ST.PAUL, Minn. — October 1, 2018 — Controlling Clostridium difficile1, or C. diff, one of the leading causes of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), is an important operational challenge for both the healthcare and commercial laundry industries. Based on 2011 data, C. diff was estimated to cause half a million infections in the U.S. and 29,000 deaths, a mortality rate of more than three deaths every hour.

Despite the prevalence of this organism, prevention and containment pose numerous challenges because the spores can survive for weeks on a variety of surfaces, including soft surfaces such as bed linens.

To help hospitals combat the rise of C. diff infections, Ecolab Inc. has developed AdvaCare™ Disinfectant, the first laundry disinfectant with claims against C. diff. The additive kills spores of C. diff and has received U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval for this laundry disinfection claim.

“Preventing HAIs is essential for patient safety and the overall success of a healthcare facility,” said Chris Smith, vice president and general manager, Textile Care for North and South America. “With an increasing number of pathogen sources being recognized in healthcare settings, every mode of transmission must be addressed to protect patients. AdvaCare Disinfectant works to minimize the risk of transmitting HAIs by killing microorganisms of concern2 on the linen and preventing cross-contamination in the wash water.”

AdvaCare Disinfectant is an EPA-registered laundry disinfectant — registration number 1677-193 — and it is registered in all 50 states. The concentrate formulation is approved for use in commercial, institutional, healthcare and industrial laundry operations. The current EPA-approved master label for AdvaCare Disinfectant contains use directions to kill C. diff spores on contaminated laundry and in the wash water when added to the laundering process. This claim is currently being reviewed by state-level agencies, including the California Department of Pesticide Registration (CDPR).

In addition to protecting against harmful organisms, AdvaCare Disinfectant is an effective and sustainable oxidizer solution, producing whiter whites and extending linen life compared to alternative oxidizers.

AdvaCare Disinfectant is one of many innovative technologies Ecolab provides to hospitals and healthcare facilities throughout the world. The company’s solutions and services can be found in hospital laundries, kitchens, patient and surgical rooms, and other areas to help ensure cleanliness and staff and patient safety.

Posted October 1, 2018

Source: Ecolab Inc.

MIAMI — October 1, 2018 — H.I.G. Capital (H.I.G.), a global private equity investment firm with over $27 billion of equity capital under management, is pleased to announce the closing of the sale of Lexmark Carpet Mills Inc. to Tarkett S.A., a producer of flooring and sports surfaces solutions.

Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Dalton, Ga., Lexmark is a leading producer of broadloom carpet primarily for the hospitality market. Lexmark’s vertically-integrated manufacturing capabilities and state-of-the-art equipment provide numerous competitive advantages, including superior product quality, enhanced customization, and industry leading turnaround times. Lexmark’s proven reputation for service, quality, and flexibility has differentiated the Company as the largest independent operator in the hospitality segment.

H.I.G. recapitalized the Company in September 2013 and subsequently completed the strategic add-on acquisition of Northwest Carpets in June 2015. Since then, the Company has made significant investments in management, sales & marketing, design, and manufacturing capabilities and capacity.

Paul Cleary, CEO of Lexmark, said: “H.I.G. has been a great partner to grow with, as we’ve nearly doubled in size since its investment in 2013. We are now very excited to join Tarkett, with whom we share the same vision and entrepreneurial values, as well as a strong commitment to customer experience. Within the Tarkett group, we will be able to offer a larger choice of products to our customers and partners and provide an even stronger offering.”

Richard Stokes, managing director of H.I.G., said: “We are thrilled to have partnered with such a collaborative and successful management team which did an outstanding job executing on multiple strategic initiatives to enhance Lexmark’s go-to-market strategy and transform the business. The company generated impressive revenue and EBITDA growth, which resulted in a great outcome for management, H.I.G. and its investors. Looking ahead, partnering with a global leader like Tarkett should be highly beneficial for Lexmark’s customers, employees, and everyone involved. We look forward to the company’s continued success.”

Posted October 1, 2018

Source: H.I.G.

MORTON GROVE, Ill. — October 1, 2018 — “Very optimistic” or “somewhat optimistic” over the next 12 months is the U.S. economic forecast from 78 percent of corporate sales executives participating in a recent study commissioned by the Manufacturers’ Agents National Association (MANA). “Very optimistic” or “somewhat optimistic” was 83 percent of that group’s forecast for their own firms’ projected revenue and 76 percent of their own firms’ projected profits.

Less than half of manufacturer sales executives expect increased sales to trigger any increase in capital spending. Most report that their firms continue to have sufficient capacity to meet increased demand without new buildings or equipment and expect the momentum gained from several consecutive waves of growth to continue through the end of 2018 and into the first half of 2019.

Outsourced sales firms (known as manufacturers’ representatives or manufacturers’ agents) echo those corporate sales executives’ forecasts with 83 percent optimistic about the economy, 75 percent optimistic about their own revenue, and 72 percent optimistic about their own profits. Utilization of manufacturers’ representatives by corporate sales executives will increase over the next 12 months, say 62 percent of those executives.

“With continued pressure on manufacturers to do more with less, replacing costly sales employees with professional outsourced non-employee sales forces is a natural evolution to drive corporate efficiency and increase return on investment,” notes MANA CEO Charles Cohon.

For those manufacturers not expected to sell the bulk of its available capacity, there is an expectation to increase the number of outsourced sales agents over the next year to drive new sales. This should bode well for agencies looking to expand the number of products or lines, as one-third of MANA-member agents have already increased the number of products or lines in the past twelve months.

MANA is a not-for-profit 501(c)6 trade association established in 1947. The semi-annual study is conducted by Loyalty Research Center (LRC), an Indianapolis-based market research firm.

The full report on the research methodology, market conditions, and the economic outlook is available to academia and MANA members from MANA CEO Charles Cohon ccohon@manaonline.org. Vice President of Client Services at Loyalty Research Center Matt Braun can be reached at mbraun@loyaltyresearch.com.

Posted October 1, 2018

Source: Manufacturers’ Agents National Association

HARTSVILLE, S.C. — October 1, 2018 — Sonoco today announced it has completed the acquisition of the remaining 70-percent interest in the joint venture of Conitex Sonoco, a vertically integrated manufacturer of paper-based cones and tubes used in the textile industry.

The Conitex Sonoco joint venture was formed in 1998 between Texpack Inc., a Spain-based global provider of paper-based packaging products, and Sonoco’s former North America textile cone business. Sonoco acquired the remaining 70-percent interest from Texpack, along with a composite can plant in Spain for $143 million in cash. In 2017, the joint venture produced total sales of approximately $245 million and produced more than 300,000 tons of uncoated recycled paperboard, which was used to produce approximately 1.4 billion tubes and cones for the global spun yarn industry. The joint venture has approximately 1,250 employees and 13 manufacturing locations in 10 countries, including four paper mills and seven cone and tube converting operations and two other production facilities.

“The Conitex Sonoco relationship has been very successful over the past 20 years, and we see even further opportunity to grow Sonoco’s existing global paper-based tube and core business through this combination, especially in faster-growing emerging markets in Asia where we will be substantially increasing our manufacturing presence while more than doubling our current annual sales in the region,” said Rob Tiede, Sonoco president and CEO.

Conitex Sonoco’s COO Michel Schmidlin and members of his global leadership team will remain with Sonoco, and there are no expected changes to customer relationships. Conitex Sonoco’s financial results will be reported within Sonoco’s Paper/Industrial Converted Products segment and the Spanish composite can operations reported in the Company’s Consumer Packaging segment.

Posted October 1, 2018

Source: Sonoco