VF Corp. Appoints Steve Murray As Vice President, Strategic Projects

GREENSBORO, N.C. — March 28, 2018 — VF Corp. today announced the appointment of Steve Murray to the new position of vice president, Strategic Projects. He will report to VF’s Chairman, President and CEO Steve Rendle and will serve on the company’s Senior Leadership Team.

The appointment to vice president, Strategic Projects marks a return to VF for Murray. He served as president of the company’s Vans® brand for five years following VF’s acquisition of the brand in 2004. He later served as president of VF’s Action Sports coalition.

“As VF continues to transform into a more agile, consumer-centric organization, it’s essential that we maintain a sharp focus on advancing the high-priority, strategic initiatives that will accelerate growth for our brands and create value across our global enterprise,” said Rendle. “Steve is an ideal leader to provide this level of sharp focus for VF. He possesses a unique blend of apparel and footwear industry expertise, a proven record of leading successful businesses transformations, and an intimate knowledge of the VF business model, all of which will enable him to quickly create meaningful value. We’re pleased to welcome Steve back to the One VF family.”

In this newly created position, Murray will work closely with members of VF’s Senior Leadership Team, Global Brand Presidents and others to lead work around key strategic projects, including elevating The North Face® brand’s footwear product strategy, and supporting the successful integration of the Altra® brand into VF and the extension of its technical footwear capabilities into VF’s outdoor footwear platform. VF recently announced a definitive agreement to acquire the Altra brand from ICON Health & Fitness.

“A hallmark of VF is the company’s ability to continually adapt to changes and transform itself, either through its M&A strategy or by leveraging its operational strength to seize new opportunities that keep it at the forefront of the industry,” said Murray. “ no quote It’s an exciting time to be rejoining VF, and I look forward to contributing to its next phase of growth and success.”

Murray has more than 30 years of experience in the apparel and footwear industry. He most recently served as CEO of Airwair International (Dr. Martens) where he was responsible for leading the company’s transformation from a manufacturing-led, family owned entity to a consumer-focused, private equity-backed, global retailer. Prior to that he served as Global Brand President of Urban Outfitters, and EMEA President at Deckers Brands. Earlier in his career Murray was the Global Head of Apparel at Reebok International.

Murray holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Studies from Middlesex University, England.

Posted March 28, 2018

Source: VF Corporation

Fred Adams Named Market Development Manager – Textiles For Fi-Tech

RICHMOND, Va. — March 28, 2018 — As Market Development Manager – Textiles, Fred Adams will add a wealth of operations and technical experience in textile manufacturing to the Fi-Tech Team. He has worked in managerial roles in both Europe and the United States for major textile corporations; most recently as Manager of Dyeing & Finishing at Guilford Performance Textiles/Lear. Earlier industry experience was gained as Operations Manager at Graniteville Specialty Fabrics, Courtaulds Textiles U.S. Inc., Milliken & Company, and Collins & Aikman Corp.

Adams has worked extensively in the dyeing and finishing of both knitted and woven fabrics, covering a wide range of end-use applications from intimate apparel to technical textile fabrics.

Fi-Tech’s Managing Director Todd Bassett stated: “Fred’s passion, technical knowledge and experience in dyeing and finishing process improvement will provide a valuable resource for our customers, as Fi-Tech continues to provide innovative solutions to the textile manufacturing sector.”

Adam’s office, in Aiken, S.C., will extend Fi-Tech’s coverage of textile facilities in the southeast region.

Posted March 28, 2018

Source: Fi-Tech

CORDURA® Brand Wins Japanese “Senken Synthetic Fiber Prize” From Senken Shimbun

WICHITA, Kan. — March 27, 2018 — INVISTA’s CORDURA® brand has been recognized at the 48th annual Senken Synthetic Awards Ceremony in Japan with its first-ever “Senken Synthetic Fiber Prize”. Offering best-in-class fabric durability and performance, the Cordura brand has had the privilege of working with an increasing number of top Japanese brands in recent years to help deliver a broad range of products featuring durable Cordura fabric technologies.

The Senken Synthetic Awards is an annual ceremony held by Japanese fashion publication Senken Shimbun. The ceremony recognizes excellence in technological development, materials and marketing efforts in the synthetic fibers and fabrics industry. The Senken Synthetic Awards “Hit Product Award” honors highly regarded materials in any given year that have a long history of strong sales.

Originally used by specialist designer brands in Japan as a long-lasting solution for a range of urban and outdoor bag and pack styles, a broader portfolio of technical CORDURA® fabrics such as Cordura Combat Wool™ (nylon/wool blends), Cordura Denim and Cordura 4Ever™ knits (nylon/cotton blends) are increasingly being incorporated into performance apparel, work clothing and lifestyle footwear applications where durability is valued.

“Cordura fabrics enhance clothing and products that require rugged, durable fabrics to help outlast even the most severe conditions,” said Koji Sasaki, president at Senken Shimbun. “Since 2015, a wide variety of fashion meets function Cordura fabric technologies including Cordura Denim and Combat Wool have been introduced into the Japanese marketplace, all of which bring a special advancement to our products. Fabric technologies such as those developed by Cordura brand offer stylish, versatile durability that you cannot easily find from other textile sources.”

“The Cordura brand has a rich history in Japan, especially in the bag and pack segment where the heritage, durability, and functional performance of Cordura fabrics are valued. We are incredibly honored to be a part of many well-known and high-quality products designed in the region and to be awarded the prestigious Senken Synthetic Fiber Award for the first time,” said Anthony Green, global Cordura brand business director. “We are thankful for the support of our Japanese brand partners and for their continued drive for long-lasting, stylish products. They are always on the forefront of cutting-edge design, seamlessly melding fashion and function, and always an inspiration for our team to continue to push the boundaries of durable fabric solutions.”

Posted March 27, 2018

Source: INVISTA’s CORDURA® Brand

Rockline Industries Reaches Major Safety Milestone With 9 Million Safe Work Hours At Arkansas Plant

SPRINGDALE, Ark. — March 27, 2018 — Today Rockline Industries announced that the Arkansas Department of Labor has recognized its Springdale, Ark., campus with an award for exceptional safety, achieving 9 million safe work hours without a lost time accident (LTA). This impressive milestone puts Rockline Industries NWA in elite company as this has only been achieved seven other times since Arkansas began recognizing workplace safety in 1976.

Contributing to Rockline’s success are the location’s monthly inspection program and the behavioral-based safety (BBS) program. The BBS program trains employees to observe work tasks and to provide immediate safety feedback to those involved. Says Mark Fougerousse, EHS manager of Rockline Industries NWA, “A cornerstone of our world-class safety program is our attention to even minor incidents. No matter how seemingly trivial, we investigate each incident or potential incident and make adjustments to how we work to continuously improve safety.”

Rockline associates are responsible and accountable to themselves and the safety of teammates around them. The program also encourages associates to constantly look for  opportunities to improve their work areas and recommend practices that will make the work environment even safer. All area personnel are made aware of any observed safety issues noted during the monthly inspections, helping to prevent repeat issues in the future. “More important than any milestone achieved or honor received, is the knowledge that our employees are safe. We watch out for each other and we have a shared pride in making our work environment the best and safest that it can be,” explains Fougerousse.

“We could not have achieved this important milestone without each and every one of our associates. We are incredibly proud of our team,” says Joel Slank, general manager of the Rockline Industries Springdale location. “Their hard work and dedication to a safe work environment is truly commendable.”

The award from the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Division is part of Arkansas’ overall educational program to encourage workplace safety by honoring companies whose employees have accumulated a significant number of work hours without a lost day away from work due to a work-related injury or illness.

Posted March 27, 2018

Source: Rockline Industries

Valdese Weavers Names Ann Reynolds Vice President Of Design

VALDESE, N.C. — March 27, 2018 — Valdese Weavers has announced the promotion of Ann Reynolds to vice president of design.

In her new role, Reynolds will report to Chief Creative Officer Laura Levinson and oversee the styling of several product lines including Circa 1801, Valdese Weavers Residential, Dicey Fabrics and the newest performance brands, Inside Out and Sustain.

“Ann’s exquisite sense of styling paired with her ability to inspire creative associates gives her a wealth of experience to use in her new position,” said Levinson.

Reynolds has been with the company for 24 years. For the past seven years, Reynolds served as senior creative director, and from 2003-2010 she was the creative director. In these positions, she managed a staff of designers and led the design, color and merchandising of more than 250 fabrics each year.

Reynolds honed her craft in the company’s design department, where she excelled in several positions from product design to new technology. Her success, in part, is due to her incredible eye for fabric design and color. She began her career with Valdese Weavers in 1994, when she was hired as a fabric designer.

Reynolds is a member of WithIt, the women’s leadership organization in home furnishings, and in 2009-2010, she served on the WithIt board of directors. She graduated from North Carolina State University in 1994 with a bachelor’s in textile design and a minor in graphic design. Reynolds lives in Hickory.

Posted March 27, 2018

Source: Valdese Weavers

AGV Unveils SPORTMODULAR Full Carbon Fiber Modular Helmet

COSTA MESA, Calif. — March 27, 2018 — AGV, celebrating its 70th anniversary since the production of its first helmet, today introduced the SPORTMODULAR to the North American market, a new world standard in the modular helmet category that shatters previous standards of safety, comfort, and design. The search for the perfect helmet has found its equilibrium in the AGV Sportmodular.

The revolutionary Sportmodular eclipses previous standards in its category by combining the practicality of a modular helmet with the best features of a MotoGP helmet: safety, compactness, design inspired by the world of sports, and lightness (just 1,390 grams/3.06 pounds, depending on shell size).

The only modular helmet in the world built entirely of carbon fiber – including the chin guard – the AGV Sportmodular was designed in accordance with the AGV Extreme Standards development protocols. The helmet, including the panoramic visor with a 190-degree horizontal view, passed extremely strict tests on 18 points of impact.

The Sportmodular helmet underwent thousands of hours of wind tunnel testing during development, resulting in extraordinary soundproofing, ventilation and stability characteristics, making it ideal for those who ride touring bikes that are increasingly similar to sport bikes in terms of power, performance and riding style.

“For us, safety means being at the forefront of knowing how the needs of motorcycle riders are evolving,” said Cristiano Silei, CEO of the Dainese Group. “Sportmodular is a revolutionary helmet created for today’s motorcycle riders who want safety, comfort, performance and sporty design, all in one helmet. After all, we only have one head.”

The Sportmodular provides new standards in aerodynamics, impact protection, ergonomics, ventilation, field of view, and quality of materials. The helmet includes an interior designed for the highest level of riding comfort with a pressure-free fit, and a patented reversible cuff with warm and cool sides. The Sportmodular’s panoramic Class Optic 1 visor avoids distortion and offers a maximum peripheral view of 190-degrees, and a patented Visor Lock System (VLS) reduces the risk of accidental openings. The integrated anti-scratch sun visor can be easily removed in seconds without tools, and a Titanium Double D retention system — 43 percent lighter than and much stronger than steel — ensures the helmet stays securely on the head.

The AGV Sportmodular helmet is now available in dealers throughout North America and online at AGV.com. The helmet starts at $749 and comes in seven different color styles.

Posted March 27, 2018

Source: Dainese Group

Centric Software Helps Urban Revivo Report Success

CAMPBELL, Calif. — March 27, 2018 — Centric Software announces that Urban Revivo (UR), a Chinese fast-fashion retailer, has successfully gone live with Centric Software’s Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solution after just four months. Centric Software provides the most innovative enterprise solutions to fashion, retail, footwear, outdoor, luxury and consumer goods companies to achieve strategic and operational digital transformation goals.

UR was founded in 2006 and has experienced incredible success, becoming the number one fast fashion company in China. With rapid growth and ambitious plans for global expansion, UR decided to select a PLM solution to support their product development and merchandising infrastructure. In September 2017, UR began implementing Centric 8 PLM. The implementation was completed in January 2018, finishing in just four months.

“The deployment was perfect!” exclaimed Budwhite Zhang, CIO at UR. “We were impressed by the Centric team’s great knowledge, program management skills and regular updates on their progress. We knew that a PLM system would assist us with planning collections and leveraging design and development work. We also wanted to take much better control of the speed of product development and vendor collaboration.”

“We’re already seeing results,” Zhang continued. “Centric PLM has helped to speed time to market, cut costs and errors, and improve innovation. Take sampling, for example; our designers and merchandising team used to take about ten days for one collection. Now, with Centric’s help, it takes three to four days. Designers now have a good sense of cost as they can see the cost of material and labor in Centric PLM, which helps us better control budgets and merchandise planning.”

As well as implementing core Centric PLM modules, UR chose to invest in Centric’s groundbreaking mobile apps for PLM. As Zhang noted, these are very popular with the company’s designers.

“With Centric’s mobile apps, our designers can capture and share inspiration immediately with the whole team,” Zhang said. “This is very helpful for fast fashion companies like UR, which rely on speed and instant communication.”

UR has expansive plans for the future, concluded Zhang, and Centric PLM has an important part to play in supporting product management and global collaboration.

“UR has ambitious plans for the next few years, aiming to achieve 10 billion RMB in annual sales revenues by 2021. In this new retail era, we will follow our three strategies: make product the priority, revolutionize management and leverage technology. Product innovation is the key to success and Centric PLM will help UR improve product management for our women’s, men’s, kid’s and accessories divisions as well as our new fashion sports brand. We’re expanding business overseas and Centric links our London buyer center with our Chinese headquarters.”

“We’re delighted that UR is already experiencing positive results from using Centric PLM,” says Chris Groves, president and CEO of Centric Software. “The fact that UR, a leading fast fashion company, is seeing even faster time to market as well as cost reductions is a testimony to Centric’s capabilities and the best practices partnership we have embarked upon together.”

Posted March 27, 2018

Source: Centric Software

National Council of Textile Organizations’ (NCTO’s) 15th Annual Meeting

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Snow in the nation's capital fortunately did not keep people from getting to NCTO's 15th Annual Meeting
The meeting was held at the Capital Hilton in Washington
Outgoing 2017-18 NCTO Chairman William V. “Bill” McCrary Jr. delivered the trade association’s 2018 State of the U.S. Textile Industry overview during the open general session
Bill McCrary, outgoing NCTO chairman, and chairman and CEO, William Barnet & Son LLC
A Cyber Security Panel highlighted the importance of internet security for textile companies
Justin Zeefe, executive director and cofounder, Washington-based NISOS Group
Ellen O'Day Sundra, regional vice president of System Engineering, Public Sector/Global Government, Forescout Technologies, San Jose, Calif.
The Cyber Security Panel
Jim Hemsley, IT manager, Techmer PM LLC, Clinton, Tenn.
Robyn Boerstling, vice president of Infrastructure, Innovation and Human Resources Policy, Washington-based National Association of Manufacturers
Norm Orenstein, political scientist/resident scholar, American Enterprise Institute
Incoming NCTO chairman Marty Moran (left) with Bill McCrary
Incoming NCTO chairman Marty Moran (left), CEO, Jefferson, Ga.-based Buhler Quality Yarns Corp.; and Outgoing NCTO Chairman Bill McCrary
Marty Moran, newly-installed NCTO Chairman
Marty Moran (left), incoming NCTO chairman; and Bill McCrary, outgoing NCTO chairman
Marty Moran (left) and Bill McCrary
Marty Moran (left), new NCTO chairman; and Don Bockoven, new NCTO vice chairman, and president and CEO of Wellford, S.C.-based Leigh Fibers and ICE Recycling
(left to right): Marty Moran; Bill McCrary; Don Bockoven; and Auggie Tantillo, president and CEO, NCTO
2018-19 NCTO leaders (left to right): Auggie Tantillo, president and CEO, NCTO; Marty Moran, chairman; and Don Bockoven, vice chairman

MagnaColours® Recommends SPIRO For Its Eco-Friendly Inks

BARNSLEY, England — March 27, 2018 — Screen-printing ink specialist MagnaColours says SPIRO’s new S287X Aircool Tee is the perfect garment for customization with its eco-friendly range of water based inks.

SPIRO’s S287X Aircool Tee offers the perfect print base for MagnaColours’ AquaFlex V2 water-based high solids ink and Migration Eliminator V2 product, and has had much success with the non-toxic water-based ink.

PVC and formaldehyde-free, MagnaColours range of water-based inks offer the screen printing industry an eco-friendly, non-toxic alternative to plastisols. The inks are perfect for polyester fabric, including high performance garments such as SPIRO’s S287X Aircool Tee, and offer a stretchy soft feel to the garment. Other benefits include; quick curing, short flash times, formulations that are slow to dry in the screen and the ability to be pigmented to any shade.

Helen Parry, managing director for MagnaColours, said: “The high performance, S287X Aircool Tee by SPIRO is the perfect garment to showcase what’s possible with MagnaColours® water-based inks. Together we’ve demonstrated the superb print effects that can be achieved on performance fabrics when making the switch to our range of eco-friendly, PVC-free inks.”

Managing Director for SPIRO David Sanders-Smith said: “We were so impressed by the performance of MagnaColours’ inks and the superb print quality they offered that we wanted to highlight the many benefits of water-based inks and communicate this to the wider industry. Our S287X Aircool Tee is a great performance shirt that offers the wearer both comfort and technical performance; it’s the ideal backdrop to promote any event, team or uniform brand!”

Part of SPIRO’s popular IMPACT Fitness Wear range, the S287X Aircool Tee is an air-dry soft mesh fabric tee with High Tec stretch that provides the ultimate in comfort and performance during wear. Classed as a performance shirt, the S287X Aircool features a quick-dry finish and moisture-wicking fibers to keep the wearer dry and cool.  The high elastane content means its drape envelopes the body with a comfort stretch, and its exceptional elasticity results in excellent shape retention and recovery during maximum movement. Label-free and ready to brand, it is supplied in non-bagged bundles so is the perfect decorators friend.  Whilst it is particularly suited for water based inks, the S287X is also suitable for embroidery and transfer application.

The unisex S287X Aircool Tee is available in sizes 2XS to 5XL in 17 vibrant colours.

The complete range of SPIRO activewear is easily available through SPIRO’s European network of distributors offering full range product availability and exceptional customer service.

Posted March 27, 2018

Source: MagnaColours®

Milliken Specialty Interiors Expands Environmental Leadership With Membership In Sustainable Furnishings Council And Champion Of Sustainability Award

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — March 27, 2018 — Milliken & Company’s Specialty Interiors business has extended its sustainability leadership by recently joining the Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC) and being honored by Unifi as a REPREVE® Champion of Sustainability.

Milliken Specialty Interiors has joined the Sustainable Furnishings Council as a qualifying member, pending successful application for higher-level recognition. The Sustainable Furnishings Council shares Milliken’s commitment to taking immediate steps to minimize carbon emissions, reduce other pollutants and remove unsustainable materials and chemical inputs from furnishings product platforms. The organization exists to raise awareness and expand the adoption of environmentally sustainable practices across the home furnishings industry. SFC also provides a symbol of assurance for consumers.

“Milliken’s focus on natural, recycled and easily recyclable materials is part of our overall sustainability journey to improve product design, manufacturing and sourcing practices.” said Jennifer K. Harmon, vice president, Milliken Specialty Interiors. “We look forward to working closely with the Sustainable Furnishings Council and other concerned parties to build on our proud legacy of environmental stewardship and leadership.”

The Unifi Repreve Champions of Sustainability awards celebrate Unifi’s brand and textile partners that share in its commitment to sustainability and vision for a better tomorrow. They recognize companies that exemplify leadership in sustainability and have helped recycle more than 11 billion plastic bottles as a result of their use of Repreve performance fibers.

“Through our development of many eco-friendly products, especially Breathe™ by Milliken, an eco-elegant, performance fabric available in natural or manmade materials made from recycled plastic bottles, Milliken Specialty Interiors has worked closely with companies like Unifi to reduce, reuse and recycle for the betterment of our homes, our health and our world,” Harmon noted.

Eliminating waste and enhancing sustainability also aligns with Milliken Specialty Interiors’ business strategy of purposeful and intentional design. “Rather than manufacturing an overwhelming array of styles each season that may or may not sell, we believe that by creating a carefully curated selection of products and colors with long lasting beauty, we can help protect our natural resources and produce less sample waste,” added Harmon.

In keeping with its belief that sustainability is closely linked to health and safety, Milliken also recently announced that it has become a founding member of the Well Living Lab, a collaborative research initiative led by Delos and Mayo Clinic dedicated to studying the impacts of our indoor environments on health and wellness. Milliken joins 18 other building science and medical research leaders in coming together to creating healthier spaces in which to live and work. The Well Living Lab believes that our society performs better in all aspects of life when people are at their healthiest — a tenet Milliken has championed for decades.

Posted March 27, 2018

Source: Milliken & Company

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