DOMOTEX USA Celebrates Second Successful Edition In Atlanta

CHICAGO — February 17, 2020 — Following three days of highly-targeted, business-oriented educational sessions and displays from unique floor covering companies, the second annual DOMOTEX USA closed on Friday, February 7. A total of 101 flooring and floor covering technology suppliers from more than 12 countries unveiled their latest products across 39,800 square feet of exhibition space. From top U.S.-based floor covering manufacturers to new international exhibitors and installation technology providers, the innovations that were on display at DOMOTEX USA will inspire the flooring industry in 2020 and well beyond.

“We broadened our partnerships with key floor covering and design industry associations to triple our educational offerings and to launch accredited continuing education sessions at this year’s event,” said Larry Turner, president and CEO of Hannover Fairs USA (HFUSA), the organizer of the event. “Though we faced some global challenges around this second iteration of our show, we are committed to DOMOTEX USA’s success. Over the next two months, HFUSA will conduct market research and will survey our target audiences to reshape and improve the show for 2021,” he added.
DOMOTEX USA 2021 will take place at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta from March 1-3.

Keynotes at DOMOTEX USA

Alan Beaulieu, international economic analyst and president of the Institute for Trend Research, kicked off the show’s education program on Wednesday, Feb. 5 with an in-depth look at economic indicators. His keynote speech highlighted the residential industry forecast to outline what the flooring industry can expect in 2020 and beyond. He also advised the audience to think enthusiastically about future plans for prosperity in anticipation of the projected upswing in the economy.

Prior to the show opening on Thursday, February 6, brand leadership expert, Denise Lee Yohn, gave a rousing keynote free to all attendees about how floor covering experts can develop a brand experience that really connects with their customers. “I wanted the audience to understand how to run their businesses differently to attract more profitable and more loyal customers. My goal was to help each professional embrace a more targeted and focused approach to developing a great brand and customer experience,” said Yohn.

Immediately following Yohn’s presentation, Kemp Harr, publisher and owner of Floor Focus magazine, moderated the show’s popular state-of-the-industry panel on the DOMOTEX USA Plaza stage located at the center of the show floor. Distinguished industry experts Piet Dossche, president of USFloors, Neil Poland, president of Mullican Flooring, and Bruce Zwicker, floor covering distributor consultant, offered an optimistic outlook for floor covering product sales in 2020.

On the final day of the show, featured speaker James Dion, founder and president of Dionco Inc., shared his expertise on consumer trends, retail technology, selling and service, retail merchandising and operations, as well as best practices for sustainable retail and store management.

Educational Offerings Triple in 2020

HFUSA strategically increased DOMOTEX USA’s educational offerings to address industry challenges in 2020. The program featured more than 50 speakers, offered CEU and CCU credits, and included more tracks to educate and inspire interior designers, flooring retailers, installers, builders, contractors and remodelers.

“I came to DOMOTEX USA because of one main reason: the education,” said Jermie Roberts, co-owner of Custom Floors Design, Inc. “The show offers a lot of opportunities to learn about the industry. What makes DOMOTEX USA unique is the ability to network with other industry partners. You have the ability to meet others from all over the world; in fact, I met people from India and China. I looked forward to seeing new products and to seeing what we can use and what we can bring home.”

Through its partnership with the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA), DOMOTEX USA offered continuing education sessions to help installers to learn how to address common issues that impact solid wood and engineered wood flooring. NWFA sessions also focused on how to operate a successful hardwood flooring business and explored issues related to both site-finished and factory finished wood flooring. “All NWFA accredited sessions were well-attended with highly engaged audience participation,” said Michael Martin, president and CEO of NWFA. “We applaud DOMOTEX USA for offering an excellent platform for technical discussions and skills building,” he added.

The show’s new partnership with the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) featured ASID CEU-approved sessions that connected products to the design process. DOMOTEX USA brought together top ASID members and interior design professionals, authors, speakers and educators to explore six hot design topics: organizational skills; authentic style; relationship building; living models to accommodate the aging culture; the inclusion of nature into design; and the impact of materials on human health in interior spaces.

The popular Emily Morrow Finkell design panel and luncheon returned in 2020 with a larger line-up of top interior design professionals. Finkell, the CEO of Emily Morrow Home , led a lively discussion about how to listen to the customer and turn floor covering trends into design realities for their homes.

“DOMOTEX USA is a really well organized, beautiful trade show and a wonderful platform for interior designers to connect with each other, retailers and the brands on display,” said Finkell. “All of the designers on our panel and in the audience were excited to walk the show to see and feel the many new flooring products on display this year.”

For 2020, DOMOTEX USA featured new retailer educational sessions to maximize the in-store experience. “As we look ahead, it is important to have enthusiasm versus fear about what the brick and mortar showroom experience can offer floor covering consumers,” said speaker Nicole Leinbach Reyhle, founder and publisher of RetailMinded.com. Reyhle’s sessions explored how flooring retailers can gain clarity for their store positioning utilizing select online and in-store marketing and operational initiatives.

Other retailer-focused sessions covered a broad range of topics, including how to compete more effectively to keep customers; staff recruiting, training and retention best practices; how to attract and keep the best installers; improving digital marketing strategies; and how to sell more flooring in 2020.

The well-attended builder/contractor/remodeler session, “Solutions to the Labor Crisis & Keys to Reliable Labor: Recruiting, Training and Retaining,” led by Daniel Hicks, INSTALL’s southeastern carpenters regional council representative, provided solutions to recruiting, training and retaining a reliable labor force.

Returning Manufacturers Launch New Products at DOMOTEX USA

Leading American manufacturers such as Anderson Tuftex and COREtec (both divisions of Shaw Industries ), The Dixie Group , and Mullican Flooring returned in 2020 to display their latest soft and hard flooring designs.

Milliken & Company exhibited both years and in 2020 the company unveiled its latest broadloom products, new luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) and carpet tile products.

Vancouver-based XL Flooring , a distributor of luxury vinyl tiles and planks, returned to DOMOTEX USA in 2020 to educate attendees on the value proposition of its products and to expand its sales in the U.S. “Our participation at DOMOTEX USA last year was an eye-opener for us,” said Paul Riches, President of XL Flooring. “We developed some very strong national retail and distribution contacts in 2019 and have built on that success this year. We have just introduced a selection of unique rigid core products to compliment the quality of our LVT lines, spending approximately 75 percent of our marketing dollars attending trade shows. The face-to-face selling at DOMOTEX USA is crucial to raising awareness and growing sales of XL Flooring products in North America,” he added.

Loba-Wakol , suppliers for adhesives and finishes within the wood and resilient flooring industry, again launched its latest innovations at DOMOTEX in Hannover this January. The U.S. division of Loba-Wakol showcased products at the inaugural U.S. show and came back to display in the 2020 show in Atlanta.

The latest innovations in application and installation technologies were also on display at this year’s show as well as at the launch in 2019.

New Exhibitors at DOMOTEX USA

“Manufacturers from around the globe utilize our DOMOTEX portfolio of shows to introduce innovative flooring products to their target audiences,” said Sonia Wedell-Castellano, global director of the DOMOTEX brand at Deutsche Messe Group. “Even though the overall number of attendees at DOMOTEX USA 2020 did not reflect the measures and efforts undertaken by HFUSA, we are fully committed to the success of the show in 2021. We believe our North American show far exceeds other U.S. floor covering exhibitions across a number of areas,” she added.

Italian company Filomaestro , the creator of a unique, highly technical carpet fiber, showcased its new carpets at DOMOTEX USA for the first time in 2020. “We connected with a good number of quality attendees in our display during the show,” said Francesca Mulongwe, customer manager of Filomaestro. “Because our carpets are new to the U.S. market and quite unique, we garnered a lot of curiosity during the show and are happy that we signed up for DOMOTEX USA in 2020,” she added.

North Carolina State University’s Department of Forest Biomaterials exhibited at DOMOTEX USA this year to expose its students to the floor covering industry and to promote its students and its science of floors program to the industry. “Our booth gained a lot of traffic from attendees and manufacturers interested in learning about our studies into the uniqueness of flooring materials,” said Guillermo Velarde, wood products technical services at NC State. “We also wanted to showcase how we are actively working with many of the floor covering industry associations to help them harness the results of NC State’s program.”

Netherlands-based I4F , a global leader in flooring IP and technologies, exhibited again at DOMOTEX Hannover and displayed its new technologies at DOMOTEX USA in 2020 for the first time. “I4F is focused on connecting with U.S. manufacturers and suppliers to raise awareness of our technology and to sign contracts with this target audience during the show,” said I4F’s CEO John Rietveldt. “The U.S.is a core market for our locking technology, surface finishing and digital printing technology. We plan to return to DOMOTEX USA next year as we are impressed with the quality of the floor covering manufactures and understand that the show is in development,” he added.

Posted February 17, 2020

Source: DOMOTEX USA

X-Rite And Pantone Announce Expanded Color And Appearance Seminar Series In North America

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — February 17, 2020 — X-Rite Inc. and its subsidiary Pantone LLC today announced its 2020 Fundamentals of Color and Appearance Training Seminar with 11 locations throughout North America. This popular two-day seminar is ideal for color specifiers, quality control professionals, lab technicians and anyone in manufacturing that evaluates or approves color. New this year are dedicated training sessions specifically designed for print and packaging professionals interested in measurement-based process control.

“Achieving color accuracy within a production process and across a complex supply chain begins with a foundation in color and appearance theory,” said Mike Soriano, Director of Global Services X-Rite and Pantone. “Whether you are new to color or looking for industry specific information, we have a seminar that can help. Our team of application engineers brings a mix of practical information and technical expertise to help you streamline color communication, improve measurement accuracy, and produce consistent color.”

Trainings for Brands, Manufacturers and Suppliers:

The Fundamentals of Color and Appearance Training Series is presented by X-Rite and Pantone Color Experts and incorporates color management experience and best practices. Attendees can register for either the full two-day seminar or one of the individual sessions:

Fundamentals of Color and Appearance (FOCA) training provides foundational elements of color theory and appearance science including innovative ways to evaluate appearance characteristics like gloss and texture.

Fundamentals of Instrumentation and Quality Control (FIQC) is a hands-on workshop where attendees use X-Rite spectrophotometers, light booths, and software to create color standards, develop appropriate color tolerances, measure samples against target colors, and analyze the results.

The Fundamentals Series for manufacturers commences on February 19 in Nashville, Tenn. Other locations include Seattle; Indianapolis; Washington; Orlando, Fla.; Clemson, S.C.; Columbus, Ohio; New York City; Schaumburg, Ill.; Irvine, Calif.; and Grand Rapids, Mich.

NEW Training for Print and Packaging

The new Fundamentals of Print and Packaging Series is for anyone in a print environment that wants to learn how to shorten make-ready time, lower consumable costs and increase ROI with color management equipment. Attendees can register for either the two-day seminar or one of the individual sessions:

Going Beyond Density is designed to help print and packaging professionals achieve optimal process control on offset press by going beyond the density of solid inks to measuring spectral data.

Print Process Control is a hands-on workshop that reviews the print process and examines how to use the latest spectrophotometers and software for process improvements. Attendees gain an understanding of process control best practices, the key concepts of the G7 methodology, and spot color management from Pantone.

The Fundamentals of Print and Packaging Series commences on April 15 in Clemson, S.C. Other locations include Columbus, Ohio, and Grand Rapids, Mich.

Registration and a full list of dates and locations can be found at https://www.xrite.com/learning-color-education/training

Posted February 17, 2020

Source: X-Rite Inc.

JEC World 2020 Exhibitor Preview: Sicomin

MARSEILLES, France — February 17, 2020 — Sicomin continues to assert itself as the leading formulator and supplier of high-performance, bio-based epoxy resin systems with the launch of new bio-resins at JEC World 2020, Hall 6, Booth 43. The group will unveil a variety of products that are each available in industrial quantities for series production within Automotive, Wind Energy and Civil Engineering.

Bio Fire Retardant Epoxy Gelcoat for Wind Energy and Infrastructure

Sicomin will showcase SGi 128, an innovative intumescent epoxy gelcoat developed specifically for fire retardant coating applications for critical components found in the Wind Energy and Civil Engineering markets.

SGi 128 Gelcoat is produced with 38 percent of its carbon content derived from non-oil sources and is a halogen free gelcoat that provides outstanding fire protection for epoxy laminates and extremely low smoke toxicity. Available with both fast and slow hardeners, this easy to apply epoxy system forms a much tougher and waterproof part surface than traditional intumescent coatings.

Sicomin’s SGi 128 is available in industrial volumes with short lead times and has been successfully tested to EN 13501 (EUROCLASS B-S1-d0) and ASTM E84 (Class A).

NEW Bio Resin for HP-RTM processing for Automotive

Sicomin’s new bio-resin specifically formulated for HP-RTM processing, SR GreenPoxy® 28, is the sixth product in Sicomin’s renowned GreenPoxy range.

SR GreenPoxy 28 is a fast cycle, low toxicity, third generation bio-based formulation aimed specifically at the HP-RTM molding processes used for both high performance Automotive structural parts and aesthetic carbon fiber components. The new formulation has been optimized for fast production cycle times and superior mechanical performance and is a more sustainable alternative to traditional resins providing exceptional performance and quality for high volume programs.

GreenPoxy® InfuGreen 810 on display with the GREENBOATS Flax 27 Daysailer on the JEC Planets

With very low viscosity at room temperature, InfuGreen 810 has been formulated to support manufacturers seeking bio-based alternatives for producing parts using injection or infusion techniques. Produced with 38 percent plant-based carbon content, InfuGreen 810 holds the DNV GL certification, providing extra assurance of the product’s quality, efficiency and safety standards.

This high-performance epoxy infusion system is demonstrated at JEC World through the display of the GREENBOATS Flax 27 daysailer on the JEC Planets. Designed by renowned naval architects Judel/Vrolijk & Co, the FLAX 27’s hull, deck and internal structure were infused with Sicomin’s GreenPoxy InfuGreen 810 resin and flax fibre reinforcement fabrics.

Posted February 17, 2020

Source: Sicomin

JEC World 2020 Exhibitor Preview: Hexcel Corp.

STAMFORD, Conn. — February 17, 2020 — At JEC World 2020, Hexcel will display components and models from marine composite specialists Gunboat and a leading U.K. superyacht builder, as well as showcase a new low-temperature adhesive film.

Hexcel offers a comprehensive range of DNV GL approved multiaxial fabrics, woven reinforcements, and prepregs aimed at builders of high-performance racing yachts and luxury yachts. Hexcel materials are used for hull and deck structures and for masts and appendages on the most advanced composite marine structures, including racing yachts for the America’s Cup and IMOCA class.

Innovations on display include:

  • Hexcel’s HiMax™ Carbon Multiaxials and PrimeTex® Woven Carbon Fabrics for Gunboat 68. A scale model of this fast, technologically advanced and elegantly designed sailing catamaran will be on display, illustrating how HiMax reinforcements are used to infuse the hull and deck structures of this stunning series-built yacht. Hexcel supplies an optimized package of carbon fiber multiaxial fabrics with fiber weights, fabric architecture, and product width specifically tailored to Gunboat’s epoxy infusion build process. Hexcel PrimeTex fabrics are used as the outermost layer in the yacht’s construction with the patented fiber spreading process producing a flatter and more uniform surface finish.
  • New HexBond™ Low-Temperature Adhesive Film. HexBond 679 is a 250gsm epoxy adhesive film formulated to be fully compatible with the HexPly® M79 prepreg range. Fully cured in only four hours at 80˚C, this prepreg adhesive film system offers huge cycle time reductions, provides strong lap shear and peel strength performance, and delivers outstanding mechanical properties in foam and honeycomb sandwich structures.
  • HexPly M79 Prepregs for Short Cycle Times. HexPly M79 prepregs can be cured at 70˚C for eight hours or 80˚C for four hours, increasing build rates with reduced heating and cooling times. When combined with Hexcel’s innovative air venting grid technology, HexPly M79 UD carbon tapes can be laminated with reduced debulking steps to produce void contents <1%, irrespective of laminate thickness. With consistently low void contents and improved mechanical properties, naval architects and marine design engineers are now able to further optimize highly loaded composite structures.
  • HexPly XF2 Surfacing Prepreg and HexPly SuperFIT™ Prepregs. Hexcel will demonstrate the exceptional surface finish provided by HexPly XF2 surfacing prepreg as it exhibits a hardtop sun canopy section from a leading U.K. superyacht builder and a small-scale hull superstructure component.
  • HexPly XF2 is a highly drapable single ply prepreg surfacing solution. With a tacky surface for excellent adhesion in the mold and an integrated structural layer providing huge lay-up efficiencies, HexPly XF2 delivers a high-quality pinhole-free finish straight from the mold, reducing finishing and paint preparation time significantly.
  • The superstructure component on display also features carbon fiber HexPly SuperFIT prepregs (semi-pregs) providing structural strength below the carbon fiber XF2 surface layer.
  • Hexcel’s SuperFIT products are only partially impregnated with one dry face and one tacky face for easy positioning in the mold, holding each ply to the next. The air pathways in the dry fabric face facilitate the removal of air or volatiles from the laminate, minimizing voids without time consuming debulking steps. For marine applications, the use of HexPly M79 SuperFIT prepregs allow rapid cure cycles at low temperatures and are easy to process in conjunction with conventional HexPly M79 prepregs.
  • HexTow® HM54 Carbon Fiber – Hexcel’s carbon fibers provide leading strength and modulus in highly demanding applications. Following the legacy of dependable HexTow carbon fibers like IM2C, HM63, IM8 (which has been selected for solid carbon rigging for all teams in the 36th America’s Cup) and others used in marine applications, Hexcel has developed a new high modulus fiber, HexTow HM54. This new fiber offers a higher stiffness that is ideal for applications like masts and foils in the marine industry.

Hexcel’s marine innovations will be on display on the Hexcel booth at JEC World 2020, Hall 5, Booth J41.

Posted February 17, 2020

Source: Hexcel Corp.

INDEX™20 Highlights Best Of Nonwovens

Triennial nonwovens exhibition gathers nonwovens industry to explore, learn and network.

TW Special Report

Every three years, EDANA — the Belgium-based international association serving the nonwovens and related industries — hosts INDEX™, an exhibition with a unique nonwovens-only focus and highly vertical format. According to the organizer, the trade show “is the largest global meeting place for the nonwovens market,” offering insights, networking opportunities and the ability to explore the latest innovations the industry has to offer.

INDEX20 — the 13th edition of the show — will take place March 31-April 3, 2020, in the Palexpo convention center in Geneva, Switzerland. EDANA expects more than 12,700 visitors from 100-plus countries will attend to view the technologies and products on display from more than 660 exhibitors.

Sectors to be highlighted at INDEX include:

  • Filtration;
  • Geotextile & Civil Engineering;
  • Hygiene & Cleaning;
  • Medical: Infection Prevention;
  • Transportation; and
  • Packaging.

EDANA reports innovators, up-and-coming designers and thinkers will attend INDEX to participate in its schedule of conferences, seminars, tutorials, workshops and other special events. The INDEX schedule is designed to “provide numerous opportunities to learn about the diverse qualities of nonwovens, cutting-edge technical innovations and product developments,” all with enhancing business networks and gaining inspiration in mind.

New For 2020

The INDEX Innovation Lab is a special area that will be featured at INDEX for the first time. The lab area aims to “showcase innovation and R&D, enable the discovery of nonwovens applications and enhance the understanding of their potential,” according to organizers. Exhibits, poster presentations, seminars, tutorials and testing machines all will be showcased in the Innovation Lab. In addition, all recently announced nominees for the INDEX Awards will also be on display. The awards recognize “excellence in the nonwovens and related industries.”

Three nominees were selected from among the submissions by a peer jury in each of seven categories — nonwoven roll goods; finished products made from, or incorporating nonwovens; raw materials or components (e.g. fiber, binder, polymer, tape) of special relevance to the nonwovens industry and related converted products; Innovation in machinery of special relevance to the nonwovens industry; Achievement for the most original marketing campaign for a product made from, or incorporating nonwovens; Sustainable product; and Sustainable process or management practice. Products had to be commercially available as of January 31, 2020, to be considered. According to EDANA, the INDEX Awards “are the highest accolade for the best examples of excellence in the industry, highlighting creativity and innovations from businesses of all sizes, and from all parts of the nonwovens supply chain.”

The exhibition is open March 31-April 2 from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m., and on April 3 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to register online in advance to obtain a “print-at-home” ticket for rapid access to the exhibition.

For more information about INDEX20 including the seminar and other event details, please visit indexnonwovens.com

January/February 2020

Orders Picking Up

By Jim Phillips, Yarn Market Editor

As the post-holiday retail inventory adjustment comes to a close, spinners are once again reporting an increase in orders.

“It’s the same cycle every year — at least in good years,” said one
spinner. “We go full-out to meet holiday orders and then we have a lull in the fourth quarter and the beginning of the first quarter. Then, a few weeks into the first quarter, we start seeing business trickle in again. In not-so-good years, which, thankfully, we haven’t had in a while, it takes much longer for orders to come in.”

Added another spinner: “I would not say it’s booming, but it is definitely picking up across the board. Cottons, blends, home furnishings, they are all beginning to tick upward.”

One industry expert noted that the end of 2019 was different from many other years due to the flood of Chinese imports before the anticipated tariff hike in December. “The tariff increase didn’t happen, but U.S. retailers were eager to get as much low-cost inventory as possible for holiday sales,” she said.

As far as the outlook for 2020, spinners said they are cautiously optimistic. “At this point in time, we see no reason why we should not have a good year,” said one diverse spinner. “But you never know what could come along to derail that. An economic downturn,
turmoil in Washington, wars, weather … they all could affect how the year goes. But the past few years have been solid and, barring something unexpected, we expect the same for 2020.”

“Business is picking up rather early in the quarter, so that’s a good sign,” said another spinner. “We are hoping — and expecting — a good year.”

Consumer Confidence Remains High

If the Consumer Confidence Index® is any indication, spinners should be confident of a relatively good year. “Consumer confidence increased in January, following a moderate advance in December, driven primarily by a more positive assessment of the current job market and increased optimism about future job prospects,” said Lynn Franco, senior director, Economic Indicators, at The Conference Board. “Optimism about the labor market should continue to support confidence in the short-term and, as a result, consumers will continue driving growth and prevent the economy from slowing in early 2020.”

Consumers’ assessment of current conditions improved in January. Those claiming business conditions are “good” increased from 39.0 percent to 40.8 percent, while those claiming
business conditions are “bad” decreased, from11.0 percent to 10.4 percent. Consumers’ appraisal of the job market also improved. Those saying jobs are “plentiful” increased
from 46.5 percent to 49.0 percent, while those claiming jobs are “hard to get” declined, from 13.0 percent to 11.6 percent.

Consumers were also more optimistic about the short-term outlook. The percentage of
consumers expecting business conditions will improve over the next six months was virtually unchanged at 18.8 percent, while those expecting business conditions will worsen declined from 8.8 percent to 8.4 percent.

USMCA Faces One More Hurdle

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement has been ratified by both Mexico and the United States. President Donald Trump signed the agreement in late January. The only remaining hurdle is passage by Canada’s Parliament.

Legislators in Canada did not reconvene until late January, so passage is not expected until some in February at the earliest. And while passage seems assured, some back-and-forth is expected between opposition parties and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s liberal minority government. In particular, Canada’s aluminum industry claims it is not adequately protected under the new agreement.

Overall, however, most of Canada’s business community is enthusiastic about the new agreement. “Trade with the United States and Mexico supports thousands of businesses and millions of high-value jobs across Canada,” Goldy Hyder, president of the Business Council of Canada, told reporters. He asked member of Parliament to make USMCA ratification a top priority.

January/February 2020

Tyton BioServices Closes Series A Funding Round

Fashion recycling technology developer Tyton BioServices LLC, Danville, Va., reports it recently closed an $8 million Series A funding round, which it will use “to scale the solution and accelerate entry into the market.” Patagonia’s investment arm Tin Shed Ventures led the round. It was joined by Marubeni America, Card Sound Capital and Alante Capital. Tyton is the creator of proprietary technology solutions for recycling fashion manufacturing waste and end-of-life textiles so they can be put back into the economy.

The goal is to reduce the number of garments and amount of textile waste hitting the landfill or heading to an incinerator. “Tyton is solving fashion’s greatest business and environmental challenge by turning high-volume waste streams into valuable new products,” said Peter Majeranowski, Tyton CEO. “This $1.5 trillion a year industry is hungry for a recycling technology that works and delivers great economics — we can do that. Our investment partners recognize our ability to grow a successful business while also being responsible global citizens. We are delighted to have their support, expertise, and assistance to deploy our technology globally.

January/February 2020

Palmetto Pedic Invests $8.5 Million In Gaffney, S.C., Mattress Operation

Columbia, S.C.-based Palmetto Pedic has announced plans for a mattress manufacturing operation in Gaffney, S.C. The investment of $8.5 million is expected to create more than 60 jobsin Cherokee County, S.C. The facility — a joint venture between industry veterans from the United States and China — will produce memory foam, hybrid foam and coil mattresses; bed pillows; and mattress toppers. Processes include foam pouring; computerized cutting; injection molding; and all cutting, sewing and packaging of finished products.

A grant of $250,000 for building updates was provided by the Coordinating Council for Economic Development from the Rural Infrastructure Fund.

“Palmetto Pedic would like to thank the State of South Carolina for its business-friendly environment and its outstanding workforce,” said Palmetto Pedic President Jack Cobb. “We look forward to years of profitable growth together.”

January/February 2020

Nufabrx®, Founders Hemp Partner On Hemp Squeeze Compression Sleeve

Conover, N.C.-based Nufabrx® has partnered with Founder’s Hemp, Asheboro, N.C., to create a compression sleeve garment named Hemp Squeeze featuring CBD oil from Founder’s Hemp infused into the fibers of the Nufabrx yarn. Hemp Squeeze, which was under development for three years, will be launched nationally during the first quarter of 2020.

Founder and CEO of Founder’s Hemp Bob Crumley hopes linking hemp with textile applications will help remove the stigma surrounding hemp. “We want to get people thinking more about how hemp can be used to help grow other industries,” he said. “We’re taking a brand new industry — hemp — and taking an old industry — textile — and we’re using new technology to help rejuvenate textiles in North Carolina,” Crumley added.

“Nufabrx is extremely excited to partner with Founder’s Hemp to launch an entirely new category of CBD infused products,” said Jordan Schindler, Nufabrx founder. “Health wear is the next generation of clothing, with CBD and other actives built directly into the garment itself.

No longer does the consumer need to remember to take multiple pills, use messy creams or patches; Just get dressed.”

January/February 2020

NCTO Welcomes Senate Passage Of USMCA

The Washington-based National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) applauded the Senate’s recent passage of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The trade deal includes several provisions including stronger rules of origin for certain textile inputs, fixes the Kissell Amendment Buy American loophole, and increased U.S. customs enforcement with Mexico and Canada — the two largest export markets for the U.S. textile and apparel industry, according to recent trade data.

“We are pleased the Senate voted swiftly to approve USMCA — a trade deal that we expect to significantly bolster textile exports to Mexico and the Western Hemisphere,” said NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas.“USMCA is a win for the textile industry,” Glas continued. “The improvements it makes to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will only serve to generate more business for domestic producers and create more jobs and investment in the U.S. Our member companies, making some of the most advanced textiles in the world, have long supported USMCA and are eagerly awaiting implementation of the trade deal,” Glas added. “We urge quick implementation of USMCA and thank the administration and Congress for their hard work to get the deal across the finish line.”

January/February 2020

1...1,0911,0921,093...2,625Page 1,092 of 2,625

Sponsors

Breaking News

Load more

Digital Issue

2026 Quarterly Issue Number I

View Latest Digital Issue

FEATURED ARTICLES

© Copyright 2017 Textile Industries Media Group, LLC.