New Reebok All Terrain Work Fuses Rugged Trail Running With Work Footwear

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — December 11, 2017 — Warson Brands, official licensee of Reebok for occupational footwear, has introduced the new Reebok All Terrain Work line of work shoes. The series includes several styles for men and women.

With squared-off rubber lugs and deep flex grooves, the All Terrain Work is immediately recognizable as having its roots in trail running, and includes outdoor features such as a neoprene bootie to keep out mud, dirt and debris. Those same features allow the All Terrain Work to excel in industrial work environments, including an ASTM-rated steel toe for impact protection and an upper that is free of metallic hardware, a feature often required in auto manufacturing facilities.

“We looked at the features and benefits that trail running shoes provide to outdoor fitness enthusiasts and found that we could apply those to work footwear,” says John Duvic, VP of Product Development at Warson Brands. “A full-bootie neoprene lining hugs the foot for a glove-like fit while keeping mud, rocks, and debris out of the shoe for all-day comfort on the job, and the aggressive lugged outsole provides trail-rated traction with ASTM-rated slip resistance.”

The All Terrain Work features a MemoryTech footbed that adapts to the unique contours of the foot and a steel toe that meets or exceeds ASTM F2413 safety standards. The RB4090, RB4091, RB4092 and RB095 provide electrical hazard protection, while the RB4093 and RB094 are static dissipative with a patented dual-resistor system that reliably delivers a precise range of electrical resistance for people working with sensitive electronic devices.

Posted December 11, 2017

Source: Warson Brands

AAFA Announces American Image Awards Honorees For 2018 Gala

WASHINGTON — December 11, 2017 — Today, the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) announced four industry leaders to be honored at the 2018 AAFA American Image Awards, taking place on April 16 at the historic 583 Park Avenue in New York City. Receiving the prestigious Person of the Year award will be Manny Chirico, Chairman and CEO of PVH Corp. Company of the Year will be the Camuto Group, and Fred Segal will receive Retailer of the Year. Joseph Altuzarra will be honored as Designer of the Year.

“The AAFA American Image Awards celebrate those that epitomize leadership and innovation in the apparel and footwear industry,” said Rick Helfenbein, president and CEO, AAFA. “This is an opportunity to honor the finest individuals and organizations throughout the entire supply chain, including designers, manufacturers, and trendsetters.”

Person of the Year is awarded to Manny Chirico, chairman and CEO of PVH Corp. Manny has been with PVH for more than 20 years, serving as CEO since 2006 and Chairman since 2007. Under Manny’s leadership, PVH has become one of the largest apparel companies in the world, including renowned brands like Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and more.

Company of the Year is awarded to Camuto Group. Founded by Vince Camuto, Camuto Group is a global business with more than 5,400 distribution points in more than 70 countries. As a leader in the design, development, and distribution of women’s fashion footwear, the company provides both wholesale and licensed products in the space. The award will be accepted by the company’s CEO Alex Del Cielo.

Retailer of the Year is awarded to Fred Segal. The eponymous retailer was founded more than 50 years ago in West Hollywood to provide form-fitting, fashion-forward clothing. Catering to Hollywood’s A-list celebrities, Fred Segal is known for opening the first jeans-only store. Today, the retailer manages stores in Japan and Los Angeles. The award will be accepted by Fred Segal CEO Allison Samek and President John Frierson.

Designer of the Year is awarded to Joseph Altuzarra. Born and raised in Paris, Joseph launched his namesake brand in 2008 to provide luxury women’s ready-to-wear and accessories, creating a modern wardrobe for women to feel confident and sexy in their everyday lives.

For the second year, AAFA has partnered with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Foundation to serve as the gala’s beneficiary. The CFDA Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that raises funds for charity and industry activities.

“We are honored to once again be the beneficiary of the American Image Awards,” said Steven Kolb, President and CEO of the CFDA. “The money raised will help fund our business development and philanthropic programs. We are grateful to Paula Zusi, Rick Helfenbein and the entire team at the American Apparel & Footwear Association for the continued support.”

The AAFA American Image Awards is owned and operated by AAFA. Starting in 1977, the awards honor those who have exemplified leadership, excellence, and outstanding achievements in all sectors of the apparel and footwear industry, including education, design, manufacturing, and retail.

Posted December 11, 2017

Source: the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA)

MagnaColours® Broaden SFX Range With MultiChrome Ink

BARNSLEY, England — December 11, 2017 — Manufacturer of water-based screen-printing inks MagnaColours® has launched a new ink, which helps textile screen-printers to achieve a two-tone pearl effect. MultiChrome Pearl was developed in-line with the demands and requirements of Magna’s customers, helping them to achieve a more dramatic colour shift than the sparkle or glitter effect that other pearl inks provide.

The new ready to use ink, which is a development on a previous version of two tone pearl inks by Magna, provides a much more evident colour shift, adding a new dimension to a standard pearl effect. MultiChrome contains speciality pigments, helping to achieve a superior colour when printed onto stretchy or lycra-containing fabrics.

Helen Parry, managing director at MagnaColours, said: “At Magna, we think it’s vital to listen to what our customers and the industry want and need, so that we can continue to provide innovative products. It is by listening to our customers that we identified the desire for a higher performance two-tone pearl ink. Using Magna Labs’ expertise in creating new inks, we were able to help our customers achieve higher-quality effects.”

“We’re pleased to be able to provide a comprehensive range of special effects water-based inks which achieve the best results, rendering the use of harmful chemically based alternatives unnecessary. We’re keen innovators, so to be able to develop a new product which solves the problems faced by screen-printers and meets their demands is fantastic.”

The MultiChrome range, which includes a variety of different colours, launched last month, and is available through distributors. As with all of Magna’s inks, the MultiChrome range conforms to the highest levels of environmental scrutiny, using the best water-based technology to ensure finishes of the highest quality.

Posted December 11, 2017

Source: MagnaColours®

Coats Acquires Patrick Yarn Mill

UXBRIDGE, England — December 11, 2017 — Coats, an industrial thread manufacturer, has acquired Patrick Yarn Mill Inc., a manufacturer of high-performance engineered yarns based in Kings Mountain, N.C. Patrick Yarn Mill specializes in cut-resistant and flame retardant yarns. It also produces yarns from recycled fibers marketed under its earthspun® trademarks and with its large solar installation promotes its earth friendly yarns as “Spun by the Sun.”

Founded in 1963, Patrick Yarn Mill has 150 employees. In 2016, its annual sales were $36.5 million.  Patrick Yarn Mill’s unique spinning competencies in engineered performance yarns offer an opportunity to expand Coats’ existing Performance Materials portfolio as well as to extend its innovation capability. Coats will support Patrick Yarn Mill’s expansion into high-growth markets by leveraging Coats’ unrivalled geographic footprint, breadth of global customer relationships and strong corporate brand.

Rajiv Sharma, group chief executive, Coats, said: “Patrick Yarn Mill is an exciting acquisition that supports a key aspect of our growth strategy: to identify innovation synergies that build scale in high technology sectors. It is a dynamic, customer focused company and its unique spinning systems combined with our existing technology portfolio will provide a strong market offering. We will be able to draw upon our demonstrable track record of successfully integrating bolt-on companies following our acquisitions in 2016, particularly that of Gotex, another company in this space, which is performing well under our ownership.”

Gilbert Patrick, president, Patrick Yarn Mill, said: “Patrick Yarn Mill becoming part of the Coats family creates many opportunities for both companies as there is a lot of synergy between our product offerings and technology. A key one is being able to leverage Coats’ unrivalled global footprint and strong corporate brand to accelerate market growth, which will benefit not only Patrick Yarn Mill, but also our employees and our community. The opportunity to collaborate with a market leader in areas such as innovation and R&D is extremely exciting and very positive, not only for Patrick Yarn Mill’s future but also for our customers’ future.”

The acquisition of Patrick Yarn Mill follows two highly successful acquisitions in 2016.  Gotex, a Spain-based company which designs and manufactures high-tech industrial yarns and tapes used in the telecommunications, energy and oil and gas sectors became part of Performance Materials. FRS, a United Kingdom-based company which provides software solutions and expertise to improve operational efficiency and speed to market in apparel and footwear, became part of Coats Global Services.

This acquisition shows Coats’ intent to grow via M&A in Performance Materials and Services, two areas of strategic priority.

Posted December 11, 2017

Source: Coats Group

MySize To Unveil New Measurement Technology To Transform Online Apparel Shopping

AIRPORT CITY, Israel — December 8, 2017 — My Size Inc., a developer of proprietary smartphone measurement applications, intends to release a new measurement solution technology that will revolutionize the way consumers shop for clothing online. The new technology is currently in the testing phase at several Israel-based academic institutions, and to date, has shown promising results under lab conditions.

MySize’s innovative technology has been designed to allow consumers to measure themselves using their smartphone and then be matched with an online apparel item in their size. We believe that this technology has the potential to significantly reduce the margin of error for customers purchasing the wrong size apparel online.

MySize’s R&D Engineers have developed a system that pulls data from anthropometric databases, which is then combined with studies on body measurements of diverse populations groups. MySize’s proprietary methodology combines this data with the measurements obtained from an individual via the smartphone app to estimate the circumference of different body parts that determine the size of garments.

In order to help consumers determine the key body measurements needed for fitting apparel purchased online, MySize invented a simpler and more accessible three step process:

  • Perform convenient body measurements using a smartphone;
  • Predict the body circumferences required by the retailer size-chart using the MySize’s new proprietary algorithms; and
  • Recommend to the user their appropriate garment size according to the retailer’s size chart.

Recording accurate and detailed body measurements via traditional methods is generally difficult. The main traditional methods involve advanced 3-D scanners, or manually using multiple tape measures and calipers. In both cases, they can be expensive, require expertise to operate, and are not available to consumers. My Size is the only company that is able to do that based on recently awarded patented technology that uses actual body measurement. My Size’s patent has been approved in several countries, including the U.S.

“My Size has developed an innovative solution that will enable consumers to shop for better-fitting apparel online, across multiple vendors, and get their correct size, based on their individual smartphone-based body measurements. This level of accuracy and convenience is not offered by any of our competitors,” said My Size CEO Ronen Luzon. “The U.S. e-commerce apparel market alone is over $72 billion of the total e-commerce market of $394 billion (Statista, U.S. Census Bureau), and we believe that the My Size solution will help reduce returns to retailers due to sizing issues, thereby benefitting consumers by assisting them to purchase apparel that fits their specific size.”

Posted December 8, 2017

Source: My Size Inc.

Faurecia Implements Gerber’s AccuMark® Software In Global Design Centers

TOLLAND, Conn.— December 8, 2017 — Vehicle design and manufacturing is a culmination of complex work processes especially when a company serves multiple brands and models. Implementing technology to manage these processes is imperative to manage a global network and succeed in the market place. “Implementing AccuMark across our design centers allows us to more effectively collaborate with our colleagues to design and manufacture goods more efficiently and precise,” said Emmanuel Delfavero, CAD expert for seat covers at Faurecia.

Faurecia is one of the world’s largest automotive equipment suppliers with three areas of business: automotive seating, interior systems and clean mobility.

“We are pleased to help Faurecia further product development goals with implementing AccuMark across their companies, bringing further precision and accuracy to their customers,” said Bill Brewster, vice president and general manager, enterprise software solutions at Gerber.

The AccuMark implementation began in France and Portugal and is now moving into the rest of the design centers throughout Asia, Europe, and the United States.

Posted December 8, 2017

Source: Gerber Technology

Import Numbers Show Retailers Restocking As Holiday Season Hits Final Days

WASHINGTON — December 8, 2017 — Imports at the nation’s major retail container ports are expected to increase 1.5 percent this month over the same time last year, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. The year, which included five of the seven busiest months for imports on record, should end with a healthy 6.4 percent increase over 2016.

“Retailers are doing last-minute restocking as consumers head toward the finish line of the shopping season, but the majority of holiday merchandise is already in the country and ports are beginning to quiet down,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “With tax cuts that will leave more money in shoppers’ pockets in the headlines and consumer confidence high, all signs are that this has been a strong holiday season.”

Gold added, however, that retailers’ ability to provide consumers with quality products at affordable prices could be threatened if the United States pulls out of the North American Free Trade Agreement or engages in other anti-trade policy that fails to recognize the increased employment and other contributions imports make to the nation’s economy.

“Despite constant threats from the administration regarding trade, especially free trade agreements, imports have been riding high,” Gold said. “Concerns continue about what will happen in 2018 and beyond.”

Ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 1.77 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units in October, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available. That was up 0.3 percent from September and up 5.9 percent year-over-year. A TEU is one 20-foot-long cargo container or its equivalent.

November was estimated at 1.64 million TEU, down 0.3 percent from last year, and December is forecast at 1.6 million TEU, up 1.5 percent.

The total for 2017 is expected to come to 20 million TEU, topping last year’s previous record of 18.8 million TEU by 6.4 percent. That compares with 2016’s 3.1 percent increase over 2015.

The year set an all-time monthly record of 1.8 million TEU in August, and included five of only seven months when imports have hit 1.7 million TEU or higher.

January 2018 is forecast at 1.67 million TEU, down 0.5 percent from January 2017; February at 1.6 million TEU, up 11.6 percent from last year; March at 1.5 million TEU, down 2 percent, and April at 1.66 million TEU, up 3.6 percent. The February and March percentages are skewed because of changes in when Asian factories close for Lunar New Year each year.

The import numbers come as NRF is forecasting that 2017 retail sales will grow between 3.2 and 3.8 percent over 2016 and that this year’s holiday sales will grow between 3.6 and 4 percent. Cargo volume does not correlate directly with sales because only the number of containers is counted, not the value of the cargo inside, but nonetheless provides a barometer of retailers’ expectations.

“As we close out 2017, we feel very good about the events of the year,” Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett said. “We expect the coming six months to continue to grow, although at a reduced rate on a year-on-year basis. The second half of 2018 will be weaker than the first half, but recession is not on the horizon.”

Global Port Tracker, which is produced for NRF by the consulting firm Hackett Associates, covers the U.S. ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma on the West Coast; New York/New Jersey, Hampton Roads, Charleston, Savannah, Port Everglades and Miami on the East Coast, and Houston on the Gulf Coast. The report is free to NRF retail members, and subscription information is available at www.nrf.com/PortTracker or by calling (202) 783-7971. Subscription information for non-members can be found at www.globalporttracker.com.

NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association, representing discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and Internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries. Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, supporting one in four U.S. jobs — 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.6 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy.

Posted December 8, 2017

Source: The National Retail Federation/Hackett Associates

Baldwin Expands Global Platform With The Acquisition Of QuadTech

ST. LOUIS — December 8, 2017 — Baldwin Technology Company Inc. — a process automation solutions provider of consumables and services for the print, packaging, textile and corrugated industries — has acquired QuadTech Inc. from its parent company, Quad/Graphics. With this acquisition, Baldwin adds all of QuadTech’s highly regarded technology and strategic locations across the Americas, Europe, China, Japan and India.

QuadTech is a global leader in the design and manufacture of control systems that help commercial, newspaper, packaging and publication gravure printers improve their performance and productivity. Headquartered in Sussex, Wis., QuadTech maintains a worldwide network of sales and service operations, and sells automated systems in more than 100 countries.

Baldwin will strategically unite QuadTech with two of its existing divisions — Web Printing Controls and PC Industries — creating a global platform that will operate as Baldwin Vision Systems. The resulting combination of businesses and technology will represent the industry’s most comprehensive portfolio available for print process automation, inspection and related services. Karl Fritchen, current QuadTech President, will lead the new Baldwin segment, which brings together the best and brightest global talent and capabilities in the industry. Product technologies will span closed-loop automation for registration, inking, color management, web handling and 100 percent inspection for the commercial, newspaper, labels, packaging, converting and publication gravure industries.

“The combination of products and expertise held within both companies will enable us to reach areas of the market we were unable to reach individually,” commented Fritchen. “From an international operations and market perspective, each party’s strengths are highly complementary. This is definitely a situation where we can accomplish much more together than we could have as independent companies.”

“QuadTech will serve as a catalyst for the formation of our new Baldwin Vision Systems segment, which will greatly enhance Baldwin’s ability to provide an even more comprehensive automation portfolio for our customers around the world,” said Brent Becker, President and CEO of Baldwin. “Together, we provide our customers an unmatched portfolio in commercial and newspaper automation, and I am very excited about the additional capabilities we will gain in the packaging markets. The work QuadTech has done recently on color within the packaging market clearly places us as the industry leader, and we have aggressive plans to build upon that position. I fully expect that our combined global presence, coupled with a new tiered product offering, will position the company to further satisfy our customers’ needs in an even larger geographical area.”

QuadTech is Baldwin’s fifth acquisition since joining the BW Forsyth Partners family of companies in 2012, and the fourth completed in 2017.

“We are thrilled to partner with the QuadTech team, as this investment underscores our continued commitment to a strategy that blends organic and acquisition growth to enhance our global footprint, advance the technology and service we can deliver to our customers, and cultivate our unique culture of care and collaboration,” said Kyle Chapman, Founder and Managing Director of BW Forsyth Partners. “We will continue to support Baldwin’s strategy execution, as the team seeks opportunities to expand the company’s reach into new industries and new geographic markets, increasing solutions for customers.”

Posted December 8, 2017

Source: Baldwin Technology Company Inc.

Pittsburgh’s CleanCare Recertified Hygienically Clean

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — December 8, 2017 — CleanCare of Pittsburgh has again achieved Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification, 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.

CleanCare was first certified in 2014. Recertification confirms the organization’s continuing 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.

To achieve certification initially, laundries pass three rounds of outcome-based microbial testing, indicating that their processes are producing Hygienically Clean Healthcare textiles and zero presence of yeast, mold and harmful bacteria. They also must pass a facility inspection. To maintain their certification, they 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. Re-inspection occurs every two to three years.

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 by verifying quality control procedures in linen, uniform and facility services operations related to the handling of 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 CleanCare on their recertification,” said Joseph Ricci, TRSA president and CEO. “This achievement proves their ongoing commitment to infection prevention and that their laundry takes every step possible to prevent human illness.”

Posted December 8, 2017

Source: TRSA

Orion Engineered Carbons Announces New Specialty Carbon Black Production Line In Korea

SENNINGERBERG, Luxembourg — December 7, 2017 — Orion Engineered Carbons, a worldwide supplier of specialty and high-performance carbon black, announced today that it has completed construction of a new carbon black production line at its plant in Yeosu, South Korea, to produce specialty products. The line started production on November 23, and has begun commercial sales.

“This new line in Yeosu will produce premium grades of specialty carbon black for demanding customer applications such as automotive coatings, engineered plastics, printing inks and adhesives & sealants,” said Jack Clem, Orion’s CEO “It is another step in Orion Engineered Carbons’ ongoing transition to higher value added products for specialty and technically demanding rubber applications.”

The Yeosu Plant has also just completed a major upgrade to a Technical Rubber carbon black production line. This line too is back in commercial production.

These projects are major components of the consolidation of the Bupyeong [Incheon] Plant into the Yeosu facility. The transition is on track to be completed by July 2018.

Posted December 7, 2017

Source: Orion Engineered Carbons S.A.

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