Rumors regarding the future of Duro Textiles have been swirling the cut-and-sew industry since Duro Textiles failed to reopen their doors after their annual Summer break.
Reportedly, Duro sent the Massachusetts Division of Career Services a WARN Act notice (Worker Adjustment Retraining and Notification ) that it would be permanently laying off its 131 person workforce by 15 October and closing the factory, which has been in operation for almost 70 years.
Industry sources I had spoken with informed that a potential buyer had expressed serious interest in the troubled brand, currently managed by investment firm Patriarch Patners. Unfortunately, that deal hasn’t seemed to materialize.
This is a major blow to the tactical industry as they have printed specialty camouflage patterns for several brands. So too will the US Army’s attempts to source royalty-free OCP (Scorpion W2) fabrics be seriously undercut.
MultiCam patent holder Crye Precision Has been fighting a protracted legal battle with Duro over IP issues with Crye filing an appeal to a court decision earlier this year to dismiss the case.
We wish all of the laid off textile workers well in their search for new employment. They clothed generation after generation of American service members.
Tags: Duro Textiles
That’s a hefty blow to the textile industy in America. Hopefully something miraculous happens.
I sure hope another company prints Kryptek cordura and nyco.
I think Brookwood has been printing Cordura Kryptek for several years now. FYI.
Santee Print Works prints NYCO for the military and is financially sound.
I wouldn’t write Duro off just yet – I understand that they have a very interested buyer with sound financial backing and that they are still fully engaged in negotiations to resurrect the mill.
Was this partially Crye’s doing?
Did the legal issues take a huge toll?
Are investors gun-shy because of the legal action?
Exactly what I was wondering.
Much of this is due to lack of government orders. The military just isn’t buying a lot of soft goods.
I miss 782 Gear
I thought it was just me.