Auburn Manufacturing, Inc. (AMI), a leading developer, manufacturer, and marketer of textile products for extreme temperature industrial applications, announced today that it has been awarded two U.S. military contracts worth up to $7.8 million over several years for the supply of its AMI-SIL^® fabrics, used in hot work protection during naval ship repair.


"These contract awards reflect the continued confidence that the U.S. Navy has in our hot work fabrics”, said Kathie Leonard, AMI's president and CEO. "This is the fifth contract we've been awarded over the last 15 years for the supply of over 1.25 million yards of these high-performance fabrics to the U.S. Navy - on time and with no defects. These new contracts will add another half a million yards to that total. It is proof of AMI's unique manufacturing capabilities and our skilled workforce. Our AMI-SIL fabrics consistently pass the government's many rigorous inspections and meet all their specifications. We see these new contracts as a catalyst for the continued growth of AMI, and an opportunity to maintain and even create new jobs in these challenging economic times.”

One of the key factors that helped AMI win the contracts said Leonard is the fact that AMI has maintained its U.S. manufacturing base. "The contracts require that the fabrics be 100% U.S. made, from yarn to finished product, in accordance with the Berry Amendment and the Buy American Act,” she explained "This requirement bodes well for U.S. manufacturing, which has seen almost 4 million jobs go overseas during the last 8 years - a half million in the textile industry alone. These contracts are a reminder that when the playing field is level, American workers not only can compete - they can win!

Part of what makes AMI competitive is its Quality Management System, which is certified to the ISO 9001:2000 Standard, and regularly audited for adherence to the standard by an outside firm. "Certification means that we have established and apply a quality management system for the design, manufacture and finishing of our products, and that we are fully committed to continuous improvement in all of our operations from a customer perspective,” said Leonard.

Another factor that sets AMI apart from its competition, both domestic and global, is its third-party certification and ongoing compliance to ANSI/FM 4950, a performance-based standard for hot work fabrics. "We were the first company to provide third-party certification for our Hot Work Safety Fabrics. Certification has recently become a requirement of the National Fire Protection Association standard for hot work, NFPA 51B, 2009 Edition. Because our fabrics provide fire protection, we think it's vital that they be tested and Approved for such use by a qualified approving authority.”

Also of note is that AMI has been certified as a Women's Business Enterprise (WBE), by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council, the leading certifier of women-owned businesses that sell to corporations and government organizations with supplier diversity programs. Such certification is required by large companies doing business with the U.S. Government, including construction firms, ship builders, oil companies, and aircraft builders.

Now in its 30th year in business, AMI continues to build on its high-temperature textile expertise and offers the broadest line of products engineered for exacting performance. AMI-SIL has remained one of AMI's pre-mier products since its introduction in the mid-1980's. Woven from fiberglass yarns and then purified through a series of processes to an essentially pure silica content, the fabric becomes an "amorphous silica” fabric that can withstand heat twice that of the input fiberglass on a continuous basis, with a melting point in excess of 3000°F (1650°C). When used horizontally for welding protection, a single layer of AMI-SIL fabric - with a "Pad” rating per ANSI/FM 4950 - can withstand molten metal slag without burning a piece of paper directly under the fabric. Such performance results in safe, cost-effective performance during hot work throughout industry.

AMI performs all of the complex operations – from weaving to finishing and testing - to make its AMI-SIL fabrics at its Maine facilities. "Our in-house lab can evaluate textiles and supply accurate test data so that customers can be assured of getting the safest fabrics to take the heat - every time,” added Leonard.