Friday, November 10, 2006
This edition of the Hosiery Insider
is sponsored by HENDERSON Machinery
THA HAS MOVED and has a new address: 7421 Carmel Executive Park - Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28226. Telephone and fax numbers remain the same. THA staff thanks you for your patience during our move.
 Have You Made Your Hotel Reservations for THA’s 102nd Annual Convention Yet? Don’t wait, call now. Contact the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina (CHR&M) directly at 843-856-0028 or 888-856-0028. The CHR&M reservations office is open from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. (Eastern). In order to get the Convention Rate of $199/night, make sure to identify yourself as being with THA and give the Reservation Code “HOA.” The reservation cut-off date is at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 26, 2007. Don’t delay, make your hotel reservations for THA’s 102nd Annual Convention – Thursday, April 26 – Sunday, April 29, 2007 at the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina.
 **UPDATE RE: EXHIBITS at THA’s ANNUAL CONVENTION: SUPPLIERS that are THA Members will have a chance to gain great company exposure and networking opportunities with hosiery company decision makers. These supplier companies will be able to occupy their own display table (“booth”) and feature their product samples, information, have give-a-ways, etc. The exhibits will be held in conjunction with the Continental Breakfast, two Breaks during General Session and Lunch Break on Friday, April 27 to allow suppliers time to meet with customers on Saturday. The cost of a complete booth package is less than 1/3 of the floor space at most industry trade shows! Booths are being assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. There is only room for 20 Booths, and we have interested supplier members on the list already. If your company is interested in exhibiting, please contact THA at 704-365-0913.
CHA Chapter’s Annual Meeting will be held on Thursday, December 7 from 11:15 a.m. EST until 1:00 P.M. at the Sawtooth Building in Winston-Salem. Additional information will soon be posted to THA’s website and distributed via email.
The Alabama Chapter will hold its annual Christmas Party on Friday, December 8 at the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa, 4000 Grand Ave., Hoover, Alabama 35226. For additional details, contact Linda Sterling of V.I PREWETT & SON, INC. at 256-845-5234 or email her at lsterling@prewettmills.com.
Obituary: Harold Lee Stone, Sr., 83, of Mount Airy, North Carolina, passed away on November 6, 2006. He retired as Vice President from Kentucky Derby Hosiery Company. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Mountain Valley Hospice and Palliative Care, 401 Technology Lane, Suite 200, Mount Airy, NC 27030 Online condolences may be made at www.moodyfuneralservices.com.
THA Website access has been updated!
The generic login and password to enter the MEMBERS ONLY portion of THA’s website has expired. On Wednesday, October 4, an email blast with the new login and password was sent to all members with email addresses in our database. If membership dues have not been paid for the 2006-2007 membership year yet, then your company did not receive this information. Please make sure you have renewed your membership so you will still be able to access this section and vital THA information.
THA Members: BLOG FOR BUSINESS
Inquiry 1: XXXXX is a franchisor with over 130 retail outlets across the United States and Canada. Our primary business is selling arch supports and pre-manufactured orthotics that provide our customers with comfort, balance and support. We are looking to expand our retail offerings to include a “XXXXX” line of socks in various styles and colors. We are looking for a manufacturer that can produce a high quality sock that we will be proud to put our name on, preferably embroidered in the foot area. For the contact information and an RFP, THA members may visit our Member’s Only section of our website - http://www.hosieryassociation.com/Members/home.asp. Go to the BLOG page to access the information.
Inquiry 2: I am developing a new product for which I need a domestic US based manufacturer of sweat bands or terry socks. My company specializes in electro-textiles and smart fabrics. We currently have a seamless sports bra on the market that has the sensors knit directly into that monitor your heart rate. Members who may be interested in a new, technical, mid volume (10,000 unit initial order) program and additional details may visit our Member’s Only section of the website - http://www.hosieryassociation.com/Members/home.asp. Go to the BLOG page to access the contact information.
Henderson Machinery Inc and Salzmann AG will hold an exhibition at the Henderson Machinery office (7602 Boeing Drive, Greensboro, NC 27419) on November 28, 29 and 30. Equipment to be shown will include the Lonati Model L41TV for medical hosiery; Sangiacomo Model Star 40 HT CL; Memminger IRO EFS 800 and the Dinema DSC sizing machine. There will also be an exhibition of new medical testing equipment. For additional information, please contact Earl Russell at 336-668-0801 or email earl@hendersonmachinery.com or click here for the full list of machines being exhibited.
Hosiery Insider Sponsorship: Do you want a cost effective venue for communicating your messages to thousands worldwide? Sponsor the next issue of Hosiery Insider. For details, contact Mike Austell at 704-365-0913 Ext 204 or mike.austell@hosieryassociation.com.
THA provides Members Web Based Commercials – Visit THA’s home page, www.hosieryassociation.com and experience the MAGIC/WSA video. This technology is available to you and your company. Contact the THA office for details at 704.365.0913. 
The 2007 National Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors (NAUMD) Image of the Year Awards, the annual competition recognizing outstanding design in image apparel and corporate uniforms, will be dramatically updated with a broader range of professional judges, and a streamlined judging process. The judging panel will include a cross-section of the fashion industry’s most celebrated designers, journalists and fashion authorities: Karen Alberg Grossman, Editor-in-Chief, MR Magazine; Joseph DeAcetis, Fashion Director, Playboy Magazine; Kathleen DesMarteau, Editor-in-Chief, Apparel Magazine; Norman Fryman, Adjunct Professor of Marketing, Parsons School of Design; Sass Brown, Asst. Professor, Fashion Design-Apparel, Fashion Institute of Technology; Maryanne Klimchuk, Chair, Packaging Design Department, Fashion Institute of Technology; Dana Buchman, Designer, Dana Buchman; Edward J. Cortese, Director of Marketing, Robb Report Magazine; Sally Kay, President, The Hosiery  Association; Marilyn Levey, President, Levey Marketing Services; David Wolfe, Creative Director, Doneger Creative Services.
NO NONSENSE® LAUNCHES GREAT SHAPES® BODY SHAPERS
GREENSBORO, N.C. (October 31, 2006) – No nonsense continues its tradition of offering innovative and stylish women’s legwear and apparel products with the launch of No nonsense® Great Shapes® Shapers. The new line of no-hose footless body shapers will be available at retail this winter. “Women are looking for modern figure shaping products,” says Julia Townsend, VP/GMM of Kayser-Roth Corporation that manufactures No nonsense. “No nonsense first addressed women’s need for shaping with No nonsense Great Shapes Pantyhose. Now we’re expanding that well-known name beyond pantyhose to include no-hose shaping. No nonsense Great Shapes Shapers are all about putting curves in their place in a way that perfectly blends comfort, style, and practicality. It’s just what women today are demanding.”
 Happy Holidays vs. Merry Christmas
News is that Wal-Mart plans to switch back to using the phrase "Merry Christmas" in its decorations and customer greetings instead of the more generic "Happy Holidays." Apparently, the change came after religious groups boycotted the retailer last year for "taking the Christ out of Christmas" by removing the word Christmas from its decorations and discouraging employees from greeting customers with "Merry Christmas." Some retail analysts are saying this is a smart move, since "Happy Holidays" is so generic it doesn’t evoke any specific feelings in customers. They say many customers prefer "Merry Christmas" whether they regard the holiday as religious or secular. Reuter’s featured legging’s story this week entitled “Leggings set to fill stockings this holiday season”
http://today.reuters.com/news/articleinvesting.aspx?view=CN&storyID=2006-11-08T205222Z_01_N08406549_RTRIDST_0_RETAIL-HOLIDAY-LEGGINGS.XML&rpc=66&type=qcna
“You Wear US Well ™” will be participating in the MAGIC show this February with more exhibitors and a bigger presence! For additional information on how you can get involved, please contact Dan St. Louis at the Hosiery Technology Center, 828.327.7000 ext. 4292 or sockman@legsource.com
 Trade in a Democratic Congress is available upon request. Prepared by Sandler, Travis and Rosenberg PA, this document offers an initial assessment of the global trading environment in a democratic congress.
Rangel Backs Lame Duck Votes on Vietnam PNTR, Preference Program Extension
House Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., said during a recent conference call with reporters that he views a vote on permanent normal trade relations status for Vietnam as non-controversial and that the Andean Trade Preference Act and the Generalized System of Preferences should be extended, according to a report from Inside U.S. Trade. But he also said he would oppose a free trade agreement with Peru in its current form and wants to see International Labor Organization standards included as part of that FTA.
Bruce Blanton Appointed to Office of Congressional Relations. The USDA has announced the appointment of Bruce Blanton as deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Congressional Relations. Blanton has served as special assistant to the administrator of the Farm Service Agency for the last three years. In this position he worked directly with the administrator and other agency leaders in administering the farm commodity, disaster, procurement, loan and conservation programs. He also served as executive assistant to the deputy secretary of agriculture from 1989 to 1991 and as special assistant to the under secretary for international affairs and commodity programs from 1991 to 1993.
Exporters’ Textile Advisory Committee to Meet Dec. 7. The ITA has announced that the Exporters' Textile Advisory Committee will hold an open meeting Dec. 7 in Washington, D.C. This committee advises Department of Commerce officials on the identification of export barriers and market expansion activities. The ITA states that with the elimination of the WTO quota regime, it is committed to encouraging U.S. textile and apparel firms to export and remain competitive in the global market.
U.S. Floats Idea of APEC Free Trade Agreement
U.S. officials have reportedly had informal discussions with Japan and other Asian countries about creating a free trade agreement among member countries of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. An APEC FTA would be the most ambitious ever sought by the United States and would link it with major economies such as China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Press reports indicate that Washington has advanced the idea, which it says would be a medium- to long-term objective, in response to Tokyo’s proposal to create an FTA among 16 East Asian countries that would not include the U.S. According to a report in Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun, the U.S. is expected seek support for its proposal at the Nov. 18-19 APEC leaders’ meeting in Hanoi.
U.S. and Malaysia FTA Talks Could Wrap Up By Year End
Last week the U.S. and Malaysia had productive talks on a bilateral free trade agreement and could conclude negotiations by the end of the year, according to Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Barbara Weisel, who is leading the U.S. negotiating team.
DOC Expected to Launch First CV Case Against China in 20 Years
The Department of Commerce is expected to soon initiate a countervailing duty investigation against China, reversing a 20-year-old policy against assessing CV duties on products from non-market economy countries. This investigation could open the way for numerous other CV petitions to be filed against imports from NMEs like China and Vietnam. The product most immediately affected by this new development would be coated free sheet paper from China, which (along with such products from Indonesia and South Korea) was the subject of petitions submitted this week seeking the imposition of antidumping and CV duties.
The contents printed in this document are informational in nature. They are gathered from various industry sources and do not necessarily reflect the views and/or actions of THA.
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