Champion Thread Promotes Matt Poovey To President

GASTONIA, NC — November 30, 2016 — Champion Thread Company, a leading global supplier of industrial sewing threads, engineered yarns, and other textile and sewn products supplies, announces the promotion of Matt Poovey to President. In the new role, he will extend his current sales and operations duties to include responsibility for all day-to-day activities.  He assumes the position from his father and company founder Bob Poovey, who will continue to actively serve as Chief Executive Officer.

“I am honored to serve as President at a time of such opportunity and growth for Champion Thread,” said Poovey. “The resurgence of soft goods manufacturing in the United States and across the Americas has fueled our strong growth in recent years. This has empowered us to accelerate innovation of existing products, expand into new products, and increase market share. I look forward to continuing to work closely with my father and the rest of the Champion Thread team to drive continued growth into the foreseeable future.”

Matt Poovey holds a BS degree in Textile Management from North Carolina State University. He is an active member of the Southern Textile Association and the SEAMS Association. He currently serves as a Director and Vice President of SEAMS, the National Association for the Sewn Products Industry.

Posted November 30, 2016

Source: Champion Thread Company

Bradford Industries Acquired

Lowell, Mass. — November 18, 2016 — The family investing team of Wembly Enterprises, led by Sunil and Jay Kumar, has acquired Bradford Industries Inc., a Lowell, Mass.‐based producer of coated fabrics & textiles. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

Bradford produces coated fabrics and synthetic leathers for the automotive industry as well as other consumer and industrial markets. “Bradford has tremendous assets — in manufacturing, technology and, of course, in people.” said Sunil Kumar. “We are pleased to welcome Bradford’s employees to the Wembly family and we are thrilled to add another producer of coated products to our company.” Kumar is the past President and CEO of International Specialty Products (ISP) and of GAF Materials Corp. and he has led Wembly Enterprises through several successful acquisitions.

Jay Kumar, President of Wembly-owned Universal Plastics & Mayfield Plastics will serve as CEO of Bradford. Stephen Olsen, a Wembly Principle and co-investor in the Bradford business, will join Bradford as president.

Dick Satin, the retiring president of Bradford, said, “We’re proud of the business that we’ve built at Bradford and we see a great future for our people with the Wembly organization. The business is poised for growth and we think we’ve found the right buyer to help us in realizing the company’s potential.”

The Capital Corp. based in Greenville, S.C., served as the exclusive advisor to Bradford Industries on the transaction.

Posted November 29, 2016

Source: Wembly Enterprises

 

MSYG Adds Two New Positions To Management Team

VALDESE, N.C. — November 29, 2016 — In step with major expansions to its US manufacturing operations, Meridian Specialty Yarn Group, Inc. (MSYG), has added two positions to the company’s management team — a vice president of finance and a sales & marketing manager.

The new positions reflect the continued growth of the company’s North American operations plus entry into new markets. MSYG, the leading manufacturer of specialty yarn in the United States, is building a new manufacturing plant in Valdese, N.C., and just completed the expansion of its Ranlo, N.C., plant. The new Valdese plant will provide additional manufacturing capacity for both current and new markets, and with the 2016 Ranlo plant expansion, MSYG has launched the manufacture of wool carpet yarn.

The personnel hired to fill the new positions bring an impressive depth of experience in the textile industry to operations at MSYG.

Ed Carroll, former vice president Finance for the branded apparel segment of Gildan Activewear Inc., has been hired as vice president of Finance. Carroll brings more than 20 years of experience directing the financial operations of textile and performance brands. This includes positions at Hanesbrands and Outer Banks. He is a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill, with a BS in Business Administration, and his experience includes strategic long-range planning, fiscal accountability, enterprise risk management, M&A and product cost and profitability reporting and analysis.

Amy Isenhour, the former brand sales manager for Unifi Inc., will lead the company’s sales and marketing operations as sales & marketing manager. Isenhour has a BS in Textile and Apparel Management from NC State, and has built a depth of experience in the textile industry that covers several disciplines. This includes working as a Dyeing Operations Manager for Sara Lee Knit products, a chemical sales representative for Ciba Specialty Chemicals, and working in sales for Huntsman International Textile Effects.

“We have an aggressive growth plan stemming from the recent, and ongoing, heavy capital investments at our Valdese and Ranlo plants, and Ed and Amy will both play vital roles in the execution of that plan,” said Tim Manson, President of MSYG. “They bring a level of professionalism, experience, knowledge, and creativity that completes our management team and have the talent we need to meet our goals. Along with that, they fit our culture well and are just good folk. We are delighted that they are joining the MSYG team.”

Posted November 29, 2016

Source: Meridian Specialty Yarns Group

AmeriPride Adds Super Duty Service Trucks With XL Hybrids Electrification Solution

 

BOSTON — November 29, 2016 — XL Hybrids, Inc., the leader in connected fleet electrification solutions for commercial and municipal fleets, today announced AmeriPride Services is taking delivery of 21 Ford F-59 trucks featuring XL Hybrids’ XL3® Hybrid Electric Drive System by the end of this year. AmeriPride, which is a leader in sustainable practices in the linen and uniform industry, will use the hybrid-electric F-59 trucks for uniform rental and linen supply delivery in North American metropolitan markets including Arizona and Minnesota.

“Adding hybrid electric technology to our fleet allows us to reduce AmeriPride’s carbon footprint and save money,” said Banny Allison, fleet services manager at AmeriPride Services.  “Our pilot programs using hybrid electric technology have been successful and we want to continue incorporating alternative fuels into our fleet to become more sustainable. XL Hybrids has been a great partner to help us transform our company and the industry.”

The hybrid electric F-59 trucks are the latest on-road deployment of XL Hybrids technology by AmeriPride, which already operates a fleet of hybrid-electric service vans with XL3 systems in Canada.

Since 2013, AmeriPride Services fleet vans with XL Hybrids technology have driven more than 300,000 road miles, yielding a 24 percent improvement in MPG and reductions in CO2 and NOx. This translates to nearly 4,500 gallons of fuel saved and a reduction of 40 metric tons of CO2. Over the projected 10 year life of these vans with XL Hybrids technology, AmeriPride is expected to reduce approximately 17,000 gallons of fuel and more than 160 metric tons of CO2.

The F-59 platform, with payloads exceeding 15,000 pounds, is ideal for food, linen and package delivery fleets. The XL3 hybrid system is installed on F-59 trucks in less than six hours. Installation of the XL3 system leaves the Ford engine, transmission, fuel system and exhaust system completely intact. Fleets maintain the complete Ford OEM warranty and get a three-year, 75K-mile warranty from XL Hybrids on the XL3 hybrid powertrain.

All field results are being captured by XL Hybrids’ proprietary wireless data connectivity system, XL Link™, which tracks key performance indicators like MPG, vehicle duty cycle and CO2 emissions reduction. XL Link vehicle connectivity is a continuous data link from every vehicle collecting millions of vehicle operational data points, allowing analysis and reports on key performance indicators.

“We are pleased to support forward-thinking organizations like AmeriPride that see the value in looking long-term and investing in clean energy technology,” said Clay Siegert, XL Hybrids’ co-founder and chief operating officer. “Our customers are leaders in their respective industries because they make decisions backed by data. They see that XL Hybrids provides solid ROI and know that we are continuing to innovate to deliver a competitive advantage to their fleet programs.”

These F-59 hybrid-electric upfits were completed by XL Hybrids’ installation partner, A-1 Alternative Fuel Systems, in Elkhart, Indiana.

Posted November 29, 2016

Source: AmeriPride

Ranks Of Hygienically Clean Certified Laundries Surge In November

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — November 29, 2016 — TRSA awarded 10 Hygienically Clean designations to textile services facilities this month, a record pace for the three-year-old program. Initially dedicated to certifying healthcare laundries, Hygienically Clean expanded to set standards for laundry for food processing and food service businesses, which accounted for half the November certifications.

By inspecting laundry plants, Hygienically Clean verifies that laundries’ processes adhere to the program’s best management practices (BMPs). Through third-party biological testing, the program quantifies laundered product cleanliness for compliance with its standards. BMP and microbial-level requirements vary according to industry served.

One operation, Crown Linen Service, Brockton, Mass., earned both the food safety and food service designations in November. They also renewed their Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification. Other companies receiving certifications during the month:

  • Angelica Textile Services, Inc., healthcare: Austin, Texas; Columbia, S.C.; Durham, N.C.; Ooltewah, Tenn.;
  • Crothall Laundry Services, healthcare: La Mirada, Calif.;
  • Huebsch Services, food safety: Eau Claire, Wis.; and
  • UniFirst Corp., food safety: Kernersville N.C., Richmond, Va.

“Hygienically Clean has become the fastest-growing textile services certification by focusing on processes and outcomes,” observed TRSA President and CEO Joseph Ricci. It’s the only laundry certification in North America that does both, modeled after programs found elsewhere in the world, such as those of the European Committee for Standardization and the German-based Certification Association for Professional Textile Services.

BMPs are driven by TRSA, the world’s largest association of textile services operations, with unmatched connectivity to laundry professionals, providing Hygienically Clean with unparalleled access to emerging best practices and technologies. Laundries who receive the certification document their compliance with legal, voluntary and professional standards in accordance with BMPs for sorting, handling, processing and finishing reusable linens and garments.

Most launderers have sought the Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification for the benefit of their customers who are medical providers, with 100 plants receiving this designation. Hygienically Clean Food Safety and Hygienically Clean Food Service also emphasize achieving BMPs verified through facility inspection and microbial content standards verified through testing of reusable textiles. The food-related certifications add evaluation of a laundry’s Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) practices and other techniques relevant to handling and processing textile products for this market, including testing of laundry work surfaces and adherence to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) directives. Some 25 plants have received one or more Hygienically Clean food designation.

In the past two years, 100 percent of Hygienically Clean plants have renewed their certification, reflecting launderers’ confidence in the designation as meeting customer requirements for clean textile products and an accredited laundry provider.

Posted November 29, 2016

Source: TRSA

Oerlikon Barmag Huitong Engineering To Deliver A Polycondensation System To Well-Known Chinese Filament Yarn Manufacturer

REMSCHEID, Germany/YANGZHOU, China — November 28, 2016 — Despite the continuing market slowdown in China, the new Manmade Fibers segment joint venture Oerlikon Barmag Huitong Engineering recently signed an order for a 60,000 tons-per-year polycondensation system. The system, which will already be commissioned in the Jiangsu Province in the second half of 2017, will be installed upstream to an existing filament spinning system to covert it into a direct spinning system.

What is so special about the new system: it caters to the high demand for differentiated fibers. To this end, yarns with bright, cationic dyeable, semi- and full-dull features can be produced, as can special polyester with flame-retardant, low-melting-point, high-shrinkage, water-soluble and anti-static proper- ties. Such polyesters can also be deployed in the manufacturing of films, bottles and industrial yarns. Furthermore, the system is sufficiently flexible to process polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polytri- methylene terephthalic (PTT).

Oerlikon Barmag Huitong Engineering Co. Ltd. has comprehensive experience in polycondensation sys- tems concepts for differentiated polyester fibers. In this regard, the company was the world’s first sup- plier to develop and manufacture the corresponding technology ten years ago.

Posted November 28, 2016

Source: Oerlikon Barmag

MagnaColours® Introduces Discharge Range Of Formaldehyde-Free Discharge Bases

BARNSLEY, England — November 24, 2016 — As a company that exclusively provides water-based, environmentally sustainable alternatives for the textile screen-printing industry, for Magna Colours®  the introduction of formaldehyde-free discharge bases marks another triumph for screen printers and brands alike. The range creates bold, bright and beautiful discharge effects, using a formaldehyde-free method, with no compromise on quality, nor does the garment need to be washed after curing. Not only benefiting the industry environmentally, it also makes the printing process easier and more time effective, whilst producing successful results.

Magna Colours Managing Director Tom Abbey said: “There was a demand from manufacturers to effectively print onto dark materials using discharge techniques, without having to use formaldehyde products. As the leading producer of water-based inks, this was something we were perfectly placed to do. It was a long standing idea in the industry that water-based inks could not achieve the same results as those containing formaldehyde, but we’ve provided an outstanding solution, once again.”

Whilst wanting to eliminate the use of formaldehyde, another key requirement was wash durability to prevent fading. To meet the toughest demand, Magna developed MagnaPrint® Discharge Fastness Enhancer. Not only have Magna answered the call for an effective water-based alternative, they have provided a solution to an industry problem, helping brands to provide safe, environmentally friendly, durable, high quality products for their customers.

The system is simple to use and as part of Magna’s service, they are providing full training to screen printers working with the new range, ensuring that they achieve the full potential from the new range.

Posted November 28, 2016

Source: Magna Colours

3-D Body Scanning For The Fashion Process – Human Solutions At The Conference In Lugano

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — November 24, 2016 — Human Solutions — together with its partner company Vitronic — will participate in the 7th International 3-D body scanning conference in Lugano November 30-December 1, 2016. The conference is the world’s leading event for body scanning technology. This year, Human Solutions has especially focused on the use of measurement technology in the apparel industry.

3-D body scanners by Human Solutions and Vitronic are used in a wide range of sectors, but particularly in the apparel and automotive industries. With the VITUSbodyscan, Vitronic also offers solutions for the fields of medicine and sports. At the companies’ joint exhibition booth, visitors can experience this product up close, have themselves measured in 3-D in just a few seconds and receive an almost photorealistic image of themselves in color.

This year, Human Solutions will show how fashion designers can benefit from precisely-captured body dimensions. In three presentations at the conference, Human Solutions employees will demonstrate the opportunities body scanning opens up for apparel companies – Anton Preiss, Director Business Unit Mobility, will talk about the “Body scan- ner as an enabler for the digital fashion process. Anke Rissiek, Manager Sizing & Fitting, will present the initial results of the “iMorph” body shapes research project together with Thomas Fischer of the Institute of Textile and Fiber Research in Denkendorf. Anke Rissiek will also give a lecture on the topic of size & fit entitled, “From 3D scan to best fit products – a cloud-based solution for fashion and workwear.”

“We are convinced that body scanning opens up a broad range of possibilities in the fashion industry, from customized apparel production to sizing & fitting optimization for the masses and the integration of the customer into individual product development,” says Anton Preiss.

The international “3D body scanning Technologies” Conference and Exhibition in Lugano is a platform on which manufacturers, users, developers and researchers from around the world gather to discuss the latest developments in body scanning — and she will show visitors how the scanning systems and related software solutions have evolved continuously in the last 20 years.

Posted November 28, 2016

Source: Human Solutions

Fox River Mills Acquired By LongWater Opportunities

OSAGE, Iowa — November 15, 2016 — LongWater Opportunities, an operationally-focused private equity firm headquartered in Dallas, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Fox River Mills Inc., a 116-year-old sock manufacturer, from the Lessard family, who have owned and managed the business since 1975.

Fox River is a producer of high quality, knitted technical socks and handwear for the outdoor, athletic, and casual markets. Founded in 1900, Fox River is the longest, continuously-running hosiery brand in the U.S. and proudly manufactures all of its products in its 240,000 square foot, world-class facility in Osage, Iowa. Fox River manufactures socks and handwear products marketed under the Fox River brand name and maintains private label programs for many major brands and retailers worldwide. Fox River is also known for several trademarks, including Wick Dry®, Scentry™, and the Original Rockford Red Heel® Monkey sock — used to make the iconic children’s toy, the sock monkey.

Fox River President and Co-Owner John Lessard noted: “We knew it was important to find a partner that believed in U.S. manufacturing and investing in the people and the community. We believe we’ve found that in LongWater. We’re excited about the future of Fox River Mills.”

Additionally, Brenda Dryer, the executive director for the Mitchell County (Iowa) Economic Development Commission, commented: “We have had an outstanding working relationship with the Lessard family. We look forward to the opportunity to work with LongWater Opportunities, and stand ready to be of assistance during this time of transition.”

Fox River, the fourth investment in LongWater’s second equity fund, will be a division of Standard Merchandising Co., a Camden, N.J.-based domestic manufacturer of socks and hosiery products acquired by LongWater in December 2015.  Jordan Bastable, a partner at LongWater, said: “Fox River is an incredible American brand that has been forged over a century and has been steadfast in its commitment to quality and technical performance. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to provide operational support and ensure the brand is around for another 100+ years.”

Laura Johnson, CEO, Standard Merchandising Co., added, “Fox River Mills has the unique blend of heritage and innovation as hallmarks of the brand. We value the rich history and deep expertise of the Fox River team and look forward to developing careers and commerce in Osage and the surrounding communities.”

Posted November 28, 2016

Source: Fox River Mills, Inc.

Porcher Industries Acquires Cordtech International

BADINIÈRES, France — November 28, 2016 — The French technical textile and composites manufacturer Porcher Industries is pleased to announce the purchase of Cordtech International from the investment company RDC15. Formerly the France-based site of Milliken, Cordtech International specializes in the processing and treatment of industrial fibers for the automotive industry.

Five months after its acquisition by the British investment fund Warwick Capital Partners, Porcher Industries underlines its aim to develop one of its principal markets: the automotive market. The acquisition of Cordtech International — the first by the group in France since 1989 — enables Porcher Industries to strengthen its offering through the existing technical, sales and R&D synergies between the two companies.

Porcher Industries’ worldwide activity in the automotive market generates more than $100 million of annual revenue. The company offers a range of varied products for airbags, exhaust systems, chassis, brake hoses and transmission belts. Through this acquisition, the group has the opportunity to reinforce its presence in the automotive world and confirm its unique worldwide position in transmission belt reinforcements.

Porcher Industries and Cordtech International have each worked within corresponding marketplaces and often with the same clients, which made this partnership a natural fit.
“This acquisition is a development opportunity. We are also looking for talents for the various positions that represent the Porcher Industries group. Our group is a diamond in the rough, with huge potential in terms of innovation and market coverage. We now need to polish it, and reveal its various facets,” said Executive Board President, André Genton.

Appointed to the head of Porcher Industries in early June, the 57-year-old has devoted most of his career to the composites industry, at an international level. In the past, Genton was also President of the Advanced Materials division of U.S. based chemicals group Huntsman, where he managed a revenue of $1.4 billion.

Posted November 28, 2016

Source: Porcher Industries

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