Precision Custom Coatings


Location: Totowa, NJ

Sales: $57 Million

Description: Key Personnel
Peter Longo, chairman and COO; Scott Tesser, president and CEO; Rich Noble, CFO and treasurer; Dan Kamat, vice president, Industrial Textile Division

Plant Location
Totowa, NJ

Processes
Needlepunched, thermal bonded, chemical bonded, heat activated adhesive coatings, specialty finishes

ISO Status
ISO 9001 (March 2001)

Major Markets
Apparel interlinings, automotive fabrics, medical, fabric softener substrates, furniture and bedding, filtration, vinyl substrates, home furnishings, wipes, hygiene, footwear

Business at roll goods producer Precision Custom Coatings, Totowa, NJ, is on track for future growth in terms of both sales figures and global penetration. With a strong commitment toward reinvestment, a diversification of products and a global sales strategy, PCC is stronger than ever, according to company executives.
 
“Sales have been increasing steadily,” explained Peter Longo, company chairman and COO. “Even through this period of price pressures from overseas as well as competition.”
 
At the heart of PCC’s strategy for future growth is diversifying its end use markets. With a strong history in apparel interlinings, PCC has been branching out into industrial segments in recent years. These segments include automotives, filtration and home furnishings. While interlinings continue to comprise approximately 90% of PCC’s total sales, the company has been aggressively exploring industrial niche applications. PCC just completed a government project and has launched successfully a product to handle nuclear waste. During the past several months, PCC has developed several commercial composite products using nonwovens, knits and membranes along with its existing coating expertise and lamination process. These products are sold in markets such as medical/healthcare, automotives, furniture and other specialty end uses. “We realize that it takes longer to penetrate industrial markets because we have to go through certain procedures and meet certain requirements and specifications,” Mr. Longo explained. “However, once the products are qualified by customers, they enjoy longer product cycles.”
 
Another way that PCC is diversifying itself is through the addition of new manufacturing capabilities. The company’s second needlepunched line, which came onstream in March 2001, is already operating at full capacity, and PCC is scheduled to add a third line in October. Additionally, PCC plans to add two new lines, created through proprietary technology, in May 2003. While executives declined to release details on these lines, Mr. Longo did say that the two lines could produce nonwovens separately or in tandem to create a complete range of new and unique products for the company. “It is specifically designed by us to put us into new markets,” he explained. “It’s a multipurpose, versatile machine that shows that we are starting to be bullish about our business.”
 
These investments, combined with the company’s move to purchase its manufacturing facility in Totowa, NJ—a site that has to date been leased—represent an $18 million investment in the company this year alone.
 
In other investment news, the company inaugurated its first foreign manufacturing site near Mexico City, Mexico in July. Mr. Longo would not comment on the manufacturing capabilities available at this site and said only that it would help boost PCC’s business in Central America, North America and Europe. Speaking of the global market, PCC’s current sales are split evenly between the U.S. and the rest of the world. Key markets for the company continue to be South America and Asia but sales are growing evenly around the world, particularly on the interlinings side of the business.
 
In the future, PCC will rely on several strategies, including adding skilled workers, increasing and diversifying its manufacturing operations, being creative in product development and working with its end users, to generate growth. “We are just trying to partner with our customers and satisfy their needs most efficiently,” Mr. Longo explained.
 
Looking toward the nonwovens industry as a whole, Mr. Longo predicts that big changes are in store for the future. “As prices continue to come down, larger companies won’t be able to maintain their high overheads,” he said. “At the same time, the companies that are well established with the right equipment will survive. We are already at a turning point.”
Location: Totowa, NJ

Sales: $60 Million

Description: Key Personnel
Peter Longo, chairman and COO; Scott Tesser, president and CEO; Rich Noble, CFO and treasurer; Dan Kamat, vice president, Industrial Textile Division; Shaile Dusaj, Director Industrial Marketing and Sales.

Plant Location
Totowa, NJ, Mexico City, Mexico

Processes
needlepunched, thermal bonded, chemical bonded, heat activated ah adhesive coatings, specialty finishes                                                                                                                                                           

ISO Status
ISO 9001 (March 2001)

Major Markets
Apparel interlinings, automotive fabrics, medical, fabric softener, furniture and bedding, filtration, home furnishings, wipes

Sales at Totowa, NJ-based Precision Customs Coatings continued to increase in 2002 as the company has carried on with its goal of becoming less reliant on its apparel business by expanding into industrial markets in the U.S. This year, apparel is expected to represent only 70% of PCC’s overall sales, significantly less than the 90% it represented in 2001.
 
The company has increased its presence in industrial segments, including automotives, medical, filtration and wipes, by targeting new capacity as well as research and development efforts toward these markets. Company executives are striving to have the business split evenly between apparel and non-apparel applications within the next five years.
 
As the apparel industry continues to shift its production to overseas markets, PCC, which produces 90% of its capacity in New Jersey, has continued to focus its efforts on the apparel markets in Asia and the Far East, and executives are already exploring the possibility of setting up a manufacturing facility in the region. “We are getting to the point where we need new capacity and we might as well install that capacity where the business is,” explained Scott Tesser, company president and CEO.
 
While expansion into Asia is still a future goal, PCC has already taken the plunge into Latin America. Its first foreign manufacturing site, located near Mexico City, Mexico, was completed in July 2002. Since then, the site has enabled PCC to conquer several new geographical areas due to tax benefits and proximity.
 
In terms of nonwovens technology, one key area in recent years has been needlepunch, which has allowed the company to penetrate a variety of new markets. Other interest areas include chemical bonding and thermal bonding as well as coating and laminating.  These capabilities will allow PCC to supply a variety of products. Furthermore, PCC been consistently investing during the past several years to further broaden its products. For instance,  PCC installed a third needle­punch line in November 2002.
This 5.5-meter line, which began operating in February 2003, is reportedly already sold out and the company is already considering a fourth line.
 
Needlepunching is not the only area where PCC is growing. The company plans to install a state-of-the-art nonwovens line, which is created through proprietary technology, in Totowa. To be completed in March 2004, the new line will create completely unique products that will allow PCC to enter entirely new markets once it is completely operational in June 2004.
 
Of its key industrial markets, automotives continues to be the largest, comprising approximately 10% of total sales. This segment has been boosted recently through the introduction of OmniStretch, liners for automotive applications that feature stretch in both the cross and machine directions. This product reportedly duplicates the benefits of a hydroentangled process in a carded web, at a fraction of the price. PCC is currently introducing new products for other markets such as window treatments.
 
Another area of increasing interest to PCC is the consumer market. The company recently received a major contract to produce disposable scrub pads featuring composite technology. And, while apparel continues to be an important part of PCC’s business, its business strategy is simple—growth in industrial segments. “We are really trying to get our name out there,” Mr. Longo explained. “People really know us as an apparel company and we need the recognition to boost our industrial business.”
Location: Totowa, NJ

Sales: $60 Million

Description: Key Personnel
Peter Longo, chairman and COO; Scott Tesser, president and CEO; Rich Noble, CFO and treasurer; Dan Kamat, vice president, Industrial Textile Division; Shaile Dusaj, director industrial marketing and sales.

Plant Location
Totowa, NJ, Shanghai, China

Processes
Needlepunched, thermal bonded, chemical bonded, heat activated adhesive coatings, specialty finishes                                                                                                                                                               ISO Status

ISO 9001:2000 (March 2001)
Major Markets
apparel interlinings, automotive fabrics, medical, fabric softener substrates, furniture and bedding, filtration, vinyl substrates, home furnishings, wipes, hygiene, footwear

Sales continued to grow in both divisions—industrial and apparel—for Precision Custom Coatings, Totowa, NJ, bringing its yearly total to about $65 million, a significant jump from the $60 million reported last year. These results were a pleasant surprise for the company whose yearly business plan predicted a slight drop in apparel sales due to increased Asian competition.
 
Apparel sales increases were attributed to two factors: the construction of a coating facility in China and better-than-expected sales in North America. The coating facility, located near Shanghai, converts nonwoven products made locally in China as well as by PCC at its Totowa site. As pricing becomes more competitive, more apparel makers are relying on the cost effectiveness of nonwovens in interlinings. This trend has led to a 20% annual sales gain for PCC’s Asian business.
 
Back in the U.S., sales have increased slightly as the shift among manufacturers toward China is, more or less, complete, according to PCC executives. “We’ve finally bottomed out in the U.S.,” said Scott Tesser, president and CEO. “The people who are still here are here for good. Everybody who is going to move to China has gone already.”
 
Both segments of PCC’s business are set to get a boost this fall as a new line combining thermal bond, high loft and chemical bond ramps up in Totowa. This line will allow PCC to mix these technologies during production, instead of combining substrates after they are made, for a considerable cost savings. The machine can make heavy-weight substrates up to 12-14 ounces per square yard and should add $25-30 million in annual sales. “We haven’t even scratched the surface yet with what this line can do,” said Dan Kamat, vice president, industrial textile division. “It will save us significant time and money and will make us more competitive.”
 
In fact, even before the new line began operation, executives are predicting that a second line will soon be needed to handle the demand for these proprietary products.
 
To better represent its nonwovens business, PCC has renamed this segment Precision Textiles. While operationally the company will remain the same, executives feel that the new name better reflects PCC’s status as a nonwovens producer and shifts the focus from its coatings operation.
 
Within the next four years, executives expect that industrial sales will equal its apparel business. Already, industrial has grown to 13% of sales this year, compared with 6% last year. This growth has come on the heels of several important projects. For instance, PCC substrates were used in Church & Dwights’s Brillo Scrub ‘n Toss, disposable scrubber product, which won the Visionary Award, recognizing innovative nonwovens-based consumer products, at the Vision Conference in January.
 
“Customers prefer the way that we respond quickly to their demands,” said Chairman Peter Longo, citing a recent project in Taiwan that took two weeks to complete. “Where it can take larger company months to decide if they want to do a project, we can turn around a request within a week. Our challenge now will be to stay like that as we grow.”
 
Beyond consumer markets, Precision Textiles is focusing on automotives, home furnishings, wall coverings and antiskid materials. While the new line will help this growth, Precision’s existing lines including three needlepunch lines, two thermal bonding lines and a chemical bonding line all make products for these markets.
 
“During the past several years, we have focused so much on developmental work,” Mr. Tesser said. “As all of this development activity turns into viable products, our business will continue to expand into new markets.”
Location: Totowa, NJ

Sales: $70 Million

Description: Key Personnel
Peter Longo, chairman and COO, Scott Tesser, president and CEO; Rich Noble, CFO and treasurer; Dan Kamat, vice president, Industrial Textile Division; Shaile Dusaj, director industrial marketing and sales

Plant Location
Totowa, NJ

Processes
Needlepunch, thermal bonded, chemical bonded, heat activated adhesive coatings, specialty finishes

ISO Status
ISO 9001: 2000 (March 2001)

Major Markets
Apparel interlinings, automotive fabrics, medical, fabric softener substrates, furniture and bedding, filtration, vinyl substrates, home furnishings, wipes, hygiene, footwear

Coming off a banner year is Precision Custom Coatings, Totowa, NJ. Not only was the roll goods producer able to increase its sales from $65 million to $70 million, it was able to grow its industrial business sales to $12 million to now represent 17% of its total business (compared to 13% in 2003 and 6% in 2002). And, executives expect sales in 2005 to increase even more significantly as a number of new initiatives in both the industrial and apparel sides of its business take hold.
 
“A lot of things that we are working on are going to bear fruit,” said Dan Kamat, vice president, Industrial Textile Division.
 
Among these initiatives are two new needlepunch lines set to begin operation during the third quarter, continued success of a Chinese joint venture, the continued ramp up of a new line combining thermal bond, highloft and chemical bond technologies as well as opportunities in new markets for PCC.
 
And, despite increased Chinese competition in apparel interlinings, PCC’s key market, executives are not reporting decreases in this segment. In fact, the company’s wide-width production lines and low-cost production have allowed it to benefit from many of its local competitors’ exiting the business. “There is still an apparel market here in the U.S.,” said Peter Longo, chairman and COO. “With so much of our competition exiting the business, we have had to shift our focus.”
 
That’s not to say PCC is ignoring China’s importance to the worldwide apparel market. In tandem with a Chinese partner, in 2003, the company constructed a coating facility near Shanghai which converts nonwoven products made locally as well as those shipped by PCC from the U.S. According to executives, this successful venture could likely be followed with the construction of a second Chinese facility within the next year.
 
Still, PCC’s industrial segment, renamed Precision Textiles in 2004, is where the stronger growth prospects are, and executives expect this portion of the company to rival apparel in size within the next four years. Success will be born out of PCC’s ability to add value to its nonwoven products with in-house laminating, coating and other finishing capabilities.
 
Of particular interest is PCC’s most recent line, which combines thermal bond, highloft and chemical bond capabilities during production. It is able to make heavy-weight substrates up to 12-14 ounces per square yard and should add $25-30 million in annual sales to the company’s balance sheets. So far, the line has produced a heavyweight, uniform fabric that is being used for window treatments and substrates featuring multidirectional stretch ability in automotive hoodliners. Additionally, highloft fabrics made on the line are more uniform, which is increasing cost efficiency, for the furniture market.
 
One of the potential target markets where PCC is focusing is the farming industry to produce fabrics for use in alternative fuel production. Another target is the protective gear and apparel market where PCC is combining its nonwoven and multiple coating capabilities to produce composites using activated carbon technologies.
Location: Totowa, NJ

Sales: $75 Million

Description: Key Personnel
Peter Longo, chairman and COO, Scott Tesser, president and CEO; Rich Noble, CFO and treasurer; Dan Kamat, vice president, Industrial Textile Division; Shaile Dusaj, director industrial marketing and sales; Keith Martin, industrial business manager; Gunther Hoffman, marketing director automotive division.

Plant Location
Totowa, NJ

Processes
Needlepunch, thermal bonded, chemical bonded, heat activated adhesive coatings, specialty finishes

ISO Status
ISO 9001: 2000 (March 2001)

Major Markets
Apparel interlinings, automotive fabrics, medical, fabric softener substrates, furniture and bedding, filtration, vinyl substrates, home furnishings, wipes, hygiene, footwear


Industrial application growth continues to bode well for Precision Custom Coatings, Totowa, NJ. In 2005, the division represented 30% of the company’s $75 million sales compared to 17% last year, thanks largely to growth in bedding, filtration and automotive products.
 
Helping to boost its industrial business is the acquisition of needlepunch manufacturer Globetec Incorporated, North East, MD, in December 2006. In March, PCC announced it would add a second needlepunch line to this facility, more than doubling the site’s production capacity. The new line is able to make needlepunched material in widths up to 180 inches and in weights ranging from two to 50 ounces per square yard. The line can produce dual-layered fiber blends and can incorporate structural scrims on the exterior or even between the layered fabric. Applications include air and liquid filtration media, wipes and pipe liners.
 
Meanwhile, in PCC’s NJ headquarters, a composite line combining the benefits of thermal bonding, highloft and chemical bond capabilities, is producing a heavy weight, uniform fabric suitable for a number of industrial markets. “Composite materials are what have been creating new markets for years,” said PCC COO Peter Longo. “When you are able to do many things with one fabric, you can really go into a lot of new businesses.”
 
One key area is furniture and bedding where flame retardancy has become a major concern due mainly to recent national legislation regulating the flammability of mattress materials. To target this area, PCC has developed fiber-inherent systems that perform well at price points that are appealing to the market. While this market is a new one for PCC, executives expect sales here to reach $10 million by next year.
 
Also targeting this market is a new line of mattress protection fabrics that add properties such has waterproofing and fluid proofing to the mattress and are sold separately from the mattress at retail.
 
“Commodities are not a business area we pursue because it would be hard for us to chase some of the bigger companies,” Mr. Longo said. “Mostly we look for areas where we can add value and where customers can benefit from our ability to create products, start to finish, under one roof.”
 
Meanwhile, PCC’s apparel interlining business, which continues to represent the bulk of its business has been challenged by this market’s transgression into Asia. And, while the company has been able to maintain a strong foothold on this business in the U.S., it recently took up a Chinese partner to strengthen its business in the region. In June, PCC formed a joint venture agreement with Ningbo Yigua Textile Factory, an Asian textile manufacturer, which will expand its apparel interlining production capabilities, enhance its product line and augment its ability to offer localized relationships with apparel manufacturers throughout Asia. Operations for the new joint venture are being conducted from a PCC Ningbo Textile Co., Ltd.-dedicated facility in Ningbo, China.
 
“We were already able to beef up our apparel business in China,” said president and CEO Scott Tesser. “But as our industrial unit grows, we have less capacity here for apparel. We thought this would be a good way to control our own manufacturing in China.”
 
PCC has already operated a joint venture agreement in Jiangshu for coating applications.
Location: Totowa, NJ

Sales: $82 Million

Description: Key Personnel
Peter Longo, chairman and COO, Scott Tesser, president and CEO; Rich Noble, CFO and treasurer; Dan Kamat, vice president, Industrial Textile Division; Shaile Dusaj, director industrial marketing and sales; Keith Martin, industrial business manager

Plant Location
Totowa, NJ; North East, MD

Processes
Needlepunch, thermal bonded, chemical bonded, heat activated adhesive coatings, specialty finishes

ISO Status
ISO 9001: 2000 (March 2001)

Major Markets
Apparel interlinings, automotive fabrics, medical, fabric softener substrates, furniture and bedding, filtration, vinyl substrates, home furnishings, wipes, hygiene, footwear, roofing and construction


Continuing its growth trend was Totowa, NJ-based Precision Custom Coatings. The company reported sales of $82 million in 2006, up from $75 million the year before, thanks to increases in sales to Asian-based apparel manufacturers.
 
“Our growth was 99% apparel related,” explained president and CEO Scott Tesser. “A lot of our customers have converted from knits to nonwovens to save money.”
 In June 2006, PCC established a joint venture agreement with Ningbo Yigua Textile Factory, an Asian textile manufacturer, to expand its apparel interlining production capabilities, enhance its product line and augment its ability to offer localized agreements with Asian companies. While this venture has upped PCC’s manufacturing footprint in China, a good deal of this business continues to be fueled by nonwovens made at the company’s New Jersey headquarters.
 
And, while sales of apparel interlinings, although nearly completely migrated to Asia, have been strong for PCC, industrial applications continue to increase in importance every year. In 2006, sales in this division comprised 35% of the company’s total business compared to 17% in 2004 and 6% in 2002, thanks to new technologies and new markets for the company. Executives expect the company’s sales to eventually be split evenly between apparel and industrial applications.
 
Currently, the largest industrial application for PCC is automotives where the company relies on a mix of commodity and value-added products. “During the past several years, there have been more and more nonwovens and engineered fabrics used by automotive makers,” Mr. Tesser said. “These materials allow manufacturers to reduce weights and can provide acoustical functions, keeping the car quieter.”
 
PCC’s success in industrial markets has been bolstered by the addition of two composite lines—one added in 2005 and one currently coming onstream—that combine thermal bonded, highloft and chemical bonding capabilities to make heavyweight crosslapped substrates.
 
The addition of this heavyweight material will help PCC respond to growth in the bedding markets where PCC is making flame retardant materials that comply with U.S. legislation regulating the flammability of mattress materials. PCC’s fiber-inherent systems reportedly perform well at price points that are appealing to the market and sales in this segment are expected to reach as high as $10 million per year, according to executives. “The price of this product is as high as $2.50 per yard,” Mr. Tesser said. “So, it can potentially be a huge area as the market expands.”
 
The initial legislation covers mattress covers but industry insiders expect upcoming measures to impact top-of-the-bed applications as well as other types of upholstered furniture.
 Also on PCC’s radar is the roofing and construction market, which it is targeting with a three-layer composite material that offers high strength and better anti-skid capabilities than competing materials.
Location: TOTOWA, NJ


Sales: $100 Million


Description: Key Personnel
Peter Longo, chairman and COO; Scott Tesser, president and CEO; Rich Noble, CFO and treasurer; Dan Kamat, vice president, Industrial Textile Division; Shaile Dusaj, director industrial marketing and sales; Keith Martin, industrial business manager; Gerry Welkley, national sales manager

Plant Location
Totowa, NJ

Processes
Needlepunch, thermal bonded, chemical bonded, heat activated adhesive coatings, specialty finishes

ISO Status
ISO 9001: 2000 (March 2001)

Major Markets
Apparel interlinings, automotive fabrics, medical, fabric softener substrates, furniture and bedding, filtration, vinyl substrates, home furnishings, wipes, hygiene, footwear, roofing and construction

Sales are nearing the $100 million market for New Jersey-based Precision Custom Coatings as the company’s expansion into nonapparel markets more than offsets slowdowns in the apparel market. “In the past, we were heavily geared toward apparel markets but by the end of 2008, the two sides of our business were split evenly,” said president and CEO Scott Tesser who estimated apparel dropped 20% in 2008 alone. “By the end of this year, we expect that ratio to hit 70:30 geared toward industrial applications.

“Ten years ago, all we did was apparel but we’ve tried to diversify. We’ve done a good job and now we are not vulnerable to just one market.”

Industrial growth received its first boost early last year when PCC’s business in the flame retardant bedding market started to exceed expectations and was amplified by the company’s entry into the dry air filtration market. Growth in these two markets has instigated recent investment at the company. During the past 18 months, the company has added three highloft lines to serve the bedding market and built one needlepunch line and converted an existing line to target filtration applications. The company now operates three highloft and six needlepunch lines—some of which were originally in PCC’s now-closed North East, MD site—all at its Totowa, NJ site. Two thermal bonded lines, formerly in New Jersey, are now in Asia.

Mr. Tesser said it was the company’s existing equipment capabilities combined with its great market potential that facilitated the entry in filtration.“When we were looking at converting the equipment we formerly used for apparel markets, and we found that one of the areas that was easy to target with the technology was dry air filtration. This has become a really important market for us,” Mr. Tesser said. “We have actually been able to bring innovative product into an area that is quite stale.”

Expansion into new markets has been the focus for PCC for the past decade as it has seen more and more of its apparel business— once its sole operation—move to China. PCC currently has three joint venture partnerships in China—one of which centers around nonwoven fabrics—which are all in the apparel market but is already seeing increased competition there as local manufacturers step up performance.

That said, PCC intends to brand beyond apparel in China by expanding its filtration offerings there, most likely with the help of a domestic partner. Add PCC’s existing knowledge of the market combined and the region’s strong demand for HVAC and dust bag filtration markets, and it makes sense to target this market, according to Mr. Tesser

And, new market opportunities are something the company will continue to evaluate. “There is a lot of growth for us within our new businesses. I’m trying to focus on that,” Mr. Tesser concluded.
Location: Totowa, NJ

Sales: $115 million

Description: Key Personnel
Peter Longo, chairman and COO, Scott Tesser, president and CEO; Rich Noble, CFO and treasurer; Dan Kamat, vice president, Industrial Textile Division; Shaile Dusaj, director industrial marketing and sales; Keith Martin, industrial business manager

Processes
Needlepunch, thermal bonded, chemical bonded, heat activated adhesive coatings, specialty finishes

Major Markets
Apparel interlinings, automotive fabrics, medical, fabric softener substrates, furniture and bedding, filtration, vinyl substrates, home furnishings, wipes, hygiene, footwear, roofing and construction, filtration

As it continues to successfully grow its technical business, New Jersey-based Precision Custom Coatings reported its sales grew from $100 million in 2008 to $115 million in 2009. Among its successes is filtration, a market the company entered two years ago when it converted equipment formerly used in apparel to make nonwoven media.
“Of any of the industries we are in, filtration is the most resistant to economic conditions,” said chairman and CEO Peter Longo. “We started looking at it two years ago but it took a little while to penetrate. The barriers to entry are high but we had no trouble achieving them.”
In fact, PCC technology has already allowed the company to develop media capable of achieving higher MERV ratings at the same price as its competition because it has saved money on equipment.
PCC currently has three lines dedicated to filtration. Two of these are older apparel-related lines, modified to meet the needs of filtration; the third is a brand new line which will be fully operational by November. This third line, executives said, will allow the company to expand its focus beyond HVAC into other filtration markets.
In addition to filtration, mattress and bedding continues to grow for the company thanks to its strong growth in the Northeast. The company is getting into composites instead of just offering highloft tops. New products include filler cloths and panels.
Another market, automotives, has certainly had its challenges during the past year but luckily for PCC it has avoided many of the commodity markets and instead, most of its products are premium. “We have had the luxury of not having to chase commodity markets,” said president and CEO Scott Tesser. “If you just go after commodity, forget it, there are too many companies supplying the same market.”
PCC’s traditional market apparel still comprises about 50% of its business but nearly all, about 95%, of it is conducted in Asia where PCC operates two facilities in China. This business continues to be successful but has been challenged by local competition, counterfeits and patent infringements in a market that contains two types of customers—one that cares about quality and the other driven only by price. PCC hopes as the Asian customer grows in sophistication, there will be more of the former and this will help it expand its scope in Asia beyond apparel.”
“We are just starting to expand beyond apparel. The strategy is to eventually grow and expand our business the way we did in North America but it is still three years out,” said Mr. Tesser.
The next step for PCC’s nonwovens business will be a new line, probably centered on airlaid technology, sometime next year. “This will give us a better variety of products in different areas,” Mr. Longo said. With airlaid, we will be capable of making products in a range from a half inch to as high as five inches, this flexibility will allow PCC to enter a lot of new markets.  The new technology can be made at higher speeds and it opens up a lot of new doors for us.”

Totowa, NJ
www.pcc-usa.com
2011 Nonwovens Sales: $132 million

Key Personnel: Peter Longo, chairman and COO; Scott Tesser, president and CEO; Rich Noble, CFO and treasurer; Dan Kamat, vice president, Industrial Textile division; Shaile Dusaj, director industrial marketing and sales; Keith Martin, industrial business vice president; Gerry Welkley, national sales manager; Dave Reaman, director filtration services

Processes: Needlepunch, thermal bonded, chemical bonded, high lofts, heat activated adhesive coatings, specialty finishes and composites

Major Markets: Apparel interlinings, automotive fabrics, medical, fabric softener substrates, furniture and bedding, filtration, vinyl substrates, home furnishings, wipes, hygiene, footwear, roofing and construction, filtration

For the first time in company history, industrial-related sales were greater than apparel sales in 2011 for New Jersey-based Precision Custom Coatings. Thanks to increased growth in mattress, filtration and automotive applications, industrial sales comprised about 60% of the company’s $132 million in sales last year, according to president and CEO Scott Tesser.

“Business has been good; everything we put into place has worked for us,” he says.

This growth will continue as the company waits for a new airlaid line—PCC’s first foray into this technology—to come on-stream next year. This new line will make highloft nonwovens for bedding applications and can also offer increased flexibility in some filtration areas. It will be constructed in PCC’s Totowa, NJ, facility where a needlepunch line was recently closed after the company upgraded its existing lines to increase capacity. “We are making the same amount of fabrics using fewer lines,” Tesser explains. “We had a good year last year and we decided it was time to invest in some capital improvements.”

PCC first entered the filtration area three years ago when it converted two former apparel-related lines. Last year, the company added a brand new line for filtration, which allowed it to expand its focus beyond HVAC into other filtration markets. Recent developments have allowed PCC to penetrate more sophisticated areas like higher MERV rating areas and paint filtration.

Meanwhile, mattress and bedding applications, where PCC is able to command a higher price per yard than in other application areas, continues to expand thanks to the addition of new products like non flame retardant filler cloths and printed flame retardant nonwoven ticking materials.

PCC’s third major business, automotive, has had a good year thanks to recovery in the U.S. market, where PCC does all of its business. Because most of its products are premium level, PCC was able to avoid some of the challenges faced by other suppliers during the past few years and is now broadening its activity into some acoustical areas for cars, according to Tesser.

While its industrial businesses continue to thrive in New Jersey, the apparel side of PCC’s business, which only a few years ago dominated the business—accounting for upward of 90% of sales—is performing well in Asia. PCC currently operates three manufacturing sites in the Chinese apparel market, which Tesser reports remains steady, accounting for 40% of sales last year.
Totowa, NJ, U.S.
www.pcc-usa.com
2012 Nonwovens Sales: $145 million
 
Key Personnel: Peter Longo, chairman and COO; Scott Tesser, president and CEO; Rich Noble, CFO and treasurer; Dan Kamat, vice president, Industrial Textile division; Shaile Dusaj, director industrial marketing and sales; Keith Martin, industrial business vice president; Gerry Welkley, national sales manager; Dave Reaman, director filtration services
 
Processes: Needlepunch, thermal bonded, chemical bonded, high lofts, heat activated adhesive coatings, specialty finishes and composites
 
Major Markets: Apparel interlinings, automotive fabrics, medical, fabric softener substrates, furniture and bedding, filtration, vinyl substrates, home furnishings, wipes, hygiene, footwear, roofing and construction, filtration
 
Precision Custom Coatings LLC (PCC) as a whole was established in 1987 and is world-renowned for producing interlinings for some of the world’s largest apparel manufacturing companies. The company’s multiple nonwoven and coating lines produce the high quality nonwoven and knitted fusible interlinings.
 
PCC’s corporate headquarters is a 210,000-square-foot production facility located outside of New York City in Totowa, NJ. PCC has the flexibility to create innovative products quickly and efficiently due to the company’s state-of-the-art high-speed machinery and 250M yard production capacity. PCC currently has production in three factories in Asia, which is supported by a network of 38 distribution and sales offices worldwide.
 
PCC operates two divisions—PCC Precision Interlining and Precision Textiles. PCC Precision Interlining backs the apparel industry with the best in knit and nonwoven interlinings, while the company’s Precision Textiles division is a pivotal supplier of coated fabrics, nonwovens and laminations to the industrial market, serving manufacturers in the filtration, bedding, automotive, healthcare, home furnishings, footwear, luggage, food packaging and protective clothing industries.
 
Sales in 2012 were $145 million and the company added capacity to help meet the demand for the growth in its filtration division and automotive market. According to Scott Tesser, president and CEO, “We saw steady growth amongst our three main divisions—auto, filtration and bedding,” says Tesser.
 
During the year, PCC invested in additional filtration capacity and says new technology will be launched in 2013.
 
PCC has 20 offices around the world outside of the U.S. and continues to grow globally. “We are beginning a strategy of bringing certain product to those markets,” says Tesser. “Currently those offices are selling apparel related nonwovens only.”
 
Tesser says dry air filtration continues to be a healthy growth area for PCC while the automotive business has also seen a significant increase in sales.
 
“For 2013 we are adding more high loft capacity and a new product we are calling air spun,” Tesser says.
Totowa, NJ, U.S.
www.pcc-usa.com
2013 Nonwovens Sales: $150 million  

Key Personnel
Peter Longo, chairman and COO; Scott Tesser, president and CEO; Rich Noble, CFO and treasurer; Dan Kamat, vice president, industrial textile division; Shaile Dusaj, director industrial marketing and sales; Keith Martin, industrial business vice president; Gerry Welkley, national sales manager; Dave Reaman, director filtration services  

Processes
Needlepunch, thermal bonded, chemical bonded, high lofts, heat activated adhesive coatings, specialty finishes and composites  

Major Markets
Apparel interlinings, automotive fabrics, medical, fabric softener substrates, furniture and bedding, filtration, vinyl substrates, home furnishings, wipes, hygiene, footwear, roofing and construction, filtration

Recent news from New Jersey-based Precision Custom Coatings (PCC) include machinery upgrades aimed at increasing capacity, expansion into new filtration areas and movement into new Asian markets. As it waits for these recent efforts to bear fruit, the company reported modest 4% sales growth in 2013.

Of its $150 million sales in 2013, about 60% were on the industrial side of its business, split fairly evenly, from a revenue standpoint, between its three main markets—filtration, bedding and automotive.

By volume, however, the company’s filtration business, which it entered five years ago, was markedly larger due to the commodity nature of many of the areas PCC currently targets. This is set to change, however, as the company begins introducing more technical products featuring higher MERV ratings.

President and CEO Scott Tesser says the company first entered filtration through commodity areas like HVAC and other less sophisticated markets to build a strong customer base. Higher-end filtration areas can be harder to enter and gain acceptance.

“It’s taken some time for our customer base to get comfortable with our filtration products but we have grown this business both with existing and new customers,” he says. “We feel we are ready to go into these new markets.”

Meanwhile, PCC’s automotive business has grown in recent months due to aggressive marketing efforts, customer growth and a new coating technology that allows manufacturers to run molds more quickly and cleanly.

Tesser says the company has begun looking to Asia for growth opportunities in filtration and automotive. Currently, the total sum of PCC’s apparel business, representing the remaining 40% of corporate sales, is based in Asia.

“This business hasn’t changed much. We are maintaining market share and now we are hoping to bring our filtration and automotive business there through the network that we have set up.”

PCC’s third industrial business, bedding, is its most profitable business, due to flame retardant regulations that exist in the mattress industry. “If it weren’t for the flame retardant statutes, we wouldn’t be in the bedding industry,” Tesser says. “That was huge for us.”

Also benefiting this business was the addition of a new airlaid line, capable of making high loft bedding applications. The new line, PCC’s first foray into this technology, was added in late 2012 at its Totowa, NJ headquarters where it replaced an old needlepunch line that was no longer needed after line upgrades allowed the company to produce product more efficiently.
Totowa, NJ,
www.pcc-usa.com
2015 Nonwovens Sales: $170 million 


Key Personnel
Peter Longo, chairman and COO; Scott Tesser, president and CEO; Rich Noble, CFO and treasurer; Dan Kamat, vice president, industrial textile division; Shaile Dusaj, director industrial marketing and sales; Keith Martin, industrial business vice president; Gerry Welkley, national sales manager; Dave Reaman, director filtration services.

Plants
Totowa, NJ

Markets
Filtration, bedding, automotives, apparel



Sales continued to grow reaching $170 million for Totowa, NJ-based Precision Custom Coatings (PCC) due largely to considerable growth in the automotives market. Other key technical markets include filtration and bedding, while apparel, although not growing, continues to represent about 40% of sales.

These technical markets are not only growing in terms of sales volumes but in the depth of its product offering. 

New product development has been aided by PCC’s commitment to new line investment. Most recently, PCC added a dual card airlaid line that went onstream in the third quarter of 2015. The new line has allowed PCC to produce more technical air filter media along with some dual-layered bedding products, says president and CEO Scott Tesser. Like a similar line added in 2014, this new line has given the company more flexibility, allowing it to lay down two separate layers of fibers.

In addition to upping PCC’s profile in automotives with the addition of some acoustical products, the new line has allowed the company to expand into higher MERV rated products within its filtration business, a market it entered only five years ago.

Bedding is PCC’s third industrial business, and also its most profitable due to flame retardant regulations that exist in the mattress industry.

Meanwhile, in Asia, where 100% of its apparel sales are made, Tesser says the company has begun looking to grow its filtration and automotives business.
Totowa, NJ
www.pcc-usa.com
2016 Nonwovens Sales: $175 million


Key Personnel
Peter Longo, chairman and COO; Scott Tesser, president and CEO; Rich Noble, CFO and treasurer; Dan Kamat, vice president, industrial textile division; Shaile Dusaj, director industrial marketing and sales; Keith Martin, industrial business vice president; Gerry Welkley, national sales manager; Dave Reaman, director filtration services.

Plants
Totowa, NJ

Major Markets
Filtration, bedding, automotives, apparel


Sales continued to grow for Totowa, NJ-based Precision Custom Coatings (PCC) due largely to considerable growth in the automotives market. Other key technical markets include filtration and bedding, while apparel, although not growing, continues to represent about 40% of sales.

These technical markets are not only growing in terms of sales volumes but in the depth of its product offering. New product development has been aided by PCC’s commitment to new line investment. Most recently, PCC added a dual card airlaid line that went onstream in the third quarter of 2015. The new line has allowed PCC to produce more technical air filter media along with some dual-layered bedding products, says president and CEO Scott Tesser. Like a similar line added in 2014, this new line has given the company more flexibility, allowing it to lay down two separate layers of fibers.

In addition to upping PCC’s profile in automotives with the addition of some acoustical products, the new line has allowed the company to expand into higher MERV rated products within its filtration business, a market it entered only five years ago.

Bedding is PCC’s third industrial business, and also its most profitable due to flame retardant regulations that exist in the mattress industry.

Meanwhile, in Asia, where 100% of its apparel sales are made, Tesser says the company has begun looking to grow its filtration and automotives business.
Totowa, NJ
www.pcc-usa.com
2017 Nonwovens Sales: $175 million


Key Personnel
Peter Longo, chairman and COO; Scott Tesser, president and CEO; Rich Noble, CFO and treasurer; Dan Kamat, vice president, industrial textile division; Shaile Dusaj, director industrial marketing and sales; Keith Martin, industrial business vice president; Gerry Welkley, national sales manager; Dave Reaman, director filtration services

Plants
Totowa, NJ

Major Markets
Filtration, bedding, automotives, apparel



Sales continued to grow for Totowa, NJ-based Precision Custom Coatings (PCC) due largely to considerable growth in the automotives market. Other key technical markets include filtration and bedding, while apparel, although not growing, continues to represent about 40% of sales.

While filtration has been an important focus for the company in recent years, earlier this year PCC agreed to sell its filtration business to Lydall, a Manchester, CT-based manufacturer of nonwovens for filtration applications. PCC’s filtration division makes high-quality, air filtration media principally serving the commercial and residential HVAC markets with MERV 7 – 11 products.

Most recently, PCC added a dual card airlaid line that went onstream in the third quarter of 2015. The new line has allowed PCC to produce more technical air filter media along with some dual-layered bedding products, says president and CEO Scott Tesser. Like a similar line added in 2014, this new line has given the company more flexibility, allowing it to lay down two separate layers of fibers.

In addition to upping PCC’s profile in automotives with the addition of some acoustical products, the new line has allowed the company to expand into higher MERV rated products within its filtration business, a market it entered only five years ago.

Bedding is PCC’s third industrial business, and also its most profitable due to flame retardant regulations that exist in the mattress industry.
Meanwhile, in Asia, where 100% of its apparel sales are made, Tesser says the company has begun looking to grow its filtration and automotives businesses.
Totowa, NJ
www.pcc-usa.com
2017 Nonwovens Sales: $175 million


Key Personnel
Peter Longo, chairman and COO; Scott Tesser, president and CEO; Rich Noble, CFO and treasurer; Dan Kamat, vice president, industrial textile division; Shaile Dusaj, director industrial marketing and sales; Keith Martin, industrial business vice president; Gerry Welkley, national sales manager; Dave Reaman, director filtration services

Plants
Totowa, NJ

Major Markets
Filtration, bedding, automotives, apparel


Sales continued to grow for Totowa, NJ-based Precision Custom Coatings (PCC) due largely to considerable growth in the automotives market. Other key technical markets include filtration and bedding, while apparel, although not growing, continues to represent about 40% of sales.

While filtration has been an important focus for the company in recent years, earlier this year PCC agreed to sell its filtration business to Lydall, a Manchester, CT-based manufacturer of nonwovens for filtration applications. PCC’s filtration division makes high-quality, air filtration media principally serving the commercial and residential HVAC markets with MERV 7 – 11 products.

Most recently, PCC added a dual card airlaid line that went onstream in the third quarter of 2015. The new line has allowed PCC to produce more technical air filter media along with some dual-layered bedding products, says president and CEO Scott Tesser. Like a similar line added in 2014, this new line has given the company more flexibility, allowing it to lay down two separate layers of fibers.

In addition to upping PCC’s profile in automotives with the addition of some acoustical products, the new line has allowed the company to expand into higher MERV rated products within its filtration business, a market it entered only five years ago.

Bedding is PCC’s third industrial business, and also its most profitable due to flame retardant regulations that exist in the mattress industry.
Meanwhile, in Asia, where 100% of its apparel sales are made, Tesser says the company has begun looking to grow its filtration and automotives businesses.