While the general public is experiencing a “pain at the pump,” from higher gasoline prices, the continued rise in natural gas and oil prices is striking multiple blows against textile service companies that rely on a variety of hydrocarbon-based products to operate their businesses. Recent increases in the costs of food oils and many inorganic materials also have posed a major challenge to profitability across the industry. This article looks at how chemical suppliers are handling higher prices for raw materials and what that means for textile service companies. 
 
Severe impact
 
The reasons behind ...