motomom

I read in one of the posts about Wal-Mart that someone had heard that the Cranston Print Works mill is closing because of a lost contract with Wal-Mart. While this article does not blame WM directly, it does verify that Cranston Print Works is closing.

http://www.wbur.org/2009/05/28/factory-shutdown

At one time they had over 700 employees.

Moonpi

So sad. I know North Carolina mills are pretty much closed down. Are there any real American manufacturers left?

sharon b

I hate when I hear news like this. And yet they move the jobs out of the country , but the prices never go down only up. Its all about the bottom line. Did they ever stop to think if they charged less we could afford to buy more ?

butterflywing

Connecting Threads is now going to carry a line of usa GROWN cotton for fabrics. they will be made and printed somewhere in north america. it could be here or mexico or canada. that may be as close as you get these days, and lucky to get that.

Cathe

Cranston as a fabric distribution company appears to still be in business. They are just closing the US factories. Cranston started moving their printing overseas a while ago (before they lost the contract with Walmart?) I was researching them a few months ago and even talked to someone at their office on the telephone. Their company has been shrinking for a while.

Really, it's very poor business practice to put all of your eggs in one basket, even a big one like Walmart. Everyone has seen the Walmart fabric departments closing for several years now. If they had wanted to remain in business as they were, Cranston should have made some preparation for that, diversified perhaps? They were a really good company. I endorsed them because of their support for their military employees and families. It's sad to see that kind of company lost.

Shemjo

Sad news. What is actually made in America anymore? :?

BellaBoo

America use to be the world leader in quality manufacturing. America has lost the generation of workers that took pride in working a factory job. Now days, factory workers are looked down upon by the younger working society and the thinking is let someone else do it, not me.

butterflywing

why would anyone buy anything made in china today, when china is considered a hostile nation and the quality is unreliable? obviously, americans have a bottom line, too. nothing will change until buying habits change.

butterflywing

that attitude is the reason so many immigrants can't wait to get work here. including illegal immigrants. there are still upper management unemployed people who will not consider taking low-level jobs and so many people who think they're too good to sweep the floor, that many jobs go unfilled. is it any wonder that illegals are here to fill those jobs and send money home? in a way, their work ethic is better than those people who feel entitled.

Favorite Fabrics

It's true that Cranston is not going to be printing in the US anymore.

I do a lot of business with Cranston, and was thrilled to be offered a tour of their mill last summer, when it was still humming. The wonderful folks there were kind enough to take show me all their various departments, from design to laser etching of the screens to printing, to where they fold it onto bolts, to the robot that loads it onto pallets to the warehouse where it's stacked high up to the ceiling. (They even put a welcome message to me on their company sign... what a marvelous crew!)

Of all the manufacturers that I work with, the Cranston crew is just the very nicest.

So when the news came down late last winter that the printing and finishing portion would be closing, they called me to tell me that they would be finished printing in June. They know that I've done all that I could, as one small business, to promote the fact that they were still printing here in the US.

They still run the folding department, and they still design and sell fabrics, both the VIP line (carried in chains such as Wal-Mart) and their upscale Quilting Treasures line.

The additional news - which I think has become widely known yet - is that after August they will not be selling EITHER of their brands through distributors. They will be selling direct to businesses, through their sales reps. Now, quilt shops probably already know that they can buy Cranston products via the reps. The ones who will be "out in the cold", so to speak, are the crafters and really small businesses who like the pick-and-choose concept of a bolt of this-brand-and-a-bolt-of-that, which is ideal for getting through distributors. So... because I came to this business via the craft show circuit, I had a long talk with the Cranston's customer service department to see how we could still serve this segment of the business. I will put up another post about that, 'cause it's just a wee bit off topic for this one... and should probably have its own thread.