312 South 14th Avenue
Humboldt, TN 38343
Tel: 800.238.8334
Fax: 800.235.9276
[email protected]
www.jonesnonwovens.com

Formerly known by its two distinctive divisions Jones Yarn and Jones Fiber (now Jones Nonwovens), the Humboldt, TN-based yarn and nonwovens manufacturer rebranded itself during its 80th year in business this year and is now called Jones Family of Companies.

Jones began as a yarn spinning company in 1936 and diversified into nonwovens when it purchased the Kroehlor Furniture manufacturing facility in Memphis, TN in 1981. According to Kenneth Oliver, president of Jones Nonwovens Division, the Kroehlor facility was used to make nonwovens for furniture.

“The opportunity afforded the Jones Family to purchase the Kroehlor facility in Memphis led us into the nonwovens market,” Oliver explains. “Because the raw materials used are similar to those in yarn, there were some buying synergies. Some vertical integration was possible as well, as some of the by-products created in the yarn spinning operations could be used as raw materials in nonwovens.”

As the nonwovens division evolved, so did Jones’ product offerings. Soon after the acquisition, the company began focusing on mattresses. “By buying the plant, we purchased the FR technology that had been developed when the federal 1632 Smolder Ignition Test was promulgated in 1972,” Oliver says. “In 2003, the federal government began looking at an open flame test protocol for all residential mattresses. In 2007, this protocol was promulgated and applied to all mattresses sold in the U.S.”

By 2005, Jones’ nonwovens division had expanded to four facilities: Memphis, TN; Humboldt, TN; Morristown, TN; and North Las Vegas, NV. “At this point, 80-90% of our products were made for mattresses,” Oliver says.

Jones currently produces thermally bonded cross-lapped nonwovens, using low melt polyester as a bonding agent. After it‘s melted, the polyester acts as the glue with cotton, rayon or other fibers. The material is run through an air-flow oven where the materials are bonded to form both high loft and densified nonwoven products.

“We currently see trends in nonwoven products that focus on more natural fibers.” Oliver says. “Jones Nonwovens has always been cotton-based. Cotton has a relatively small share of the industry, but it is growing. Jones has always been there with cotton and other natural fibers, focusing on providing green, sustainable products.”

While the company has focused heavily in bedding/mattresses, Oliver says they’re looking to move into adjacent markets such as absorbents, acoustics, filtration and packaging. To get off the ground in these new markets, Jones recently hired two key executives, Patrick Owens, vice president of marketing and new business development and Eric Ritter, design development engineer.

Currently, the company is running three of its four original facilities—the Memphis operation was closed because of its older technology. But as the company looks to enter new markets, Oliver says it plans to identify new technologies needed. “Some of our team members recently attended the IDEA show in Boston. We are studying what was learned there. From ideas formed, we will likely take some steps in the not too distant future to add components to our processes to gain efficiencies and create even better bonded and densified products.”