Raven Issue No. 11

| Issue No. 11 | Everyone Shares In | 2 Sunbrella® 50th Anniversary Sunbrella®is a fabric for all Issue No. 11 times, and all lifestyles, from a pool-side cabana in the early 1960s to casual, yet elegant Fall 2010 décor inside the home today. Everyone Shares In Sunbrella 50th Anniversary Pages 2-3 Dear Readers, We hope and trust that this issue of the Raven magazine finds you with optimism and confidence for the future. Inside you will read about one of the most important reasons for our positive outlook – the 50th anniversary of the Sunbrella® brand, which will occur during 2011 and which we will begin to celebrate later this year. It was in 1961 that Glen Raven’s Roger Gant, Jr. and his team launched Sunbrella brand fabrics, which forever changed awning, marine and furniture markets. As we plan for the 50th anniversary of the Sunbrella brand, it is with a sense of sadness and loss over the death of Roger Gant, Jr. on July 26. Roger was the visionary who saw the potential for awning fabrics made with synthetic fibers and who pioneered our brand through its launch and early years of market acceptance. 2-3 We owe Roger a great debt of gratitude and are pleased to include a profile article in this issue. Countless companies have benefitted from the Sunbrella brand over the past 50 years, one of the newest of which is Coast New Zealand, which specializes in casual furniture and luggage. The 4-5 owners of Coast selected the Sunbrella brand from the very beginning because of its reputation for durability and easy care, an ideal complement to Coast products targeted to outdoor lifestyles. 6-7 Addressing the specialized needs of market niches remains an objective for Glen Raven as illustrated in an article on our R.J. Stern subsidiary, a specialist in industrial curtains used in mine shaft ventilation. Supporting the innovative product offerings from Stern – and for many of our customers – is the Glen Raven Park Avenue Plant. You will read about how this operation is 8-9 becoming an increasingly valued resource for our customers. Continuing our focus on best practices, we offer an article on one of the most fundamental elements of manufacturing and fabrication – safety. We are excited to share experiences that we hope will be valuable to everyone. 10-11 In addition to safety, environmental sustainability remains a top priority. In this regard, we offer a photo essay showcasing applications of environmentally friendly EverGreen media fabrics offered worldwide by Dickson Coatings. 12-13 Finally, I call your attention to an article on Glen Raven’s involvement with colleges and universities around the world. It is through internships and program sponsorships that Glen Raven and our customers benefit from bright young minds that are 14-15 shaping the future. As we move into the final quarter of 2010, we remain hopeful for a positive conclusion of this year for all of our customers and even better times in 2011. I welcome your comments, questions 16 and suggestions at any time. 17 Allen E. Gant, Jr. President and CEO Glen Raven, Inc. “ We view the 50th anniversary of the Sunbrella Everyone shares brand as an opportunity to express our appreciation to the thousands of people and hundreds of ® in sunbrella companies that have nurtured this brand 50th anniversary since 1961 and made it what it is today.” Hal Hunnicutt uring the late 1950s, Glen Raven’s Roger Gant, Jr. its limitations. Sunbrella offered the best of all worlds – beauty, began exploring new options for awning fabrics. durability and comfort. D Until then, cotton had been the only option, resulting in awnings that were classically styled and beautiful, but The newest segment benefiting from the Sunbrella brand is lasting only a few seasons before the elements would take interior furnishings, residential and commercial. Inside the their toll. home, Sunbrella fabrics are being used for upholstery, window treatments and top-of-bed, resulting in beautiful, carefree “Glen Raven had been involved with synthetic fibers for home interiors. Glen Raven is also expanding in commercial many years with our other product lines, but no one had markets with Sunbrella fabrics styled for hotel, resort and ventured into synthetics for awnings,” said Allen E. Gant, Jr., office applications. president and CEO of Glen Raven. “Roger began to work with acrylic fiber producers, and his team launched Sunbrella® Sunbrella fabrics are also a mainstay of the automotive industry, brand awning fabrics in 1961.” gracing convertible tops of the leading vehicle nameplates. Sunbrella awning fabrics were a success owing to dramatically In addition to its expansion in multiple market segments, improved performance achieved by infusing color throughout the Sunbrella brand has grown globally. Mariners all around acrylic fibers. Instead of one or two seasons, Sunbrella awning the globe ask for Sunbrella fabrics by name, and Glen Raven’s fabrics could last a number of seasons without fading. The awning French subsidiary, Dickson-Constant, has developed Sunbrella marketplace was re-energized by high performance fabrics. lines styled for European tastes. The Sunbrella brand will begin celebrating its 50th anniversary Continual Improvement 3 with special events this fall during the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) Expo in Orlando, Casual While the fundamentals of Sunbrella fabrics have remained Market in Chicago and Furniture Market in High Point. constant for 50 years, the technology behind the brand has Editorial roundtables are planned with the New York news advanced continuously. Technical innovations have resulted media in October, and commemorative advertising will run in even longer life, resulting in warranty extensions to five throughout 2011. years for furniture and 10 years for awning and marine. “We view the 50th anniversary of the Sunbrella brand as an Also in the realm of technical improvements have been exciting opportunity to express our appreciation to the thousands of new fabric constructions for Sunbrella fabrics, including people and hundreds of companies that have nurtured this advanced fabric finishes, unique yarn combinations, jacquard brand since 1961 and made it what it is today,” said Hal weaving and velvet, sheer and terrycloth offerings. Hunnicutt, vice president of marketing for Glen Raven Custom Fabrics, the makers of Sunbrella. “It is this extensive com- Customer Support munity of Sunbrella fans – from awning and marine shops to decorative jobbers, and from furniture manufacturers to The success of the Sunbrella brand for 50 years can be distribution partners – that deserve the recognition for making attributed to many things –the vision and commitment of key Sunbrella fabrics a part of everyday life wherever people individuals, enthusiastic adoption and support by Glen Raven live, work and play.” customers and trade partners, and loyalty of consumers to a brand they trust. Sunbrella – A Brief History “As our 50th anniversary advertising campaign says, ‘50 The history of the Sunbrella brand is the story of a revolutionary years goes fast when you have a lot of good friends pushing product changing every market it touches. After its introduction you forward,’” Hunnicutt said. “This has been the essence for awnings, the marine industry soon discovered Sunbrella of our brand for 50 years, and this is a commitment that will fabrics and adopted them as the gold standard for boating. continue for the next 50.” As with awnings, boaters had historically relied on cotton canvas, which was no match for salt, sun and sea. Sunbrella marine fabrics assured years of carefree service. Outdoor and casual furniture was the next market segment to benefit from Sunbrella fabrics beginning in the early The Sunbrella®brand of performance fabrics originated in 1961 as a high- 1980s. For many years, cotton and vinyl had been the only performance substitute for cotton awning fabrics. The classic woven texture of Sunbrella fabrics, combined with durability and fade resistance, has led to its options for outdoor furniture. Cotton had a limited lifespan continual expansion into new markets during its 50-year history, including ma- and anyone who has sat on a hot vinyl cushion can attest to rine, furniture and automotive. Coast New Zealand Founded On Comfort, Inspired by KIWI design nyone who has spent time on a sailboat is well aware of the challenges of comfortable seating. A Cockpits, even with cushions, are only so tolerable on long voyages, and forget about trying to sit on a pillow on the foredeck. Bruises and stiff limbs are sure to result. 4 Alex Webster of New Zealand was all too familiar with this need after observing America's Cup yacht racing on Auckland's Hauraki Gulf from several spectator boats in 2002. This is when he began to think: there has to be a better way and there just might be a business opportunity to be had. “The idea for the ‘Marine Bean®’ was born a few years earlier on a long sailing trip between Curacao and Grand Cayman,” Alex said. “During that voyage, I spent most of the time in a beanbag covered in a canvas sail-bag. It was, far and away, the most comfortable spot on the boat, and I could immediately see the possibilities.” Alex worked his way through a number of trial-and-error prototypes until he hit upon just the right design for the Marine Bean, which is a bean bag specifically designed for the rigors of sailing. He and his wife, Nicola, founded Coast New Zealand in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2003 to take the new product to market. “While our original target was yachting, the Marine Bean has found its real home ashore in homes, hotels and resorts in New Zealand and around the world,” Nicola said. “The Marine Bean remains our best-selling product.” The Marine Bean withstands prolonged exposure to sun, sea and sand, yet maintains its good looks.

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