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

Brilliant Innovations And Renewed Industry Momentum Palpable At The Third Annual JEC Americas 2014 Successfully Collocated With Techtextil North America And Texprocess Americas

ATLANTA — May 19, 2014 — The third annual JEC Americas Composites Show, held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta from May 13 to 15, reflected the dynamic innovation unfolding in a region that represents nearly a third of the global composites industry (32 percent in value and 28 percent in volume). Held in conjunction with Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas shows, the colocated event began with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony, and attracted 759 exhibiting companies and over 9,000 professional visits. The powerful synergy of these three industry-leading brands brought industry leaders together with niche start-ups to promote the commerce and collaboration that will drive new innovation and breakthroughs along the entire composites value chain.

The mutual benefits were so optimistic that JEC group and Techtextil North America have decided to repeat the collocation next year in Houston (June 2-4, 2015). “We favor long-term relations. Our strategic partnership with TTNA is meant to gradually bring an increasing added value to our respective markets. We are very happy that the first outcomes are very positive.” Says Mrs Frédérique Mutel, JEC Group President & CEO. “Moreover, choosing Houston as the next destination for our joint event happens to be totally in line with JEC’s mission to address every sector and every segment of the composites Industry. It allows us to get closer to clusters such as Energy & Environment, Oil & Gas, Pipes and tanks, Wind Energy or to go further in our Aeronautic or Automotive networks.”

Dennis Smith, President, Messe Frankfurt Inc. stated : “Houston is the ideal location for our 2015 event as it represents a thriving business environment specifically in the fields of energy, aerospace, medical and other key manufacturing industries that are very relevant to the technical textile industry. He went further to add: Our co-location once again with JEC also represents an ongoing initiative to bring related events together to add increased value to the attendee experience”.

Further illustrating the value and success of JEC’s mission was the joint venture signed and announced at JEC Americas 2014, between contract manufacturer TSE Industries of Clearwater Fla., and ATT Composites, a designer and builder of composite multi-stage hydraulic hoists in Orilla, Ontario. The two companies first met in Boston at the 2013 JEC Innovation Awards ceremony, and recognized an opportunity to develop prototypes of Telescopic Hydraulics cylinders using TSE-EcoWind Poyurethane Composites Resins. Both companies are winners of a JEC Innovation Awards (ATT in 2013 and TSE in 2014).

Held in parallel with the JEC Americas exhibit, the latest Innovative Composites Summit (I.C.S.) showcased expert insights from leading scientists, designers and engineers from around the world, who discussed important macro trends affecting industry sectors, such as composite matrices, reinforcements, aeronautic and automotive solutions, as well as mass production of textile preforming technologies.

JEC’s strong support and promotion of innovative industry advances was on display at the JEC Americas Innovation Awards ceremony, where ten companies and their partners were recognized for advancing the state-of-the-art in ten competitive categories spanning the entire composites value chain, from raw materials to finished products.

JEC Americas was also the site for JEC’s third Automotive Circle, where top managers from sixty companies across the global automotive industry met with their peers and future partners to discuss challenges, successes and new opportunities along the entire automotive composites supply chain. First launched at last year’s JEC Americas event and revisited at JEC Europe 2014, the Atlanta event featured a keynote from Luciano De Oto and Marco De Luca of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. about a new European Union-funded project for the development of cost-effective and sustainable polyethylene-based carbon fibers. Further, its success has inspired the launch of similar JEC events, including a Simulation Circle held during JEC Americas Fall 2014 in Boston this October, and an Aeronautics Circle slated for JEC Asia 2014 in Singapore this November.

Many visitors at the Atlanta event were invited to take an exclusive tour of Marietta NDT’s 95,000 ft2 manufacturing space for customized non-destructive testing systems. The tour of this U.S. industry leader’s facility provided insights into the expansive range of solutions it offers, from initial design discussions through manufacturing, installation and service.
design and

Serving as a one stop shopping event for the composites Industry, JEC Americas was attended by companies from the entire composites value chain and representing a range of key industry end markets. It represents a one-of-a-kind opportunity for learning, business development and networking in a region representing the largest worldwide composites market.

The high rate of early booking for the JEC Americas Composites Show and Conferences in Houston (June 2-4, 2015) confirms the positive regard and high value that attendees placed on the event in North America.

Posted May 27, 2014

Source: JEC Americas
 

Owen Glove Lining Purchase

TWO RIVERS, Wis. — May 20, 2014 — Crescent Woolen Mills Company, a Two Rivers, WI – based custom spinner of wool, synthetic and blended fibers into yarn, has acquired the assets of Owen Glove Lining Co. of Watertown, WI. Owen Glove Lining is a manufacturer of knitted wool and synthetic cloth used in the manufacture of safety, welding and firefighter gloves. All equipment and inventory of Owen Glove has been moved to Crescent’s Two Rivers’ plant, which began production and shipping of lining fabric in November of 2013.
 
“Wool’s natural fire-retardant properties make our wool yarn a natural component for the Owen Glove lining fabric. Our ability to custom-blend wool and other fibers with the fire-resistant yarns used in safety products affords Crescent Woolen Mills the opportunity to uniquely meet our customers’ needs,” according to Guy J. Webster, President.
 
Crescent Woolen Mills Co., a sixth-generation family-owned business, operates in an 85,000 square foot plant and as been manufacturing in Two Rivers since 1923. The business was begun by Matthew Webster who began work in a textile mill in Pudsey, England at the age of 12 and emigrated to the United States in 1855.

Posted May 20, 2014

Source: Crescent Woolen Mills
 

Quality Fabric Of The Month: Bio-Stretch

By Janet Bealer Rodie, Contributing Editor

Wichita, Kan.-based Invista S.a.r.l. has announced the availability of a bio-derived LYCRA® fiber — the first spandex to join the growing list of biobased/bio-derived man-made textile materials.

The company is ramping up production of the fiber and expects it to be offered in Fall/Winter 2015-16 and Spring/Summer 2016 apparel collections worldwide.

Spandex is now featured in a very wide range of apparel products made with both man-made and natural fibers, and it is a popular addition because it enhances a garment’s comfort, fit and freedom of movement. According to Robert L. Kirkwood, Ph.D., Invista’s executive vice president technology & marketing, Apparel, bio-derived Lycra, made using corn dextrose, behaves like traditional Lycra vis-á-vis all performance attributes and can be processed using traditional manufacturing processes.


Bio-derived LYCRA® is expected to generate interest particularly in the sustainability-conscious denim and activewear sectors.

Kirkwood believes bio-derived Lycra will generate interest particularly among activewear and denim brands. “Those seem to be the market segments and brands that are most active in the sustainability area,” he said, also mentioning interest among the swimwear and lingerie segments.

This new Lycra product is 70-percent bio-derived, with the balance derived from petrochemical feedstock. As Kirkwood explained: “Using an enzymatic process, dextrose is converted into butanediol (BDO), a precursor of polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMEG), which is the ‘soft segment’ of spandex and gives the fiber the ability to stretch. This segment is 100-percent biobased,” he said. “The other ingredient, methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) is the ‘hard segment.’ MDI prevents spandex from breaking and gives it some strength and allows it to recover. We haven’t found a biobased source for this compound, but over time, that will come.”

Bio-derived Lycra production generates lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions than traditional Lycra production. “For biobased BDO production, there is a 70-percent reduction in CO2 emissions compared with conventional BDO production. By the time it is turned into Lycra, there is a 25-percent total reduction considering all steps in the fiber’s production,” Kirkwood said.

Bio-derived Lycra is currently priced in the range of Invista’s normal specialty offerings, Kirkwood said. “Over time, if there’s enough interest, it will be the same price as standard Lycra,” he said, adding that demand will drive investments in large fermentation plants to make biobased BDO.

Kirkwood said customer interest in the new product is very encouraging. “We’ve talked to mills and brands in the United States and Europe, and 80 percent of them have expressed interest,” he said.

For more information about bio-derived LYCRA®, contact Denise Sakuma denise.sakuma@invista.com.

May/June 2014

Global Apparel Textile Trade Shows In New York

Texworld USA, whose Spring/ Summer 2015 edition was recently staged at the Javits Convention Center in New York City with 268 exhibitors from 18 countries, is the largest textile and apparel trade show in the city. Kingpins, held at The Tunnel on 11th Avenue, is the smallest, with less than 60 exhibitors, all focused on denim.   
 
Texworld USA
The 16th edition of Texworld USA, produced by Messe Frankfurt USA, Atlanta, was joined by the fifth International Apparel Sourcing Show, where buyers could locate global manufacturers of apparel and accessories for men, women and children. Most of the apparel sourcing exhibitors were from Asia and included formal and casual wear producers, as well as producers of gloves, scarves, hats and slippers.
 
Lenzing AG, Austria, showed new fabrics and innovations containing Lenzing Modal® and TENCEL® fibers. One new collaboration features a variety of novelty fabrics with cotton. Tencel/cotton fabrics include soft-hand shirting weights, knit-look wovens, transparencies, ultralight twills and sweater knits in blends with organic cotton. There are bottomweight chinos, plaids, and a lot of novelty. Other fabrics are blends with linen, alpaca, wool and LYCRA®. Most have a soft touch, subtle sheen and drape.

At Buhler Quality Yarns Corp., Jefferson, Ga., Supima® cotton, MicroModal® and MicroTencel are best sellers. The most common yarns are 30/1. “When using fine-count yarns, we must upgrade the quality of fibers we use,” said David Sasso, vice president, sales. “And with air-jet spinning, we do have an advantage. We’re working on concepts such as performance, including TransDRY® [moisture management].” Home areas Buhler is selling into include ultrafine sheets and coarse towels.


The fifth International Apparel Sourcing Show was held in conjunction with the 16th Texworld USA at the Javits Convention Center in New York City.

Tuscarora Yarns Inc., Mount Pleasant, N.C., the largest U.S. producer of ring-spun and open-end specialty yarns, showed novelties such as a slubbed yarn of polyester/cotton and a natural tri-blend. At the show, there was great interest in flax. EcoSure™ is a polyester/flax blend. A micro polyester/MicroModal blend was shown in a very soft, light jersey. “There is great demand for yarns made in the USA,” said Kim Williams, director of marketing, “and we’re known for making the fun stuff.”

Samil Spinning Co. Ltd., South Korea, sells to knitters and weavers. Ecosil is an air-jet spun, twisted eco-friendly yarn. DrySil® is fast-drying with moisture management. There is a lot of Modal, Tencel and high-tenacity rayon. Samil’s Lenzing FR® yarns are used in textiles for the South Korean army.       

Mansfield Textiles Inc., Vernon, Calif., has new jacquard machines that are knitting novelty stripes with surface interest such as bubbles and flecks. Of special interest are new stripes, French terries, small textures and eco-knits with Modal or Tencel. An ultralight, soft piqué was pointed out. “Our business is up over 25 percent,” said Warren Zaretsky, vice president, sales.     
 
Laguna Fabrics, Los Angeles, knits all of its fabrics in California. The range is enormous. A hairy, soft sherpa is knitted of Modal/polyester. There are slubbed linen jerseys, Tencel/flax sweater knits, soft-hand ribs with coordinates and a double-faced French terry that is a very good seller.  Textures are selling, and their business is up more than 15 percent.

Miroglio Group, Italy, also is an exhibitor at Première Vision. At Texworld, the company shows fabrics that are designed in Italy and made in Asia. Best sellers are coordinating heavy stretch striped and plain knits. There are mesh knits, open pin dots, large and small bubble textures, silver-coated double-faced leathers, metallic sheer animal skins, lustered and lacy iridescent sheers, and denims.

Mozartex Co. Ltd., China, has an extensive line of woven fabrics and prints. There is a lightweight denim for tops. Foil prints with stretch can be very shiny allovers or blotchy with semi-sheen. There are carbon coatings and wax coatings. Prints include misted florals, alligators, melted grounds and misted looks.

Everest Textile Co. Ltd., Taiwan, showed eco-friendly organic cotton/recycled polyester fabrics including fast-dry and “function with fashion,” which has a lot of stretch.

The next Texworld USA, which will include the International Apparel Sourcing Show and the Home Textiles Sourcing Expo, will be held July 22-24, showing fabrics for Fall/Winter 2015-16 (See “Texworld USA: A Sourcing Spectacle,” this issue).

Kingpins
Not only are major denim producers at Kingpins, but this show also features what goes into denim and what goes with it. Fiber producers and marketers include Invista, Wichita, Kan.; Cotton Incorporated, Cary, N.C.; and Lenzing. Invista is a sponsor. Kingpins started in 2004 with 25 exhibitors. “I want to keep it small and focused,” said Andrew Olah, the show’s producer.   

Invista has partnered with Lenzing to create denim that eliminates seam slippage and puckering, and has improved recovery. Tencel, with its soft hand, light weight, slippery touch and luster, is combined with Lycra T400® to create denim with great stretch and recovery that has all of the attributes in demand. Both stands featured tight jeans that fit well, and provide comfort and skin friendliness.


The Lenzing Innovation pavilion at Texworld USA showcased companies whose offerings feature Lenzing Modal® and TENCEL® fiber.
 

Cotton Incorporated showed new denim products it has developed including foil-coated denim, digital prints, splatter prints, double faces, iridescence, TransDry and knits. One jersey is knitted with ring-spun yarns, and is ultralight and soft.  

Cone Denim, Greensboro, N.C., has soft-touch denims with enhanced power stretch using SGENE® technology. The company is using Tencel to make lightweight soft-hand jeans fabrics, and linen for a dry hand; and it has created an ultralight, almost chambray-weight denim of 100-percent cotton. Another product is a light, soft denim that has a cationic coated weft yarn that provides different colors on each side of the fabric.  

Tavex Corp., Spain, noted that men now like stretch jeans. Standard is 30-percent stretch; super-stretch is 40-percent; and for absolute fit, there is 60-percent elasticity. Tavex is using Lycra T400 blended with cotton. Tencel denim is a work in progress.  

Siddiqsons, Pakistan, is a vertical company from spinning to garment manufacturing. Knitted denim has a woven look, and is soft to the touch and rope-dyed.  


Jean Hegedus, global marketing director — bottoms, Invista, shows a pair of denim jeans that contain Invista’s CoolMAX® technology.

Textil Santanderina, Spain, sells to Ralph Lauren, Guess, Abercrombie & Fitch and Lands’ End. There are compact cotton sateen jeans fabrics, cotton/Tencel shirtings and bottomweights. Fabrics of 100-percent Tencel are light, lustrous and indigo-dyed. Some wovens have a knitted look. Discharge prints on shirtings can be dyed black and bleached for a marbleized look. There is a lot of stretch.  

At American Denimatrix, fabrics are woven in Littlefield, Texas, and made into jeans in Guatemala. Novelty jeans include foil-coated garments. All jeans can be traced back to the farm that grew the cotton — including the Certified FiberMax® or Stoneville® cotton varieties, both developed by Kingpins exhibitor Bayer CropScience AG, Germany.

There was great interest in SILVADUR™ by Dow®, a sustainable, durable, protective, controlled-release antimicrobial process developed by Dow Microbial Control, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Mich. Silver ions provide odor control by interacting with odor-causing microorganisms on the surface of treated fabrics, and a lesser amount of active ingredient is required compared with other antimicrobial ingredients including other silver-based ingredients. Levi’s is using Silvadur.

May/June 2014

Pulcra Chemicals Expands

Pulcra Chemicals LLC, Rock Hill, S.C. — the North American business of Fashion Chemicals GmbH & Co. KG, Germany — will invest $3.1 million to expand its Rock Hill operations and add 17 jobs.

Pulcra relocated in 2011 from Charlotte to its current 63,000-square-foot (ft2) facility, which houses its offices, laboratories, warehouse and manufacturing operations. The company will add 8,000 ft2 of warehouse and manufacturing space, and install reactors.

The expansion is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2015.

May/June 2014

Bolger & O’Hearn Debuts Eco-friendly Altoma Binder

Fall River, Mass.-based specialty chemicals producer Bolger & O’Hearn Inc. has introduced Altoma Binder 10580, an eco-friendly formaldehyde-free and alkylphenol ethoxylate (APEO)-free print and finish binder for textile and nonwoven substrates. The company reports the product offers good fastness properties and mechanical stability while retaining a soft hand, enabling it to be used in printing, finishing and coatings.

May/June 2014

Looking Forward

The year 2013 was one of significant and positive change for NCTO and the U.S. textile industry overall. In April, NCTO successfully completed a merger with two other textile trade associations, the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition (AMTAC) and the National Textile Association (NTA). This merger expanded NCTO membership, strengthened the industry’s federal representation, and positioned NCTO as the unequivocal voice of domestic textile producers with both the legislative and executive branches of our government. Although NCTO, AMTAC and NTA previously collaborated closely on important policy issues, the united association has a stronger voice and a broader reach to members of Congress in every part of the country.  


NCTO Chairman James C. “Jay” Self III

Trade Issues
The year 2014 will be very critical for the U.S. textile industry. This year, it is important to ensure a positive conclusion to the TPP negotiations. TPP remains, by far, the most important policy issue for the U.S. textile industry. TPP continues to pose the largest challenge to the domestic industry in 20 years, with the objectives of negotiating partner Vietnam remaining a critical concern. Throughout the negotiations, the U.S. industry has remained united and engaged. It has stressed that a strong, reasonable rule of origin is essential to ensuring that only the TPP partner countries benefit from the agreement, and any additional flexibilities outside of the short supply list will be damaging to domestic textile manufacturing.

Because the industry has been able to demonstrate the tremendous value that strong rules of origin have for textile manufacturing jobs, investment, and exports, the U.S. government has remained steadfast in pursuit of a yarn-forward rule of origin in TPP. In addition, it is imperative that any agreement include protracted duty phaseouts on sensitive textile and apparel items, and strong customs enforcement provisions. At this point in the negotiations, it appears that each of these goals is achievable. As with previous trade agreements, though, many substantial and potentially damaging provisions could be reserved for the very end stages of the negotiations.


Incoming NCTO Chairman Jay Self, Greenwood Mills (left), presents outgoing Chairman Bill Jasper, Unifi Inc. (right), with a plaque expressing appreciation for Jasper’s service.

After the conclusion of TPP, the next big trade issue facing the U.S. industry is the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), a free trade agreement between the U.S. and the European Union. If this agreement is structured properly, U.S. and European industries have the opportunity to grow trade and attract new investment. While this may seem to be a simpler overall agreement, there are challenges: The EU is insisting on a complicated “double transformation” rule that effectively cuts fiber and yarn producers out of the agreement. In many cases, that rule also cuts fabric producers out of the agreement. The EU is also pressing for access to U.S. military contracts. NCTO is already working with partners throughout the U.S. industry to communicate their position to the U.S. government and to their industry counterparts in Europe.

Berry Amendment
This year, NCTO is also focused on the need to preserve and enhance the Berry Amendment, which requires that all apparel and other goods made of textiles purchased by the U.S. military contain 100-percent U.S. fibers, yarns and fabrics; and are cut, sewn and assembled in the U.S. The Berry Amendment ensures that critical U.S. military needs are not dependent on foreign countries. Defense procurement has become an extremely important aspect of the U.S. textile industry’s overall portfolio, and will remain an issue of great interest.


Left to right: Jonathan Sadinoff, 1888 Mills, discusses Western Hemisphere strategies as Steven DiBlasi, Lanier Clothes, and Augustine Tantillo, NCTO, listen.
 

Industry Expansion
These policy developments and challenges come at a time when the industry is enjoying an impressive rebound. U.S. textile shipments topped $56 billion in 2013, up more than 5 percent from the previous year, and U.S. textile exports were $17.9 billion in 2013, up nearly 5 percent. Much of this export growth is due to the yarn-forward rule of origin in this country’s regional free trade agreements, and there is also growth to new markets and growth in new products. Additionally, the U.S. is enjoying an investment surge in new plants and equipment in the textile sector. The fact that companies from lower-wage countries are coming to the U.S. to manufacture textiles says a lot about the competitiveness of the U.S. industry.

After decades of downward pressure on this sector, the U.S. textile industry has not only stabilized, it is expanding in practically every key economic indicator, including investment, output, employment, and exports. NCTO is committed to shaping the discourse in Washington on textiles and apparel, and communicating the value of the industry’s contributions to the U.S. economy and the economies of its Western Hemisphere trading partners. In the coming year, NCTO looks forward to working with lawmakers and the Obama administration to create a stable and logical policy environment that fully recognizes the value of the U.S. textile industry and its workforce.


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May/June 2014

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