AmeriPride Now Has Seven Facilities Certified Hygienically Clean For Food Safety

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — April 5, 2018 — AmeriPride Services Inc.’s plants in Tuscumbia, Ala.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Amarillo, Texas; and Bakersfield, Calif., have earned the Hygienically Clean Food Safety certification, reflecting their commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by on-site inspection and their capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbial testing.

The certification confirms the laundry’s dedication to compliance and processing garments and linens using BMPs as described in its quality assurance documentation, the focal point for inspectors’ evaluation of critical control points (CCPs) that minimize risk. The independent, third-party inspection must confirm essential evidence that:

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

In addition, these AmeriPride facilities passed three rounds of outcome-based microbial testing, indicating that their processes are producing Hygienically Clean garments and linens with diminished 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 animal processing, dairies, fruit/vegetable, bakeries, grain and other food and beverage industry segments.

These four facilities the AmeriPride chain join three others who previously received the Hygienically Clean Food Safety certification; the company’s Twin Falls, Idaho, Fresno, Calif., and St. Cloud, Minn. laundries previously earned the designation. Twelve of the company’s U.S. locations have achieved the healthcare certification: Little Rock, Ark.; Phoenix; Watkinsville, Ga.; Twin Falls, Idaho, Topeka, Kan.; Bemidji and Minneapolis, Minn.; Springfield, Mo.; Omaha, Neb.; Roswell, N.M.; Memphis, Tenn.; and Lubbock, Texas. The company’s Canadian Linen and Uniform Service facility in Lethbridge, Alberta, is also Hygienically Clean Healthcare certified.

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) practices are examined in the Hygienically Clean Food Safety inspection process, evaluating the plant’s techniques for:

  • Conducting hazard analysis;
  • Determining CCPs, monitoring their control, correcting them if not under control;
  • Validating and verifying HACCP system effectiveness; and
  • Documenting and record-keeping to show ongoing conformance.

On-site inspections also evaluate practices relevant to handling and processing textile products used in food manufacturing/processing establishments for adherence to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) directives. Introduced in 2014, Hygienically Clean Food Safety brought to North America the international cleanliness standards for laundering garments and other textile products for food manufacturing used worldwide by the Certification Association for Professional Textile Services and the European Committee for Standardization.

In January, Philadelphia-based Aramark Corp. announced the completion of its acquisition of AmeriPride, making AmeriPride a wholly owned subsidiary. Aramark’s uniform rental and career apparel business is headquartered in Burbank, Calif.

Posted April 5, 2018

Source: TRSA

Zilingo Raises $54 Million In Series C, Bringing Total Capital Raised To $82 Million

SINGAPORE — April 5, 2018 — Founded by Ankiti Bose and Dhruv Kapoor in October 2015, Zilingo was built to connect a highly fragmented landscape of fashion supply to fashion lovers across Asia. “Nowhere in the world has a horizontal e-commerce company also cracked fashion. It’s a unique, high margin category which is highly dependent on fast-moving cycles and has its own nuances. Unlike buying detergent or electronics, fashion is much more about your choice, individuality and trends. It requires a different approach than rest of e-commerce.” Says Bose who while backpacking across Thailand & Indonesia saw the labyrinthine markets selling everything from slogan t-shirts to maxi dresses and was inspired to start Zilingo.

Bose, along with Kapoor set out to build a proprietary seller platform that let merchants upload and manage their inventory in any language, using any currency, connecting them through 25 APIs with logistics, warehousing and payment providers, as well as services like loans, cataloging and insurance. They launched their B2C sites and apps in November 2015 across ASEAN to let fashion buyers buy from thousands of these merchants who used their Zilingo Seller Platform at their offline or online store. They soon also launched their B2B business, Zilingo’s AsiaMall which allows merchants around the world to buy wholesale from Asian suppliers.

Today, Zilingo sells in Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, ships internationally to 4 more countries and has supply bases in it’s home countries of Singapore, Thailand & Indonesia, as well as China, Bangladesh, Vietnam & Cambodia. With over 10,000 independent merchants using the platform selling to millions of customers around Asia and the world, Zilingo aspires to take Asian fashion to the world.

The Growth Story And Recent Funding
It’s been an exciting year of business at Zilingo; The company has emerged as one of the fastest growing players in the region. It has grown 10x by revenues, launched a TV campaign in Indonesia and expanded the merchant ecosystem to include a tremendous arsenal of services, making it a one-of-a-kind product for over 10,000 merchants & private labels across Asia.

Zilingo has raised $54 Million – in a Series C , to grow further and expand internationally.
This takes total funding raised by the company to $82 Million. The round was led by Sofina, Burda Principal Investments and Sequoia Capital India. Amadeus Capital too joins as a new investor. All existing investors participated in the round including American billionaire Tim Draper, SIG, Venturra, Beenext, Manik Arora along with others. This round comes close on the heels of Zilingo’s $17 Million Series B raised 5 months ago.

Bose says, “We think the market is showing us the right signs in terms of adoption and
retention, so it’s good to double down. We are grateful to all the investors for continuously
showing great faith in our team and our vision for fashion commerce in this region.”

Shailendra Singh, Managing Director, Sequoia Capital (India) Singapore says “The Zilingo investment is special for Sequoia because our association started with a seed investment even before the Zilingo service was first launched. Ankiti and Dhruv have totally impressed us with the quality of team they have assembled, their innovative e-commerce strategy and playbook and their speed and quality of execution, all of which resulted in more than 10x revenue growth in the last one year. This new round was finalized weeks after the last one and is a ringing endorsement of how much potential the investor group sees in the company. We’re glad to have invested significantly across all rounds the company has raised.”

Albert Shyy, Principal at Burda says ” Zilingo is creating a complete ecosystem for merchants to grow their online fashion business in Southeast Asia and beyond – we believe there is an untapped opportunity across the entire Asian fashion value chain & continue to be very impressed with the company’s trajectory”

Posted April 5, 2018

Source: Zilingo

Textile Group Renames Scholarship After URI Professor Martin Bide

KINGSTON, R.I. — April 4, 2018 — Professor Martin Bide, whose distinguished career at the University of Rhode Island has included research into sustainable textiles and groundbreaking biomedical materials, was recently honored when a scholarship created by a leading textile association was dedicated in his name.

The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists has renamed an annual scholarship it awards to URI students the AATCC Foundation Martin J. Bide University of Rhode Island Scholarship. The award was previously known as the AATCC Foundation University of Rhode Island Scholarship.

“When it was announced, my jaw dropped. I was very surprised and very honored by it,” Bide said.

In addition to naming the scholarship after Bide, the foundation doubled the value of the award to $2,000. Charles and Carol Ann Gavin established the original annual scholarship in January 2016. Charles Gavin is a past president and treasurer of the association, and he was the first individual to make a donation to AATCC Foundation Inc. after it was established as a separate public charitable foundation in 1997.

“Charles Gavin and the rest of us at the foundation wanted to honor Professor Bide for his years of assistance and involvement with the AATCC and the AATCC Foundation itself,” said John Y. Daniels, president of AATCC Foundation Inc.

Bide joined the association when he arrived in the United States from the United Kingdom in 1982. Since then, he said, it has been an invaluable part of his professional work and the resulting links with industry professionals has informed his teaching in the textiles, fashion merchandising and design program at URI.

“One thing that distinguishes our program from other textiles, fashion merchandising and design programs is the technical education that goes into our program, and because of that technical knowledge, a lot of our students do well after they graduate,” he said. “The association has taught me a lot, and I’m able to bring much of that knowledge back to the classroom here at URI. It’s a great informational exchange.”

Bide joined the University in 1991 and he teaches courses in textile science, color science, dyeing and textile testing.

His background in dyes and textiles led to research in pollution prevention for the textile industry, which in turn has enabled him to contribute to the current debates on sustainability. A further spin-off from dyes and textiles is an extensive series of projects involving the development of novel biomedical materials in conjunction with BioSurfaces, Inc. of Ashland, Mass., resulting in four patents. Bide also enjoys the occasional foray into textile dyeing history and dye analysis.

Bide received the AATCC’s 2011 Olney Medal for “achievement in textile chemistry” and the Chapin Award for his service to the association in 2009. He is also active in the administration of the association, serving as its president in 2007 and 2008. Previously, he also chaired committees on applied dyeing theory, as well as safety, health and environmental technology, and he served as the association’s New England regional vice president. He now serves as editor-in-chief of the peer-reviewed AATCC Journal of Research, helping to launch the new journal in 2014.

The AATCC Foundation Martin J. Bide University of Rhode Island Scholarship is available to undergraduate students pursuing degrees in textile fashion, merchandising, and design at the University of Rhode Island. The student recipients should have demonstrated scholastic progress toward their intended degrees. Given this, and the need to apply the scholarship to future study, the recipients will usually be sophomores and juniors at the time of application. Financial need and demonstrated work experience and history will be taken into consideration. Scholarship recipients must be U.S. citizens.

Students applying for the AATCC Foundation Martin J. Bide University of Rhode Island Scholarship should submit their applications through the foundation’s scholarship online portal at www.aatcc.org/fnd/grants-scholarships/aatcc-foundation-university-of-rhode-island-scholarship. Once an individual is nominated for scholarship by the Martin J. Bide University of Rhode Island Scholarship Committee, the foundation’s Board of Directors will confirm the nomination.

“I recognize that students struggle financially, so it’s an honor to have my name attached to a scholarship that will give them a boost,” Bide said.

Posted April 4, 2018

Source: University of Rhode Island

TREW’s Powfish Collection: Mission Accomplished

PORTLAND, Ore. — April 5, 2018 — TREW, designers and builders of style-inspired performance outdoor apparel, are celebrating after the release of its first limited edition collection, the Powfish. “It was an experiment with small batch production and brand collabs, and we’re popping corks, ’cause we get to do it again next year,” said Chris Pew, cofounder and president, TREW.

“We really wanted to see if the market would react to the concept of soft and hard goods in a collection, and the answer was: Yes, mostly,” Pew continued. “The men’s Powfish Jacket and Bibs have been selling like it’s their job, along with the skis. We’re still confident women will gravitate toward the jacket with it’s super lightweight insulation and incredibly soft feel. It’s a little like a doughnut, crispier on the outside, but all soft and buttery on the inside.

Forward thinking technology makes the Powfish Jacket a category winner. Super breathable/waterproof 2-layer Dermizax fabric keeps water out, while the stretch nylon drop liner provides next-to-skin comfort that’s light enough to be packable and burly enough for a full day in thigh deep pow.

As TREW’s first insulated option, the Powfish Jacket features Primaloft insulation that moves moisture and maintains warmth, without adding weight. Handwarmer pockets on the side and an arm pocket for easy ski pass storage. The longer silhouette falls in the back, continuing the trending fishtail look. The women’s jacket features full insulation, while the men’s offers vest-pattern insulation.

The Powfish men’s bibs are lightweight but ooze style. Subtle elastic is added to the sides so that they remain close to body, keeping snow out and heat in. A slightly paired down design offers clean lines while still offering quick on/off, plenty of storage and easy-pee access.

TREW curates the perfect pow package with coordinated skis or snowboard in the ideal shapes and length for the widest range of riders to find true bliss. Partnering with Folsom Skis out of Denver and Elevated Surfcraft out of Montana, TREW has created the perfect skis and snowboard to float over that fresh new foot of champagne powder.

Powfish Skis: Custom built, 184cm length, 116cm underfoot, the ultimate pow slaying size. Powfish Snowboard: 147cm Swallowtail design for maximum floatation and responsiveness.

Posted April 4, 2018

Source: TREW

VF Corp. Completes Acquisition of Icebreaker®

GREENSBORO, N.C. — April 4, 2018 — VF Corp. today announced that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Icebreaker Holdings Ltd., a privately held company based in Auckland, New Zealand. As a result of the transaction, Icebreaker Holdings has become a wholly owned subsidiary of VF Corp. Terms of the agreement were not announced.

The acquisition of Icebreaker® is an ideal complement to VF’s Smartwool® brand, which also features Merino wool in its clothing and accessories. Together, the Smartwool and Icebreaker brands will position VF as a global leader in the Merino wool and natural fiber categories.

The Icebreaker brand is expected to be immediately accretive to VF’s earnings per share

Posted April 4, 2018

Source: VF Corporation

Techtextil North America 2018 Exhibitor Preview: Proton Products

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. — April 4, 2018 — Proton Products, the global supplier of non-contact laser Doppler speed and length sensor announces its new, smart, compact InteliSENS SL/SLR mini Series sensors for the nonwovens industries. These sensors set new standards in accurate, reliable non-contact dimensional measurement of moving web products that are unrivaled in both performance and price. They will be showcased at Techtextil 2018 Atlanta, May 22-24, on Booth 2505, including a live demonstration of their capabilities.

Nonwoven products provide a special challenge for accurate on-line speed and length measurement. Conventional contacting encoders experience measurement inaccuracies due to nonwovens uneven surface, slippage, surface marking, compression and dirt accumulation on the contacting wheel. Also, the extensible properties of nonwovens mean that speed and draw changes during manufacture affect the final thickness, basis weight and physical properties of the product. Therefore, accurate speed and length measurement helps stabilize these properties to improve quality and reduce scrap. Proton’s laser Doppler measurement technique provides extremely accurate measurement performance of better than 0.05 percent, irrespective of the product’s surface structure, without routine maintenance or recalibration compared to conventional contacting wheel encoders.

Proton’s InteliSENS mini Series SL/SLR nonwoven’s measurement benefits include:

  • Accurate speed and length measurement;
  • Measurement from standstill, including forward and reverse;
  • No surface damage to the product;
  • Consistent weight, thickness and physical qualities;
  • Reduced conversion scrap; and
  • Eliminates product give-away and short length delivery.

The InteliSENS mini Series standard embedded communications protocols includes RS232, Ethernet TCP/IP and CANbus with options for PROFINET, PROFIBUS, DeviceNet, Ethernet/IP and Bluetooth. This product intelligence ensures seamless process integration with PLC’s, DCS and other automation and information platforms.

Posted April 4, 2018

Source: Proton Products International

ITM 2018 Exhibitor Preview: Lindauer Dornier

LINDAU, Germany — April 4, 2018 — Dornier will be represented at the ITM textile machinery trade fair from April 14-17 in Istanbul. Besides denim, wool and carpets, in Turkey the machine builder‘s weaving machines are also used to produce technical textiles.

“Clothing and home textiles are produced in Turkey on weaving machines from Dornier by tradition”, says Wolfgang Schöffl, Head of Business Unit Weaving Machines at Lindauer Dornier GmbH (LiDO). The machines are used to make fabrics for furnishings, curtains and hand towels, for example. But recently technical textiles have also begun to make an appearance in the product portfolios of Turkish weaving houses. The volume is still modest, but it is growing. Technical textiles as a market of the future for Turkish weavers? “It will happen”, Schöffl is convinced, as he sees the classic local textile industry responding to cheaper competition from India and China.

Technical textiles are generally considered to be growth market with enormous potential. Powerful industries such as aerospace, the automobile industry, wind energy and medicine all drive a steadily increasing demand. This has also been confirmed in a study conducted by the Swiss business consultancy Gherzi and commissioned by the European Apparel and Textile Confederation Euratex at the request of the EU Commission: The study found that the global market for technical textiles (including nonwovens) will experience annual growth rates of 5 to 6 percent and will reach a volume of almost $200 billion dollars by 2020 (2014: $147 billion dollars).

Weaving flexibly and reliably in volatile markets

But the initial obstacles for weavers who want to break into the technical textiles market — often while still producing home and garment fabrics — are formidable. The standards of design and aesthetics are replaced almost entirely by function and quality. Companies intending to manufacture airbags, parachutes, filters or tirecord must have weaving machines that satisfy the highest quality standards. “Either the material is flawless — or it is useless; there is no second-quality category in technical weaving”, says Schöffl. And this is precisely why every weaving machine built by the technology leader Dornier conforms to all major manufacturing criteria such as lowest warp and filling thread breakage rates, processing of various materials, high machine speeds and reproducible machine settings with consistent weaving quality.

“With our rapier and air-jet weaving machines, we intend to make it possible for the weaver to achieve the highest possible production reliability for technical weaving as well”, explains Schöffl. For example, with the positively controlled filling insertion function, the versatile rapier weaving machines from Dornier can be used to process not only delicate effect yarns for women’s jackets, for example, but also coarse yarns for conveyor belt fabrics and the like. The LiDO head of business unit explains that the purpose of this is to enable weavers to produce for the promising technical textiles market as reliably and safely at they do the household and clothing textiles in the face of increasing market volatility. “An investment in flexibility is an investment in the future.”

Technical fabrics from Turkey for Europe

European companies might also benefit from technical fabrics produced in Turkey. The country astride the Bosporus is already a well-established textile manufacturing partner for the EU, and offers the further advantages of duty-free exchange of goods and short trade routes. Goods sent from Turkey are delivered to any destination in Europe in a few days by truck, not after weeks aboard a container ship. Dornier has been represented in Turkey by Dornier Makina Ltd. Sti. located in Istanbul for over ten years. This is the business hub for commissioning, repairs and shipping of original spare parts for the whole of this Euroasian country.

Posted April 4, 2018

Source: Lindauer DORNIER GmbH

ACME Mills Introduces Comfort Zone Fabric Technology Powered By QUANTUM™ ZXT

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. — April 4, 2018 — ACME Mills has joined forces with Quantum Materials LLC to launch the newest level of fabric innovation designed for aircraft seating applications — Comfort Zone powered by QUANTUM™ ZXT technology. This revolutionary B-surface fabric technology is designed to provide long-term enhanced comfort to passengers, and reduce or eliminate the need for foam commonly used in airline seating.

Comfort Zone has been engineered with Quantum ZXT technology providing the airline industry with a progressive alternative compared to traditional seating. Utilizing this proprietary technology, the fabric can provide customized levels of ergonomically correct support throughout the seat, ultimately enhancing comfort to passengers. As a supporting B-Surface application, Comfort Zone reduces the amount of foam needed and can eliminate the need for springs, wires, clips and insulators that have historically been used.

Initial testing has shown that this new fabric can reduce weight by as much as 8 pounds per seat or a total of 1,512 pounds1. In addition to weight reduction, and depending upon the size of the plane, there is the potential to add more than 10 seats without redesigning the interior cabin due to space savings. The fabric can be engineered or treated with the various performance requirements needed to pass standard FAA regulations.

“There has been a tremendous focus on weight reduction in the transportation industry as a whole and while this is important to help maximize fuel efficiency, passenger comfort has sometimes been overlooked or sacrificed,” said Neil Gross, COO, ACME Mills. “In a survey by Skytrax, uncomfortable seats ranked third among a long list of customer complaints. With our Comfort Zone product, we see an opportunity to change this.”

“Airlines are constantly looking at ways to maximize the interior space in the aircraft cabin, helping to increase revenue stream. With the benefits of comfort, weight and space savings, we see this as innovative solution to help support growth in the airline industry,” said Jeff Bruner, founder and chief technology officer for Quantum Materials. “Quantum has had a long history in advancing industries with new technologies and believes that this could be a step towards revolutionizing the way we fly.”

ACME Mills will be debuting Comfort Zone powered by Quantum ZXT at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany. Attendees can visit stand 7E70 to learn more.

Posted April 4, 2018

Source: Quantum Materials LLC

1 Total estimated weight savings based on a 190-seat configuration on a commercial airplane.

Coach Design Meets CORDURA® Fabric In New Stylishly Durable Men’s Bag Collaboration

WICHITA, Kan. — April 3, 2018 — INVISTA’s CORDURA® brand has recently teamed up with Coach — a global design house of modern luxury leather goods, apparel and lifestyle accessories — to integrate a lightweight, eco-efficient material to its signature men’s silhouettes. Designed for living and crafted to last, the collection now includes six new styles featuring signature Coach leather trimmed accents combined with durable Cordura fabric made with recycled fiber technology.

Styles now available with eco-efficient Cordura fabric technology include the Academy Backpack, Metropolitan Brief, Metropolitan Camera Bag, Metropolitan Tote, Explorer Bag and Explorer Bag 52. The bags are designed with the “modern man” in mind, offering classic silhouettes and functional features for limitless adventure.

“For more than 50 years, the Cordura brand heritage has been deeply rooted in travel gear and carrying solutions, and we’re excited to partner with Coach as they extend their Metropolitan collection crafted with lightweight, durable fabric solutions,” said Cindy McNaull, global Cordura brand and marketing director. “Through this collaboration, we’re able to demonstrate that durability isn’t only for the extreme — it can be embraced in every facet of our lives for long-lasting stylish products that stand the test of time.”

Posted April 3, 2018

Source: INVISTA

Alpha Space’s Commercial Test Facility En Route to Provide Unique, In-Space Capability

HOUSTON, Texas — April 3, 2018 — Alpha Space Test and Research Alliance LLC (Alpha Space) announced today the launch of its commercial science and testing facility MISSE to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the SpaceX CRS-14 resupply mission. Alpha Space owns and operates the MISSE, an orbiting commercial science facility that will be permanently installed on the exterior of the ISS later this month, and serves the space research, testing and materials science communities.

“This is an exciting time for NASA and the growing commercial space industry,” stated Mark Gittleman, Alpha Space president and CEO. “Our new MISSE facility offers both the traditional and commercial aerospace communities, as well as NASA, a unique, in-space testing and exposure capability that is inexpensive, easy to get to, and easy to use.”

Alpha Space will continue to launch and return test samples approximately every six months for the rest of ISS’s planned life, working through a cooperative agreement with NASA and a user agreement with the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, or CASIS. By making the facility permanent, Alpha Space and NASA have dramatically reduced the cost and logistical difficulties of testing in space. They have also created the ability to provide extended exposure to the space environment, for years at a time if required.

“Our customers — which include scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs — simply deliver their samples or components to us and we take care of the rest,” stated Gittleman. “Soon their product is on-orbit, and we’re delivering data back to them and, unlike most other flight tests, they get their samples back when their time on orbit is over.”

The experiment complement on the current MISSE is composed of 229 individual samples from a mix of commercial customers and NASA centers. Samples include 3-D printed materials, sensors, sensor components, textiles, carbon fiber laminates, paints, coatings, polymers and composites. Exposure times range from six to twelve months.

“Alpha Space is actively accepting samples and experiments for its next two flights, scheduled for November of this year and May of 2019,” shared Gittleman.

Posted April 3, 2018

Source: Alpha Space Test and Research Alliance, LLC (Alpha Space)

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