Domtar Names New Mill Managers For Kingsport, Tenn., Nekoosa, Wis.

FORT MILL, S.C. — January 22, 2019 — Domtar Corp. has announced two well-qualified leaders to manage its Kingsport, Tenn., and Nekoosa, Wis., mills.

Marty Barfield has been named manager of the company’s mill in Kingsport. Since September 2015, Barfield has been the Plymouth Mill’s pulp production manager, leading manufacturing for two softwood fiber lines and two fluff pulp machines with a keen focus on employee safety. He was instrumental in the mill’s successful NC2 retirement and NC5 transition, including his leadership on a number of continuous improvement projects to increase the mill’s output.

Barfield brings more than 30 years of experience to this role. He began his career working a number of technical, engineering, maintenance and operational positions at Procter & Gamble before joining Domtar in 1989, where he has served in roles of increasing operational responsibility at the Marlboro and Plymouth mills. Barfield earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering from N.C. State University.

Marty Burkhardt has been named manager of the Nekoosa mill. Burkhardt previously was Nekoosa’s operations manager, responsible for all aspects of safety, environmental, productivity, reliability and continuous improvement across Nekoosa’s manufacturing operations. His commitment to reliability and continuous improvement has helped increase the mill’s pulp production while also reducing its chemical usage.

Burkhardt’s 20-plus years of diverse experience include roles of increasing responsibility in the pulp mill, paper operations, the recovery process as well as power and utilities at both Verso Corp. and Alliant Energy before joining Domtar in 2017. He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.

“We are excited to promote these two deserving internal candidates to mill management positions” said Mike Garcia, president pulp and paper division. “Their commitment to production, employee safety, strategic planning and reliability will help ensure Kingsport and Nekoosa continue to drive value for our company.”

Posted January 23, 2019

Source: Domtar

Safe Reflections To Debut Latest Reflective Solutions At ISPO Munich

ST. PAUL, Minn. — January 22, 2019 — Safe Reflections Inc.(SRI) is excited to debut its three latest innovations in reflective solutions February 3-6, 2019, at ISPO Munich, the world’s largest trade fair for sports equipment and fashion. These three new innovations have been designed to meet the needs of the consumer activewear market, and all three of the reflective solutions work great for wearable fabrics such as shirts, jackets, pants, hats and other garments, and provide an improved aesthetic over traditional silver reflective.

“At SRI we pride ourselves on our ability to stay on top of future trends in the consumer activewear market. Our focus in this area allows us to continually create reflective solutions that not only meet the required needs of form and function, but also keep up with the style and fashion trends the savvy consumer is demanding. Our latest innovations will give activewear brands the opportunity to add a “wow” factor to their garments and gear that hasn’t previously been available to them,” said Chuck Gruber, CEO of Safe Reflections.

These three new products are the first of many planned new product launches for Safe Reflections this year. In addition, each of them is Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Compliant and REACH Compliant.

Iridescent Stretch Reflective Material – A stretch adhesive backed reflective heat transfer that shows a beautiful opalesque effect of changing colors depending on the viewing angle.

Brilliant® Image-Ready Reflective Material – A unique, patented process that applies a coating that is specially designed to be digitally printed directly on to the surface of the reflective, this product gives designers the flexibility to think beyond just solid colors and shapes and incorporate real life images such as portraits and scenery into their reflective designs.

Brilliant® 1282 Color Reflective Fabric – A high-brightness, colorized, 100-percent cotton fabric-backed reflective material that can not only be used on garments but works great with durable fabric surfaces such as pet collars, backpacks and luggage.

In addition to debuting the new products, Safe Reflections will be showcasing their Eclipse™ 1231 Reflective Pattern Fabric at their booth. This high brightness full-width printed reflective pattern fabric was judged and selected by an independent jury of textile experts as one of the top innovations for Fall/Winter 2020-21.

Those interested in learning more about Safe Reflections reflective solutions can visit Booth 351 in Hall C5 at ISPO Munich, February 3-6, 2019.

Posted January 23, 2019

Source: Safe Reflections Inc.

Brilliant® Reflective Launches New Line Of Segmented Brilliant® Reflective Strips

ST. PAUL, Minn. — January 22, 2019 — Brilliant® Reflective has launched a new line of segmented iron-on Brilliant Reflective safety strips. Designed to withstand repeated washings without peeling or fraying, the new segmented reflective iron-on strips instantly increase your ability to be noticed by cars on the road and allow you to further customize your look. This new segmented iron-on product offers the perfect combination of outstanding reflective performance, durability and breathable comfort. Segmentation allows the reflective to move with the garment, keeping you cool and comfortable. What’s more, after 50 wash cycles, Brilliant Reflective Segmented Strips can retain twice the reflective performance of solid reflective.

“Segmented reflective has been widely available in the occupational and industrial markets for decades. We are thrilled to now offer the same level of safety and durability that has been available in a work zone, directly to the consumer in a product that is affordable, fashionable, and easy to use,” said Nate Damro, vice president Business Development for Safe Reflections Inc., Brilliant Reflective’s parent company.

Brilliant Reflective Segmented Iron-On Strips feature 3M™ Scotchlite™ Reflective Material for ultimate brightness. Each strip can be applied to clothing, or gear such as backpacks, for added security during low-light hours. The segmented iron-on strips are machine washable, up to 50 washes, waterproof, and incredibly flexible.

Posted January 23, 2019

Source: Brilliant® Reflective

Southern Tide Partners With brrr° On Cooling Performance Collection

GREENVILLE, S.C. — January 23, 2019 — Southern Tide, a coastal lifestyle and apparel brand, announced today a new brand partnership with brrr°, a cooling performance fabric that is proven to draw heat and moisture away from the skin. The new innovation will be introduced in Southern Tide’s Spring/Summer 2019 men’s collection.

“Each season Southern Tide looks to provide its customers with the latest in style, fabrication and innovation,” said Southern Tide CEO Christopher Heyn. “Each of our partnerships are strategically curated to put the customers’ needs at the forefront, and brrr°’s pioneering innovation will better expand our performance wear offerings. We are excited to introduce this technology to our customers and expect big things from the partnership. We look forward to our new partnership with brrr° and incorporating their cooling technology into the Southern Tide brand moving forward.”

brrr°’s disruptive cooling technology creates a “Triple Chill Effect™”. It is cool to the touch and instantly draws heat and moisture away from the body to lower the temperature of skin. The cooling effects of brrr° fabrics have been rigorously tested by globally recognized independent labs, and brrr° consistently outperforms other products.

“We are thrilled to work with Southern Tide on these new lines of casual clothing that can actually lower skin temperature when life brings the heat,” said Mary-Cathryn Kolb, CEO and founder of brrr°.

The Southern Tide brrr° apparel, which will include the men’s Gulf Short, polos and other sport shirts, will be available at Southern Tide signature stores and wholesale partners beginning late February 2019, alongside a launch on the Southern Tide website. Southern Tide will be launching additional product offerings featuring brrr° throughout 2019.

Posted January 23, 2019

Source: Southern Tide

Signature Sleep Introduces New Line Of Nanobionic® Mattresses

NEW YORK CITY — January 23, 2019 — The best way to kick start a great day begins with a good night’s sleep. Getting rest which adequately rejuvenates and restores you is a vital part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Regular physical activity promotes better physical and mental health and an overall better mood. The more active you are in your day to day, the higher your need for deep and effective sleep. Which is why having a mattress to restore and aid in recovery is so critical in your daily routine: move, improve, sleep, repeat.

What if you could press reset? 
Signature Sleep is proud to unveil its latest innovation – the Nanobionic® Reset mattress designed to promote quality sleep which in turn promotes a healthier lifestyle. The mattress itself comprises multiple layers: the first is a charcoal and gel-infused memory foam layer, which provides a cooler sleeping surface that helps regulate body temperature. Following, is a layer of natural Talalay that allows for superior airflow, distributing heat away from the body. The core of the mattress is made with independently encased coils that minimize motion transfer, help to relieve pressure and contribute to a more restful sleep.

Lastly but certainly not least, the top layer includes the Nanobionic technology.

So what is Nanobionic technology and how does it promote a better night’s rest? Nanobionic is a high-tech patented coating, in the form of a liquid substance, which transforms body heat into Far Infrared Rays (FIR) and reflects them back to the body. Far Infrared Rays are invisible waves of energy which have the ability to penetrate, soothe and stimulate the human body. This in turn promotes a temporary increase in local blood flow and helps to soothe muscles to promote restful sleep and increase comfort.

This recycling of the body’s energy also helps to reduce cold feet and hands, optimizes thermoregulation and helps to enhance faster recovery from your day to day life. Nanobionic® products are regulated by the U.S. FDA as medical devices and general wellness products.

This ground breaking technology was originally used in athletic apparel to aid with recovery and has now been integrated into different textiles such as mattresses – allowing for wellness to be achieved at every stage of your day.

Posted January 23, 2019

Source: Signature Sleep

Under Armour Names Tchernavia Rocker Chief People And Culture Officer

BALTIMORE — January 23, 2019 — Under Armour Inc. today announced the appointment of Tchernavia Rocker as its new Chief People and Culture Officer.

Rocker will lead all facets of the company’s human resources function. As a direct report to chairman and CEO Kevin Plank, she will partner with the executive leadership team to advance and execute Under Armour’s people and culture strategy.

“We are thrilled to welcome Tchernavia to the Under Armour family and to our executive leadership team. Tchernavia brings deep industry experience in building best in class HR operations while developing strong workplace culture rooted in brand, values and transparency,” said Kevin Plank, Under Armour’s chairman and CEO. “We truly have the best team on the planet driving our business, and our investment in their careers is a top priority.”

Rocker joins Under Armour from Harley-Davidson Inc. where she spent more than 18 years in HR leadership roles, most recently as the vice president and chief human resources officer. Prior to that, she served in various HR and operations roles at Goodyear Dunlop North America Tire Inc.

At Harley-Davidson Tchernavia served as a member of the executive leadership team as well as the company representative and advisor to the HR Committee of its Board of Directors. She crafted the strategic direction and led the execution of the organization’s workforce strategy, specifically in the areas of organizational effectiveness, employee value proposition and experience, succession planning, talent management, organizational and performance management, leadership development, compensation and benefits, employee relations and global inclusion, with a team of approximately 200 human resources professionals across the globe.

She currently serves on the board of directors for Girl Scouts of Southeast Wisconsin, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee and the Marcus Center for Performing Arts and is a member of HR Policy Institute, the Society for Human Resource Management and the National Black MBA Association.

Rocker will join Under Armour in February 2019.

Posted January 23, 2019

Source: Under Armour Inc.

Emerald Textiles Deepens Management Team By Hiring New CEO Richard Bott


LOS ANGELES — January 21, 2019 — Emerald Textiles, a portfolio company of Los Angeles-based private investment firms Pacific Avenue Capital Partners LLC and Highland Avenue Funds LLC, announced that Richard “Rich” Bott has joined the executive management team and was appointed CEO. Bott’s appointment follows Emerald’s recent announcement of its expansion into Los Angeles and the San Diego Market as well as its greenfield expansion in Northern California.

“We are excited to have a leader of Rich’s caliber joining the Emerald team,” said Chris Sznewajs, chairman of the Board of Directors of Emerald Textiles and managing partner and Founder of Pacific Avenue Capital Partners. “Rich has a proven track record of success, high integrity, and brings over twenty-five years of experience in the healthcare service industry. We believe Rich’s deep experience in the healthcare linen and service industry, as well as his strong business sense and collaborative approach, make him the ideal candidate to lead Emerald through its next stage of growth.”

Greg Anderson will transition to executive chairman and will continue to support the business in a daily role, overseeing the integration of the recent acquisitions of the San Diego and Los Angeles facilities, while also providing oversight for the greenfield facility that is underway in Livingston, Calif. Greg will remain a member of the Board of Directors and will lead several other key strategic initiatives for Emerald. “We are excited for Greg’s evolving role as he continues as a key partner to Emerald Textiles. Greg has done an excellent job leading the business through an impressive transformation. I look forward to Greg’s continued involvement in the organization,” Chris Sznewajs added.

“We are excited to have Rich join our team and lead Emerald as the company enters its next phase of growth,” said Greg Anderson. “Rich shares our vision of excellent quality and customer service at a competitive price. Emerald has invested heavily in all of its facilities in San Diego, Los Angeles, Turlock, Livingston and Reno to ensure it has the most modern, safe, and efficient facilities in the industry. I look forward to supporting and working closely with Rich in my new role as Executive Chairman.”

Anderson added: “I want to thank Pacific Avenue and Highland for their support of my vision to scale and grow the company over the last eighteen months. I also want to thank all Emerald Team Members, which is over 1,000 strong for their dedication and support of the company’s vision.”

Prior to Emerald, Rich served as the director of Intermountain Healthcare’s Supply Chain Services, which includes Central Laundry, Design and Print Services, Corporate Travel, Supply Chain Guidance Council, Fleet Management and Sign Center. Before Rich joined Intermountain Healthcare, he served as a medic and LPN in the 328th General Hospital unit of the 96th ARCOM where he began his nursing education at the Academy of Health Sciences. He then was trained clinically at Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas and then at Fitzsimons Medical Center in Aurora, Colorado.

“The Emerald Textiles team has shown an incredible commitment to providing fantastic service at an undeniable value while scaling the organization through both organic growth, acquisitions, capital investments and greenfield opportunities,” said Bott. “It is my pleasure to join this exceptional management team and employee base in continuing to enhance our value proposition and service to our customers.”

Bott is active in the community serving as board chair for The Columbus Community Center, committee chairman for the Boy Scouts of America and has been a delegate for Davis County. Richard also serves as the President Elect of The Association for Linen Management and serves on the board of the International Association for Healthcare Textile Management.

Bott holds an Associates of Nursing Degree from The Academy of Health Sciences, a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Health Services Administration from Weber State University and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. He is a native of Utah and currently resides in Mountain Green, with his wife Darcie and their four children.

Posted January 23, 2019

Source: Emerald Textiles

International Textile Group Becomes Elevate Textiles Following Integration With American & Efird


CHARLOTTE, N.C. — January 22, 2019 — International Textile Group (ITG) announced today the launch of a new name and corporate identity, Elevate Textiles Inc. (Elevate). The new company replaces ITG as the parent company of American & Efird, Burlington, Cone Denim, Gütermann and Safety Components, creating a portfolio of leading global brands that provide innovative solutions and premium textile products throughout the world. Elevate Textiles was born out of the integration of A&E and ITG last year under the leadership of Platinum Equity, which acquired ITG in 2016 and American & Efird in 2018.

Elevate Textiles services 25,000 customers in over 100 countries and across six continents via a global footprint that includes 37 facilities and over 15,000 employees, representing a textile company without parallel in the industry. Our combined company offers customers an unprecedented breadth of textile products and solutions ranging from performance-driven and specialty apparel fabrics, high quality denims, advanced technical fabrics, and premium industrial and consumer sewing threads.

The new parent company will establish its global headquarters in Charlotte, N.C. Current offices in Greensboro, N.C., and Mount Holly, N.C., will remain as divisional headquarters for the respective fabrics and threads portfolio brands.

Elevate Textiles offers a new, innovative approach to the textiles sector, providing both premium fabric and thread solutions globally. As a consolidated platform, Elevate Textiles will continue to focus on operational excellence, safety, and environmental sustainability, with an integrated approach to supply chain, R&D, and procurement. Elevate Textiles is committed to growth through customer collaboration, innovative product development, and delivery of premium, mission-critical textile solutions globally.

Elevate Textiles

With a global array of premium fabric and thread solutions focused on innovation, sustainability and quality craftsmanship, Elevate Textiles provides products that surround us every day and in all facets of life. We offer advanced, high quality products and mission critical textile solutions across vast industries including fashion and functional apparel, footwear, military, fire, medical, athletic, automotive, aerospace, outdoor, and other specialty sectors. Elevate Textiles is committed to delivering solutions that protect and enhance our lives through its global manufacturing platform that includes 37 facilities and over 15,000 employees. Elevate Textiles, a portfolio company of Platinum Equity, offers distinguished global textile brands including American & Efird, Burlington, Cone Denim, Gütermann and Safety Components.

Platinum Equity

Founded in 1995 by Tom Gores, Platinum Equity is a global investment firm with approximately $13 billion of assets under management and a portfolio of approximately 40 operating companies that serve customers around the world. The firm is currently investing from Platinum Equity Capital Partners IV, a $6.5 billion global buyout fund, and Platinum Equity Small Cap Fund, a $1.5 billion buyout fund focused on investment opportunities in the lower middle market. Platinum Equity specializes in mergers, acquisitions and operations — a trademarked strategy it calls M&A&O® — acquiring and operating companies in a broad range of business markets, including manufacturing, distribution, transportation and logistics, equipment rental, metals services, media and entertainment, technology, telecommunications and other industries. Over the past 23 years Platinum Equity has completed more than 250 acquisitions.

Posted January 22, 2019

Source: Elevate Textiles Inc.

Startling Results Found In DuPont Sustainable Solutions’ 2018 Global Operations Risk Survey Of Corporate Leaders

WILMINGTON, Del. — January 22, 2019 — Despite overwhelming evidence of business disruptions that can occur from failing to manage various risks, company executives are not adequately identifying and preparing for risks that can have potentially catastrophic implications on business operations, according to DuPont Sustainable Solutions’ (DSS) annual global survey of company executives. If left unchanged, a company’s operational performance, business continuity, right to operate and ability to deliver consistent value to shareholders could all suffer.

“Old ways of looking at risk are insufficient in today’s global business environment if executives want their organizations to be sustainable and prosper,” said Davide Vassallo, global managing director of DuPont Sustainable Solutions. “Running a successful business is more complex today than ever before, with executives facing numerous challenges on a daily basis both within and outside their organizations. With these challenges come numerous associated risks that executives must successfully anticipate and mitigate. In order to transform an organization, executives should integrate risk into the organizations business strategy to engage employees, increase productivity and drive competitive advantage.”

The findings of DSS’ 2018 global operations risk management survey of executives show that while there is general agreement and acknowledgement among participating executives of important characteristics of a successful risk management program, leaders are failing to implement those characteristics in their organizations. This failure is manifesting in the following ways:

  • Executives are not placing sufficient emphasis on risks that can lead to large-scale incidents. Executives appear to be allowing low incident rates to give them a false sense of security and are not paying attention to other indicators of potential significant events. While 78 percent of survey participants agree that low incident rates do not correlate to reduced risk, two-thirds of executives nonetheless acknowledge feeling safe when they see data indicating incident rates are low or trending to zero.
  • Executives address gaps in risk management processes by adding more processes. Executives participating in the survey agree that processes and systems alone are inadequate to manage risk and ensure operational performance. They agree on the importance of having systems in place to manage risks that are integrated, complement each other and are regularly reviewed for effectiveness. Yet 44 percent admit that gaps in existing systems present a challenge for their organizations.
  • Executives confirm disconnect among personnel in managing risk. One-quarter of surveyed executives feel front-line personnel are not aligned on top risks facing the company. More than half (55 percent) do not feel senior executives are fully aligned on top risks facing the organization which is an increase of 35 percent versus last year’s DSS survey, which is a general indication of a widening engagement gap between company leaders and front-line workers that prevents an organization from effectively recognizing and mitigating risks.

DSS’ annual global risk management survey of executives benchmarks and measures the maturity of operational risk management programs in companies across numerous industries, and examines the challenges they face in effectively managing risk to improve business performance. Executives from more than 350 companies participated in the survey, which was conducted between May and August. One-half of survey participants (52 percent) were senior executives (CEO, CFO, etc.) and one-half (48 percent) were from the executive director level. Sixty percent of participating companies are in high-hazard industries such as mining and metals, oil and gas, and manufacturing. Roughly two-thirds of participating companies have a global presence. Forty-four percent are headquartered in North America, 27 percent in Asia-Pacific and 24 percent in Europe.

Posted January 22, 2019

Source:  DowDuPont Specialty Products, a division of DowDuPont

Teijin To Participate In Outdoor Retailer Snow Show 2019

TOKYO — January 22, 2019 — Teijin Frontier Co. Ltd., the Teijin Group’s fiber and products converting company, announced today that it will participate in Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2019, the world’s largest international sports and outdoor trade fair to be held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Clo., from January 30-February 1.

The Teijin Frontier stand (#MR208) will exhibit DELTAPEAK and related hybrid materials that offer excellent combinations of performance, appearance and texture for sportswear. The stand also will promote Teijin Frontier’s environmentally friendly solutions, including microplastics pollution prevention, reducing hazardous chemicals usage, fossil resource conservation and CO2 emissions reduction.

Some of the many exhibits at the Teijin Frontier stand will include the following:

DELTAPEAK

Deltapeak is a next-generation fabric that integrates physical properties, functionality and quality on a highly advanced level. Thanks to its dense, flat-knit surface, it is a light and stretchable form-fitting, anti-transparent and snag-resistant fabric. Various DELTAPEAK versions will be displayed, including a unique new material that is both form-fitting and highly natural like appearance.

Octa

This fiber features a unique, highly modified cross section of eight projecting fins aligned in a radial pattern around a hollow fiber. Notable advantages include rapid wicking and drying as well as useful bulkiness. Octa Neo is a multilayer fiber that combines Octa fiber with various chemical and natural staple fibers.

SOLOTEX

Polytrimethylene terephthalate fiber SOLOTEX is soft, stretchable, shape-retaining, dimensionally stable and brightly colored thanks to its molecular structure from a flexible spinning-like helix.

Microplastics Pollution Prevention

Non-brushed and heat-insulating materials that help to reduce microplastics will be exhibited. These will include a towel-like pile-structure material, a soft, bulky sweatsuit fabric in the Deltapeak series, and Octa integrated with insulation and lining materials.

The booth will also present Teijin Frontier’s initiatives to protect the human rights of its technical interns from overseas.

Teijin Frontier looks forward to strengthening its recognition and cultivating new customers in the North American outdoor market through its appearance at the Outdoor Retailer Snow Show 2019.

Posted January 22, 2019

Source: Teijin Group

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