SPARTANBURG, S.C. — April 16, 2018 — The Specialty Interiors business of Milliken & Company has secured another placement for its popular eco-elegant performance upholstery fabric, Breathe by Milliken™. The industry’s first fluorine-free performance fabric available in both natural and recycled fibers, Breathe twill is now available as a performance cotton fabric option on any of Four Seasons’ upholstered furniture or slipcovers.

Four Seasons will offer four colors as part of its cotton Twill collection: Natural, Bleach, Dove and Pepper. The company will launch these new options at the April Highpoint Market.

Breathe fabrics are unique because they have a plant-based water-repellent that is durable, repels everyday stains and cleans easily without PFCs, fire retardants or other chemicals of concern. Breathe by Milliken fabrics have also earned GREENGUARD® GOLD certification, ensuring that they meet strict chemical emissions limits and enhancing the indoor air quality of living spaces.

According to Four Seasons’ Director of Merchandising Holly Cogan, Four Seasons decided to add Breathe by Milliken to its fabric line to fill a need for an effective 100 percent cotton performance fabric. “Performance fabrics are huge right now, so we have been looking for a 100-percent cotton twill with a good weight, attractive colors and a strong performance story,” said Cogan. “While there are a lot of performance fabrics out there for polyester, acrylic and olefin, until Breathe there was no option for cotton. Breathe checked all our boxes in terms of aesthetics, protection and sustainability.”

Cogan added: “As a company known for our slipcovers, we often tell customers that there’s nothing better than a washable slipcover. Our Breathe Twill fabric allows us to offer our customers a 100-perent cotton, stain-resistant washable slipcover.  What could be more family-friendly or convenient?”

Milliken created Breathe fabrics with discerning consumers in mind, addressing the growing market need for more environmentally-conscious performance upholstery fabrics that offer an extra measure of beauty, comfort and peace of mind for those who choose to think sustainably.

“Adding Breathe by Milliken to their line allows forward-thinking companies like Four Seasons to offer something completely new to their consumers – a natural, cleanable cotton fabric that delivers the quality, beauty and sustainability they demand,” said LeAnne Flack, marketing manager, Milliken Specialty Interiors.

Posted April 16, 2017

Source: Milliken & Company

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — April 10, 2018 — Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA) announced today that it has partnered with MIT-Venture Mentoring Service (MIT-VMS) to launch the Advanced Fabric Entrepreneurship Program (AFEP). The first 24 venture teams have been selected to join the program, with the goal of starting innovative advanced fabric businesses in the United States.

AFFOA’s mission is to catalyze a domestic manufacturing-based revolution, converting traditional fibers, yarns, and textiles into highly sophisticated, integrated and networked devices and systems, facilitating the transformation of the textile industry into a value-added, high-tech industry. Recognizing that entrepreneurs and start-ups are a crucial part of any technology revolution and growing economy, AFFOA has partnered with MIT-VMS to launch this year-long program aimed at supporting entrepreneurs and providing them with the foundation necessary for commercial launch of an innovative fabric-based venture.

The program aims to lower the barrier to innovation and commercialization in the advanced functional fabric space. The training and support offered to the fabric entrepreneurs builds on 17 years of experience that MIT-VMS has had supporting hundreds of ventures and start-ups. The program seeks to develop fabric entrepreneurs by combining IP, knowledge and entrepreneurship from universities, rapid prototyping through AFFOA’s Fabric Innovation Network (FIN), consumer insights, and funding from industry and resources from public and private sectors in order to accelerate product and business model innovation in Mass. and across the country.

Posted April 15, 2017

Source: AFFOA

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — April 13, 2018 — U.S. Clean Green certified laundries are marking Earth Day 2018 (April 22) by commending the 250,000+ businesses across the nation that use such certified operations for linen, uniform and facility services.

Selecting a Clean Green certified company reflects concern for maximizing sustainability in a business supply chain. Private- and public-sector organizations who choose such a provider are learning that how their reusable textiles are supplied, laundered and maintained is a factor in their environmental impact.

Clean Green operations use a third party (TRSA) to verify their conservation practices and quantify their compliance with water and energy use thresholds.

Laundered, reusable linens, uniforms, towels, mats and other products provided by the linen, uniform and facility services industry to enhance businesses’ image and provide clean, safe environments for their employees and patrons. Most Americans benefit from the industry at least once per week, either at work or by patronizing restaurants, healthcare facilities, hotels and other retail and service establishments.

Nearly 50 of the industry’s companies are Clean Green certified, serving business customers from more than 150 locations combined nationwide. These launderers work with customers to connect the certification to their efforts to minimize their carbon footprint. Certified operators report to TRSA that customers and prospects ask them about green laundry initiatives. These include environmentally friendly wash chemistry, water reuse and recycling, recapturing heat from hot water headed down the drain and operating efficient delivery routes.

“They are far more likely to inquire about the sum of environmentally friendly practices as opposed to the parts,” observes TRSA President and CEO Joseph Ricci of the industry’s customers. Many document their justification of purchase decisions, though, such as government agencies that profile the winners of contract bids. “Clean Green companies bidding for their work mention the certification in their sales promotion and these profiles reflect it.”

Linen and uniform services conserve water and energy best by using high-capacity, high-efficiency equipment, he pointed out, controlling expenses and thereby aiding efforts to keep service pricing under control. “It is the perfect sustainable business model. Business interests and environmental concerns align. Improving efficiencies reduces costs and reduces the impact on the environment,” Ricci says.

Based on the U.S. Census of the industry’s sales and a TRSA survey of member financial data, the association estimates that nearly 3 million businesses use the industry’s services. Clean Green companies are challenged to capture more of these industry customers. Their collective Earth Day 2018 campaign gives them an opportunity to highlight the extent to which their individual efficiencies have contributed to a nationwide movement. Publicizing their own gains around Earth Day can better qualify and quantify their environmental virtues to encourage detailed comparison with competitors’ efficiencies, Ricci noted.

Posted April 13, 2018

Source: TRSA