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Three Finalists For Innovation Award Will WOW Conference Attendees

April 26, 2016

CARY, NC — April 26, 2016 — Wipes for unique applications from cleaning string musical instruments to providing pain relief from insect bites and removing makeup are in the running for this year’s World of Wipes Innovation Award®.

The three finalists will present their products at the World of Wipes® International Conference June 7-10 at the Sheraton Grand in Chicago. The award winners will be selected by attendees and announced during the conference. WOW 2015 drew more than 500 attendees from every area of the wipes sector and this year promises to do the same in its 10th edition.

The annual World of Wipes Innovation Award® recognizes the product that both expands the use of nonwovens and demonstrates creativity, novelty, uniqueness, and technical sophistication. Nominated products come from within the entire nonwoven wipes value chain.

The INDA Technical Advisory Board, INDA’s President, INDA’s Director of Education & Technical Affairs, and industry members from the wipes market segment selected these product finalists from a broad group of international product nominations. They are:

Kimberly-Clark Corporation’s Kleenex Facial Cleansing Wipes:

These wipes solve a common problem women have with existing make-up remover wipes that do not leaving the face feeling as clean as liquid cleanser and water. Kleenex Facial Cleansing Wipes solve this problem by using Kimberly-Clark’s patented co-form with micro-fine fibers to lift and trap dirt, oil and make-up. Co-form fibers can be up to five times smaller than those of Spunlace. The pre-moistened wipe contains a water-based cleanser that makes the skin feel freshly-washed-clean in just one step.

Kyser Musical Products’ Kyser Cleaning Wipes:

Kyser, a music accessories company, has launched disposable Kyser Cleaning Wipes for string instruments, including guitars, bass guitars, and mandolins. The wipes are available in three varieties: String Cleaning Wipes, keeping strings clean for fresh and high quality sound; Polish Wipes for cleaning oil and grime on wood; and Lem-Oil Wipes for cleaning and conditioning fretboards.

Tec Laboratories’ Tecnu Bites & Stings Medicated Itch & Pain Relief Wipes:

These medicated itch and pain relief wipes provide immediate relief from insect bites and stings, reduce the urge to scratch, and are individually wrapped to easily take on outdoor adventures. The patented homeopathic wipe features Tecnu Textures™ technology. The textured side of the wipe is used to provide immediate relief from insect bites without breaking the skin while the smooth side is a softer application for tender bee stings.

Posted April 26, 2016

Source: INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry

Exposition Development Company, Inc. And E.J. Krause & Associates Join Forces To Produce ExpoProducción

April 26, 2016

ATLANTA — April 26, 2016 — Exposition Development Company Inc. (ExpoDevCo) and E.J. Krause & Associates (EJK) announced today that they have partnered to produce the 4th edition of ExpoProducción Mexico, to be held March 29-31, 2017, at the World Trade Center in Mexico City, Mexico.

EJK is one of the largest privately held exhibition management companies in the world. With offices on three continents, EJK produces over 40 events in 14 different industries, 11 of which are run by E. J. Krause, Mexico. EJK brings a reputation based on its resolute commitment to excellence in service to its clients.

“At E.J. Krause & Associates we are very excited to be co-organizer of ExpoProducción in Mexico. The textile industry has always been vitally important to the industrial base in Mexico. We are certain that by continuing to work closely with our exhibitors, our industry partners, and media, ExpoProducción 2017 will be a resounding success” commented Paul St. Amour, vice president Latin America, EJ Krause & Associates.

ExpoDevCo produces expositions and events in many different industries, the consistent focus has been on delivering leading events in the markets served through compelling content, outstanding marketing outreach, and the most effective partnerships. David Audrain, CEO & partner, ExpoDevCo stated. “We feel confident that our partnership with E.J. Krause will enable the show to grow far beyond what it has already achieved in its first 3 editions. The 2017 edition will be a very strong year for ExpoProducción, and for the market in Mexico and Central America!”

The partnership of these two leaders in the trade show industry will allow ExpoProducción to continue to become the MUST attend event for the Apparel, Home, and Technical Textiles industries in Mexico and Central America. Attendees will experience a larger international exhibitor presence, more country pavilions, and a redeveloped conference program that will touch on every segment of the textile industry and be presented by industry leaders from around the world. Exhibitors will see attendee numbers continue to grow in all market segments, new business matchmaking offered, customized marketing programs to help exhibitors reach their targeted markets, and a continued level of customer service that has gained ExpoProducción the outstanding reputation it has had since its first edition in 2013.

The 4th edition of ExpoProducción will be held March 29-31, 2017, at the World Trade Center, Mexico City, Mexico.

Posted April 25, 2016

Source: Exposition Development Company, Inc.

Innovation, Efficiency, Service Spearhead U.S. Resurgence

April 26, 2016

By Jim Phillips, Yarn Market Editor

For many years, the predominant question among many industry observers was not whether the U.S. textile industry would cease to be relevant, but when.

During the latter part of the 20^th century — when at times it seemed easier to name the textile facilities that remained open, instead of listing all that had closed — it appeared that those observers had been correct and that textiles would follow the shoe industry and all but disappear from the American landscape.

However, by the beginning of the Millennium, a number of factors combined to radically alter the position of the industry and change the future outlook. Among these were the reduction in domestic capacity that more closely aligned production capability with overall demand, a renewed commitment to customer service and quick delivery and a more determined and aggressive global strategy.

By the beginning of the 2010s, for the first time in decades, the U.S. industry began to grow. New plants were announced, and the industry moved to once again add capacity in the wake of a significant uptick in demand for American-made yarn and fabrics.

Another step in that direct was taken in mid-April, with the groundbreaking by Meridian Specialty Yarn Group for a new, multi-million-dollar facility in Valdese, N.C. When completed, the plant with increase Meridian’s operations in Valdese by 113,000 square feet. The plant will augment existing capabilities in package dyeing, space dyeing and top dyeing. As well, the plant will manufacture tow-dyed acrylic for vertical integration with the company’s Ranlo, N.C., plant.

Meridian’s announcement is just the latest in a series that promises to once again significantly expand the presence of the industry — and particularly yarn spinners — in the southeastern United States. Over the past several years, companies in Brazil, Canada, China, Dubai, Great Britain, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico and Switzerland, as well as in the United States, announced plans to open or expand textile plants in Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Spinners and industry insiders attributed the new era of growth to multiple factors. First and foremost is innovation. “Nothing captures the market’s attention quite like a product that fills a previously unmet need. “It’s important that we keep looking at the market and see where we can establish a competitive edge,” said one specialty spinner. “We look to try to make products that no one else can or will.”

Further contributing to the industry’s success is a renewed focus on core competencies and greater willingness to partner with others. “Spinners have to decide what businesses they can be in and, especially, what businesses they shouldn’t be in,” said one spinner. “Just because you’ve always run a dyehouse doesn’t mean that dyeing your own yarn is the most efficient way to do it. Perhaps there’s a partner that can do it better and cheaper.”

Also, many spinners are now adopting aggressive global strategies. “Many of our old customers, the one we grew this business around, have closed up shop,” said one spinner. “It was either look for new markets or close our doors, too.”

As exports become an increasingly significant share of spinners’ business, lead time and quality are key to gaining this business. “Lead time is often the most important thing — more important in some instances than price,” a specialty ring spinner said. Said another: “We’re never going to win on price, but we can often compete when lead times are critical. As spinners, we have to be able to process and turnaround orders faster than ever before. Quality and speed to market — those are the only two real differentiators these days unless you have a truly unique product. Fortunately, those are things we excel at.”

Cotton Prices Remain Below 60 Cents

Spot cotton quotations for the base quality of cotton (color 41, leaf 4, staple 34, mike 35-36 and 43-49, strength 27.0-28.9, uniformity 81.0-81.9) in the seven designated markets measured by the USDA averaged 58.89 cents per pound for the week ended April 14. This is up from the 57.06 cents reported the previous week, but down from 62.67 cents reported for the corresponding period a year ago.

The ICE May settlement prices ended the week of April 14 at 60.64 cents, compared to 59.03 cents the previous week.

Click to view current yarn prices as a pdf

April 2016

Hexcel Breaks Ground On New Engineered Core Facility In Casablanca, Morocco

April 26, 2016

STAMFORD, Conn. — April 26, 2016 — Hexcel today broke ground on a new $20 million engineered core facility at the MidParc Free Trade Zone Industrial Park in Casablanca, Morocco. Presiding over the groundbreaking ceremony were Hexcel Vice President and General Manager Thierry Merlot and Moulay Hafid Elalamy, Moroccan Minister for Industry, Commerce, Investment and Digital Economy.

When fully operational in 2017, the facility will convert HexWeb® honeycomb materials into engineered core parts that are used for structural reinforcement and light weighting in aerospace applications, including aircraft structures, engine nacelles and helicopter blades. In the interim, Hexcel will occupy a temporary facility on the Midparc site that will begin operating in Q4 2016. The plant is expected to employ more than 200 people by 2020.

The Casablanca facility is part of Hexcel’s ongoing worldwide investment to create a diversified and robust global supply chain to support aerospace customers’ growing demand for engineered core. In recent years, Hexcel has increased capacity at existing plants to support its engineered core business and plans further expansions to capture additional opportunities in a global market with excellent growth potential.

At today’s ceremony, Merlot said: “Morocco’s forward-looking industrial policy, economic growth plan and the establishment of industrial free trade zones influenced our choice of location. Morocco has a highly skilled, competitive workforce, is well situated geographically, and has a quality infrastructure — all of which are key logistical criteria for our industry. Other deciding factors were the local Mohammed V international airport and the close proximity of several Hexcel customers including Safran (Aircelle), Airbus (STELIA), Daher, and Bombardier,” he said.

Executive Vice President Performance and Competitiveness at Safran, Jean-Jacques Orsini, said at today’s event: “We welcome Hexcel’s decision to invest in Morocco and build an engineered core facility at the Midparc Industrial Park. Hexcel’s new plant will be close to our own Safran (Aircelle) plant that we opened in 2005, and having a supplier at such close proximity will create a very efficient supply chain that will benefit both of our companies and the aerospace industry more generally, not only in Morocco but around the world.”

Posted April 26, 2016

Source: Hexcel Corp.

Olbo & Mehler Expects To Grow In The US Market

April 26, 2016

FULDA, Germany — April 26, 2016 — Olbo & Mehler will be in Techtextil North America May 3-5, in Atlanta as part of the company’s strategy to invest in the U.S. market, through which it hopes to increase its market share.

Olbo & Mehler will be focused on three market segments in the US: mobiltech, indutech and buildtech. In this event, Olbo & Mehler will present some of its most popular products such as fabrics for timing belts; fabrics for handrails; and its patented treated basalt fabric for heat resistant and fire retardant applications. The textile production technique using basalt, earned in 2015 to Olbo & Mehler Inova Textil award in the category Fabrics.

Alberto Tavares, CEO of Olbo & Mehler comment: “Our strategy is centered on two pillars: innovation and continuous improvement. We believe that our long term competitive advantage emerges from our capacity and determination to innovate, challenging ourselves to perform better, seeking productivity and quality, every day, everywhere, by everyone. As a result of this strategy, we have been able to achieve significant improvements in our key financial indicators in 2015. EBITDA improved 14 pp together with a significant Working Capital and Net Debt reductions give us the confidence to continue and reinforce our strategy.

In 2014, Olbo & Mehler recorded a volume of EUR 42 million. In the last three years, the company increased by 50 percent its turnover — from 28 million in 2012 — and added another 100 workers. The company exports 100 percent of its production out of Portugal. Europe is the main market (70 percent) with Germany the main destination, representing 25 percent of the overall turnover, followed by North America (15 percent), Asia (5 percent), Australia (5 percent), South America (3 percent) and Africa (2 percent).

Olbo & Mehler is among the world leaders in the manufacture of technical textiles for use in the automotive, pharmaceutical, mining and security and defense areas. The company was born in Germany in 1930, but in 2014 focused its plant in Vila Nova de Famalicão, in north of Portugal.

Posted April 26, 2016

Source: Olbo & Mehler

Yanvalou Designs Launches 2016 Online Swimwear Collection Featuring Original Haitian Art And Supporting Women’s Health & Livelihood Programs In Haiti

April 26, 2016

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — April 26, 2016 — Yanvalou Designs has announced its 2016 collection of reversible swimwear, coverups, and accessories showcasing original Haitian art licensed from Haitian master, Frantz Zephirin, and emerging artists, Pizaro and Ras Kimy. Zephirin is one of Haiti’s most internationally renowned contemporary artists and his works have been featured on the covers of The New Yorker and Smithsonian Magazine. Proceeds benefit the artists via royalties and help Yanvalou Designs support women’s health & livelihood programs in Haiti. Yanvalou (yon-va-LOO) is a traditional Haitian rhythm and dance.

Inspired by Haiti’s rich cultural heritage and the indelible spirit of her people, Yanvalou Beach’s bright motifs are drawn from Haitian market scenes, mysticism, and abstract naturalist themes. The key colors in the collection are rich sienna and red tones, deep blues and greens, and classic black & white.

The collection has ten styles including reversible bikinis and one-pieces, coverups, pareos, and scarves. Seven unique prints were developed and all swimwear is reversible print and solid. Zephirin’s prints reflect Haiti’s deeply mystical culture and include TheYanvalou Gods, Adam & Eve, and Guardian Eye. Pizaro and Ras Kimy’s works channel the vibrancy and bustle of Haitian daily life and Haiti’s strong connection to the land and nature. Pizaro’s prints include Birds of Paradise and Les Marchandes, and our Population print is by Ras Kimy.

Posted April 26, 2016

Source: Yanvalou Designs

Aurora Specialty Textiles Group To Showcase Wide Width Coating, R&D And New North American Textile Plant At Techtextil North America, 2016

April 26, 2016

YORKVILLE, Ill. — April 26, 2016 — Aurora Specialty Textile Group Inc. (ASTG) will showcase the company’s new wide-width coating and finishing capabilities at Techtextil North America 2016. Company representatives will also be available to discuss Aurora’s R&D capabilities as well as the many sustainability components of Aurora’s new, state-of-the-art North American manufacturing operations.

The media and public are invited to visit Booth 2447 to learn more. Techtextil North America takes place at the Georgia World Conference Center in Atlanta May 3-5.

Aurora Specialty Textiles Group serves a wide variety of industries. The company’s new state-of-the-art technologies and R&D expertise, combined with the many sustainability components of the company’s new North American manufacturing plant, make Aurora the ideal supply chain partner for companies looking for a competitive edge in today’s dynamic marketplace.

Posted April 26, 2016

Source: Aurora Specialty Textile Group

Methods Workshop To Feature Engineering, Costing And Shop Floor Control At Texprocess

April 25, 2016

Lake Worth, Fla. — April 25, 2016 — Methods Workshop LLC, a provider of engineering and costing software solutions for the fashion and sewn products industries, will feature its recently updated software solutions on May 3-5 at the Texprocess Americas trade show in Atlanta. In addition to providing hands-on demonstrations of its Quick TruCost™ v9 (QTC) early-stage costing software and Engineered TruCost™ v9 (ETC) production methods engineering and labor costing solutions in Booth #523, the company will also feature Shopfloor Eye™, a real-time shop floor control solution that it markets under a newly formed alliance with Atlanta-based Shopfloor Support LLC.

“We are pleased to be bringing so many new innovations to Texprocess Americas 2016,” said Methods Workshop President John Stern. “After launching all new versions of our core standard data costing and engineering software in the past year, we are continuing to update those solutions with many new features and improvements. We are especially excited to be showing the Shopfloor Eye wireless, tablet-based shop floor control solution as it represents a revolutionary step forward in apparel and sewn products manufacturing management. When we saw how it fit so well with our long-time commitment to bringing the best in performance measurement and control to our industry, we knew we wanted to promote it with all of our global clients and at this most important industry event. We look forward to meeting with the many manufacturers, brands and vertical retailers that will attend this important event.”

Quick TruCost is designed for early-stage design, product development and pre-production costing requirements. By answering eight to ten simple product questions, QTC users can immediately and accurately predict the manufacturing cost of their products. Engineered TruCost enables engineers and other manufacturing professionals to quickly and accurately determine production labor costs, define operational best practices, and benchmark manufacturing performance against global standards. Shopfloor Eye leverages standard, off-the-shelf tablets running Android™ and Wi-Fi networking to collect production data and empower workers, supervisors and managers with real-time production visibility and control.

Posted April 25, 2016

Source: Methods Workshop LLC

Alvanon President Ed Gribbin Joins Symposium Panel To Address Technology, Global Implementation And Productivity

April 25, 2016

NEW YORK CITY — April 25, 2016 — Alvanon president and apparel industry business authority Ed Gribbin will participate in a symposium panel of apparel and retail experts to discuss and debate “How Technology is Implemented Across the Globe to Increase Productivity in the Apparel Industry.” The symposium panel will take place at Texprocess Americas, May 3, 2016, 11:30-1:00 p.m., Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta.

The symposium session, developed by the International Apparel Federation (IAF), consists entirely of IAF members. Gribbin, who serves on IAF’s board of directors, and whose role as Alvanon’s president and chief consultant brings him into contact with top management at leading apparel manufacturers and retailers worldwide, will inject a unique perspective into the discussion.

“Alvanon provides expert advice and guidance to apparel brands and retailers all over the world,” Gribbin says. “From our aerial perspective of worldwide industry operations, we see the need for greater productivity, speed and efficiency both regionally and by market sector.

“Technology can effectively increase productivity in the apparel world but only if integrated with an appropriate people and process strategy,” he continues. “Unfortunately, in many sectors, technology-based productivity lags behind. At the symposium panel, we will explore how and why some new technologies can be leveraged to fuel productivity on a global basis.”

Posted April 25, 2016

Source: Alvanon