Rieter Acquires The SSM Textile Machinery Division From Schweiter
WINTERTHUR, Switzerland — July 3, 2017 —On June 30, 2017, Rieter acquired the SSM Textile Machinery division (SSM) from Schweiter Technologies AG, Horgen, Switzerland.
SSM is a supplier of precision winding machines in the fields of dyeing, weaving and sewing thread preparation and enjoys success in individual segments of filament yarn production. In the fiscal year 2016, SSM generated net sales of 85.9 million Swiss francs with 246 employees and achieved an EBITDA margin of 14.8 percent.
The purchase price amounts to 124.2 million Swiss francs, consisting of an enterprise value of 100.0 million Swiss francs and liquid funds. Rieter is financing the purchase price from existing funds. The acquisition will have a positive impact on earnings per share.
SSM comprises the companies SSM Schärer Schweiter Mettler AG in Horgen and subsidiaries in Italy and China. SSM is also represented worldwide with 12 of its own service stations and 80 agents in all major markets.
With this acquisition, Rieter is investing in adjacent fields of the textile value chain. SSM has a strong brand and generates stable cash flows with an attractive EBITDA margin. SSM’s expertise in the field of precision winding offers opportunities for Rieter in the business with short-staple spinning machines. Rieter will continue to operate SSM in its current form and with the existing management. The business will be attached to the Business Group Components as an independent unit.
The Rieter Group will today make a statement on the acquisition during a telephone conference at 1 p.m. (CEST) and will be available for questions.
Rieter will provide information on the current business situation in the semi-annual report on July 20, 2017.
Posted July 3, 2017
Source: Rieter Group
Pigment.Inc. – GoTx Launch 1900PT And 2600PT Pretreatment Machines
SYDNEY — July 3,2017 — Impression Technology under its brand name Pigmentinc has released the GoTx series fabric pre-treatment machine.
Available in 1.9 and 2.6 widths, this standalone pretreatment machine can be bundled with the GoTx series digital fabric printers and offers a seamless workflow integration.
According to Steve Richardson of Impression Technology, the manufacturers of the Pigmentinc GoTx Digital branded printer, pretreatment and fixation devices:
“With growing demand from consumers to purchase digitally printed fabrics and a large range of printing devices available to fulfill that demand, the bottleneck in the supply chain is the availability of pretreated fabrics at prices that meet market expectations. The ability to pretreat in-house either on a need to basis or in bulk significantly improves the digital fabric printing workflow. This will enable customers to react to market demands in real time and further compliments the phenomenon of fast fashion and customization that digital technologies offer. Additionally we believe that the introduction of this pretreatment device completes the product range and will assist in greater adoption of digital technologies by print houses globally which further expands our exciting and fast paces industry”
With its expanding global network Impression Technology welcomes distribution and end user requests alike.
Posted July 3, 2017
Source: Impression Technology
Crothall Now Has 13 Hygienically Clean Healthcare Certified Laundries
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — June 30, 2017 — Crothall Laundry Services’ Chicago, Wheeling, Ill., facility is the latest recipient of TRSA Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification, reflecting its commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by TRSA inspection and their capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbial testing.
The certification confirms a laundry’s dedication to compliance and processing healthcare linens and garments using BMPs as described in its quality assurance documentation, a focal point for TRSA inspectors’ evaluation of critical control points 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.
Crothall now has 13 TRSA Hygienically Clean Healthcare certified facilities. In addition to the newest designee, these are located in Mobile, Ala. (Coastal Laundry); Phoenix, Ariz.; La Mirada and Ontario, Calif.; Lakeland, Fla.; Augusta and Rome, Ga.; Madisonville, Ky.; Belcamp, Md., Winston-Salem, N.C.; Johnson City, Tenn.; and Milwaukee, Wis.
Certified facilities pass three rounds of outcome-based microbial testing, indicating that their processes are producing Hygienically Clean Healthcare linens and garments and zero presence of harmful bacteria. To maintain their certification, laundry plants must pass quarterly annual 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 hospitals, surgery centers, medical offices, nursing homes and other medical facilities.
Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification acknowledges laundries’ effectiveness in protecting healthcare operations through testing and inspections that scrutinize quality-control procedures in laundry operations related to the handling of textiles containing blood and other potentially infectious materials.
Certified laundries use processes, chemicals and BMPs acknowledged by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, American National Standards Institute and others. Introduced in 2012, Hygienically Clean Healthcare brought to North America the international cleanliness standards for healthcare linens and garments used worldwide by the Certification Association for Professional Textile Services and the European Committee for Standardization.
Objective experts in epidemiology, infection control, nursing and other healthcare professions work with TRSA launderers to ensure the certification continues to enforce the highest standards for producing clean healthcare textiles. With 100+ years as the textile services industry’s leading business association, TRSA’s expertise in laundry BMP development is unmatched.
“Congratulations to Crothall on their certification,” said Joseph Ricci, TRSA president and CEO. “This achievement proves their dedication to building their customers’ confidence that their laundry takes every step possible to prevent human illness.”
Posted June 30, 2017
Source: TRSA
Bluestar Silicones Becomes Elkem Silicones
LYON, France — June 30, 2017— Elkem announces the integration of two Chinese entities into the Elkem group, as well as the renaming of Bluestar Silicones to Elkem Silicones.
As part of Elkem’s growth strategy we are assuming responsibility for Bluestar Xinghuo Silicones and Yongdeng Silicon Materials and integrating them into the Elkem group. The two plants have previously been owned directly by our owners, China National Bluestar. This move further develops Elkem’s integrated silicone value chain, from upstream quartz mining to silicon, silicones and downstream silicones specialities. The Elkem group will now have 26 manufacturing sites and about 6,200 employees.
With this integration, Elkem can capitalize on the strengths of its industrial footprint, R&D competencies, and sales and marketing excellence so that Elkem Silicones can provide even more value to our customers and stakeholders. We are excited to grow the Elkem group and to develop the company further, says Helge Aasen, CEO of Elkem.
At the same time as Elkem assumes responsibility for the two new entities, Elkem’s silicones division is changing its name from Bluestar Silicones to Elkem Silicones.
Being part of Elkem gives a strong financial foundation for further growth, enabling Elkem Silicones to remain a competitive and agile provider of innovative silicone solutions. Elkem Silicones will become an important player in the fast-growing silicones industry to enable our customers to deliver their potential, said Frederic Jacquin CEO of Elkem Silicones.
The new Elkem Silicones division will group together about 3000 employees for an annual turnover approaching 1 billion euros. The division will operate with a strong base comprising two upstream manufacturing sites, one located in Asia and one located in Europe, along with eight downstream manufacturing sites and 10 R&D centers worldwide.
“We are excited to be part of this growth story and to keep improving and developing our offering in the silicones industry further,” said Jacquin. “Our new footprint will contribute to offer our customers better service, stronger growth capabilities and continued security of supply.”
Posted June 30, 2017
Source: Elkem
Shima Seiki Changes Leadership
WAKAYAMA, Japan — June 30, 2017 — Flat knitting machine manufacturer SHIMA SEIKI Mfg., Ltd. changed its leadership at its annual shareholders’ meeting on June 28, 2017, replacing its former president and company founder Masahiro Shima with his son, former vice president Mitsuhiro Shima. Mitsuhiro succeeds Masahiro as president, representative director and director of sales headquarters, while Masahiro becomes chairman of the board of directors. The change in management is a strategic move by the company to further strengthen and improve its management system.
Shima Seiki was founded in 1962 and soon became an industry pioneer with Masahiro’s invention, the fully automated glove knitting machine and the fully automated seamless glove knitting machine. The seamless glove became inspiration for the eventual development of seam-free WHOLEGARMENT® knitting technology for which the company is now best known. Meanwhile Shima Seiki became an industry leader through its continuous innovation and consistent renewal of benchmark technology which more often than not has become the reference standard for the industry.
The charismatic chairman is described by many as “the Edison of (his hometown of) Wakayama,” referring to the inventor of the light bulb who is also renowned for the number of patents he held. Masahiro in fact owns patents in excess of 1,000. Considered by many as a genius of mechanical engineering as well as business management, the notion of filling his proverbial shoes can certainly be quite overwhelming. However at a press conference held for the Japanese press in May, Mitsuhiro humbly stated, “I may not be up to par with the likes of Thomas Edison or my father, but I do hold about 10 patents.” Upon drawing laughter his expression turned serious as he addressed possible skepticism in his role as president after so many years of growing up in his father’s shadow.
“My father was a genius who founded the company and every one — especially I — am aware of that. It was his company and he did what he pleased, and he took the helm without looking back. Fortunately for the rest of us he was competent enough to lead this company to success, but it created within the company a passive culture that relies on a single leader to issue commands. I wish to change that and nurture a company culture that encourages individual creativity and exchange of ideas with a common goal to make this organization succeed. That mechanism is already in place. Shima Seiki will continue as an innovation leader. From now, however, innovation refers not only to discrete mechanical inventions, but to creative collaboration in both hardware and software technology that yields synergistic benefits.”
Mitsuhiro Shima joined the company in 1987. He became a director in 2002, and executive director in 2007. He has been in charge of system development, machinery production, material purchasing and corporate planning before becoming vice president in 2012.
The transition takes place during financially favorable times, just as Shima Seiki announced one of its best fiscal years in its 55-year history, with record-setting figures posted in its fiscal report as of March 31, 2017. This includes a 25.9 percent increase in net sales, a 94.8 percent increase in operating income, and a 121.6 percent increase in net profit over the previous fiscal year. This despite exchange losses incurred due to a rise in the value of the Yen during the course of the year.
Posted June 30, 2017
Source: Shima Seiki
Top Value Fabrics Acquires Pacific Coast Fabrics
CARMEL, Ind. — June 29, 2017 — Top Value Fabrics has announced the acquisition of Pacific Coast Fabrics. The acquisition expands the company’s product offerings and strengthens its West Coast distribution network for printable textiles.
“TVF is known throughout the industry for outstanding customer service and quality products, and the Pacific Coast Fabrics team shares that same dedication to the customer,” explained Chris Fredericks, president, Top Value Fabrics. “Both companies are growing because we pride ourselves in listening to customers and utilizing their input to develop market leading fabrics and media that help customers succeed. We are delighted to welcome Pacific Coast Fabrics to the TVF team and we look forward to a continued bright future in this growing industry.”
Both companies enjoy a rich history of textile success. Pacific Coast Fabrics was established in Gardena, Calif., in 1995 after Brian Vieweg and Michael Sanders, executives from Cal-Pacific Dyeing & Finishing Corp., formed a new company to supply high quality textile goods. Cal-Pacific Dyeing & Finishing Corp. was founded in 1967, and the new company became Pacific Coast Fabrics. Brian was elected president and Michael was elected vice president.
“Michael and I have worked together to lead our team to great heights at Pacific Coast Fabrics,” Viewed said. “It’s rewarding to have built our company, and to have this incredible opportunity to keep doing all we do for our customers along with the support and resources of a stronger, combined company with TVF. We’re excited for our team to join together with TVF’s team as we deliver even more options for our customers and even greater innovation for the industry.”
TVF, headquartered in Carmel, Ind., was founded in 1974, and opened its West Coast Sales and distribution center in Carson, Calif. in 1987. The textile leader has added remote offices, sales and support teams, and a nationwide network of shipping locations to add convenience for customers over the years.
“Both teams are comprised of tenured fabric experts who understand that our customers’ success is our success,” shared Karen Stuerenberg, marketing director, Top Value Fabrics. “To offer the most continuity to our customers, all existing products will remain part of our combined product line for the foreseeable future. As pressures continue to intensify for customers to consistently raise the standard, access to this incredible depth of textile options with one supplier will enhance the customer experience.”
Combined, the companies contract manufacture and source fabrics and media worldwide, both domestically and in international locations from Asia to Europe.
“Our exceptional lines of fabrics, vinyl and mesh offer customers an unprecedented selection of quality fabric options for markets including activewear apparel, signage and advertising, and more,” said Robert Hinsch, vice president, Top Value Fabrics. “Top Value Fabrics has a wide selection of industrial and apparel fabrics, many of which are specifically for printing. Adding Pacific Coast Fabrics to our team broadens our printable fabrics offering and related expertise immensely. This positions us to support customers who require printable fabrics even more effectively.”
Top Value Fabrics became 100-percent employee-owned in 2010. “TVF is proud to be employee-owned and as we move forward together, we will include the entire Pacific Coast Fabrics team in our employee ownership plan,” said Fredericks. “Additionally, while integration planning is underway, to make this easy for our customers, both companies will operate with business as usual through the transition. As of November 1, 2017, we will unite and operate as one Top Value Fabrics.”
Posted June 29, 2017
Source: Top Value Fabrics
Adalberto Estampados Expands Design Offering And Reduces Fast-Fashion Supply Chain Costs With SPGPrints’ PIKE® Digital Textile Printer
BOXMEER, the Netherlands — June 29, 2017 — Textile printer and supplier Adalberto Estampados, Rebordões, Portugal, has installed a PIKE® digital textile printer from SPGPrints to offer new standards of quality and production efficiency to its international customer base.
Among the benefits delivered by the company’s Pike digital printer are reductions of lead-times by up to 50 percent, reduced stockholding costs, faster time-to-market, and improved print quality, including the ability to print micro patterns, broadening the scope for new designs.
Installed in late 2016, the Pike digital printer complements Adalberto Estampados’ four existing screen printers. Ideal for volumes of more than two million linear metres per year on substrates up to 1850-millimeters (mm) wide, the Pike uses single-pass technology with fixed-array piezo-electric print heads. Using SPGPrints’ Archer® technology, fine details and bright, saturated blotches can be produced with variable drop sizes ranging from 2 to 10 pico Liters. Archer technology Pike unparalleled substrate versatility.
“Two major trends are affecting us: the growth of fast-fashion, and more challenging designs,” said Mário Jorge Machado, CEO, Adalberto Estampados.
“SPGPrints’ Pike printer addresses both these challenges, and offers scope for future developments.”
Fast-fashion has revolutionized every aspect of the fashion industry.
“With the demand for new designs to appear in stores several times a month, the pressures on textile printers are enormous,” Machado said. “The whole business model has changed. Not only must there be fast printing and delivery, but run lengths are shorter. This means that job changeovers must be fast, and with minimal waste. Deliveries need to be on time, and stock-holding by suppliers and retailers reduced to a minimum, to save costs. Price sensitivity adds to the pressure.”
The decline in run lengths that results from frequent design changes is another pressure. Printing digitally eliminates screen preparation time, as well as chemical and water waste. Job changeovers require only the digital files to be loaded, and, possibly, the substrate changed.
“Another trend that is challenging textile printers is more complex designs,” Machado continued. “More colours and finer detail are increasingly requested by fashion brands, and the desired results are simply not possible with screen printing. High-performance digital printers, like the Pike, can deliver the designers’ concepts.
“At present, we are running the Pike on a single-shift basis,” he explained. “Even at that level, it accounts for 25 percent of our production. That means a single shift with Pike is as productive as three shifts with a rotary screen printer, in our situation.
“Printing digitally with Pike reactive inks enables a much broader gamut of colour than is possible with 10 or 12 color screen printers,” Machado continued. “Designers are also pleased that we can now print very fine lines, strong color blotches, sharp geometric designs — and even the micro-floral patterns, which are currently growing in popularity.
“We regularly print on knits and wovens of viscose, lyocell, cotton, linen, and blends of these,” he said. “The Pike handles wovens from 60-70 grams per square meter (g/m2) and knits of 200 to 240 g/m2.
“Our customers become more interested in printing digitally when they hear we were able to print a 100,000m2 order in two weeks on the Pike. That job previously took four weeks using rotary screen,” Machado said. “For brand-owners, this represents a significant jump in responsiveness. It means that their digitally-printed garments could be in the shops when, if screen printed, the textiles would just be headed for finishing. This is game-changing technology, addressing the quality, colour, volume and speed requirements of today’s retail industry.”
Speaking for SPGPrints, Jos Notermans, commercial manager digital textiles, said: “For companies like Adalberto Estampados, digitally producing high-volume, fast-turnaround textiles for big brands is a powerful competitive advantage. Using the SPGPrints Pike to complement the work of its existing screen printers means textiles can be produced by the method best suited to the individual job, and deliver benefits of speed, quality and price to the customer.”
Posted June 29, 2017
Source: SPGPrints
Caulfeild Apparel Group To Drive Social Change With New Partner Outland Denim
TORONTO — June 29, 2017 — Caulfeild Apparel Group Ltd. is excited to announce its new partnership with Outland Denim, the profit-for-purpose premium Australian brand using jeans as a vehicle for social change.
In two transactions, Caulfeild Apparel has invested as a minority shareholder in Outland, and signed on as the North American distributor launching for fourth quarter 2017.
“I am very excited to be involved in this brand personally and corporately,” said Michael Purkis, president of Caulfeild.
“Outland is a one-of-a-kind brand, a game changer, and like nothing I have seen before in the premium denim world. I know the North American consumer will appreciate the premium product and fit, and that the product will earn its place in the market on its own merits, but it will also earn its place into the hearts and minds of our partners and customers as they all participate in changing lives around the world.”
Outland jeans are crafted in the brand’s own manufacturing facility in Cambodia by young women seeking sustainable employment and a tangible skill set after experiences of human trafficking, sexual exploitation and other human rights abuses. The seamstresses are trained in the craft of jean making while earning a living wage and engaging in other educational, life-enhancing opportunities to further protect them from vulnerability and exploitation.
Outland Denim began its jean-making journey when founder James Bartle had a fortuitous encounter with an anti-trafficking group at a music festival in Australia. With interest sparked, he then traveled to Asia and saw firsthand how human traffickers prey on vulnerable young girls in order to service the sex industry. With a desire to combat the problem, James and his wife soon learned that economic solutions provided more long-term success than charitable ones. They determined that if a girl had been rescued and control of life restored, that a sustainable career path is the key for securing a stable and safe future. James created the “Denim Project,” which enabled the rescued girls who demonstrated an interest in sewing to put their new skills to use manufacturing denim jeans.
“I’ve always lived in jeans,” Bartle said. “If you were going to produce anything, why wouldn’t you produce the most staple part of a person’s wardrobe? Jeans aren’t a throw-away item, but something you keep for years.”
After years of development, James took the denim project to scale in 2016 and launched Outland Denim with the intent on creating a sustainable business that could create opportunity and rescue women from slavery for years to come. The partnership with Caulfeild marks the next exciting chapter for the young brand.
“Our chance encounter with Caulfeild in New York City last October has led to a strong alignment between our companies,” Bartle said. “We are excited to partner with a company that has a great historical record in the apparel industry and believe this alliance will be crucial in our endeavor to provide more employment opportunities and combat slavery.”
Outland Denim is committed to sourcing the most ethically and environmentally sound raw materials in alignment with the world’s best sustainability practices with a vision to create a long-term position in the premium denim market for the consumer who loves denim and wants to contribute to a better world.
Posted June 29, 2017
Source: Caulfeild Apparel Group Ltd.
Three Years Of BST eltromat International: Strategically Focused On Quality, Customers And Innovation
BIELEFELD, Germany — June 28, 2017 — In June 2017, BST eltromat International is celebrating the three-year anniversary of the merger of the former BST International GmbH and eltromat GmbH. Time to take stock: What has been achieved since the merger? Where does the company, with its more than 600 employees, stand today? How is the high-tech company for quality assurance systems performing on the global market? And how are its customers benefiting from the development that has taken place over the last three years?
“The merger has made BST eltromat a global market leader in the fields of quality assurance and automation in web-guided production processes,” observed Kristian Jünke, managing director for Sales and Service at BST eltromat International. “No matter where in the world our customers are based, if they are facing complex issues related to our products, they can rely on experienced local contacts to provide comprehensive long-term support. This support extends from consulting and system selection to installation, set-up, and service issues.”
Thanks to its global presence, especially in geographical terms, BST eltromat is distinguished by a great proximity to its customers. The company has eleven subsidiaries working at the local level — six of which have their own production facilities. Its newest subsidiary — BST eltromat South East Asia Co., Ltd., in Bangkok, Thailand — was established just one and a half years ago. More than 50 representatives around the world support the BST eltromat sales team, offering further points of contact for customers. The number of installations is also worth noting: BST eltromat systems are currently used by more than 10,000 customers in over 100 countries.
“We supply our customers with extensive possibilities for getting the most out of their production processes. Our services are tailored to customers’ specific requirements – with close cooperation between our staff members in the consulting, sales, development, and service ranges. Comprehensive service is a key component of what we offer and is one of the main reasons why our customers on all continents rely on long-term cooperation with our companies – now more than ever,” added Jünke. “We propel the market’s growth together with our customers, by involving them in what we do and responding to their individual requirements.” BST eltromat’s financial stability is also a big plus, enabling the company to support customers even in large-scale projects — and to serve as a reliable partner along the path to future success.
Evolution of a Distinct Corporate Culture
“Since the merger, we’ve been working hard on defining our strengths and fostering new possibilities. At our international sales meeting in Wiesbaden at the beginning of May, attended by over 70 employees from around the world, we started seeing the first concrete signs of a distinct corporate culture and identity,” explained Dr. Gunter Tautorus, managing director for HR and Finance at BST eltromat. “As a globally positioned team that has built itself up with a clear purpose, our corporate successes and new projects have set us on a good track for the future.”
For Dr. Carsten Kipp, managing director for Technology at BST eltromat, the merger of BST and eltromat was a logical step in response to market requirements for companies’ innovative strength. “With increasingly shorter innovation cycles for new products, today’s manufacturers have to be able to cope with substantial advance payments and quickly generate high product volumes through their international sales right after bringing a product to market.” The challenges that came with Industry 4.0 also demanded strategic partnership between major customers and system manufacturers.
The expertise resulting from this merger of two former competitors shows that the companies perfectly complemented each other. According to Kipp, “This expertise is the ideal foundation for the further development of innovative systems that are freely scalable — from their individual components to comprehensive solutions — and that meet the requirements of tomorrow’s markets.” This expertise also enables BST eltromat to develop new industry-specific solutions and applications.
“Our sales team now provides greater market coverage in North America, and we have doubled our capacities in the area of service. Both of these advantages allow us to support our customers better,” emphasized Mark Lambrecht, president, BST North America, in explaining how the regional subsidiaries’ customers are benefiting from the merger.
“Many customers see us as a strong partner that is at the forefront of technological development, thereby enabling them to stand out among the global competition. This, too, is a major reason why customers choose BST eltromat as a long-term partner,” adds Jünke, summarizing the strategic motivation behind many of the company’s customers.
Posted June 28, 2017
Source: BST eltromat International
