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ADAMS-MILLIS
Amco News
VOLUME 51, NUMBER 5
NOVEMBER 1995
Addressing the Marketplace
By Rich Noll
Chief Executive Officer
Capable people, aggressive marketing plans, consumer-
driven approaches, a growing market and very competi
tive manufacturing provide Adams-Millis the necessary
ingredients to strengthen its position as the world’s lead
ing sock manufacturer.
We’re listening to what consumers want in socks, and
we’re creating products that provide the kinds of benefits
that result in loyal customers. Consumers spend $3.8 bil
lion a year on socks, and the market is growing. Men’s
socks account for 45 percent of that total, women’s socks
for 30 percent and children’s for 25 percent.
All three consumer sectors are growing. Men’s socks
and children’s socks are growing two to three percent per
year. However, the fastest growth is in the women’s sec
tor. Most analysts anticipate a four to five per cent annual
growth in sock sales to women.
NOLL
The expansion in the women’s market is fueled by the trend
in this country to a more casual hfestyle. Instead of wearing
sheer hosiery, many women have switched to socks.
The trend to the more casual style began in the men’s
market about five years ago as men began to shift more to
athletic socks. The women’s market is beginning to dem
onstrate similar trends. Today, white athletic socks ac
count for 73 percent of all socks sold. We have a saying
that “90 percent of people wear athletic socks but only 10
percent do athletics ... What do you think they are wear
ing them for?”
We have put our manufacturing capacity and our mar
keting resources against these growing trends. Our white
sock manufacturing is concentrated at our high-produc
tion Barnwell and Mount Airy plants while we’re handling
dyed casual socks at the Kemersville and Influential plants.
Our decision to close the Silver Knit location reflects a
response to changes that are occurring in the marketplace.
Continued on page 3
Come Repeats
In Photo Contest
“Picture Perfect” is the title Frances Come gave to her prize-winning entry.
You can tell that Frances
Come loves photography.
She takes her camera with
her almost everywhere she
goes. She says that vaca
tions provide an excellent
opportunity for photogra
phy and that photography
provides a great way to
record special memories.
Her interest has paid off
again in the Amco News
Photo Contest. Erances
won first place in the con
test two years ago, and
she is the repeat winner in
this year’s contest. As the
first-place winner, Erances
receives $150 from Adams-
Millis.
Alicia Raley of Bamwell
captured second place and
will receive the $100 prize.
The $50 third place went to
Brenda Zagurski of Mount
Airy.
More than 100 entries
were submitted for the con
test. The Influential plant
was the only location not
represented in the contest.
In addition to the three
entries that receive cash
awards, judges also se
lected 11 photos for honor-
Continued on page 6
In this issue, Amco
News begins publishing a
series of brief profiles on
employees and their per
spectives on quality.
When it comes to qual
ity at Adams-Millis, ev
erybody counts.
Quality is measured by
the company’s abihty to de
liver the product that a cus
tomer wants, at the level
of quality expected, when
the customer needs it.
There’s a great deal in
volved in reaching the
high standards that have
been established. They
can be accomplished only
by an individual commit
ment to personal excel
lence and a commitment
to overall performance.
Mike Mabe, senior
manager. Quality Control
and Product Development
for Adams-Millis, says
that the components of
quality include factors
such as:
- Reducing irregulars
- Doing things right the
first time
- Labeling products accu
rately
- Folding properly
- Entering accurate engi
neering records
- Purchasing quality
yams
- Managing the mix of
chemicals in the dye-
house
Continued on page 12
Employees Share
Quality Perspectives
First in a series
“Quality depends on
each individual. We stress
that with each employee,”
says James Henderson, the
crew leader for a team of
six in Barnwell’s dyehouse.
“We look for 110 percent
or more from each person.”
Henderson, who will
celebrate his third anniver
sary at the Bamwell plant
in Febmary, puts himself in
the shoes of a customer in
determining what quality
HENDERSON
is. “If you go into a store,
you want the best product.
We want to make sure that’s
what we make,” he said.
The mixture of chemi
cals used in bleaching is a
critical step in the dyehouse
process. The mixture in
cludes 1,900 gallons of
water and six other chemi
cals in varying volumes.
Safety is an important
element of the quality pro
cess for James and his crew.
Continued on page 12