Today we had the pleasure of a very thorough and extensive visit at the local Glen Raven factory. This company offers the service of dying and finishing performance textiles. They have adapted vastly since the fall of textile production popularity in the Burlington area. They saw that the industry was dying and instead of competing for the lowest price they chose a different path that would ultimately have saved their company. Now as a specialized textile finisher Glen Raven has become a private global success. The mission of the company as quoted from the handout we received is to “enhance life for global consumers with the world’s most innovative fabric-based, market driven solutions”. They are really focuses on innovation and emphasized on that strongly in their presentation today. They are hoping to produce products that the consumer didn’t even know that they needed. They have a wide variety of customers but for the most part they focus on performance textiles that are made to last. Their costumers include; furniture, automotive, outdoor, protective, military, geosynthetics and mining. They really pride themselves on the quality of their product and their privately owned status. In turn the costumers such as the military and the people that use the protective wear also value the quality they are receiving. As a result of this they are recognized as the top performance textile finishing/dying company in the nation. With these results they look to strive even further and hope to “Let Endless Possibilities Begin”. Their plan for the future can also be found in the handout that we received, it reads; embrace change, profitable growth, delighted customers, honorable stewardship and confident shareholders.
Today we got to hear a lot about the marketing strategy for Glen Raven. They seemed to focus a lot on meaningful marketing rather then late night tv infomercials. One example that we were given was on their Facebook page. They did an ad campaign where they asked hard working people to share stories of how their product help keep them safe or warm. This technique allows the audience to feel a certain connection towards the company and the product. It is a strong marketing technique that builds a relationship between customer and company.
We also had the chance to tour the facility extent, this allowed us to recognize Glen Ravens commitment to safety and environmental protection. They had specified areas where ear protection was required and multiple guardrails and safety precautions. They really focused on the quality of the condition that their employees were working in. They also described how they were in the process of become sustainable. The heated waste water from the factory would then heat the building next door then be pumped out to a pond where it was filtered out and sent back into the factory.
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