GreenMantra Technologies’ Dr. Benjamin Scott Receives Young Leader Award From Canadian Plastics Industry Association

BRANTFORD, Ontario — October 4, 2018 — Dr. Benjamin Scott was recognized by the Canadian Plastics Industry Association with its Young Leader Award at the annual CPIA awards program on October 3.

The Young Leader Award is designed to showcase someone who demonstrates leadership in plastics innovation, technical leadership and sustainability and serves as a positive role model for young professionals.

Scott, 37, has been instrumental in developing new catalysts and process technology that enable GreenMantra to convert recycled plastics into new polymers. He is the named inventor on three GreenMantra patents and is an integral part of the company’s research and engineering team that received the 2016 R&D100 Gold Award for Green Technology. Since joining GreenMantra in 2013, he has led research efforts into the conversion of various recycled plastics including polyethylene, polypropylene, and most recently, polystyrene into high value polymer products. In addition to his scientific work, Scott is active in the local community participating in science educational sessions at area schools and various charity events such as The Ride to Cure Cancer.

“We are happy for Ben to receive this important industry recognition that highlights his contributions to our company, our industry and our community,” said Jodie Morgan, CEO of GreenMantra. “Ben is an integral part of our team. He leads by example every day and is very deserving of this award.”

Posted October 4, 2018

Source: GreenMantra® Technologies

Gerber Technology Acquires Avametric, Deepens Investment To Provide End-To-End 3D Solution For Fashion Industry

TOLLAND, Conn. — October 4, 2018 — Gerber Technology announced today that it has acquired San Francisco based Avametric. Avametric develops cloth simulation technology and enables fashion brands to deliver highly accurate 3D renderings of their products on customizable avatars for e-commerce and augmented reality (AR) applications.

This move will position Gerber as the leader in 3D for the fashion and apparel industry. The acquisition follows 12 months of collaboration between the companies after Gerber announced in November 2017 they would be integrating Avametric’s fabric simulation engine into their AccuMark® 3D platform.

“Avametric’s strengths and capabilities are the perfect complement to our fully integrated software portfolio. They have the industry’s best talent pool of scientists, designers and developers for 3D,” said Karsten Newbury, senior vice president and general manager of Software at Gerber Technology. “Our team and many of our customers have already recognized that Avametric has the best fabric simulation engine in the industry and now we are able to connect consumer-facing virtual try-on software with our AccuMark and YuniquePLM® platforms to deliver an end-to-end workflow. This allows our customers to provide their consumers personalized products “on demand”. The deal will also help us to continue to accelerate our 3D developments for our large user base globally – helping them to significantly increase speed and productivity of the creative and development process.”

Interest in 3D is growing with over 60 percent of global fashion and apparel companies planning to adopt 3D technology within the next three years according to a recent survey Gerber conducted with their global customer base. The interest is driven by a need for speed, efficiency and a personalized consumer experience. Technology has become a key competitive differentiator with rapidly fashion trends and consumer expectations.

“Consumers are looking to buy online, but they are still going into brick and mortar stores because they lack confidence in the fit they see virtually,” said Ari Bloom CEO, Avametric. “We believe a transformation is under way as consumers are adopting a virtual try-on experience that accurately portrays the fit they are looking for and our partnership with Gerber is helping us to bridge this confidence gap. Combined with the AccuMark suite and other Gerber products, we can now offer customers a personalized, on-demand shopping experience that significantly compresses the time to market. We are really excited about this opportunity to join an industry leader and make transformative changes.”

The Avametric announcement was made to industry leaders at Gerber’s 20th annual ideation tech conference. Transformation was the core topic as Gerber highlighted key trends in the fashion supply chain like the need to enable speed and personalization, driven by the digitalization of the fashion supply chain. Gerber also made other key announcements including:

  • The launch of a cloud-based subscription program in North America for AccuMark, the industry-leading pattern design, grading, marker making and production planning software.
  • The launch of YuniquePLM V8 cloud software, which includes a completely new and highly-intuitive user interface.
  • The launch of additional subscription options early in 2019 allowing users to bundle together Gerber’s software products as subscriptions (SaaS), making their solutions accessible and affordable for everyone, from start-up to full-scale global fashion and apparel brands.
  • A partnership with ExactFlat for non-apparel applications, integrating AccuMark which will allow a user to open any 3D model and convert 3D to 2D patterns which can be passed into and modified in AccuMark.

Posted October 4, 2018

Source: Gerber Technology

FactoryFour Creating Foundation For Industry 4.0 — New Funds, New Products

BALTIMORE, Md.— October 4, 2018 — FactoryFour, manufacturing management reinvented around a modern technology stack, today announces a $5 million Series A round to help more manufacturers manage production the way they want to, with full customizability. The round, led by August Capital with Refactor reinvesting after leading the seed round, will help add headcount, improve and broaden the product suite, and establish a West Coast foothold in Los Angeles.

“Manufacturers construct the foundation of our society, stimulating our economy and giving us the tools to go about our daily lives — but most have to do it without the modern tools to manage production the way they want to, stopping them from unlocking the full potential of their expertise,” said Param Shah, CEO and cofounder of FactoryFour. “We have a vision of our product serving as the foundation for companies transforming with Industry 4.0, helping to collect, integrate and make sense of the data gathered from sensors, IoT and other tech investments. This round helps us on that path.”

FactoryFour provides manufacturers with a real-time system of record for their work-in-process (WIP) — the unfinished goods which still require further work, processing, assembly and/or inspection. The cloud-based application lets customers completely customize workflows to their unique requirements, gather real-time data from the production floor, and integrate the various tools in their ecosystem to help enhance manufacturing efficiency. Manufacturers small and large — across industries — use FactoryFour to gain visibility into production, minimize lead time, and to make strong, data-driven decisions for their businesses.

Posted October 4, 2018

Source: FactoryFour

Pickler & Ben Chooses Tarkett SureSet™ Flooring For Season Two Studio Set

SOLON, Ohio — October 4, 2018 — Tarkett announced that its SureSet™ Luxury Vinyl Flooring will be featured throughout Season Two of popular TV series Pickler & Ben, which airs nationally in over 170 cities on various networks throughout the US.

Co-hosted by singer Kellie Pickler, and journalist Ben Aaron, the weekday talk show welcomes some of America’s top celebrities and tastemakers to offer their tips on entertaining, cooking, home decorating, gardening and beauty. The hour-long program, which was nominated for three Daytime Emmy Awards in 2017, also tells inspiring stories of everyday people who do extraordinary things.

Filmed on an expansive set that is styled after a modern farmhouse, production called on Tarkett to provide flooring recommendations that were not only beautiful, but functional. “This was a tall order, because the flooring not only had to look great, it had to provide flexible design options, and stand up to the daily abuse of camera dollies, pianos, huge marble set pieces, even roller bladers,” said John Heckman, Sr. Marketing Manager, Residential for Tarkett.

With 24 realistic wood and stone designs, Tarkett’s SureSet features a thin layer of pressure- sensitive adhesive applied to the sculpted wave design backing system, which makes direct contact with the subfloor. The channels on the backing are free of adhesive and allow air and moisture in the subfloor to breathe, while also absorbing sound. With two layers of fiberglass for dimensional stability and an adhesive backing, the product will remain in place, but it can also be repositioned when needed.

“Changing your floor can not only transform the room, but also your entire home. With SureSet technology, you can now change your floor about as easily as you change your mind,” added Heckman.

Tarkett SureSet flooring is available through hundreds of authorized retailers across the U.S. Between now and the end of 2018, consumers can take advantage of a mail-in rebate worth $250! See www.TarkettNA.com for complete details.

Posted October 4, 2018

Source: Tarkett North America

Project I & STOLL Launch Apparel Manufacturing Of The Future

NEW YORK CITY — October 4, 2018 — Project I, an apparel manufacturing group started by fashion executives Jon Lewis and John Elmuccio, announced its collaboration with world-renowned 3D knitting machinery enterprise, STOLL, during the STOLL Symposium this Thursday in New York City.

“We’re partnering to create the apparel manufacturing and supply chain facility of the future,” Elmuccio said. “The collaboration with Stoll will strengthen America’s fashion market, restore apparel production jobs using the latest technology, and revitalize the fully-fashioned knit sector.”

Between this new founded collaboration with Project I and the kick-off of the company’s 145th anniversary, Stoll consistently proves to be the driving force within the knitting industry. Project I and Stoll’s advanced apparel manufacturing facility results in the largest single order of Stoll’s latest 3D knitting machinery and software solutions within the United States. This impactful collaboration will bring a revolutionary output of jobs and help position the US as a key player of the apparel manufacturing and supply chain market.

“The apparel, fashion, and luxury markets are ripe for disruption and resurgence in the U.S.,” Lewis said. “By shortening the supply chain and locating production in the U.S., fashion brands and retailers will be able to keep pace with emerging trends and react to — not just anticipate — customer demand.”

The installation of these 300 high-tech flatbed knitting machines will happen throughout the next three years. Stoll will install the latest generation of ADF machines, which feature yarn carriers that are independent of the carriage and can move horizontally and vertically, and the latest CMS 830 C&S Knit & Wear (seamless knitting) machines. Stoll will provide programming, training, manufacturing and on-site production support while guiding new and existing customers alike to Project I.

“We have been working with Project I for over two years to turn this groundbreaking vision into a reality,” said Stephan Robertson, CEO North American Operations. “At Stoll, we take great pride in reinventing ourselves as a high-quality OEM with the latest technology on the market. We have seen Fashion & Technology flourish on a mass global scale, but we needed a new competitive edge in the North American market. With Project I, we are finally able to make the United States a destination for advanced manufacturing and production.”

Project I’s new venture will incorporate a burgeoning, eco-friendly workspace anchored in cutting edge technology that will provide meaningful and sustainable manufacturing jobs. Production is anticipated to begin end of 2019 at a brand new US-based facility — soon to be announced.

Posted October 4, 2018

Source: H. Stoll AG & Co. KG

Aurora Specialty Textiles Group Opens West Coast Fulfillment Center And Warehouse To Meet Growing Demand

YORKVILLE, Ill. — October 4, 2018 — Aurora Specialty Textiles Group Inc., has opened a new regional Fulfillment Center in Santa Fe Springs, Calif., in Los Angeles County, to meet growing demand for Aurora’s extensive family of printable textiles. The new regional warehouse and Fulfillment Center has also been opened to meet growing demand for same day and next day delivery to the company’s West Coast customers.

The California Fulfillment Center is stocked with a broad range of printable fabrics in both 60 inch (~1.3 meter) and 122-126 inch (~3.2 meter) widths. The canvases available here have been engineered to optimize print performance on today’s latest wide format digital printers utilizing UV, Latex, Solvent and Dye Sublimation ink technologies. Inventory includes Aurora’s popular Expressions line of printable canvases, which is now available as a full line in five different finishes, three different Oxford weaves and in poly-cotton blends as well as 100% cotton and 100% polyester.

“This is a big step for us and for our West Coast customers,” said Adam Wood, Aurora’s Western Region manager. “Many have been asking for next-day delivery on orders. They’ll have an idea and want to begin executing it right away, and Aurora’s new Los Angeles warehouse and shipping center supports them and our commitment to providing  exceptional customer service.”

The West Coast Fulfillment Center underscores the advantages of working with a North American manufacturer offering domestically-produced printable textiles. Rather than having to wait days or weeks for shipments, Aurora can fulfill orders for most products within a matter of hours. Aurora also has a regional Fulfillment Center in Yorkville, Ill.

The West Coast Fulfillment Center also represents another step in Aurora’s “Investing in American Manufacturing” initiative. Three years ago, Aurora opened a new North American manufacturing plant, complete with state-of-the-art, world-class technology to help our customers keep pace with the dynamic, quickly-evolving markets we saw opening in the US and abroad. The Fulfillment Center takes that commitment further by bringing textiles available through a US manufacturer closer to the customers that have grown to rely on Aurora for printable textiles engineered for top performance.

Posted October 4, 2018

Source: Aurora Specialty Textiles Group

Fueled By New Brands, American Textile Co. Opens Sixth Domestic Distribution Center, Adds E-Commerce Leadership

DUQUESNE, Pa. — September 24, 2018 — Pittsburgh-based bedding manufacturer American Textile Co. today announced key moves to support its continued growth, including a new distribution center near its Pittsburgh-area headquarters. The 98,000 square-foot facility in McKeesport is strategically located to serve customers throughout the northeast. The company has also appointed Traci Hayes as vice president of its e-commerce business to drive new initiatives in the high growth segment.

These efforts come on the heels of the company’s addition of innovative sleep brands Sealy® and Tempur-Pedic® to its portfolio, and two years of rapid increases in its e-commerce sales. The McKeesport facility marks American Textile Co.’s sixth domestic distribution facility and will increase its capacity by more than 50 percent in the region. The textile maker expects to bring more than 75 jobs to the region over the next five years.

“Conversations around sleep are more prevalent today than ever before and the category continues to grow,” said Lance Ruttenberg, American Textile Co. president and CEO. “Consumers are looking for new ways to foster a good night’s rest and our products help them achieve it. Our e-commerce business is thriving from the increased demand and we’re expanding to meet those needs.”

Recent hire Traci Hayes brings more than 20 years of e-commerce experience to American Textile Co., where she oversees all online sales and marketing efforts. Prior to this role, Hayes spent more than six years leading the e-commerce business for DICK’s Sporting Goods. She holds a Master of Business Administration degree and a Bachelor of Computer Information Systems and Management degree from Robert Morris University.

American Textile Company’s full range of bedding products from AllerEase®, Sealy®, Tempur-Pedic® and more will be on display at the New York Home Fashions Market in New York City, September 24-27, 2018.

Posted October 4, 2018

Source: American Textile Co.

VF Corporation Enters Into Definitive Agreement To Sell The Reef® Brand To The Rockport Group

GREENSBORO, N.C. — October 4, 2018 — VF Corp. today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell the Reef® brand to The Rockport Group (Rockport) of Newton, Mass. A maker of casual and dress shoes, Rockport is a portfolio company of Charlesbank Capital Partners, LLC (Charlesbank), a middle-market private equity firm.

Commenting on the agreement, VF’s Chairman, President and CEO Steve Rendle said: “Reshaping VF’s brand portfolio to deliver sustainable, long-term growth and superior returns to shareholders remains our top priority. Today’s announcement is another step toward delivering on the commitments outlined in our multi-year business strategy. We are pleased to have reached this agreement with Rockport. The Reef brand is an iconic, beach lifestyle brand, and Rockport is well-positioned to guide its next phase of growth.”

Charlesbank recently acquired Rockport, bringing in industry veteran Gregg Ribatt to head the established footwear company. Ribatt said: “Reef is a powerful brand with deep authenticity and an incredibly loyal customer base. We are excited to work with the strong leadership team that has been guiding Reef through its brand evolution and resurgence. We believe in the team’s growth plans across consumer, product and geographic expansion.”

Reef will operate as an independent global brand under The Rockport Group, and will maintain its Carlsbad, Calif., headquarters.

The transaction, which is expected to close in October 2018, is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals for a closing to occur. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

PJ SOLOMON is serving as exclusive financial advisor to VF on the transaction. Davis Polk and Wardwell LLP is acting as legal advisor.

Posted October 4, 2018

Source: VF Corporation

GUESS Jeans U.S.A Division Launches Fall ’18 Collection

LOS ANGELES — October 4, 2018 — This fall, GUESS Jeans U.S.A. digs deep into the archives and loads up on woodland inspired pieces and original 90’s graphics for a collection that launches in-store October 12th, 2018 at JUICE LA for a week-long pop-up experience and online at GUESSJEANS.com on October 15th, 2018. The campaign, shot by Rays Corrupted Mind and styled by Aleali May, features Cactus Jack break-out rapper, Sheck Wes, as the lead in the campaign.

The collection features silhouettes referenced from the early 90s that have been updated with rustic corduroy, moleskin and canvas materials and features original GUESS scouting locations such as Utah and Colorado in mind.

A prequel to the main launch was introduced through the unique capsule designed by DRx LOVE which includes one-of-a-kind pieces remixed with textiles from GUESS Jeans U.S.A. Fall 2018 collection. LA based luxury boutique, Maxfield, exclusively launched the capsule on September 25th, 2018 to celebrate 10 years of joining forces under the project DRx LOVE with DRx Romanelli and Tetsuzo Okubo, founder of ‘A Love Movement’.

Nicolai Marciano, Director of Brand Partnerships for GUESS Jeans U.S.A., a division of GUESS?, Inc. which was co-founded by Paul and Maurice Marciano in 1981, spearheaded the regeneration of these GUESS Jeans U.S.A. capsules. Nicolai Marciano said, “Going through the archives to get inspiration for Fall was nostalgic for me. The graphics referenced Deer Valley and Aspen and I could immediately make the connection from the family trips in the 90’s to the themes of the artwork. This became the centerpiece of the creative direction for Fall ‘18”. The Fall ‘18 collection and DRx LOVE collaboration brings new energy and life to traditional pieces from the GUESS archives.

Posted October 4, 2018

Source: GUESS?, Inc.

Applied DNA Appoints Industry Veteran Wayne Buchen Vice President of Strategic Sales For Textile Vertical

STONY BROOK N.Y. — October 4, 2018 — Applied DNA Sciences Inc. today announced that it has appointed Wayne Buchen vice president of Strategic Sales, effective immediately, to lead the company’s global textile Strategic Sales efforts. With over 20 years of sales, sourcing and operations experience with established international brands, Buchen will drive the development and execution of sales strategies to expand Applied DNA’s presence across global textile markets.

Buchen most recently served as senior vice president of Global Sourcing and Operations for Lacoste in Hong Kong and senior vice president of Global Sourcing in New York. He previously held leadership positions at Under Armor, Li & Fung, VF Corp., Nautica and Liz Claiborne.

“Wayne’s deep experience with the needs of today’s brands makes him a great and timely fit for Applied DNA as we move to expand our penetration of the global textile market,” said Dr. James A. Hayward, president and CEO of Applied DNA. “His many years of supply chain operations and sourcing for leading apparel brands give him a unique perspective on how to position our CertainT platform for maximum effect for adoption by brands and textile manufacturers worldwide, as business imperatives centered on sustainability and the circular economy continue to be embraced by textile ecosystem participants.”

Buchen, together with MeiLin Wan, vice president of Textile Sales, will lead the company’s sales efforts in its textile vertical. Mr. Buchen will be responsible for the strategic sales direction, focusing on business development, key accounts, integrated value chain propositions and new customer relationships and partner development. He will also design and implement go-to-market strategies for new applications of Applied DNA’s CertainT platform in textiles.

Steve Birkhold, CEO of UL Brands and a veteran of brand creation said: “Wayne has consistently worked on innovative solutions to problem solve many issues throughout his career. This initiative has the opportunity to transform the fashion/textile industry. Wayne’s partnership will add tremendous value to the company.”

“Applied DNA is at a pivotal point where potential partners recognize that our molecular business solutions are critical components of the value chain. The applications for our advanced technology are diverse and I am energized to have Wayne enhancing and expanding our partnerships across the textiles industry,” said Wan.

Posted October 4, 2018

Source: Applied DNA Sciences Inc.

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