Columbia Sportswear Company Announces Closing In Buyout Of China Joint Venture With Swire Resources Limited

PORTLAND, Ore. — January 2, 2019— Columbia Sportswear Co. today announced that effective January 2, 2019, it has closed its buyout of the remaining 40 percent interest in Columbia Sportswear Commercial (Shanghai) Co., the joint venture in China with Swire Resources Ltd., a subsidiary of Swire Pacific Ltd..

“We thank Swire Resources for contributing to the success and growth of the Columbia brand in China. They have been an exceptional partner for us over the years and we look forward to continuing our strong relationship with them in Hong Kong and Macau,” said Tim Boyle, Columbia’s president and CEO. “We are very pleased with the positioning of the Columbia brand, and are committed to investing in the continued long-term success of Columbia in the crucial Chinese market. The acquisition is consistent with our strategy to accelerate investment as a brand-led, consumer-focused business in the areas of highest growth potential for our existing brands.”

The joint venture began operations on January 1, 2014, with headquarters in Shanghai. Columbia Sportswear owned 60 percent of the operation and Swire owned 40 percent, with profits and losses shared in similar proportions.

Future plans include continued investments in building the Columbia brand in China, as well as expansion of direct and dealer-operated retail locations. Columbia also intends to maintain the existing management team, staff, dealers, and distribution networks that have helped the Columbia brand flourish in China.

As previously announced, John Soh will become the general manager of Columbia Sportswear Commercial (Shanghai) Company in mid-February 2019.

Swire Resources will continue to serve as the exclusive independent distributor of Columbia Sportswear in Hong Kong and Macau.

Dutch’s position as CEO was effective January 1, 2019.

Posted January 2, 2019

Source: Columbia Sportswear

OrderMyGear Appoints Dave Dutch As CEO

DALLAS — January 2, 2019— OrderMyGear, the leader in group e-commerce software for apparel and gear, announced today the appointment of Dave Dutch to the position of CEO. Dutch was most recently CEO of PayLease, where he helped the company grow to over 200 employees during his seven year tenure.

“We have big ideas for the future of OrderMyGear, so it just made sense to hire someone with a track record of thinking big,” says President and Founder Kent McKeaigg. “Dave Dutch is a proven leader and innovator with a long history of scaling growth stage businesses off-the-charts. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome him to the team.”

Founded in 2008, OrderMyGear has revolutionized the group e-commerce space by providing online stores, order management and supply chain software to the team sporting goods and group apparel markets. In 2018, OrderMyGear facilitated orders for thousands of dealers, tens of thousands of teams and groups, and millions of coaches, athletes, fans, and administrators. Also in 2018, Susquehanna Growth Equity (SGE) invested $35 million into OrderMyGear to fund expansion and product development.

“Dutch has a long track record of leading software companies through the step change from the growth stage to industry-leading scale,” said Ben Weinberg, managing director at Susquehanna Growth Equity. “We are thrilled to welcome him to the team, and to work with him and Kent to build a category-defining company.”

“I’ve always been drawn to entrepreneurial potential,” said Dutch. “OrderMyGear has shown themselves year after year to be a company committed to creating exciting, innovative products for their customers, but also helping their customers move the needle in terms of sales. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with this amazing Team in order to make the next leap forward.”

Dutch’s position as CEO was effective January 1, 2019.

Posted January 2, 2019

Source: OrderMyGear

STOLL & The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao Collaborate In One Of The Works Featured In Architecture Effects Exhibition

REUTLINGEN, BILBAO, NEW YORK — January 2, 2019— STOLL, Germany’s leading 3D knitting machinery company, co-created and manufactured the textile element of A Tent Without A Signal, a digitally flat-bed knitted tapestry with technical content, as part of an exclusive collaboration with the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in connection with its exhibition Architecture Effects – on view from December 5, 2018, to April 28, 2019.

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao’s co-curators, Troy Conrad Therrien and Manuel Cirauqui, expressed that the exhibition’s purpose is to exemplify “the connections between art and architecture at the height of unique 21st century conditions” by highlighting the impact technology has on a time of major digital transformations, social media, artificial intelligence, and climate change.

“Braided with metallic fibers, MOS’s tent doubles as a Faraday cage for the future, scrambling forthcoming 5G mobile signals,” says Therrien. “It embodies a nomadic typology but denies its traditional formless slack in favor of a taught lofting between two archetypal symbols in plan — the cross and the circle — by means of a digitally flat-bed knitted futuristically fluorescent tapestry, completed in collaboration with groundbreaking textile technology maker, STOLL.”

A Tent Without A Signal, designed by MOS Architects, was uniquely made possible with STOLL machinery and knitting innovation due to the complexities and intricate details of this piece. The artwork was made with STOLL’s CMS 530 HP E16 and consisted of twenty-four 1m x 6m knitted panels. The five-colored jacquard with mesh pointelle panels were knitted with high tech Filati Be.Mi.Va, Pinori Filati, and Statex yarns.

“We are proud to collaborate with the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao for MOS’ project, A Tent Without A Signal. The Architecture Effects exhibition was a natural fit for us as our Knitelligence platform, and its various software solutions, continues to flourish in this Industry 4.0, digital age,” says Joerg Hartmann, head of Fashion & Technology at STOLL. “There are so many capabilities of knitting that tend to go unnoticed, and we are very excited that the community can be witness to STOLL’s impact within the architecture industry.”

A case study of MOS’ A Tent Without A Signal and STOLL’s contribution will become available to the public and the contemporary artists and architects exhibiting as a part of Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and STOLL’s technological collaboration.

Posted January 2, 2019

Source: H. Stoll AG & Co. KG

ThreadSol Becomes A Part Of Coats After A $12 Million Acquisition

UTTAR PRADESH, India — January 2, 2019— ThreadSol is pleased to announce its acquisition by Coats. ThreadSol will now be a part of Coats Global Services, a dedicated business providing a set of complementary software solutions to the apparel and footwear supply chain to deliver operational benefits in cost, speed and compliance.

The deal, pegged at $12 million, will see a combination of technology and expertise from the two companies which will serve as fuel for taking forward Coats’ vision of building a range of innovative software solutions for the apparel and footwear industries. The deal extends the scale and capability of ThreadSol’s AI and Big-data based solutions. It also expands its services capabilities and consumer reach to a global scale through Coats’ unparalleled global footprint and strong corporate brand.

“This partnership enables ThreadSol to be best positioned to pursue its growth strategy, while accelerating our vision to develop apparel tech of the future.”, says Manasij Ganguli, co-founder at ThreadSol. “It is very exciting to be part of a global industry leader whose stature and array of expertise in the apparel supply chain is exceptional”, he adds.

The innovative solutions by ThreadSol, coupled with Coats’ apparel supply chain solutions will be unsurpassed in the apparel tech space. This rich combination will provide the clients with significant competitive advantage through automated and digitized platforms.

ThreadSol’s products provide an excellent fit with Coats existing Fast React Systems and GSD range of Evolve™, Vision™, Align™, Enterprise™ and Quest™. This complementary suite of software solutions for the apparel and footwear industries will enable brands, retailers and manufacturers to drive productivity gains, supply chain control and speed to market.

Coats’ Group Chief Executive Rajiv Sharma said: “ThreadSol is an exciting acquisition that supports a key aspect of our growth strategy: to build an innovative software solutions business for the apparel and footwear industries. We will be able to draw upon our demonstrable track record of successfully integrating bolt-on companies following the acquisitions of Patrick Yarn Mill, Gotex and Fast React Systems, all of which are performing well under our ownership.”

Posted January 2, 2019

Source: ThreadSol

Toray To Integrate Management Of Textile Manufacturing Subsidiaries In Thailand

CHUO-KU, Tokyo — December 28, 2018 — Toray Industries Inc. today announced that its textile manufacturing subsidiaries in Thailand – Thai Toray Textile Mills Public Co. Ltd. (TTTM) and Luckytex (Thailand) Public Co. Ltd. confirmed the policy to integrate the management of the two companies at the respective board of directors meetings and approved to convene extraordinary general shareholders’ meetings for the integration. Going forward, the companies will drive forward the prescribed procedures for management integration including approval by the general shareholders’ meetings at the two companies and aim to start operations as a new company in July 2019.

Established in 1963, TTTM is engaged in spinning, weaving and dyeing of polyester/rayon (T/R) blended fabrics as well as manufacturing of polyester filament and spun knitted fabrics. LTX was established in 1960 and is engaged in spinning, weaving and dyeing of polyester/cotton (T/C) blended fabrics as well as manufacturing of polyester filament fabrics and air-bag fabrics. The Toray Group entered Southeast Asia ahead of other Japanese companies and built the foundation to expand the business of high-quality T/C and other textiles throughout the world. Among these Southeast Asian countries, Thailand is the first business base of the Group and it boasts a long history of growing its business concurrently the economic development of the Kingdom of Thailand.

At the same time, the business environment surrounding the T/R and T/C blended yarns requires strengthening of product development ability and competitiveness due to the intensifying competition. The management integration agreed upon by the two companies is aimed at enhancing material lineups in both apparel and industrial applications and strengthening product development capability. The companies also aspire for dramatic growth as a new comprehensive textile manufacturer by strongly driving forward the integrated materials and garments business by further reinforcing the cooperation within the Toray Group. Toray will announce the name of the new company and the scheduled date of starting operations immediately after the formal procedures are complete.

Posted December 28, 2018

Source: Toray Industries

Indorama Ventures To Acquire PET Recycling Capabilities From Custom Polymers PET, LLC In US

BANGKOK, Thailand— December 24, 2018 — Indorama Ventures Public Co. Ltd. (IVL), a global chemical producer, announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire a PET recycling facility from Custom Polymers PET in Alabama. The facility consists of two production lines; Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (rPET) Flake and food-grade rPET Pellets, with a combined capacity of 31,000 metric tons per year.

Regardless of the fluctuations in the quality of post-consumer feedstock, this recycling facility can offer consistently high quality recycled PET material that meets customers’ specific needs in Packaging and Fibers. Indorama Ventures with Custom Polymer has important footprints in Recycling in multiple locations in Europe, in Mexico, in Thailand and now in the United States.

A growing emphasis on sustainability and circular economy objectives among packaging and consumer product manufacturers is expected to be amongst the key factors driving market growth. This acquisition is strategically in line with the Company’s objectives of long-term sustainability. The acquisition of this recycling facility from Custom Polymers will allow IVL to have a secured supply of rPET Flake and food-grade 100% rPET Pellets in US, and this will open up new opportunities to meet the ever increasing food grade rPET demand for more sustainable packaging solutions by major brand owners. The proximity of this recycling facility to our existing polyester manufacturing entities in the United States, synergies of management and supply chain are expected to benefit Indorama Ventures’ ability to serve our customers in North America.

Commenting on the acquisition, Aloke Lohia, group CEO of Indorama Ventures, said: “At Indorama Ventures, we intend to play a key role in promoting the circular economy and environmental sustainability by continuing to pursue the right opportunities to fill gaps that are intrinsic to our industry’s sustainable and profitable business. We strongly feel that this initiative will contribute as an attractive platform for strong future growth in our commitment to sustainable recycling business with the potential to expand further with the support of our stakeholders.”

Posted December 28, 2018

Source: Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL)

Kiian Digital To Debut Reactive Inks At Heimtextil 2019

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill.— December 27, 2018 — JK Group, part of Dover Digital Printing and Dover, will attend Heimtextil in Frankfurt, Germany, on January 8-11, 2019. Heimtextil is a global annual event for interior textiles trends that received nearly 70,000 visitors from 135 different countries last year. JK Group will use this platform to unveil Kiian Digital’s reactive inks line, Digistar Bellagio, designed for direct printing onto cotton and the other cellulosic fibers.

“We are excited to put forward, in this important textile context, Digistar Bellagio, which is the natural complement of the Kiian Digital’s current textile product portfolio,” says Marco Girola, JK Group marketing manager. “Digistar Bellagio was born from the synergy of highly specialized teams in digital textile printing, MS Printing Solutions & JK Group. They go beyond the limits of product and process by developing systems to raise efficiency and maximize results, to benefit the market in which we operate.”

Show attendees will experience the printing results achievable by using Digistar Bellagio with live print demonstrations at the MS Printing Solutions booth by a JP4 EVO printing machine.

Digistar Bellagio’s color selection has been created by selecting dyes and allows reproduction of a wide color gamut, while offering outstanding bright and vivid colors. The line includes 8 colors: CYMK, Black and Light Black and 3 spot colors, Orange, Red and Blue.

In addition to Digistar Bellagio, the MS Printing Solutions booth (Hall 3.0 – Booth J61) will also feature:

  • Digistar Bravo disperse inks, compatible with Kyocera printheads for direct printing onto polyester. Digistar Bravo is recognized for excellent light fastness, high penetration into fibers, and extremely deep intensity of its black inks.
  • Digistar K-Choice pigment inks, compatible with Kyocera printheads for direct digital printing onto fabric created for fashion and home applications. Digistar K-Choice is recognized for excellent light fastness, good washing resistances and a wide color gamut enabling accurate reproduction.

At the event, JK Group will also focus on its eco-friendly commitment, especially for the Kiian Digital brand that, through its full Textile Standard Compliance Program, enables production of sustainable printing.

Posted December 28, 2018

Source: Dover

Akas Introduces Only Made In The USA One-Way Wicking Fabric

BENSALEM, Pa. — January 1, 2019 — AKAS, a manufacturer of American-made textiles, has introduced a one-way wicking fabric designed to keep athletes cool, dry, and fresh, even in the most humid conditions. ProCool® Stretch- FIT Dri-QWick™ Sports Jersey is a double-facing fabric with hydrophilic fibers next to the skin to wick moisture away, and hydrophobic fibers on the other side to keep moisture from seeping back into the fabric. It also uses Lycra® for a four-way stretch and recovery.

The hydrophilic side has a special diamond mesh which increases the surface area for wicking explains Sid Sharma, president, AKAS. It’s similar to a crest and valley the raised diamond gathers the moisture and pulls it into the valley. We also use a special binding yarn between the layers which ties them together, but doesn’t allow the hydrophilic and hydrophobic fibers to mix.

Like all of AKAS’ textiles, ProCool Stretch-FIT Dri-QWick Sports Jersey is Made in the USA from American-sourced raw materials. It is manufactured without harmful chemicals or finishes in highly-controlled settings.

“We believe in protecting the planet and use green manufacturing standards in everything we do,” said Sharma. “Reducing our carbon footprint and producing safe, non-toxic fabrics are at the core of our business.”

Posted December 28, 2018

Source: AKAS

OSHeN Active Launches Bamboo-Based Activewear Line

LOS ANGELES — December 27, 2018 — OSHeN Active announced today the launch of its high performance “not from plastic” activewear line. OSHeN’s ultra-comfortable, eco-friendly trademarked bamboo fabric provides unparalleled strength, compression and flexibility while staying true to the brand’s commitment to ocean conservation. OSHeN’s first collection for the athletic and style conscious man and woman is available online at https://www.oshenactive.com/.

Headquartered in Marina Del Rey, OSHeN is disrupting the sports apparel industry with sustainable studio-to-street styles that are so breathable and soft, you will want to eat, sleep, work, and live in OSHeN. Their sustainable and environmentally friendly line provides consumers with a refreshing alternative to the popular plastic-based athletic apparel lines. The line offers various styles and colors for every activity and lifestyle.

OSHeN brings new and authentic products to the sports apparel industry with high compression fabric made from a blend of bamboo and spandex that is both versatile and durable.  The bamboo fibers keep the body comfortable with quick removal of moisture from the skin and efficient body temperature regulation. Combined with spandex, bamboo guarantees long-lasting, non-pilling pieces that stay compressed during high intensity activities.

“What it comes down to is the question, ‘do you want to sweat in plastic?'” said co-founder Jeffrey Gold. “Nearly every compression activewear line on the market is created from plastic which is not only harmful to your skin and the environment, but the chemicals used can even seep into your body.”

OSHeN enters the sports apparel industry with comprehensive knowledge of sustainable products and technology. The bamboo material used is a natural and biodegradable fiber that soaks up greenhouse gases and the plant itself requires no fertilizer, less water to grow, and self-regenerates from its own roots. When compared to cotton cultivation, which requires large amounts of water, pesticides and labor, the advantages of bamboo are monumental and have the power to shift our dependence away from plastic.

“We set out on a mission to do better,” said Gold, “Do better for our bodies, do better for the environment, and do better for the future of apparel.”

Posted December 27, 2018

Source: OSHeN

Mastercard SpendingPulse: U.S. Retail Sales Grew 5.1 Percent This Holiday Season

PURCHASE, N.Y. — December 26, 2018 — A robust shopping season from before Thanksgiving through Christmas has given retailers much to cheer about this year. According to Mastercard SpendingPulse™, which provides insights into overall retail spending trends across all payment types, including cash and check, holiday sales increased 5.1 percent to more than $850 billion this year — the strongest growth in the last six years. Online shopping also saw large gains of 19.1 percent compared to 2017.

“From shopping aisles to online carts, consumer confidence translated into holiday cheer for retail,” said Steve Sadove, senior advisor for Mastercard and former CEO and Chairman of Saks Inc. “By combining the right inventory with the right mix of online versus in-store, many retailers were able to give consumers what they wanted via the right shopping channels.”

The Mastercard SpendingPulse report details holiday shopping from November 1 through December 24. Key findings of the report indicate that despite weather challenges, this was a winning holiday season for retail overall; however, the story was different category by category:

  • Total apparel had a strong season with a growth rate of 7.9 percent compared to 2017, recording the best growth rate since 2010. The category followed through on a strong momentum that started during the back-to-school season and accelerated through fall right up to Christmas.
  • Home improvement spending continued to surge across the U.S. with spending during the holiday season up 9.0 percent. This trend started before the holiday season and helped the sector power through to a strong finish.
  • Department stores finished the season with a 1.3 percent decline from 2017. This follows two years with growth below 2 percent, some of which can be attributed to store closings. However, the online sales growth for department stores indicated a more positive story, with growth of 10.2 percent.
  • Electronics and appliances were down 0.7 percent. The home furniture and furnishings category grew 2.3 percent.

Poor weather did pose an issue during some prime-time shopping periods. This included cold weather on Black Friday morning on the East Coast and wet weather conditions the weekend of December 15-16, on both the East and West coasts. Conditions were also less than ideal on Friday, December 21, in the East, with storms that impacted the final run of the season.

Posted December 26, 2018

Source: Mastercard

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