Techtextil North America & Texprocess Americas Postponement Rescheduled for October 1-3, 2020

ATLANTA — March 30, 2020 — Earlier this month, organizers of Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas announced that the co-located events, initially scheduled for May 12-14, 2020, would be postponed to December 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, the organizers have announced that the postponement has been rescheduled, and the co-located events will now take place from Thursday, October 1 through Saturday, October 3, 2020.

In an announcement that was relayed first to exhibiting companies on Friday, Show Director Kristy Meade states, “Although not ideal, the [December] dates provided were the only viable option at the time of our postponement inquiry to the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC). However, we shared the concerns of many of our exhibiting and visiting companies regarding the holidays and year-end processes, and after tireless communication between our team and those at the GWCC, we have been able to secure the new dates of October 1-3, 2020 for Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas. The new dates are more suitable for both local and international exhibitors.”

The new dates have received an overwhelmingly positive response from the exhibitor base thus far. The team is looking forward to aiding in the global recovery of the Technical Textiles, Nonwovens, and Sewn Products industries by providing a platform where industry professionals can once again gather to exchange knowledge, new ideas, and business.

For more information and access to the most recent program updates, deadlines, pricing information, and more, visit www.techtextilna.com or www.texprocessamericas.com.

Registration will remain open, with the Advanced Pricing deadline extended through September 1, 2020. All event registrations will remain intact, and will be transferred to the new dates. Register for the events here: Techtextil North America | Texprocess Americas

Techtextil North America is Incorporated with ATME-I. Texprocess Americas is Co-produced by SPESA.

Posted March 30, 2020

Source: Messe Frankfurt

Chaco Footwear Retrofits ReChaco Factory Operations To Sew And Donate Protective Masks

ROCKFORD, Mich. — March 26, 2020 — Chaco, the outdoor lifestyle footwear brand, announced today that it has shifted the focus of its Michigan-based ReChaco factory and mobile factory bus from sandal repairs and product customization to the production of face masks and other critical protective equipment needed by healthcare and other first responders working through the COVID-19 pandemic.

After Michigan issued a statewide stay at home order on March 23, 2020, Chaco moved quickly to retrofit its factory to produce face masks, and is also exploring specs for the production of gowns and aprons. By sourcing patterns from local healthcare systems and collecting raw materials from parent company Wolverine Worldwide, Chaco was able to put the plan in motion in a matter of days.

The ReChaco factory is equipped with industrial sewing machines, ample backstock of materials, and is staffed by a production team with decades of professional sewing expertise. The ReChaco team is led by Lisa Kondrat, Director of Operations for the ReChaco Factory, who has been with the brand for almost 20 years.

“We at Chaco are doers. It’s not in our team’s DNA to stand by when we have the opportunity and resources to take action,” said Kondrat. “We want our skills and machinery to be useful in this crisis.”

Chaco is working with Wolverine Worldwide and local organizations to source fabric and vet materials for production. The brand plans to share their patterns, sourcing leads and learnings as a resource for other companies and individuals looking to contribute during the pandemic.

In addition to the ReChaco factory, Chaco will deploy its ReChaco Mobile Repair Factory bus to make supplies. The bus was developed to customize and repair Chaco sandals during the brand’s 2020 Roving Repairs Summer Tour. Outfitted with sewing machines, hot knives and other equipment for making and mending sandals, the Chaco-trained staff will shift their focus to prototyping and producing protective equipment in the Pacific Northwest. Chaco is partnering with agency partner Field Scout and sister brand Merrell to source vetted fabric and materials for the initiative.

The ReChaco tour bus is currently located in Portland, Oregon, and will adhere to the region’s shelter-in-place order, while working to produce and provide protective equipment for hospital systems in Hood River, Oregon and other locations surrounding the Portland area.

“Our goal here is to inspire quick and creative action from other brands and companies in our space. Chaco and Wolverine Worldwide aren’t the only  companies with people and machinery positioned to help in this crisis – everyone has something they can offer,” said Josh Weichhand, Marketing Director at Chaco. “This is both critical aid for our communities and an opportunity to empower our teams to lead, and we know other brands with similar resources in the outdoor industry, footwear, and fashion space will also rise to the occasion.”

Posted March 27, 2020

Source: Chaco

YKK Partners with Customers to Manufacture Products for COVID-19 Relief

MARIETTA, Ga. — March 26, 2020 — As COVID-19 strains the healthcare and personal protective equipment (PPE) industries in the United States, YKK is proactively partnering with existing customers as well as reaching out to new partners to seek creative ways to address the COVID-19 challenge together.

YKK’s four main U.S. manufacturing facilities in Georgia, California, Alabama and Kentucky have taken innovative approaches to the new challenges being presented to them. One example is YKK subsidiary Tape Craft Corp. in Oxford, Alabama. Last Friday, Tape Craft was approached by Ford Motor Co. with a request to provide thousands of elastic straps for the face shields Ford is now manufacturing in Michigan for the medical industry. Tape Craft provided 85,000 pieces of elastic straps to Ford this week. And when supply chain disruptions with YKK’s elastic supplier prevented Tape Craft from being able to provide more elastic straps to Ford, Tape Craft, together with YKK USA, immediately proposed two creative alternatives using YKK’s hook and loop fasteners, plastic buckles, and cord-stoppers. Both solutions are currently under consideration. YKK (U.S.A.) Inc. Snap and Button Products in Kentucky is also supporting its customers who are converting to face shield production by providing snaps, machinery, and expertise in a timely manner.

Additionally, YKK (U.S.A.) Inc. is working with several key government contractors on mission critical orders for the U.S. Government. YKK USA in Macon, Ga., is manufacturing airtight/watertight and moisture repellant zippers for isolation chambers and Level B Hazmat suits for the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and FEMA to support the fight against COVID-19. YKK USA in Anaheim, Calif., is providing airtight/watertight zippers to aid and support in the design of manufacturing negative pressure tent prototypes for those requiring isolation due to coronavirus exposure for the California State government. Moreover, YKK USA in Macon continues to supply key fastening products for the police, fire, and medical support communities.

YKK is also serving the medical industry by providing fastening products for medical masks, hospital gowns, and medical beds and bedding. Many of these requests are coming from YKK’s apparel industry customers, who are switching to medical industry production. This sudden switch is requiring creative thinking from all involved, and YKK hopes to work with more partners to find inventive uses for its zippers, hook & loop, injection molded plastic parts, webbing, and snap & buttons.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is presenting us with challenges we could not imagine just a few months ago,” said Jim Reed, president, YKK Corp. of America. “As we navigate these unchartered waters, the YKK team is turning to our corporate philosophy for guidance  — the ‘Cycle of Goodness’, which teaches us that ‘no one prospers without rendering benefit to others,’ the YKK Management Principle, ‘seek corporate value of higher significance,’ and our Core Values, which emphasize trust, transparency, and innovation. We look forward to partnering with other organizations to provide much needed assistance to the industries fighting COVID-19.”

YKK is considered part of the “Essential Critical Infrastructure Industry” by the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security. This federal government designation takes precedence over state and local directives that call for lockdowns or similar temporary closures. YKK has received letters of gratitude from customers for keeping the supply chain open and allowing them to serve the critical needs in the medical and PPE industries.

At same time, YKK is taking many steps to ensure the safety of employees as they remain at work to fulfill these critical orders. The YKK COVID-19 Task Force has been in place since February and meets daily to determine how to best protect its community of employees. YKK has put strict restrictions on travel, has prohibited non-essential visitors to its plants, is encouraging teleconferencing, and continues to reinforce safe behavior in its plants, such as handwashing, social distancing and disinfecting. Employees who feel ill have been told to not report to work, and YKK has specific quarantine and communication procedures in place should an employee be diagnosed with COVID-19 or is asked to self-isolate by a public health authority. The company is also emphasizing frequent and transparent communication with employees, customers, and local communities.

Posted March 27, 2020

Source: YKK

Hygienically Clean Certification Provides Additional Reassurances In Supplying Essential Businesses

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — March 26, 2020 — Long before COVID-19 became a pandemic, Hygienically Clean certified facilities serving acute and nonacute healthcare, food processing and service were properly trained to meet the safety needs of its customers, employees and the public. In recent weeks as the pandemic has spread, Hygienically Clean has kept watch on this crisis and continues to provide resources that inform and help properly educate employees and customers. As state guidelines for combatting the spread of this virus unfold, linen, uniform and facility services companies have been consistently recognized as “essential services” supporting the Nation’s Critical Infrastructure safety, sanitation and operations including healthcare, first-responders, food and agriculture, energy, water and wastewater, transportation and logistics, public works, communications and information technology and other community-based essential functions and government operations.

The Hygienically Clean website (www.hygienicallyclean.org) has been updated with a wealth of resources covering the specifics of the COVID-19 Pandemic including:

  • Webinars, including communication of best practices for employees, customers and leadership teams, led by experts such as Catalina Dongo, Director of Human Resources, UniFirst Corp., Todd Logsdon, partner, Fisher & Phillips LLP and Hygienically Clean Advisory Board member Murray L. Cohen, PhD, MPH, CIH, FAIHA, Chairman, Frontline Healthcare Worker Safety Foundation, Retired Infectious Disease Epidemiologist, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO
  • Both the Six Cs of Handling Soiled and Clean Linens in a Healthcare Environment Training (videos)
  • Posters, handouts and other print and digital (in English and Spanish) to be shared with leadership teams, employees and customers
  • Links to dozens of resources including state-by-state essential services designations and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), HR and legal guidance, global and national government agencies such as WHO, CDC, DOL, SBA and more

Hygienically Clean values the voice of its members and relies on continuous communication to rapidly educate and prepare its certified facilities of quickly evolving issues like COVID-19. Regularly scheduled Users Group and Advisory Board calls are taking place as the pandemic progresses, providing Hygienically Clean-certified laundries with valuable sharing of resources such as best management practices (BMPs), Quality Assurance (QA) manuals and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for combating COVID-19.

The Coronavirus has heightened our awareness of handwashing and sanitizing hard surfaces. Every facility that has earned the Hygienically Clean Certification, 223 across all markets, has been inspected to OSHA regulations and CDC guidelines for environmental infection control. The inspection includes the review of each facility’s cleaning schedule and a verification that they follow Standard and Universal Precautions ensuring the protection of employees with the proper usage of PPE’s and handwashing.

Hygienically Clean’s BMPs and SOPs align with OSHA and CDC guidelines for safety and infection prevention to minimize community spread and removes viruses from linens and that while all reusable linens, uniform and textiles should be considered as contaminated with COVID-19, they should NOT be considered Hazardous Medical Waste, creating additional costs and shortages. The Hygienically Clean certifications instill confidence that processed linens, uniforms and other textiles are safe for hospitals, surgical centers, food processing plants and other critical businesses and that every precaution is taken throughout the production, transportation and delivery of Hygienically clean linens.

As the quantified, validated standard and measure for hygienically clean textiles serving all linen, uniform and facility services market sectors, even during this crisis, Hygienically Clean has received applications and inquiries from laundries and their customers with a 100 percent recertification of every plant eligible for renewal. These are an acknowledgment that Hygienically Clean certified laundries continue to offer their customers peace of mind that their stocks of reusable linens, uniforms and other products are laundered and delivered under a higher standard of cleanliness.

“To ensure the safety of its employees, employees’ families, their customers and the public, every facility should seek Hygienically Clean Certifications,” said Cohen, a highly regarded expert infection- control expert and a member of the Hygienically Clean Advisory Board. “Minimally they should follow Hygienically Clean best management practices.”

Posted March 27, 2020

Source: TRSA

South Dakota School Of Mines & Technology 3D Prints Masks For Local Healthcare Providers To Address Coronavirus Outbreak

RAPID CITY, S.D. — March 27, 2020 — In an effort to help local healthcare providers overcome a global shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology is 3D printing masks for Monument Health and other local healthcare providers.

The project began following a meeting between Mines alumnus Brad Haupt, vice president of Supply Chain and Contract Management at Monument Health, Mines President Jim Rankin and others on Saturday, March 21. Haupt expressed a concern over the long-term shortage of masks at Monument Health, especially in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, and President Rankin offered Mines resources’ to help.

The effort, which quickly ramped up this week, currently includes faculty and students in the South Dakota Mines departments of industrial, mechanical, chemical, biological, and biomedical engineering as well as chemistry, biology, and health sciences. The departments are printing about 50 masks per day using up to 15 printers running nonstop. “We hope to print as many as we can,” said Dr. Jeffery Woldstad, head of the Department of Industrial Engineering. “Right now, we believe that we have the material on campus for about 1,000 masks. However, we are ordering more materials and will keep going.”

The 3D-printed masks can be used by surgeons, nurses, and other staff. In some hospitals around the world, medical staff are being forced to reuse masks rather than dispose of them after each use. Doing so exposes healthcare workers and patients to increased risks. These 3D-printed masks have insertable filters that can be changed as often as needed. The masks are printed with approved material that is safe for use in medical facilities.

These masks were first developed in Montana last week, and that design was shared with the public though the Billings Clinic Foundation. The foundation credits the design of the masks to neurosurgeon Dusty Richardson, in collaboration with Billings-area dentist Spencer Zaugg, and his son Colton. A YouTube video from KTVQ news shows more.

Mines faculty took the design and worked with officials at Monument Health to print protypes earlier this week. They have since ramped up as many printers on campus as can be made available for this endeavor.

“Because of our project-based learning approach to engineering education, we have the facilities and experience needed to put engineering into practice,” says Dr. Pierre Larochelle, head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Mines. “In just a couple of days we have brought together multiple departments on campus, faculty, staff, and student workers to address a dire need in our community.”

The 3D printers are running nonstop. The printers are being monitored by two students and a faculty member who are coming in on shifts and leaving before the next person arrives to maintain social distancing. “When I reached out to students, Zac Hogan and Jake Steffen volunteered immediately,” said Dr. Aaron Lalley, a lecturer of mechanical engineering. The printers can run for a time on their own, but they need some monitoring. Lalley, takes the night shift from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. while his students cover the day shifts. “We’re very happy to help,” he said.

Monument Health is also seeking PPE from any other members of the local community who may have extra on hand.

Posted March 27, 2020

Source: South Dakota School of Mines & Technology

Barco® Uniforms Launches COVID-19 Scrub Donation Program: 10,000 Scrubs Per Month

LOS ANGELES — March 27, 2020 — Barco® Uniforms today announced its pledge to donate 10,000 scrubs each month for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic to Healthcare professionals on the front line treating patients who have been infected. Donations will be prioritized and distributed based on requests made by Healthcare teams who submit a scrub donation request on Barco’s website: https://www.barcouniforms.com/.

Scrub donations include all seven of Barco’s brand collections, including Barco One™, Grey’s Anatomy™ and Skechers™ by Barco.

“We are launching our scrub donation program to show our sincere thanks and demonstrate our immense gratitude to Healthcare professionals all over the country, all of whom have been so heroic in the fight against this pandemic,” said Barco president and CEO David Murphy. “We are here to support the Healthcare workers as they take care of all of us.”

Barco Uniforms has served Healthcare professionals for over 90 years and has been built on the belief that those in the Healthcare and services industries are multidimensional individuals with their own experiences of risk, vulnerability and struggle. The company’s Made to Matter philosophy, was created to give back and honor the spirit of healthcare professionals around the world. “Serving those who serve others has been a pillar of our legacy for over 90 years and at the forefront of everything we do, but these words have never had greater strength and deeper meaning than they do today during these unprecedented times,” added Murphy.

For more information about Barco’s COVID-19 donation program, visit https://www.barcouniforms.com/

Posted March 27, 2020

Source: Barco® Uniforms

DyStar Responds To COVID-19

SINGAPORE — March 27, 2020 — Amid the rapid spread of COVID-19 around the world, DyStar’s global operations continue to adapt to the development of the situation and to mitigate potential risks or impacts across the business. While the trajectory is unknown, DyStar is guided by recommendations from the World Health Organization and the local government authorities, to proactively address situations that could possibly affect our people and customers. This is to ensure that we have effective plans and standard procedures to minimize the disruption of our global operations.

Business Continuity Plan (BCP)

As a globally operating company, each of our operating sites, manufacturing plants, offices have a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) in place to sustain our operations and the supply chains we serve. The BCP, owned by our Business Continuity Management Team, provides clear guidance for all local operations, such as Administration, Customer Services, Finance, Logistics Services, Sales and Technical Support as well as Procurement, to enable all functions to continue operating effectively to serve our customers, distributors and agents.

Emergency Response Plan (ERP)

DyStar’s manufacturing sites are also installed with an Emergency Response Procedure to cover all emergency circumstances, including the COVID-19 pandemic disease. The goal of the emergency response procedure is to mitigate the impact of such events on people and the environment, ensuring operational readiness of the site during an emergency.

As the world adjusts to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, DyStar will continue to monitor the situation very closely and will provide updates that adapt to the changing situation. We remain committed to provide our customers with excellent service and to work closely with all our partners throughout this difficult period

Posted March 27, 2020

Source: DyStar

March/April 2020: Textile Activity At A Glance

March/April 2020

From Cautious To Uncertain For U.S. Textiles

By Jim Borneman, Editor In Chief

The spread of COVID-19 continues and fear and uncertainty abound for most businesses, associations and families. Textile World, not insulated from the coronavirus impact, was sent scrambling as editors were finalizing March/April issue files for print. The issue was planned as the Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas preview issue, but four days prior to press time, show organizer Messe Frankfurt, in conjunction with event partners ATME-I and SPESA, decided to postpone the event in light of the worldwide spread of COVID-19.

“Up until this point, we were optimistic that May was far enough away to proceed with the events as planned,” said Kristi Meade, show director – Technical Shows: Textiles, Sewn Products, Equipment and Technology. “However, as the situation has evolved, we
feel that we must act in the best interest of our exhibitors, visitors, and the industry overall.”

The combined event at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta was one
of the largest North American textile events scheduled in 2020, but the good news is that the show will go on. It has been rescheduled for December 15-17, 2020 — same venue, different date.

In a sense, the swift rescheduling by Messe Frankfurt adds some certainty to a very uncertain situation, as well as gives the industry something to be optimistic about later in the year.

One would hope that as businesses move into the third and fourth quarters of 2020,
as the shock to the economy begins to normalize and the country gets past the
election, mid-December might be a great time to reboot the U.S. textile industry.

As of TW’s press time, few of the effects of the virus have shown up in the United States’ underlying economic data. Half of the economists in the Wall Street Journal Survey are not predicting a recession — two or more concurrent quarters of negative gross domestic product growth. Extremely low oil and gasoline prices, mortgage interest rates and bond yields may act as a buffer against lower profits caused by the economic effects of the virus.

Oil companies may struggle as OPEC and Russia feud over prices and production levels. The side effect is positive for oil consumers and producers of petroleum-based products, but tough on domestic oil frackers that have made the U.S. energy independent. But gasoline prices have a big effect on U.S. consumers — the very people that will set the tone of the depth and speed of a recovery.

One of the few saving graces is the shape the economy was in prior to the pandemic. As stated in this very column in the January/ February 2020 issue of TW, “Positive jobs data, low unemployment, low inflation, reduced regulation, the new USMCA in place, energy independence, low oil prices, completion of the phase one U.S.-China trade agreement …” may blunt the economic effects of the virus.

With employment so tight, it will be interesting to see how employers react. Will they proceed with layoffs, risking the ability to hire workers should they need to ramp-up production in snap-back recovery? Will layoffs be prudent given the unknown depth and duration of the virus’s effects?

It is really a lot of crystal ball work at this point in time. Some say it’s time to invest — stocks are on sale. Others say that this is a historic event with long-lasting negative impacts on the global economy — where airlines, cruise lines, hotels and professional sports will never be the same.

The reality probably falls somewhere in between these views. America is resilient
and will move forward.

March/April 2020

COVID-19 Spread Prompts Industry Events Cancellations, Postponements

The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) managed to host its annual International Conference & Exhibition as scheduled recently. But that event snuck in under the wire before it became clear that the threat posed by the spread of COVID-19 was one to take seriously. Some global events already had been postponed, and now U.S. show organizers and associations are following suit, by either postponing, cancelling or moving spring events to an online format. Some organizations are waiting to see how the second half of the year shakes out before committing to new dates, while others have gone ahead and rescheduled.

One of the largest shows for the U.S. industry in 2020, Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas, has been moved from May 12-14 to December 15-17, 2020. In a statement about the decision to move the show, Kristi Meade, show director – Technical Shows: Textiles, Sewn Products, Equipment and Technology, Messe Frankfurt, said: “Up until this point, we were optimistic that May was far enough away to proceed with the events as planned. However, as the situation has evolved, we feel that we must act in the best interest of our exhibitors, visitors and the industry overall.”

  • Here are just some of the other impacted industry events this spring:
    • The Synthetic Yarn and Fabrics Association (SYFA) has cancelled its spring meeting. The fall meeting is scheduled for November 5-6, 2020;
    • The Americas Apparel Producers’ Network (AAPN) has rescheduled the Carolina Mill Tour for September 29-October 2, 2020. The Charlotte Regional Conference will also move to the same week. AAPN also has postponed its annual meeting in Miami with a new date to be determined;
    • The Southern Textile Association (STA) has cancelled its Northern and Southern Division spring meetings. Dates for its fall meetings have yet to be announced;
    • The Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA) has announced events in May and through the end of the year, including the World of Wipes® Conference in Minneapolis June 22-25, currently will move ahead as scheduled. However, INDA has cancelled training courses previously scheduled in March and April;
    • The Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) has postponed the upcoming Fabricators Conference and Showcase and is looking at transitioning other events including the Smart Fabrics Summit and the Outlook Conference to virtual events. IFAI currently plans to host IFAI Expo 2020 as scheduled November 4-6, 2020;
    • Global Nonwovens event INDEX™20 in Geneva, Switzerland, was postponed until October 20-23, 2020;
    • The Sewn Products Equipment & Suppliers of the Americas (SPESA) has postponed its Advancements in Manufacturing Technologies Conference indefinitely;
    • The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) has postponed its annual meeting until next year;
    • ITM 2020 and Hightex 2020 in Turkey have been moved from June dates to July 14-18, 2020; and
    • FESPA Global Print Expo 2020, European Sign Expo 2020, Sportswear Pro and FESPA Brasil 2020 have all been postponed with new dates yet to be announced.

March/April 2020

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