Unifi, Inc. named Ed Wickes as president of its new China-based subsidiary, Unifi Textiles (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. (UTSC), which will focus on the development, sales and service of Unifi’s premium value-added yarns for the Asian market.


Wickes will reporting to Roger Berrier, executive vice president for Unifi.  Wickes, who joined Unifi in 1984, will be responsible for the Company’s day-to-day operations with a focus on creating new growth opportunities in the Asian market.   


“The sole focus of UTSC will be on satisfying the growing demand for the production of higher value specialty yarns for the China market,” said Ed Wickes, president of UTSC.  “This new business model gives our customers in the region faster access to new product innovations and enhanced service opportunities.”


Hongjun Ning will serve as director of sales and marketing for UTSC, reporting to Wickes.  Ning will focus on increasing sales and brand awareness of Unifi’s value-added products in Asia.


Additional appointments include Luka Yuan as brand sales manager, Bimei Chen as technical sales manager, Fu Zhang as regional account manager and Dong Dong as export manager.


“One of the core growth strategies for Unifi is to increase our focus and support for our premium value-added yarns, which includes driving product innovation and enhancing our level of brand recognition in each of the global markets in which we compete,” said Roger Berrier, Unifi’s executive vice president.  “UTSC is a great fit for us in China because it creates added flexibility and allows us to focus exclusively on the value-added customer base.”


The company is located at Room 1101, Gold River Center, No. 88, Shishan Road, Suzhou New District, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, P.R. China 215011.