2003

COTTON USA
Buyer’s
Guide
TO U.S. MANUFACTURED
COTTON PRODUCTS

Cotton
Council
InternationalCo
COTTON USA
Buyer’s Guide
TO U.S. MANUFACTURED COTTON PRODUCTS
Prepared and Distributed by
Cotton Council International
This Guide provides information to potential buyers of U.S.
manufactured cotton products. The companies listed in this
Guide are quality producers of 100 percent cotton products
containing a majority of U.S. cotton. Please contact them
directly regarding specifications, prices, and delivery.
7 yarn
manufacturers

19 woven topweight
fabric manufacturers

31 woven bottomweight 63 other

fabric manufacturers speciality-coated/laminated,
industrial non-woven and
41 knits cotton product manufacturers
fabric manufacturers
65 company 79 index
55 home furnishing contacts
manufacturers

Contents
COTTON USA
CAN HELP MAKE YOUR PRODUCTS
MORE COMPETITIVE IN WORLD MARKETS.

Cotton Council International, the export promotion division of the National Cotton Council of America,
launched a new promotional program, COTTON USA, in 1989 to build sales of products made of U.S.
cotton in international markets. The program began in Western Europe, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan.
Subsequently, markets in Southeastern Asia and Latin America have been added, swelling COTTON USA’s
total international consumer market exposure to nearly one billion persons. COTTON USA, representing the
world’s leading fashion fiber, provides a way for apparel and home furnishing manufacturers to reinforce
their commitment to superior product quality and performance.

How The COTTON USA old and their families in the middle and upper socio-
economic strata—the primary purchasing group for
Promotional Program Works textile products.

he COTTON USA promotional program offers a In addition to COTTON USA’s sales-building advertising

T competitive edge that doesn’t rely solely on price.

It is designed to provide an extra selling advantage.
Using comprehensive marketing research, a leading
international design firm developed our appealing
COTTON USA trademark. We have publicized it heavily
for the past ten years in television and full-color
magazine advertisements aimed at women 15–54 years
and public relations campaign, consumers are being
exposed to the benefits of cotton and the quality
of products made with U.S. grown cotton through
in-store retail promotions. In order for manufacturers and
retailers to benefit from this multimillion dollar campaign
and participate in sales driven retail events, COTTON
USA offers a no-cost licensing program to all quality

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cotton product manufacturers whose products contain a
majority of U.S. cotton. The license allows manufacturers
and retailers to use the COTTON USA Mark on
packaging and in the overall marketing campaign of
their qualifying products. COTTON USA’s convincing
advertising motivates consumers to seek out those
products identified with the COTTON USA Mark and
thus provide the superior qualities and benefits of
U.S. cotton.
Many leading mills and finished apparel and home
textile producers recognize the strong value-adding
ability of the COTTON USA Mark. In 2002, over 2,000
product lines were licensed by COTTON USA
—making hundreds of millions of products labeled with
the COTTON USA Mark available to consumers at retail.
Proof That The COTTON
USA Mark Will Work
For Your Products
In addition to Mark awareness, consumer research also
probes critical attitudes that can affect consumer behavior —
will consumers want to purchase your product? Research
shows clearly that consumers who recognize the COTTON
USA Mark perceive cotton products bearing the Mark to be
superior in six important purchase decision factors.
Consumers believe that the COTTON USA Mark is a sign
of high quality, durability, comfort, style, and reputable
manufacturers. Most importantly, they buy COTTON USA
products more often—clear evidence that being a COTTON
USA licensee can increase a company’s sales and profits.
By appealing to the most frequent buyers of cotton
products, the COTTON USA Mark becomes more valuable
to companies who join the COTTON USA Program.
COTTON USA promotions are carefully designed to
stimulate higher levels of consumer cotton purchases.
The proof is dramatically shown in the following chart in
which women aware of the Mark report greater purchasing
activity compared to those who are unaware. The aware
consumer group has a 10 percentage points greater
purchasing history than those unaware of the Mark.

Through independent research, the COTTON USA

program is regularly measured to determine consumer COTTON USA Affects
opinions and feelings about the COTTON USA Mark and Cotton Purchases
products labeled with it to make the Mark more valuable to 65%
licensees. The most important finding in this regard is Mark 55%
awareness—the number of consumers who know that it
stands for quality products made of U.S. cotton. In 2002,
consumer awareness reached 53 percent, meaning that one
out of every two women readily appreciates the added
value of the COTTON USA Mark—proof that companies
can benefit from an enhanced image by using the COTTON
Unaware Aware
USA Mark.
Purchased cotton products in last 3 months

Consumer Awareness of Consumer Attitudes Toward

COTTON USA Mark COTTON USA Products
59%
57% 56%
53% 54% 53%
48% 49%
42% 42% 41% 43% 45% 45%
44% 43%
reputable manufacturers

41% 39% 40%

42%
33% 33%
31%
more comfortable

27%
higher quality
better styling

more durable

21%
I would buy

12%

1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Rating 8, 9, or 10 on a 10 Point Scale

Source: Roper Starch Worldwide Unaware Aware

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 HOW TO JOIN
AND BUILD YOUR SALES
1. The product line must be first quality and 100 percent cotton (exclusive of nominal non-cotton
reinforcement, elastic or decoration)
2. Of the cotton content, the product line must contain at least 50 percent U.S. grown cotton
3. The product bearing the COTTON USA Mark will not be marketed within NAFTA countries (U.S.,
Canada and Mexico), Central America, or the Caribbean
4. The manufacturer should have a solid corporate reputation and market quality brands retailed
at mid-market price points and higher

Sourcing Cotton Products Many of these companies are already licensed to use
the COTTON USA Mark. You will notice their advertise-
From The United States ments throughout the publication. Our U.S. Value
Added COTTON USA licensees are Alice Mills, Inc.;

O
ne way to insure that your products will auto-
American & Efird, Inc.; American Cotton Growers
matically qualify is to source 100 percent cotton
(A Division of Plains Cotton Cooperative Association);
yarn, fabrics, and finished products from the
AMTEC, LLC.; Ameritex Yarn; Arca Knitting, Inc.;
United States. Throughout this Buyers Guide, you will
Avondale Mills, Inc.; Barnhardt Manufacturing Co.;
find a source for every type of 100 percent cotton
Buhler Quality Yarns; Carolina Cotton Works, Inc.;
products. These companies manufacture quality cotton
Carolina Specialty Fabrics (A Division of Carolina Mills,
products made in the United States of U.S. cotton.
Inc.); Cheraw Yarn Mills; Cone Mills Corporation; Dan
River Inc.; Dorf Industries – Mohawk International/
Newmark Rugs; Four Leaf Textiles; Frontier Spinning
Mills; Galey & Lord Industries, Inc.; Golding Fabrics;
Greenwood Mills; Harriet & Henderson Yarns; Inman
Mills; Johnston Industries, Inc.;National Textiles;
Parkdale Mills; Pillowtex Fieldcrest Cannon; Ramtex
Inc.; R.L. Stowe Mills; Shavel Home Products; Shuford
Mills; Spectrum Dyed Yarn Inc.; Springs Industries;
Swift Denim; Swift Spinning Mills; Texollini; The Rug
Barn, Inc.; TNS Mills Inc.; Tuscarora Yarns; Weave
Corporation; Wehadkee Yarn Mills; and WestPoint
Stevens, Inc.

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The COTTON USA team of marketing/
promotional professionals can help you
get maximum impact from a COTTON USA
license for your product line.

COTTON USA
Is Ready To Help You
Cotton Council International can help your company
capitalize on the benefits of the COTTON USA Mark.
When you qualify and enroll in the COTTON USA
promotional program, you also begin to participate in
our ongoing support program which consists of retail
promotions, trade advertising, publicity releases,
press conferences, consumer public relations,
marketing research studies on consumer response
to the COTTON USA Mark, and COTTON USA
consumer advertising.

COTTON USA has a global network of offices and

associates which can be enlisted to support licensees.
We have professionals based in our principal office in
Washington, DC as well as in London, Dusseldorf,
Hong Kong, Seoul, Osaka, Taipei, and the Philippines.
Our Latin American representatives are located in
Washington, D.C., as well as Bogota, Sao Paulo, and
San Jose, Costa Rica. The COTTON USA team of
marketing/promotional professionals can help you get
maximum impact from a COTTON USA license for your
product line. In some cases we can assist in market
introductions, or design ideas for optimum selling appeal world’s premier fiber ingredient, U.S. cotton, and obtain
when the Mark is added to your packaging. Like the a license to use the COTTON USA Mark. Contact
Mark license, all of these extra services come at no the appropriate CCI office to learn how your cotton
cost. However, to participate you must be using the products can enjoy the power of COTTON USA.