Leading producer and processor of multi-filament polyester and nylon textured yarns Unifi Inc. marked the dedication of its Yadkinville, N.C., facility to late founder, G. Allen Mebane IV on Tuesday, 26 April.

A dedication ceremony at the G. Allen Mebane Industrial Complex in Yadkinville recognized Mebane’s positive impact on Unifi, the textile industry and the community. Speakers included Bill Jasper, Unifi chairman and CEO; Roger Berrier, president and COO and Ken Langone, Unifi board member, former director of the New York Stock Exchange and co-founder of Home Depot. Guided tours of the complex followed the ceremony.

Allen Mebane founded Unifi in 1971, creating one of the world’s leading producers of polyester and nylon yarns.  He led the Company for nearly 30 years until he retired in 2000. 

“Forty years ago, Allen Mebane envisioned a textile company that would operate under the motto “Quality Through Pride” - a company that would lead by example”, said Bill Jasper, chairman and CEO for Unifi. “Today, Unifi continues to be a world-class textile company known for quality, service and innovation - all corporate priorities established by our founder. In celebration of Unifi’s 40th anniversary, the company is proud to dedicate the Yadkinville facility in Mr. Mebane’s honour. “

 Over the years, Mebane served on a number of textile industry boards including the American Textile Manufacturers Institute, North Carolina Textile Association and the American Synthetic Yarn Association.  He was also a board of trustee member and major donor to Philadelphia University, formerly Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science. 

Toward the end of his textile career, he founded the Mebane Charitable Foundation with a focus to improve public education in North Carolina. Since its inception in 1992, the Foundation has granted more than $10 million, and has provided technology and educational programs to more than 6,500 children in Davie County, North Carolina; equipping every classroom in the Davie County School System with a SMART Board interactive whiteboard. Mebane strongly believed that children are the future and each child should have an opportunity to improve his or her education.

Unifi, Inc. is a diversified producer and processor of multi-filament polyester and nylon textured yarns and related raw materials.  The company adds value to the supply chain and enhances consumer demand for its products through the development and introduction of branded yarns that provide unique performance, comfort and aesthetic advantages. 

Key Unifi brands include, AIO - all-in-one performance yarns, SORBTEK, A.M.Y., MYNX UV, REPREVE, REFLEXX, MICROVISTA and SATURA.  Unifi's yarns and brands are found in home furnishings, apparel, leg wear, and sewing thread, as well as industrial, automotive, military, and medical applications.