements being imple-mented. If a company is truly green, this can provide an authenticmarketing story to present to customers as well.

“It’s important to separate yourself during a tough economy.How are you going to differentiate your manufacturing plant fromanother company? By going green, you can become more costeffective and improve your bottom line while also reducing over-head costs and waste ... all of the things that are good for busi-ness,” Gannett said.

For more information, visit www.alisongannett.com.

Alison GannettContinued From Page 19

BBM.May.v 4/27/09 9:18 AM Page 35


A total of 21 short tons of broom corn was imported into theUnited States during February 2009. Total value of this import was$63,921, with a cost per ton of $3,044 ($1.52 per pound).

The import total for February was quite smaller compared to theamount of broom corn brought into the United States during thesecond month of the past five years. These totals are as follows:February 2004 - 113 short tons; February 2005 - 44 short tons;February 2006 - 215 short tons; February 2007 - 90 short tons; andFebruary 2008 - 91 short tons.

February of 2009 also marked the fourth month in a row thatU.S. broom corn imports averaged less than 30 tons per month.

After the first two months of 2009, a total of 35 short tons ofbroom corn was imported into the United States, all of which camefrom Mexico. Total value of this broom corn was $110,998, witha cost per ton of $3,171 ($1.59 per pound). In comparison, 180short tons of broom corn were imported into the country after thefirst two months of 2008, with a total value of $458,608. The costper ton of this import was $2,548 ($1.27 per pound).

Richard Caddy of R.E. Caddy & Co., Inc., in Greensboro,NC, feels that the very low U.S. broom corn import figures for thepast four months is reflective of today’s slow economy, whichincludes fewer broom corn brooms being sold.

“People just are not purchasing as they once did. Most of the(customers) who we contact still have inventory left over fromwhat we had previously shipped to them. Even if (broom corn)prices were lower, I feel people would still be reluctant to pur-chase,” Caddy said. “I had a little more optimism during this timelast month (middle of March) compared to now (middle of April).It’s tough when most of the larger accounts are just not in the posi-tion to buy much.”

When interviewed on April 15, Caddy said Mexican broom cornpricing has come down a little but not enough to get customersexcited about buying.

As far as the near future is concerned with Mexican broom corn,Caddy said he had not received any news as of late regarding theexpected size of the first Torreon crop that will become availablethis summer. There is hope, however, that lower prices for othercrops such as corn and cotton will persuade farmers to grow morebroom corn in this area of Mexico.

“We are hoping that if the weather cooperates, there will be agood crop (in Torreon). The economy has to cooperate, too,”Caddy said.

There has been recent good news to report relating to the broomcorn fumigation issue. In a letter dated March 26, 2009, from

William E. Thomas, director of Quarantine Policy, Analysis, andSupport from the United States Department of Agriculture(USDA) and sent to Mark D Quinn, of Quinn Broom Works, Inc.,Greenup, IL, it was announced, in part, that broom corn importedfrom Mexico will no longer be required to be fumigated at theU.S.-Mexican border. Instead, broom corn from Mexico will befumigated, “only if a pest of concern is found.”

A letter writing campaign among various people involved withthe U.S. broom and broom corn industry began shortly after the2008 National Broom & Mop meeting was held in St. Louis lastNovember. These letters were sent to various U.S. representativesand senators, as well as to the USDA, asking for a review of thefumigation issue. Quinn, who is now a co-chairman of the groupthat meets every November, served on a committee formed at theconclusion of the St. Louis meeting to address the fumigation issue.

The fumigation matter began in October 2008 when the USDArequired that all incoming broom corn from Mexico be fumigated atthe border in an effort to protect against corn bores, although cornbores have been in the United States for decades. The fumigationrequirement caused concerns from U.S. broom corn dealers and usersover what influence the requirement would have on supply and costs.

Caddy reported that as of the middle of April, it’s now at the dis-cretion of inspectors at the border on whether a load of broom cornis to be fumigated or not.

“For the most part, it’s an inspect and release situation ratherthan fumigation,” he explained.

Tim Monahan of The Thomas Monahan Co., in Arcola, IL,said it’s sad to see such low broom corn import numbers occurringfor the United States. However, he was not surprised, adding thatthere has not been much corn broom-making activity in this coun-try as of late.

“I also didn’t see or hear about too much broom corn enteringthe United States during March, but surely somebody is going tobe needing something pretty soon. I would suspect March may bea little higher with (broom corn) imports,” Monahan said.

As of the middle of April, he added that Mexican broom cornprices have remained high, which is part of the reason why importsinto the United States have been so low. Of course, today’s sloweconomic conditions have also influenced this situation.

“The economy needs a kick start and so does the broom, brushand mop industry. It may be premature, but I think a lot of indus-tries are at the bottom (of an economic cycle), and I don’t see itpicking up real soon,” Monahan said.

Along with broom corn imports, he added that the level of fin-ished corn brooms being imported from Mexico is also down.

Regarding the next major broom corn crop expected out ofMexico, Monahan said harvesting in the Torreon region could start


U.S. Imports 21 Short TonsOf Broom Corn In February

BBM.May.v 4/27/09 9:18 AM Page 36


INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

ABMA ......................................................................38

Borghi .......................................................................40

Brush Expert .............................................................37

Caddy & Co., Inc., R.E.............................................11

Carlson Tool .............................................................11

Chung Thai Brushes Co..............................................7

Crystal Lake................................................................9

Jones Companies ........................................................1

Line Manufacturing, Inc. ..........................................35

Manufacturers Resource .............................................3

Monahan Co., The Thomas .......................................5

Mount Joy Wire ..........................................................8

PelRay.........................................................................2

St. Nick Brush Co.....................................................15

For Sale: Small brush wire manufacturing facility, materials stain-less, brass, bronze, nickel, silver, low and high carbon steel, straightand crimped. Dimensions .0025 to .010. Call 203-313-8379 or203-364-1908.

Classified Advertising

For Sale: Boucherie spare parts - Both new and used. Sold at heavydiscount prices. Large selections - including Avery Automatic LabelMachine. Call Ken Varner @ 513-478-6076 for availability of prices.

as early as the end of May. However, it’s hard to determine howbig a crop to expect.

Demand has also been down concerning yucca fiber.“There is not much movement. It parallels broom corn. What

sales of yucca are occurring are mostly taking place (amongbroom manufacturers) in Mexico,” Monahan said.

Bart Pelton of PelRay International, LLC, in San Antonio,TX, said there are several factors that have caused broom cornimports to be quite low during the past several months. One rea-son is due to the slow overall economy. Also, due to some buyingtaking place among U.S. broom factories late last year to hedgeagainst expected higher prices, less broom corn has been requiredas of late by these same companies.

He added that Mexican broom corn prices remain high as of themiddle of April.

“There was some softening in broom corn prices in March dueto a weakening Mexican peso. However, this (softening) did notlast very long. Since March 9, the peso has strengthen around 20percent, which is a big move,” Pelton said. “For awhile, we weregetting price relief due to the exchange rate, but this has prettymuch disappeared in the past month. I would expect any broomcorn that enters the United States during April to be high in price.”

When interviewed on April 15, Pelton reported that theApatzingan broom corn harvest in Mexico was nearing comple-tion. He expected around 250 tons of broom corn on a processedbasis to be the result of this harvest — an approximate 20 percentincrease over last year’s final figure.

“Broom corn is still in tight supply in Mexico. There is not

going to be a lot of broom corn available until the new Torreoncrop comes in around late June or early July,” Pelton said.

He added that due to today’s drug violence and kidnappings inthe Torreon region and other areas of Mexico, there has been areluctance among processors to seek updated information on cur-rent broom corn crop conditions.

“As a result, there is not nearly as much crop information avail-able as in past years,” Pelton said. “Therefore, I can only specu-late that since broom corn prices have been fairly high whileprices for competing crops have fallen, that farmers may takeadvantage of this situation and plant more broom corn (in 2009).My personal expectation is that there will be a larger Torreon cropcompared to last year.

“There is also some broom corn planted in Sinaloa. Most of this,however, will go to one large Mexican broom factory.”

Pelton added that the Mexican government is working to helpcontrol the violence in the country. However, the situation is stillserious.

“It’s discouraging and the violence will probably impact howmuch broom corn is available this year,” he said.

On a more positive note, Pelton feels the fumigation issue haspretty well been solved, although closer inspections of broom cornloads at the U.S.-Mexican border remain the norm.

“We often will now find a bale or two broken for inspection ona load (arriving from Mexico), but that’s not a big deal,” heexplained.

For those seeking bargains in the broom industry, yucca fibermight be the best option. Pelton said pricing on some truckloadpurchases has been as low as experienced in several years.

BBM.May.v 4/27/09 9:18 AM Page 37

Suppliers Division Chair Ian Moss,of Static Faction, Salem, MA, also dis-cussed the success of this year’sSuppliers Reception that took placeFriday evening (March 27) of the ABMAAnnual Convention. Moss said ABMAsuppliers pay for the majority of thisreception, and the event has been wellreceived.

During the Suppliers Division meeting,members also discussed and approved thedivisional assessment for 2009 regardingthe Suppliers Reception.

It was noted as well by Moss during theSuppliers Division meeting the large num-ber of attendees from overseas who tookthe time to attend this year’s ABMAAnnual Convention.

“It’s wonderful that we (ABMA) havea good relationship with the FEIBP(European Brushware Federation) andattend each other’s functions,” Mosssaid. “I would like to thank everyonewho came from Europe and elsewhere,especially during this tough economy.”

Suppliers Division 3rd Vice Chair

Carlos Petzold, of Borghi USA/Bodam International, Aberdeen, MD,reported that space for this year’s annu-al ABMA Suppliers Display, held onFriday (March 27), was sold out andthat there were several Finished GoodsDisplays as well, which was also heldon Friday.

Attendees of the Industrial &Maintenance Division meeting also dis-cussed the need to seek greater ABMAmembership among Mexican manufactur-ers. It was noted that supplier members canhelp by identifying likely candidates fromMexico in an effort to increase the overallABMA membership base.

In one of the final acts at the meeting, theSuppliers Division elected the followingpeople as new officers for 2009-2011: J.Andrew Dailey, Jones Companies Ltd,Chair; Daniel Sinykin, Monterey/RollerFabrics, Vice Chair; Carlos Petzold,Borghi USA/Bodam International, 2ndVice Chair; David Kalisz, MFC Ltd., 3rdVice Chair; Jill Shinners, PioneerPackaging, At Large (2011); and ChrisMonahan, Brush Fibers Inc, At Large(2013).


ABMA DivisionsContinued From Page 16

Harper Brush Works, of Fairfield, IA,completed the acquisition of FeatherDuster Corporation, of Amsterdam, NY,on Feb. 1, 2009. Harper Brush andFeather Duster had been working on jointmanufacturing, sales and marketing ven-tures since April, 2008 prior to the acqui-sition.

All production and inventory has beenmoved to Harper’s Greenville, NC, manu-facturing and distribution facility. All salesand administrative support will be handledat the Fairfield location.

Harper looks forward to servicing FDC’scustomers with the same product line andhigh service they have previously received.

Harper launched the completely newduster line recently at the InternationalHousewares Show under the Harper brand.Harper is the only company in the worldthat has the exclusive rights to use theKlein Karoo’s “Blue Ostrich Hallmark ofQuality” trademark.

Harper Brush Announces Acquisition

Of Feather Duster

Mail to: Broom, Brush & Mop, 204 E. Main, P.O. Box 130, Arcola, IL 61910 - USA Phone 800-598-8083 (US) • 217-268-4959 • FAX 217-268-4815 • Email: [email protected]

The following form will be used to compile a company profile to be included in Suppliers 2009, an international suppliers directory that will be read all year long by broom, brush and mop manufacturers.

Please fill out and return as soon as possible.

Thank you for your help in making this suppliers directory the most helpful and most comprehensive yet.

Broom, Brush & Mop

Deadline: May 15, 2009

SUPPLIERS 2009SUPPLIERS 2009SUPPLIERS 2009SUPPLIERS 2009

BBM.May.v 4/27/09 9:18 AM Page 38

Mail to: Broom, Brush & Mop, 204 E. Main, P.O. Box 130, Arcola, IL 61910 - USA Phone 800-598-8083 (US) • 217-268-4959 • FAX 217-268-4815 • Email: [email protected]

The following form will be used to compile a company profile to be included in Suppliers 2009, an international suppliers directory that will be read all year long by broom, brush and mop manufacturers.

Please fill out and return as soon as possible.

Thank you for your help in making this suppliers directory the most helpful and most comprehensive yet.

Broom, Brush & Mop

Deadline: May 15, 2009

SUPPLIERS 2009SUPPLIERS 2009SUPPLIERS 2009SUPPLIERS 2009SUPPLIERS 2009SUPPLIERS 2009

SUBMITTED BY:

COMPANY NAME:

ADDRESS:

CITY: STATE: ZIP: COUNTRY:

TELEPHONE: FAX:

EMAIL: WEBSITE:

COMPANY OFFICERS:

PRODUCTS:

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Documents

Broom, Brush & Mop May 2009