BURGDORF, Switzerland — April 30, 2020 — SANITIZED AG announces that it has entered into an agreement with Consolidated Pathways Inc. Midland, Mich., to globally promote the Sanitized® odor-management, hygiene function and material protection technologies to brands and retailers. Consolidated Pathways will also support the advancement of the trusted Sanitized® Quality Seal and related branding concepts. The longtime co-operation between Sanitized AG and Archroma remains unchanged and is supported by the activities of Consolidated Pathways.
Consolidated Pathways acts as global brand and technical representative for the Sanitized line of antimicrobial products. Consolidated Pathways will be focusing on commercializing Sanitized® products in textiles and will use its broad experience in polymer-based antimicrobials to extend the reach of the unique technologies that Sanitized AG offers.
TOKYO/NEW YORK/MORRISVILLE, Pa. —April 30, 2020 — Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. (MCC) announced today that its subsidiary Mitsubishi Chemical America Inc. (MCA) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Gelest Intermediate Holdings Inc., the parent of Gelest Inc. and a portfolio company of New Mountain Capital LLC. (NMC). Completion of the transaction is expected in 2020, pending customary regulatory review and approval.
Gelest is a n American innovator, manufacturer , and supplier of silicones, organosilanes, metal organics, and specialty monomers for advanced technology end markets including medical devices, life sciences, microelectronics, and personal care. Gelest helps customers succeed by assisting them to develop and supply the chemistry to solve their most challenging materials science problems and enable their new product technology.
“We are excited to acquire Gelest as its business fits well within MCC’s long term strategy,” said Steve Yurich, president of MCA . “Since becoming familiar with Gelest, we have recognized the tremendous capabilities in research and development and production that help create its outstanding position with key customers. Furthermore, MCC’s operating resources and customer network will enhance the ability to bring Gelest’s technologies to market and accelerate the development of new customer solutions to drive advances in digital social infrastructure, vision care, and other life sciences applications. We look forward to working alongside the team at Gelest to drive the continued growth of the company.”
“We are extremely proud of the efforts of everyone who has contributed to make Gelest the company that it is today with world class technology and supply capabilities , made possible by the industry leading team we have built and support from NMC for our strategic investment programs.” said Barry Arkles, chairman and CTO of Gelest. “This has made Gelest an extremely valuable partner to customers around the world.”
Ken Gayer, CEO of Gelest, added, “We are excited to join MCC during our next stage of growth. MCC’s breadth and depth in the advanced materials sector will allow Gelest to create even more value for our customers and opportunities for our employees.”
“Since partnering with Gelest in 2017, we have been extremely impressed by the management team and Gelest’s ability to innovate continuously to serve the evolving needs of its demanding customers,” said Andre Moura, managing director at NMC and lead direct or of Gelest. “We are proud to have supported Gelest’s execution of an organic and inorganic growth strategy, and we thank everyone at Gelest for an exceptional partnership.”
MCC will continue to execute its strategy of enhancing its technology platform, leveraging its extensive R&D capabilities and pursuing new business development opportunities in new markets to drive further expansion in the future.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — April 29, 2020 — Belk announced it will begin inviting customers and associates back into its local stores following its temporary closure due to COVID-19. Stores in South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas and Oklahoma plan to open its doors to shoppers on Friday, May 1. Belk is implementing recommended safety precautions from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and state and local health authorities. Stores will begin by opening from noon–6 p.m. and Belk will limit the number of people shopping in the store to ensure social distancing standards are observed.
In addition to reopening stores, Belk launched Curbside Pickup at most stores, including all stores that will be open in May, which offers an additional limited contact shopping option. Customers who place an order on Belk.com or on the mobile app can pick up their order Monday-Sunday between noon-5 p.m. The service is free and available for same-day pick up within two hours on orders placed by 1 p.m.
“For more than 130 years, the health and safety of our customers and associates has remained a top priority,” said Lisa Harper, CEO of Belk. “While the shopping experience may look a little different, our commitment to offering quality products at a value customers deserve, providing exceptional service, and helping our local communities remains true to who we are. We sincerely thank everyone who has supported us during this unprecedented time. We are especially grateful for our remarkable team of Belk associates.”
Belk’s multi-phase reopening of its’ stores will follow local and state protocol. The retailer is anticipating additional store openings in more states throughout May.
WIENER NEUDORF, Austria — April 29, 2020 — Lenzing AG and Palmers Textil AG found Hygiene Austria LP GmbH, in which Lenzing AG holds 50.1 percent and Palmers Textil AG 49.9 percent. The newly founded company will start producing and selling protective masks for the domestic and European markets from May 2020.
Over the past few weeks, Lenzing AG and Palmers Textil AG have invested several million euros in a modern production infrastructure at the Wiener Neudorf location and secured the corresponding raw materials for protective masks production. In a first step, the company produces so-called mouth-nose protective masks (MNS) and surgical protective masks of class EN14683. Hygiene Austria plans to increase its capacities to more than 25 million masks per month over the next few weeks and to expand this business geographically as well.
The demand for high-quality MNS and respiratory masks for medical personnel is increasing rapidly, and there is real competition on the international market for these products. In order to sustainably secure domestic supply now and in the future and to strengthen the business location, the two companies Lenzing and Palmers Textil have now set a milestone with their own competence center for hygiene based in Austria. Hygiene Austria thus makes a significant contribution to combating the COVID-19 pandemic and ensures the long-term supply of these critical goods in Austria in high quality.
“We decided to pool our knowledge, network and experience in a competence center for hygiene together with our partner Palmers. The aim of this joint venture is to provide the citizens of Austria and Europe with the best possible protection through locally manufactured, high-quality products,” said Stefan Doboczky, CEO of Lenzing AG. “Masks will continue to play an important role in our daily lives and we are proud that we were able to achieve our goal of an industrial production so quickly together with our partner Palmers.”
Symbiosis Between Palmers And Lenzing
Palmers Textil and Lenzing complement each other perfectly. Luca Wieser, member of the Board of Palmers, said: “We have many years of experience in the manufacture and distribution of textile products, Lenzing brings its technological experience in the hygiene sector, the know-how regarding procurement and raw material and knowledge in the field of plant engineering.”
“We are not only connected by textile experience and ‘Made in Austria,’ but also by the will to act quickly now and to do something for the protection of citizens — we see this as our duty to society. We are entrepreneurs and we are proud of our country,” added Tino Wieser, member of the Board of Palmers.
“We specially want to thank our dedicated employees, who have worked day and night on the timely implementation of Hygiene Austria‘s production in the past few weeks,“ said Matvei Hutman, member of the Board of Palmers, pleased with the great commitment of all the employees.
This project was also supported by Lenzing‘s main shareholder B&C Industrieholding and the Supervisory Board, and fits into other initiatives of B&C Industrieholding to support the Republic of Austria in health protection measures. Law firm Binder-Grösswang provided advice on the foundation of the company.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — April 29, 2020 — HanesBrands is using its apparel design and manufacturing expertise to produce more than 20 million medical gowns to be distributed by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency to hospitals and healthcare facilities in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hanes has already produced and delivered more than 60 million cloth face coverings for the U.S. government and is ahead of schedule to deliver more than 320 million of the washable 3-ply all-cotton face coverings.
Hanes is producing the reusable face coverings and gowns in accordance with efforts by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response to supplement supplies of nonsurgical personal protection for use during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hanes is also rapidly securing additional manufacturing capacity to meet surging demand for face masks and other garments from consumers, retailers and business-to-business customers, including employers preparing to reopen business operations.
“Our employees have gone to extraordinary lengths to meet the challenge of very quickly pivoting our production to large quantities of face coverings and medical gowns,” said Michael E. Faircloth, group president, global operations, American casualwear and e-commerce. “Making basic protective supplies is consistent with our capabilities to make everyday apparel, but these are new product lines and required a significant amount of work and planning. We are proud that these efforts are benefiting our company, our communities and our government.”
The long-sleeve medical gowns are made from fabric designed to be splash resistant and can be washed and reused. They will be distributed by FEMA to hospitals nationwide and temporary treatment facilities.
The FDA issued an emergency use authorization for face masks, including cloth face coverings, in response to concerns about insufficient supply and availability for use by members of the general public and healthcare personnel for source control. Face masks, including cloth face coverings, when used as source control, may help in preventing or slowing the spread of COVID-19. These face masks are not authorized to be personal protective equipment. They are not a substitute for filtering face piece respirators or for surgical face masks. For more, visit the FDA’s FAQs on Emergency Use Authorization for Face Masks (Non-surgical).
HanesBrands is a socially responsible leading marketer of everyday basic innerwear and activewear apparel in the Americas, Europe, Australia and Asia-Pacific. The company sells its products under some of the world’s strongest apparel brands, including Hanes, Champion, Bonds, DIM, Maidenform, Bali, Playtex, Lovable, Bras N Things, Nur Die/Nur Der, Alternative, L’eggs, JMS/Just My Size, Wonderbra, Berlei and Gear for Sports. For more information on the company’s commitment to help during the COVID-19 pandemic, visit Hanes For Good.
PHILADELPHIA— April 28, 2020 — ViaClean Technologies — a biotech company that develops, manufactures and markets environmentally responsible solutions that protect life’s surfaces — today announced the appointment of Greg Tipsord as president and CEO. Tipsord, an accomplished and well-respected industry veteran who will become a partner in the company and join its board of directors, will be responsible for establishing ViaClean as the preeminent manufacturer and marketer of incomparable, revolutionary and environmentally responsible antibacterial and antimicrobial solutions for commercial, institutional and consumer use. The announcement was made by Jim Young, founder and executive chairman of ViaClean Technologies.
“We are delighted to welcome Greg to ViaClean Technologies,” Young said. “His experience, expertise and industry knowledge will be extremely consequential and absolutely invaluable in the development, growth and success of our company. I look forward to working closely with Greg, who has an exceptional reputation for business and financial acumen, branding and marketing, industry innovation and product development, as well as for achieving industry-leading top line, bottom line and market share growth. Greg is an extremely accomplished and respected executive who will help us to build ViaClean into a world-class developer, manufacturer and marketer of groundbreaking biotechnology based antibacterial and antimicrobial products, services and solutions.”
With nearly 30 years of domestic and international business experience in Consumer-Packaged Goods, Multi-Channel Marketing and Direct Sales, Tipsord has a proven track record of brand, business, financial and organizational success with both large and small companies, including Procter & Gamble, The Dial Corp. and The Henkel Corp. Prior to joining ViaClean Technologies, he served as CEO at Spellbinders Paper Arts, a private equity-backed consumer packaged goods company where he drove a dramatic business turnaround with significant improvements in revenue, operating profit, and cash flow through business model reinvention and industry innovation. Beforehand, during his 17 years with The Dial Corp., Tipsord held various executive and senior leadership positions, including senior vice president/general manager – Laundry Care, senior vice president/general manager – Home Care, senior vice president/general manager – International and senior vice president/general manager – Personal Care, achieving record revenues, profits and market share. Tipsord previously served in various management capacities at Procter & Gamble, including assistant brand manager – Institutional Cleaning Products where he spearheaded the launch of Lemon Dawn which became the #1 Liquid Dish Detergent.
“I am incredibly excited and honored to join ViaClean Technologies and to work alongside Jim Young, as well as to become a partner in the company and a member of its board of directors,” Tipsord said. “ViaClean’s revolutionary products are nothing less than game-changers that will transform the marketplace. I look forward to working with the outstanding team at ViaClean to bring to market solutions that disinfect, protect and safeguard consumers, surfaces and spaces from harmful germs, including bacteria and viruses. This is a pivotal time for ViaClean, which has the opportunity to redefine, reinvent and set the standard for antimicrobial protection through its proprietary BIOPROTECTUs™ System and BIOPROTECT™ technologies.”
ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. — April 29, 2020 — In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Moss Inc. has expanded its global manufacturing capabilities to include high-speed automated production for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Moss’s new fleet of proprietary manufacturing technology can produce a total global output of 1.2 Million face masks per day.
The automated manufacturing system was developed in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute of Product Technology IPT and a local machine builder in Germany. Moss will scale capacity in Europe and North America to produce global output of 3 Million masks a week by June and reach 6 Million masks per week by August. The masks are developed to meet the EN14683 surgical MNS mask standard in Germany and the ASTM Level 2 Procedure Mask rating in North America.
In planning the plant, the partners considered the entire supply chain from production of the required materials to certification and supply chain management. As soon as the first prototype is completed, it will be optimized further by Fraunhofer IPT in order to scale and automate production.
“Textiles and stitching have been part of the Moss legacy since the 1950’s. We’re proud to take these new production steps to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic and to secure ample, competitively-priced supply for global public health needs,” said Dan Patterson, president and CEO of Moss.
“Because of these skills in textile processing, we received many inquiries on whether we could help with face masks, including inquiries for hundreds of thousands,” said Peter Bottenberg, managing director of Moss Germany. “Thinking in solutions instead of problems has always been Moss’s greatest strength, and we’re grateful for the dynamic partners who undertook a quick solution with us.”
Leveraging its global network of suppliers, Moss supply chain experts continue securing needed materials and confirming suppliers meet Moss’s standards of excellence for reliable, quality fulfillment.
While Moss has already shipped several large orders, it will soon have capacity to fulfill high-volume orders from governments and public health organizations, including national contracts and re-stockpiling. Information available at solutions.mossinc.com/ppe/.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — April 29, 2020 — The COVID-19 pandemic has caught the world by surprise, and a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) has exposed the vulnerability of our healthcare and emergency response systems. While the virus has uncovered industry shortcomings, such as its dependence on outsourced supply chains, demand for PPE is thriving and creating market opportunities globally. According to Frost & Sullivan, on average, the industry grows at 3 to 5 percent per annum; however, the healthcare PPE segment is now experiencing an unprecedented boom, estimated at 80 to 100 percent, and is opening doors for new entrants, alliances, and partnership opportunities between PPE players and material suppliers.
Frost & Sullivan invites you to join Global President & Managing Partner Aroop Zutshi and Vice President Sanjiv Bhaskar for the Growth Opportunity briefing, “COVID-19: Growth Opportunities in the PPE Industry,” on May 7 at 11 a.m. EST. The briefing will highlight how the PPE industry can seize the growth opportunities presented and remain a favorite of the private equity community, and also discuss how the pandemic will change the PPE industry’s approach to different end-user industries.
For more information and to register for the webinar, please visit: http://frost.ly/42t
Key benefits of attending this webinar:
Understand the impact of COVID-19 on the industrial PPE markets.
Identify global opportunities for industrial PPE supplies of masks, gowns and eye protection in the healthcare industry.
Expose potential new competitors to industrial PPE players.
Discover how to overcome supply chain challenges such as over-dependence on imports.
Capitalize on the growing userbase to help your company expand.
Find out if COVID-19 will reverse the PPE consolidation trend or enhance it.
The event will also be recorded and available on-demand at http://frost.ly/1ti.
Monforts customers dominated in the Kingpins 2021 Most Sustainable Products (MSP) design collection.
MÖNCHENGLADBACH, Germany — April 29, 2020 — Monforts denim customers rallied to support a virtual version of the Kingpins denim show that was scheduled to take place in Amsterdam on April 22-23.
When the organizers were obliged to cancel the physical event due to COVID-19 restrictions, they immediately began working on an online alternative, and such was the positive response that they were able to livestream seamlessly across the entire two days that the show had been scheduled to take place.
Interviews, discussions, catwalk displays and presentations featuring brands, denim mills, artisans and raw materials suppliers were broadcast successfully from five continents.
In opening Kingpins24 on April 22 at 9 a.m., show Founder Andrew Olah (at 2 a.m. from Texas) and his co-host, Managing Director Vivian Wang (at midnight in Los Angeles), explained that more than 75 percent of the exhibitors who were scheduled to be in Amsterdam had responded positively to the idea, providing content and arranging interview slots and new presentations.
True Blue Solutions
Many of the companies involved outlined their development of new in-house practices and processes for more sustainable denim fabric production through the reduced use of water, chemicals and energy and it was no accident that Monforts customers dominated the Kingpins 2021 Most Sustainable Products (MSP) design collection.
While the organisers stressed the MSP was not a competition, merely a showcase of the latest sustainable denims, it featured fabrics from Aristic Milliners, Bossa, Calik, Kilim, Naveena, Orta Anadolu, Prosperity Textile and Vicunha.
Many companies are now using their existing Monforts technologies within integrated finishing mills to develop new in-house processes and further improve their ecological performance.
Artistic Milliners, for example, working with chemicals leader DyStar, has introduced Crystal Clear, an indigo dyeing process which is based on an organic fixing agent. It requires no salt and 70-percent less chemicals and produces clean and recyclable water effluent without any salt by-products. In conventional systems, the company says that indigo dyestuff is stored after the dyeing process and only about 20 percent can be reused due to salt formation. Crystal Clear uses a prereduced liquid indigo that requires no additional water or salt and allows complete indigo recovery.
Hong-Kong-based Advance Denim has developed a similar process it calls Green Finishing for removing indigo and the 100-percent recycling of water.
With the D-clear process developed by Calik of Turkey, water is reduced by 40 percent in indigo dyeing and by 83 percent in the subsequent finishing, while another Turkish company, Kilim, is looking to reduce water by 93 percent as a result of its current Cactus project.
Circularity
Monforts denim customers are also constantly exploring the possibilities of new and more sustainable raw materials and the latest to be featured prominently is hemp, as exemplified by Cone Denim’s new Sweet Leaf collection.
Cone Denim has also been working extensively on the Jeans Redesign project drawn up by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) with the aim of making circular production a reality. The project has involved a number of leading brands including Adidas, Burberry, C&A, Gap, H&M, M&S, Primark and Unilever.
Via this project, Cone has already produced a 100-percent cellulosic denim collection for Gap, although as a result of the coronavirus, its launch date has had to be pushed back to Spring 2021.
“The collaborative spirit from our brand partners is very encouraging, and we are excited by the energy and commitment within the denim community and believe there are many more opportunities to drive sustainable collaborations ahead,” said Cone president Steve Maggard.
Current outlook
Pursuing similar circularity goals is Soorty, which has already achieved Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Gold certification for both denim fabrics and garments produced to the most exacting standards.
In an interview on the current situation during Kingpins24, company director Asad Soorty said that with manufacturing plants in Bangladesh and Pakistan, a product development centre in Çorlu, Turkey, and a design house in Amsterdam, the immediate future for his company looked very uncertain, yet he remained optimistic.
“We have seen many cancellations and postponements of orders, but as a fully vertically integrated manufacturer we are not in a position to stop payments because we purchased cotton and other raw materials for many months ahead,” he said. “As a result, we have a lot of stuck capital and anticipate that when we are able to resume production, we will only be at 10 to 20 percent of capacity.
“However, I believe this industry can unite and understand the problems of everyone in the supply chain. In the next 18 months we will see very price-conscious consumers who are more cognisant of the environment, because we’ve seen the world tipped on its head. As a result, I believe our initiatives such as Cradle to Cradle and full transparency, combined with good prices and short lead times will prove even more valuable to the brands.”
Optimism
Kingpins24 was a meticulously scheduled international program, planned in just 30 days, with no real template. However improvised and rushed it may have been in the build-up to it, the show ran over Zoom for the full two days with virtually zero technical issues and attracting thousands of online attendees to dip in and out of it from around the world.
The mood of the entire two-day virtual event was upbeat and optimistic, as best summarised by Menno van Meurs, founder and CEO of highly successful Amsterdam denim store Tenue de Nîmes:
“Sometimes difficult roads bring you to beautiful places and we’re seeing so much creative energy and new ideas being exchanged right now,” he said. “I believe that, despite the tragedy, what is happening will bring us to a place that’s better than the one we left behind.”
SINGAPORE — April 29, 2020 — Huntsman Textile Effects and Phong Phu International (PPJ) today announced a strategic partnership agreement that aims to promote PPJ’s growth in Vietnam as a leading manufacturer of sustainable, high-performance textiles and garments for many of the world’s leading brands and retailers.
Vietnam-based PPJ will leverage best-in-class technical support from Huntsman Textile Effects to enhance its manufacturing processes across its denim/twill and knit mills, and develop new products that deliver optimal sustainability along with advanced performance, protection and comfort.
The development of workwear and value-added textile for the American, European and Japan markets, such as innovative textiles with functional finishes will be a key project for the two partners. They will use advanced Huntsman Textile Effects barrier solutions such as PHOBOL®, PHOBOTEX® and ZELAN™, along with other finishing effects.
Huntsman Textile Effects will additionally support PPJ to promote its Sinnika Fabric collection, leveraging Huntsman’s advanced dyeing technology and finishing effects to deliver high-value market-focused solutions to brands and retailers.
Dr. Dang Vu Hung, chairman and CEO of PPJ, said: “PPJ was among the first in Vietnam to move away from traditional contract manufacturing and offer innovative designs, green solutions and a vertically integrated supply chain as a one-stop solutions provider. With Huntsman Textile Effects as our technology partner, we look forward to continuing to enhance our capabilities as the preferred supplier to global brands that believe in quality and sustainability.”
The new agreement strengthens a longstanding relationship that has already seen PPJ develop innovative denim, knitwear and woven fabrics and garments using Huntsman Textile Effects technologies including AVITERA® SE dyes, NOVACRON® Atlantic dyes and High IQ® intelligent effects.
“The textile sector is Vietnam’s largest export earner, and PPJ is one of its most impressive success stories,” said Chuck Hirsch, vice president of Commercial, Huntsman Textile Effects. “By focusing on innovation and being open to new technology and ideas, PPJ has moved up the value chain and showed others how to succeed on the global stage. We are pleased to continue to support PPJ and help strengthen Vietnam’s reputation for high-quality textile production.”
Huntsman Textile Effects has long been an active supporter of Vietnam’s textile sector. It holds regular seminars and workshops in Vietnam and collaborates with textile mills and apparel manufacturers to help them adopt new technologies and processes that conserve resources, reduce waste and improve productivity.
