New Materials Start-up Circular Systems Wins H&M Foundation’s Coveted 2018 Global Change Award For Turning Food Crop Waste Into Sustainable Fashion

NEW YORK CITY — April 2, 2018 — Circular Systems S.P.C. (Social Purpose Corp.) is a materials science company focusing on converting agricultural, industrial and post-consumer wastes into high value textile fibers for the fashion industry.

The company was confirmed as the first place winner of the 2018 Global Change Award, which recognizes the most exciting sustainable fashion developments, at a ceremony in Stockholm. Circular Systems S.P.C. was awarded a grant in excess of $350,000 from the H&M Foundation, after being selected from among 2,600 applicants, coming from more than 180 countries.

In 1960, 97 percent of our fibers came from plants and animals. Today, that number is approximately 35 percent. Petrochemical fibers are now the norm but natural fibers are the exception. Circular Systems S.P.C. has spent the past 20 years creating a low-impact production process that will redefine the meaning of sustainable materials in the fashion industry. Through their revolutionary Agraloop Bio-Refinery process, they are able to generate food-crop fiber out of plant waste that is left by the harvesting of food crops.

Food crop waste is often burned or left to rot, releasing significant amounts of carbon dioxide and methane gas into the atmosphere. By creating a low-cost, closed loop bio-refinery system, this process also brings additional income to farmers, turning their crop residues into more income.

The Agraloop Bio-Refinery offers a solution. With this, the company sees a 10 million ton-per-year opportunity to convert food crop wastes into high value fiber for textiles and industry, specifically using banana trunks, pineapple leaves, sugarcane bark, and stems of oilseed hemp and flax plants as our raw materials.

“We’ve created what we call the agraloop,” explains Isaac Nichelson, the CEO of the American-based company. “[It’s a] regenerative system that uses plant-based chemistry and plant-based energy to upgrade the fibres whilst enriching the local communities and creating a new economic system.”

Nichelson explained further how the impact of winning the Global Change Award will effect this disruptive start-up, saying that, “winning the Global Change Award means we can begin to unlock huge value for the textile and fashion industry. We can now propel this important technology much faster into scaled production. The grant will be used for optimizing our closed-loop technology, protecting IP, and beginning to produce commercial Agraloop BioFibre™ productions.”

Posted April 2, 2018

Source: Circular Systems S.P.C.

HanesBrands Earns Ninth Consecutive U.S. EPA Energy Star Partner Of The Year Award For Environmental Excellence

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — April 2, 2018 — HanesBrands is on a mission to become the apparel industry’s leader in environmental stewardship and social responsibility. The company’s progress has earned a ninth consecutive U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star Partner of the Year award for sustained excellence in energy conservation, carbon emissions reduction and environmental sustainability.

Hanes — unique in the apparel industry because it owns the significant majority of its manufacturing and supply chain operations — is being recognized by the Energy Star program for its 2017 accomplishments, including:

  • Lowering year-over-year energy use per pound of production by 6 percent, saving the company more than $4 million. Since 2007, the company has reduced energy intensity by nearly 21 percent and delivered a total cost avoidance of more than $200 million.
  • Implementing numerous environmental stewardship initiatives, including the startup of a combined heat-and-power biomass plant in El Salvador and pilot projects utilizing new technology to reduce energy-intense water use by 50 percent and energy use by 500 million BTU each year.
  • Encouraging employee engagement in the company’s energy management culture through programs such as treasure hunts. Hanes’ most recent treasure hunt, which was held at the company’s Dos Rios fabric manufacturing plant in the Dominican Republic, generated nearly 125 employee-led energy reduction ideas for power, steam, compressed air and water use with a potential savings of nearly $1 million.
  • Partnering with numerous universities, such as Wake Forest University, Appalachian State University, North Carolina State University and the University of Tennessee – Knoxville, to educate the next generation of business leaders about the importance of integrating environmental stewardship in business strategy.

“HanesBrands is incredibly honored to earn our ninth consecutive Energy Star Partner of the Year award and will accept it on behalf of our approximately 70,000 worldwide employees who are committed to energy management and environmental responsibility,” said Javier Chacon, chief global manufacturing officer for HanesBrands. “Thanks to our employees’ steadfast commitment, Hanes is the only apparel company to be honored for sustained excellence by the EPA Energy Star program in its 26-year history and continues to demonstrate that companies from all industries can make a difference in energy conservation, carbon emissions reduction and environmental sustainability.”

Hanes recently released the company’s 2017 environmental performance data on energy use, carbon dioxide emissions, water use, renewable energy and landfill diversion.

Across every category, the company posted strong results compared to the year prior. Versus 2016, Hanes reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by 15 percent, energy use by 6 percent and water use by 7 percent, while increasing its use of renewable energy by 7 percent. Additionally, Hanes again diverted 84 percent of its supply chain waste from landfills.

Chacon and a cross-functional team from Hanes will attend the April 20 Energy Star banquet in Washington, D.C., to accept the award and participate in collaborative meetings to share best practices with other companies that have earned Energy Star recognition, including Allergan, The Boeing Company, Colgate-Palmolive Company, General Motors Company and Raytheon.

Energy Star was introduced by the EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased efficiency. The annual Energy Star Partner of the Year award honors organizations that have made outstanding contributions to protect the environment through best practices and organization-wide energy savings.

Posted April 2, 2018

Source: HanesBrands

SPESA Announces New Executive Director

RALEIGH, N.C. — April 2, 2018 — The SPESA (Sewn Products Equipment & Suppliers of the Americas) Board of Directors met on February 7, 2018, and approved the hiring of Michael McDonald as the new SPESA Executive Director to work alongside current president, Benton Gardner, and managing director, Dave Gardner, until their retirement at the end of 2018. McDonald will take over full management of the organization in January 2019.

McDonald is currently completing his doctoral degree in Textile Technology Management at North Carolina State University (NC State). While studying for his doctorate, he has served as adjunct professor, advisor for the Textile Apparel Technology Management Student Advisory Board, teaching assistant, and guest lecturer.

Previously McDonald was Manager of Government Relations for the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA). He was staff liaison for AAFA’s Product Safety Council, Government Contracts Committee, Brand Protection Committee, Financial Management Committee, Labeling and Transportation Mailing Lists. He oversaw a diverse array of issues as lead lobbyist including product safety, intellectual property, military contracting, domestic sourcing, environment & chemical management, corporate tax reform, transportation & infrastructure, patent reform, labor, state chemical regulations, international trade, and internet sales tax. In addition, McDonald developed resources and tools to help member companies with regulatory compliance, including: Restricted Substance Lists (RSL), Reasonable Testing Guidelines, Regional Plastic Bag Restrictions, Care Label Guidelines, International Market Access Guidelines for 13+ countries, and annual statistical reports on the footwear and apparel industries.

McDonald started his assignment as SPESA’s Executive Director on March 15, 2018.

McDonald and his wife, Maggie, live in Raleigh, N.C.

Posted April 2, 2018

Source: SPESA

Alsco-Raleigh Earns Hygienically Clean Healthcare Certification

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — March 30, 2018— Alsco Inc.’s Raleigh, N.C., facility has earned the Hygienically Clean Healthcare designation, reflecting its commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by on-site inspection and its capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbial testing.

The certification confirms Alsco’s dedication to infection prevention, compliance with recognized industry standards and processing healthcare textiles using BMPs as described in its quality assurance documentation, a focal point for Hygienically Clean inspectors’ evaluation. The independent, third-party inspection must also confirm essential evidence that:

  • Employees are properly trained and protected;
  • Managers understand regulatory requirements;
  • OSHA-compliant; and
  • Physical plant operates effectively.

Certified laundries pass three rounds of outcome-based microbial testing, indicating that their processes are producing Hygienically Clean Healthcare linens and garments and zero presence of harmful bacteria. To maintain their certification, laundry plants must pass quarterly testing to ensure that as laundry conditions change, such as water quality, textile fabric composition and wash chemistry, laundered product quality is consistently maintained.

This process eliminates subjectivity by focusing on outcomes and results that verify textiles cleaned in these facilities meet appropriate hygienically clean standards and BMPs for hospitals, surgery centers, medical offices, nursing homes and other medical facilities.

Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification acknowledges laundries’ effectiveness in protecting healthcare operations through testing and inspections that scrutinize quality control procedures in linen and uniform service operations. Outcome-based microbial testing indicates diminished presence of yeast, mold and harmful bacteria. The Hygienically Clean standard provides for two inspections every three years. OSHA compliance is closely examined, particularly toxic and hazardous substance handling rules governing textiles containing blood and other potentially infectious materials.

Certified laundries use processes, chemicals and BMPs acknowledged by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, American National Standards Institute and others. Introduced in 2012, Hygienically Clean Healthcare brought to North America the international cleanliness standards for healthcare linens and garments used worldwide by the Certification Association for Professional Textile Services and the European Committee for Standardization.

Objective experts in epidemiology, infection control, nursing and other healthcare professions work with Hygienically Clean launderers to ensure the certification continues to enforce the highest standards for producing clean healthcare textiles.

“Congratulations to Alsco on their certification,” said Joseph Ricci, TRSA president and CEO. “This achievement proves their ongoing commitment to infection prevention and that their laundry facilities take every step possible to prevent human illness.”

Posted March 30, 2018

Source: TRSA

SMART Announces Successful Trade Outcome With East African Community

ABINGDON, Md. — March 29, 2018 — Representatives of the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART) were notified today by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) that a proposed ban on secondhand clothing imports from the U.S. by members of the East African Community (EAC) will not be implemented by four out of the five countries who originally proposed the ban. Kenya announced their decision to back off from the ban in 2017, and Tanzania, Uganda and Burundi have now officially announced their decision to roll back the ban.

SMART, a trade association, acts on behalf of its numerous small and medium-sized member companies who use, convert and recycle pre-and post-consumer textiles, including used clothing. In March 2017, SMART filed a petition and delivered testimony during a related hearing asking the U.S. government to conduct an out-of-cycle review of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) beneficiary status of Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda and request the suspension of duty-free status for all currently eligible apparel imports from these countries. SMART filed the petition in light of a March 2016 announcement that those countries would begin phasing in a ban on imports of secondhand clothing and subsequent related import duty increases on these goods. Armed with the information from SMART, U.S. government officials worked hard behind-the-scenes to convince the EAC countries to back off from the ban, paving the way for the secondhand textiles industry worldwide.

The proposed ban sparked international controversy regarding the textile industry’s role in Africa, as no ban or increased duties were slated to occur on imports from China, the region’s largest source of clothing imports. Whereas EAC heads of state were initially concerned U.S. secondhand textiles would disrupt their countries’ own textile industries, SMART representatives argued new and secondhand apparel industries coexist independently in numerous developed and developing countries, including the United States’ own thrift store and new retail establishments.

The decision by Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Burundi not to implement the imports ban is a victory for both the EAC countries and the secondhand textiles industry. For the people of the EAC, many rely on secondhand clothing and shoes imports as their only affordable access to quality apparel. For the secondhand textiles industry, it means international imports to the EAC will continue, with more than 190,000 jobs within the United States alone being preserved, as the total exports to the EAC represents roughly 22 percent of the U.S. industry’s total exports. These EAC members have announced they will focus on other measures to develop their textile and apparel industry.

The U.S. government announced today the intent to suspend duty-free treatment for all AGOA-eligible apparel products from Rwanda in 60 days. SMART representatives agree with President Trump’s decision to suspend these benefits, instead of termination of Rwanda’s status as an AGOA beneficiary, agreeing this would allow for continued engagement with the aim of restoring market access and thereby bringing Rwanda into compliance with the AGOA eligibility requirements.

“It is our hope that Rwanda will reconsider their position on banning secondhand clothing imports as it will impose unnecessary economic harm to its people,” said SMART Executive Director, Jackie King. “We would also like to express our appreciation to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and other U.S. officials who worked diligently to ensure the best possible outcome for our industry and the members of the EAC. We are truly grateful to learn our trade relationship with Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Burundi will be maintained, which could not have been successful without the U.S. government’s support.”

Posted March 29, 2018

Source: the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART)

ITM 2018 Exhibitor Preview: KARL MAYER

OBERTSHAUSEN, Germany — March 29, 2018 — KARL MAYER has prepared well for its trip to the ITM exhibition in Istanbul and expectations are running high. For the duration of this International Textile Machinery exhibition, which runs from April 14-17, 2018, this well-known manufacturer can be found in hall 7, stand 709 in the Tüyap Fair Convention and Congress Center in Istanbul.

The focus of the stand is innovative machine systems and technical solutions, which are opening up new opportunities on the Turkish market. “We are showing an HKS 3-M producing a newly developed voile-like net curtain pattern,” said Bastian Fritsch, a Senior Sales Manager at Karl Mayer. “As far as warp-knitted net curtains and embroidery grounds are concerned, we are expecting some interesting conversations with companies new to this sector concerning new expansion plans and projects.”

He is also expecting many enquiries concerning the production of home textiles in general, as well as outerwear fabrics on high-speed tricot, jacquard and multibar raschel machines. These include lightweight fabrics with a variety of different grounds and superimposed designs produced on an HKS 4-M EL, as well as stylish lace designs created on a LACE.EXPRESS. Fritsch is certain that terry fabrics as well, especially those produced on the TM 4 TS, will also be a hot topic at the ITM trade fair. “Warp-knitted terry fabrics have more firmly anchored loops and can be produced more efficiently than similar woven goods,” he said. “And they can be patterned with a wide variety of different designs.” This sales expert is showing examples made from polyester as well as cotton at the fair. The presentation of warp knitting technology is complemented by some innovative products produced by double-bar raschel technology: trendy shoe fabrics, stylish spacer fabrics for rucksacks, and plush fabrics. Anyone with any questions on these products or any other applications will be able to discuss them with Karl Mayer’s experts in textile development.

As far as warp preparation is concerned, Karl Mayer is exhibiting as an expert partner in the denim sector. The company is showing a LONG CHAIN BEAMER, a BALL WARPER, and models of the PRODYE indigo dyeing machine and the DOUBLE VARIO dyeing unit for use in the production of jeans. Dieter Gager, the Sales Director of Karl Mayer’s Warp Preparation Business Unit says that the PRODYE range of products is already well established on the Turkish market, and this position is being strengthened by the company’s participation in the fair.

For anyone interested in technical textiles, this company has many ideas and suggestions relating to the production of composites, especially for the construction industry – with textile concrete being the buzzword here.

Karl Mayer has once again hit the bull’s eye with its innovative presentation and has again become the meeting point for the sector, which is exactly what the exhibition team expected. “The ITM fair is always an exceptional platform for us, enabling us to make contact with our customers, both big and small, and to support them in their day-to-day operations,” says Roland Kunze, managing director of Karl Mayer’s local agent, ERKO. He bases this on some interesting conversations he has had on technical possibilities, future projects and promising initiatives. The trade fair is an important link between the past, the present and the future – which is important for guaranteeing the company’s continuing partnerships with its customers.

Oliver Mathews, sales director of the Warp Knitting Business Unit, is also delighted at the large number of visitors attending the ITM. “In the last few years, Turkey has become one of our three most important markets. We are also starting from a good business position and are looking forward to a lively fair with plenty of visitors.”

Posted March 29, 2018

Source: KARL MAYER Textilmaschinenfabrik GmbH

Fashion Designer Alexstorm Liu Collaborates With DuPont™ Sorona® To Create Innovative Collection For Shenzhen Fashion Week

SHENZHEN, China — March 29, 2018 — The new DuPont™ Sorona® & ALEXSTORM collection premiered at the Shenzhen Fashion Week. The show — attended by over 1,000 people and broadcast live to even more — highlighted the Sorona & Alexstorm fashion collection, in collaboration with the renowned Chinese fashion designer Alexstorm Liu. Shenzhen Baliso Group, a key mill partner to Sorona, co-sponsored the event and showcased their latest Sorona fabrics in the designs.

Shenzhen Fashion Week

Shenzhen Fashion Week took place from March 13-19 and included over 80 fashion shows and exhibitions from 200 designers. Shenzhen’s new Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning hosted the event, providing a beautiful backdrop to Alexstorm Liu’s collection, featuring fabrics made with DuPont Sorona.

“Shenzhen Fashion Week presented us with an excellent opportunity to showcase our collaboration between Sorona, Alexstorm and Baliso,” said Rene Molina, product manager for DuPont Industrial Biosciences. “I spoke to many designers, brands and mills at the show who were excited and eager to learn more about Sorona, and we were thrilled to be able to showcase its properties and the variety of applications on the runway here in Shenzen.”

“It makes all the difference to be able to work with such skilled and forward-looking partners, showing other decision-makers in the apparel market the versatility and high-level performance of this renewably sourced fiber,” he added.

DuPont™ Sorona® & ALEXSTORM

Alexstorm’s inspiration for this fashion show was ‘Beyond Beauty,’ echoing Shenzhen Fashion Week’s overarching themes: the integration of art and life and the integration of sustainability and technology.

Alexstorm’s collection highlighted four applications of fabrics using Sorona:

  • Shape memory jackets, offering natural wrinkle release;
  • Comfort stretch dresses and pants, featuring lasting shape retention;
  • Linen/Sorona blend shirting, with a soft hand-feel, reduced wrinkling and greater comfort; and
  • Insulated jackets as a down alternative.

These four versatile applications were made possible by the unique high-performance characteristics of bio-based Sorona, enabling almost unlimited design freedom in the collection.

Sustainability of Sorona Injects Vitality into Fashionable Wear

To echo Professor Dilys Williams — director, Center of Sustainable Fashion & Sustainable Fashion Design, University of the Arts London, and a leading expert in the apparel market — “Sustainability is not a trend, but the top priority for the industry.”

“The global awareness around the need for sustainable fashion is growing, pushing the fashion industry to accelerate its progress toward more sustainable apparel. From the launch of used garment recycling, to the increasing introduction of natural and environmental product lines, to the emergence of independent designers who cherish a pursuit of sustainability, the industry is brimming with renewed energy,” said Molina. “DuPont Sorona renewably sourced polymer creates high-performance fibers, with its key building block derived from annually renewable plant-based resources. Its versatility lends itself to a broad array of apparel applications, as witnessed on the Shenzen Fashion Week runway.”

Posted March 29, 2018

Source: DuPont Industrial Biosciences

Software Automatically Generates Knitting Instructions For 3-D Shapes

PITTSBURGH — March 29, 2018 — Carnegie Mellon University computer scientists have developed a system that can translate a wide variety of 3-D shapes into stitch-by-stitch instructions that enable a computer-controlled knitting machine to automatically produce those shapes.

Researchers in the Carnegie Mellon Textiles Lab have used the system to produce a variety of plush toys and garments. What’s more, James McCann, assistant professor in the Robotics Institute and leader of the lab, said this ability to generate knitting instructions without need of human expertise could make on-demand machine knitting possible.

McCann’s vision is to use the same machines that routinely crank out thousands of knitted hats, gloves and other apparel to produce customized pieces one at a time or in small quantities. Gloves, for instance, might be designed to precisely fit a customer’s hands. Athletic shoe uppers, sweaters and hats might have unique color patterns or ornamentation.

“Knitting machines could become as easy to use as 3-D printers,” McCann said.

That’s in stark contrast to the world of knitting today.

“Now, if you run a floor of knitting machines, you also have a department of engineers,” said McCann, who noted that garment designers rarely have the specialized expertise necessary to program the machines. “It’s not a sustainable way of doing one-off customized pieces.

In their latest work, to be presented this summer at SIGGRAPH 2018, the Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques in Vancouver, Canada, McCann and his colleagues developed a method for transforming 3-D meshes — a common method for modeling 3-D shapes — into instructions for V-bed knitting machines.

These widely used machines manipulate loops of yarn with hook-shaped needles, which lie in parallel needle beds angled toward each other in an inverted V shape. The machines are highly capable, but are limited in comparison with hand knitting, said Vidya Narayanan, a Ph.D. student in computer science.

The CMU algorithm takes these constraints into account, she said, producing instructions for patterns that work within the limits of the machine and reduce the risk of yarn breaks or jams.

A front-end design system such as this is common in 3-D printing and in computer-driven machine shops, but not in the knitting world, McCann said. Likewise, 3-D printing and machine shops use common languages and file formats to run their equipment, while knitting machines use a variety of languages and tools that are specific to particular brands of knitting machines.

McCann led an earlier effort to create a common knitting format, called Knitout, which is capable of being implemented with any brand of knitting machine.

Further work is needed to make on-demand knitting a reality. For instance, the system now only produces smooth knitted cloth, without the patterned stitching that can make knitted garments distinctive. The knitting ecosystem also needs to be expanded, with design tools that will work with any machine. But progress could be rapid at this point, McCann said.

“The knitting hardware is already really good,” he explained. “It’s the software that needs a little push. And software can improve rapidly because we can iterate so much faster.”

In addition to McCann and Narayanan, the research team included Jessica Hodgins, professor of computer science and robotics; Lea Albaugh, a Ph.D. student in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute; and Stelian Coros, a faculty member at ETH Zurich and an adjunct professor of robotics at CMU.

Posted March 29, 2018

Source: Carnegie Mellon University

Technical Textiles At The Forefront

BornemanBy Jim Borneman, Editor In Chief

There was a time when awareness of the technical textiles sector was limited at best. But technical textiles became a refuge for an industry under fire in the 1990s when the North American Free Trade Agreement and China’s rise savaged the industry. Very few companies were safe and many had to readjust their product and market focus.

To the U.S. textile industry’s credit, many companies did readjust. There still are significant assets dedicated to traditional textiles. Those sectors have battled to not only survive, but excel in their respective markets — quality, speed, innovation and superior customer service have led the way. Some traditional sectors, such as spinning, continue to attract both foreign and domestic investment citing the cotton supply chain, inexpensive and stable power supply, healthy infrastructure and ports and educated workers in the United States.

But the growth of the technical sector cannot be ignored. Think back to early Techtextil events — without being negative — they were important for technical producers, but a novelty for many in the mainstream. How things have changed. It’s hard to find a company that hasn’t looked at technical textiles as an opportunity — a niche that has captured the mainstream textile marketplace. Some large, diverse manufacturers abandoned traditional company divisions and focused assets on technical markets.

Steve Warner, of the BeaverLake6 Report, has written a two-part article examining the U.S. technical textiles market. Part one, in this issue of TW, focuses on the trade implications impacting the industry. Part two, to be featured in an upcoming issue, will look at the status of the individual sectors within the technical market including automotive and military. Warner’s long history in this sector is apparent, and he will share his observations as a presenter at the upcoming Synthetic Yarn and Fabric Association (SYFA) spring conference.

Speaking of the automotive sector, TW Executive Editor Rachael S. Davis profiles Nashville, Tenn.-based Firestone Fibers and Textiles (FSFT) in this issue. Known for tire cord used in tire manufacturing, the company is expanding its capabilities and producing interesting hybrid fabrics for industrial markets, as well as exploring composites manufacturing. FSFT, which traditionally supplied internal Bridgestone companies, has branched out both in the products it makes and in the client base it serves.

The upcoming Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas shows to be held in Atlanta in May hold great promise for visitors and exhibitors alike. There is a hunger to expand technical markets with advanced materials and products. Whether it’s about textiles that are engineered for protection, automotive or for the military, there are bound to be examples on hand.

Texprocess also will have great examples of advancing technology. Although Lectra has significant interest in Texprocess — see “How Fashion Became A Digital Industry” in this issue — the company also serves clients in the technical textiles sector. Surely, Lectra has plenty to share with both Techtextil and Texprocess attendees.

March/April 2018

 

NCTO, AFMA Announce Merger

The Washington-based National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) has merged with the American Fiber Manufacturers Association (AFMA), Arlington, Va. The combined organization will be known as the National Council of Textile Organizations, and Auggie Tantillo will continue in his role of president and CEO.

“The NCTO merger with AFMA strengthens the U.S. textile industry’s ability to influence federal policy,” said William “Bill” McCrary Jr., chairman, NCTO, and chairman and CEO, Spartanburg-based William Barnet & Son. “It brings new members and financial resources to NCTO and extends the organization’s political reach. It also cements NCTO’s status as the voice of every facet of the U.S. textile production chain, a fact that will help NCTO to more effectively influence federal policies that affect U.S. textile investment, production and workers,” he added.

“AFMA’s merger with NCTO will allow U.S. fiber producers to keep the sector’s seat at the federal policy table,” said Mark Ruday, senior vice president, DAK Americas, Charlotte, N.C. “As a multi-billion dollar industry with tens of thousands of employees, it is critical that the U.S. man-made fiber sector stay engaged in Washington. Merging with NCTO will ensure the U.S. fiber manufacturers have an effective voice on policy matters affecting the sector.”

March/April 2018

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