The industrial yarn and footwear component supplier said that revenue improved 19% (+1% organic CC sales) to $837 million in the first half ended Jun. 30, against $705 million last year. Coats outperformed its core apparel and footwear markets, which were impacted by reduced in-channel inventory levels as brand and tier-one customers remained cautious. Apparel improved 1% (+1% organic CC) to $486 million from $482 million, driven by share gains and strong demand in China and automotive thread markets, resulting in a 50 basis points EBIT margin reduction to 18.9%. ... Log in to view full article.