Bamboo Fabric May Be 'Next Big Thing' in Textiles

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As the U.S. textile market struggles in the face of foreign competition, a fledgling South Carolina clothing company is hoping to weave its own niche in the industry. To do so, it's pinning its hopes on a nontraditional material: bamboo.

As the U.S. textile market struggles in the face of foreign competition, a fledgling South Carolina clothing company is hoping to weave its own niche in the industry.


To do so, it's pinning its hopes on a nontraditional material: bamboo.


The M Group, founded in January and based in Awendaw, imports bamboo yarn from China and transforms it into clothing and baby products at a factory in Andrews. Marketed under the name Bamboosa, the merchandise is sold on the company's Web site, bamboosa.com.


The three founders, all textile industry veterans, say their company is the only one in the United States making bamboo apparel. Others import it from Asia.


"Bamboo is going to be the next big thing in textiles," predicts Morris Saintsing, Bamboosa's head of sales development and operations.


Bamboo fabric is softer than cotton and has a natural sheen that feels like silk or cashmere, the company says. It's also machine-washable.


The material certainly is a long way from replacing cotton, but it's catching on. Bamboosa's line is especially popular among the "green" crowd, consumers who like the company's eco-friendly, socially responsible philosophy. Its top sales markets so far are the Pacific Northwest, California and Boston.


What's more, Bamboosa is entering the market as bamboo merchandise is cropping up everywhere, much like the hardy plant itself. Bamboo flooring, furniture, cutting boards, paper and bike frames are among the products gaining momentum today. Actress Renee Zellweger recently tied the knot in a bamboo twill wedding dress.


But bamboo is anything but new. The plant has been used for centuries in Asia and other areas for everything from shelter to musical instruments. It's also a favorite food of the panda bear. But pandas don't eat the type of bamboo used in Bamboosa's clothing, company officials note.


Saintsing founded the venture with Mindy Johnson and Michael Moore.


Johnson and Saintsing worked together at Silkworm, a 25-year-old screen-printing company in Mount Pleasant that closed in December 2004 after losing business to cheaper foreign competitors. Moore's textile plant in Andrews had done all the knitting and sewing for Silkworm's products. The three decided to strike out on their own.


Saintsing began researching soft fabrics and came across bamboo as he was surfing the Internet. He liked the fabric's qualities and the fact that the plant is grown without pesticides or other chemicals. Bamboo also is considered a "sustainable" raw material, meaning it's plentiful and regenerates quickly.


The product meshed with the founders' goal of creating an environmentally responsible business, from reducing waste in its manufacturing process to packing finished goods in recycled tissue paper.


The company began by producing casual men's and women's clothing such as T-shirts and shorts and later added a line of baby products, including hooded towels, socks and blankets.


In addition to the product's silky feel, bamboo has other benefits. The fabric is highly absorbent and fast-drying. It also naturally repels bacteria, helping control odors.


These properties spurred Bamboosa to expand into baby merchandise, said Johnson, head of creative development. "We just thought about how soft it is, and how safe."


The company already has gotten some recognition: Newsweek magazine recently mentioned Bamboosa in a piece about the boom in bamboo products, and the company said the health magazine Prevention is interested in doing a story about it.


Aside from its focus on the environment, Bamboosa also is committed to keeping as many jobs as possible in the United States.


In roughly the past decade, the United States has lost about 890,000 textile and apparel jobs, including about 72,000 in South Carolina, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many of these jobs have moved offshore as companies search for inexpensive labor.


Bamboosa employs about 40 people in South Carolina, but still must rely on Chinese labor for some facets of its business. For now, China is the only country that knows how to extract bamboo fiber and spin it into yarn. And it's not sharing its secrets.


"We wish we could get raw materials in the U.S.," Saintsing said. "We don't have any choice." U.S. manufacturing advocates commend the company for its efforts.


"The company should be applauded for its entrepreneurship and putting Americans to work," said Lloyd Wood, spokesman for the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition, a Washington, D.C.-based trade group dedicated to preserving and creating U.S. manufacturing jobs.


But Wood questioned how fast the company could grow in today's competitive textile environment. Bamboo clothing "is a niche market, which by definition is small," he said.


Nonetheless, the founders' experience is a plus, he added. "They're not coming into this naively. They're well aware of the pitfalls out there."


Company officials acknowledge that making products domestically means their prices may be higher than competitors'. A Bamboosa woman's T-shirt sells for about $24, for instance, while imports often sell for half as much.


But the company says its products are better-made than the foreign-made ones. And when people buy Bamboosa's goods, they're supporting American jobs and products that won't harm the environment or people's health, Saintsing said. "If that doesn't mean anything to you, you might as well buy the other (cheaper) shirt."


The company isn't worried about competition within the United States, but Bamboosa's biggest threat is foreign competition.


The business partners say China will be keeping a close eye on Bamboosa's products and will try to make imitations to sell at cheaper prices.


The company's key to survival is "innovating constantly," Saintsing said. "We have to have other products in development. ... We want to stay ahead of the game."


Among the new products Bamboosa is considering are T-shirts made from a mix of bamboo and organic cotton, which would yield a heavier fabric.


Ultimately, the trio would like Bamboosa to become a nationally known brand synonymous with bamboo apparel, such as the Kleenex name in the tissue world.


But they also hope the brand will stand for something else: the company's made-in-the-USA, eco-friendly philosophy.


"It's all about making people more aware," Johnson said.


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Source: Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News