Universal Fibers recently welcomed more than 550 of its associates and their families to a 40th anniversary celebration at the corporate headquarters in Bristol, Va. The two-day event drew more than 1,000 people, and included a cook-out, family friendly activities, a tour of the plant and commemorative gifts.

Originally called CAMAC, Universal Fibers opened its Bristol plant in 1970 and changed its name to Universal Fibers in 1999. Looking to broaden its reach, the company also opened plants outside of the United States for the first time, in Thailand and China.

“I’m honored to have shared the last decade with Universal Fibers,” said Marc Ammen, Universal Fibers' CEO. “I have learned that machines, although important, don’t make a company. People make a company and make products. That’s why we are still in business and still growing, and that’s what this celebration is about: our associates.”

“We wanted this to be a memorable event for not only the associates, but their families,” added Howard Bartholomay, Universal Fibers' director of human resources. “With our recent expansion we have more than 175 new associates hired in the past five months. All of our associates have done a tremendous job meeting the demands of our customers and we want to show them we appreciate their hard work.”

At the event, long-time associates were honored with 10, 15, 20 and 25 years of service awards.

Universal Fibers is a multi-platform producer of solution-dyed synthetic yarns for the commercial, residential, transportation and textile market. For more information, call customer service at (800) 457-4759 or visitwww.universalfibers.net.