NC Specialty Fabrics Set To Launch At IFAI 2017

NEWARK, N.J. — August 3, 2017 — NC Netting & Upholstery Machines is pleased to announce the launch of a new NC Specialty Fabrics Line. The company has purchased a textile mill and added capabilities that include fabrication of binding tapes, seatbelts, straps, harnesses, hides, twill tapes, and more. Stocked lines are already in place and all new lines will launch throughout 2017 and 2018.

Custom Manufacturing 

View samples and various color lines at IFAI in booth A629. NC’s cutting edge fabrics will elevate your offerings and provide cost effective solutions. The company’s business model focuses on a wide array of in-stock lines and custom fabric orders. Submit your requests and ideas at IFAI 2017.

Posted August 3, 2017

Source: NC Netting & Upholstery

Mayer & Cie. Reassigns U.S. Representation To Fi-Tech Inc.

ALBSTADT, Germany — August 3, 2017 — From September 1, 2017, Fi-Tech Inc. will take over as Mayer & Cie.’s sales and service representative in the United States. Fi-Tech replaces Mayer Industries. Founded by Mayer & Cie. (MCT) in 1970, Mayer Industries has represented the German circular knitting machine manufacturer in the U.S. since 1975 but is now specialized in manufacturing braiding machines. Mayer & Cie. expects the handover of representation to Fi-Tech to boost its presence in the United States and to provide easier access to new customers.

“We collaborated for a long time and successfully with Mayer Industries,” says Wolfgang Müller, sales director, Mayer & Cie. “Today, Mayer Industries’ main focus lies in another area. So now is the right time, especially with several employees in the circular knitting department leaving the company as retirees, to hand over our U.S. representation to a well-established, professional agency.”

New Representatives, Familiar Faces

Fi-Tech, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, will take over as Mayer & Cie.’s U.S. sales, spare parts and service representative. Preliminary talks have been under way for over two years. Initial contacts took place at the 2015 ITMA in Milan. The contracts were signed in Albstadt in mid-July 2017.

The new Mayer & Cie. representation has engaged with two senior members of the Mayer Industries circular knitting team to ensure knowledge and expertise are maintained for several years and to assure the smoothest possible transition.

Mayer & Cie. And The American Market

In recent years, the American market has been challenging for Mayer & Cie. for different reasons. “From our perspective, the U.S. market has been very fragmented,” Müller explained. “There are unique challenges in the Los Angeles market, caused by consolidation and the success of imported equipment, especially from South Korea. Whereas in the traditional apparel markets on the East coast, customers have looked primarily to a domestic supply base and service. With our new sales representation and technical service structure, we look forward to once again actively competing in both markets”.

Opportunities For Both Sides

Fi-Tech was founded in 1972. Its initial focus was on man-made fibers and nonwovens, but Fi-Tech has since expanded its portfolio substantially and now represents European equipment manufacturers in dyeing, finishing and surface finishing. The geographical focus of its business is on the United States and the NAFTA member-states.

In Mayer & Cie., Fi-Tech now has the first greige goods manufacturer in its portfolio. Ian Mills, market development manager at Fi-Tech, is convinced that this is an opportunity for both sides. “With a circular knitting machine manufacturer we are expanding our portfolio,” Mills explained. “With our wide-ranging networks, we will be able to introduce Mayer beyond the traditional circular knitting machine market.”

Todd Bassett, co-owner and managing director of Fi-Tech, also takes a highly positive view of the collaboration. “Mayer & Cie. is definitely a flagship in the list of our partners,” Bassett said. “We are impressed by the company’s leading position in both the technology and the market. Also its long history, its investment in its employees, all of that makes Mayer & Cie. something special.”

Posted August 3, 2017

Source: Mayer & Cie

Three Finalists Compete For RISE® Innovation Award

CARY, N.C. — August 3, 2017 — Three finalists will present innovative solutions for the prestigious RISE™ Innovation Award during the seventh edition of Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics Conference (RISE®) Sept. 12-14, 2017, at the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel, in Raleigh, N.C.  The award recognizes innovation within and on the periphery of the nonwovens industry that uses advanced science and engineering principles to creatively solve challenges within the nonwovens and engineered fabrics industry.

Meet the Finalists for the 2017 RISE® Innovation Award

Club Coffee’s PurPod100™ Compostable Pods: PurPod100™ is the first certified 100-percent compostable pod for the Keurig single serve coffee format. Proven to break down in large-scale composting, the pod’s mesh filter is a polylactic acid-based product. It is the first successful thermoformable PLA nonwoven filter application and its filtering delivers consumer satisfaction for many coffee brands.

Mogul’s Madaline®: Madaline microfilament fabrics fill the gap in nonwoven technologies for textile applications with advanced attributes for use in finishing, dyeing, printing, cutting and stitching. The long-lasting microfilament fabrics help reduce environmental impact and is manufactured without binders, solvents or PVC. The fabric properties include thermal insulation, wind resistance, absorbency, quick-drying, breathability and UV protection with an inherent barrier against bacteria and dust mites.

Revolution Fibres’ Xantu.Layr®: Revolution Fibres has developed Xantu.Layr®, the first commercially available nanofiber interleaving veil used in carbon fiber reinforced composite materials. Produced using a proprietary production method, it is a nonwoven web consisting of kilometer long thermoplastic nanofibers. Xantu.Layr® has been shown to improve the fracture toughness, strength after compression and fatigue resistance of composite laminates.

Technical executives in the nonwoven/engineered fabrics industry who are charged with finding new technical ideas to help grow their businesses will vote for the recipient of the 2017 RISE® Innovation Award, following afternoon presentations by each of the finalists on Wed. Sept. 13. The winner will be named on Sept. 14.

The finalists were selected by technical industry experts and members of the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, Technical Advisory Board. In 2016, the RISE® Durable Product Award was presented to Suominen for Fibrella™ Lite, a nonwoven product for absorbent hygiene products.

The RISE conference program will cover these relevant industry topics: opportunities and challenges, manufacturing technologies, moisture management, 3D nonwoven structures, inventing the future, advanced materials: performance, wetlaid nonwovens, technology and money hurdles, advanced biomaterials, advanced machinery, and industry updates.

“The RISE® Conference embraces INDA’s mission to stimulate, and recognize innovation,” said Dave Rousse, INDA’s President. “Without doubt there will be occasions in the program when like-minded, forward-thinking technology professionals have a collective ‘A-ha’ moment as the potential impact of a new approach to a material science challenge is revealed. For Technology Scouts and New Product Innovators this will truly be an event not to be missed.”

Posted August 3, 2017

Source: INDA

Pindler Celebrates 70 Years Of Decorative Fabric Design

MOORPARK, Calif. — August 3, 2017 — Pindler, an industry leader and international wholesaler of decorative fabrics, achieved a major milestone celebrating 70 years of producing high-quality decorative fabrics for the residential and hospitality design trade.

The company, which first began as a one-man operation run by Matthew M. Pindler, has grown tremendously since Matthew and his son, Carl Pindler, joined forces to form Pindler and Pindler Inc., launching its first showroom in 1947. Now, the third-generation family-owned business is led by Chairman & CEO Curt Pindler, who took the reins in 1975 to build the company into a highly successful fabric leader. The fabric wholesaler has 16 owned and operated showrooms in major markets, dedicated and professional field sales representatives, and is represented nationally through 10 agent showrooms, in addition to having two international representatives.

“Since our founding 70 years ago, our mission and focus has been to serve the design trade,” Curt Pindler said. “To achieve this, we strive to deliver inspired products, best-in-class customer service and superior inventory management. Additionally, Pindler is proud to provide our clients with a comprehensive network of showrooms, focused on excellent service while delivering an extremely efficient self-service memo program.”

Pindler is a trusted resource in the industry, known for its knowledgeable staff, unparalleled customer service, state-of-the-art website and loyalty to the interior designer. Most of the company’s collections are exclusive, including a few of the latest high-end exclusive collections such as Platinum, Atelier and Hearst Castle, which have already proven to be very successful. In addition, Pindler has launched a plethora of exclusive Indoor/Outdoor Collections, which have been gaining speed in the marketplace, making Pindler a category leader in Indoor/Outdoor fabric.

As proud of its past as it is excited about the future, Pindler anticipates continued growth. The leading fabric company has innovative ideas on the drawing board which include a newly redesigned website and beautiful, new decorative fabric collections in addition to the other range of products which have made Pindler a one-stop shop for designers searching for not only foundational fabrics, but also inspirational decorative pieces. In addition to acknowledging its growth over the decades, Pindler has recently made some senior management changes in order to pave the way for continued expansion, promoting its CFO, Sean Quinn, to president this past January. If history is any indication of Pindler’s potential, the company will have many future anniversaries to celebrate.

Posted August 3, 2017

Source: Pindler

Unifi Signs A Letter Of Intent To Form Joint Venture In Guatemala

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Aug. 1, 2017 — Unifi Inc. today announced that it has signed a non-binding letter of intent to form a joint venture in Guatemala with the owners of Complast S.A. and Technologia Textil Avanzada (TTA) — existing recycling, spinning and texturing companies in Guatemala. The joint venture would continue the recycling, spinning and texturing activities of Complast and TTA. Under the proposed structure, Unifi would own 51 percent of the joint venture and the existing owners of Complast and TTA would own 49 percent.

Unifi’s desire to form the joint venture is based on the importance of the Central American textile market and Unifi’s commitment to this market for the foreseeable future. Unifi believes the venture will further expand its geographic footprint of REPREVE® recycled fiber through local, quick turn production of Repreve filament yarn within Central America, a key apparel-producing market that requires compliant yarn.

“Central America has been a region of focus for brands and retailers over the past few years, as apparel programs are sourced closer to the U.S.,” said Tom Caudle, president, Unifi. “The growth in the region is key to our strategy of building our Repreve and other value-added brands.”

Complast and TTA have been in business since 2008 and 2014, respectively. Complast owns and operates a bottle processing facility and produces flake and chip under the brand name EuroPET for the consumer packaging market in Central America and for further processing in their spinning plant. TTA produces polyester POY and textured yarn under the brand name EuroFIL, and supplies the Central American market. Under the letter of intent, these operations would be contributed to the joint venture and, upon consummation of the joint venture, the parties intend to expand the existing operations.

The transaction proposed in the letter of intent is subject to the parties reaching a definitive agreement, with a transaction closing expected to occur by the end of calendar 2017. There is no assurance, however, that a definitive agreement will be reached or that the closing of the transaction contemplated by the letter of intent will occur.

Posted August 2, 2017

Source: Unifi

Stäubli Anniversary: Quality And Innovation As A Driving Force For 125 Years

PFÄFFIKON, Switzerland — August 2, 2017 — After starting in a small workshop in 1892, Stäubli has developed into a leading industrial partner for high-quality mechatronic solutions and technologies. With three dedicated activities — Connectors, Robotics and Textile — Stäubli is valued by industrial customers worldwide for its high-quality products and cutting-edge technologies.

Two family threads came together at the end of the 19th century — the heyday of the Swiss textile industry — and were woven into a new corporate fabric: Rudolph Schelling and Hermann Stäubli, displaying both commercial acumen and technical skill, founded the company Schelling & Stäubli in the Swiss village of Horgen in 1892. At that time, this village on the shores of Lake Zurich — and on the silk road as well — was the site of many mills operating a total of some 1,000 weaving machines. Stäubli had acquired his initial know-how by repairing these machines. After a short time, he set out to produce superior machinery. His credo from the start was the highest quality and a pronounced customer focus. He sought no less than to make the world’s best dobbies — with which weaving mills could achieve optimal results. Even in those early days, Stäubli set very high targets for efficient production; specifically, to weave more fabrics at lower cost, higher quality, and with a greater variety of patterns.

Already in 1893, Schelling & Stäubli introduced their first dobby, designed and constructed in house. In 1900, they introduced the world’s first paper-card dobby, equipped with a warp-leasing system that is still widely used today. Following the death of Rudolph Schelling in 1909, the company was renamed Stäubli.

Geographical Spread And Portfolio Expansion

The Stäubli Group has grown exuberantly since 1892, in both technical and geographic terms. Already in 1909 Stäubli built its first factory in France, followed by additional production sites in other European countries as well as in the Americas and China.

The group’s textile activities have grown in line with its corporate targets, and Stäubli has become a leading supplier to the global weaving industry. In 1969 Stäubli acquired the German company Trumpelt, which specialized in heavy dobbies. As a shedding solution specialist in frame weaving, the company then decided to expand its range to include jacquard weaving. This led to the acquisition of Verdol in Lyon, a manufacturer of mechanical jacquard machines. And to expand its product range to cover the complete weaving process, the companies Zellweger (weaving preparation solutions) and Schönherr (carpet weaving systems) were purchased in 1994 and 1998. Finally, the DEIMO company was acquired, a long-time industry partner providing drive and control systems for a wide range of applications.

This expansion strategy has been constantly augmented by intensive R&D activities, and today the result can be seen in a comprehensive range of high-performance products integrating state-of-the-art technologies. This machinery is renowned for exceptional reliability, unsurpassed production speeds, and very long service life. SAFIR automatic drawing-in machines, the latest generation of S3000/S3200 dobbies, the LX/LXL electronic Jacquard machines, ALPHA carpet weaving systems, the TF technical weaving systems, and DEIMO knitting solutions all attest to continuity and a passion for innovation, which is embedded in the DNA of the company.

Excellence Means Constant Improvement And Development In All Areas

“The spirit of innovation has defined our company from the beginning — it’s rooted deeply in the nature of Stäubli”, said Rolf Strebel, Stäubli CEO. “It’s the reason we constantly develop new solutions which add value for our customers. Other decisive factors for our long-term success are the spirit of cohesion among our staff around the globe, our inquisitiveness, and our philosophy of continuous improvement. Our aspiration is to constantly improve — on a human, professional, and technical level — and to remain just as successful during the next 125 years.”

Posted August 2, 2017

Source: Stäubli

Grund America Adds Towels To Its Organic Cotton Home Collection

CHARLOTTE — August 1, 2017 — Charlotte-based Grund America, a manufacturer of organic home textiles, today announced the addition of plush organic cotton bath towels to its line of organic bathroom rugs. The organic towels are color-coordinated with or complement the rugs, creating a relaxing, welcoming, and healthy environment. The announcement comes just in time for the upcoming visitor-intensive holiday season as well as for simply sprucing up your bathroom or planning seasonal décor.

The Grund® organic towel collection is made of 100-percent certified organic Turkish cotton that has been spared pesticides and other toxic chemicals from production through processing. To create these luxurious towels, the organic cotton is spun into five separate yarns then loomed into long, two ply, double loops. The end result is uber-plush towels with a soft, fluffy pile that feels good to the touch, is lightweight, and absorbs water easily. They are available in sizes ranging from hand towel to bath sheet, and in white, ivory, driftwood, sage, and slate grey.

The Grund organic cotton bath rugs collection also is made of organic cotton, and is available in a range of soothing colors including ivory, driftwood, and green tea. Each style comes in four standard sizes, including a runner. The series includes the Charleston handmade bath rug, made with a simple border design, and the double-sided, reversible Puro bath rugs with a plush border design. The rugs are suitable for machine washing at low temperatures and maintain their color. The company also boasts an unheard-of five-year warranty on the rugs.

“At Grund America, we believe that what you put on your body is just as important as what you put in your body,” says Grund America Vice President and General Manager Michael Twer. “We make high quality products and validate every step in our entire supply chain to ensure no harmful chemicals are used from field to finished products. Consumers can feel good knowing each towel is responsibly made to the highest social and environmental standards.”

Organic fiber sales in the U.S. reached another record in 2016, hitting $1.4 billion and posting a 9.2 percent increase from 2015, according to the 2017 Organic Industry Survey from the Organic Trade Association (OTA). The organic fiber and textiles category continues to rank as the largest non-food organic category in the $43.3 billion U.S. market. Organic fiber sales now account for almost 40 percent of the total $3.9 billion in organic non-food sales in 2016.

“Just as consumers are increasingly searching out organic food, they are also searching out and purchasing organic apparel and home textiles at record levels,” notes Twer.

Founded and still run by the Grund family in Czech Republic, the Grund Co. launched its Matthews, N.C.-based Grund America division in 2014 starting with organic cotton bathroom rugs — a Grund product already immensely popular throughout Europe. Both the uber-soft and durable rugs and towels are made from 100% organic cotton and certified to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) which prohibits the use of toxic inputs.

Consumers come into contact with cotton every single day. Growing conventional cotton requires the use of enormous amounts of pesticides, which has a large environmental impact and presents health risks for those working around it. Conventional cotton may cost less, but organic cotton has less impact on the land, farm workers, the planet and thus your well-being. Addressing the processing of cotton is also vital, given the use and discharge of toxic chemicals during conventional textile production.

Posted August 1, 2017

Source: Grund America

Glen Raven Inc. To Acquire Sunbury Textile Mills

GLEN RAVEN, N.C. — August 1, 2017 — Glen Raven Inc., a global provider of performance fabrics, has signed a Letter of Intent to acquire Sunbury Textile Mills, a designer and manufacturer of decorative jacquard fabrics. Under the agreement, Sunbury will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Glen Raven Inc. and will operate as part of Glen Raven Custom Fabrics LLC, best known as the maker of Sunbrella® fabrics.

“Sunbury has been a close strategic business partner for more than 20 years,” said Allen E. Gant, Jr., chairman and CEO of Glen Raven, Inc. “Sunbury’s leadership in serving the designer, decorative jobber and furniture manufacturers with premium jacquard fabrics is unparalleled. Every Sunbury customer is important to us and represents an opportunity to combine resources and be better suppliers and business partners.”

“We have long considered Sunbury to be part of the extended Glen Raven family, and we are excited about working with them to further service all of their markets and customers,” Gant added.

Sunbury’s team specializes in innovative decorative jacquard upholstery fabrics targeting the design community and luxury furniture manufacturers, for both residential and contract applications. Sunbury’s designers create bespoke collections, focusing on inspirational patterns, innovative constructions and leading color trends. The company’s product lines include Sunbrella fabrics, which it designs and produces under an exclusive license with Glen Raven.

“The long-term partnership has greatly expanded our ability to service customers with high-design, high-durability Sunbrella fabrics, and we see even more potential in the talented team at Sunbury and all the markets they serve,” said David Swers, president and COO, Glen Raven Custom Fabrics.

“Glen Raven is presenting Sunbury with an extraordinary opportunity to continue our growth path,” said Hank Truslow Jr., CEO, Sunbury Textile Mills. “We are looking forward to continuing to serve our customers with innovative solutions, superior design and unsurpassed levels of customer service as we’ve done for more than 60 years.”

Posted August 1, 2017

Source: Raven Custom Fabrics

Lectra Appoints Rodrigo Siza Regional Director Of Spain And Portugal

PARIS — August 1, 2017 — Lectra is pleased to announce the appointment of Rodrigo Siza to the role of Regional Director of Spain and Portugal.

Based in Porto, Portugal, Siza will focus on nurturing new regional collaborations to benefit the needs of Lectra’s customers, and faciliate their success in the Industry 4.0 era. Siza will rely on Lectra’s highly experienced teams located in the region.

“Rodrigo has very effectively established long-term partnerships with our fashion
and apparel, automotive and furniture customers in Portugal,” said Daniel Harari, chairman and CEO, Lectra. “He has helped
our customers to emerge stronger from the world crisis which heavily impacted them. After 10 successful years as head of Lectra Portgual, Rodrigo is now also in charge of meeting the expectations of our Spanish customers.”

Players in the region are witnessing a strong dynamic, notably fashion brands in Spain and fashion and automotive industrialists with heightened added-value in Portugal. With the recent announcement of a new strategy to focus on Industry 4.0, Lectra is in a strong position to support these businesses in the digitalization of their processes.

For industries faced with more demanding consumers and ever-shorter product development and manufacturing cycles, integrating all steps along the extended supply chain, from design to cutting, is now a top priority. This is particularly apparent in Spain and Portugal, two countries positioned, in their own way, at the heart of Europe’s fashion and automotive industries.

Siza started his career at Tradetex, a trading company of textiles for clothing, as a textile designer. From 1991 to 1999, he was an associate of V-Sistemas Informatica, specialized in the development and distribution of technical solutions for the textile industry. In 2000, he joined Lectra Portugal as a design and merchandising manager, and then evolved into the position of international consultant in 2004. He left Lectra in 2005 to take the position of Sales Director of RPB Têxteis e Vestuario, a company that makes clothes, before returning to Lectra in 2007 to take over the management of the Portuguese subsidiary. Rodrigo has a masters in marketing from Minho University and a degree in design and communication from Porto University, both located in Portugal.

Posted August 1, 2017

Source: Lectra

Textile Industry Comments On Trade Agreement Violations And Abuses Filing In Response To Trump Executive Order

WASHINGTON — August 1, 2017 — The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) filed public comments late yesterday afternoon in response to President Trump’s executive order directing the federal government to investigate violations and abuses of U.S. trade agreements.

“A thorough investigation of trade agreement abuses and violations is long overdue and we appreciate the President Trump’s desire to finally review this important matter,” said NCTO President and CEO Auggie Tantillo.

“If America is to fix the systemic problems that plague the international trading structure and stop trade cheats from driving American production offshore, policymakers need a better understanding of the illegal or unfair trade tactics that are being used to hurt U.S. industry, including textiles,” Tantillo finished.

A notice for public comments (82 FR 29622) was issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) on June 29, 2017 pursuant to Executive Order 13796 signed by President Trump on April 29, 2017.  Documents associated with this matter are archived under Docket USTR-2017-0010.

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

  • U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 565,000 in 2016.
  • The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $74.4 billion last year, a nearly 11% increase since 2009.
  • U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $26.3 billion in 2016.
  • Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2 billion in 2015, the last year for which data is available.

Posted August 1, 2017

Source: The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO)

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