Southern Mills, based in Georgia, US, manufactures protective clothing fabric for industrial and military use. The company offers outer shells and thermal barriers for firefighters, flame-resistant garments for military personnel and industrial garments for welders, petroleum, electrical, and gas utilities workers. Its products are used in wild land firefighting, technical rescues, emergency medical services, oil exploration and production, petrochemicals, molten metal processing and by military personnel. The company was founded in 1925.

In 2004 the company was acquired by Royal Ten Cate, a Dutch-based multinational maker of technical textiles. Since then it has been doing business as TenCate Protective Fabrics USA. Southern Mills has filed a patent infringement action on July 15, 2015, against International Textiles Group, a Delaware corporation.

It says an International Textiles product marketed under the Glide trade name infringes a patent. In addition to direct infringement, the complaint alleges indirect infringement by inducement. Further, Southern Mills claims that International Textiles contributes to direct infringement by end users and garment manufacturers, pointing specifically to marketing materials.

The complaint alleges that International Textiles’ actions are willful and seeks a finding of infringement, an injunction, damages, including enhanced damages, attorney's fees and expenses prejudgment interest and costs.

www.semills.com/