WASHINGTON — June 12, 2017 — Today, the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) filed public comments with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) outlining the U.S. textile industry’s priorities in the forthcoming renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The comments are both linked above and pasted at the bottom of this release.

“The U.S. textile industry welcomes President Trump’s decision to renegotiate NAFTA,” said NCTO Chairman William V. McCrary Jr., chairman and CEO of William Barnet & Son LLC, a man-made fiber/yarn/polymer firm headquartered in Spartanburg, S.C.

“It is in America’s national interest to modernize the agreement and NCTO is eager to work with President Trump to make it even better,” McCrary continued.

“Let me be clear: NAFTA is vital to the prosperity of the U.S. textile industry, and NCTO steadfastly supports continuing the agreement. With that said, NAFTA can be improved to incentivize more textile and apparel jobs and production in the United States, Canada, and Mexico,” McCrary added.

“Eliminating loopholes that shift production to third-party countries like China and devoting more customs enforcement resources to stop illegal third-country transshipments are two changes that would make the agreement better,” McCrary said.

“We look forward to working with our industry partners throughout the NAFTA region to improve this agreement for all,” McCrary finished.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer formally notified Congress on May 18, 2017 that President Trump intended to renegotiate NAFTA. This action triggered a request for public comments found at 82 FR 23699 and dated May 23, 2017 (Docket: USTR–2017–0006).  That public comment period closes today.

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers.

Posted June 12, 2017

Source: The National Council Of Textile Organizations (NCTO)

LAS VEGAS — June 7, 2017 — Hygienically Clean programs that certify laundries for verifying best management practies (BMPs) and quantifying laundered product cleanliness continue to attract record interest from launderers, TRSA reported at Clean ‘17. More than 150 plants have now earned a Hygienically Clean designation.

Portending continued growth: nearly 100 more laundries are pursuing at least one Hygienically Clean certification (Food Safety, Food Service, Healthcare, Hospitality). This level of interest is a high for the program over the same time last year and the start of 2017.

The 2017 growth follows a record year of increased expansion, as 2016 saw the addition of 50 laundries to the list of certified plants. The Food Safety designation (for serving food manufacturers and processors) started in 2015; Food Service (restaurants) started last year and Hospitality (hotels), this year. Healthcare began in 2012; almost 100 percent of these early-adopter laundries achieved the standard again after their initial 3-year certification.

Achieving Hygienically Clean certification reflects laundries’ commitment to BMPs as verified by on-site inspection and capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbial testing.

BMPs are described in the facility’s quality assurance documentation, the focal point of certification inspectors’ evaluations. This independent, third-party inspection also confirms essential evidence that:

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

To become certified, laundries must pass three rounds of outcome-based microbial testing, indicating their processes are producing Hygienically Clean textiles and zero presence of yeast, mold and harmful bacteria. Maintaining certification requires passing quarterly testing to ensure that as laundry conditions change, such as water quality, textile fabric composition and wash chemistry, laundered product quality is consistently maintained.

Posted June 9, 2017

Source: TRSA

SEATTLE — June 8, 2017 — Polartec, the premium provider of innovative textile solutions, and Oiselle, the women’s athletic apparel company, announce the release of Birdstrike, a short film about the first female team to win The Speed Project. The Speed Project is an unsanctioned, unsupported, 340-mile ultra relay from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Going into its third year, no all-female team had ever taken on the course. Oiselle and Polartec worked together to field a team wearing Polartec® Delta™ cooling fabric and show the world that women were up for the challenge of racing the course in extreme temperatures.

The two companies formed an all-female team named Birdstrike. The team included six racers and six crew members, comprised of a mix of amateurs and professional Oiselle runners such as Lauren Fleshman and Devon Yanko. After Oiselle announced the team, all-female squads were also fielded by Nike and Strava. With over 20 teams racing the course, a route that took the racers through Death Valley during peak temperatures, success at the 2017 Speed Project required every competitive advantage, including Oiselle’s apparel made with Polartec Delta, a special fiber and yarn construction engineered to enhance the body’s natural evaporative cooling process.

“Oiselle’s pursuit of creating quality products for female runners sets them apart in a crowded market and has led to exciting collaborative development work with Polartec,” says Polartec CEO Gary Smith. “They continuously ask for our best when designing for the athletes they serve, and as such they’ve become a valued customer.”

“We’ve always been interested in women charting new territory,” says Oiselle Founder & CEO Sally Bergesen. “The Speed Project was an opportunity to show women’s skills and ability, both individually and as a team, on a new stage. Polartec’s support and technology were key in our participation in this race. That course demanded everything of our athletes, and the apparel, like the women, stood up to the challenge.”

Team Birdstrike’s experience is documented in the short film, which will debut at REI as a part of their Force Of Nature campaign. The film will be exclusively screened at REI Flagship stores prior to a digital release on June 23, first at REI Washington on Wednesday, June 14, followed by a screening at REI Seattle on Thursday, June 22. The evenings will include a never-before-seen look at the short film, a Q&A panel with the team, crew and Polartec fabric specialists, as well as a special reveal of what’s next for the team.
The full film will be released digitally on Friday, June 23. A full film screener link is available upon request.

Posted June 8, 2017

Source: Polartec