BONNIGHEIM, ZWINGENBERT, KELHEIM and TUBINGEN — November 7, 2013 — The four partners BRAIN, the
Hohenstein Institute, Kelheim Fibres and rökona, announce the formation of a new research alliance
for the biotechnical production and modification of specialty alginates. The aim of the alliance is
to establish a sustainable microbial bioprocess for the production of specialised alginate
components. The biopolymers should serve a dual purpose: application in high-quality medical
product matrices and within the innovative textile industry.

In addition to the Zwingenberg-based biotechnology company BRAIN AG, the research alliance
involves the Hohenstein Institut für Textilinnovation gGmbH (Bönnigheim), the world’s leading
manufacturer of specialty viscose fibres Kelheim Fibres GmbH (Kelheim) and the manufacturer of
highly specialized materials for medical technology rökona Textilwerk GmbH (Tübingen).

The biopolymer products will be used in both topical and wound-phase specific dressings, as
well as for application-specific modification of matrices in technical textiles. Aside from high
purity and more defined material properties of the biopolymer, the advantage of microbial
production processes is an improvement in the environmental efficiency of products. Parts of the
alliance research project will be co-financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research
(BMBF) under grant number 013A126 and the acronym AlBioTex.

“Alongside our partners in the alliance, we want to build a high-quality bio-based matrix
system and at the same time, a sustainable process in terms of the yield and techno-functionality
of the biopolymers”, ex-plains Dr. Guido Meurer, Unit Head Microbial Production Technologies at
BRAIN. “BRAIN has been an active researcher of innovative, supportive, bioactive substances for use
in medical products for several years. These substances are then introduced into appropriate
biological matrices and ultimately into modern wound dressings.”

The primary objective of BRAIN, alongside the Hohenstein Institute, is to develop microbial
production organisms for application in industrial quantities of biopolymers in appropriate
biofermentation processes on an industrial scale. These research results also assist in the common
aim of developing innovative nonwoven materials.

“Until now, the variation and optimization of the material properties of alginate was either
not possible at all, or only possible with immense effort. Through the use of biotechnology, a
differentiated use of alginates is made possible in the specialized textile field for the first
time”, says Dr. Timo Hammer, Head of Research in the Department of Hygiene, Environment and
Medicine at the Hohenstein Institute, and coordinator of the AlBioTex project.

The partners Kelheim Fibres and rökona Textilwerk participate in the alliance by providing
access to high-quality, homogeneous biopolymers. The plan is to develop functional textiles with
new properties and to use them in pilot processes.

“The production of high-quality and homogeneous biopolymers is crucial for our functional
viscose fibers based on renewable resources. Various functionalities expand this range of
innovative fiber properties for new high-tech applications”, says Walter Roggenstein, Head of
Re-search and Development at Kelheim Fibres GmbH.

“The joint research in these two fields, the textile and medical technology industries, is
another prime example of the intensification of the biologization of industries”, concludes Dr.
Holger Zinke, CEO of BRAIN, the motivation behind the research alliance. “Biological knowledge is
the driving force of the bioeconomy and industrial biotechnology is one of its most important
fields.”



Posted November 12, 2013

Source: Hohenstein Institut

Turkey-based nonwovens producer Mogul Co. Ltd. has begun production on a new core/sheath
bicomponent polyester (PET)/copolyester spunbond line. The new 365-centimeter-wide line brings
Mogul’s total PET capacity to 15,000 metric tons per year, and expands its product line to include
spunbond, spunlace and meltblown nowovens.

The new bicomponent PET line will produce area thermal bonded flat fabrics featuring
low-denier round and trilobal filaments. Fabrics will range in weight from 17 to 135 grams per
square meter. The new bicomponent fabrics will be targeted mainly to industrial markets and will be
sold under the Buffalo brand name.

In other company news, Mogul recently began production on its second 3,200-millimeter-wide
monofilament PET spunbond line.

November 12, 2013

FRANKFURT — November 6, 2013 — Surprising, individualistic and forward-looking: The forthcoming
Heimtextil exhibition (8 to 11 January 2014) is set to feature refreshingly inspiring and
innovative textile developments, presented by young companies. This international trade fair for
home and contract textiles has a special platform for start-up companies, putting the spotlight on
the next generation of designers. Running under the heading New&Next, the newcomers’ platform
will be full of creative product ideas for bathroom, bedroom and dining table textiles.

 

For several years now Heimtextil has provided special exhibition space for newcomers in Halls
8, 9 and 11. This has gradually developed into a major highlight within the trade fair programme.
What makes New&Next so appealing is its exquisite array of high- quality products and the new
directions it sets in the home textile market. “With this newcomers’ platform Heimtextil puts a
special emphasis on highflyers and on the crystal-clear presentation of excellent designer
products,” says Meike Kern, Director of Household Textiles at Heimtextil. 

 

Strong presence of newcomers from Europe

Among the participating start-up companies are, in particular, a large number of European
designers. They include Crishome Tex and Sirftex from Portugal, Colorkitchen and Lanui from
Germany, Devine Marquise from Belgium and Orgamint from Latvia. A fresh breeze will be added by
Slowcolor from the United States. Equally impressive exhibitors will be Maison des Dunes from
Morocco and the Leomax Cashmere Collection from the United Arab Emirates with their new,
high-quality products. 

 

Here are some of the companies that will be represented at New&Next:

Divine Marquise: Classy seductiveness from Belgium 

During the day the bedlinen is almost perfectly white. After sunset a nude young lady can be
seen lounging on the fine linen. This is the

clever effect produced by the fluorescent print on the L’Envol product line made by the
Francophone Belgian company Divine Marquise.

“We play with the topic of seductiveness. This requires a very cautious, subtle and humorous
approach. Otherwise it can easily become somewhat crude,” says the owner and designer Annabel
Fournier, as she explains her idea to liven up the bedrooms of this world with sexy bedlinen. 

 

Colorkitchen: there’s nothing like colour

Colorkitchen from Germany covers the entire spectrum of textiles for dining tables and
kitchens: elegant linen tablecloths, sturdy cotton

rep, cheerful kitchen towels and matching cushions. What makes Colorkitchen so special is its
wealth of colours, their many possible

combinations and the sustainability of the collection. Managing Director Willy Müller has a
guiding principle: “We do not produce goods for one season of fashion, but for a continually
growing and changing home interior.”

 

Crishome Tex: Elegantly purist bedlinen 

When Cristina Texeira visited Heimtextil for the first time in January this year, the company
was only six months old. The cotton of the

delightful bedroom and bathroom products from Crishome Tex in Portugal has been pre-treated
in an enzyme wash. This gives each product a relaxed — almost used — character and makes it easy to
clean. Moreover, the cotton keeps its shape after the first wash. 

 

Lanui: it’s all about nights

This young company from Hamburg focuses entirely on creative night-time articles. Bedlinen,
pillow cases, bedspreads, pyjamas and

nighties can turn an ordinary bedroom into a fashionably creative refuge. The designs include
animals, plants, stately homes, monochrome themes and Vichies as well as classic stripes and blog
patterns on high-quality cotton materials. The Gypsy line with its smocked, three-dimensional
embroidery won the Red Dot Design Award 2010. 

 

Leomax Cashmere Collection: hand-woven and fully customised

Leomax Cashmere Collection was founded by Ulrike Boye- Holzer. Starting from Dubai, the
German owner travelled around various Asian countries where she discovered exquisite cashmere
products that are virtually unparalleled in Europe with regard to both style and quality. Her
passion for extraordinary high-quality products in amazing designs led to an ambitious designer
label that stands for contemporary simplicity and incomparable elegance. Ulrike Boye-Holzer
personally selects the quality and design in small numbers in Nepal, ensures that production takes
place under FairTrade conditions – where required, also in small production runs – and delivers
fully customised products.

 

Orgamint: certified organic cotton for the bed

What prompted the owners to set up this new company was a discussion among parents: What sort
of materials are perfectly harmless when our kids put them in their mouths? Many cotton fabrics are
so rich in chemicals that they are unsuitable for a children’s bedroom. So when Orgamint was
founded in 2010, its owners wanted to fill precisely this gap. With its wonderfully delicate
nightwear and bedlinen for kids and adults, this company from Riga in Latvia can offer everything
that is needed for a healthy night’s sleep. A romantic ambience is created with lots of white,
hemstitches and elaborate embroidery reminiscent of years gone by.   

Sirftex: originality from Portugal

Sirftex will be presenting sustainable products for bedrooms, bathrooms, dining tables,
kitchens and leisure use. Anyone visiting the Sirftex stand can look forward to products with a
wonderfully loving eye for detail. The delicate honeycomb patterns on the bathrobes and bath towels
make a person feel on holiday. To add a special touch to this lovely little collection, Sirftex has
also added a range of distinctive accessories such as slippers, small beach bags and
T-shirts. 

 

Slowcolor: “We clothe the world in beauty, health and responsibility.” 

Based in the United States, Slowcolor produces handmade premium scarves, bedspreads and
towels, using naturally bleached and naturally dyed organic cotton and linen. The beautiful scarves
are available in gentle combinations of beige, light blue, orange, grey and green, covering a good
spectrum of natural colour options. All of them are made by hand, using ancient looms at factories
in Hyderabad, Central India. 

 

Unikapuden: Retro, Rococo, India and more

Unikapuden from Denmark has a colourful and highly diverse selection of cushions. All
products are handcrafted and made in Denmark. Unikapuden experiments with different combinations of
materials and includes crocheted and knitted effects. What is new in their product line-up is
various patchwork cushions, made from recycled clothes and textiles.  

 

Posted November 12, 2013

Source: Messe Frankfurt

NEW YORK CITY — November 6, 2013 — Pointcarre has announced a partnership with Yunique Solutions, a
Gerber Technology company, integrating Pointcarre’s CAD and YuniquePLM.

“The textile industry has never before seen a partnership with this much integration between
a Textile CAD software and a PLM solution”, states Steve Greenberg, President of Pointcarre USA.

At Yunique Solutions’ recent ideation2013 Software Conference hosted in Hilton Head Island,
SC, Pointcarre demonstrated the ability to drag-and-drop images and color files from within
Pointcarre’s Design Software to the YuniquePLM database. Because the edits are stored in the cloud,
any images that are updated or edited within Pointcarre are automatically reflected in YuniquePLM
with no additional steps for the designer. The general consensus amongst the audience was,
“Amazing, it’s so simple, it just works”.

Darioush Nikpour, vice president of Product Management at Yunique Solutions said, “retailers
and leading global brands are looking for key differentiators that will allow them to leapfrog
their competitors while they drive top strategic initiatives. This requires them to seek out
talented technology vendors who can deliver paradigm changing design processes and have a proven
track record with world-class innovative clientelle.”

Nikpour continued, “Pointcarre and Yunique Solutions represent those talented technology
partners, now in partnership. Pointcarre and Yunique have set a new standard in Textile CAD and
Global Fashion Retail PLM integration. Pointcarre and Yunique Solutions are committed to and
singularly focused on solutions supporting the top global brands for footwear, apparel, textile,
home, and apparel accessories.”

The partnership between the two platforms will provide tremendous, new-found value to current
Pointcarre clients who are already working within YuniquePLM, and for those who are in the process
of considering a new PLM system. We now offer a package; seamlessly integrating the two products,
that provides users the benefits of both Pointcarre and YuniquePLM, along with great value,
simplicity of use, maximized efficiency within an organization, and saved time.



Posted November 12 2013

Source: Pointcarré

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — November 7, 2013 — AmeriPride Services Inc., a leading supplier of linen and
uniform rental services in North America, today announced the acquisition of SoCal Uniform’s
textile rental business in San Gabriel, Calif. AmeriPride began servicing their new customer
accounts out of its Los Angeles branch on October 28th, under the leadership of Annette Casemero,
General Manager.

“SoCal Uniform has been serving the Southern California market since 1949, and this
acquisition provides a great opportunity to expand our market share in the area while introducing
new products and services to the customers,” said John Sutherland, SVP of Operations. “We feel this
is a great fit for our business and our new customers and we are also excited to be adding some new
employees from SoCal to our team.”

The companies are executing a seamless transition of the textile rental business to
AmeriPride. Some areas of SoCal’s business were not affected by this transaction and it does not
include plant equipment and other assets.Like SoCal, AmeriPride is one of the few privately owned
and operated companies serving this market. AmeriPride is a strong family-owned business that has
been operating in this market for over 100 years.

“I am very confident in our ability to successfully service our new customers,” said
Casemero. “Our L.A. production facility has the capacity and resources to take on the additional
volume, and we are eager to incorporate the new customers and employees into our business.”

Posted November 11, 2013

Source: AmeriPride Services

Gastonia, N.C.-based yarn spinner Parkdale Mills Inc. is investing $85 million to expand its
facilty in Rabun Gap, Ga., and add 210 jobs.

Parkdale acquired the Rabun Gap site from Winston-Salem, N.C.-based HanesBrands Inc. in 2009
after HanesBrands decided to discontinue its yarn production
(See ”
HanesBrands
To Sell Yarn Operations To Parkdale,”
TextileWorld.com, September 22, 2009). The 750,000-square-foot facility
currently houses two plants that spin 100-percent cotton yarn for use in T-shirts and high-end
activewear. Parkdale will use advanced technology to convert production in one plant to
polyester/cotton blended yarn for use in performancewear.

The expansion will take place in two phases, with approximately half of the total jobs added
in the first phase and half added in the second phase. Parkdale will begin installing equipment in
early 2014, and expects the expansion to be completed by the end of 2014.

“The decision to reinvest in Rabun Gap was easy thanks to the community that has given us a
warm welcome and the many state and local organizations that have aided our growth,” said Lee
Thomas, vice president of services, Parkdale Mills. “An investment of this magnitude could not take
place without their support.”

Parkdale currently operates 25 plants in the United States, Colombia and Mexico.

November 5, 2013

New York City-based window coverings and home textiles manufacturer Louis Hornick and Co. Inc. is
investing $2.5 million to relocate its operations to Allendale, S.C. The company will renovate a
103,000-square-foot former textile plant that will house its manufacturing operations and create
125 jobs in South Carolina over the next three years.

“Every aspect of this venture is geared toward offering the most options to our retail
partners and manufacturing the highest quality products the American consumer demands and
deserves,” said Louis “Tripp” Hornick III, COO, Louis Hornick and Co. “We aren’t just building a
facility — we are moving to South Carolina.”

The fourth-generation family-owned company was founded in New York City in 1918. The new
plant in South Carolina will manufacture window covering fabrics — including Louis Hornick’s
firefend™ line of flame-retardant window treatments — using a highly automated cut/sew/packaging
process.

“With our new facility we are not only cost competitive with China and India, but we reduce
our lead-time by 50 percent,” said Louis Hornick II, chairman and CEO. “Our put-through time
ensures an out of stock store, from unforecasted demand, is back in stock within the week. Our
‘Made in America’ products will provide the superior quality the American consumer expects and
deserves.”

Louis Hornick will supply fabrics to markets including dotcom, institutional, hospitality and
commercial. It also will continue to supply its fabrics to Walmart, supporting that company’s
commitment to purchase $50 billion in U.S.-manufactured products over the next 10 years
(See ”
From
The Editor: $50 Billion — Walmart’s 10-year Commitment,”
TextileWorld.com,
January/February 2013
).

“As a 40-year supplier to Walmart, we thank them for taking the lead on supporting U.S.
manufacturing, and we could not be more pleased to continue to work together,” said Louis Hornick
II. “This is a great day for Hornick, South Carolina and America.”

“Louis Hornick’s decision to open a factory in South Carolina shows that revitalization of
U.S. manufacturing is possible,” said Michelle Gloeckler, senior vice president of Home, Walmart.
“This is a great illustration of what can be accomplished when business leaders, government
officials and companies work together.”

Base operations at Louis Hornick and Co.’s new Allendale facility have begun, and full
production is scheduled to commence in January 2014.

November 5, 2013

National Safety Apparel (NSA) — a Cleveland-based manufacturer of protective apparel for industrial
safety applications — has acquired the Spentex® brand of flame-resistant (FR) safety apparel from
Global Safety Labs (GSL) Inc. — a Tulsa-based manufacturer of fire protection apparel and fire
suppression products for the petrochemical, electrical power, molten metal, fire service and
military/government industries.

Spentex inherently FR fabric features a combination of carbon and proprietary strengthening
fibers. The fabric is lightweight and offers high moisture regain, durability, breathability and
moisture-wicking properties; and requires only normal laundering and maintenance, according to GSL.

NSA’s FR protective apparel portfolio also includes ArcGuard® task-based garments and gear,
base layers, workwear, fleece sweatshirts and outerwear for arc flash and fire protection,
rainwear, high-visibility apparel, and various thermal protection apparel and accessories.

“This acquisition is a testament to National Safety Apparel’s strong desire to remain the
industry leader in offering cutting edge, innovative products,” said Chuck Grossman, president and
CEO, NSA. “We are very excited to add the Spentex brand products to our lineup of premium safety
apparel.”

“This transaction is a great fit for both parties,” said Marty Rowland, CEO, GSL. “NSA gets a
great brand in Spentex and this divestiture allows GSL to focus on our innovative Firebane® fire
suppression technology going forward.”

November 5, 2013

AMSTERDAM — Oct. 14, 2013 — TexTrace AG, a pioneer in advanced technology for the apparel industry,
today announced that their innovative brand protection and authentication solutions are featured in
a new state-of-the-art Tyco Retail Experience Center in Dusseldorf, Germany.

TexTrace delivers a brand tracking solution that discreetly incorporates radio frequency
identification (RFID) technology into an apparel manufacturer’s existing woven brand label. The
TexTrace woven RFID label enables seamless and secure brand protection and authentication, while
helping retailers track inventory in real time for quick and accurate replenishing of stock.

The Tyco Retail Experience Center includes live demonstrations of the latest innovations in
inventory visibility, safety and security, loss prevention and traffic intelligence solutions –
displayed in a retail environment to create an authentic customer experience. Displays include
TexTrace technology showcased on apparel such as shirts, sweaters and ties from top fashion brands,
featuring woven RFID labels that offer the same look and feel to which consumers are accustomed.

“We are pleased to partner with Tyco Retail Solutions, an established, trusted solution
provider to retailers worldwide,” said Stephan Bühler, CEO, TexTrace AG. “We invite customers to
tour the center and experience for themselves the TexTrace woven RFID labels that are as sleek and
sophisticated as the top fashion brands themselves, delivering revolutionary brand protection for
the apparel industry.”

The inclusion of TexTrace in the Retail Experience Center represents an expanded partnership
between TexTrace and Tyco Retail Solutions, a global provider of retail performance and security
solutions used by many of the world’s top retailers in more than 70 countries worldwide.

TexTrace has developed a unique solution for RFID source tagging with a woven label that
resists all the processes garments undergo during their lifecycle, enabling accurate item tracking
from start to finish throughout the retail value chain. Consumers attach a great deal of value to
brands and logos, particularly in the fashion arena. Protecting those brands is vitally important
to both garment manufacturers and retailers.

Unlike other solutions, the woven brand label with built-in TexTrace Technology eliminates
the need for swing tags and bulky electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags that need to be
removed at point of sale. This all-in-one solution offers the real-time tracking benefits of RFID
technology without any compromises in usability, reliability, wearing comfort and brand image.



Posted November 5, 2013

Source: TexTrace AG