IAF Signs MoU With Hong Kong General Chamber Of Textiles

ZEIST, The Netherlands — March 27, 2015 — The International Apparel Federation (IAF) has signed an MoU with the Hong Kong General Chamber of Textiles (HKGCOT). The aim is to exchange knowledge on innovation, apparel markets and international business opportunities. Rahul Mehta, president of IAF, and dr. Gordon Yen, chairman of HKGCOT, signed the agreement on March 23rd in Hong Kong.

The MoU will give the IAF an important connection in the vibrant fashion industry of Hong Kong. It helps to further the IAF’s aim to build bridges across continents by attracting fashion entrepreneurs from Hong Kong to IAF’s international Conventions and vice versa, to bring information and connections from across the world to Hong Kong.

The collaboration with IAF is a step further in Hong Kong’s goal to globalize local designer brands and to create opportunities for young promising designers to get international exposure. Last year HKGCOT signed an MoU with IAF member American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA). In collaborating, HKGCOT can strengthen their knowledge on overseas markets by using IAF’s network which reaches over 50 countries and the biggest apparel markets.

Hong Kong is a hub for international fashion industry, especially in the areas of design, sourcing and education. Large fashion shows and exhibitions are held regularly in Hong Kong each year which attract businesses around the world.

Posted March 31, 2015

Source: IAF
 

OEKO-TEX® Company Of The Month March 2015: PT. Idaman Eramandiri

ZURICH Switzerland — March 18, 2015 — The core business of the company PT. Idaman Eramandiri, founded in 1990 and located in West Java in Indonesia, is the manufacturing of high quality and efficient yarns. As an integrated manufacturer, whose production steps range from twisting to dyeing, bonding, finishing, spooling and packaging, the business supplies not only numerous Indonesian customers but also renowned brand suppliers in the United States, Europe, and Japan. The trademark of Idaman Eramandiri is the highest level of customer satisfaction based on long term, reliable supply relationships, creative services and innovative product characteristics. In addition, the company has a high level of corporate responsibility in relation to the environment and its 217 highly qualified employees. Since 2007, the entire range of products provided by the company has fulfilled the requirements for human-ecological safe textiles in accordance with OEKO-TEX® Standard 100. In December 2014, PT. Idaman Eramandiri was also the first textile company in Indonesia awarded with STeP certification for environmentally friendly and socially responsible production facilities.

True to the maxim “Your satisfaction is our priority”, Idaman manufactures a broad range of yarn and embroidery thread out of polyester, viscose and polyamide (nylon) in its just over 5600 square meter large facility in Bandung. The annual output is around 1.2 million kilograms. The dyed and finished yarns are used, for example, in the automotive, footwear, and clothing industry as well as during the manufacturing of bags, gloves or camping equipment and the production of mattresses and upholstery. Due to the exclusive use of high quality raw materials, dyes and other materials as well as a quality management implemented for many years in accordance with ISO 9001, Idaman Eramandiri is able to offer a constantly high level of testing, even for specialist customer specifications. The company further distinguishes itself through high efficiency with low levels production waste.

Furthermore, another core feature of Idaman Eramandiri’s company philosophy is its conviction to ideally compete internationally through sustainable economics. “As only limited resources are available globally, where possible our main goal is aimed at long term added value.” explains Managing Director Hendra Indrawirawan. “For us sustainability means that we build as close a partnership as possible with our suppliers and customers, which is based on ethical principles and business practices. To be able to implement this on a day to day basis, we need well educated employees that completely identify with our company and have a good working environment. Furthermore, efficient technologies and manufacturing procedures, which not only ensure high production capacity but also help to make our environmental impact as low as possible, are imperative.”

In order to on the one hand communicate and on the other hand to constantly improve on what the company has already achieved in environmental protection, occupational health and safety and health protection, PT. Idaman Eramandiri has successfully been independently certified according to ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001. “The comprehensive approach of STeP by OEKO-TEX® is what made us still want to be certified according to this additional tool” says Hendra Indrawirawan. “With SteP we can analyse and manage all relevant company areas with only one certification.” The implementation of the criteria required by STeP at PT. Idaman Eramandiri has been certified as exemplary by OEKO-TEX® auditors at the Swiss Textile Testing Institute TESTEX AG. The Indonesian company received, for example, an especially good scoring in the “Chemicals Management” module not merely thanks to modern harmful substances monitoring. By recycling waste water, the company also drastically reduced fresh water consumption and in the future will use natural gas (CNG) instead of coal to generate energy. Regular health checks for employees and strict compliance with all necessary measures for occupational health and safety support the no accident strategy of the company management as well. In their own words, PT Idaman Eramandiri can communicate its sustainable business model in the best way to its customers through STeP certification and profits as their processes are improved, for example by reducing costs for primary energy resources, fresh water, raw materials and waste disposal.

Posted March 31, 2015

Source: Oeko-Tex
 

Ethiopia Joins Sustainable Cotton Initiative: Cotton Made In Africa Reaches Over 5 Million People In Sub-Saharan Africa

ADDIS ABABA, Africa/ HAMBURG, Germany — March 25, 2015 — Following successful verification in accordance with the Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) sustainability standard, the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) will now be involved in sustainable cotton farming in North-Western Ethiopia, supporting over 9,000 smallholder farmers. The Foundation cooperates locally with the Ethiopian Cotton Producers, Exporters and Ginners Association (ECPGEA). As a result, the initiative now reaches over 5 million people in Africa.

“With the addition of Ethiopia, there are now round about 650,000 smallholder farmers growing cotton according to the CmiA sustainability standards. With their family members included, this totals over 5.5 million people in 10 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Our standard is specifically aimed at smallholder farmers in our project countries who only have a small plot of land and who are most in need of support. In order to protect the environment and vital resources, the exploitation of primary forests is forbidden, as is encroachment into established protected areas, the use of genetically modified seeds, and artificial irrigation,” said Christoph Kaut, Managing Director of the Foundation. Last year, over 150,000 tonnes of cotton were produced in accordance with the CmiA standard. As a result of the latest successful verifications in Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania and Cameroon, the quantity of CmiA-verified cotton produced will rise again significantly in 2015. With the CmiA standard, the Foundation is campaigning for social justice for cotton farmers and workers in the ginning factories, healthy living conditions, and the protection of the environment. As well as benefitting from agricultural and business training, the CmiA partnership also means that smallholder farmers can rely on fair contracts with the cotton companies and reliable payment for their crops.

Cotton Made In Africa
Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) is an initiative of the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF), which promotes aid by trade in order to improve the living conditions of cotton farmers and their families in Sub-Saharan Africa. To date, smallholder farmers from Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Ghana, Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Ethiopia are partnering with CmiA. The initiative offers cotton farmers training in modern, efficient and environmentally-friendly cultivation methods which allow them to improve the quality of their cotton, increase their crop yield and thereby generate better income.

Posted March 31, 2015

Source: Aid By Trade Foundation
 

Textile Exchange Builds On Success With Organic Cotton Sustainability Assessment

LUBBOCK, Texas — March 24, 2015 —Textile Exchange (TE), an international nonprofit organization committed to a more sustainable textile industry, today announced the release of an online tool for the textile industry that measures the environmental, economic and social aspects of organic cotton production. The Organic Cotton Sustainability Assessment Tool (OC-SAT) is the first mechanism in the industry to provide an all-encompassing view of organic cotton’s benefits. While the tool has been road tested on organic cotton, the assessment framework could be developed for other initiatives in the sector. Textile Exchange will hold an interactive webinar to review the OC-SAT on April 22.
 
The OC-SAT is part of Textile Exchange’s continuing effort to chart tangible data on organic cotton cultivation. In 2014, TE commissioned PE International to conduct a global Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of organic cotton. The LCA showed the quantifiable environmental benefits of organic cotton cultivation including significant reduction in global warming potential, energy demand, water use, and soil erosion. Downloaded by more than 400 members of the textile industry, the LCA pushed forward the organic cotton agenda because it provided much-needed hard facts and scientific evidence.
 
Encouraged by the momentum of the Life Cycle Assessment, Textile Exchange continued to research organic cotton’s broader range of impacts beyond the LCA’s environmental focus. TE worked with producers, TE members and field partners in fourteen countries to collect data for the study. The Organic Cotton Sustainability Assessment Tool provides a holistic assessment of organic cotton’s impact on economic and social aspects, as well as environmental. The program was made possible by sponsorship from both Eileen Fisher and ICCO, the interchurch cooperative for development cooperation.
 
”The OC-SAT is an elegantly designed, user-friendly tool that seamlessly organizes and makes assessable a global treasure trove of up-to-date data on organic cotton. It’s like having a room-full of organic cotton experts at your fingertips. Loomstate can’t wait to integrate and utilize this tool for our future sourcing, marketing, and communications,” said Scott Hahn, Co-Founder, Loomstate.
 
The framework for the OC-SAT was developed in line with the work of the Committee on Sustainability Assessment (COSA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations as well as other organizations that have spearheaded this new science of broader sustainability assessment.
 
“It is only with assessment tools that are simultaneously very practical and science-based that we can sufficiently understand the social, economic, and environmental impacts of cotton production. If we are committed to improving the overall strategies of sustainability then such an investment is necessary in order to better manage spending, engage all stakeholders, and optimize good practices to attain the outcomes that we collectively seek”. Daniele Giovannucci, President & Co-Founder of  the Committee on Sustainability Assessment (COSA).
 
Textile Exchange has released a “Phase 1” report that covers the key findings of the OC-SAT with data from eight countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, China, India, Mali, Senegal, Tanzania, and Turkey). TE will complete the picture in 2015 as Phase Two will explore the remaining organic cotton producing regions including Latin America, the United States, Egypt and Central Asia.
 
“I have been an organic cotton famer for more than 25 years and I’ve seen many positive impacts of what we do – using water wisely, increased bio-diversity and building life in the soil and community. We are most successful when we work together to harness the power of collective knowledge. I’m delighted to see that coming through so clearly in this Sustainability Assessment Tool,” said La Rhea Pepper, Managing Director for Textile Exchange.

The OC-SAT is now available for industry use online at http://farmhub.textileexchange.org/learning-zone/organic-cotton-sustainability-assessment-tool. Textile Exchange encourages feedback so the organization can continue to improve its products and services for the industry. TE will create a forum through their Organic Cotton Round Table to encourage information exchange.  TE is committed to building on the baseline study, refining the tool, and sharing all the findings with the industry.
 
Posted March 31, 2015

Source: Textile Exchange
 

The Rupp Report: More Details On The Business Year 2014 For Rieter

Some weeks ago, the Rupp Report informed its readers about initial financial results for the year 2013-14 from Switzerland-based Rieter Group. Last week, the company’s annual press conference took place in Winterthur,Switzerland, and here are some more details of the financial results:
 

Orders Received And Sales
New orders received by the Rieter Group reached the level of sales in 2014. Compared to the strong previous year, orders received decreased by 9 percent to 1146.1 million CHF (2013: 1259.4 million CHF). A large number of orders came from Asian countries, where spinning mill capacities were built up to supply the Chinese textile markets, from Turkey and the US. The positive trend in India continued throughout the year. In China, demand was subdued, as in the previous year. In the favorable market environment of the first half of the year, Rieter recorded significantly higher order intake than in the more challenging second half. The decline in the second half of the year was mainly attributable to lower orders from Turkey and China. At Spun Yarn Systems, orders received decreased in the year under review by 10 percent to 973.8 million CHF, compared to the previous year (2013: 1084.3million CHF). Textile Components almost equaled the previous year’s level, with orders of 172.3 million CHF (2013: 175.1 million CHF).
 
As expected, sales by Rieter developed strongly in the year under review and increased by 11 percent to 1153.4 million CHF (2013: 1035.3 million CHF). In the second half of the year, sales increased by 21 percent compared to the first half. Rieter reported the highest increase in the US, followed by Turkey, India and various Asian countries. In contrast, sales in China and Africa decreased compared to the previous year. Spun Yarn Systems increased sales by 14 percent to 981.0 million CHF (2013: 857.8 million CHF). Premium Textile Components posted sales to third parties of 172.4 million CHF (2013: 177.5 million CHF).
 
… Rieter also posted a significant increase in net profit to 52.9 million CHF, which was 41 percent higher than in 2013 (37.4 million CHF). The profit margin improved from 3.6 percent to 4.6 percent of sales. Net financial result of -13.7 million CHF was slightly lower than in the previous year (-7.9 million CHF).”

 
Medium-Term Financial Targets
Rieter has reassessed the global market environment and reviewed the company’s financial targets. With its medium-term profitability target of an EBIT return of some 10 percent of sales and a return on net assets (RONA) of some 14 percent, Rieter claims to achieve its profitability target in the medium term with sales of some 1.3 billion CHF. The yield for 2014 last year up to 7.3 percent compared to 5.8 for 2013, however, the target is 10 percent, said Rieter’s CEO Dr. Norbert Klapper.
 
A New Distribution Network
An important benchmark for the success of a spinning machinery manufacturer is the spindle equivalent shipment. Substantially supported by expanded capacity in Asia, Rieter delivered a record volume of some 2.33 million spindle equivalents in the year under review (1.84 million in 2013). Deliveries of extensive full compact, ring and rotor spinning system installations made a decisive contribution to this success. Rieter was able to increase this by 27 percent compared to last year. As success drivers, Klapper mentioned first of all to be a full system provider, the strong sales and distribution network around the globe, innovations and an increased production capacity after the investment program started 2012 along with ring spinning systems available in China. The Swiss also recorded an increased market share from 26 to some 30 percent.
 
The Target
The change in the financial policy of the Swiss National Bank had also some influences on the profit of Rieter. Nevertheless, CFO Joris Gröflin mentioned that the production costs further decreased thanks to strong activities and favors the net profit. Though, the company started a new short time program to further decrease the costs with a stop of employments in Switzerland, and some discounts on the supplier side. It is the target of Gröflin to further decrease purchases in Swiss Francs to avoid further costs. Rieter invoiced 53 percent of its sales in Swiss francs during the 2011 financial year. However, the 2014 financial year was as follows: 40 percent of sales in Swiss francs, 37 percent in euros and 23 percent in US dollars and local currencies.
 
More recently, Rieter has invested strongly in Chinese and Indian markets as well as expanding its capacities in the Czech Republic. Accordingly, Gröflin informed that the workforce increased by 4 percent, from 6003 up to 6225, mainly in China and the Czech Republic. To balance the volatile markets the share of part-time workers is now 19.6 percent.
 
Particularly proud is Joris Gröflin about the strong free cash flow (See Table 1). He claims that this was because of higher profitability and lower capital expenditure. Despite the small increase in net working capital of 9.9 million CHF and capital expenditure of 42.2 million CHF, Rieter recorded free cash flow of 49.1 million CHF as a result of the increase in earnings.
 
Table 1: Free cash flow

CHF million 2014     2013   
Net profit 52.9 37.4
Interest expense 10.7 14.0
Tax expense 18.4 15.1
Depreciation and amortization 40.8 35.0
+/- non-cash items/disposible gains 4.9 -12.4
+/- change in NWC and provisions -13.2 46.1
+/- interest paid/received (net) -6.2 -11.5
+/- taxes paid -18.7 -16.0
+/- capital expenditure, net -41.1 -49.5
+/- change in other financial assets 0.6 2.9
Free cash flow 49.1 61.1

 
Strategic Focus
During the 2012-13 period, Rieter started a large-scale strategic investment program. The group moved forward with expansion in Asia, innovation and the improvement of global business processes. The 2014 financial year showed that the extensive resources deployed had been effectively utilized. And how does Rieter sees the future? We have our clear strategic focus, said Klapper. Profitability is the big issue. We are the world’s leading supplier of short staple spinning systems, and the customers appreciate the fact that we can fine-tune every component up and down the whole production chain. After sales service is probably the key point of all activities with a perfect service. That’s why the after sales service was organized into a separate After Sales Business Group on January 1, 2015.
 
Outlook
In his outlook, CEO Klapper mentioned certain insecurity among the customers, because some currencies such as the Indian Rupee, China’s Renminbi, the US Dollar, the Euro and the Swiss franc are in very volatile positions. On top of that China is slowing down. “However, I’m certain that China’s will be back in the near future, but not on the same level as before,” Klapper said. Reasons for that are new general conditions that are better to handle for the Chinese spinners. According to Klapper, the high cotton stocks in China have no influence on the business in Switzerland. Regarding prices in Swiss Francs, these are very much influenced by suppliers from the Euro zone.
 
China
Though, no customers that have an order in progress have cancelled it. The reason for that is that Rieter granted some low single-digit discounts. And how is Rieter defending itself against copycats? “Well, as mentioned before, we have to strengthen our after sales service and that the customers don’t even think of going elsewhere,” said Klapper. “We also offer some upgrade packages for competitive prices, which is very much appreciated by our clientele. And I’m very proud to say that we won for the first time a case against piracy of products in China.
 
“What we really see, and the reasons for that a very much know, is the fact that China is changing more and more to sophisticated machinery instead of less automated equipment. And the better the equipment the more one needs high-level spare parts.”
 
Promising 2015 (?)
Rieter closed 2014 with an order backlog of approximately 730 million CHF, demonstrating the global strength of the company and its brands. In January and February, the After Sales and Components business saw order intake on last year’s levels, as spinning mills continue to order upgrade kits, components, and wear and tear parts. Demand in the Machines & Systems business has so far been below last year’s levels. This is perceived to be the result of the currency driven uncertainties in the market and the low demand in China. The group expects sales in the first semester 2015 to be around the level of the first semester of 2014. The full year 2015 is currently expected to show lower sales volumes than 2014 due to the slower order intake at machines & systems.

March 24, 2013

Alexium Negotiates Exclusive Agreement With Leading U.S. Outdoor Fabric Manufacturer

COTTESLOE, Australia — March 23, 2015 — Alexium is pleased to announce an exclusive agreement to supply Alexiflam-SYN to a leading outdoor fabric manufacturer to treat tenting fabric. Tents sold in the U.S. must pass NFPA 701 flammability, and several states have added additional requirements and have mandated that the treatment be environmentally-friendly. Alexium’s Alexiflam-SYN FR treatment for synthetic fabric is a durable and eco-friendly solution that is also compatible with high performance water repellency treatments commonly used in the tenting industry. This combination of water repellency and flame retardancy is not something currently offered in the market, and Alexium is in a unique position to provide an effective FR treatment that is also eco-friendly, a quality that will resonate with customers and end-users. The outdoor fabric market values durability and environmental responsibility, and Alexiflam-SYN can also be used in other end-uses such as marine fabrics and outdoor upholstery. Alexium is currently negotiating the joint pricing and marketing strategy to include a co-branding campaign which would increase Alexium’s brand awareness as well as exposure and product validation, and we will keep the market updated as the agreement is finalized.

Kind Regards,

Nicholas Clark
Chief Executive Office & Executive Director
Alexium International Group Limited
(US Cell)  +1 864 991 6687
(AUS Mobile)  +61 432 412 663

Corporate Headquarters
PO Box 512, Cottesloe
WESTERN AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA 6911
 

Xennia Launches Advanced Digital Textile Ink For Polyamide Printing

LETCHWORTH, United Kingdom — March 18, 2015 — Xennia Technology today launches a full range of digital textile inks for production printing of silk and polyamide fabrics including nylon and lycra/elastane/spandex. Xennia Agate™ offers excellent colour and fastness performance combined with production reliability.
 
The Xennia Agate range of digital textile inkjet inks is designed for high quality polyamide fabric printing, aimed at sports, swimwear and intimate apparel applications. Xennia Agate is available for high speed production digital textile printing systems based on Kyocera KJ4B printheads.
 
“Xennia Agate is a high performance ink designed for polyamide textile decoration,” comments Dr Olivier Morel, Xennia’s Chief Technology Officer, “which uses specifically tailored dye chemistry to give customers excellent colour vibrancy and fastness performance, while maintaining the high production reliability that customers expect from a Xennia product. After testing in their mill, one customer in South America described the results as ‘absurdly better’ than those from their previous ink supplier, showing the real benefits from choosing Xennia ink.”
 
Dr Tim Phillips, Marketing Manager, adds: “While smaller than the cellulosics market, the silk and polyamide markets are important ones with stringent quality requirements, which makes them ideal for Xennia. Adding Xennia Agate to our expanding range allows us to help a wider audience of customers looking for high quality digital textile ink products.”
 
Xennia is a leading supplier to the digital textiles industry and its high quality ink products have been deployed in major textile mills worldwide for several years. Xennia digital textile inks enable printers to add value for their customers by creating high colour fabric prints with minimised materials, energy and water usage. Xennia’s digital textile ink range includes Xennia Amethyst™ reactive dye ink for printing cotton and cellulosics, Xennia Corundum™ sublimation ink for polyester and Xennia Moissanite™ UV curable ink for outdoor textile printing.
 
Posted March 24, 2015

Source: Xennia
 

Rockline Industries Wins Manufacturer Of The Year Award

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — March 24, 2015 — Rockline Industries, a private-label manufacturer of consumer wet wipes and coffee filters, was recently awarded Manufacturer of the Year by the Sheboygan County Chamber for job creation, community investment and growth.
 
From 2013 to 2014, Rockline executed the two biggest capital projects in the company’s history, which were completed on time and fostered production growth.
 
Rockline has increased its revenues in the past two years and has added nearly 250 jobs in the past three years in Sheboygan County. Rockline continues to invest in new community assets, and it volunteers for an extensive list of community non-profits.

“We believe our company’s dedication to employees and community are what sets us apart,” said Randy Rudolph, president of Rockline Industries. “We are grateful for this award and the recognition of those values.”
 
Rockline participated in a Sheboygan County awards ceremony last month.

Posted March 24, 2015

Source: Rockline Industries
 

attune Launches Portfolio Of Solutions To Sense, Predict And Synchronize Response To Consumer Demand

BURLINGTON, Mass. — March 24, 2015 — attune Consulting today announced its Fashion Innovation Portfolio, a set of business solutions that help fashion companies better align resources and global supply chain partners to predict and dynamically respond to changes in consumer demand. Led by fashion industry veteran Marshall Gordon, attune’s chief innovation officer, the team will combine its years of fashion industry expertise to help retailers and fashion brands improve their ability to fulfill omnichannel consumer demand by leveraging the latest advances and combinations of cloud, mobile, big data analytics and multi-tier supply chain collaboration technologies.
 
“The demands of today’s digital consumers are accelerating beyond the ability of fashion brands to effectively respond with aging technology,” said Vajira De Silva, CEO of attune. “Brands are eager to use the latest technology tools to close the gap, but they’re often deployed in silos, providing only incremental improvements. We see a critical need for expertise that can create more holistic and responsive global supply chains. attune’s Fashion Innovation Portfolio combines this expertise with a set of highly integrated solutions that are targeted to the needs of fashion.”
 
attune’s Fashion Innovation Portfolio focuses specifically on synchronizing supply with demand to deliver responsive fashion – or real-time “sense and response” networks that capitalize on fast-moving fashion markets and consumers. Through these solutions, retailers and fashion brands can gain deep insight into consumer behavior and extend that knowledge across their supply chains in real time to fulfill demand exactly when and where it’s needed, and significantly reduce out-of-stocks and markdowns. The portfolio includes integrated solutions for:
 

  • Operations: Providing a consolidated infrastructure that unites wholesale, manufacturing and retail businesses on a single platform to create cross-channel, integrated operations.
  • Customer Intimacy: Combines real-time analysis of structured and unstructured customer data to deliver insights that provide a platform for high-touch, personalized “clienteling” to fashion consumers.
  • Value Chain Synchronization: Providing end-to-end visibility from consumer demand to planning and sourcing to facilitate response to current and future demand.

 
“The fashion industry has been built on a global network of independently operating businesses and processes,” said Gordon. “Fashion brands and retailers know there is value in synchronizing them, but technologies are only now beginning to mature to a point where they can be combined in real time to respond to consumer demand. We see a significant opportunity for brands and retailers to be more responsive while also improving their financial performance with end-to-end solutions that sense consumer behavior and incorporate that intelligence into planning and extended supply chain operations. In essence, this enables companies to respond to demand as it is happening.”
 
With more than two decades of fashion and lifestyle technology leadership, Gordon oversees attune’s solution strategy, roadmap and technology portfolio. Prior to attune, he was the senior vice president of worldwide sales, marketing and product strategy at Tradecard (now GT Nexus), a global supply chain specialist. He also served as SAP’s industry executive for the apparel and footwear industry, helping to launch and grow the SAP Apparel & Footwear (AFS) business.
 
“Marshall offers a lifetime of fashion solution expertise across all aspects of the business,” added De Silva. “His experience with the enterprise technologies and processes relevant to fashion will be invaluable as we continue to roll out initiatives for the Fashion Innovation Portfolio.”

Posted March 24, 2015

Source: attune
 

Freudenberg Performance Materials Invests In New Production Line In China

WEINHEIM, Germany/SUZHOU, China — March 24, 2015 — Freudenberg & Vilene Nonwovens is investing in a new state-of-the-art production line for automotive headliners as its Suzhou facility in Eastern China. Start of production is scheduled for summer 2016. Freudenberg Performance Materials is the nonwovens specialist in the Freudenberg Group. The Business Group has a presence in China through Freudenberg & Vilene Nonwovens, a joint venture with Japan Vilene Company, Tokyo, Japan.
 
The automotive market in Asia is growing, and is particularly dynamic in China. According to figures published by the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), some 1.9 million vehicles were sold in China in January 2015 alone, around 13 percent up on the same month last year. Demand for high-quality products is rising steadily, with automotive headliners enjoying a particularly strong trend. Asian OEMs prefer printed headliners that meet the high design standards of Japanese and Korean car manufacturers.

Freudenberg & Vilene Company introduced printed headliners in 2010 and is currently the only manufacturer with in-house printing capabilities. As a result, Freudenberg is able to offer customers innovative, individualized products with the most up-to-date designs while at the same time delivering on consistently high quality.
 
Freudenberg headliners are based on nonwovens and can be finished in various ways to provide additional functions. Apart from excellent abrasion resistance, outstanding acoustic properties and improved stain resistance, these products in combination with other vehicle components contribute to a marked reduction in vehicle weight. “Our commitment in China underscores the fact that we are a leading reliable partner for our customers worldwide and at the same time reaffirms our headliner expertise,” Bruce Olson, President and CEO of Freudenberg Performance Materials, commented.
 
The company partly uses recycled materials in the manufacture of its products. Special innovative surface treatment processes create sustainable products that meet all the demands of sophisticated vehicle design.
 
Freudenberg Performance Materials is an established reliable partner for the global automotive industry, particularly in the market for headliners. Freudenberg & Vilene Company maintains long-standing relations with Asian OEMs and holds a leading position on the market in Asia and China. Success is founded on a wide range of headliner innovations.
 
With this latest investment in a new production line – and thus in state-of-the-art technology and new products – the nonwovens specialist is reaffirming the significance of collaboration with the automotive industry.
 
Apart from products used in automotive interiors, the modern product range of Freudenberg & Vilene Company’s Chinese facility also included industrial nonwovens for the apparel and electronics industries as well as the energy and construction sectors.

Posted March 24, 2015

Source: Freudenberg Nonwovens
 

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