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Sdams'Killis
Amco News
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Vol.42,No. I
April 1 9JJ6
I
\agata Team
-^1»
B rings Art
Fo Hosiery
rVhen Nancy Lacii sits
down at her computer ter
minal she creates a variety of
patterns. It may be dots,
squares, stripes, parrots,
ducks in flight or cats
[The picture she finishes on
the screen is merely the be
ginning of a process which
puts her “sock-art” on
I ieople around the country.
{Nancy is part of Adams-
Millis' Nagata team respon
sible for the design,
e^ngineering and production
of many of the company’s ho
siery patterns.
jlGilbert Iline is special
projects engineer for the
Nagatas among other ma-
i?liinery. .Judy Stone is plant
Stylist at Plant 1 in High
Point and Rodney Wilson,
head fixer, works closely
with the team in translating
|he computer design into
(abric on the Nataga ma
chines.
I I try to look in many
different places for source
Jiiaterial that will translate
yell to the computer." Nancy
explained. "This can include
fi^agazines. books, greeting
cards.etc.”
I Nancy’s background in-
pfludes study in art at tbe
niversity of North Carolina
'Id textile design at N.C.
tate University. She also
as done sweatei' design.
Hichardson^
Welch Win
Scholarships
John K. Richardson and
''^aren R. Welch have been
lamed winners of tbe James
J. and Jesse tU Mill is Schol-
ii’ship at High Point College
O'’1986-87.
John is the son of Joyce A.
J'chardson. Mount Airy
Plant 2. Karen is the daugh-
01’ of Louise C. Smith. High
Point Plant 7.
Winners of the scholarship
chosen on the basis of
k'’ade point average.
Chairman Millis extended
o's congratulations to the
Winners upon their an
nouncement. He will make a
ornial presentation to them
later.
poster design and costume
design in Raleigh before
joining Adams-Millis last
year following graduation.
"I wondered at first about
how I could apply my art
background to socks.” she
said. "Now I’ve found so
many things we can do with
them. I now have a great ap
preciation for socks.”
She has applied both her
art and textiles background
toiler job at Adams-Millis.
"We have to always keep in
mind what the knitting ma
chine is able to do.” sbe said.
"I have to keep it simple, it
(xissible. We have to con
sider different yarns, colors
and other factors."
These things she has
learned by doing.
“We have had to adjust
some designs maybe eight or
more times on some socks,”
she explained. "Other des
igns have knitted well from
the first run. Often what we
end up doing is a give and
take of pattern complexity to
achieve a more knitable
sock.”
Her involvement in design
has changed her personal
outlook on hosiery.
"We’re very conscious of
producing socks that satisfy
both the client and the con
sumer. This is another as
pect of give-and-take that we
Nancy Lach Generates Design At Computer
deal with."
■Although she admits to be
ing more accustomed to
paper and pen for drawing,
she is growing used to the
computer. She said men’s
sock patterns usually are
more quickly completed
than the more complex
women’s hosiery.
As many as four men’s
sock patterns might be
completed in a day. Others
may take several days to
complete.
One of the advantages that
Nagata provides is the ease
of changing the knitting ma
chine from one sock pattern
to another.
"The computer allows us a
whole range of complex pat
terns that were never pos
sible before.” she said.
Once the design is
completed in the computer it
is transferred to a cassette
tape. The tape is then loaded
into the Nagata knitting ma
chine which translates the
design into the sock.
Gilbert, in his reseai’ch
and development role with
the Nagata. recalled dis
cussions when plans were
being considered to pur
chase the machinery about
two years ago.
"When we were con
sidering buying the equip
ment. I said that a man who
wore the same plain cotton
style sock 99 percent of the
time for the last 20 vears was
More On Page 4
A-M To Purchase Maro Hosiery
In a joint statement. James H. Millis. Sr. Chairman,
and Robert M. Bundy. Jr.. President ol Adains-Mdlis
Corporation and Norman Weiss. Cbairman and Piesi-
dent of Maro Hosiery Corporation, have announced
their agreement in principle for the purchase by
Adams-Millis Corporation of Maro Hosiery Cor
poration. which is a closely-held North Carolina S
corporation engaged in the manufacture and niai ketmg
Minis'stated that Adams-Millis plans to operate Maro
as a business entity separate from the parent. Adams-
Millis will retain Weiss and the current management
" Maro^HosieiTcorporation has approximately 1.300
eiSyees and\ half a million square feet of manu-
factunng facilities located in Thomasv.lle, Lumberton.
Mebane Hildebran and High Point. .
The company is licensed to market hosiery under the
Wrangler. Bill' Blass. BVD. Disney. Bronzmi. Adolfo.
Dmilop. Oscar de La Renta. John Weitz. D.ane Von
Furstenberg and Lanvin trademarks.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 1985 Maro Hosiery
Corp. had net sales of $73.7 million, which would equate
to net earnings after taxes of approximately $4.4 mil
lion. The purchase price of approximately $36 million
will be paid in cash which Adams-Millis Corporation
plans to borrow from one or more financial institutions.
The acquisition, which will be effected in early April
1986. is subject to a number of conditions common to
transactions of this type.
The execution of a definitive purchase agreement
and the approval of the Adams-Millis Board of Direc
tors. the required government agencies and the five
shareholders of Maro are some of the conditions.
Millis went on to say that this acquisition is in keep
ing with Adams-Millis’ long-term strategy of improving
our market position and share-value for our share
holders.
Weiss expressed pleasure in having structured a
transaction which is favorable to all parties and which
insures the continuity of current management and is
also in the best interest of the employees of Maro.
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