Unifi Adds to Worldwide Production Base through Intex Yarns

Adding to its package dyeing capabilities in Europe, Unifi, Inc. announced that it has acquired Intex Yarns Limited, located in Manchester, England.

The new company, Unifi Dyed Yarns Limited, enhances Unifi's flexibility to adjust to evolving market needs and represents an on-going commitment to provide customers worldwide with a broader range of specialized products.

In 1984, Intex acquired the former ICI Fibers plant near Manchester. With the purchase of Intex Yarns Limited, Unifi gains over 4,000 tons of dye capacity annually. "Our goal is to establish Unifi as a high quality supplier of dyed yarns throughout Europe," explains Brian Parke, CEO of Unifi. "This acquisition is a logical addition to our yarn production facility in Letterkenny, Ireland, and allows us to offer our European customers a unique advantage in the marketplace."

Unifi will make a considerable investment in upgrading the plant over the next 18 to 24 months, says Parke. All 200-plus employees will remain with the new company.

"Our European automotive and other customers will benefit from the broader array of services this acquisition will provide," Parke predicts. "We consider it an important step in forging long-term strategic partnerships with customers, and are confident it will help them to better capitalize on pro-active growth opportunities."