Jim Lee
Vice President of Sales CHAMPION THREAD COMPANY®
We take great pride in being a customer-centric organisation
Founded in 1979, Champion Thread Company (CTC) develops and produces premium sewing threads, engineered yarns, and accessories for textile and sewn products manufacturers. With 45 years of growth, CTC remains dedicated to delivering the highest quality at competitive prices. This promise is supported by the technical and industry expertise to solve the toughest product, production, and supply chain challenges. In an interview with Fibre2Fashion, Vice President of Sales Jim Lee the company, its products and operations.
Can you provide an overview of Champion Thread Company’s history and evolution since 1979?
From humble beginnings as a regional thread distributor, CTC has delivered constant growth and accomplishment throughout our 45-year history. We have expanded our footprint to become a global developer, manufacturer, and marketer of a wide range of industrial sewing threads, engineered yarns and other findings for textile and sewn products manufacturers.
What sets Champion Thread apart from other competitors in the textile and sewn products industries?
We are widely recognised for our unwavering commitment to our customers and the complete customer experience. Since 1979, CTC has remained family-owned and operated, taking great pride in offering superior products at competitive prices. Our goal is not to be the largest, so we do not limit our focus to the mass market. Instead, we provide customer-driven solutions engineered and tailored to meet their specific needs. So, we are more technical and service-oriented than most other suppliers.
How does the company ensure the quality and reliability of its products, particularly industrial sewing threads and engineered yarns?
CTC has invested heavily in advanced manufacturing equipment technology to ensure product consistency and repeatable customer results. A recent example is our building of an all-new dyehouse in the United States. Of course, we also maintain extensive testing and quality assurance programmes throughout all internal and supply chain processes.
Could you elaborate on the range of products and solutions offered by CTC, including any recent innovations or developments?
CTC provides thread, yarn, and other solutions for virtually every sewn product application – ranging from apparel to industrial and everything in between. We offer the full range of polyester, nylon, cotton, Flame Retardant (FR), and specialty industrial sewing threads. Some notable options include our ChampRenu 100 per cent recycled polyester, FDA-compliant multi-wall paper bag closing, MIL-SPEC and Berry-Compliant threads. We also offer custom-engineered and specialty yarns, including selvage, leno, braider and lacing twine/wax cable yarns. Other supplies and components include elastic and narrow fabrics, product identification labels, and more. We are constantly evaluating new product developments to meet industry needs.
How do you approach sustainability and environmental responsibility, particularly with the launch of the ChampRenu line of 100 per cent recycled thread?
In addition to our internal recycling and supply chain ESG programmes, we developed our ChampRenu product line to meet the growing industry demand for recycled materials. We expect to expand this line to meet industry demand as more brands and retailers specify eco-friendly thread.
Could you provide insights into CTC’s global distribution and service network, and how it supports customers across different continents?
While our primary focus is on the Western Hemisphere, we are experiencing growing global demand due to our industry expertise and high-quality products. We are fully equipped to receive and deliver orders globally through efficient in-house order processing or select distributors.
What measures does the company take to stay abreast of industry trends and adapt to the ever-evolving needs of customers?
We take great pride in being a customer-centric organisation that interacts daily in partnership with a wide range of customers and prospective customers. Most of our product development and business strategies are formed by this interaction and active participation in industry associations, tradeshows and events.
Can you elaborate on the opening of the new South Carolina dyehouse and its impact on CTC’s operations and customer service?
Driven primarily by the massive supply chain disruption that has taken place during and post-COVID, the new facility is one of only a few such dyehouses built in the US in a generation. The new facility enables CTC to dye its yarns and threads quickly, efficiently, and locally – helping us to speed deliveries, expand scheduling flexibility, reduce costs and enhance colour accuracy.
Can you discuss the company’s approach to product development and innovation, and how it stays ahead of the curve in introducing new solutions?
We embrace custom product development opportunities – another capability differentiating us from other thread and yarn providers. We embrace the opportunity to work with individual customers to solve their most significant challenges. We also provide flexible, custom-order quantities and packaging to meet their needs. Of course, our commitment to advanced technology also plays a vital role in staying ahead of the curve.
Looking towards the future, what are CTC’s goals and priorities for continued growth and success?
In recent years, we have grown significantly by capturing greater market share. Many new clients come to get CTC’s superior customer experience. Our longevity in the market can be attributed to our ability to adapt and innovate while always staying true to our core values. So, our future goals and strategies remain the same as the customer-centric ones that blessed us with 45 years of growth.
What recent technological advancements or innovations have significantly impacted the thread manufacturing industry, and how are companies adapting to these changes?
Automation and information systems have advanced significantly as of late. We have aggressively invested in various solutions while others are pulling back. We remain optimistic about the opportunities in our industry and see automation as the key to remaining and increasing our competitiveness.
How do fluctuations in raw material prices, such as cotton or synthetic fibres, impact the pricing and profitability of thread manufacturing companies, and how do they mitigate these challenges?
We have all been impacted by the wild price and supply fluctuations of recent years. While we cannot control all these disruptions, we have taken aggressive actions and extraordinary investments to maintain our competitive pricing and ability to deliver for our customers. In some cases, this meant taking on additional inventory, adding technology and facilities, and leveraging and expanding our global supply and distribution network to achieve the best results for our customers.
As globalisation continues to shape the manufacturing landscape, how can thread manufacturers navigate the complexities of international trade, supply chains, and sourcing strategies?
While there is no silver bullet to these challenges, we have leveraged the reliability and flexibility of our long-term global partnerships and aggressively invested in our capacity to continue delivering superior products and services at competitive prices.
With the rise of e-commerce and digital platforms, how can thread manufacturers adjust their distribution channels and marketing strategies to reach a broader customer base and stay competitive in the market?
At CTC, we constantly seek business opportunities and ways to enhance our market strategies to meet evolving customer needs.
Interviewer: Shilpi Panjabi
Published on: 27/02/2024
DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.
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