Columbia Sportswear Company Announces Intention To Acquire Remaining Interest In China Joint Venture From Swire Resources Limited

PORTLAND, Ore. — April 10, 2018 — Columbia Sportswear Co. today announced its intent to acquire the remaining 40-percent interest in Columbia Sportswear Commercial (Shanghai) Co., the joint venture that it currently operates in China with Swire Resources Ltd., a subsidiary of Swire Pacific Ltd. The acquisition is subject to various conditions, including regulatory approval in China, and is expected to be completed on or about January 1, 2019.

Tim Boyle, Columbia’s president and CEO, said: “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 in Hong Kong and Macau going forward. We are very pleased with the performance of our joint venture since 2014. We have positioned the Columbia brand for long-term sustained growth in the crucial Chinese market. The acquisition is consistent with our strategy to accelerate investment as a brand-led, consumer-first business in the areas of highest growth potential for our existing brands”.

Richard Sell, director, Trading and Industrial Division of Swire Pacific, said: “The strategic partnership between Columbia Sportswear and Swire Resources in greater China has been a proven success over many years. As the mainland China business embarks on its next phase of growth, we wish Columbia every success. We look forward to continuing to develop our Hong Kong and Macau business together and building our partnership over the years ahead”.

The joint venture began operations on January 1, 2014, with headquarters in Shanghai. Columbia Sportswear Co. currently owns 60 percent of the operation; Swire owns 40 percent, with profits and losses shared in similar proportions. The joint venture had an initial term of 20 years but included a provision for the purchase or sale of the minority interest any time after the fifth year.

The joint venture’s 2017 sales in China totaled approximately $168 million, generating low-teens operating margin. Sales are on pace to achieve high single-digit growth in 2018. Future plans include continued investments in building the Columbia brand in China, as well as expansion of direct and dealer-operated retail locations. We also intend to maintain the existing management team, staff, dealers, and distribution networks that have helped the Columbia brand flourish in China.

Jason Zhu will continue as general manager of Columbia Sportswear Commercial (Shanghai) Co.

As of December 31, 2017, the joint venture operated 86 retail store locations in China. In addition, the joint venture sells its products through brand-specific e-commerce websites in China across multiple platforms and has distribution relationships with approximately 50 wholesale dealers that operate approximately 750 retail locations.

Reflecting Columbia’s 60 percent ownership stake, the joint venture has been fully consolidated in Columbia Sportswear’s operating results and financial position beginning with the first quarter of 2014, in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

Swire’s share of the net income of the joint venture is included in net income attributable to non-controlling interest in Columbia’s Consolidated Statements of Operations. The non-controlling equity interest in the joint venture is presented separately in Columbia’s Consolidated Balance Sheets and Consolidated Statements of Equity.

Swire’s share of the profit of the associated company is included in the share of losses less profits of associated companies in Swire’s consolidated statement of profit or loss. Swire’s share of the net assets of the associated company is included under associated companies in Swire’s consolidated statement of financial position.

Swire Resources will continue to serve as the exclusive independent distributor of Columbia Sportswear in Hong Kong and Macau. Swire Resources had previously operated as Columbia Sportswear’s exclusive independent distributor of Columbia branded products in China from 2004 until the beginning of the joint venture.

Posted April 11, 2018

Source: Columbia Sportswear Co.

Lectra Launches Quick Estimate And Quick Nest Cloud Applications

PARIS — April 10, 2018 — Lectra, the technological partner for companies using fabrics and leather, has released its first of a series of cloud-based applications conceptualized for product development and production teams. Quick Estimate and Quick Nest will be launched in France and Italy and will then become available progressively in other countries.

As part of Lectra’s Industry 4.0 strategy, Lectra collaborated with its leading, digitally-attuned customers to develop apps that empower decision-makers to respond in an instant.

Quick Estimate revs up product development efficiency and
is instrumental to managing costs. Quick Nest provides easy access to automatic marker making and capitalizes on cloud technology to handle heavy volumes of calculations in parallel, maximizing productivity and marker efficiency.

Leveraging the industrial Internet of Things, lean development principles and cloud-based computing, Lectra aims to provide anytime, anywhere access to business enhancing applications. Gone are the days of limited storage space and slow calculation speed. These well-packaged, light cloud applications will redefine the way fashion customers store and process data.

Fabric often accounts for as much as 60 to 70 percent of the cost of a garment. Quick Estimate allows product development teams to calculate fabric requirements instantly from their Modaris® — Lectra’s 2-D/3-D patternmaking and grading solution — working environment with direct access to the cloud applications. Pattern developers now have the flexibility to make pattern adjustments more quickly to optimize costs, while protecting the brand’s quality and assuring speed-to-market.

Quick Nest can be accessed through Diamino®, Lectra’s marker-making solution. During the production development stages, Quick Nest users will be able to process more detailed markers faster. Quick Nest can also be used by production teams to treat lists of markers automatically in record time via the cloud.

These apps will also ensure enterprise-wide transparency as management teams gain full visibility of consumption needs for all products in development and production, thanks to viewable access of consolidated data for approval and reporting purposes.

“The end-goal of our new strategy is clear: we want to put our customers at the core of our business. We want them to thrive in this new digital era. Our latest Industry 4.0-friendly apps will serve as growth catalysts for their businesses by enabling them to make sound decisions based on real-time information,” explains Daniel Harari, chairman and CEO, Lectra. “And this is just the beginning. More innovative apps are yet to come.”

Posted April 10, 2018

Source: Lectra

Americhem Offers Antimicrobial Performance In More Markets, More Applications

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — April 10, 2018 — Americhem — a designer and manufacturer of custom color masterbatch, functional additives, engineered compounds and performance technologies — has widened its antimicrobial functional additive offerings to provide protection for more applications in more markets than ever before. While the company has long been recognized as a supplier of antimicrobial additives in applications such as textiles and carpets, acquisitions and ongoing R&D efforts have allowed Americhem to become a full-service provider of antimicrobial additives for manufacturers using resins such as nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene, thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic olefins, polyvinyl chloride, and other polymers.

Americhem now provides antimicrobial solutions to the fiber, nonwoven, molded or extruded profiles markets throughout the world, including additives that remain stable during processing across a wide range of temperatures. Depending on the application, Americhem offers a variety of different antimicrobial technologies through its nShield™ family of products to suit various polymer chemistries, surface characteristics and processing requirements. Attendees of the NPE2018 tradeshow, taking place from May 7-11 in Orlando, Florida, will have an opportunity to see some of the varied end-use products benefiting from Americhem’s antimicrobial technology at Booth S17031.

“We are taking our expertise in perfecting antimicrobial additives for applications like odor-resistant garments and are applying that knowledge to help promote public hygiene and general cleanliness,” explained Vaman Kulkarni, director, Technology and Business Development, Extrusions for Americhem. “We now offer antimicrobial additives for everything from consumer goods that are frequently touched, like baby changing stations, to applications that require strong antifungal protection, like fuel tanks. We have the tools to deliver solutions at the right performance point for each customer.”

Posted April 10, 2018

Source: Americhem

Phoseon Announces Investment For Continued Strong Growth

HILLSBORO, Ore. — April 10, 2018 — Phoseon Technology has announced its continued business expansion and growth plan.

“The positive investment atmosphere for corporations in the U.S. and the continuing need for innovative LED solutions demanded by the markets we serve, have created the need for further expansion of our Hillsboro, Oregon, facility,” said Bill Cortelyou, president and CEO, Phoseon. “Operating as a global supplier to the industry, the latest move by the U.S. government to support a competitive corporate tax structure will make us even more competitive.”

Phoseon is excited to announce its latest expansion, increasing its headquarters by more than 50 percent, including added space for manufacturing, design and its new Life Sciences division. Phoseon has exceeded 25 percent annual growth for the past five years and this expansion will allow Phoseon, with 175 employees, to continue its growth trajectory at an even greater pace. In addition to this U.S. expansion, Phoseon recently established a wholly owned entity in Shanghai, China.

“The UV LED market is still in its infancy,” said Avinash Matani, research analyst from The Insight Partners. “As the technology grows and matures, and market leaders like Phoseon Technology amplify its capabilities, we expect this market to continue to grow at greater than 25 percent annually.”

Furthermore, the global UV LED market is anticipated to exceed $1.3 billion by 2025. An increase in the number of companies offering UV LED packages, and expansion of UV technology in various applications, including curing, purification, analytical instruments and medical phototherapy, will have the biggest impact on the adoption of UV LED technology over the forecast period.

“Phoseon is encouraged by the progress and market presence we’ve attained over the past 16 years moving us forward while strengthening our leadership position,” said Chris O’Leary, Phoseon CFO. “With a strong balance sheet, we will continue to invest heavily in research and development to enable high-value solutions to lead this market transition. Phoseon currently offers the broadest portfolio of innovative LED solutions across the industrial curing and life sciences market.”

Phoseon has shipped more than 100,000 lamps used for applications ranging from packaging solutions for consumer goods to disinfection of laboratory samples. Its platform of LED solutions are found around the world, and it continues to be the performance leader due to Phoseon’s capability of getting more energy and focused output from UV LEDs than any global competitor.

Posted April 10, 2018

Source: Phoseon Technology

ITM 2018 Exhibitor Preview: Santex Rimar Group – SMIT

TRISSINO, Italy — April 10th, 2018 — On the occasion of ITM 2018, SMIT is proud to present the brand-new model of the GS900 series released after the entrance in SANTEX RIMAR GROUP: SMIT GS980.

New Smit GS980 is the fastest free flight rapier machine of the market and has improved in terms of versatility, performance, production quality, efficiency and sustainability.

The free flight ribbons system marks out Smit weaving machine since years: smart and flexible, Smit GS980 has been designed and manufactured in Italy combining some of the most reliable Smit features with groundbreaking function solutions that make Smit GS980 an asset that will keep its value for a long time.

Fabrics for apparel, home textile, technical applications and exclusive yarns and patterns can today be woven with excellent quality on Smit GS980.

The year 2018 represents a significant milestone for Smit which celebrates 80 years after the foundation in 1938.

The machine name has been given after the 80th anniversary of Smit which was founded in Italy and soon turned out to be an estimated leading manufacturer of weaving machines.

“Smit GS980 will bring more value to our customers and the best ratio between productivity versus running costs,” said Simone Rancan, Smit CEO. “At our booth we will be weaving denim, curtains and our famous high-quality terry towel fabric. The quality of the fabric produced with our machines has always been a reference for the market and with the new Smit GS980 we will surely continue to exploit this advantage. The general trend of moving towards productions of higher quality fabrics is already happening and some of our customers at the moment are exploiting some market niches where they can find more profitability: in these circumstances our new Smit GS980 is the right technology for forward momentum.”

Thanks to Santex Rimar Group’s combined know-how, Smit is committed to innovation and machinery improvement, considering the whole complementary processes and specific customers’ needs. During the tradeshow it will be possible to see Smit GS980 for the first time and meet our staff.

Visit Smit at ITM 2018 at Hall 2, Booth 215A. Visit Santex Rimar Group in Hall 12, Booth 1206.

Posted April 10, 2018

Source: Santex Rimar Group

Loepfe’s WeftMaster CUT-it May Increase Quality, Reduce Lot Change Times

WETZIKON, Switzerland — April 10, 2018 — Hot wire cutters are the standard tools in weaving processes, when it comes to cutting of woven synthetic fabrics. One of the world’s most applied fabric cutter systems is the WeftMaster TC-1S from Loepfe. A hot wire cutter in combination with a matching control unit, melts the fabric and produces a precise cut or a perfect selvedge. The method prevents the cut edges from fraying. Controlling the temperature of the cutting wire is crucial, it must be heated to reach the correct melting point to separate the fabric precisely without burning it. Loepfe now offers the new digital thermal cutting control unit WeftMaster CUT-iT to ensure constant high-quality selvedges.

The digital control unit has various innovative features, which ensure top quality output in the weaving mill. Because of the intelligent control, the cutting temperature remains constant during operation. One control unit can operate up to four hot wire cutters at highest power. The boost mode ensures to reach the temperature needed in a minimum of time during fast machine start-ups. At machine stops, the control unit reduces the temperature immediately to stand-by. Thanks to the exact temperature control, the WeftMaster CUT-iT is a perfect match for cutting sensitive and finest fabrics, which are used in filter materials or medical products.

The newly designed user interface makes the temperature settings very easy. Up to ten user-defined settings can be added to the predefined settings. This ensures reproducible high quality for frequent lot-changes, as the temperature setting is recalled with a press of a button. “The feature of storing lot settings results in the direct benefit of reproducible quality and the easy and timesaving processing of new orders”, said Luc Vanoverschelde, product manager at Loepfe. The WeftMaster CUT-iT control unit can operate in Client-Server mode with a maximum of 32 client units. When changing the setting on the server unit, the settings on all client units change simultaneously. This new functionality allows operating over 100 cutters in parallel. A typical application is the production of ribbons out of woven fabrics. The new thermal cutting control unit operates with 24 V DC. The power comes from the weaving machine or an industry standard power supply is used.

Loepfe´s WeftMaster CUT-iT is the ideal fabric cutter system for thermal cutting from thin and light to dense and heavy synthetic fabrics. All applications with a high quality demand benefit from the innovative solution. Typical applications include carpet backings, airbags, geotextiles, and labels for clothing.

Posted April 10, 2018

Source: Loepfe

Starlinger Provides Circular Loom To Bangladesh University Of Textiles

StarlingerBangladesh
Arnold Sillipp (right), Starlinger, hands over the circular loom to Professor Engr. Mashud Ahmed. ©Starlinger

VIENNA — April 10, 2018 — In mid-2017, the Bangladesh University of Textiles was looking for a state-of-the-art circular loom that could be used in the training of its students. Given Starlinger’s leading position in the field, the university approached the Austrian engineering company with the request for an offer for a six-shuttle circular loom RX 6.0, which produces high quality fabric from polypropylene tapes. After receiving the university’s inquiry, the company decided to combine the request with the 13th Bangladesh International Plastics, Printing & Packaging Industry Fair (IPF) in Dhaka. The floor space booking was increased to around 100 m² in order to exhibit a circular loom RX 6.0. At the exhibition, this machine was then officially handed over to Vice-Chancellor Professor Engr. Mashud Ahmed of the Bangladesh University of Textiles as a free of charge loan for teaching purposes on February 1, 2018.

The Bangladeshi market is of great importance to Starlinger due to its immense potential, as the annual growth in the area of woven sacks is above world market average. In the first half of 2017, Bangladesh was the European Union’s third most important supplier of flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBCs or big bags)1. For more than 20 years, local customers have been using Starlinger machinery for the production of woven plastic packaging (e.g., woven sacks, cement sacks, or FIBCs) as well as for the recycling of production waste.

“In Bangladesh, approx. 15 companies produce over 500 million sacks on our machines every year,” says Arnold Sillipp, Regional Sales Manager at Starlinger. “Our customers value the quality of our machines as well as the quality of the final product.” Starlinger regards the provision of a circular loom RX 6.0 as an investment into the future, as it will contribute to the technology-based education of future textile engineers.

Posted April 10, 2018

Source: Starlinger

Kelheim Fibres Celebrates 4,000,000 Metric Tons Of Viscose Fibers

KELHEIM, Germany — On Monday 9th April specialty fiber manufacturer Kelheim Fibres produced its 4,000,000th ton of viscose fibres.

The “jubilee tonne“ was produced on line 2 and is a Galaxy® fiber — an appropriate coincidence according to production manager Konrad Brunner: “This speciality fiber is made for the tampon industry, one of the most important pillars of our business. This fiber combines our strengths: unique and patented fiber properties meet production conditions that fulfill the strict hygiene requirements of this sensitive final product. It’s not by chance that we have established a world-leading position in this area.”

Considering that about 5.000 shirts or even 500.000 tampons can be produced from one tonne of viscose fibers alone, we can get an idea of how many people all over the world have come into contact with viscose fibers from Kelheim.

CEO Craig Barker is proud of the anniversary, too: “Of course, there are bigger viscose fiber plants than ours. Plants that can produce the same amount of fibers in less time. But there is no one else who is able to put more than 80 years of experience in every single one of their fibers. At Kelheim, there are families working in the third or even fourth generation for our company. Their loyalty as well as their engagement and know-how are the cornerstone of our success: Our employees, together with our consistent innovation strategy and our small and flexible production lines, make us the world’s leading manufacturer of viscose speciality fibers. To further reinforce that position is our goal for the next million tons of viscose fibers and beyond!”

Kelheim
Production Manager Konrad Brunner (right) and members of his team present the 4,000,000th metric ton of viscose fibers produced by Kelheim Fibres

Posted April 10, 2018

Source: Kelheim Fibres

DiloGroup Put Into Operation The Latest Carding Technology At Kisbu Group

EBERBACH, Germany — April 6, 2018 — DiloGroup has put into operation a newly developed high capacity carding installation of 3,800 millimeters working width including MultiFeed card feeding and DON dosing opener at Kisbu A.S. in Muratli/Tekirdag, Turkey.

The fiber preparation stage includes Baltromix fibre opening, carding willow and a Mixmaster fiber blending installation of DiloTemafa.

The carding installation is followed by a water entanglement line, various dryers, automatic
production control system as well as cutting and winding equipment.

The complete line has been designed to produce technical products using different raw
materials.

The products of the new line may be used in the following applications: medicine, hygiene,
industrial and automotive.

KisbuGroup was founded in 1978. Since then they have extended successfully into the
textile, synthetic materials and construction industries and in 1997 Kisbu started producing
nonwovens.

In the nonwovens sector the following products are available: PP Spunbond (SS, SMMS), thermal/chemical bonding, PE castfilm extrusion, coating, hotmelt lamination and printing.

The new nonwoven line delivered by DiloGroup in 2017 has started production successfully.

Posted April 10, 2018

Source: Dilo Group

Covestro LLC At The American Coatings Show 2018

INDIANAPOLIS — April 9, 2018 — At the American Coatings Show 2018 (ACS), Covestro LLC will demonstrate the versatility of its polyurethane- and polyaspartic-based raw materials and their use in diverse markets ranging from corrosion and construction to glass and textiles.

At the show, Covestro will launch its new Bayhydrol® UH 2887 for vinyl window coatings. The fast drying, easy-to-use polyurethane dispersion (PUD) gives one-component (1K) coatings comparable performance to two-component (2K) waterborne coatings. In addition to eliminating the need to mix two components, it lessens waste by offering no potlife limitations, reduces inventory management complexity and boosts painting throughput.

Covestro will also preview materials for decorative peelable coatings, which will allow users to change the appearance of their vehicle at their convenience, as frequently as they’d like. Designed with the automotive aftermarket in mind, the 1K water-based raw materials are a more environmentally friendly formula that can help customers meet North American VOC restrictions, including those from California. Decorative peelable coatings feature superior gasoline resistance, scratch resistance and greater efficiency with heavy duty properties, all while offering a safe and easy removal process.

To help customers find the right formulation of raw materials before finalizing a coating, Covestro will demonstrate the use of a new digital formulation mapping service. With this system, users will be able to quickly and easily develop formulations that meet their specific market and customer needs. This tool not only allows product configurations to be custom-designed, but also drastically reduces development time, helping products reach customers faster than ever before.

In addition to these highlights, Covestro will display solutions for the following markets:

  • Construction: Components in the built environment require protection from the elements, chemicals and more. With polyurethanes and polyaspartics from Covestro, these materials resist abrasion, chemicals and weather, and adhere to a wide range of substrates. Raw materials for coatings can be customized for different applications, from concrete floor coatings to architectural, waterproofing and roof coatings.
  • Corrosion Protection: Protective coatings extend the life of the smallest of metal parts to the largest marine vessels. Anti-corrosion coatings formulated with raw materials from Covestro, including polyurethane, polyaspartic and polyester resins, are most effective for preventing corrosion.
  • Glass: Coatings help protect and decorate glass in applications ranging from beverage containers to buildings. Polyurethane coatings formulated with Covestro raw materials reduce temperature and curing time by two-thirds compared to traditional ceramic coatings, providing significant energy and time savings. Recent developments from Covestro allow for low-VOC, low-temperature and no-bake options, while more environmentally friendly materials, like waterborne organic coatings, reduce solvent emissions during the application process.
  • Textiles: Coated fabrics are functional and pleasing to the eye. High-tech waterborne polyurethane technology from Covestro plays a key role in bringing a broad range of functionalities, like effects, finishes and color, to the market. Polyurethane coatings are the key to high-quality materials that offer comfort and durability.

Covestro experts will share their coatings knowledge as they give presentations at the event. The talks are scheduled for:

  • 10:30 a.m., Monday, April 9: Mike Jeffries, field technology service manager, Coatings, Adhesives & Specialties, will highlight the versatile chemistry of polyurethane coatings during a pre-conference tutorial.
  • 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, April 10: Chuck Gambino, ‎application development scientist for general industrial coatings, will discuss “New Hybrid Floor Coating Technology,” highlighting a new UV-cure polyaspartic floor coating technology recently developed to satisfy the needs of both the facility owner and the floor contractor.
  • 2:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 10: Makoto Nakao, senior scientist, will present “1K PUR Dispersion with Comparable Performance to 2K Waterborne Coating.”

ACS takes place April 10-12 in Indianapolis. Attendees are invited to stop by the Covestro booth (#2331) to learn more about applications for its coating raw materials. Visitors will also be treated to a special guest, CoBot™. This 16-foot tall coatings robot is protected by a variety of high-performance coatings, including an automotive 2K clear coat, corrosion protection coatings and 1K concrete paver coatings, all formulated with Covestro raw materials.

Posted April 9, 2018

Source: Covestro LLC

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