Lyndhurst, N.J.-based RLM Apparel Software Systems Inc. reports it has added capabilities to its FashionManager™ Web-based enterprise software that will streamline and improve showroom, production and financial processes for apparel, footwear, accessories, and related brands and retailers.
New and updated features include: full integration with the Authorize.Net® credit card payment gateway, allowing for automatic credit card authorization and wholesale order capture; tools for downloading order selection and upcoming sales orders to Microsoft® Excel® spreadsheets; new sales reporting tools including Time Phased Cut and Sold, which helps forecast potential oversold positions, and Monthly Sales Analysis, which reports year-to-date sales by customers compared to the same year-earlier period; and new Cut to Demand capability, which streamlines finished goods orders to production based on sales order bookings.
RLM plans to add other features, including a Financial Report Writer, which will allow for customizable columns and rows within financial statements; and ACH Wire Payments, which will streamline the wire payment process by storing bank instructions and directly communicating payment from the Accounts Payable application.
June 3, 2014
RLM Updates FashionManager™ Software
Gildan Set To Begin Construction On Mocksville Spinning Plant
Montreal-based branded basic apparel maker Gildan Activewear Inc. will soon begin construction on its new yarn-spinning plant in Mocksville, N.C., investing $30 million more in the project than was originally announced in late 2013 (See “Gildan To Expand U.S. Manufacturing,” TextileWorld.com, November/December 2013).
Gildan now expects to invest a total of $142 million in its Mocksville site. It has purchased 113 to 114 acres of land and will increase the size of the plant from 650,000 square feet (ft2) to 700,000 ft2. The company also will purchase additional new spinning equipment for the plant. It expects to break ground on the project in the next few weeks. Once fully operational, the plant is expected to employ approximately 290 workers.
Other U.S. expansion plans announced previously by Gildan are unaffected by the expanded plans for the Mocksville site. The company’s first yarn-spinning facility in Salisbury, N.C., began operations in February, and construction on the second Salisbury facility is underway. In addition, refurbishment and modernization of Gildan’s Clarkton, N.C., and Cedartown, Ga., plants will soon be completed.
May 27, 2014
Highland Industries Adds Composites Division
Technical textiles manufacturer Highland Industries Inc., Kernersville, N.C., is investing $8.25 million to establish a 62,000-square-foot composites operation in Statesville, N.C., and create 29 jobs.
The Composites Division, which will be completely separate from the company’s other operations, will manufacture preforms using braiding as well as all standard textile processes. According to David Barger, product manager, composite structures, the preforms will be available to customers to finish in their own facilities, but Highland also will produce completed composite structures. “Most fabrics will be processed using resin transfer molding (RTM) or fusion. We have also developed a process to braid prepreg tow, so we’ll be advancing that technology as well,” he said.
The new division will manufacture parts and assemblies primarily for aerospace, automotive, industrial and sporting goods applications. Materials processed will include carbon fiber, aramid and fiberglass, among other composite materials.
The company has hired David J. Branscomb, Ph.D., to oversee research and development of braids and engineered composites. Branscomb, who received his doctorate from Auburn University, has developed and patented an innovative braided open-structure technology that produces a very strong trellis- or lattice-type structure. Highland now owns the associated patents, and Barger said the technology has generated interest particularly in the aerospace and automotive sectors.
The Statesville facility will house $4 million in new equipment including braiding and filament winding machinery, autoclaves, ovens and Gerber cutting tables, among other machinery. All braiders will be equipped with robotic controls. The facility is expected to be 90-percent operational by August and fully operational by October.
Highland Industries is a subsidiary of Japan-based Takata Corp., a Tier 1 automotive supplier that has more than 50 companies in 20 countries on five continents.
May 27, 2014
Freudenberg Nonwovens Marks 40 Years Of Medical Innovations
Germany-based Freudenberg Nonwovens is celebrating 40 years of medical textile innovations. In the 1970s, the company started its journey in medical nonwovens research producing activated carbon filters in Littleborough, England. Today, these filters continue to be used in stoma pouches. In the 1980s, Freudenberg introduced nonwoven pads to adhesive bandages, replacing the knitted pads previously used in such products. During the 1990s, the company added antimicrobial finishes to the nonwovens used in adhesive bandages.
More recently, Freudenberg has concentrated many of its efforts on advanced wound care, with a focus on moist wound care. This type of treatment encourages new tissue to grow while preventing a scab from forming, and research has shown this method of healing can halve healing time compared to dry healing treatments. Freudenberg has engineered nonwovens using chitosan fibers for the moist treatment of chronic wounds. Chitosan is a biopolymer derived from the shells of sea crustaceans that has been shown to stop bleeding and heal wounds faster than other wound care products.
“One goal for us is to stimulate the human body’s capacity to heal itself following an acute injury,” said Oliver Heneric, Ph.D., head of Freudenberg Nonwovens’ Medical Segment. “And another is to help make life easier for people with chronic wounds, like diabetics.”
Freudenberg credits close and long-standing relationships with its customers for many of its developments.
“We have a close and trusting collaboration with Europe’s leading medical device manufacturers and can offer customers individual product solutions based on our long-standing experience worldwide,” said Bernd Schlesselmann, Ph.D., head of medical nonwovens research and development, Freudenberg Nonwovens.
May 27, 2014
Matalan Implements Lectra’s Modaris® Solution
Paris-based Lectra, an integrated technology solutions provider serving the fashion and soft goods industries, announces that United Kingdom-based fashion and homeware retailer Matalan Retail Ltd. has implemented its Modaris® product development solution for pattern-making, grading and 3-D prototyping.
According to Lectra, Matalan selected Modaris because it is able to develop patterns in a virtual fitting room environment, which will help the company improve its speed to market.
“Adopting 3D technology will allow Matalan to speed up the development process and save time, ensuring that we meet our customers’ high expectations by delivering up-to-the-minute fashion, with a consistently high standard of fit,” said Jason Hargreaves, managing director, Matalan.
May 27, 2014
FORMAX And Local MP Host Official Opening Of New Automotive Production Facility
LEICESTER, United Kingdom — May 27, 2014 — FORMAX, the manufacturer of carbon fibre and speciality composite reinforcements, today officially opened their 5,000m² Automotive Production Facility at the company’s headquarters in Leicestershire. Local MP, the Right Honourable Mr Andrew Robathan, was invited to publically open the new premises alongside Oliver Wessely, FORMAX’s Managing Director.
This latest expansion, worth €2.5million, is part of FORMAX’s on-going investment to deliver highly optimized carbon multiaxials to manufacturers of high volume Automotive programmes.
Whether it is Class A body panels, BIW structure or impact resistant long fibre reinforced parts that are required, the new 35 metre multiaxial machine will allow Automotive OEM’s and Tier 1’s to design a bespoke fabric or preform to fit both the structure being built, and the manufacturing process; thereby ensuring a fast, cost effective and efficient conversion of carbon fibre into parts.
The machine is equipped with three axes, capable of laying ply angles from 20° through to 90° with both in-line and off-line spreading technology, allowing engineers to specify larger, lower cost, carbon fibre tows, with ply weights starting from just 50gsm.
An additional feature of the machine is that it is equipped with electronic pattern cams. This facilitates the creation of fabric specific stitch patterns, which combined with FORMAX’s extensive research into simulating drape, gives the company a unique capability to tailor fabric for specific parts.
The local MP for South Leicestershire, the Right Honourable Mr Andrew Robathan, commented: “FORMAX is a very impressive and forward thinking company and it is great to see the business committed to the development of innovative technologies. The level of expansion they have undertaken in recent years and the positive effect this has on the UK manufacturing industry as a whole is very encouraging.”
Oliver Wessely, FORMAX’s Managing Director, conducted a tour of the new and existing facilities to industry guests and remarked: “As a key supplier to the Automotive Industry, we believe this investment lays the foundations for the next phase of FORMAX’s development as the move towards light-weighting, and consequently carbon fibre structures, gathers pace”.
The new facility will create 12 additional jobs.
Posted May 27, 2014
Source: Formax
Techtextil North America And Texprocess Americas 2014 Set Record Attendance Proving The US Textile And Apparel Market Is Recovering
ATLANTA — May 27, 2014 — The eleventh edition of Techtextil North America, and second Texprocess Americas took place May 13-15, 2014 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The show was colocated with JEC Americas which resulted in a dynamic synergy creating the largest technical textiles, nonwovens, textile machinery, composites, sewn products and equipment trade show in the United States.
The three in one event hosted 363 Techtextil North America exhibitors, 164 exhibitors for Texprocess Americas and JEC Americas had 232 exhibiting brands equaling 759 exhibitors from 29 countries attracting 9,039 visitors. Country pavilions included Italy, Portugal, Belgium, China, Germany, Supply Chain USA and UBIFrance. The 2014 shows produced a 45.8% increase from 2012.
“It was extremely encouraging to see such a high level of energy and buzz on the show floor,” stated Dennis Smith, President Messe Frankfurt North America, “As the US sewn products industry improves and the technical textiles industry continues to prosper, we are proud to contribute with this business platform.”
The show was officially opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony by representatives from Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH, Messe Frankfurt, Inc., SPESA and JEC Group. Mr. Olaf Schmidt, Vice President of Textiles and Textile Technologies at Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH, welcomed everyone to the show.
Symposium 2014
Held concurrently with the exhibition and developed by industry experts, the symposiums produced 21 sessions with more than 70 presentations in a variety of formats that covered a wide range of topics from nanotechnology, protective and military research, medical and high performance textiles, fit, sizing and virtual try-on, welding, automation and smart machines.
The symposiums received high marks and many were standing room only. Attendees were able to interact with presenters providing a an open dialog exchange of knowledge. Over 2,000 attendees visited the world-class symposium sessions.
Attendee Statements
Darla Gifford, M-C Industries attended the show to look for new fabrics, hardware and thread, she stated “Everybody wants material to do so much more now,” Gifford added that she’d met many suppliers at the show and uncovered possibilities for future business.
Marjorie Lloyd, Neville Wisdom LLC stated that “In a day and a half, we know who we would do business with, what’s smart and how we can grow. It has been inspiring, informative, well-orchestrated and we’re going to make some key decisions after we leave here.”
Lee Woodard, Next Right Decision stated “Techtextil NA 2014 was excellent. The symposiums covered a broad range of topics & the presenters were recognized experts in their fields. Lots of valuable information was shared with attendees. The trade show was great & very well attended. The use of country pavilions was helpful in viewing the exhibitors in a logical supply manner.”
Exhibitors lauded this event as the place where business is done
Gary Freedman, Eton Systems, “We have received more leads in this show than any others in the last 10 years!”
Mark Reese, Measured Solutions, “We are very happy with the show and have met with new, old and current customers. We will have very large orders coming in from this show”
Sarah Friedman, SEAMS, “Very positive responses came from the Supply Chain USA pavilion. The show was unbelievable. We had 34 companies participate, over 50% more than 2012. We can’t ask for a better group to work with at Messe Frankfurt, Inc. and we can’t wait to participate in 2016.”
Lauren Gist, Conitex Sonoco, “Great turnout and good foot traffic that gave us quality leads.”
Techtextil North America 2015
The twelfth edition of Techtextil North America, the only trade show in the Americas dedicated to technical textiles and nonwovens, will be co-located with JEC Americas, June 2-4, 2015 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas.
Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas 2016
Messe Frankfurt Inc. is pleased to announce the show dates for Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas and the co-location with JEC Americas which will take place May 3-5, 2016 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The events are set to attract more than 9,000+ visitors, host 700+ exhibitors and feature two world-class symposiums with more than 24 sessions.
Posted May 27, 2014
Source: Messe Frankfurt
attune Launches Business Transformation And Managed Services Practices
BURLINGTON, Mass. – May 20, 2014 – attune Consulting, a premier global solutions provider to the fashion and lifestyle industries, today announced the launch of its Business Transformation Services (BTS) and Managed Services Practices, offering a complete, end-to-end portfolio of technology transformation and support services for global fashion brands.
attune works with many of the world’s most recognized fashion and lifestyle brands to deploy technology and service offerings that address all areas of their operations – from product design through manufacturing to the retail store. As a trusted advisor with deep industry expertise and leading best practices, attune helps fashion brands quickly and cost-effectively deploy tailored solutions that meet their business requirements.
With the launch of BTS and Managed Services, attune brings unsurpassed expertise in the technologies, processes, and support mechanisms required by fashion brands to create a business environment that can respond to changing market demands and support an increasingly complex global supply chain.
Embracing change with attune BTS
attune BTS uniquely integrates with all phases of an IT project plan, and incorporates proven methodologies, customized tools, and industry expertise so fashion companies can realize a fast return on their investment, minimize risk, and ensure high end-user adoption and support for their initiatives.
“Being a trusted advisor means not only delivering superior services and expertise, but also raising the bar on the level of transparency and commitment we bring to ensure the success of each engagement,” said Jeff Lee, attune’s vice president of Business Transformation. “The fashion industry is undergoing enormous change to support new omnichannel strategies. attune BTS empowers customers to successfully manage these challenges with the right people, processes, and technologies in place to drive business innovation.”
attune BTS offers a full range of assessment, advisory, and consulting services, including a toolkit of business accelerators that enable organizations to effectively prioritize and optimize resources to support a smooth transformation.
Ongoing service excellence with attune Managed Services
A culmination of attune’s years of experience serving the needs of fashion and lifestyle companies, attune Managed Services provides a complete portfolio of scalable services covering everything from day-to-day operations and service desk capabilities, to more advanced applications management requiring specialized knowledge.
“attune Managed Services was developed based on the ongoing support needs we’ve consistently seen across our customers,” said Prabhakar Challa, attune’s director of Managed Services, North America. “Now fashion brands can take advantage of a comprehensive framework of services offered in a range of delivery models to efficiently and cost-effectively run their global operations.”
With 24/7 “follow-the-sun” support available globally, attune Managed Services follows best-in-class, standardized service delivery models, providing expertise across all areas of application infrastructure, network architecture, and ongoing operations and performance management.
Posted May 27, 2014
Source: Attune
Prominent Hong Kong and U.S. Trade Organizations Sign Agreement
HONG KONG — May 19, 2014 — The Hong Kong General Chamber of Textiles Ltd. (HKGCOT) and the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to facilitate cooperation between the two organizations.
“Given AAFA’s global footprint, and the central role that Hong Kong and China play for our industry as both a sourcing platform and a market, this alliance will help expand AAFA’s international reach to better serve its members,” said AAFA Chairman Rick Helfenbein, President of TellaS, Ltd., Luen Thai USA. “The HKGCOT is well situated to give AAFA, and its membership, an expanded presence in Asia.”
“The United States is a key trading partner for many of our members,” said HKGCOT Chairman Gordon Yen, Chairman of Pure System Ltd.. “Having a partner, like AAFA, who can translate U.S. trade policy developments, is vital to our member companies’ competitiveness.”
The MOU articulates a number of areas of cooperation, including strengthening communications, exchanging information on trade and sourcing, sharing best practices, and promoting textile and apparel trade. The two organizations are now working to identify specific projects, events, and areas of information exchange.
According to the U.S. Commerce Department, China and Hong Kong together account for about 42 percent of U.S. annual apparel imports. China and Hong Kong are also the destination of about $1.8 billion in U.S. textile and apparel exports. China is now the second largest destination of U.S. yarn and the third largest destination of U.S. fabric.
Posted May 27, 2014
Source: AAFA
Deacom ERP Selected by Specialty Chemical Manufacturer to Facilitate Strategic Growth
WAYNE, Pa. – May 7, 2014 – Deacom, Inc., producer of a modern ERP software solution designed specifically for specialty chemicals and other process-based manufacturing industries, announced today that First Source Worldwide (FSW), has selected the DEACOM Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to reinforce their process control and establish enterprise-wide visibility in support of rapid expansion.
FSW custom manufactures dyes, pigments and specialty chemicals used in a variety of applications including leather, paper, food, textiles, plastics and coatings. Their strong commitment to delivering safe, reliable products through an extensive quality control process has led to continued organic growth.
Supplementing this organic growth with strategic acquisitions, FSW’s footprint has expanded to include multiple manufacturing facilities in different geographic locations. The systems they had in place were not built to handle this increasing operational complexity, and would not be capable of supporting their long-term plans for expansion. FSW began to look for a complete ERP system that would establish repeatable and scalable business procedures, and provide the comprehensive, enterprise-wide solution necessary to enable their growth.
Upon evaluation of DEACOM, FSW quickly recognized the value and potential benefits to be achieved from implementing DEACOM across the entire organization, including productivity improvements, enhanced visibility, enhanced quality capabilities and strengthened process control. These benefits are also all precursors to their ISO implementation process in 2015.
They cited the flexibility of the true single system model, which not only eliminates the need for customizations and bolt-ons, but also encourages ongoing system evolution through customer enhancements at no additional cost, as strong indicators that DEACOM would help take their business to the next level.
“The DEACOM model is very fluid and scalable, allowing us to establish and replicate processes regardless of the employee or location; and with real-time data access and visibility, we will be empowered to make better and faster business decisions,” said FSW Chief Financial Officer Chad Wisneski. “As we continue to acquire more companies and expand product lines in North America, Central America, as well as other export markets, the true single system will be critical to the success of our business.”
In addition, DEACOM’s process manufacturing industry focus, and predictable cost of ownership driven by a guaranteed fixed pricing structure, were noted to be significant benefits.
Posted May 27, 2014
Source: Deacom
