SPARTANBURG, S.C. — April 19, 2016 — The manufacturing company that originated the mattress industry’s first filler cloth 40 years ago has announced and implemented a major breakthrough in fire retardant technology.

Tietex International has broken new ground by developing a new generation of patent pending FR filler cloth that is free of organohalogen  and organophosphorous components, according to Wade Wallace, company president & COO. He said, “Eliminating these chemicals is doubtless a big deal in our business, but we’re excited to say these new products also deliver unprecedented FR performance. We’re gratified that independent burn tests now prove a dramatic increase in char strength and a substantial increase in time-to-failure.”

Tietex officially debuted its proprietary FR products at ISPA’s 2016 EXPO. Wallace said that prior to ISPA, “we already had alerted a few key customers; but EXPO gave us the venue to reach a much broader audience that increasingly has expressed concern over the use of chemicals in sleep products.”

In recent months, he explained, various studies have attempted to link certain flame-retardant chemicals to potentially serious health risks. “Currently, environmental chemists cannot prove the extent of any risk, but we felt eliminating the FR chemicals altogether would negate the issue once and for all, as it pertains to filler cloth,” Wallace said.

Rhett Lancaster, vice president of sales and marketing, touts the new filler as “an ideal FR solution” because it offers four performance grades that can satisfy virtually any mattress style and any price point. “We have designed these products to be lightweight, yet durable,” he said, adding that “overall performance characteristics are preferred by major brands that serve both domestic and hospitality markets.”

In addition, Lancaster said, the new FR filler continues to meet or exceed both U.S. and British fire testing regulations (FR Compliant/16CFR, Part 1633 and FR Compliant/BS 5852 Crib-5).

Posted April 22, 2016

Source: Tietex International

NEW YORK CITY — April 19, 2016 — Optitex, a provider of integrated 2-D CAD and 3-D digital product solutions for the textile industry, is pleased to announce its participation at Texprocess Americas 2016  — the largest North American trade show for displaying equipment and technology for the development, sourcing and production of sewn products. This year, the trade show will take place in Atlanta. The Optitex booth will be open to all visitors in Hall B1, booth 623 from May 3-5.

At the Optitex booth, attendees can learn about the latest digital innovations and advances in the textile and apparel industry. Optitex will be showcasing live demos of its latest O/15.5 version including its new 2-D and 3-D capabilities, automatic nesting, new cut plan features, enhanced seams & pleats, and more.

Visitors will have the opportunity to learn how to maximize the power of 3-D to create true-to-life 3-D digital samples with the most realistic detailing possible and leverage them for design and development, and across the board in sales, marketing and even e-commerce using the Optitex Digital Collection App.

A panel on the “Present and Future Trends in Product Development” will be moderated by Yoram Burg, President of Optitex US & Canada. The session will take place on May 3 at 08.30, and will discuss how automation and robotics are evolving the manufacturing process and how it will affect the industry in the coming years.

“The US apparel market is one of the most innovative and we are seeing more of our customer base adopting 3-D technology to save time, reduce costs and create better products.  We are excited to be leading the digital apparel revolution to adopt 3-D, and share our latest features and innovations with those at Texprocess Americas,” says Yoram Burg, President of Optitex US & Canada.

With 3-D being one of the most impactful technologies the fashion industry has seen to date, the conference will include a special user panel dedicated to the 3-D technology evolution.Under Armour will share their experiences of using Optitex’s 3-D technology, and how it supported them in the creation of  better products and better fit for their athletes.

Posted April 22, 2016

Source: Optitex

DODGEVILLE, Wis. — April 21, 2016 — Sustainability partnerships, ENERGY STAR certified buildings, a comprehensive recycling program, Earth-friendly vendor policies — Lands’ End has been building upon the environmental stewardship of the company’s founder Gary Comer. Federica Marchionni, Lands’ End CEO, launched the “Lands’ Friendly” mission and is dedicated to growing the Company’s efforts by encouraging customers to “Take the Pledge to Plant” on Earth Day and introduces a new, post-consumer clothing recycling program starting with Business Outfitters customers.

“We constantly strive to create a better environment for future generations, while honoring our core values of quality, value and great customer service,” said Federica Marchionni, CEO, Lands’ End. “We’ve combined our sustainability efforts and corporate social responsibility to create something more meaningful — our ‘Lands’ Friendly’ initiative — that elevates our work to lead with purpose.”

You Plant, We Plant: “Take the Pledge to Plant”
On Earth Day, Lands’ End is encouraging its customers to “Take the Pledge to Plant.” The company will give a free, tree “grow kit” with every purchase on Friday, April 22, to its direct and retail customers while supplies last. For every tree that customers plant and register at ForestNation.com/LandsEnd, the company will plant a tree in a developing nation through ForestNation.

“Take the Pledge to Plant” furthers Lands’ End’s efforts to plant trees. In 2012, Lands’ End began a partnership with the National Forest Foundation(NFF) — the official nonprofit partner of the U.S. Forest Service. Since then, Lands’ End has been part of large-scale plantings in U.S. forests resulting in the planting of 1,087,122 trees to date with plans for 100,000 more with the NFF in 2016.

“We are proud of our long-term partnership with Lands’ End and admire their ‘Lands’ Friendly’ approach to corporate sustainability. Together we are addressing reforestation needs on America’s treasured national forests to enhance the many benefits they provide,” said Bill Possiel, President of the National Forest Foundation.

Working Toward Zero Landfill
Most Americans probably don’t know that they’re driving around with others’ t-shirts in their cars – as automotive shoddy that is. Shoddy, the material used as noise insulation in automobiles, is made from post-consumer, recycled fibers. Lands’ End has launched a new, post-consumer clothing recycling effort through a partnership with Martex Fiber for clothing that cannot be sold or donated, starting with Lands’ End Business Outfitters customers. The post-consumer clothing is bundled at Lands’ End and sent to Martex Fiber for processing into high-quality automotive shoddy.

“Martex Fiber has a ‘No Fiber Left Behind’ Zero Landfill Pledge, which means that all the textile waste or obsolete apparel we obtain will be recycled,” said Steve Lister, CEO of Martex Fiber. “With our waste services division, companies can realize operational efficiencies while knowing that they’re working toward minimizing their impact on the environment. There aren’t many in the retail business undertaking such an effort as Lands’ End. We applaud their initiative and commitment.”

“We create high quality clothing that will last. Now, we’re extending the life of many items even beyond their consumer use,” said Marchionni. “We have been searching for a responsible way to handle clothing that we just can’t sell or donate. Finding Martex Fiber and utilizing their expertise has been instrumental in helping Lands’ End continue to chart the course towards sustainability.”

Posted April 21, 2016

Source: Lands’ End