NEW YORK — Knit textile specialist Ge-Ray Fabrics has started a division focusing on swimwear and activewear fabrics.
The New York company named Ed Moskowitz president of the unit, called FX. Moskowitz previously headed Fabrictex, a domestic knitter that closed last summer.
The new unit will focus on developing high-tech fabrics to be produced under contract by domestic knitters. Ge-Ray dyes and finishes its fabrics at a company plant in Asheville, N.C.
“One of the strengths of Ge-Ray is that their technical expertise is very good,” Moskowitz said.
He noted that about 12 former Fabrictex staffers — including his wife, Harriet, who focuses on design — have joined the new Ge-Ray business.
In addition to selling fabric, the division will be selling garments made under contract in Central America and the U.S. by Gelco Apparel, an independent company with which Ge-Ray has a strategic alliance. Ge-Ray does about $50 million in annual sales, according to people familiar with the market.
“A lot of companies today have gotten used to the Asian model, where you have one person to deal with” for the various aspects of sourcing and manufacturing, said Gary Kabler, Ge-Ray’s director of marketing.
Kabler added that FX will unveil a new line of activewear fabrics at the Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City, which runs Jan. 29-Feb. 1. He declined to discuss specifics of the line, saying, “the buzz now in everything is moisture management and antimicrobial.”