Mörrum Mill Upgrade Reinforces Södra’s Commitment To Dissolving Pulp

STOCKHOLM, Sweden — December 15, 2014 — Europe’s largest market pulp producer, Södra Cell, is currently investing in increasing capacity and improving quality at all three of its mills. Investment in Mörrum, where Södra produces dissolving pulp, will have a significant impact on the quality of the mill’s products, and it signifies that Södra is in the dissolving pulp market for the long haul.
 
Södra is investing SEK 700 million (euro 75 million) at its Mörrum mill in a project which includes a new chip plant and two separate wood room lines for softwood and hardwood. For Textile Pulp (Södra’s branded dissolving pulp), the investment represents an important step. It will remove the bottleneck of an ageing woodyard.

Once the new woodyard is up and running, however, the mill will be able to run the Textile Pulp line to full capacity and use more of its members’ birch wood. The result will be a faster, more efficient line based on birch pulp which will produce a premium quality pulp for the textile industry.

“We are among the top five producers in terms of quality today,” remarks Dag Benestad who heads up Södra’s Textile Pulp business, “but this investment will be a significant step towards our goal of being among the top three. Overcapacity is currently having a negative effect on dissolving pulp prices and some companies are exiting the market as a result. We are not one of them. With this investment we hope to show that we are committed to Textile Pulp for the long term.”

Work at Mörrum has already begun. The chip plant and wood room lines, supplied by Valmet, are due to go into operation in December 2015. Overall pulp capacity at Mörrum will increase from 380,000 tpy to 425,000 tpy of pulp. Of the increase, some 15,000 tpy will be textile pulp, bringing capacity to around 150,000 tpy. There will also be improvements in quality, working conditions and the local environment.

Posted December 16, 2014

Source: Södra
 

Epson “Digital Couture” To Showcase International Fashion Design With Innovative Printing Technology During New York Fashion Week

LONG BEACH, Calif. — December 11, 2014 — Epson, a global leader in printing technology, is teaming up with select fashion designers from across the Americas to bring a unique experience to the runway in New York City during Fashion Week in February. Marrying fashion and technology, the Epson “Digital Couture” event will feature 11 designers’ collections created using Epson’s state-of-the-art dye sublimation printing and will demonstrate the design freedom and capabilities of the technology for the fashion industry.
 
“We are excited for today’s fashion designers to bring their creative visions to fabric in new and versatile ways with advanced digital technologies during New York Fashion Week,” said Agustin Chacon, vice president, subsidiary sales and operations, Epson America Inc. “Epson’s dye sublimation printing technology provides another level of creativity and functionality for young fashion entrepreneurs and well established fashion brands looking to produce their art in a more efficient and affordable manner.”
 
Epson printing technologies enable endless design possibilities across the fashion industry. The end result is original prints of the highest quality unique to each designer on fabrics that can define their signature style. The Epson “Digital Couture” event will showcase the capabilities through the featured collections from select designers who are early adopters of digital sublimation printing, including:

  • Ay Not Dead from Argentina
  • Pilar Briceño from Colombia
  • Dual from Costa Rica
  • ESOSA from New York City
  • Leonor Silva representing the Caribbean (Venezuela to Miami)
  • Ma. Elisa Guillén from Ecuador
  • Maggie Barry from Los Angeles
  • Marco Antonio Farías from Chile
  • Mariana Morrell from Brazil
  • Moah Saldaña from Peru
  • Pineda Covalin from Mexico

 
The Epson® SureColor® F-Series dye sublimation printing technology provides fashion and textile designers an accessible means to bring their ideas and inspiration to life with unsurpassable quality. The high-speed, affordable SureColor F-Series printers produce sharp, vivid images with rich colors, intense blacks, and smooth gradations onto fabric – enabling designers to create and print original designs with greater control and flexibility.

Posted December 16, 2014

Source: Epson
 

AmeriPride Acquires Clean Rite Cleaners in The Pas, Manitoba

TORONTO — December 15, 2014 — AmeriPride Services, a textile rental services and supplier in North America, today announced the acquisition of Clean Rite Cleaners in The Pas, Manitoba. The company’s Saskatoon branch in Saskatchewan began servicing the new customer accounts in late November, under the leadership of Joel Bruce, General Manager.
 
“This acquisition provides a great opportunity to expand our market share in the area while introducing new products and services to the customers,” said Naiem Nairouz, Senior Vice President of Canadian Operations. “We feel this is a big win for our company and our new customers.”
 
Customers were informed of the change in early November and service representatives from AmeriPride began visiting with them soon after. Nairouz said the company is executing a seamless transition of the customers to AmeriPride and they are working hard to start building strong partnerships with the new customers.
 
“I am very confident in our ability to successfully service our new customers,” said GM Joel Bruce. “Our Saskatoon production facility has the capacity and resources to take on the additional volume, and we are eager to incorporate them into our business.”
 
AmeriPride is one of the few privately owned and operated companies serving this market. The family-owned business has been operating in the Manitoba market for nearly 40 years.

Posted December 16, 2014

Source: AmeriPride
 

PolyScience Website Now Features Secure Online Shopping For More Than 300 Liquid Temperature Control Solutions

NILES, IL — December 9, 2014 —  Secure, easy-to-use product selection and online shopping for PolyScience liquid temperature control products is now available on the company’s website. Added in conjunction with the site’s recent redesign, the Product Finder/Shop Online feature enables scientists, researchers, and others to quickly select and purchase the right liquid temperature control solution for their needs. Accessed by clicking on either the Shop Online or Selecting a Product tab on the PolyScience home page, this interactive tool provides quick access to complete product information and U.S. pricing on the company’s circulating baths, general purpose water baths, portable chillers, low temperature coolers, and specialty products.

Product selection and purchasing with Product Finder/Shop Online is fast, simple, and convenient. Users select from any of ten product categories — such as refrigerated/heated circulating baths, non-stirred water baths — and then filter the results from that category using one or more criteria — minimum or maximum temperature, cooling capacity, controller type, among other categories. Selecting a narrowed result displays performance specifications, key product features, and other technical information as well as the accessories available for that product. The product may also be added directly to the shopping cart from that page.

Posted December 16, 2014

Source: PolyScience
 

Business & Financial: An Industry Report Card

By Robert S. Reichard, Economics Editor

How well are the U.S. textile and apparel industries doing these days? And more specifically, what kind of grade do they rate — A, B, C or D? The answer, of course, depends on whom you talk to. There are, for example, still a few prophets of doom and gloom who see the glass as half empty rather than half full with little hope of recouping the big losses of previous years. On the other hand, TW editors and most industry analysts view things in a much more favorable light — citing increasingly positive signs in such key areas as: (1) demand, which is being sparked by an improving macro-economic climate and the introduction of more and more niche products; (2) costs of production, which have actually been trending lower; and (3) earnings, which have been increasing steadily. On this last point, current profit numbers are a lot better than they were a few years back when many U.S. firms were either close to their break-even points, or experiencing some actual losses. More about all these upbeat developments below.

Improving Demand
The good news here is that year-to-date mill and apparel shipments are running better than 2-percent above comparable year-earlier readings. And little change is anticipated as 2014 draws to a close — assuming of course that latest projections calling for a solid 4-percent jump in holiday buying is anywhere near correct. As such, 2014 should be one of the few times in recent memory that industry totals have ended up in the plus column. To be sure, this expected increase is still far under the impressive gains currently being reported in some high-tech areas. On the other hand, the textile and apparel industries’ growth should pretty much match the U.S. overall economic gross domestic product increase, which for 2014 is put at around 2.5 percent. It should also be noted that this anticipated overall textile and apparel advance is even a bit larger than that being projected for all nondurables — a combined group containing, in addition to textiles and apparel, a representative mix of normal growth industries like chemicals, paper and plastics. In any event, it clearly no longer makes sense to include the textile and apparel industries in any up-to-date listing of shrinking industries.

Better Cost Performance
There’s now increasing evidence that our industries’ production costs actually have been falling over the past two years. On the labor front, for example, productivity — now rising at a better than 3-percent annual rate — has been more than able to offset small hourly pay hikes. The implication is clear — namely that labor costs per unit of output are now actually edging lower. The productivity role is further highlighted by the fact that our mills at last report were spending more than a billion dollars a year for new, more efficient plants and equipment. And even more significant as far as overall costs are concerned has been the recent declines in fiber tags. In manmade, this is due to both overcapacity and weaker petrochemical feedstock tags. As for cotton, reduced costs pressure is traceable to both to recent bumper crop years and a growing inventory overhang. In any event, overall fiber outlays now are far under where they were a few short years ago. To sum it all up, the cost element of a typical textile and apparel shipment dollar has probably fallen a lot more than in most other manufacturing sectors.

Stronger Bottom Lines
Factor in all the above, plus relatively stable selling prices, and it should come as no surprise that U.S. mills now are more than holding their own as far as earnings are concerned. Latest available after-tax profits (Q2 2014) were running close to 50 percent above a year earlier. That’s far better than the 6 percent gain noted for all U.S. manufacturers and the relatively flat pattern reported for all nondurables. And it’s basically the same story when zeroing on profit margins. Domestic mills after-tax profits per dollar of sales, for example, now are put at near 7 percent — again well above the 5 percent return noted a year earlier — with similar gains noted when profits are compared to stock holder equity. These latest margins also are a lot higher than noted just before the recent great recession. And the future could well see more overall profit improvement, with major economic consulting firm IHS now projecting additional gains for 2015, 2016 and 2017. In short, the textile and apparel industries have come a long way over the past few years — enough to ensure they’ll remain significant world-class producers through the foreseeable future.

December 16, 2014

STA Southern Division Chairman Steve Brown Passes Away

Steve Brown, sales manager, Itema America Inc., recently passed away. Brown had a long history in the textile industry, and was heavily involved with the Southern Textile Association (STA). Following is a letter sent by STA’s Secretary/Treasurer Lillian Link to  members to inform them of Brown’s passing along with a link to his obituary.

Southern Textile Association
December 13, 2014
 
It is with great sadness that I report the passing of STA Southern Division Chairman Steve Brown this past Friday, December 12, at the Rainey Hospice House in Anderson, S.C.
 
Steve served STA as Chairman of the Southern Division and also was a Director on the STA Board of Governors.  He also served as Chairman of the Bingo committee at our Annual Meetings, he loved to poke fun at everyone who came to play.  Steve had a huge heart and showed his love of people everywhere he went.  He was a mentor and father figure to many children over the years.  Steve was known to everyone as “Wonder Boy” and was truely one of God’s great wonders.
 
Steve is survived by his wife, Nancy Brown; daughter, Stephanie Brown Jackson and husband Daniel; two granddaughters, Kayla and Megan Jackson; a special aunt, Elizabeth Parks; and numerous cousins.  
 
Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, December 17, 2014 at Mt. Airy Baptist Church, 210 Mt. Airy Church Road, Easley, SC  29642.  Graveside Services will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, December 20, 2014 at Carolina Memorial Park of Concord – Kannapolis, 601 Mount Olivet Road, Kannapolis, NC 28083.
 
The family will receive friends from 6:30 PM until 8:30 PM on Tuesday, December 16, 2014 at Robinson Funeral Home – Powdersville Road, 1425 Powdersville Road, Easley, SC  29642, and from 6:30 until 8:30 on Friday, December 19, 2014 at Lady’s Funeral Home, 268 N. Cannon Blvd., Kannapolis, NC 28083.

Complete obituary

Steve will be greatly missed. Please keep Nancy and his family in your thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time.

Regretfully,
Lillian Link
Southern Textile Association

Posted December 16, 2014

Source: STA
 

Dhaka Apparel Summit Gathers Top Garment Industry Executives, Asian Retailers, Business Leaders And Academics In Bangladesh

WASHINGTON — Decemer 3, 2014 — The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) will sponsor the Dhaka Apparel Summit to be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Dec. 7-9, 2014. The summit will address key issues impacting the country’s ready-made garment (RMG) industry, including workplace safety and labor relations, as well as the industry’s economic impact on Bangladesh.

More than 50 speakers are scheduled to attend, including Wilma Wallace, Deputy General Counsel of Gap. Inc.; Ian Bailey, Chief Operation Officer of Kmart Australia; Nate Herman, Vice President of the American Apparel and Footwear Association; Harvard Law School Professor Arnold M. Zack; and Kihak Sung, Chairman and CEO of South Korean apparel-maker Youngone Corp.

The summit will be held at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center. The summit’s theme is “Bangladesh RMG 2021: $50 Billion on 50th Anniversary of Bangladesh.”

Summit sponsors include HSBC, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, GE and the International Finance Corporation, part of the World Bank Group.

Posted December 9, 2014

Source: BGMEA
 

DuPont Microcircuit Materials Introduces Stretchable Inks for Wearable Electronics

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. —December 3, 2014 — DuPont Microcircuit Materials (DuPont) has introduced a suite of stretchable electronic ink materials for use in smart clothing applications and other wearable electronics.  The materials provide an elegant, manufacturing-ready alternative to many traditional methods of embedding electronics in clothing.  The DuPont materials have been used to create thin, form-fitting circuits that can be seamlessly bonded with many standard fabrics, allowing for comfort and freedom in wearable electronic design.  A working model of a biometric shirt that incorporates DuPont electronic inks was on display for the first time during Printed Electronics USA 2014, in Santa Clara, Calif.

“We believe that this new line of DuPont stretchable electronic inks can be used in wearable electronics applications to make clothing more capable and comfortable,” said Michael Burrows, segment manager, DuPont Microcircuit Materials.  “Imagine how smart athletic wear could help contribute to healthier, more active lifestyles by continuously monitoring vital information such as heart and breathing rates, calories burned and even stress level.”

DuPont stretchable electronic inks deliver stable performance despite repeated elongation.  A third party evaluation of fabrics that incorporate these DuPont materials to create thin electronic circuits have shown them to be washable, durable, and capable of withstanding up to 100 wash cycles.  These DuPont materials can be used in many common manufacturing processes to produce smart clothing, including fitness and outerwear, without significant investment.

DuPont plans to offer a full material suite of conductors, encapsulants, and sensors for use in wearable electronics applications, including: DuPont PE872 stretchable conductor, which is washable with encapsulation; and DuPont PE772 stretchable, washable dielectric encapsulant.

DuPont recently exhibited smart clothing prototypes that incorporate its stretchable electronic ink materials during Printed Electronics USA 2014. DuPont also delivered a key technical presentation titled, “Printed Wearables: Functional Inks for the Wearable World,” as well as taught a master class session titled, “Conductive Inks, Film and Transparent Conductive Film.”

DuPont Microcircuit Materials (MCM) is a leading innovator and high-volume supplier of electronic inks and pastes that offers a broad range of printed electronic materials commercially available today. The growing portfolio of DuPont MCM electronic inks is used in many applications, including forming conductive traces, capacitor and resistor elements, and dielectric and encapsulating layers that are compatible with many substrate surfaces including polymer, glass and ceramic.

Posted December 9, 2014

Source: Dupont MCM
 

Atlas Copco’s Variable Speed Drive Technology Saved U.S. Customers An Estimated $300 Million In Energy Costs

ROCK HILL, S.C. — December 8, 2014 — Since its launch in 1994, Atlas Copco Compressors’ revolutionary variable speed drive (VSD) technology has saved customers in the U.S. an estimated $300 million in energy costs.         

“Our commitment to sustainable productivity is apparent in the energy savings we’ve achieved over the past 20 years,” said Robert Eshelman, vice president, Atlas Copco’s Industrial Air Division in the United States. “We’re proud to have made such a significant contribution to the industry, which in turn makes a significant impact on the environment.”

Based on the number of Atlas Copco VSD compressors currently operating in the U.S., approximately 538 million kilowatt-hours and approximately $53 million in energy savings are saved annually.

“According to greenhouse gas calculations by the Environmental Protection Agency, the amount of kilowatt-hours saved annually by our VSD compressors is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide emissions of 51,029 homes’ electricity use, or removing 78,101 passenger vehicles from the road,” said Eshelman. “While we’re proud of these numbers, we know there are always additional opportunities to increase efficiency and reduce energy consumption through new innovations.”

Launched in 2013 and reflective of Atlas Copco’s commitment to innovation, the 10-50 hp (7-37 kW) GA VSD+ range of compact, oil-injected rotary screw compressors reduces energy consumption by up to 50 percent, compared to a traditional load/unload compressor of the same type. The award-winning GA VSD+ range also increases free air delivery by up to 13 percent.

“When we unveiled the world’s first economical to manufacture variable speed drive compressor in 1994, we changed the industry forever by offering a compressor that provided energy savings of 35 percent,” said Eshelman. “After years of research, development and testing, we revolutionized the compressor industry again with the introduction of the VSD+.”

With a patented motor that exceeds the latest NEMA Premium efficiency requirements, the GA VSD+ range features a motor and drive train that share a single drive shaft and are vertically aligned, reducing the total footprint by up to 55 percent compared to other similar-sized compressors on the market. The motor drive train is completely enclosed, resulting in a NEMA 4 rating for protection against dust, debris and water; the single closed oil-circuit cools the motor and lubricates the element and bearings, resulting in a very reliable and compact compressor that is also extremely quiet.

The GA VSD+ also features a condensation prevention cycle, the first in the market for variable speed drive compressors. Integrated with the Elektronikon® controller, the cycle prevents condensation in compressor oil, even in extremely low load conditions.

“As the result of our many innovations over the past 20 years, we can now offer VSD+ technology for 75 percent of the oil-injected screw compressor applications worldwide,” said Eshelman. “We believe the future of industrial compressors is 100 percent variable speed drive and expect to see the continued adoption of VSD technology across most industries, continuing to reduce energy costs and contribute to a more sustainable industry.”
 
Posted December 9, 2014

Source: Atlas Copco
 

Breakthrough By Indian Exhibitors At Apparelsourcing Paris

PARIS — December 4, 2014 — Apparelsourcing Paris will open its doors to visitors from February 17-20, 2015, for the eighth time A year-on-year increase of 20 percent in the number of exhibitors is anticipated! More than 135 manufacturers are expected from the major manufacturing countries, including Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Turkey and the Mediterranean rim, represented by Tunisia.

India, which is increasing its representation with more than 30 companies, deserves special mention. Indian exhibitors registered quickly, following their positive results at the September event. They could experience a similar rate of success, as buyers build up more summer items in February. Indian manufacturers excel at the mid-range entry level with an offer which is becoming more and more varied, particularly in mixed casualwear, bottom pieces for men, women and children, sportswear and accessories such as scarves and bags in leather and re-embroidered fabrics, in which they are becoming real craftsmen, targeting the top of the range.

At this fair, the eighth such event, Apparelsourcing Paris will roll out a high-quality, multi-range offer, highlighting solutions for supporting the production of branded and designer collections.

This represents a unique offer in Europe, with the short cycle of the Mediterranean Rim available to put collections into the shops in record time, with the acknowledged specialisms of knits, unstructured garments, shirting, denim, sportswear, casualwear and outerwear, for long-term volume sourcing to break into the mid- and top of the range and for ready-to-wear for men, women and children, providing a solution for everything, from OBM to private label.

“Multi-sourcing remains indispensable to enable brands and designers to deliver their collections in time, at the lowest possible cost,” said Michael Scherpe, CEO, Messe Frankfurt France. “Apparelsourcing Paris is the only European trade fair where professionals can find all their sourcing solutions and a quality offer at the best possible price.”

Fashion On Display — A Showcase For Exhibitors’ Ranges And A Promotional Tool
Launched in September 2012, Fashion on Display is a showcase made up of mannequins dressed in exhibitors’ pieces, selected from all the product ranges by the fair’s artistic directors.

The exhibitors selected thus benefit from exposure to visitors who have made Fashion on Display part of their programme, as pieces are displayed with all the relevant information – the name of the company, stand number, description and price. The artistic directors will be picking out very sharp and timeless pieces for the February event.

Buyers are short of time and are always seeking to enrich their collections. They appreciate this showcase, where they can find unexpected pieces and new suppliers. The next Texworld will take place beginning Monday, February 9 to Thursday Feburary 12, 2015, at Paris Le Bourget.

Posted December 9, 2014

Source: Messe Frankfurt
 

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