Standard Textile Receives Innovative Technology Designation From Vizient For VESTEX® Apparel For Healthcare Workers

CINCINNATI — November 7, 2017 — Standard Textile has announced that VESTEX® Active Barrier1 apparel received a 2017 Innovative Technology designation from Vizient Inc., the largest member-driven health care performance improvement company in the country. The designation was based on direct feedback from hospital experts who interacted with Vestex at the Vizient Innovative Technology Exchange in Denver on September 14, 2017.

Vestex Active Barrier apparel is a unique combination of technologies that addresses the need for continuous-wear, comfortable healthcare worker garments intended to minimize the risks associated with unanticipated exposure to body fluids during routine use, by repelling fluid splatter and spills from the fabric. Vestex Active Barrier apparel has also earned the exclusive endorsement of the American Hospital Association.

Vestex fabric is breathable and it contains an EPA-registered antimicrobial agent2 shown in controlled conditions in laboratory and hospital settings to inhibit the growth of certain bacteria on the fabric.3,4 A peer-reviewed hospital-based study published in a leading medical journal showed reduced acquisition and retention of certain microorganisms on Vestex scrubs under the study conditions compared to conventional healthcare uniforms.

“For more than 70 years, Standard Textile has brought breakthrough technology to the healthcare industry,” said Norman Frankel, executive vice president/sales at Standard Textile. “Vestex provides healthcare worker-focused innovation, addressing the growing environmental risks to these essential stakeholders in the healthcare setting. Vestex Active Barrier fabric incorporates multiple technologies to help minimize those environmental risks while being comfortable and durable for everyday use.”

“We are honored that Vizient Inc. has recognized Vestex and look forward to expanding its adoption with Vizient members,” said Bill Bold, CEO of Vestagen Protective Technologies Inc., developer of Vestex.

“Hospitals and providers are looking for innovations that offer unique and cumulative benefit over other products available on the market today,” said Debbie Archer, director of procurement and Vizient Innovative Technology Program lead. “The feedback on Vestex Active Barrier by attendees at our Innovative Technology Exchange was strongly in favor of assigning this technology an Innovative Technology designation. Congratulations to Standard Textile on receiving this status.”

Vizient represents a diverse membership base that includes academic medical centers, pediatric facilities, community hospitals, integrated health delivery networks and non-acute health care providers and represents more than $100 billion in annual purchasing volume. Through its Innovative Technology Program, Vizient works with member-led councils and task forces to review potentially innovative products. If it is determined that a product is innovative, Vizient may award a contract outside of the competitive bid cycle.

1 – Neither liquid repellency nor antimicrobial tests are intended to assess the VESTEX active barrier apparel’s ability to meet personal protective equipment requirements. The ability of the fabric to reduce exposure to microorganisms or infections has not been studied.

2 – VESTEX garments do not protect users or others against disease-causing bacteria. Always clean the garment thoroughly after each use.

3 – Bearman, G., Rosato, A., Elam, K., Sanogo, K., Stevens, M., Sessler, C., and Wenzel, R. P., “A Cross-over Trial of Antimicrobial Scrubs to Reduce MRSA Burden on Healthcare Worker Apparel,” Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol., Vol. 33, No. 3, 2012, pp. 268–275.

4 – Hardwick, Matthew, Walsh, Thomas, and Cotton, Margaret, “Fabric Challenge Assays: New Standards for the Evaluation of the Performance of Textiles Treated with Antimicrobial Agents,” Pesticide Formulation and Delivery Systems: Innovating Legacy Products for New Uses on November 1–3, 2011 in Tampa FL; STP 1558, M. Bernards, Editor, pp. 1–14, doi: 101520/STP155820120184, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA 2013.

Posted November 7, 2017

Source: Standard Textile

Recycled Plastic Bottles Transformed Into Denver Broncos Caps From New Era Using Repreve® Fiber

DENVER/GREENSBORO, N.C. — November 6, 2017 – The Denver Broncos just got greener! Today, New Era Cap — the official on-field hat of the National Football League (NFL) — announced the debut of its first-ever official NFL cap made with plastic bottles, thanks to the use of REPREVE® fiber. Starting on November 12, fans will be able to purchase the new, eco-friendly New Era caps at the Broncos Team Store at Sports Authority Field at Mile High during Broncos games. The Repreve-based caps will come in multiple styles, including the 9FIFTY® and 9TWENTY®. Retailing for $34.99 for the 9FIFTY and $24.99 for the 9TWENTY silhouette, each hat is made using four plastic bottles. Repreve is a branded, recycled performance fiber made from high-quality recycled materials, created by global textile solutions provider, Unifi Inc.

“We are thrilled to have two great partners in Repreve and New Era coming together to produce a unique and eco-friendly Broncos product for our fans,” said Darren O’Donnell, vice president of Business Development for the Denver Broncos. “These hats are well designed and represent our brand well.”

“The synergy between Repreve and New Era Cap represents one of incredible quality, performance, and a commitment to eco-friendliness,” said Mark Maidment, vice president, Creative for New Era Cap. “Not only does New Era Cap value environmental consciousness, but our consumers are also increasingly looking for products with a transparent sustainability story. We are excited to expand our eco-friendly product offering to the NFL with an exclusive launch with the Denver Broncos.”

The New Era 9FIFTY cap is the company’s classic snapback style with a structured front panel and a full crown; the visor is designed to be worn flat but can be curved for individualized styling. The 9TWENTY is a strapback hat with an unstructured, curved visor. Both caps reflect the unique styling New Era is known for, enhanced with an environmentally responsible twist because they are made with Repreve.

“We are excited to extend our relationship with New Era and the Broncos,” said Jay Hertwig, vice president of Global Brand Sales for Unifi Manufacturing Inc. “The collaboration will help us continue to spread the word that recycled plastic bottles can become high-performance products when they’re made with Repreve.”

Unifi is also teaming up with the Denver Broncos to envelop fans in eco-friendly messaging prior to and during the game. Repreve-focused messaging will run on stadium boards during the game, and on November 12 and November 19, Unifi’s custom-designed, interactive Repreve #TurnItGreen mobile tour will be at the stadium for fans to visit prior to kickoff and hear how their recycled plastic bottles can be transformed into high-performing gear.

Posted November 7, 2017

Source: Unifi Inc.

DuPont Teijin Films Introduces Flame Retardant Polyester Film

HOPEWELL, Va. — November 6, 2017 — A new class of flame retardant polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films from DuPont Teijin Films promises to help designers in the industrial, transportation, construction, electronics and label industries provide improved safety at low cost. The halogen-free, clear Melinex® FR2XX series of PET films combines the inherent polyester film properties with the VTM-0 flame rating certified by UL’s UL 94 flame classification testing.

“Traditional PET polyester films are well-known for their performance and reliability characteristics, and this new film type has combined those properties with the highly desired VTM-0 certification,” said Scott Gordon, business development manager, DuPont Teijin Films. “We have worked closely with key customers to develop a clear flame retardant film that meets the needs of several industry segments.”

Recent reports have predicted growth rates over 7 percent per year in flame retardant polymer usage, driven by more stringent fire safety requirements in the construction, automotive and other industries. Some commercial polymer film types offer inherent flame retardance, but often at a price point of up to 30 times higher than PET films. Meanwhile, most PET polyester films are known for their physical durability, chemical resistance and low water absorption, but with typical flame classification ratings at only the VTM-2 level. Consequently, PET polyester films have been used in a limited range of applications, or in some cases the PET polyester film’s flame retardance was achieved through the use of expensive specialty adhesives, or through halogen containing film additives which are no longer permitted in many industries.

The Melinex® FR220 film is the first clear halogen-free VTM-0 PET polyester film from DuPont Teijin Films. Typical applications include laminate structures for construction and transportation, battery labels, insulating materials for wire and cable, electronic office products, lighting and flexible printed circuitry.

Posted November 7, 2017

Source: DuPont Teijin Films

Archroma Pakistan Wins “Employer Of The Year” And “CEO Of The Year” Awards For The Second Time In A Row

REINACH, Switzerland — November 7, 2017 — Archroma, a global supplier in color and specialty chemicals, today announced that its Pakistan affiliate has been named “Employer of the Year” in the multinationals segment in a nationwide contest organized by the Employers Federation of Pakistan (EFP), for the second time in a row.

The EFP granted the award in recognition of Archroma’s excellence achieved in all the areas of corporate management relating to human resources, industrial relations, observance of labor standards, best practices in finance, ethical marketing management, employee motivation and team work.

The award broadly underscores the company’s focused commitment on corporate social responsibility initiatives. Archroma is committed to maintaining the highest standards in occupational health and safety and to fostering environmental protection through recycling and reuse at all it sites in Pakistan. 

The efforts of Archroma Pakistan Ltd. in this area also earned its CEO, Mujtaba Rahim, the “Best CEO of the Year 2016” award.

 The award ceremony was recently held at Karachi, at a highly attended gathering of corporate heads, government officials and ILO representatives and business groups. Nasir Hussain Shah, provincial Minister of Labor, was the chief guest.

On receiving the awards, Vaqar Arif, head of Finance, Pakistan, Archroma, commented: “Archroma’s success is driven by its employees first and foremost. We strongly encourage them to continuously challenge the status quo in the deep belief that we can make our industry sustainable. Our best practices in the entire management areas are built with this concept in mind, and have resulted in high motivation amongst our diverse teams, working as a strong unifying force that leads to strengthen Archroma’s position as a top performing company in Pakistan.”

Posted November 7, 2017

Source: Archroma

TRSA Introduces Linen And Uniform Service Customer Membership

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — November 2, 2017 — Based on the tremendous growth, awareness and interest in Hygienically Clean certification, TRSA — the association for linen, uniform and facility services — is launching a new membership category for individuals responsible for overseeing such services to their facilities. These customers will have access to specific TRSA best practices and resources including training materials to help them better manage the use of linen, uniforms, garments and other reusable textiles, as well as facility services.

“Since the launch of Hygienically Clean, TRSA has been reinvesting all proceeds from the programs into educating consumers regarding the importance of training and proper handling of clean and soiled textiles,” said TRSA President and CEO Joseph Ricci. “This has resulted in the development and distribution of research, white papers, webinars and interactive training regarding best practices to thousands of individuals responsible for selection and management of linen, uniform and facility services.”

Through outreach campaigns including presentations, healthcare and food safety conference exhibits, webinars, social media and advertising, TRSA has generated nearly 3,000 individual interactions and tens of thousands of digital contacts. These have helped medical facility staff properly handle soiled and clean linens, directly reflecting the success in communicating how Hygienically Clean Healthcare is unparalleled in verifying laundries’ best management practices (BMPs) and quantifying healthcare textiles’ cleanliness to ensure they pose negligible risk to medical facility staff and patients.

“The response to this outreach proves that the foundation of Hygienically Clean is stronger than any other healthcare laundry certification program attempted,” explained Ricci. “Initiated by linen, uniform and facility services operators and continuously executed by them at the program’s highest ranks of management, Hygienically Clean helps demonstrate that certified facilities know the proper process and outcome measures of effective healthcare laundering.” As subject matter experts on quality assurance and BMPs in the industry, launderers serve on the Hygienically Clean Healthcare Advisory Board with medical professionals who offer scientific expertise and a laundry customer’s perspective.

The ranks of Hygienically Clean Healthcare certified facilities recently eclipsed the 125 mark; another 40 are in the process of becoming certified. In addition, 47 plants have been certified Hygienically Clean Food Safety and 49 others have pursued this certification as well as the recently launched Hygienically Clean Food Service and Hospitality designations.

By partnering with organizations such as Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) and the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology in launching its APIC Industry Perspectives website, viewers have been attracted to these Hygienically Clean initiatives:

The Six C’s: Handling Soiled Linen in a Healthcare Environment. This training video aimed at helping hospital staff comply with OSHA regulations drew more than 1,000 unique page views over four months on the site. The APIC Hygienically Clean page linked viewers to the YouTube trailer previewing the video, shipped free to them upon their request by mail on a flash drive. Since The Six C’s premiered in late 2015, the trailer has been viewed 2,100 times. There have been more than 1,000 requests for the flash drive and previous DVD version, with 300 of these requests in 2017.

Handling Clean Linen in a Healthcare Environment. From another APIC Hygienically Clean webpage, more than 100 viewers downloaded this whitepaper, which advises medical facility staff on tactics to avoid compromising the safety of healthcare textiles once these are within their facilities. Promotion via social media and ads in other business/scientific media have generated another 50 downloads to date, with hundreds more anticipated due to an ongoing campaign with Infection Control Today.

Hygienically Clean had its most successful exhibit at June’s APIC Annual Conference in Portland, OR, capturing contact data on about 180 attendees of this show. Earlier in the year, in the first promotion of the certification to the outpatient/specialty medical market, more than 120 leads were captured from attendees of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) expo in May in Washington. Ads in ASCA’s e-newsletter produced almost 140 clicks, prompting viewers to learn more and download the latest Hygienically Clean whitepaper, Environmental Safety in Outpatient Care.

Previously, Hygienically Clean exhibited at the annual Association for the Healthcare Environment (AHE) Exchange, with plans to return in 2018.

These contacts created awareness and generated prospects for the first-ever Hygienically Clean webinar created for the benefit of healthcare professionals. What Healthcare Laundry Inspectors Uncover, aired in August, attracted more than 100 of them, detailing the Hygienically Clean Healthcare inspection checklist.

The Hygienically Clean Healthcare program has been recognized for its international applicability. Most recently, it fueled TRSA’s launch of Hygienically Clean Asia with the China Healthcare Laundry Association. Hygienically Clean standards parallel the European Union’s and the Germany-based Certification Association for Professional Textile Services’ laundry guidelines. Since the 2012 advent of the program, collaboration on such standards has continued with the European Textile Services Association and Australian Laundry Association.

Posted November 2, 2017

Source: TRSA

Neenah Completes Purchase Of Coldenhove

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — November 1, 2017 — Neenah Paper Inc. announced today that it had completed the previously announced purchase of the outstanding equity of W.A. Sanders Coldenhove Holding B.V. Coldenhove is a specialty materials manufacturer based in the Netherlands, with a leading position in digital transfer media and other technical products.

Upon closing, the company made a cash payment of approximately $45 million. The payment was financed through almost $14 million of available cash on hand, with the balance from incremental borrowing against the company’s existing global revolving credit facility. Interest rates on the additional short term debt were under two percent.

Posted November 1, 2017

Source: Neenah Paper

Fibrix Announces Price Increase On Nonwoven Products

CONOVER, N.C. — November 1, 2017 — Fibrix LLC, a North American manufacturer of nonwoven polyester materials, today announced it is increasing its list and off-list selling prices for all nonwovens products by $0.05 per pound. The price increases will be effective December 1, 2017, or as contracts otherwise allow.

The price increase is being driven by higher costs in raw materials and freight. This is the first price increase to Fibrix customers in more than four years.

Customers should contact their Fibrix sales representative for more details.

Posted November 1, 2017

Source: Fibrix LLC

Under Armour Reports Third Quarter Results: Revenue Down 5 Percent — Company Updates Full Year 2017 Outlook

BALTIMORE — October 31, 2017 — Under Armour Inc. today announced financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2017. The company reports its financial performance in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP). This press release refers to “currency neutral” and “adjusted” amounts, which are non-GAAP financial measures described below under the “Non-GAAP Financial Information” paragraph. Reconciliations of non-GAAP amounts to the most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP are presented in supplemental financial information furnished with this release. All per share amounts are reported on a diluted basis.

“While our international business continues to deliver against our ambition of building a global brand, operational challenges and lower demand in North America resulted in third quarter revenue that was below our expectations,” said Under Armour Chairman and CEO Kevin Plank. “Based on these issues in our largest market, we believe it is prudent to reduce our sales and earnings outlook for the remainder of 2017.

“Against this difficult backdrop, our management team is working aggressively to evolve our strategy and level of execution to proactively address these challenges. We understand that success in our next chapter requires managing with focused financial discipline and driving excellence into every area of our business while we amplify innovation, deliver fresh product and connect even more deeply with our consumers.”

The summary below provides both GAAP and adjusted non-GAAP financial measures. In the third quarter of 2017, in connection with the company’s restructuring plan, it recognized pre-tax costs totaling $89 million comprising of $22 million in cash related charges and $67 million in non-cash charges. Adjusted financial measures exclude the impact of the restructuring and other related charges and the related tax effects.

Third Quarter Review

  • Revenue was down 5 percent to $1.4 billion. During the third quarter, operational challenges due to the implementation of the company’s enterprise resource planning system and related service levels along with lower North American demand negatively impacted revenue.
    • Revenue to wholesale customers declined 13 percent to $880 million and direct-to-consumer revenue was up 15 percent to $468 million.
    • North America challenges impacted results with revenue down 12 percent. Strong international momentum continued with revenue up 35 percent (up 34 percent currency neutral), representing 22 percent of total revenue. Within our international business, revenue in EMEA was up 22 percent (up 20 percent currency neutral), up 52 percent in Asia-Pacific (up 53 percent currency neutral) and up 33 percent in Latin America (up 27 percent currency neutral).
    • Apparel revenue decreased 8 percent to $939 million, as growth in golf and sportstyle was more than offset by declines in outdoor, women’s training and youth. Footwear revenue was up 2 percent to $285 million, driven by strength in running and outdoor, offset by basketball and youth. Accessories revenue increased 1 percent to $123 million led by golf and men’s training, tempered by a decline in outdoor.
  • Gross margin declined 160 basis points to 45.9 percent as benefits from changes in foreign currency rates and product costs were more than offset by pricing and other inventory management initiatives, and regional mix. Adjusted gross margin, which excludes a $4 million impact from restructuring efforts, was 46.2 percent, a decrease of 130 basis points compared to the prior year.
  • SG&A was in-line with the prior year.
  • Restructuring and impairment charges were $85 million.
  • Operating income was $62 million. Adjusted operating income was $151 million.
  • Effective tax rate was negative 5 percent due to higher mix of international pre-tax income and challenged results in the North American business, coupled with the impact of the restructuring and impairment charges. The adjusted effective tax rate was 29 percent.
  • Net income was $54 million in the third quarter. Adjusted net income was $100 million.
  • Diluted earnings per share was $0.12. Adjusted diluted earnings per share was $0.22.
  • Inventory increased 22 percent to $1.2 billion.
  • Cash and cash equivalents increased 43 percent to $258 million.

Updated Fiscal 2017 Outlook

Key points related to Under Armour’s full year 2017 updated outlook include:

  • Net revenue is expected to be up at a low single-digit percentage rate reflecting lower North American demand and operational challenges due to the implementation of the company’s enterprise resource planning system and related service levels.
  • Gross margin is expected to be down approximately 220 basis points compared to 46.4 percent in 2016 as benefits from product costs and channel mix are more than offset by increased efforts to manage inventory within a highly promotional environment, impacts from the restructuring plan and increasing regional mix. Adjusted gross margin is expected to be down approximately 190 basis points compared to 46.4 percent in 2016.
  • Operating income is expected to be approximately $0 to $10 million. Adjusted operating income is expected to reach $140 million to $150 million.
  • Interest and other expense net of approximately $35 million.
  • Excluding the effect of the restructuring plan, adjusted effective tax rate of approximately 23 percent.
  • Adjusted diluted earnings per share of $0.18 to $0.20.
  • Capital expenditures of approximately $300 million.

On August 1, the company announced a restructuring plan, which detailed expectations to incur total estimated pre-tax restructuring and related charges of approximately $110 million to $130 million. In the third quarter, the company recognized $60 million of pre-tax charges in connection with this restructuring plan. In addition to these charges, the company also recognized restructuring related goodwill impairment charges of $29 million for its Connected Fitness business. Inclusive of this impairment, the company now expects to incur total estimated pre-tax restructuring and related charges of approximately $140 million to $150 million.

Posted November 2, 2017

Source: Under Armour

Shineco Provides Update On Process Of Establishing Apocynum Industrial Park In Xinjiang, China

BEIJING — November 1, 2017 — Shineco Inc. — a producer and distributor of Chinese herbal medicines, organic agricultural products, specialized textiles, and other health and well-being focused plant-based products in China — today provided an update on process of establishing an Apocynum Industrial Park in Xinjiang, China.

Shineco has worked on the development of the apocynum industrialization since 1997, and has overcome two out of three technical obstacles in the past, which were “Steam Explosion Degumming” and “Blending of Multiple Apocynum Fibers.” The company also collaborates with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and more than 20 research institutes, hospitals and textile mills.

Through the cooperation with Fucheng Air Source Precision Machinery Parts Co. Ltd., Shineco has successfully developed the apocynum straw separation machine, making apocynum industrialization possible. This breakthrough technology has ended a 50-year history of artificial separation process of apocynum, boosted the production efficiency by more than 200 times as well as lowed the cost of apocynum production for as much as 70 percent. As such, this marked a milestone that Shineco has overcome all of the three technical difficulties in apocynum industrialization. This new machine will be widely used in Apocynum Industrial Park in Xinjiang, China.

Apocynum is a special kind of Chinese herbal, which can be used to extract a unique fiber from its straw. Such fiber not only shares the similar characteristics of cotton, linen and silk, but also has a natural far infrared function and traditional Chinese medicine function. Therefore, many pharmaceutical companies in the world are interested in developing the technologies that utilizes this attractive and profitable fibers. However, apocynum separation is a difficult process, mainly because the straw of the apocynum contains 25-percent gelatine, which makes processing apocynum very costly. A worker can separate only 2 kilograms apocynum a day, even after the apocynum has been prepared for processing, which requires being soaked in water for more than a month. As such, the high labor cost and the low production efficiency has been a significant obstacle to apocynum industrialization for a long time.

Yuying Zhang, chairman and CEO, Shineco, stated: “We are very proud of achieving breakthrough in apocynum straw separation technology. Adding the generation of apocynum production with this proprietary technology undoubtedly positions ingenious to boost efficiency dramatically. We believe that the apocynum industry will be very excited about the robustness of this technology and quality of the production generated as well as the labor cost saved. We expected to harvest and separate 100,000 tons of apocynum by this winter and next spring, which will increase Shineco’s revenue for about 300 million RMB in 2018. In the meantime, encouraged by the China’s preferential tax policy for the agricultural products, we expected our net profit margin can reach 35 percent in the following year.”

Posted November 1, 2017

Source: Shineco Inc.

Magnus Textile Donates Nearly 4,000 Towels To Puerto Rico

CHELMSFORD, Mass. — November 1, 2017 — Magnus Textile recently announced it has donated nearly 4,000 towels to the Red Cross in Puerto Rico to aid in the hurricane relief effort following the devastation of Hurricane Maria. Magnus worked in conjunction with Crown Linen, as well as JSA Trucking in the delivery of the towels to the Red Cross.

Ryan Zaucha, Southeast sales manager for Magnus Textile, responded to a request sent out to the Florida Hospitality community by Mary Esposito, a member of the Disaster Action Team. “I want to thank Ryan Zaucha of Magnus Textile for answering the call I put out to the hospitality industry,” said Esposito.

The towels were initially intended for Red Cross shelters in Florida, but after Puerto Rico was hit by Hurricane Maria the towels were instead shipped on a Red Cross ship to Puerto Rico. “An amazing true story that has a happy ending due to a great company like Magnus Textile,” said Esposito.

Hurricane Maria is the worst natural disaster the Island has seen in nearly a century. Organizations on the ground have called it a humanitarian crisis with the majority of Puerto Ricans stuck lacking running water and electricity. An estimated 30,000 to 90,000 homes were destroyed in the storm. The Red Cross is on the ground in Puerto Rico and will continue to be on the ground working with dozens of disaster partners like the Salvation Army and Save the Children to support feeding, child care, disaster assessment and other services to help affected communities.

“The Magnus Textile team was grateful for the opportunity to support the Red Cross’ efforts in Puerto Rico,” said Zaucha of Magnus Textile. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to those in Puerto Rico still suffering from the devastation of this terrible event.”

Posted November 1, 2017

Source: Magnus Textile

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