Atlanta-based Georgia-Pacific LLC has agreed to sell its Georgia-Pacific Steinfurt GmbH nonwovens business to York, Pa.-based Glatfelter for $185 million. The deal is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory clearance from competition authorities.
The proposed deal includes Georgia-Pacific’s European airlaid nonwovens operations in Steinfurt, Germany, as well as sales offices in France and Italy. Once the deal closes, the approximately 220 Steinfurt employees will become Glatfelter associates.
The deal does not impact any of Georgia-Pacific’s U.S.-based nonwovens businesses including the nonwovens research and development center in Memphis, and operations in Mt. Holly, N.C. and Green Bay, Wis.
“Georgia-Pacific nonwovens employees in Steinfurt have done a great job running a safe and productive operation, and have worked hard to make significant improvements to meet European customer needs,” said Doug Dowdell, president – nonwovens, Georgia-Pacific. “We believe this sale to Glatfelter, an established manufacturer with multiple European operations, is in the best interests of customers and Georgia-Pacific Steinfurt GmbH employees.”
Atlanta-based Crown Capital Investments LLC has acquired Graniteville Specialty Fabrics (GSF), Graniteville, S.C., a producer and distributor of highly engineered coated products used for such items as military shelters, marine covers and tents. GSF will remain in Graniteville, where the company has approximately 17 acres with offices, manufacturing and onsite research facilities.
“Graniteville is a great company and our families are thrilled with the acquisition,” said Christopher Graham, CEO, Crown Capital Investments. “We focus on investing in well-established, market-leading companies and helping them optimize operations, innovate and grow over time. The brand, the products and the management team all demonstrate the high performance attributes we seek within our portfolio companies.”
“Graniteville Specialty Fabrics has been known for quality products and innovation for over 70 years,” said Jim Egan, president, Graniteville Specialty Fabrics. “We’re excited to be associated with Crown Capital. Throughout the process Crown Capital was the obvious choice of our management team.”
Israel-based Avgol is launching Waveform 3D™ technology, a new 3-D concept for fabrics used in hygiene applications. The Waveform process allows nonwovens used for diapers, adult incontinence and feminine hygiene products to be modified with distinctive surface
patterns with varying 3-D profiles. Avgol reports the 3-D fabric composition can impart additional benefits including skin wellness, cushioning and an enhanced cotton feel.
“Investment in Waveform 3D Technology enables Avgol to offer high-performance nonwoven fabrics without compromising comfort,” said Nick Carter, director, Market Business Intelligence and Intellectual Property, Avgol. “The ability to choose whether to use solid, apertured or combination patterns allows the product designer to truly tailor a solution for their application including how the fabric feels, how the fabric functions and how the fabric looks.
“Waveform 3DTechnology is part of an exciting program of novel solutions to meet the ever-evolving regional needs of our customers and deliver added value through leading-edge developments, quality and service.”
The Lenzing Group, Austria, has introduced VEOCEL™, a nonwoven specialty brand of nonwoven fibers. Veocel fibers are certified as clean and safe, biodegradable, of botanic origin and produced in an environmentally responsible manner. Veocel fibers — including Veocell Lyocell and Veocel Specialty Viscose Fibers derived from renewable or sustainable wood sources from certified and controlled forests — can be used in a variety of everyday applications including baby care, beauty and body care and surface cleaning, and applications are grouped in branded offers as Veocel Beauty, Veocel Body, Veocel Intimate and Veocel Surface. The introduction is part of Lenzing’s new brand strategy to transform from a business-to-business fiber producer to a business-to-business-to-consumer brand.
“Guided by our sCore TEN strategy, the launch of the Veocel brand will accelerate our migration into a specialty fiber business with a strong focus on innovation, quality and sustainability,” said Robert van de Kerkhof, chief commercial officer, Lenzing Group. “Through ongoing proactive communication, the Veocel brand will also promote a holistic understanding about the benefits of botanic fibers in nonwoven products across the industry value chain and among consumers.”
Dixie Color Inc., Trion, Ga., has announced it will invest $19 million to establish Dixie Specialty Fibers in Trion. The expansion will create 100 new jobs in production, management, supervisor, technician and administrative roles. Dixie Color specializes in single pigment dispersions, custom color masterbatches and plastic compounding. The addition in Trion is to aid development of a new polyethylene terephthalate microfiber product for bath mats, area rugs and carpet;and support the demands of the fine denier microfiber market.
“Will Dendy and I started Dixie Color in 2009 with the vision of being a full-service color supplier to the tremendous growth of the solution-dyed flooring industry,” said Lee Starks, vice president of Dixie Color. “The formation of Dixie Specialty Fibers is representative of our commitment to continue to reinvest our resources into our employees, community, and customer base. We are excited to be the first local domestic supplier of microfiber, and we are even more excited about the opportunities it will create for our existing and future employees, as well as continuing to meet our customers’ needs.”
Loop Industries, Terrebonne, Quebec, is designing a fully integrated manufacturing facility to upcycle waste polyester (PET) and PET fiber into virgin quality Loop™ PET resin and polyester fiber. Loop reports the move is the next step in commercializing its Generation II technology. Coupled with Loop’s proprietary depolymerization technology, the state-of-the-art PET production processes allow plastic waste to be used as feedstock to manufacture Loop PET resin. The process separates the PET from all contaminants — including colors, dyes or additives — and recycles waste PET and polyester fiber in any form or condition into virgin quality Loop PET resin and fiber. This integrated manufacturing model will form the basis of the company’s commercialization strategy.
“A fully integrated start-to-finish process will soon exist to commercialize Loop’s innovative Generation II technology and help tackle the global plastic crisis,” said Daniel Solomita, CEO and Founder of Loop. “These facilities will make it possible for all forms of waste PET and polyester fiber, even ocean plastics that have been degraded by the sun and saltwater, to be fully recovered and upcycled into PET of the highest purity and performance quality.”
A team of Colorado State University (CSU) polymer chemists led by professor Eugene Chen report they have synthesized a polymer named bacterial poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (P3HB) that shows early promise as a substitute for petroleum-based plastics. The team’s results recently were published in Nature Communications.
The P3HB biomaterial is typically produced using bacteria, algae and other microorganisms, but its high production costs and limited volumes make more widespread use impractical, according to the CSU researchers.
The method derived at CSU produces P3HB similar in performance to bacterial P3HB, but at a faster rate, which offers the potential for more cost-effective, higher-volume production.
For their research, the CSU team — including research scientist Xiaoyan Tang, the paper’s first author — used succinate as a starting material. Succinate is an ester form of succinic acid and is produced via the fermentation of glucose. The acid appears first on the U.S. Department of Energy’s list of top 12 biomass-derived compounds best positioned to replace petroleum-based chemicals. The researchers also implemented a class of powerful new catalysts they designed, which allowed them to synthesize the P3HB using succinate. A provisional patent has been filed through CSU Ventures for the new technology.
The Netherlands-based Royal DSM has announced plans for an increase in global Dyneema® capacity. The company cites strong demand for both the Dyneema UD uni-directional composite laminate for ballistics and Dyneema fiber as the reason for the expansion.
The company will install new UD technology at its headquarters location in Heerlen, the Netherlands as well as at its plant in Greenville, N.C. The investment also includes upgrades to existing lines to expand both Dyneema UD and fiber capacity. In total, the company will increase Dyneema UD capacity more than 20 percent globally, with the additional capacity expected to come online over the course of 2018 and be complete by the first quarter of 2019.
“Dyneema products are finding use in a broad and ever-increasing range of markets and applications in which lightweight strength is of the essence, for instance best-in-class protective ballistic vests, inserts and helmets,” said DSM Dyneema President Wilfrid Gambade. “These investments will enable us to better accommodate growing customer demand and needs while further extending our global leadership position.”
The Infiltrator Jacket available from Seattle-based Outdoor Research® features GORE-TEX® fabric with stretch technology.
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American armed forces are tasked with defending our country in the air, on land and at sea no matter how challenging the environment.
Because of the unique and global nature of this mission, the Department of Defense (DOD) must buy an estimated 8,000 different U.S.-made textile products annually to satisfy its various operational needs. When different sizes are factored into the item mix, there are some 31,000 line items sourced from the textile industry by the military each year.
Fortunately for America, manufacturers like Newark, Delaware-based W.L. Gore & Associates Inc. (Gore) and New Bedford, Massachusetts-based Brittany Global Technologies (Brittany) are up to the job of helping to make textile-based defense products that are the most technically advanced in the world.
Innovations For All Environments, Situations
Famous for its GORE-TEX®-branded consumer products, Gore also is a high-level innovator that manufactures military textiles, including those used in protective gear.
Jason Rodriguez, marketing communications manager, Military Fabrics, W.L. Gore, notes that the environment and a warfighters protection and comfort in that environment are of prime importance to Gore as the company conducts research and development on innovative fabrics for the armed forces.
“Our protective fabrics are designed essentially to help warfighters improve their mission effectiveness by staying alert, staying comfortable, staying dry, and remaining protected no matter what their environment is,” said Rodriguez. “Those are very important elements when developing high-tech fabrics within our business.”
Gore was founded in 1958 by Wilbert “Bill” Lee Gore and his wife Genevieve Walton Gore, initially serving the electronics market. In 1969 when Wilbert’s son Robert “Bob” Gore discovered expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE), the company launched GORE-TEX and went on to become a leader in fluoropolymer technologies that apply to many different industries. The first GORE-TEX customer used the fabric in a tent application.
“GORE-TEX is our signature fabric within the Fabrics Division,” Rodriguez said. “It is our legacy product. However, we’re continuing to develop new fabric technologies around that — lighter weight and thinner products within the GORE-TEX portfolio — to continue improving mission effectiveness and assist with lightening the overall load for the warfighter. We are also developing innovations in new areas such as chemical and biological protection; uniforms that leverage ePTFE fiber; and self-extinguishing, flame resistant products.”
Some of Gore’s latest protective technologies for military applications include GORE® CHEMPAK® fabrics— used for chembio uniform applications that feature a stretch technology — and GORE® Katana fabric — a blend of ePTFE, nylon and cotton fibers specifically engineered for hot weather and tropical operations. According to Gore, uniform-specific fabrics optimize air-permeability, dry time and strength-to-weight ratio and can exhibit no melt or drip during flash-fire incidents.
GORE-TEX® PYRAD® is a weatherproof, breathable fabric that was designed to also offer a unique blend of flame resistance (FR), thermal insulation and thermal properties. Gore reports PYRAD® fabrics also are lightweight, fast drying and abrasion resistant. “GORE® PYRAD® is an engineered flame-resistant technology that can be integrated into waterproof and non-waterproof technologies,” Rodriguez said. “The technology has also been leveraged in tent applications.”
“Gore continues to expand our technical fabrics portfolio into areas that are providing enhanced protection against weather, contaminants or flash-fire incidents that the military is faced with,” Rodriguez said. “We focus on delivering this performance in garments, footwear and gloves. It’s a system level approach where Gore can provide a solution that can protect warfighters in the field.”
“In addition to having a rain chamber and various testing labs, Gore recently invested in a state-of-the-art heat and flame lab and comfort chamber,” said Donald C. Vavala, director, Military Government Affairs, Gore. “The heat and flame lab can simulate various test methods traditionally conducted by a third party. The comfort chamber was designed to replicate climates from across the world. Gore keeps investing in assets to ensure we can continue to provide great products now for the warfighter, but also meet the future needs of the warfighter.
“One thing I think helps Gore stand apart from other fabric providers is our comprehensive and robust understanding of our customers’ needs and the end-use application,” Vavala added. “Our commitment to fitness for end use is paramount. Our products undergo rigorous testing both in our facility and in the field to ensure they do what we say they will do first time and every time. We adhere to high standards of quality and product integrity. We want to make sure that our warfighters have an advantage when they are on the battlefield. Their protection is paramount in our minds — their ability to execute the mission and come back from the mission — and anything we can do to help that is hugely important to Gore.”
Expertise Required
Once a high-tech fabric is specified by the military, it must then be fine-tuned with camouflage and other special protective technologies to maximize its effectiveness for warfighters in the field. Brittany Global Technologies specializes in adding these enhancements through dyeing, printing and finishing.
Dyeing and printing are the two most common processing methods to color textiles. While dyeing produces only one color, printing is a more complex process whereby various colored designs are imparted on a fabric surface. Finishing refers to subsequent processes that turn a dyed or printed textile into a more useable product by improving its look, performance and feel.
“The specs are very numerous” said Ken Joblon, president, Brittany Global Technologies. “That’s one of the most challenging aspects of working for the U.S. military — being consistent with the specs as well as matching the colors accurately. They are extremely exacting.”
“The military needs stringent specs because they want the fabric to perform at its very best,” said John Kenyon, COO and vice president, Brittany Global Technologies. “Brittany has state-of-the-art equipment, a lot of technology developed over the years, and the military really looks to us now as someone that can provide the very best fabrics. It’s very proprietary in nature, but we do use special dyes, chemicals and formulations of course,” Kenyon added. “The soldier’s uniform just continues to get better and better. The soldier’s uniform needs to stand up to harsh conditions and needs to fulfill a lot of different functions.”
Brittany maintains a government certified lab with all the necessary testing equipment to be sure it meets the military’s specifications for each product. Every lot is certified with an official government report.
Ken Joblon has been with Brittany Global Technologies his entire career. His father started the company in 1939 after purchasing a screen printing company for $300.
Brittany, founded in 1939, is a second-generation family business with a long history in textile printing and dyeing. In the early 2000s, the company — feeling pressure from low-cost imports — began investigating new markets to strengthen its business. The company’s willingness to innovate and diversify rather than stand still, led them to the military business.
“I feel gratified to play a part in equipping our military,” Joblon said. “I know our military has the best equipment available. We are all proud of what we do here, and it’s a fast-moving business. We have to be very nimble as things happen fast, and we must respond very quickly. In order to respond, many pieces must be in place, a few of which include having raw materials on hand, to having the right machinery, and having trained people to take care of whatever needs the government may have. That’s our culture.”
Editor’s Note: This article appears in Textile World courtesy of the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) as part of the “American Textiles: We Make Amazing™” campaign. NCTO is a trade association representing U.S. textile manufacturing. Please visit ncto.org to learn more about NCTO, the industry and the campaign.
A&E — a leading producer of sewing thread, embroidery thread and technical textiles — has recycled and reused more than 1.1 billion liters of wastewater since 2013, and 16 operations and support facilities have achieved 100 percent zero-waste-to-landfill status.
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The landmark National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) made it U.S. policy to better protect the environment and promote sustainability. To achieve this laudable goal, virtually everyone must participate — companies, consumers, state and local governments and institutions. Proudly, the U.S. textile industry has been a pacesetter in this important area by routinely exceeding government mandates.
Albert Einstein once said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” This commitment to a new way of thinking is why many U.S. textile companies have altered production methodologies, adopted sophisticated recycling programs and instituted zero net waste policies to ensure the protection of our environment and natural resources. Two that stand out are American & Efird LLC (A&E), and the Jones Family of Companies.
Founded in 1891, Mount Holly, North Carolina-based A&E is a global company and among the world’s foremost manufacturers of sewing thread, embroidery thread and technical textiles.
“A core part of our business strategy is to operate all of our global facilities in a sustainable manner,” said A&E CEO Les Miller in the company’s most recent sustainability report. “It is not only a good business practice to do so, but it is the right thing to do for all of our stakeholders.”
“A&E is proud to be at the forefront of sustainability,” said Jimmy Summers, A&E’s vice president – Environmental, Health & Safety/ Sustainability. “A&E helped pioneer transparency in the thread industry by sharing its first sustainability report in 2010, which incorporated actual performance data and targets.”
Summers noted that the company maintains a program called “The Ten Threads of Sustainability.” Each thread addresses an area of environmental responsibility and outlines A&E’s commitment.
A&E views this as a journey and not a destination, and while it has made some significant progress, the objective is to continue pressing the envelope in regard to its environmental goals. For example, Summers reports that the company has recycled and reused more than 1.1 billion liters of wastewater since 2013. Furthermore, 16 operations and support facilities have achieved 100-percent zero-waste-to-landfill status. Overall, from 2006 to 2016, the company reduced its worldwide greenhouse gas intensity by 6 percent and reduced its global power consumption by 10 percent when measured in kilowatts per kilogram of thread manufactured. Forty-four percent of the fuels used to create steam at A&E dyeing operations were renewable and carbon neutral in 2016.
“In our view, a sustainability program cannot be sustainable unless companies consider the health and well-being of their associates,” said Summers. “For this reason, safety is a core part of A&E’s sustainability program, promoting safe working environments by using tools such as safety audits, residual risk reduction and SNAP — or Stop, Notice, Act and Prevent, which is an observation feedback program designed to engage our associates and encourage their participation in the safety process.”
Said CEO Miller: “Sustainability is ingrained in the culture of A&E. We strive to earn the continued trust of our customers through our high-quality products, services and sustainability performance.”
Another organization that has a long history of conservation and recycling is the Humboldt, Tennessee-based Jones Family of Companies. “We have developed many products with sustainable principles as the blueprint for product differentiation and performance efficacy,” said Patrick Owens, vice president, strategic marketing, Nonwovens.
Jones Nonwovens employees are instrumental in the production of the Synchronicity biodegradable packaging materials made using bast and cotton fibers from post- harvest plants and textile waste.
Founded in 1936, the company is a family-owned business comprised of Jones Yarn and Jones Nonwovens. The yarn business combines natural and man-made fibers — including recycled textile by-products — into yarns that are used in floor care tools like mops. The nonwovens side of the business produces nonwoven materials from natural fibers including reclaimed cotton, wool, jute and hemp. In addition to packaging, these fibers can be used in such applications as cotton batting for fire barriers, mattress insulation and other thermal insulation applications.
The company recently announced a doubling of capacity at its Jones Nonwovens plant located in North Las Vegas, Nevada. The expansion was in part to meet market needs for thicker and more resilient sustainable and natural material products for mattresses, which are beginning to replace synthetic components and foam.
Jones Nonwovens has recently also been making headlines for its new biodegradable Synchronicity packaging, a more environmentally friendly option to the polystyrene foam common in a lot of cold packaging.
“In the United States, almost a quarter of all landfill waste comes from packaging and containers, a significant number that will continue to grow without drastic intervention,” Owens said. “For decades, this destructive packaging has been synonymous with non-biodegradable petroleum-based products.”
Synchronicity combats this problem by using bast and cotton fibers from post-harvest plants and textile waste. Natural fibers exhibit many of the same properties as packaging material currently on the market, allowing for thermal management and protection. But they also decompose over time, returning naturally to the environment. Jones Nonwovens proclaims that the recyclable properties of natural fibers “make them the ecological choice for a farm-to-packaging process that shortens the cold chain at no added cost.”
“As for the name, Synchronicity, we were trying to put together a message that would be representative of the Jones philosophy and the emerging trends in the marketplace,” Owens said. “We knew there was a tremendous amount of concern, particularly among millennials, about waste and packaging, and we felt there were solutions that could be created. The name Synchronicity describes the harmonious relationship between material applications and consumer desires.”
Owens continued: “Our first focus has been on packaging, particularly thermal-insulated packaging. This is especially timely as a rise in e-commerce has necessitated the use of a lot of packaging materials.” He cited home grocery and food orders as examples. “Consumers ordering these perishable meals once or twice a week have begun to build up a lot of waste,” Owens said.
Jones’ history of recycling and repurposing began many years ago. The company first became known in the cotton industry. “Our company has deep roots in cotton,” Owens said. “Our philosophy has always been to make the best use of materials. It became one of our core competencies years ago to process materials that were not first grade. We would use such materials as gin byproducts, while the high-quality cotton would be sent to traditional textile companies. We would repurpose these into value-added products, while at the same time eliminating some of the waste produced by the gin. This is why we say we have a history of sustainability. We have been doing this for a long time. We became very good at working with materials that have been discarded and bringing them back into value-added applications.”
Owens also said Jones Nonwovens has joined the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), an initiative that brings together companies, educational institutions and government agencies involved with the packaging supply chain. Goals of the SPC include a collective development of resources and the implementation of packaging solutions.
“We see this as a great opportunity to work with like-minded companies as we strive to develop our efforts in the world of sustainable packaging,” Owens said.
Editor’s Note: This article appears in Textile World courtesy of the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) as part of the “American Textiles: We Make Amazing™” campaign. NCTO is a trade association representing U.S. textile manufacturing. Please visit ncto.org to learn more about NCTO, the industry and the campaign.
