ZWOLLE, The Netherlands — December 4, 2018 — Royal Auping and DSM-Niaga developed a completely redesigned mattress. Every component of the new modular design can be separated easily and is fully recyclable for re-use in a new mattress. Mattresses are one of the main contributors to global landfill waste due to the complex combination of materials glued together. Royal Auping and DSM-Niaga have developed an alternative for mattress manufacturing, including local recycling, that also enables frequent maintenance for quality and hygiene purposes. The first mattresses will be placed at Landal GreenParks resorts before the end of the year.
An estimated 1,5 million mattresses are disposed every year in the Netherlands alone, 35 million in Europe and 20 million in the US. An increased focus on recycling by mattress manufacturers has grown the demand for reduced materials complexity and new ways to connect layers in a reversible manner.
It all started at Royal Auping more than a century ago with the quest for good sleep. With DSM-Niaga’s support, today’s innovative solution is found in modularity, healthy materials and the closed loop approach of the (re)production. The fully recyclable mattress excels in airflow and has a modular design that consists of six components: the ticking, comfort layer, pocket spring, felt floor, zippers and tape rush which are brought together by yarn and a reversible adhesive. All components can be easily replaced when comfort or hygiene demands, securing a good night’s sleep again and again. The unique collaboration of local production and partners, all within 100 kilometers (60 miles) of the Auping factory, facilitates local recycling without compromising on quality.
In the collaboration with DSM-Niaga, Royal Auping used its experience in manufacturing of high quality mattresses and now added circularity as a leading factor. Said Jan-Joost Bosman, CEO of Royal Auping: “Comfort and body support have been crucial for as long as Auping has existed. Over the years our focus shifted from the product to the actual service we provide to people every day: a good night sleep. This new focus introduced new design challenges as airflow through the mattress, replacement of end of life parts, and the impact of all elements on our sleep and long-term health.”
According to Kelly Hall, managing director of DSM-Niaga: “Conscious of the fact that most mattresses end up landfill or incinerated, we used all of DSM-Niaga’s materials science to meet Auping’s demands for quality and comfort, by using only materials that are known for no negative impact on our health, fully recyclable into new mattress components, and connected in a reversible way. We have been impressed by the dedication of the Auping team to find new ways of manufacturing, and we are truly impressed by Auping’s knowhow of the nightly hours we all recharge.”
VIDALIA, La. — December 4, 2018 — New North American textile maker Vidalia Denim, a division of Vidalia Mills Co., announced it has entered into a strategic relationship with The Lubrizol Corp. as a preferred supplier of stretch fibers in its denim fabrics. Both companies will work closely to maximize the performance and eco-friendly attributes of Lubrizol’s X4zol™-J elastomeric fiber in Vidalia’s production of denim fabrics.
In making the announcement, Dan Feibus, CEO of Vidalia Mills Co., explained: “The production of stretch fabrics holds such an important place in the denim industry today. Vidalia’s decision to work with Lubrizol as a preferred supplier of stretch fibers furthers our mission to build the most efficient and environmentally friendly denim mill in North America.”
Feibus elaborated: “Lubrizol provides us with an innovative state-of-the-art solution for sustainably produced, high-performance stretch fiber, and represents a key element in the evolution of great denim products and we are extremely excited to be working with Lubrizol on this project. Lubrizol is a global leader whose commitment to constant innovation and best practice sustainable manufacturing are a perfect fit for Vidalia.”
Rob Richardson, global business director for Performance Apparel at Lubrizol, underscored the benefits of the relationship with Vidalia, stating: “We at Lubrizol are truly excited about teaming up with Vidalia to incorporate our X4zol-J technology into their denim fabrics. While X4zol-J has already been adopted by many strategic global denim brands, we see this as an essential next step in helping advance the apparel industry’s sustainability agenda.”
Richardson continues, “Our collaboration with Vidalia will enable brands to work locally in North America to deliver high performance fabrics that consumers love, with even greater sustainability benefits. This alone takes miles and months out of the supply chain. Plus, the powerful combination of X4zol-J’s favorable material and recyclability profile, along with Vidalia’s sustainable manufacturing processes will help brands achieve lower scores using Higg Index tools available through the Sustainable Apparel Coalition.”
Vidalia Denim will also use e3 sustainable cotton exclusively in its operations, the first such operation in the world. Its cotton will be sourced from across the US farm belt from farmers enrolled in the e3 sustainable cotton program. Vidalia will offer its customers complete transparency of leading grower sustainability practices.
The iconic denim brand, Wrangler, is currently in discussion with Vidalia Denim about the development of fabrics for their 2019 product collection. Roian Atwood, Director of Sustainability for Wrangler, notes, “This mill is pushing the standards for sustainability denim fabric in North America. At Wrangler, we are excited about the opportunity to work with Dan and his team and the e3 cotton growers committed to sustainable agriculture practices to produce good-looking denim that utilizes innovative manufacturing methods.”
ATLANTA — December 3, 2018 — The Apparel Summit of the Americas was held November 27-29, 2018, in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. The conference was created and hosted by the Americas Apparel Producers’ Network (AAPN).
The event’s attendance was 250 executives from 125 organizations. This number does not include more than 40 volunteers from AAPN member and local organizations plus other officials who visited.
The complex event required travel from and to the airport to three hotels, to one reception, to the convention center, to two factory tours and to an evening dinner and fashion show. This meeting involved more planning, logistics and people than any event in the AAPN’s 37-year history in the apparel industry.
Most importantly, 18 brands and retailers sent high level executives to see the investments made in Honduras’ textile industry first hand. One major integrated producer committed to supplying several global brands sent 9 of their most senior executives.
A welcoming reception was hosted November 27 at the Intercontinental Hotel. This kickoff was not only a great opportunity for friends and colleagues to catch up, but also an inviting venue to make new friends and business partners.
Jesus Canahauti, president, Elcatex
At 8 a.m. on November 28, attendees convened at the Copantl Convention Center. The event was opened by Jesus “Chuy” Canahuati, president of Elcatex. Canahuati promoted Honduras as the number one destination for U.S. yarn exports globally totaling more than $1 billion annually and as the number one country of origin for U.S. imports of cotton T-Shirts and sweatshirts.
The new strategic textile investments in Honduras are focused on man-made knits, adding to the region’s importance in the growing activewear category. The anchor in this strategy is UTEXA, a brand-new filament polyester yarn mill, representing an $80 million investment in plant, equipment and training.
The conference agenda also included a highly supportive video talk by the Honorable Juan Orlando Hernández, president of Honduras.
Mike Todaro, AAPN managing director, and Tony Anzovino, AAPN president and chief sourcing and merchandising officer, Haggar Clothing Co., followed Canahuati with presentations on the background of AAPN and detailed charts highlighting trade data.
Keynote Speaker Simon Mainwaring
The keynote speaker was Simon Mainwaring, founder of We First, a brand and leadership consultancy that provides purpose-driven strategy, content, and training. Simon spoke about “purpose-based branding” which is exactly what the Honduras2020 plan accomplished. This vision of investment, innovation and jobs, was presented by Jesus Canahuati at the 2016 AAPN Annual Conference, and the presentation led directly to this summit. It brands the region as one committed to the apparel industry.
Finishing the first day’s agenda was a panel moderated by Walter Wilhelm, CEO of WWA Advisors. The panelists — Steve Cochran, CEO, Tegra Global; Ricardo Pettenati, CEO, Pettenati Industrias Textil; and David Ha, CEO, TexOps — shared their own stories of investment and innovation in the Americas.
That afternoon attendees left on buses for two tours of facilities. The first tour included UTEXA’s filament yarn production facility, Honduras Green Energy, and the Villas San Juan Housing Project. The second tour highlighted Finotex Honduras and Coats (Finishing & Dyeing).
(left to right): Walter Wilhelm, CEO, WWA Advisors; Steve Cochran, CEO, Tegra Global; Ricardo Pettenati, CEO, Pettenati Industrias Textil; and David Ha, CEO, TexOps.
That evening, UTEXA sponsored a cocktail reception and fashion show featuring activewear produced by regional AAPN factory members. Following the show, regional banking company FICOHSA hosted a multi-cultural gourmet dinner. Both of these social events were held at the Club Hondureño Arabe.
Club Hondureño Arabe
Thursday morning, November 29, began with two more tours. The first tour was of Genesis Apparel, the Elcatex Textile Mill and Stretchline. The second tour focused on Karim’s Group’s spinning mill.
The afternoon conference program was opened by Todaro who presented the AAPN Apparel Industry Leadership Award to Chuy Canahuati and also to Joe Cuervo who, prior to being recruited by Kohl’s, worked in the Honduras2020 project office in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
The afternoon’s agenda included two core AAPN speakers. Ed Gribbin, CEO, Gribbin Strategic LLC and senior advisor to Alvanon, spoke on how to leverage all the new innovations within the region. He was followed by a complementary talk by Kurt Cavano, founder and president, GT Nexus (an Infor Company) on a topic Cavano calls Disruptopia: An Overview of the Speed of Technology.
Mario Canahuati, president of the Honduran Association of Maquiladoras, said: “These investments will radically change the economic activity of the North Coast. Having 250 representatives of the most important companies in the world drives more investment, creates jobs and improves the living conditions of our workers.”
(left to right): Jacobo Kattan, PROTEXSA; Jesus Canahauti, Elcatex; Mike Todaro and Sue Strickland, AAPN; Mario Canahauti, AHM; Joe Cuervo, Kohl’s; and Juan Zighelboim, TexOps.
Juan Zighelboim, El Savlador-based TexOps, and an investor in Utexa, said: “This is not only important for the local Honduran industry, but for the Central American region. It is a movement that shows we are ready to fight with Asia.”
As is customary at AAPN events, the conference was closed by attendees who were allowed to voice their impressions of the value of the content. Many of those attendees, including long time veterans of our events, called this the best in AAPN’s history. Rumor has it, business was closed, joint ventures were initiated and mergers were being negotiated during the event. In other words, it was a typical AAPN meeting.
ST. LOUIS, Mo. — December 3, 2018 — Warson Brands, official licensee of Reebok for duty and uniform footwear, announced two new additions to its popular Reebok Sublite Cushion Tactical series of footwear for law enforcement and military professionals.
The new RB8809 builds upon the success of the Reebok Sublite Cushion Tactical series by offering a coyote brown version with composite safety toe and side zipper for wear with the new Air Force uniform. Also new for 2019 is the addition of the RB8606, a 6-inch version of the Sublite Cushion Tactical featuring a composite safety toe and side zipper.
The Sublite Cushion Tactical incorporates Sublite foam midsole technology to maximize cushioning while minimizing weight. The Sublite dual density foam midsole provides unparalleled lightweight cushioning for comfort and responsiveness. Deep flex grooves in the midsole allow for natural movement, letting feet bend and balance naturally. The boot also features a MemoryTech Massage Footbed that adapts to the unique contours of the foot and a slip-resistant outsole that grips in slippery conditions.
The RB8809 and RB8606 will be available for purchase at an MSRP of $150.00 and $160.00, respectively. Reebok Duty will display the full line of Sublite Cushion Tactical boots at SHOT Show booth #10179.
WASHINGTON — December 3, 2018 — On November 30, 2018, three U.S. producers of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin — DAK Americas LLC, Indorama Ventures USA Inc., and Nan Ya Plastics Corp., America — filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of International Trade. The domestic producers have requested the court’s review of the U.S. International Trade Commission’s (ITC) recent negative injury determination in the antidumping (AD) investigations on imports of PET resin from Brazil, Indonesia, Korea, Pakistan, and Taiwan.
The domestic producers’ appeal charges that several key findings are not supported by the record compiled by the Commission. Further, the ITC erred by ignoring critical data and failing to address or explain a number of important issues in the case.
The domestic producers look forward to an opportunity to present these claims to the court, and expect that as a result the ITC will reevaluate its injury determination. DAK Americas, Indorama Ventures, and Nan Ya Plastics remain certain that, ultimately, an affirmative injury determination is warranted.
Background
Four major U.S. PET resin producers — DAK Americas LLC, Indorama Ventures USA Inc., Nan Ya Plastics Corp., America, and M&G Polymers USA LLC — filed petitions with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) on September 26, 2017. On October 24, 2017, M&G Polymers USA filed for bankruptcy and later put its U.S. assets up for sale. On September 17, 2018, Commerce found significant levels of dumping by producers and exporters in all five countries: 29.68-275.89% for Brazil, 30.61-53.50% for Indonesia, 8.23-101.41% for Korea, 43.81-59.92% for Pakistan, and 5.16-45.00% for Taiwan.
The product that is the subject of these investigations is certain polyester terephthalate (PET) resin, which is a large-volume, thermoplastic polyester polymer resin, having an intrinsic viscosity (IV) of 0.70 or more, but not more than 0.88, deciliters per gram. PET resin is primarily sold in bulk form as chips or pellets, which are heated and extruded or molded into plastic bottles, containers, and packaging. The major end-uses for PET resin include beverage bottles, food containers, and packaging for household, cosmetics, automotive, and pharmaceutical products.
ANDOVER, Mass. — December 3, 2018 — Polartec, a provider of innovative and sustainable textile solutions, announces its ongoing collaboration with online retailer Backcountry. The partnership includes an exclusive collection of co-developed Flylow outerwear made of Polartec® NeoShell®, the most breathable waterproof fabric, and Polartec educational resources and shopping functionality on Backcountry.com.
Offering the market’s most extensive range of premium performance fabrics, Polartec is the first ingredient brand with a dedicated area on the Backcountry website. The new information resource center breaks down how the Science of Fabric works and the benefits of Polartec technology, while directing consumers to hundreds of products made of premium Polartec fabrics.
“As a go-to resource for its breadth of quality product offerings and related knowledge, Backcountry is an ideal partner,” said Gary Smith, Polartec CEO. “Together, we can help people make more informed choices, as well as assist our brand partners in delivering greater value to their customers.”
“This partnership allows us to build innovative products and provide educational resources to our community,” said Jonathan Nielsen, Backcountry CEO. “One result that we’re particularly proud of is our co-developed Flylow outerwear kits, purpose-built for backcountry touring from breathable and durable Polartec NeoShell fabric.”
The collaboration also includes ongoing Polartec clinics designed to explain the comfort and performance benefits of products made with Polartec fabric technologies to Gearheads, Backcountry’s team of outdoor experts whose sole job is to provide personalized service and advice, free of charge.
LINCOLN, Neb. — December 3, 2018 — Alpaca Owners Association (AOA) announced recent laboratory testing results revealed that raw alpaca fiber possesses antibacterial properties.
“While the effect is modest, it is likely comparable to the natural antibacterial properties of scoured sheep’s wool,” said Bud Synhorst, Executive Director of AOA. “This will increase the interest of alpaca fiber within the active apparel industry.”
The outdoor and sports apparel industry has seen increased interest in antimicrobial textile products from active consumers who want products that are odor resistant. The industry has largely addressed this demand by treating fabrics with chemicals that inhibit bacterial growth.
While highly effective at suppressing bacteria on the garments short term, Synhorst noted that in most cases those chemicals are lost over time as the garment is used and washed, resulting in a loss of antibacterial effect. This has led some market observers to raise environmental concerns regarding the resulting presence of the chemicals in water and soil.
By contrast, the antibacterial properties of the keratin component of animal fibers, including alpaca, are a more natural and durable alternative to chemical treatment.
“This is another reason that high-quality animal fiber textiles remain in demand,” he said. “They can be a good fit for consumers looking for durable clothing that is grown and manufactured in ways that are sensitive to the long-term health of the environment.”
LENZING, Austria — December 3, 2018 — The Lenzing Group filed a first wave of patent applications for its new LENZING™ Web Technology with the World Intellectual Property Organization. The 25 applications focus on product, process and application inventions and are part of Lenzing’s intellectual property protection strategy.
The LENZING Web Technology is a nonwoven web formation process that starts with botanic wood pulp and produces a nonwoven fabric made of 100 percent continuous lyocell filament. The technology offers a unique self-bonding mechanism where filaments bond into a fabric during the laydown process. This self-bonding mechanism allows for a much wider variety of basis weight, surface textures, drapeability and dimensional stability than other nonwoven technologies.
“Lenzing’s corporate strategy sCore TEN is very focused on driving growth via sustainability focused innovation. The new LENZING Web Technology is one of the most exciting Research & Development projects. The 25 patent applications related to this new technology underline our commitment to the nonwoven industry. We will continue to support our partners in their business and help consumers with sustainable innovative solutions for their everyday needs”, says Stefan Doboczky, CEO of the Lenzing Group.
TOKYO — December 3, 2018 — Teijin Frontier Co. Ltd., the Teijin Group’s fiber and products converting company, announced today that it has added a natural-like fabric — ideal for sportswear, fashionwear and uniforms — to its DELTAPEAK series of high-function fabrics. Teijin Frontier will commercially launch the product in the 2020 spring/summer season, targeting annual sales of one million meters by the fiscal year ending in March 2022.
The demand for high-function products with a more natural-like look is growing in line with the increasing popularity of athleisure fashion. Teijin Frontier’s high-function Deltapeak is a dense and uniform crimped fabric with many excellent properties, but until it has not offered a natural-looking suited for city life.
The new Deltapeak fabric offers a unique combination of form-fitting and natural-like texture. Teijin Frontier’s new yarn randomly combines two types of crimped fibers to realize a soft, high-density structure. The fabric incorporates Deltapeak’s micro-crimping technology and SOLOTEX’s conjugate technology for coil-like crimping to achieve comfortable form-fitting, moisture-absorbent, quick-drying, lightweight and bulkiness properties, in addition to a natural-like texture thanks to special dyeing technology.
Special features of new Deltapeak natural-like fabric:
Natural-like appearance and texture;
Soft and stretchy (Deltapeak) and elastic-recovering (Solotex);
Twice the moisture-absorbent and quick-drying properties of regular polyester thanks to capillary action; and
OBERTSHAUSEN, Germany — December 3, 2018 — For the first time in roughly 40 years, KARL MAYER will again take part in Heimtextil in Frankfurt/Main. At the trade fair to be held from January 8-11, 2019, this textile machine manufacturer will be introducing some worldwide novelties around the topics of terry fabrics and curtains. For this purpose, the company received from the organizers a stand located in the exhibition’s Trend Forum. There, Karl Mayer will be present on Stand K 65 in Hall 3.0 with an information booth. At the same time, an In-house Show will take place at the company’s headquarters in Obertshausen, which can easily be reached by shuttle bus. Machines and new textile developments will be shown there.
Karl Mayer will pool its new activities in the field of weft warp knits for Heimtextil under the WEFT.FASHION brand. For this purpose, a new weft curtain article will be produced for the In-house Show. The trendy pattern is captivating due to an extravagant design in the currently fashionable woven-like look. Sophisticated fancy yarn gives the warp-knitted weft curtain a completely new face. For this article, Karl Mayer announces a new weft-insertion warp knitting machine with an extremely attractive price-performance ratio — entirely in line with WEFT.FASHION: New home textiles manufactured with the benefits of warp knitting efficiency.
Moreover, there will be a machine premiere for the terry segment: for the first time, Karl Mayer will be showing its TM 4 TS-EL in a working width of 193ʺ and in a gauge of E 28 in Germany. This efficient machine will reveal its high performance in Obertshausen by producing a revolutionary textile novelty: a double-face warp-knitted terry fabric with a soft velour layer made from microfibers on the outer face, and an absorbent surface made from cotton on the inner side. This article for bathrobes is not only functional and stylish, it also shows advantages in terms of environmental protection compared to woven counterparts, and this is due to the machine technology used for its manufacture.
Karl Mayer’s solutions for a sustainable production of terry articles can be found under TERRY.ECO, and the company’s entire commitment to a clean production stands under the heading CLEANER.PRODUCTIONS.
