WASHINGTON — January 23, 2017 — Walmart, The Walmart Foundation and The U.S. Conference of Mayors recently announced this year’s U.S. Manufacturing Innovation Fund grant recipients at the 85th Winter Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington.

Six leading research and academic institutions were awarded a total of nearly $3 million in grants by the Fund for their work focused on innovations in textile manufacturing. The Fund focuses on the development of domestic manufacturing with a specific goal of making it more feasible, sustainable and competitive to make consumer goods in the U.S. The Innovation Fund has now provided a total of $10 million in grants since launching in 2014. This is the third and final round of grants for the Innovation Fund.

The grant recipients were selected for their ability to address two key challenges that currently present barriers to increased domestic manufacturing. These challenges are

• Reducing the cost of textile manufacturing, including home textiles and apparel, in the U.S. by addressing obstacles throughout production
• Improving common manufacturing processes with broad application to many types of consumer products

“Advancing the production or assembly of consumer products in the U.S. is the number one goal of the Innovation Fund,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, president of the Walmart Foundation and chief sustainability officer for Walmart. “As these projects come to fruition over the next few years, we hope the research not only enables cost-effective solutions for manufacturers, but also improves the sustainability of the U.S. textile industry.”

“America’s cities are the economic engines of this nation and America’s mayors know the importance of economic growth and job creation in their cities,” said Tom Cochran, CEO and executive director of The U.S. Conference of Mayors. “The final round of innovation projects we launch today, like those we’ve launched over the past two years, are specifically designed to grow manufacturing in our cities and to fuel the economic growth this nation depends on.”

The 2017 Walmart U.S. Manufacturing Innovation Fund grant winners are:

• Washington State University to establish an environmentally friendly process to recycle cotton waste by fiber regeneration using a wet spinning technique.
• North Carolina State University to create a universal and sustainable commercial textile dyeing method that doesn’t use salt or alkali; doesn’t produce effluent; and produces more than 95 percent savings of both energy and water.
• Clemson University for development of sustainable polyester fibers that achieve a high level of water and oil repellency.
• Oregon State University to develop a sustainable, cost-effective dyeing and printing of smart fabrics process.
• Texas Tech University to support research on various aspects of textile manufacturing, dyeing efficiency and specialty finishes.
• University of Massachusetts Lowell to develop magnetic dyeing technology to address the technical and environmental issues of current dyeing techniques.

Support for the Innovation Fund is part of Walmart’s broader commitment to help revitalize U.S. manufacturing. In January 2013, Walmart announced a commitment to buy an additional $250 billion in products that support U.S. jobs by 2023.

These commitments represent a significant investment that will help accelerate the pace of U.S. manufacturing. By making production in the U.S. more cost-effective and efficient, the global retailer believes it can bring American consumers more American-made products and ultimately create jobs in communities across the country.

Posted January 24, 2017

Source: Walmart Foundation

WASHINGTON — January 20, 2016 — The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) congratulates President Donald Trump on his inauguration as the 45th President of the United States of America.

“NCTO congratulates President Trump on his inauguration,” said NCTO President & CEO Auggie Tantillo. “The U.S. textile industry is eager to partner with him to stimulate American jobs, production and exports.

“From fibers to finished fabrics, American companies make the highest quality and most innovative textiles in the world. Given a level playing field, U.S. textile industry is primed for expansion,” Tantillo added as he noted the sector’s comeback from the 2008 financial crisis despite intense competition from Asian suppliers that often benefit from state subsidies and cents-on-the-hour wage rates. Since the end of the recession in mid-2009, U.S. textile production has grown by 21 percent.

“NCTO also would like to thank President Obama for his service to our great nation. U.S. textile manufacturers are grateful for his administration’s work to improve the industry’s competitiveness,” Tantillo said.

Pointing out that President Obama created and funded a fiber and textile manufacturing innovation center, the Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA), and that his administration opened a direct and very sincere line of communication with NCTO on sensitive policy matters, Tantillo remarked, “The U.S. textile sector had a legitimate and impactful seat at the policy table in recent years, a privilege greatly appreciated.”

Posted January 23, 2016

Source: NCTO

MINNEAPOLIS — January 17, 2017 — AmeriPride Services today announced a donation of more than $160,000 to the Greater Twin Cities United Way. Through its annual golf tournament and other vendor, employee and corporate donations, it has increased its annual local donation to the United Way by 185 percent over the past five years.

“Our dedication to the communities where we live and work is steadfast,” said Bill Evans, President and CEO at AmeriPride. “And our steady, year-over-year improvement is a testament to our company leadership, our employees, and the company values that we all live by every day. Giving back to the community and striving to be people you can count on is a part of our DNA.”

This year’s campaign included a golf tournament at Rush Creek Golf Club in Maple Grove and other fundraising activities, volunteering and payroll deduction program. In addition to employee involvement and a corporate donation, many of AmeriPride’s vendors and strategic partners also support the events through prize and monetary donations and participation in the tournament.

This campaign was a part of the company’s annual ‘Day of Service’ in which employees from across North America volunteered or donated money, goods and services to local organizations. In the first two years of this program, more than 1,800 employees contributed more than 10,000 hours of volunteer work and approximately $1.2M in monetary and product donations.

More details on these efforts can be found in the company’s Corporate Responsibility Report, which outlines key programs and initiatives AmeriPride is implementing across the company.

Posted January 17, 2017

Source: AmeriPride Services