Williamsport. Trimtex produced decorative fabric trimmings in Williamsport from 1919 until 2013. The company, located at 400 Park Avenue, operated under several different names before becoming Trimtex in the late 1950s. The company produced rickrack, fringes, bindings, elastics, sequins, tapes, beltings, twist cords, and metallic trimmings and braids. Their pattern library included over 100,000 designs dating from 1919. It employed over four hundred people during its peak of operation. The company was sold in 2013. As of July 2016, the main headquarters of Trimtex is located in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and the company is now known as VintageTrims. According to their website, “Williamsport was the center of the trimmings universe for a long period of time from the 1920s to 1960s.”
The Thomas T. Taber Museum of the Lycoming County Historical Society is pleased to announce that Bill Henderson, the former President of Trimtex, will be joining us for a very special Society Program on Sunday, September 17, 2023 at 2pm. He will be reminiscing about Trimtex. As very special guests, we are inviting former employees and members of their family to attend. A Trimtex machine is part of the permanent collection and is on display on the lower level of the museum in the Hall of Farming, Crafts and Industry. That particular machine, dating from 1918, made rickrack (trim with a zigzagged pattern).On the machine, note the ‘Do Not Touch’ sign, which uses some of their trim on the edges. The rickrack machine was produced by the Reading Machine Company, Reading, Pennsylvania, circa 1918. A video produced by Lynne Estomin will be running before and after Mr. Henderson’s presentation.
For further information about the museum, please call 570.326.3326.