circular Global Alliance forays into India by setting up mattress ticking plant at Tirupur

By K. Gopalakrishnan The US-based, Global Textile Alliance (GTA) has entered the Indian market for manufacture of quality knitted mattress ticking fabric. One of the leading global suppliers of mattress ticking with manufacturing facilities in Europe and North America, GTA has set up its first Indian facility, its third globally, at Tirupur at an investment of Euro 1 million to manufacture high-end knitted mattress ticking fabric catering to the needs of Indian mattress manufacturers. The protective fabric cover which encases the mattress and foundation is called ticking. It is usually designed to coordinate with the founda- tion border fabric and comes in a wide variety of colors and styles. Mattress fabrics can be knits, or printed wovens, or inexpensive nonwo- vens. In the past decade, along with the rise in popu- larity of all-foam beds, stretchy knit ticking on the bed’s top panel has become a standard look on both innerspring and foam beds. Most ticking is made with . More expensive mat- tress fabrics may have a combination of polyester with , , , or other natural yarns. The ticking has to be made of quality mate- rial, so that it lasts longer. Mattress ticking must be hygienic and stain-resistant and should help reduce air pollutants. Mattress ticking fabric is normally made as woven and . Mostly it is low-cost mattress in India, with . Knitted mattress ticking fabric is used on high-end mat- tress, the market for which is currently small but Mr. Stephen Fieux, Plant Manager, GTA is growing fast in India. Mattress manufacturers

22 | The Textile Magazine MAY 2012