Tiger Group and International Textile Machinery Sales will begin accepting offers on July 10 for an online auction of a complete dyeing, finishing and quilting facility operated by Doubletex, a Canadian textile company. Scheduled to be closed just prior to the auction, the professionally maintained plant features non-woven, quilting, dyeing, finishing, and fabric laminating machinery, and state-of-the-art laboratory and quality control equipment.
Established in 1910, Doubletex was one of the largest privately-owned textile manufacturers in North America. While building upon their historical expertise in quilted, non-woven (wadding) and laminated fabrics, Doubletex assembled a world class dyeing and finishing facility that served the North American garment industry for the past 50 years.
During the past 20 years, as low-cost garments flooded into North America from third world countries, Doubletex shifted its focus to concentrate on technical fabrics for the outerwear, uniform and protective clothing markets. For decades, the company served as a trusted supplier to such Canadian agencies as the Canada Border Services Agency, Canada Post, the RCMP, Forest and Fisheries, emergency medical services, and various police forces. For many years, Doubletex was also the sole supplier to Canada Goose for its “Arctic Tech” and “Baffle” fabrics, which were used in the company’s iconic parkas.
As imported fabrics and garments continued to flood in from Asia, however, Doubletex management made the decision in the fall of 2018 to discontinue its operations following the completion of its sales and production program in early June 2019.
“Textile manufacturers, North American contract textile firms, as well as dealers, agents and end-users in the quilting, laminating, dyeing and finishing industries now have an outstanding opportunity to purchase the exceptionally well-maintained equipment that enabled Doubletex to be the highest quality North American fabric producer of flexible lot sizes,” said John Coelho, Senior Director of Tiger’s Commercial & Industrial division. “Doubletex was known as one of the most forward-thinking textile companies in North America. Complete manufacturing lines or individual items will be available for purchase at competitive prices.”
Bidding will commence July 10 and previews of the assets are available on July 15 by appointment only at Doubletex headquarters, located at 9785 Jeanne Mance St. in Montreal.
Dyeing and finishing equipment up for bid includes late model THEN Airflows, pressure beams, Thies TRD, fully automated production dispensing systems for chemicals and dyestuffs in both the dyehouse and finishing areas, an Osthoff Senge cold pad bleach line, a Benninger wash line, a batch mercerizing system, eight-bay gas stenters, a Ramisch calender, a Monforts sanforizer, and Lafer sueding. The extensive laboratory and quality control equipment includes Technorama automated lab recipe dispensing.
Lamination equipment includes a 2009 WEB polyurethane reactive hot melt laminator with back-up generator that produced Doubletex’s technical waterproof breathable soft-shell fabrics for the technical outwear market.
Key non-woven lines up for bid include spray bonding equipment by Hunter, including a Hunter Garnett line and tacker.
The auction also features an automated Akab cut and sew line that was set up to produce heavyweight utility and furniture pads; one of only two machines like this in the world. A wide variety of other quilting machines (lock stitch, chain stitch and automated) are also available.
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