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| New Jersey
Based Best Manufacturing Group Acquires Artex International |
TOTAL FOOD SERVICE
AUGUST 2004
Best Manufacturing Group LLC announced late last month that it has acquired Artex
International, Inc. Headquartered in Highland, IL; Artex is a manufacturer and supplier of
textiles and garments for the U.S. textile rental and hospitality markets.
Commenting on the acquisition, Scott Korman, Chairman and CEO
of Best said, “We are delighted to have the Artex organization
join the Best team. The associates of Artex complement Best
Manufacturing with over 70 years of knowledge and accomplishments,
creating a combined company with the deepest capabilities in
the textile rental and hospitality markets. Artex’s institutional
product lines, combined with deep manufacturing expertise, world-wide
market coverage and accomplished global sourcing will allow
us to provide our customers the best product offerings and the
most diverse mix of value-added services available in the institutional
textiles marketplace anywhere in the world.”
Terry Anderson, Chairman and CEO of Artex, commented that, “As
the textile industry goes through what industry analysts say
is ‘epochal change’, there is only one company today that
is positioned to move forward. Best Manufacturing. Textile Rental
companies want a trusted continuous source of product and we
are happy to be part of the Best team; no other company is nearly
as global in its understanding of quality and delivery.”
Best Manufacturing, founded in 1914, services the textile rental, hospitality, healthcare
and image apparel markets with a wide range of products, including, napery, uniforms
and other textile products. The company is headquartered in New Jersey and has
operations based in Massachusetts, Georgia, South Carolina, Illinois, Texas, Nevada,
Canada and Mexico.
The acquisition of Artex is part of Best’s strategy to
focus on its core textile and garment businesses, expand product
and service offerings and grow through acquisition. This acquisition
also represents the realization of Artex’s vision for combining
global manufacturing with first rate sales capabilities. In
2002, Best Manufacturing Group acquired H.W. Baker Linen, now
functioning as a fully integrated member of the Best family
as its hospitality business. Best remains committed to its relationship
with Milliken & Company and views the addition of Artex to the
team as an asset to an already strong alliance.
Artex International, Inc., which was founded in 1933, is a leading manufacturer and
supplier of textiles and garments for the textile rental and hospitality markets in the U.S.
and abroad. The company provides the textile rental and hospitality markets with
everything from napkins and tablecloths, to garments and aprons to sheets, towels,
pillowcases and other textile products. The company is a full line integrated manufacturer
from weaving fabric to producing a finished product. Artex is headquartered in Highland,
Illinois and has distribution centers and manufacturing facilities in the US, Asia and
Mexico.
Terry Anderson, Artex’s existing Chairman and CEO, will
lead a newly formed subsidiary of Best as President and CEO,
reporting to A Best Chairman and CEO, Scott Korman.
This combination of Best’s institutional business unit
and Artex, will conduct business as Best:Artex LLC. The union
creates a complimentary business that leverages the global manufacturing
and sourcing capabilities of Artex with the napery, garment
and sales and distribution strengths of Best. The combined operations
will have expansive geographic coverage and the deepest distribution
capabilities in the institutional textiles marketplace serving
the textile rental, hospitality, and image apparel markets.
Customers will benefit from a broader line of product choices,
expanded services, a larger field sales force and a combined
experience base in the industry that is unrivalled by competitors.
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