While Iron’s Hot, TRSA Members To Advance Advocacy Agenda In DC In March

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — December 22, 2017 — With mid-term federal elections on the horizon, it’s an especially important time for members of Congress to demonstrate to their constituents their leadership skills and levelheadedness. Linen, uniform and facility services industry executives will help by giving them ideas for keeping the economy and nation strong when TRSA’s conducts its 8th Annual Leadership and Legislative Conference in the nation’s capital March 21-22, 2018.

In the days leading up to this event, TRSA staff will organize and schedule visits to congressional offices by small groups of conference attendees. They will inform incumbents seeking re-election and other members of Congress about tax, environment, labor and other issues that the industry shares with many other types of businesses. Conference attendees will urge representatives to emphasize these matters in their campaigns to improve their chances for re-election.

Your participation in this TRSA members-only conference enables you to practice your own leadership skills as well by attending TRSA committee meetings, which prompt TRSA to act on the operational and management issues that benefit you most. You’ll relate to other industry operators’ perspectives and collaborate on industrywide best practices.

Participation in the conference delivers immediate and long-term personal, professional and civic benefits. Speaking out in TRSA committee and Hill Day meetings on Thursday, March 22, improves your team’s skills as educators and company representatives. In both leadership and legislative sessions, you share your professional expertise and experience to improve others’ understanding of the industry.

Guiding you in these endeavors will be Commander Kirk Lippold, the conference keynoter, who will describe his five pillars of leadership and share his experience in making time-critical decisions under pressure with integrity. Commander Lippold, U.S. Navy (retired), was in command of the USS Cole when attacked by al Qaeda in 2000.

Committee discussions will enhance TRSA’s core services:

  • Professional development programs;
  • Research projects;
  • Certification standards;
  • Publications, videos and webinars; and
  • Industry customer outreach.

Multiple executives and management from the same member operator (launderer) company may join different committees. Each of the following committees will meet at the conference to guide TRSA’s Board of Directors in offering TRSA services related to their committee missions:

  • Education;
  • Environmental & Sustainability;
  • Food & Beverage;
  • Government Affairs;
  • Healthcare;
  • Hospitality;
  • Human Resources;
  • Industrial/Uniform;
  • Marketing/PR;
  • Safety; and
  • Women in Textile Services.

Attendees will also see the presentation of TRSA’s highest honors for individuals and companies at a dinner on Wednesday evening, March 21. These will include Lifetime Achievement Awards to:

  • The late Ronald Croatti, CEO of Boston-based UniFirst Corp., who served in a variety of association roles as he grew the company to annual sales to $1.5 billion from $100 million in 1991
  • Jim Pellerin, president and CEO, Pellerin Milnor Corp., New Orleans, veteran of TRSA’s Board of Directors and committees, who built his family laundry equipment manufacturing operation into a major exporter

Preceding the dinner, the conference begins Wednesday afternoon with the keynote, issue briefing to prepare for Hill Day visits and the TRSAPAC reception for current PAC members and those who wish to join that evening. Hill visits take place Thursday morning followed by committee meetings in the afternoon and an early-evening closing reception.

Posted December 22, 2017

Source: TRSA

L.L.Bean Explores Blockchain Applications For Outerwear With LOOMIA Smart Textiles; Loomia Announces Fashion Executive Joins Team

NEW YORK CITY — December 21, 2017 — Outdoor retailer L.L.Bean today announced that it will be exploring the applications of blockchain technology with LOOMIA, a technology company adding intelligence to everyday objects. The companies will explore how data from Loomia-enabled L.L. Bean apparel can assess the extended use and performance of the outdoor retailer’s products, and provide valuable insight on the use rate of products returned under L.L.Bean’s 100-percent satisfaction guarantee.

“Working with Loomia will enable L.L.Bean to continue it’s 106 year-old mission of utilizing the latest advancements and technologies to design durable, functionally innovative products that help to further folks’ enjoyment of the outdoors,” said Chad Leeder, L.L.Bean’s innovation specialist.

This partnership will first be tested with L.LBean’s outerwear products by incorporating Loomia Electronic Layer (LEL) into merchandise such as jackets and boots. The LEL — which is composed of a flexible circuitry — can heat, light, and sense, all while remaining washable, dryable, and discreet. L.L.Bean will research implementing Loomia’s circuitry to collect data from apparel including information around temperature, motion, and frequency of wear. Once this data is collected, consumers will be able to share it back with the brand for rewards via the Loomia TILE — a component that allows for the secure and anonymous transfer of data.

Other use cases include the incorporation of Loomia’s heating elements into L.L.Bean signature products, such as enabling them to warm hikers’ toes or provide an extra layer of warmth on the coldest winter days. These solutions will present some of the first tech-enabled products to conquer the rigid and bulky design typically seen with other heating and sensing applications that have restricted wearable tech from advancing.

Janett Liriano, CEO of Loomia said: “L.L.Bean exemplifies quality and focused innovation, centered on functionality and user experience. We are thrilled to be working with this legacy brand as we develop TILE. Loomia is committed to delivering meaningful experiences to both brands and buyers and look forward to advancing that cause with L.L.Bean.

Loomia’s groundbreaking technology centered on the human experience is building an economy where consumers and brands are aligned on making better products through analyzing consumer-generated data. These innovative data insights are secured through blockchain technology and are governed by the expressive consent of consumers to share their data in a mutually beneficial and seamless exchange.

Today Loomia also announces that Carole Kerner, former president of Donna Karan Collection with more than 25 years experience in the fashion industry, will be joining the team as an advisor. Kerner has previously held the positions of president of DKNY, and a senior executive within the companies of Abercrombie and Fitch, and J Crew.

“I am inspired and motivated to work with Loomia, a company that provides innovative technology that can not only lend unique properties to specific products, but that also carries data that can inform a brand,” said Kerner. “Through the years, I’ve seen fashion’s need for innovation firsthand. The integration of a seamless and sophisticated technology such as Loomia’s will help solve a multitude of pain points that have previously been a barrier to this innovation, such as having a deeper understanding of how garments are used once they leave the store, and then using those insights to actually offer consumers better products.”

Loomia’s technology has been integrated by clients such as Google, The North Face, Zac Posen, and Calvin Klein. Loomia is led by Founder and Technical Lead Madison Maxey and CEO Janett Liriano. Maxey, a Forbes 30 Under 30 and 2013 Thiel Fellow, and Liriano are joined by LOOMIA’s core team members and advisors including Sol Lederer, Blockchain director; Ezgi Ucar, director of Product Development; Marco Paúl, vice president of Operations and Supply Chain; and Paul Raffin, a former executive at J. Crew and The Frye Co.

Posted December 21, 2017

Source: LOOMIA

Mi9 Retail Forms Specialty And Luxury Group Practice To Meet The Unique Needs Of This Market

MIAMI — December 21, 2017 — Mi9 Retail, a provider of omni-channel retail software, announced today that it has formed a new practice focused on the specific needs of specialty, luxury, and jewelry retailers. This practice includes dedicated account management, sales, technical presales, consulting and support personnel who are focused on meeting the needs of these retail segments throughout every interaction with Mi9.

According to analyst firm SMB Group, 72 percent of decision makers say that technology solutions can help them significantly improve business outcomes and run their businesses better, and 53 percent plan to increase their technology investments. Although smaller retailers don’t have the internal IT resources required to take advantage of technology innovation, the cloud has become the backbone to enable this. These companies are increasingly opting to put new workloads in the cloud, relying on cloud providers to supply, manage and maintain IT infrastructure and applications for them.

“We have identified an opportunity and a need to cater to our specialty retail clients, including jewelry and luxury, in a focused and highly differentiated manner that is sensitive to market nuances,” said Neil Moses, CEO, Mi9 Retail. “These clients typically run smaller-scale operations and have unique product and services needs from other markets we serve, such as hardware or fashion and apparel.”

When a leading fashion retailer decided to invest in an aggressive rollout of their new specialty brand concept targeted at millennials, they selected Mi9 Retail for a complete point-of-sale and customer engagement solution for their stores. Critical to their decision was the commitment from Mi9 to implement the initial store systems in less than 60 days in order to meet their rollout deadlines. “We were really impressed that the Mi9 team could implement their solution so quickly,” said the retailer’s project leader. “The Mi9 team was available to us throughout the project and into the pilot, giving us reassurance we’d hit our critical deliverables.  Now that we’re up and running, we’re even more impressed with the store solution and how easy to use it is for our associates.”

Mi9 Retail continues to make new investments that bolster its ability to deliver outstanding sales and service support to its rapidly growing global customer and prospect base. The recent additions of operations executive, Ernie Eichenbaum, and sales executive, Robert Barbour, along with a strategic investment from General Atlantic earlier this year, are part of the company’s stated goal of building a world-class operating platform for retail technology.

“We are putting our customers first by delivering the right product and delivery services to fit the way they run their businesses,” said Moses. “We’ve packaged our solutions, based on our experience serving hundreds of jewelry and specialty retailers, so they can be installed quickly and deliver value immediately. This approach is resonating with our customers and prospects, and we’ll continue to invest in the processes, organizational alignment, and product innovations to help our customers delight their customers in turn.”

Posted December 21, 2017

Source: Mi9 Retail

Grunt Style Signs Multi-Year Deal To Become Official Apparel Partner Of Warrior Dash

CHICAGO — December 21, 2017 — Warrior Dash, the 5K obstacle course race that more than 3 million people have completed since 2009, today announced Grunt Style as its official apparel partner.

Grunt Style is a military, patriotic apparel company and lifestyle brand with a perennial goal of instilling a sense of pride in everyone they reach through their products. Each Warrior Dash participant will receive a co-branded Warrior Dash and Grunt Style finisher t-shirt and Grunt Style will be on-site at each event adding to the Warrior Dash festival experience. Participants will also tackle a Grunt Style obstacle along the Warrior Dash course.

“We’re excited to partner with Warrior Dash and provide their hundreds of thousands of participants with finishers t-shirts they’re proud to wear,” said Mike Birt, chief marketing officer at Grunt Style. “We look forward to our partnership and continuing to set the bar high for the experience Warrior Dash participants expect.”

“Warrior Dash and Grunt Style share the vision of providing quality products and experiences to consumers,” said Scott Howard, vice president of Sales and Marketing for Red Frog Events. “We’re excited to have them on board and achieve our common goals in order to benefit Warrior Dash participants nationwide.”

Warrior Dash will kick off its 10th season in February 2018.

Posted December 21, 2017

Source: Warrior Dash

Destination Maternity Appoints New Board Member Peter Longo

MOORESTOWN, N.J. — December 21, 2017 — Destination Maternity today announced the addition of Peter Longo, previously president of Macy’s Logistics/Operations, to its Board of Directors, effective immediately.

“As a Board, we have been actively evaluating our composition and size,” said Barry Erdos, Chairman of Destination Maternity. “Following significant study and engagement with stockholders, we decided to recruit individuals who possess diverse skills and experience, to help further the company’s turnaround and drive long term profitable growth. With this in mind, we are pleased to welcome Peter to the Destination Maternity Board. We believe Peter’s strong operational and e-commerce background bring important capabilities and wisdom that will be highly valuable to the company as it implements the strategies that are expected to position the company for success. We also believe the addition of Peter to our Board will further build upon the strength and expertise of our current members and is aligned with our strategy to drive shareholder value.”

Longo most recently served as president of Macy’s Logistics/Operations, a position he held since 2000. In this role, he was pivotal in leading the business plan development and implementation for the logistics and technology infrastructure to support Macy’s e-commerce efforts as well as the company’s transition to omnichannel involving the analytics, operations, and systems for a flexible fulfillment network. Prior to this role, Longo functioned in a senior level capacity during the significant integrations of then Federated Department Stores with Macy’s and the May Company, and the administrative and organizational restructuring of the company. Along with his work with Macy’s, Longo has also served as Co-Chair of VICS (Voluntary Industry Collaboration & Solutions) and served on the Board of Governors for GS1-US and GS1-Global. In 2015, he received the Roger Milliken Award for outstanding contribution to industry collaboration and for his leadership in bringing RFID technology to the retail supply chain. Longo is a graduate of Villanova University with a B.S. in Economics and New York University with an MBA in Finance.

Following this announcement, the Board will consist of five members, four of whom are independent, and each of whom possesses significant professional experience, particularly in retail, e-commerce, marketing and finance.

Posted December 21, 2017

Source: Destination Maternity

Registration Has Officially Opened For Techtextil North America And Texprocess Americas 2018

ATLANTA — December 21, 2017 — Registration for the 15th edition of Techtextil North America, and the fourth edition of Texprocess Americas is now open. The 2018 events will take place May 22-24 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The co-located shows are known for creating a dynamic synergy between industries, and show the largest technical textiles, nonwovens, textile machinery, sewn products and equipment offering in the United States.

The events bring together product innovators, industry associations and research institutions to deliver a robust offering of networking and educational opportunities. With 500+ exhibiting companies, international media outlets and pavilions representing Germany, Italy, Taiwan, Belgium, China and Supply Chain USA to name a few, both visitors and exhibitors alike gain exposure to new opportunities and outlets to market their businesses.

The co-located events will bring decision makers from all of the major industries that touch technical textiles, sewn products, their equipment and technology together in one place to experience the latest in innovation. Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas are expected to draw visitors in the realm of top industry executives, buyers, engineers, technical directors, plant managers, product development managers, and more.

The 2016 events hosted over 500 exhibitors from 33 countries attracting over 9,000 visitors.

“Each year, the co-location of Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas provides a diverse offering of products, services and technologies that represent the entire value chain for technical textiles and sewn products. We look forward to returning to Atlanta with an expanded show agenda and even more features and networking opportunities for visitors to take advantage of,” said Dennis Smith, President of Messe Frankfurt, Inc.

Program Highlights

Press Tour: During Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas, organized tours will be conducted to visit exhibitor booths who have submitted exceptional new technologies and products. Photographers and journalists from a variety of trade press will be invited to attend, and follow-up activities facilitated by the Show Team to ensure maximum exposure.

Premier Symposia: The highly-acclaimed symposia give attendees the opportunity to listen and learn from industry leaders and subject matter experts as they discuss some of the most pivotal advancements in research and technology and shed light on the current global economic state and its effects across industries. Those who purchase symposium passes will attend sessions on today’s hot topics including smart textiles, advancements in nonwovens, new technology and its integration across industries, manufacturing and reshoring, cutting and sewing floor innovations, testing and regulatory expectations, and more.

Graduate Program: A must visit show floor attraction is the annual Graduate Student Poster Program Posters. Graduate students from around the world will have a platform to share their research findings with peers and potential employers/sponsors. Students have the ability to present their research in front of a captive audience during the three days of Tech Talks, which will be located on the floor of each show.

Networking Reception: For the first time in show history, Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas will hold a joint reception open to both exhibitors and visitors. With the goal of encouraging more networking and business interactions across shows, the reception will take place on the evening of Wednesday, May 23rd and provide ticketholders with food, drinks and entertainment. Tickets are currently available as an add-on to all registration types, and will be available for purchase on-site for an increased price.

Early bird registration is $50 for a 3-day exhibition hall pass and $450 or $600 for a 1 or 2 day symposium pass until May 20, 2018. Visitors are encouraged to register in advance to ensure minimal wait times on-site for their badge. Networking Reception does have a capacity limit, so all parties are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance.

Posted December 21, 2017

Source: Messe Frankfurt, Inc.

The Home Depot Acquires The Company Store, Broadening Capabilities In Home Textile Categories

ATLANTA — December 21, 2017 — The Home Depot® announced today that it has acquired The Company Store, an online retailer of textiles and home décor products, from Hanover Direct. The deal closed on December 19 and terms were not disclosed.

In addition to its success as an online retailer, The Company Store has strong relationships and industry leading capabilities in the development and sourcing of high quality textiles across bedding, bath, and related categories. Founded in 1911, The Company Store has a rich history of providing products that are highly sought after by customers as they put the finishing touches on a room.

“The acquisition of The Company Store provides product development and sourcing capabilities to help us expand our online décor business into broader categories across the entire home,” said Craig Menear, chairman, CEO and president, The Home Depot.  “On behalf of our 400,000-plus associates, I want to welcome The Company Store’s talented associates into The Home Depot family.”

The acquisition does not include The Company Store’s five retail locations.

The Home Depot is the world’s largest home improvement specialty retailer, with 2,284 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. In fiscal 2016, The Home Depot had sales of $94.6 billion and earnings of $8.0 billion. The Company employs more than 400,000 associates. The Home Depot’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor’s 500 index.

Posted December 21, 2017

Source: The Home Depot

Governor Cooper Announces Largest Ever Manufacturing Investment In Rural North Carolina: Triangle Tyre Announces Its First Manufacturing Facility Outside of China

TARBORO, N.C. — December 19, 2017 — Chinese tire manufacturing company Triangle Tyre (Triangle) has selected Edgecombe County, N.C., as the location for its first manufacturing facility in the United States, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. Triangle will create 800 jobs and invest nearly $580 million in Kingsboro, N.C.

The project is estimated to contribute more than $2.4 billion to North Carolina’s economy.

“Triangle Tyre chose North Carolina for its first-ever manufacturing center outside of China because they know our workers share their commitment to innovation, education and excellence,” Governor Cooper said. “I’m excited to see these 800 skilled manufacturing jobs go to Eastern North Carolina where I grew up and raised my family, a place where people have an unshakeable dedication to getting the job done. We welcome Triangle Tyre to its new home, and we’re ready to get to work.”

Triangle Tyre Co., Ltd. was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in the Shandong Province of China.

Triangle has concentrated on tire technology innovation, manufacturing and the global tire market for 40 years. Triangle owns a state-certified enterprise technology development center, a state-level industrial design center, and a postdoctoral scientific research station platform. Currently, Triangle’s annual manufacturing capacity is more than 22 million tires (approximately 580,000 tons), and the company’s products have been exported to more than 180 countries and regions, via its sales teams and distributors in North and South America, the European Union, Africa and Asia-Pacific. Its product series covers more than 5,000 specifications, including commercial tires, passenger tires, OTR (off-the-road), and radius jumbo tires.

“Triangle Tyre is bringing a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility to Kingsboro, North Carolina, giving the region and our entire state a new and highly advanced manufacturing capacity the likes of which we haven’t yet seen in North Carolina,” said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Anthony M. Copeland. “These are quality, efficient, well-paying jobs that require specific skills, and our communities are ready to support people who want the training required to get these jobs.”

Triangle will make Edgecombe County in North Carolina the home of its two-phase tire manufacturing facilities, a passenger tire facility as phase one and a commercial tire facility as phase two. The company expects to complete both phases by 2023. Once both facilities reach production capacity, Triangle expects to produce six million tires annually. Salaries for the new positions will vary, with an average annual salary of $56,450 once all positions are filled. The average wage in Edgecombe County is $32,642.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of N.C. (EDPNC) led the state’s support for the company’s investment in North Carolina.

“Triangle Tyre strongly believes that the project will blossom with beautiful flowers and bear the most abundant fruits in the U.S., a developed nation on wheels,” said Ding Yuhua, chairman of Triangle Group and Triangle Tyre. “We will give back the fruits to the people of North Carolina with our utmost sincerity.”

Triangle’s development in Edgecombe County will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state legislature’s Economic Investment Committee earlier today. Over the course of the 12-year term of this grant, the project will grow the state’s economy by an estimated $2.4 billion. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the new jobs, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $20.1 million, spread over 12 years. State payments only occur following performance verification by the N.C. departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets. JDIG projects result in positive net tax revenue to the state treasury, even after taking into consideration the grant’s reimbursement payments to a given company.

The company has also been awarded a performance-based grant from the One North Carolina Fund for up to $16 million. The One N.C. Fund provides financial assistance to local governments to help attract economic investment and to create jobs. Companies receive no money upfront and must meet job creation and capital investment targets to qualify for payment. All One NC grants require a matching grant from local governments, and any award is contingent upon that condition being met.

“These 800 jobs from Triangle Tyre are the kind of jobs we need now in Edgecombe County,” said N.C. Senator Erica Smith-Ingram. “They are well-paying, quality jobs from a company committed to training and innovation. I am proud to welcome Triangle and the opportunities their project will bring for the people of Edgecombe County.”

“The people of Edgecombe County are ready to take on this opportunity with Triangle Tyre,” said N.C. Representative Shelly Willingham. “We are committed to working with Triangle Tyre and getting people the training they need to make this project a great success.”

Partnering with N.C. Commerce and the EDPNC on this project were the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, North Carolina Department of Transportation, NC Railroad Company, the Golden LEAF Foundation, Edgecombe County, Carolinas Gateway Partnership, Dominion Power and CSX Transportation.

Posted December 20, 2017

Source: NC Office of the Governor

Baker-Polito Administration Announces $3.9 Million Grant to Expand Research into Advanced Fibers & Fabrics for Defense Sector

LEXINGTON, Mass. — December 20, 2017 — Today, the Baker-Polito Administration and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative announced a $3.9 million grant to support the second phase of research & development at the Defense Fabric Discovery Center, a cutting-edge research hub which opened in October. This award follows an initial $2.2 million dollar grant announced in May 2017 by Lt. Governor Karyn Polito to support the opening of the Defense Fabric Discovery Center and brings the Commonwealth’s investment to the partnership between MIT Lincoln Laboratory and the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research Development & Engineering Center (NSRDEC) to $6.1 million. Funding will support research & development into revolutionary fibers and fabrics with applications in the defense sector.

The grant was announced by Housing & Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash and was made as part of the Commonwealth’s Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2), which provides a vehicle for the state to match federal investments made in the Manufacturing USA institutes, including the Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA).

“By supporting important projects and organizations like this, the Commonwealth’s M2I2 program helps ensure Massachusetts continues to lead in innovation and advanced manufacturing,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “The research and development of these revolutionary materials will have a direct impact on everyday safety of our brave service men and women.”

The Center is a collaboration between AFFOA, MIT Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington, and the U.S. Army’s Natick Solider Research Development and Engineering Center. The new award will help the Center expand research into how to apply emerging advanced fiber and fabric technologies for defense applications, including equipment that will allow for end-to-end prototyping including computer-aided design (CAD) of functional fabrics, fiber and yarn device fabrication, textile system and assemblies, and system integration to develop smart uniforms, emergency medical supplies and portable shelters.

“Today’s M2I2 grants will continue to support the development of cutting-edge technologies and advanced textiles here in Massachusetts,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “We are pleased to leverage the Commonwealth’s strengths in innovation and manufacturing to bolster a partnership designed to support the challenges faced by the country’s national security teams and our troops on the front lines,”

“A key part of our economic development strategy is to build on our world-class R&D organizations across the Commonwealth,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash. “Across the M2I2 spectrum, we’re funding collaborative projects that build on our core strengths, investing in critical infrastructure and increasing access to the cutting-edge tools that small manufacturing companies need to pilot next-gen technologies.”

In April 2016, the Department of Defense joined local leaders to announced the establishment of AFFOA in Massachusetts, a $317 million public-private partnership to enable a domestic manufacturing-based revolution by transforming traditional fibers, yarns, and fabrics into highly sophisticated, integrated and networked products and systems. The Defense Fabric Discovery Center, part of a network of AFFOA fabric discovery centers, specifically addresses challenges faced by the Department of Defense through innovations in advanced fiber and fabric technology. The Commonwealth’s initial M2I2 award supported the Center’s official opening in October 2017.

“The Commonwealth’s investment in the Defense Fabric Discovery Center creates a significant, new research and development capability at MIT Lincoln Laboratory,” said Eric Evans, Director, MIT Lincoln Laboratory. “We are looking forward to working with others in the community to develop new fiber and fabric technology breakthroughs.”

“The funding for the Defense Fabric Discovery Center announced today underscores the deep commitment of the Baker Administration and Secretary Ash to Advanced Fabric investments in support of national security and the U.S. Army,” said Yoel Fink, CEO of AFFOA. “We are deeply appreciative of this support.”

“Massachusetts has been a leader in manufacturing for centuries and the investment made today under the M2I2 program is another step to ensure that our research institutions, companies, and workers get the support that will allow them to lead throughout the 21st Century,” said Tim Connelly, Executive Director and CEO of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.

“The Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center has a long history of data-driven innovation to support our troops,” said Senator Karen E. Spilka. “This partnership will leverage our state’s manufacturing, technology and science talent for continued product development to serve soldiers across the country.”

“The center houses some of the top researchers in defense technology. I am pleased to see the Baker-Polito administration investing funds to support the second phase of research & development at this cutting-edge research hub,” said Senator Richard J. Ross. “This will improve the lives of our nations troops with products designed and manufactured right here in Natick.”

“The research coming out of U.S. Army’s Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center continues to help protect those who serve our country,” said Representative David Linsky. “It is great to see such innovative research coming out of the Natick Soldiers System.”

The Baker-Polito Administration has committed more than $100 million in funding over five years to the M2I2 effort, which provides a vehicle for the Commonwealth to invest in the national Manufacturing USA initiative, helping advance innovation and job growth by spurring cross-collaboration among companies, universities, national labs, government, incubators, accelerators, and other academic and training institutions. The Manufacturing USA initiative seeks to spur research into cutting-edge technologies that can be applied to advanced manufacturing processes. The federal awards are leveraged several times over through a series of state and industry matches.

In addition to being the headquarters of the national effort to develop revolutionary fibers and textiles, overseen by AFFOA, Massachusetts is also a participant in regional manufacturing innovation institute nodes focused on robotics, photonics, flexible hybrid electronics, and biopharma manufacturing. In October, Governor Baker announced $7 million in M2I2 awards  at UMass Amherst and the Baker-Polito Administration also announced $11.3 million in grants for UMass-Lowell, including $10 million for a separate Fabric Discovery Center based in Lowell, also supported by the AFFOA institute. M2I2 investments are co-managed by the Executive Office of Housing & Economic Development and the public economic development agency, the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech).

More than 10% of the Commonwealth’s total economic output is tied to manufacturing and in 2016, $26 billion in manufactured goods were exported from the Commonwealth. Approximately 250,000 employees work in the manufacturing sector in Massachusetts, comprising 7.8% of the total workforce in the state. Massachusetts manufacturers interested in applying for grants through the M2I2 program can visit http://m2i2.masstech.org to learn more about the process.

Posted December 20, 2017

Source: Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development

Tai Apparel Centralizes Data To Reduce Development Time With Gerber’s YuniquePLM® Cloud

TOLLAND, Conn. — December 15, 2017 — Development time for fashion and apparel companies is becoming extremely condensed with the ever-changing trends happening around the world today. Companies need to stay on top of design changes and be able to collaborate with internal and external teams to reduce errors and bring products to market quicker. “Implementing YuniquePLM Cloud will allow our teams to decrease development time and have confidence that the design, including fabric and colors, is correct when sending to production,” said Brandis Alves, owner/vice president sales, Tai Apparel LLC.

Tai Apparel is home to brands such as Grayson Threads, Harper & Elliott, Adventure More and Grayson Social, which can be found at major mass and mid-tier department stores around the United States.

“Managing data is a large undertaking for our customers and having it centralized gives them the confidence that products will be produced at the right time with the right design,” stated Bill Brewster, vice president and general manager, enterprise software solutions at Gerber. “By making our products easy to try, easy to buy and easy to consume we help them reduce errors and speed up their development all while knowing exactly when a change was made prior to production.”

YuniquePLM Cloud product lifecycle management software serves as a central repository of critical data, and eliminates problems companies often face when using multiple excel spreadsheets, email or tracking documents to communicate throughout the stages of product development and management. YuniquePLM Cloud creates a single version of the truth, connecting a company’s creative process with their supply chain and production processes.

Posted December 20, 2017

Source: Gerber Technology

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