Dyneema® Max Technology Setting New Performance Standards In Standing Rigging

HEERLEN, The Netherlands — November 19, 2012 — At METS 2012 (Marine Equipment Trade Show) in
Amsterdam RAI Convention Centre, DSM, producer of Dyneema®, the world’s strongest fiber™, has
introduced Dyneema® Max Technology DM20, a new fiber designed for the production of incredibly
strong ropes that provide unrivalled strength, and durability – ideal for standing rigging.

As the yachting world strives to gain the maximum performance from boats large and small,
saving weight is of paramount importance. Since the early days of sailing, rigging has
traditionally been made of rope. In more recent times standing rigging has become the domain of
steel wire.

Racing yachts however have stretched the levels of performance beyond the capabilities of
standard material. Dyneema® is already well established in high performance running rigging and
sailcloth applications based on the material’s high strength, low weight and excellent durability.
Now, with Dyneema® Max Technology DM20, the performance characteristics have been further enhanced,
thereby positioning the material for use in standing rigging for the first time.

Dyneema® Max Technology offers an excellent alternative that bridges the gap between SWR
(steel wire rope) and current performance polymer fiber ropes. SWR is heavy and can be influenced
by temperature, weather, and strain. Carbon, LCP and PBO fibres deliver improved performance but
are susceptible to chemical and UV attack, reducing their overall durability and life span.

Rigging made from Dyneema® Max Technology is a light weight alternative for all yachts,
meeting today’s yachting market needs where performance and safety are key demands of sailors and
influence yacht construction and design.

Dyneema® Max Technology DM20 sets new standards for durability in yacht rigging, withstanding
high static loads with limited permanent elongation, even in the most extreme environments and for
long periods of time. It also offers excellent UV and salt water resistance. Slim, lightweight and
with a smaller diameter means low windage, furthermore standing rigging made with Dyneema® Max
Technology is extremely resistant to abrasion, bending and overall mechanical fatigue.

Compared to most traditional materials, Dyneema® is exceptional in its UV, water and impact
resistance. Whether it’s sun, salt or varying temperatures, standing rigging made with Dyneema® Max
Technology can withstand whatever nature throws at them – long-term.



Posted on November 27, 2012

Source: DSM Dyneema

Global Cotton Executives Explore Factors Affecting Industry At Seventh Biennial Sourcing USA Summit

NEW YORK CITY — November 20, 2012 — Cotton Council International (CCI) and Cotton Incorporated, in
cooperation with USDA, jointly presented the seventh biennial Sourcing USA Summit in Rancho Palos
Verdes, California. The event, held on November 12-16, attracted 400 delegates from 23countries,
including representatives from the cotton industry’s top tier textile manufacturers, merchants
along with companies and organizations integral to the global cotton supply chain.

Opening remarks by National Cotton Council (NCC) Chairman Chuck Coley reiterated the
continuing commitment of U.S. growers to supply mill customers and the entire supply chain with
reliable, quality cotton, a pledge echoed by the U.S. cotton growers attending the event. The issue
of supply, and its partner demand, shaped the event program, which explored the myriad factors that
affect these business basics. Panel discussions and presentations by world class experts offered
perspectives and outlooks for the mitigating factors of weather; cotton’s competitors in the
commodity and textile fiber arenas; the global economy; and changing manufacturing, retail and
consumer landscapes.

The keynote presentation by Luke Williams, professor of innovation and design at New York
University Stern School of Business, challenged traditional business models of predictability,
advocating instead a model of provocation as a means of business survival in a disruptive age.

Relying more heavily on predictive models, Craig Solberg, a senior meteorologist at
Freese-Notis Weather, explained cyclical weather patterns and suggested that the current drought
conditions affecting the U.S. High Plains might continue for five to 10 years. This news was
tempered somewhat by Doug Rushing, director of global industry affairs at Monsanto, who cited
emerging developments by his company for cotton and corn varieties with enhanced drought tolerance
characteristics.

Corn, as explained by Richard Brock, president of Brock Associates, recently has been a key
challenger to cotton acreage, especially in the United States where ethanol fuel programs enabled
corn to fetch a higher price than cotton on the market. Looking forward, however, Brock anticipates
a collapse of the corn bubble, which could make cotton a more attractive commodity for farmers in
the United States and other countries.

The historic high price for raw cotton fiber, which exceeded US$2.00 a pound last year, has
returned to more traditional levels, currently hovering around US$.80 per pound. Dr. Gary Adams,
the NCC’s vice president of Economics & Policy Analysis, discussed the run-up aftermath and
recovery challenges. The Summit also featured an animated “Bull & Bear” panel of U.S. cotton
industry representatives who focused on prices and cotton availability.

John Baffes, a senior economist at the World Bank, provided a more macro perspective of the
relationships between commodity prices, in general. Baffes noted that relative to the 1997-2004
averages for commodity prices, cotton advanced modestly at under 40 percent, as compared to energy,
metals, grains and other commodities.

A candid presentation by Dr. John Cheh, vice chairman and CEO of Esquel Group, a leading
Chinese textile company,conjectured that the origins of the cotton price disruptions began with the
end of quotas ten years ago, and not with the run-up in pricing of two years ago. Cheh stated
further that other distortions, including those caused by China’s cotton reserve policy, continue
to complicate stable pricing.

Rounding out the economic perspectives was Ron Insana, senior analyst for CNBC and a
financial expert. Insana provided an optimistic outlook for the U.S. and global economies.

The industry, however, is still nursing the hangover of the run-up, most notably in the area
of fiber substitutions made to help the downstream end of the chain maintain margins when cotton
prices were high, and the difficulties of some companies to honor cotton contracts.

Addressing the former concern, Cotton Incorporated president and CEO J. Berrye Worsham urged
attendees to stick with cotton,citing currently price stabilization and additional cost-savings
that could be attained through efficiency opportunities in the chain’s manufacturing segments.
Worsham shared top line results conducted by his company that concluded mills and weavers could
achieve a 6 to 15 percent savings potential using current machinery and existing technologies.

During a panel discussion, Antonio Esteve, representing the International Cotton Association,
explained how his organization is exploring disciplinary options to address contract sanctity
issues, including downstream contracting.

Chris Callieri, principal for the consumer and retail practice of A.T. Kearney; and Marshal
Cohen, chief industry analyst for the NPD Group, Inc., each addressed consumer-related
opportunities for cotton in separate presentations. Callieri identified consumer markets on the
rise, including Peru, Mongolia and the Mid-East, in addition to the BRIC countries: Brazil, Russia,
India and China. Callieri also suggested that there were immediate and significant opportunities
for collaboration and cooperation across the textile supply chain.

The always-entertaining Cohen informed attendees that products that adapt to consumer needs
— rather than products to which consumers would have to adapt — were on the rise. He further
suggested that the “era of more” for consumers held great promise for cotton, alongside revitalized
communications about cotton’s benefits.

The leadership of the U.S. cotton industry, Cotton Council International and Cotton
Incorporated, in cooperation with the USDA,have hosted the Sourcing USA Summit on a biennial basis
since 1999 in an effort to increase cotton fiber exports and further develop that export market.

The U.S. cotton industry and its allied industries are integral supporters of the Sourcing
USA Summit. The 2012 Summit Exporter Sponsors include: Jess Smith & Sons Cotton, Plains Cotton
Cooperative Association, San Joaquin Valley Quality Cotton Growers Association, Toyoshima,
Omnicotton, ECOM Cotton, J.G. Boswell Company, Staplcotn, Calcot, Allenberg Cotton Co., ACG Cotton
Marketing LLC, Cargill Cotton, White Gold Cotton LLC, Olam, Cotton Growers Coop, Toyo Cotton
Company, Noble Cotton, Baco Trading, Glencore Trading and Supima. The 2012 Summit Allied Industry
Sponsors include:Wakefield Inspection Services, Steadfast Futures & Options / LOGIC Advisors,
Monsanto, Cotton Market and Risk Management Consulting, Cargo Control Group, CoBank ACB, Uster
Technologies, Rieter Textile Systems, Bayer CropScience/FiberMax &Stoneville, ICE Futures U.S.,
Intertek and Cotton Outlook.



Posted on November 26, 2012

Source: Cotton Council International

The Rupp Report: Speaking The Same Language

Along the textile supply chain, there are always some misunderstandings, as not all parties among
the market participants speak the same language. In contradiction to this is the spinning sector:
here, Uster Technologies Ltd., Switzerland, succeeded over decades of work in seeing that the
global yarn production industry speaks the same language. Factors in this success are Uster
instruments as well as the Uster® Statistics.

Uster Statistics

For decades, the Uster Statistics have set the quality parameters for production from raw
fiber through yarn. They cover all preparation and spinning steps for cotton, other cellulosics,
polyester, polyamide, polyacrylic and blends; as well as the main spinning systems including carded
and combed ring, carded open-end and air-jet.

The Uster Statistics manual consists of several sections, organized according to spinning
system and raw material composition or yarn style, with each section listing specific quality
attributes. A measurement may include several individual parameters.

How It All Began

How did it happen that a single company has been able to implement this standard in the
global market? The answers were given to the Rupp Report in an exclusive interview with Thomas
Nasiou, head of Textile Technology, and Richard Furter, emeritus head of Textile Technology, Uster
Technologies.


RR: The Uster Statistics are known worldwide. In how many countries have they been
sold?

Furter: In virtually all countries where the Uster instruments are already in use
– especially in spinning mills worldwide, but also in universities, to teach the students how to
qualify a spinning mill.


RR: How many users are there in the different regions of the world?

Nasiou: There are 750 customers in 47 countries. They are virtually all spinning
mills that have an importance to the global or, at least, the regional markets.

The Origin Of The Statistics


RR: How and when did the story of the Uster Statistics start?

Furter: It was basically the effect of major problems in the spinning mills, where
the users of the already existing Uster instruments were facing problems. The inventor of the Uster
evenness tester came and said that the customers were not able to read the evenness diagrams
properly. Another reason was the CV coefficient. That was the start in the industry to know that
benchmarks in production are something important.


RR: And what happened next?

Furter: That was the impetus and the start for the story of the Uster Statistics,
which were eventually established and created. That was in 1949 with a single page. In 1957, the
first Uster Statistics were published in the German magazine “Melliand.”


RR: Was it difficult to convince the industry of the benefits? How did the idea
catch on in the markets?

Furter: Well, it was extremely difficult to convince the spinners. We knew it
needed a common language, but that was a very long process. However, with this tool, the spinners
could convince their customers with comparable data for their yarns. And as the idea was once
established in the market, and the obvious benefits, too, it became easy and a fast self-runner.

Collecting Market And Product Intelligence


RR: How do you compile the Uster Statistics? Who delivers the inputs?

Furter: We get data from 47 countries. We want to examine all possible fiber
materials. There are more than 6,500 samples collected around the world. All Chinese samples are
collected in Suzhou; and in Uster, the samples from the rest of the world. Then more than 2,200
graphics and diagrams are produced. The result is an impressive work of around 2.5 kilograms. The
current issue is that of 2007, because it takes about five years for a new issue to be ready for
production.


RR: And when can the industry expect a new edition?

Nasiou: We want to publish a new edition every five to six years. We simply need
this time in order to collect the material and also to produce the differences and the resulting
data.


RR: Will the next issue be any different?

Furter: Yes, that is a part of the further development. The scope of the coverage
will be extended; there are new fibers and new blends. Then we want to add a new parameter: the
hairiness length classification (S3). This is a new set of parameters, relating to Classimat
developments. Then both results of the Classimat are incorporated.


RR: Is there any need for a company to fulfill certain requirements in order to
work with the Uster Statistics?

Nasiou: No, not really. We just specify the minimum requirements. The invited
customer then gets his samples back with the test results. There are benchmarks for 40 yarn
qualities, so it needs more and more participants. But of course, we have to do a certain
preselection.


RR: What are the requirements for a spinning mill to get the data of the Uster
Statistics?

Nasiou: He should contact our website and request the online tool or the CD, which
is free of charge. There are all 2,200 graphics on the CD; he can also tell us his specific targets
to achieve.

Global Tool

After reviewing the data about his yarn quality, the spinner can see where improvements can
be made and new targets can be set in terms of his yarn quality. With this, he has achieved the
most important goal: Uster Statistics can help to produce an overall consistent yarn quality. And
as mentioned, there are no costs for the spinner at all.

Today, the whole world is working with the Uster Statistics. To avoid having any delivery
sent back due to second quality, the yarn quality must be top. Nobody wants to lose money from
returned consignments. The Uster Statistics can help to save money if the statistics are
interpreted correctly.


RR: And that was the worldwide breakthrough?

Furter: Yes, today, quality is a prerequisite for successful spinning, and the
global market also helped to convince the spinning world about the value of the statistics.


RR: How was this done in the era of slide rules and without computers?

Furter: Oh, that was a big effort to do. Today, of course, we need a lot less
staff. Above all, it requires the right software engineers to develop the right processes.


RR: Were the spinners the first industry that was interested in the Uster
Statistics?

Nasiou: Yes, but really, it is of paramount importance that all stages of the process know
what is going on upstream and downstream.

Economic Advantages


RR: Do you have historic data from the past? What is the benefit of working with
the statistics? Is it even possible to quantify all that?

Furter: Well, productivity drives the business. With the Uster Statistics, one can
test his real and true productivity. And, as mentioned above, it can set new targets. The Uster
Statistics show many answers to a lot of possible questions. They are widely used as a basis for
yarn contracts and product specifications in buying and selling. With this tool, one can sell
quality and not just wishful thinking.


RR: And how about the textile machinery industry?

Nasiou: Well, leading textile machinery and accessory manufacturers depend on
Uster Statistics too to evaluate the quality impact of new developments in machine technology,
monitoring or control systems.


RR: Are the Uster Statistics now standard in all areas of the textile
industry?

Nasiou: This is what we assume. It thus has a matrix to produce exactly the
quality that the user wants to get. It’s in many areas like this: Today, for each activity, you
need certain tools and structures, according to which one can work, because some of the knowledge
has already been lost.


RR: How about the retailers? Can they benefit too from the data?

Furter: Yes, of course. There are also enormous benefits for retailers. For
example, the Uster Statistics are the basis for clearly-defined yarn quality profiles. The
retailers can specify exactly what is needed to ensure the requested consistent quality of the
end-product.


RR: In conclusion, one could say that the creation of the Uster Statistics is an
enormous task. How do you get all this done?



Furter and Nasiou: Well, it takes a very large number of people to bring it all
together to a common level. It is unique and tremendous teamwork for all internal and external
people.


RR: And are we to suppose that the results are only possible if you use the Uster
instruments?

Nasiou: Yes. It needs consistent and compatible tools and systems, which lead to
meaningful and comparable results. It is clear; all market participants must speak the same
language, so that everybody understands all results in the same language.

What a dream for the other sectors of the textile industry!

November 20, 2012

Prilla 2000 Receives Oerlikon Schlafhorst Belcoro® Certification

Germany-based Oerlikon Schlafhorst, a business unit of Oerlikon Textile GmbH & Co. KG, has
awarded Belcoro® certification to Prilla 2000 (PTY) Ltd., a South Africa-based spinning mill. The
certification is presented to textile companies that have installed Oerlikon Schlafhorst
rotor-spinning machines equipped with original Belcoro spinning components for the production of
Belcoro quality yarns. Prilla 2000 operates five Autocoro 8 rotor-spinning machines that produce
Belcoro yarns for the domestic and European markets.

Prilla 2000 employs 280 people in a three-shift system at its spinning mill, and produces
9,000 tons of yarn annually — mainly 100-percent cotton rotor and ring-spun yarns ranging from Ne
16 to Ne 24 for use in terry goods, flat woven fabric and knitted fabric. The company is certified
to the ISO 9000 and Organic Exchange OE 100 standards.

November 20, 2012

Schoeller Spinning Group Wins Vorarlberg Innovation Award

Austria-based spinning and dyeing company Schoeller GmbH & Co. KG’s Spinning Group has received
the 2012 Vorarlberg Innovation Award for its sustainable EXP 3.0 wool finishing process.

Unlike traditional wool finishing methods, Schoeller’s the process does not require the use
of chlorine; and it also uses less water, according to the company. In addition, the finish allows
wool garments to be fully machine washed, and does not affect a garment’s positive wearing
properties, Schoeller reports. The process has been certified to the bluesign® standard and the
Global Organic Textile Standard.

November 20, 2012

Indorama To Expand U.S. PET Capacity

Indorama Ventures PCL, Thailand, has announced plans to expand its U.S. polyethylene terephthalate
(PET) annual production capacity by 540,000 metric tons at an undisclosed brownfield location. The
expansion is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2015 and will bring the company’s
total North American PET capacity to 2.1 million metric tons per year.

Indorama’s PET, polyester and monoethylene glycol businesses in North America have been
performing well of late, representing some 40 percent of the company’s total $5.1 billion in
consolidated sales for the first nine months of 2012.

The company also has expanded elsewhere and will start up a 200,000-metric tons-per year PET
plant in the Netherlands in the fourth quarter of 2012. Other planned developments include a
purified terephthalic acid (PTA) debottleneck to 600,000 metric tons at its Netherlands site by
2015, a PTA debottleneck of its site in Poland, and the startup of a 300,000-metric-ton flagship
polyester plant in Indonesia in 2013.

November 20, 2012

People

Wichita, Kan.-based
Invista has named
Christopher T. Basinger sales and marketing manager, Dacron® fiberfill North
America.

Polymer Group Inc. (PGI), Charlotte, has named
Michael Modak senior vice president, global growth, and innovation officer.

Modak

Modak



Lenzing AG, Austria, has extended Chairman and CEO
Peter Untersperger‘s position on the Management Board until 2016.

Untersperger

Untersperger

Lawrence, Mass.-based
Polartec LLC has appointed
Gary Smith CEO, to succeed Andrew J. Vecchione in that position; and
Joe Robinson CFO.

The
Sewn Products Equipment & Suppliers of the Americas (SPESA), Raleigh, N.C.,
has elected the following to the Board of Directors:
Al Irvine, American & Efird Inc., chairman of the Board; and
Mel Berzack, Sewn Products Equipment Co., vice chairman.

Paris-based
Lectra has appointed
Tania Garcia vice president, marketing, North America.

Garcia

Garcia

Bozeman, Mont.-based
TEXbase Inc. has appointed
Wayne Huyard president,
Brady Meltzer senior vice president sales and client success, and
Ron McMurtrie chief marketing officer.

The Hohenstein Institute, Germany, has promoted
Vignesh Amalraj to business development manager, Hohenstein India Pvt. Ltd.

Haggar Clothing Co., Dallas, has named
Rich Honiball senior vice president, marketing, licensing and e-commerce; and has
promoted
Nanditha Zuckerman to senior vice president, global operations.

Phoenix-based
Mutoh America Inc. has named
Peter Zaferis Western regional sales manager.

The Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA), Cary, N.C., has presented
the INDA Award for Lifetime Technical Achievement to
David Lunceford, HDK Industries; and the Lifetime Service Award to
Peter Wallace, Arclin.

Red Bank, N.J.-based
Brand & Oppenheimer Co. Inc. has appointed
Dan Pezold president.

Sawgrass Europe Consumer Division, United Kingdom, has named
Barbara Borgars head of sales.

Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP), Arlington, Va., has named
Russell Jowell communications manager.

The Society of Dyers and Colourists (SDC), United Kingdom, has presented the CSI
Colour Award 2012 to
Alice Howard-Graham, University for the Creative Arts.

Herty Advanced Materials Development Center has appointed
Alexander Koukoulas, Ph.D., president and CEO.

Koukoulas

Koukoulas

Arc’teryx, Canada, has named
Jon Hoerauf vice president/senior director of global commercial sales, and
Adam Ketcheson as vice president/senior director of global marketing and B2C.

Hoerauf

Hoerauf

Ketcheson

Ketcheson



Arahne d.o.o, Slovenia, has named
Marc Rosseel textile design and product development representative, United States
and Canada.

November 20, 2012

Bulletin Board

Pendergrass, Ga.-based
TenCate Geosynthetics North America has released a TenCate Geotube® Project
Profile video explaining its work on the Incheon Grand Bridge in South Korea.

Rochester, N.H.-based
Albany International Corp. has for the second consecutive year been named a
Business Partner of the Year by The Procter & Gamble Co. (P&G).

Japan-based
Teijin Ltd. has for the fourth consecutive year been named to the Dow Jones
Sustainability World Index (DJSI World).

The
International Oeko-Tex Association, Switzerland, has revised its website, located
at oeko-tex.com. In other news, the company has certified
Gildan Activewear Inc., Montreal, to the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100, and has nominated
Gildan for the Oeko-Tex Sustainability Award; and has certified
Veramtex S.A., Belgium, to the Oeko-Tex Standard 1000.

France-based
Première Vision S.A. has presented 2012 PV Awards to the following:
Ricciarini Tessile, Italy: Grand Jury Prize and the Innovation Prize;
Jackytex – Tessuti A Maglia S.p.A., Italy: Handle Prize; and
Nikke – The Japan Wool Textile Co. Ltd., Japan: Imagination Prize.

Phoenix-based
Mutoh America Inc. has received Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA)
Product of the Year awards in the Grand Format Roll to Roll – Solvent & Latex Inks category for
its ValueJet 2638 printer, and in the Poster Size – Solvent/Latex Printers less than 96 inches for
its ValueJet 1638 printer. In other news, the company’s SpectroVue VM-10 spectrophotometer has been
awarded U.S. Patent No. 8,279,441.

Carlstadt, N.J.-based
Pantone LLC has released the Pantone® View Colour Planner Spring/Summer 2014
edition.

The
Global Organic Textile Standard and its 25-percent stakeholder the United
Kingdom-based
Soil Association have launched a campaign under the slogan, “Have you cottoned on
yet?” and a website, located at cottonedon.org, to raise awareness among consumers, nongovernmental
organizations and brands of the benefits of organic cotton and to promote its use.

Wichita, Kan.-based
Invista‘s Cordura® Ultra Lite Fabric was used in the Summer12 Project Outdoor
Retailer winning design – a menswear-inspired jacket created by Katy Jessee. In other company news,
Yoshida & Co., Japan, has selected Cordura fabric for use in its Porter Musette, Porter Dill
and Porter Fit bags; and Deane Apparel, New Zealand, has selected Cordura Denim fabric for use in
its men’s Urban Deane Short and Jean.

The
American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), Arlington, Va., has published
its ApparelStats 2012 report.

Dalton, Ga.-based
Shaw Industries Group Inc.‘s Tuftex division, Santa Fe Springs, Calif., has
released a pro-carpet video series to the company’s retailer partners.

Jeanologia, Spain, has launched a new website, located at jeanologia.com.

Pasadena, Calif.-based
Avery Dennison Corp.‘s Avery Dennison Medical Solutions business unit, Chicago,
has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its BeneHold™
Chlorhexidine Gluconate Transparent Film Dressing.

The
American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC), Research Triangle
Park, N.C., is now accepting applications for the 2013 AATCC Concept 2 Consumer® Design
Competition, Ooh La Leggings! For more information, contact Suzanne Holmes +919-549-3537;
holmes@aatcc.org.

Ventura, Calif.-based
Patagonia Inc. has launched the Common Threads Second Home initiative at its
Portland retail location, where it will accept used Patagonia clothing for trade-in and sale.



Celanese Emulsion Polymers, a division of Dallas-based Celanese Corp., has launched
a new website, located at celanese-emulsions.com.

CelaneseWEb

The homepage on Celanese’s new website.

Mount Holly, N.C.-based
American & Efird Inc. (A&E) has released its 2011-2012 Sustainability
Report.

Chomarat, France, has been certified to the EN 9100: 2009 quality management
standard for the aerospace industry.

Italy-based
Thermore has launched a new website in conjunction with its celebration of 40
years in business. The website, located at thermore.com, features updated graphics and content.

Pawtucket, R.I.-based
Cooley Group has received the 2012 EcoPrint Europe Great Innovation Award for its
Enviroflex™ PE lightweight 100-percent recyclable print media.

The
Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART), Bel Air, Md., has
released Wear It? Recycle It! grade-appropriate educational curricula presenting information on
recycling clothing and other textiles.

Phenix City, Ala.-based
Johnston Textiles Inc. has introduced the Odyssey Collection of upholstery fabrics
in four patterns and color collections.

Cincinnati-based
Cintas Corp. has launched a new website dedicated to its flame-resistant apparel,
located at cintas.com/flameresistantclothing. In addition, the company is accepting applications
through Feb. 28, 2013, for its second annual Cintas & Carhartt Cold Crew Contest, which
recognizes North American workers who withstand tough winter working conditions. Contestants may
apply at cintas.com/carharttcoldcrew.

Modular carpet designer
FLOR Inc., a division of Atlanta-based Interface Inc., has opened retail stores in
Palo Alto, Calif., Scottsdale, Ariz., Denver, Seattle and Toronto.

West Chester, Pa.-based
Price Hanna Consultants LLC has published the report “Spundbonded and Spunmelt
Nonwoven Polypropylene World Capacities, Supply/Demand and Manufacturing Economics 2006, 2012 and
2016.”

New Haven, Mo.-based
MarChem CFI Inc. has introduced Top Notch Elite, a 9-ounce solution-dyed fabric
that offers improved tear strength, abrasion resistance and breathability, as well as good water
resistance.



Bemis Associates Inc., Shirley, Mass., has launched a new website, located at
bemisworldwide.com.

New York City-based
Global Sourcing & Enterprise Apparel (GSEA)
Fashion Group LLC is now operating an apparel manufacturing plant in Lima, Peru. A
video of the company’s history may be viewed at vimeo.com/gseafg/nycperu.

Ann Arbor, Mich.-based
CIMdata Inc. has published two white papers: “Creating Simplicity from Complexity
to Achieve Market Success,” and “Beyond Simulation Data Management.”

Camarillo, Calif.-based
Euro & O’Reilly Corp. has introduced a new line of microfiber household
towels.



Port Logistics Group, Houston, has added 700,000 square feet of warehouse space to
its City of Industry, Calif., retail distribution campus.

November 20, 2012

Near-term Trends

It’s beginning to look like a tolerably good Christmas season. For one, employment has begun to
pick up — though some isolated setbacks can’t entirely be ruled out. Also calculated to loosen
consumer purse strings: Improving family finances. Some of this improvement, of course, is due to
the brightening job situation and modest new hikes. But an even more important factor has been the
rather impressive decline in consumer debt over the past year or two. At last report, for example,
household debt came to 108.5-percent of after-tax income. That’s well under the 129.3-percent peak
noted just before the recent business downturn. Nor does the servicing of this debt seem to present
that much of a problem — with the percent of after-tax income used to pay down loans slipping from
a 2007 peak of 14.1 percent to a relatively low 10.7 percent. Growing household net worth —
currently put at $62.7 trillion — up 17 percent from recession lows — is still another indication
of more spending. Citing all these positives, virtually all forecasters are now predicting a
sizable fourth-quarter sales gain — with the prestigious National Retail Federation calling for a
strong 4.1-percent jump over comparable 2011 levels. Moreover, there’s increasing evidence that the
U.S. textile and apparel industries will be prime beneficiaries. Note, for example: The Institute
for Supply Management’s latest purchasing executive survey, which notes new demand gains at the
grass roots level; and the latest retail sales figures, which are running a solid 5-percent ahead
of last year.


The Employment Impact


Given all the above, it’s not surprising that textile mill workforce declines have slowed
down substantially. More importantly, this trend should persist — into next year and probably well
beyond that point. At least that’s what is suggested in the recently released 2012-13 U.S. Bureau
of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook — a government study providing industry
projections going out through the end of the current decade. To be sure, the numbers for basic mill
products like fibers and fabrics indicate about a 13-percent reduction in labor requirements over
the current 2010-20 decade. But remember, that’s over a relatively long 10-year period. Convert to
an annual rate of change, and that comes to only a small 1-percent-per-year attrition. And this
relatively modest slippage is virtually the same for more highly fabricated mill products like
carpets, home furnishings, and industrial applications. Point to keep in mind: These projected
drops pale in comparison to the much heftier tumbles recorded over the previous 15-20 years. To be
sure, the numbers aren’t quite as encouraging in the downstream apparel sector, where domestic
employment is expected to fall at about a 4-percent annual rate over this extended period. But
here, too, the falloff marks an improvement over some of the previous precipitous declines. In
short, the U.S. textile and apparel industries are expected to continue as major players in U.S.
manufacturing employment through the foreseeable future — with their combined demand expected to
provide a significant 275,000 domestic factory jobs as far out as 2020.


Other Upbeat Signs


This same government report also shows U.S. mills holding their own vis-à-vis the rest of
the economy. Thus, the 1-percent annual rate of decline in mill employment projected for the
2010-20 period is pretty much duplicated by expectations of a similar slippage in the aggregate
U.S. manufacturing workforce. Meantime, another aspect of labor -productivity, or output per worker
— also indicates that textiles are doing well compared to the rest of the economy. Most industry
analysts, for example, believe that the 3-percent annual gains in the U.S. industry’s efficiency
over recent years will continue through the remainder of the decade. That’s actually a full
percentage point above new government estimates for overall U.S. manufacturing productivity. A few
words are also in order on some other positive implications of these expected efficiency gains. For
one, it suggests that mill unit labor costs won’t be rising, since these efficiency advances should
easily offset projected pay boosts of almost the same magnitude. Put another way, it means that
mill unit labor costs should remain basically unchanged. Another upbeat inference can be drawn by
comparing textile’s expected 3-percent annual productivity gains to the considerably smaller
1-percent annual slippage in the industry’s employment noted earlier. The implication here: an
actual increase in mill output over the next few years. While Textile World feels this could be a
bit optimistic, it’s still another indication of a continuing viable U.S. industry.

November 20, 2012

Combed-cotton Ring-Spun In High Demand

Demand for yarn continued to be strong through the first few weeks of November, with combed cotton
ring-spun in particularly high demand.

“The ring-spun business remains very strong, fortunately,” said one spinner. “Combed cotton
ring-spun has very limited availability right now. Several companies in the Western Hemisphere are
growing their ring-spinning operations to take advantage of the demand. I really don’t see that
changing in the near future. Even so, there are still not a lot of companies in the United States
that produce combed-cotton ring-spun. In the short-term, there’s just not enough combed-cotton
ring-spun to go around. That’s actually created a pretty good situation for those companies
producing the yarn.”

Another spinner noted: “I see some producers in Latin America moving toward producing more
cotton products. That will alleviate some of the demand pressure eventually, but it’s not a quick
fix.”

Despite the high demand, however, prices are still below where they need to be, one broker
said. “It seems like old-hat to be talking about it now, but the price fluctuations in raw
materials over the past couple of years still makes customers wary. A number of them were stuck
with high-priced orders when the bottom fell out of cotton prices. They still want us to sell to
them at unrealistically low prices. A lot of us can’t even make yarn at the prices they want to
pay.”

With demand such as it is, spinners need to pay careful attention to customer relationships,
said one industry insider. “We’ve worked hard over the past decade to get back some of the business
that had previously gone to Asia. We’ve built our niche upon quality and quick-turn. But if our
customers can’t get the product they need from us, they will go elsewhere. It becomes really
important to make sure customer relationship management is a top priority.”

Added another spinner: “The dynamics of the ring-spun market have placed a premium on
communication. The capacity versus demand deficit, paired with limited inventories, has resulted in
various scheduling challenges for our customers. The ability to understand these complications and
our capability to offer solutions has been an important component of customer service.”

He added, “The retail prospects determine the demand for the textile environment. Currently,
the market opportunities promote ring-spun product. It is important that these requirements are
fulfilled in order for the momentum for Western Hemisphere sourcing to be maintained.
Communication, understanding, and responsiveness are required to maintain the momentum.”


Cotton Prices Continue To Fall


Although considerably more stable than in the past year, cotton prices continue to fall,
broken only by occasional week-to-week increases. For example, for the week ended November 15,
prices averaged 67.27 cents per pound, up from 65.41 cents per pound the previous week, but down
from 70.70 cents per pound in late September and 97.30 cents per pound from the same week of
November a year ago.

“Even though the cotton market is considerably more stable than it was a year ago, our
customers keep seeing these small declines and become even more resistant than ever to paying a
reasonable price,” said one spinner. “It’s a battle right now that’s just hard to fight. The choice
can come down to either refusing to sell or standing down production, neither of which is to the
spinner’s advantage. Perhaps, if we have a strong holiday season in consumer spending and retailers
anticipate higher demand for products in the new year, we will see this loosen up a little. But,
for right now, it’s really tough to create any margin.”

November 20, 2012

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