NORCROSS, Ga. — September 14, 2010 — Four industry experts will present a State of the Industry
panel discussion at the opening session of the Innovative Nonwovens Conference (NETInc) on
Wednesday, November 10, 2010, from 1 to 3 p.m. Moderated by TAPPI President and CEO Larry N.
Montague, the panel will include Pierre Wiertz, general manager of EDANA; Michael Jänecke, brand
manager of Techtextil; Rory Holmes, president of INDA; and Stephen Warner, CEO and president of
IFAI. The conference will take place in Raleigh, N.C. from November 10-12, 2010.
“Conference organizers have brought together industry experts and opinion leaders from the
leading technical textiles and nonwovens organizations to discuss the current markets and
applications, industry needs, and the future of the industries,” said Behnam Pourdeyhimi, Associate
Dean for Industry Research Extension, William A. Klopman Distinguished Professor
Executive Director of The Nonwovens Institute. “These experts will also provide insight into
the research and emerging technologies ongoing in the academic and industry settings.”
About the Panelists
Pierre Wiertz is general manager of EDANA, the international association serving the
nonwovens and related industries (previously known as the European Disposables and Nonwovens
Association). Wiertz, who started at EDANA in Brussels, Belgium, in 1982, has held the position of
general manager since February 2004. As head of the organization, he is responsible for the
association’s operations and has initiated a new business orientation for its activities and
membership benefits and has given impetus to the geographic expansion and leadership of the
association. Wiertz regularly speaks at European and international conferences on topics related to
nonwoven materials, hygiene and medical disposables.
Michael Jänecke, brand manager of Techtextil in Frankfurt, Germany, is a graduate in business
management and was trained in a production company. He has managed the export department of a
technical textile manufacturer and later held the position of department manager responsible for
order processing. In October 1992 he became the director of the Techtextil Frankfurt fair at
Messe Frankfurt and since 1997 has been director of Techtextil worldwide. Since 2007 he has been
the brand manager of Techtextil. He is also responsible for Avantex (Innovative Apparel Textiles)
which since 2009 has been integrated in Techtextil in Frankfurt. Techtextil is the largest and most
successful trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens throughout the world, representing the
entire value chain of the sector. Jänecke has helped to substantially develop the fair by
introducing and establishing a very successful new marketing system, with six locations worldwide
at present. In this function, he currently contributes to the EU-funded project Contex-T (Textile
Architecture). He has contributed to the EU-funded projects in the field of technical and
high-performance textiles, TensiNET (GROWTH Programme) and WEALTHY (Wearable Health Care System).
Rory A. Holmes is president of INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry,
located in Cary, N.C. INDA members represent the entire value chain of the Nonwovens Industry.
INDA’s main activities focus on conferences, expositions, training courses, industry statistics and
government outreach. Holmes pursued a 25-year career with Johnson & Johnson, where he had a
series of increasing responsibilities in operations, research, and sales and marketing. Holmes
received the Hoffmann Award for R&D and the Johnson Medal for development and commercialization
of the J line of Operating Room Gown Drape fabrics. After leaving J in 1995, Holmes led the
sales and marketing efforts for Chicopee (Polymer Group Inc). At Chicopee/PGI, Holmes had direct
responsibility for the Medical, Industrial and APEX businesses. In 2002 after a successful
industrial career, he joined the Nonwovens Cooperative Research Center at NCSU as the Associate
Director for Technology Transfer.
Stephen M. Warner is chief executive officer (CEO) and president of the Industrial Fabrics
Association International (IFAI), based in Roseville, Minn. He has been active in the industry
since 1976 and became president of IFAI in 1986. Warner is also president of the Industrial Fabrics
Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to engage in research and education within the
industrial fabrics industry, and a member of the Investment Advisory Committee of the International
Geosynthetics Society (IGS). He formerly served on the IGS Council of Management, the
University of Minnesota’s Advisory Board of the Department of Design, Housing and Apparel, and the
ISO working group on textile flammability.
About the Moderator
Larry N. Montague joined TAPPI, headquartered in Norcross, Ga., as President and CEO in 2006.
Before joining TAPPI, he spent nearly a decade with The Newark Group, an integrated global producer
of 100 percent recycled paperboard and paperboard products with manufacturing and marketing
operations in North America and Europe. Montague served as vice president, sales and marketing,
responsible for $185 million in sales. After earning his B.B.A. in Marketing from the
University of Memphis (formerly Memphis State University) in 1977, Montague became an account
supervisor for the Armour Dial Company. He joined the pulp and paper industry in 1980 as a market
specialist in the Timber and Wood Products Division of Boise Cascade Corp. and later served as
sales representative for the Corrugated Container Division. Montague then joined Republic Group
Inc., where he first served as sales representative for Republic Gypsum (where he was named 1989
Sales Representative of the Year) and later as general manager of Republic’s Corrugated Container
Division. In 1991 he was named vice president sales and marketing, as well as general manager of
Republic Recycling, a post he held through 1997. Montague also served as point person for
Republic’s Acquisition Team.
About NETInc
Sponsored by TAPPI’s NET (Nonwovens Engineers Technologists) Division and the Nonwovens
Institute (NWI), the Innovative Nonwovens Conference (NETInc), will take place November 10-12,
2010, in Raleigh, N.C. USA. It is the only technical conference developed by engineers and
technologists to help integrate the innovation behind the science and how it impacts the
market. For more information and registration forms, visit
www.netincevent.org
Posted on September 14, 2010
Press Release Courtesy of NETInc
