San Francisco-based GAP Inc. has announced a new sustainable manufacturing goal of saving 10 billion liters of water by the end of 2020. The company reports product innovation and efficiency improvements at fabric plants and laundries are at the center of these water savings. The total of 10 billion liters is a volume equivalent to the daily drinking water need by 5 billion people. According to Gap., through company-led projects, the company already has saved more than 2.4 billion liters of water since 2014.
“Water is critical to nearly all aspects of our business, and we recognize the responsibility and the opportunity we have to reduce the amount of water used to create our products,” said Christophe Roussel, executive vice president of Global sourcing, Gap. “Leveraging the power of product innovation and improved manufacturing practices, we can help ensure that our customers not only look great in their favorite jeans and T-shirts, but also feel good about how their purchases are helping to make a positive impact for communities and helping to tackle global water scarcity.”
Gap also has committed to a 50 percent absolute reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in its owned and operated facilities globally as measured from a 2015 baseline.
Leading brands and retailers are using digital tools and processes to analyze and target different regional markets rather than pursuing blanket globalization.
Big data, IoT, the platform economy and artificial intelligence promise the most profound change fashion has undergone since the dawn of large-scale manufacturing
TW Special Report
The future has arrived and the present is not so easy. Fashion is becoming a difficult business to monitor. Its regional and global markets are both hypercompetitive and ever evolving, so that brands, retailers and manufacturers are forced to make rapid-fire decisions to remain in the game. Documentation, systematization and accountability often are afterthoughts as companies rush to deliver collections from one season to the next.
While China and India’s domestic fashion markets are becoming increasingly dominant, the offshoring paradigm still stands. Nowadays, despite a burgeoning trend towards proximity sourcing, very few products are being manufactured where they were developed.
According to Jason Adams, president, Smyrna, Ga.-based Lectra North America, factors such as language barriers, time zone differences and sheer geographical distance still limit communication between offices where product orders are placed and factories where they materialize. Lectra has a broad vision of the world as a provider of integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using fabrics, leather, technical textiles and composite materials, and has been operating in the United States for more than 40 years.
For Adams, a lot is happening in fashion, but in a way that is too fast, too informal, and too far removed from headquarters to be visible in the traditional sense to the naked eye.
However, as brand audiences, overseas offices and supply chain partners grow further apart in the physical sense, ironically they have never been closer in digital terms.
Soon a majority of products could be digitally conceived, designed and transferred to other departments for further technical development. “From there, they will be assembled, worked on digitally by connected supply chain partners or in more advanced supply chains, manufactured by industrial robots that receive instructions sans human intervention,” Adams said. Then the products will be electronically sent, tracked, distributed, and marketed to digitally connected consumers.
Fashion now is rapidly becoming a predominantly digital industry, one where huge volumes of data, digital collaboration, online social interaction, digital marketing, and e-commerce come together to create and sell a physical product to a digital native demographic. As vital as the final product itself is, and will remain, the very near future of the industry will place a huge importance on the significant portion of its life that it spends in the digital domain.
While a shift in the production process might seem like a relatively small and manageable change in the way brands and retailers do business, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Together, the four main pillars of digitization — big data, the Internet of Things (IoT), the platform economy and artificial intelligence — promise what may prove the most profound change fashion has undergone since the dawn of large-scale manufacturing.
The digitization of manufacturing is widely referred to as Industry 4.0, the fourth overhaul of manufacturing after lean, outsourcing and automation.
Millennials And Generation Z
Adams said supply chain digitization helps companies make significant profits and productivity gains through improved organization and production agility. This practice also enables them to achieve efficiency savings and hence meet customer expectations while enhancing business processes in other areas.
Today’s target shoppers, the famous millennials and Generation Z — whose exacting requirements and revolutionary buying behavior have left traditional retailers reeling — expect transparency.
Although price is still a major factor in their purchasing decisions, Adams noted, these conscientious consumers pay equal attention to product provenance. Brands and retailers who invest in obtaining this level of insight will be able to build and advertise codes of conduct for social compliance and sustainability, confident that there are no blind spots in their design, development and manufacturing processes.
While micro and macro trends vary from one market to another, however, deeper shifts in the competitive landscape and in consumer expectations brought about by digitization will, sooner rather than later, require retailers, brands and manufacturers to embrace the idea of fashion as a digital domain. However, what will this mean in practice?
Best Practices, Hardware Management
According to Limuel Sagadraca, vice president of Professional Services at Lectra, there are two key elements when it comes to ensuring a successful digitization process — best practices in software and in hardware management. Best software practices consist of collecting and analyzing large volumes of data to deliver actionable intelligence, opening channels of communication and collaboration between teams, and coordinating, optimizing, and automating new and existing processes throughout the product lifecycle. At the level of solutions, this might mean integrating the flow of data between supply chain management, product lifecycle management (PLM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, then analyzing this end-to-end sea of information in order to gather reliable insights for the business. For example, a large consumer packaged goods business in Europe recently began to perform analysis on its growing pool of big data covering both customers and operations, which now is powering a dynamic trend-forecasting model that has had a measurable impact on inventory turnover.
Taking this further, trend forecasting agencies now are going digital themselves, employing sophisticated deep-learning techniques to derive insights from volumes of images and other data sets that are prohibitively large or complex for humans to analyze. Crucially, e-commerce leaders already are using these cloud-based digital services and improving turnover. On the hardware front, factories that have undergone digitization will be using a combination of automation, machine-to-machine digital communication, and perhaps even 3-D printing and on-demand production. From cutters to spreaders to plotters, their machines will be able to communicate with one another. They also will be connected to monitoring and control systems and will feed data such as material consumption, cutting status, temperature and performance to a suite of solutions designed to turn this stream of information into usable intelligence.
This digitization of manufacturing is widely referred to as Industry 4.0 — the fourth overhaul of manufacturing, after lean, outsourcing and automation. In other regions, it has been dubbed smart manufacturing. While this sounds complex — justifiably so, given its scope — the essence of this fourth industrial revolution on the factory floor also can be understood in a much simpler manner. Digitizing the manufacturing process essentially means eliminating a longstanding and now unnecessary manual disconnect between products designed and developed in digital CAD, patternmaking and grading solutions then manufactured by digitally controlled machinery or robots.
Every digitalization strategy will have one thing in common — the need for a single platform to oversee, optimize and manage newly-formed digital workflows.
Algorithms
For Sagadraca there is no single roadmap to digitization. With an almost limitless range of software, hardware and services that can theoretically be linked to form a cohesive digital workflow, the direction each business takes will be dictated by its goals and challenges. Seeking shorter lead times, some brands will embrace virtual prototyping and 3-D printing. Looking to exceed customer expectations across channels, other brands will come to rely on machine learning, applying algorithms to real-time information feeds from all of their retail channels to serve up pitch-perfect product recommendations. Aiming to improve material utilization and cut costs, yet others will connect their cutting machines to an intuitive software layer that delivers minute-to-minute technical insights to design and development teams.
Sagadraca goes on to stress that each digitization strategy is unique but they all have one thing in common — the need for a single platform to oversee, optimize and manage the newly formed digital workflows. As more software solutions, platforms and physical hardware — including products themselves, thanks to small embedded systems — become connected, the need to consolidate, manage and analyze data in a centralized location will become more acute, at the same time as the potential benefits of digitization become even more compelling. PLM has already emerged as the most capable tool for this challenge.
PLM In Fashion
Businesses should remember that not all PLM solutions are created equal. For Lectra PLM Business Consultant Karyn Wangenstein some solutions were conceived for smaller creative tasks; others were repurposed from different industries. Companies hoping to keep a podium position in the digital race and to manage the complexity of connecting potentially hundreds of different tools and technologies, should, if possible, select a solution specifically designed for the IoT and Industry 4.0, rather than settling for software that has been retrofitted to cope with a changed world.
For Wangenstein, an ideal PLM solution should have a wide functional scope that covers the entire design-to-production process. By connecting all supply chain actors, external suppliers and industry processes together, the solution helps companies fully embrace Industry 4.0, bridging the gap between the final consumer and the manufacturer. It should also have the ability to interface quickly with all other tools and IT systems such as CAD, ERP and customer relationship management (CRM), in order to ensure a continuous flow of data to help the company transition smoothly to the new digital era.
Digital Transformation
It is therefore important to recognize that digitization is likely to be an exponential journey for many businesses. The more technologies and processes they digitize, the more potential avenues for digitization present themselves under the umbrella of PLM. With this in mind, it is vital that prospective customers select a platform that is scalable. When it comes to defining the bigger picture and setting an end goal for digitization, many industries and commentators have latched onto the term “digital transformation.” That term was avoided here, because it implies a total, immediate transition when in reality digitization is an objective that can and should be achieved in increments.
Adams concludes brands, retailers, and manufacturers wishing to make the most of their move to the digital domain should borrow from the templates set by digital leaders or forge their own path, using their own unique digital drivers to define specific use cases that will deliver value today and lay the foundations for more comprehensive change tomorrow. Businesses that commit to digitization today will almost invariably reveal new insights about not just their customers, but their own internal attitudes and business models as well.
Companies that have already begun the process are showing their commitment to keeping pace with customer expectations. They, and the retailers and brands who join them today, will best be positioned to secure their place in fashion’s future as a digital domain.
Switzerland- based Uster Technologies Inc. has announced a new organizational structure to take effect April 1. Anson Xu will head Uster operations and sales in China, and Andreas Tanner has been named head of sales for the rest of the world. Harold Hoke, vice president, sales and service; and Walter Kiechl, Uster’s chief officer in China, will gradually step back allowing for a seamless transition. Hoke will continue until at least March 2019 at which time, he will officially retire from the company after 37 years of service.
Mike Davies has joined the sales team at Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Adele Knits Inc. as product manager – Circular Knit Fabric.
New York City-based Material ConneXion has appointed Melanie March director of commercial strategy. She is based in San Diego.
Judith van Vliet, a designer with Switzerland-based Clariant’s ColorWorks® design and technology center, was named president of the Color Marketing Group, a not-for-profit international association of color design professionals.
New York City-based Trident Global Inc., a division of Trident Group, has named Brian Rogers vice president, sales and marketing.
Prisca Havranek-Kosicek has joined Denmark-based Novozymes as CFO.
To support its growing supply chain and expanding e-commerce business, Duquesne, Pa.-based American Textile Co. has hired Carlo Morgano as senior vice president, Information Technology.
Hardwick Clothes, Cleveland, Tenn., has named Ken Hoffman chairman
Nester
Nester Hosiery, Mount Airy, N.C., has promoted Jason Nester to vice president, sales.
Cary, N.C.-based INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, has elected five new people to its 2018 Board of Directors: Mary Liz Cahill, SWM International; Luca di Benedetto, ATEX Inc.; Ricardo Fasolo, Fitesa Inc.; Larry Grabowy, Tufco LP; Richard Palmer, Nehemiah Manufacturing.
Furrer
Switzerland-based Archroma has appointed Marcos Furrer president, Brand & Performance Textile Specialties and Innovation. Furrer replaces Thomas Winkler who retires at the end of March.
The Atlanta-based Americas Apparel Producers’ Network has announced Tony Anzovino as its 2018-19 president. Anzovino is chief sourcing and merchandising officer at Dallas-based Haggar Clothing Co.
Tolland, Conn.-based Gerber Technology has hired Scott Schinlever as president and COO of the company’s Automation Solutions business.
Morrisville, Pa.-based Gelest Inc. recently hired Doug Wulffleff as vice president of Mergers & Acquisitions. In addition, Dr. Jonathan Goff was promoted to vice president, Research & Development; and Dr. Youlin Pan has added the title of senior research fellow to his current title of senior R&D manager.
Velia Carboni has joined VF Corp., Greensboro, N.C., as chief digital officer, a newly created role at the company.
Dailey
Jones Nonwovens, Humboldt, Tenn., has named Andrew Dailey vice president of sales for the company’s mattress division.
The Board of Directors of Rochester, N.H.-based Albany International Corp. has appointed Olivier Jarrault president, CEO and member of the board.
Ruusvirta
Finland-based Spinnova has named Leena Ruusuvirta a specialist on the R&D team.
CIT Group Inc., New York City, has named Jerry Younts a senior business development officer on its Commercial Services team. Younts will be responsible for offering factoring and asset-based financing services to furniture, textile and floor covering manufacturers and importers, among other clients.
The Jobskin® Division of the Torbot Group Inc. is using GlideWear® in targeted locations in the Jobskin Burn Compression Garment.
Tamarack’s GlideWear® low-friction fabric technology protects skin from friction and shear-related injuries.
By Rachael S. Davis, Executive Editor
Minneapolis-based Tamarack Habilitation Technologies Inc. was founded in 1990 to design and fabricate custom orthotics and prosthetics. In more recent years, Tamarack has focused on the development of fabric technologies that protect skin and soft tissue from injuries and wounds caused by friction and shear stresses.
Tamarack’s latest innovation is its patented GlideWear® low-friction dual-ply fabric. The low-friction property of the fabric — it has an interface coefficient of friction of 0.18 — protects skin from friction and shear, which cause injuries including chafing, rubbing, blisters, ulcers and calluses making it highly suitable for medical and sports applications. GlideWear is comprised of two 86-percent nylon/14-percent spandex knitted fabric layers that glide smoothly when rubbed together.
Because of the extremely slippery nature of the two layers, the company had to devise a way to successfully incorporate it into finished products. The solution was to prepare a “GlideWear Pre-Ply” using a water-soluble bonding agent. The pre-ply material exhibits no slip whatsoever so the two bonded layers may easily be added to a garment or other product using any traditional construction methods including sewing and welding. A final washing step dissolves the water-soluble bonding agent and activates the low-friction effect.
“The low-friction effect is due to the fabric’s design and exact positioning of the two layers against each other; no unique coatings or treatments are applied,” said Adam Erickson, manufacturing manager, Tamarack.
According to Erickson, the product evolved from Tamarack’s ShearBan® fluorinated polymer film. “We wanted a conformable, breathable, washable fabric with the same low-friction properties as our ShearBan films,” Erickson said. “Now with GlideWear, strategic friction management can be applied to textile products where our ShearBan films were not compatible.”
Currently, GlideWear is featured in wheelchair seats, burn protection garments, bike shorts and athletic socks, among other products. Stockholm-based MIPS — the innovator behind the patented MIPS Brain Protection System — recently partnered with Tamarack to develop new products designed to protect athletes’ brains from rotational forces and energies linked to brain injuries. The first product to be introduced is the MIPS-E3 GlideWear liner, which may be incorporated between the comfort padding and energy absorbing shell of a helmet to provide broad coverage from rotational impacts.
“By incorporating a revolutionary technology like GlideWear, we can offer a broader range of solutions so more companies can easily and affordably incorporate MIPS into their existing designs, thereby offering added protection against rotational motion to more athletes of all abilities and ages,” said Johan Thiel, CEO, MIPS.
“Our customers are making some really innovative products,” Erickson said. “A fun aspect of the GlideWear fabric, and the textile industry in general, is the vast markets and product ideas we and our customers envision.”
For more information about GlideWear®, contact Kimberly Sanberg, +763-795-0057; kimberlys@tamarackhti.com; glidewear.com
SAN FRANCISCO — March 28, 2018 — The first generation of health and medical wearables have had a long list of issues, mostly due to expensive, bulky design that forced users to change their behavior which led to low adoption. That’s why Siren, a San Francisco-based health technology company, developed Neurofabric™ — the first-ever textile with microsensors embedded directly into the fabric, making its sensors completely seamless and virtually invisible to the user. Plus, Neurofabric can be made on standard industrial equipment, making production of clothing cost-efficient and easily scalable.
Today, Siren is launching its first Neurofabric-powered product — the Siren Diabetic Sock and Foot Monitoring System.
Siren Diabetic Socks continuously monitor foot temperature so people can detect signs of inflammation, the precursor to diabetic foot ulcers. Monitoring foot temperature is clinically proven to be the most effective way of catching foot injuries, and is up to 87-percent more effective at preventing diabetic foot ulcers than standard diabetic foot care.
Current solutions for diabetic foot monitoring rely on non-continuous and manual measurement. People who want to monitor foot temperature have to go to the doctor and get 6 spots on each foot manually measured for temperature, a time-consuming and inefficient process.
Approximately 56 percent of diabetic foot ulcers become infected, and 20 percent of those people with infected foot wounds end up with some type of lower extremity amputation. More than 100,000 legs are lost to diabetes each year in the US. Meanwhile, up to 80 percent of people with diabetes who have foot amputations pass away within five years.
“We built this technology because foot ulcers are the most common, costly and deadly complication for people with diabetes, yet there was no way to continuously monitor for these massive problems,” said Ran Ma, CEO and co-founder of Siren. “Our Neurofabric has endless applications across healthcare, sports, military, and fashion, but it was obvious to us that solving this specific problem is where we had to start, because it impacts so many and can mean the difference between losing a limb or not.”
For people with diabetic neuropathy, Siren’s socks look and feel just like a regular pair of socks and blend seamlessly into their daily lives. Comfortable and discreet, they provide continuous, clinical-grade temperature monitoring and health tracking over time. All they have to do is put on their socks like they would any other day.
“The Siren system has become a vital part of my foot care because it helps catch potential problems early,” said Melissa G., who has Type-1 diabetes. “The socks stay incredibly soft even after washing them, and remain comfortable throughout the day. I love that I can see the temperature of my feet instantly with the app and compare changes from day to day.”
Siren’s Foot Monitoring System includes a variety of patented technologies, enabling the standard manufacturing of integrated sensors, and simultaneous pairing of multiple devices, both of which were previously unsolved.
The subscription includes five pairs of new Siren Diabetic Socks shipped every 6 months, the Siren Companion App, and live customer support.
Siren Diabetic Socks Feature:
Neurofabric™ — Seamlessly-integrated sensors monitor foot temperature at 6 key points — the most effective method for determining foot health.
Comfortable fit — All socks are seamless and non-binding.
Machine-washable and don’t need to be charged
Moisture-wicking — Fabric removes moisture from the foot area to promote healthy skin.
Fresh socks every 6 months — We ship you a box of fresh socks every 6 months!
Customers who order in the next 30 days can lock in special launch pricing starting at $19.95/month.
Today’s launch comes on the heels of Siren successfully shipping its first batch of socks to their users. Previously Siren was named 2018 CES Best of Innovation, 2017 CES TechCrunch Battlefield winner, and AARP Consumer’s Choice. As part of today’s announcement, Siren is also announcing it has raised $3.4 million in seed funding from DCM, Khosla Ventures, and Founders Fund.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
