CHICAGO — September 16, 2019 — Hannover Fairs USA (HFUSA), the organizer of DOMOTEX USA, announced today that registration is open for the second annual DOMOTEX USA trade show. Attendees can register online now to attend the show’s exposition hall for free and buy discounted education passes through October 31. With an emphasis on the residential floor covering industry, DOMOTEX USA 2020 brings together flooring industry professionals, innovators and influential media to experience the leading U.S.-based and international flooring suppliers, manufacturers and technology providers. DOMOTEX USA 2020 exhibition hall is expected to exceed last year’s space by 30 percent. The trade show and education sessions will take place from February 5-7 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta; education will be available February 5-7, while the show floor will be open Februray 6-7.

To deliver the show’s opening keynote address on February 6, HFUSA has secured Denise Lee Yohn, a leading authority on building exceptional brands and great organizations. Yohn is the author of the bestselling book “What Great Brands Do: The Seven Brand-Building Principles That Separate the Best from the Rest” and the new book “FUSION: How Integrating Brand and Culture Powers the World’s Greatest Companies”. She brings to the stage more than twenty-five years of working with world-class brands such as Sony, Oakley and Frito-Lay. Following Yohn’s keynote, attendees will have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with her, and can discuss their brand building needs with her and other attendees when Yohn facilitates the show’s new Discussion Hub. Yohn’s keynote is free to all DOMOTEX USA 2020 registrants.

“Yohn brings a fresh perspective to building exceptional brands and will inspire DOMOTEX USA 2020 attendees to create their own exceptional brands that form stronger bonds with their flooring customers,” said Donna Busse, show director of DOMOTEX USA at HFUSA. “We encourage all flooring professionals interested in attending DOMOTEX USA 2020 and hearing Yohn’s keynote to register today,” added Busse.

With more than three times the educational track offerings than last year’s show, DOMOTEX USA 2020 will feature continuing education accreditation tracks and world-class speakers in addition to the launch of the DOMOTEX USA Discussion Hub to foster peer-to-peer learning.

On February 5, featured speaker Alan Beaulieu, international economic analyst and president of the Institute for Trend Research, as well as contributing editor for Industry Week and senior economic advisor to the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, will discuss how attendees can capitalize on market opportunities and improve prosperity both in the near and long-term. Beaulieu brings to the stage unparalleled economic research and forecasting expertise, and more than 20-years of experience consulting and advising companies throughout the U.S., Europe and Japan on how to thrive through the business cycle. He has co-authored the book “Make Your Move: Change the Way You Look At Your Business and Increase Your Bottom Line” and has written a number of articles assessing the economy’s future.

On February 7, featured speaker James Dion, founder and president of Dionco Inc. of Chicago, an internationally known consultant, regular speaker for the National Retail Federation (NRF), trainer and author, will share his expertise on consumer trends, retail technology, selling & service, retail merchandising & operations, as well as best practices for sustainable retail and store management. Dion has authored the definitive retail selling manual titled “Retail Selling Ain’t Brain Surgery, It’s Twice As Hard” and has co-authored “Start and Run a Retail Business” and “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Starting and Running a Retail Store”.

All education tracks are accessible to registered attendees via a one-day education pass for $69 until Oct. 31 or via an all-access education pass for $99 until Oct. 31.

“We look forward to hosting our global exhibitors, attendees and this year’s outstanding lineup of speakers at DOMOTEX USA 2020 – America’s stage for floor covering innovation,” said Busse.

Posted September 16, 2019

Source: Hannover Fairs USA (HFUSA)

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — September 13, 2019 — EQ v IQ: is one better than the other? Emotional Intelligence, or EQ, is often referred to as “the other kind of smart.” EQ, the ability to identify and manage not only your own emotions, but those of others, can be increased, resulting in tangible, lasting professional and personal growth. Marketing and sales professionals working in the linen, uniform and facility services industry have a chance to separate themselves from the rest of the pack by gaining first-hand knowledge of EQ and strategies by which you can increase it through Executive Coach Joel Landi’s Dec. 4 keynote presentation at the TRSA 2nd Annual Marketing and Sales Summit, December 4-5 at the Embassy Suites Tampa USF/near Busch Gardens in Tampa.

Landi, a physiologist, certified Executive Coach and founder of The Performance Group, has more than 25 years’ experience speaking, coaching and mentoring top executives, professional athletes and leaders in a variety of industries. Landi will review the five points of EQ, help attendees create a personal EQ “dashboard” and more during his keynote address: Emotional Intelligence: The Secret Sauce of Intuition, Influence and Income.

And there’s more! These Summit general sessions will benefit all attendees:

• A facilitated “Great Ideas” story swap;
• Sales, Marketing and the Digital World;
• Strategic Partnership: Serving Your Customer’s Customer; and
• Laundry Operator Panel on the State of the Markets: F&B, Healthcare, Hospitality and Industrial.

Breakout sessions include topics for the Marketing track such as The Importance of Marketing Environment Sustainability and Practical Applications in Marketing, and the Sales track will explore Motivating and Retaining a Productive Sales Team and Processing Innovation: Developing Internal SOPs to Align with New Products.

Opportunities to network with fellow attendees include a 5 pm reception on Wednesday, Dec. 4th and a closing event hosted at Busch Gardens, Tampa, from 5-8 pm on Thursday, Dec. 5th.

The TRSA 2nd Annual Marketing and Sales Summit is an outstanding investment to aid marketing and sales professionals with the reinforcement or building of new skills, but it can also be an excellent resource to reward and retain valued employees. Discover more, access early registration (through Oct. 25) and multi-attendee discounts at www.trsa.org/marketingsummit.

Posted September 13, 2019

Source: TRSA

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. — September 13, 2019 — The Crypton Companies — Crypton LLC & Nanotex LLC — providers of performance textile technologies in the contract, home furnishings, and apparel markets, announced they have entered into a formal agreement to acquire the operations of Abercrombie Textiles, a North Carolina-based textile mill. With a deep commitment to U.S. manufacturing and the preservation and advancement of the American textile industry, Crypton and Abercrombie share a long working relationship and a common customer base.

“This acquisition will create the perfect synergy out of a shared vision. Bringing together an American mill and an American textile innovator will not only preserve jobs but will also create growth and generate new opportunities for American-made textiles,” says Lance Keziah, CEO of Crypton LLC. “It will add a key vertical platform to our business that will help Crypton continue to grow and better serve the needs of our expanding customer base.” Crypton is immediately infusing capital into the company and has been working closely with all suppliers and customers to ensure a smooth transition.

“We are not simply acquiring a mill, we’re carrying on the work of an established, respected partner. We’re uniquely positioned to support the ongoing success of Abercrombie’s venerable customer base,” continues Keziah. Crypton will also be expanding Abercrombie into new markets with cutting-edge designs and product innovation. “Importantly,” adds Keziah, “all of this innovation and expansion means we’ll be positioned to create more jobs for American textile workers.”

Keziah will oversee the company and has tapped respected industry veteran, Ernest Benbassat, as the Executive Vice President of Operations. “We’ve worked with Ernest for several years. He is absolutely the right guy for the job as he embodies the passion and operational leadership to take Abercrombie to the next level,” says Keziah. Former Abercrombie owner John Regan will remain with the company providing continuity, knowledge and sales leadership. “We’re committed to upholding John’s principles for Abercrombie. We plan to continue and expand upon his work, using it as a foundation for innovation while improving the lives of our dedicated employees as we work to win more business,” says Keziah.

As a category leader and innovator of performance technologies for the contract and residential markets, with deep industry relationships and expanding distribution, Crypton is ideally suited to propel Abercrombie into new markets and strengthen its existing customer base. That said, their relationship is not new. Since its inception, Crypton has been committed to supporting American mills. Abercrombie has been working with Crypton for 17 years as a licensed mill partner.

Under Crypton, Abercrombie Textiles will continue to manufacture dobby and jacquard fabrics for a variety of applications, including upholstery, bedding, wallcovering, cubicles and drapery for commercial, residential and transportation end markets. Crypton looks forward to unveiling a new residential collection at the November 2019 Showtime Market that will include a mix of solids, textures and jacquards.

Posted September 13, 2019

Source: Crypton

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — September 12, 2019 — Today, Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) and Gas Technology Institute (GTI) announced they have successfully demonstrated a new industrial drying technology that uses far less energy, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and saves money. The new technology can be used for drying or heat processing across a broad spectrum of industrial, agricultural and commercial applications—including drying livestock feed, textiles and pharmaceutical ingredients.

Compared to existing industrial dryers, the new technology uses 61- to 65-percent less natural gas, at least 40-percent less electricity, and recovers a substantial amount of water, all while drying up to eleven tons of wet material per hour. Utilization Technology Development (UTD) co-sponsored the project along with SoCalGas, and project funding for developing this innovative process was awarded by the California Energy Commission.

“SoCalGas is pleased to support the development of this natural gas drying system, which produces very low emissions and offers significant energy savings,” said Yuri Freedman, senior director of business development at SoCalGas. “This is yet another example of quickly evolving natural gas technology that benefits many industries and businesses while positively impacting the environment.”

The new technology was demonstrated at Martin Feed LLC, an industrial food processing site based in Corona, Calif. The site collects waste bakery material, such as dough, crackers and pastries, then dries and processes it to sell to dairy farms for feed. Prior to implementing this new natural gas drying system, processing the bakery waste was an extensive and time-consuming process of sun drying that was affected by climate conditions such as wind and rain especially during the fall and winter months.

This new technology uses natural gas to generate a vacuum and captures excess heat from the process to preheat the incoming material being dried. The combination of the heat and vacuum results in faster, more efficient drying. The material is loaded into a feeding hopper and supplied into the drying chamber where controlled heat is applied to the continuously moving product while a vacuum draws out the moisture, allowing the product to be dried to specified moisture requirements in a shorter time. The product can be dried over a wide range of temperatures and production rates providing reliable operation, better product quality, and improved energy efficiency. Once the product is dried, it exits the system and is stored in a loading area.

SoCalGas has been a leader in the research and development of new technologies that increase energy efficiency, reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and keeps bills affordable for customers. Between 2014 and 2018, SoCalGas energy efficiency programs delivered more than 180 million therms in energy savings, enough natural gas usage for 403,000 households a year, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 955,000 metric tons, the equivalent of removing more than 202,000 cars from the road annually. These advances have also helped save SoCalGas customers more than $198 million in utility bill costs. In 2018 alone, SoCalGas’ energy efficiency programs saved customers $57 million.

“This new drying system has been a gamechanger for our processing site. Not only does it save us copious amounts of time and money, but it’s better for the environment. We are very pleased with this new technology,” said Brian Hopkins, general Manager at Martin Feed, LLC.

“The Energy Commission works with researchers throughout the state and is proud to invest in innovative technologies to reduce greenhouse gas and other air pollutants while cutting energy use and costs,” said Michael Lozano, CEC senior mechanical engineer.

“This emerging gas-fired thermo-vacuum drying technology offers significant energy and water savings across the industrial sector and has the potential to impact a lot of drying positively, and perhaps one day, can be replicated for commercial use as well,” said Yaroslav Chudnovsky of GTI and principal investigator of the project.

Posted September 13, 2019

Source: Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas)