Composites Germany Joins The EuCIA

FRANKFURT — April 7, 2014 — Composites Germany, the trade association founded in 2013, has replaced the AVK — Industrievereinigung Verstärkte Kunststoffe e.V. (Federation of Reinforced Plastics) as a member of the EuCIA (European Composites Industry Association).

Through its membership of the EuCIA, Composites Germany will be able to represent the interests of the German composites industry even more broadly at the European level. Importantly, it also provides European representation for German companies operating in the area of high performance composites/CRP via the EuCIA.

Dr. Elmar Witten, Managing Director of the AVK and Spokesman for the Management of Composites Germany will retain his position on the board of the EuCIA. Composites Germany was founded by four major organisations in the German fibre reinforced composites industry: AVK — Industrievereinigung Verstärkte Kunststoffe e.V. (Federation of Reinforced Plastics), Carbon Composites e. V. (CCeV), CFK-Valley Stade e. V. (CFK-Valley) and Forum Composite Technology in the VDMA (VDMA). With a total of over 750 member companies in these four organisations, Composites Germany is the largest national association under the European umbrella of the EuCIA.

The EuCIA is the umbrella association of the European composites industry representing the national composites associations and their member companies in Europe.

Posted April 7, 2014

Source: AVK-TV GmbH
 

Yazoo Mills Increases Production Capacity

NEW OXFORD, Pa. — April 1, 2014 — Over the past few years, the increase in demand for Yazoo’s products has pushed their manufacturing lines to full capacity. With this high increase in demand for paper tubes and cores, Yazoo Mills is expanding production capacity by adding two additional winding lines. The addition will increase their total winding lines to 12, which is the largest number of winding lines under one roof in the United States.

The addition of the two new lines will create more scheduling flexibility, add production capacity, and will assist the company to enhance efficiency with processing more orders. Yazoo Mills is nationally recognized for their swift turnaround time and this additional capacity will guarantee its customers will continue to receive this level of service. The delivery and implementation of the two new winding lines is expected by June 2014.

Posted April 7, 2014

Source: Yazoo Mills
 

Lenzing AG Appoints Thomas Riegler To The Position Of Chief Financial Officer

LENZING, Austria — April 7, 2014 — The Supervisory Board of Lenzing AG appointed Thomas Riegler (44) to serve as the company’s new Chief Financial Officer for a period of three years effective June 1, 2014.

Born in Graz, Thomas Riegler studied business administration and has accumulated more than 20 years of professional experience in the field of financial management. He worked for Roland Berger Strategy Consultants and held top international management positions in the Daimler Group. For example, he contributed his expertise to the restructuring of Chrysler, and served as CFO of Mercedes-Benz Belgium Luxembourg N.V. Subsequently he spent three years as the CFO of the publicly listed company Centrotherm Photovoltaics AG, and most recently as CFO and Commercial Director of Spheros Holding GmbH.

Thomas Riegler has excellent contacts to international banks and financial institutions, and boasts capital market expertise along with experience with companies undergoing a phase of transformation, operational and strategic reorientation or restructuring.

As a consequence, the Management Board of Lenzing AG will consist of four members as of June 1, 2014: Peter Untersperger (Chairman of the Management Board, CEO), Friedrich Weninger (Member of the Management Board, COO), Robert van de Kerkhof (Member of the Management Board, CCO) and Thomas Riegler (Member of the Management Board, CFO).

Posted April 7, 2014

Source: Lenzing
 

IAF & OECD Discuss Implementation Of Due Diligence In The Apparel Industry

ZEIST, Switzerland — April 7, 2014 — The IAF is investigating working with the OECD on the practical implementation of due diligence principles for the apparel industry, leading up to a Conference about the subject in September.

Last week, Monday March 31st, the IAF was invited to be present at a Ministerial meeting of the Dutch Trade and Development Minister, Lilianne Ploumen, with her French counterpart, Minister Nicole Bricq. The meeting, held in Paris, produced a common statement by the two Ministers, calling for an international partnership for corporate responsibility. Also present at the meeting was Secretary General Gurria of the OECD. The OECD’s Guidelines for responsible business are central to the international approach envisioned by the Dutch and French Ministers.

The IAF’s Global Responsibility action plan calls for IAF’s active support in creating a harmonized global framework for dealing with labour conditions and sustainability in the apparel industry. Potentially this framework could be the ‘due diligence’ principle, which features centrally in the UN’s Ruggie Guiding Principles and in the OECD’s guidelines.

Due diligence helps companies to delimit the extent of the actions that may reasonably be expected of them.

Posted April 7, 2014

Source: IAF

 

New DACRON® Brand Identity, Web Site Launch At Pillow Fight Day

KENNESAW, Ga. — April 3, 2014 — Continuing to build on the global strength of the DACRON® brand, INVISTA will unveil a new brand identity and an enhanced web site for their world-renowned fiberfill brand at International Pillow Fight Day at Washington Square Park in New York on Saturday, April 5.   Before the pillows fly at 3 p.m., consumers can stop by the Dacron traveling slumber party to check out the new look, experience the comfort of bedding with Dacron fiberfill, and pick up valuable freebies (while supplies last). 
 
The branded Dacron bedroom-on-wheels will be located on University Place at 9th Street, just north of the park, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  The traveling slumber party is outfitted with a custom-made logo’d headboard along with comfy pillows, comforters and a mattress pad of Dacron fiberfill provided by Hollander Sleep Products.  Dacron brand “Fans” will participate in traditional slumber party games, engaging people on the street and encouraging people to follow the brand on social media.
 
Filmmaker Henry Roosevelt, whose most recent project, Native Boy, took First Prize for Fiction in the 35th Annual National Short Film & Video Competition of the 2013 USA Film Festival in Dallas , will be capturing the activities for dacron.com and Dacron brand social media pages.  Executive Producer Briana Bleecker — a filmmaker in her own right, whose short thriller, GOUGE, will have its world premiere on April 18 in New York City – has been retained to ensure the slumber party not only reflects DACRON® brand values but resonates with consumers and retailers.
 
The new Dacron brand identity, developed after a year of consumer research conducted with almost 2,000 targeted bedding customers, is soft, fresh, modern and natural.  Those surveyed agreed that the stylish design conveys the comfort, quality and trustworthiness which have been the hallmarks of Dacron brand for generations.
 Dacron
The expanded dacron.com web site features information on Dacron fiberfill products and technologies, as well as consumer education pages and an engaging, friendly blog on sleep topics.  The site will have separate consumer and trade entry points to improve the visitor experience and provide access to specialized content developed to appeal to each audience.
 
“We believe this brand strategy will provide the foundation for the Dacron brand to continue to drive innovation and excitement as a contemporary leader in the bedding market,” said Roberto Fontanillas, global business director for Invista’s Performance Bedding Products Business.  “We are building clear and concise brand messaging to reflect unique Dacron brand differentiators around the world, and to help our customers leverage that differentiation.”  The full array of Dacron fiberfill technologies and brand extensions have been integrated with the brand’s new look and feel.
 
Posted April 3, 2014

Source: Invista
 

Walking The Innovation Talk At George C. Moore

SAN SALVADOR — March 31, 2014 —  George C. Moore El Salvador has launched “¡Prende Tu Foco!,  an internal innovation initiative that seeks to promote creative thinking throughout the company in order to develop new profitable and sustainable ways to deliver quality narrow fabric solutions.  “Throughout the years we have received many ideas that have emerged spontaneously from many of our associates that have allowed us to serve our customers in a better manner. This year, George C. Moore has decided to allocate resources in developing our employee’s creative skills and  to establish formal channels and criteria to allow employees to share their ideas and to receive recognition for going the extra mile.We are proud to have passionate, energetic and creative people in our workforce that are always ready to take on the challenge of innovating” said Andrew Dreher, Senior Vice President.

This innovation initiative seeks to  give all 415 employees the liberty to propose new ideas not only in their respective areas of responsibility but in all the departments of the company. They are looking forward to encouraging an atmosphere of constructive dissent in which anyone can challenge anything  while also promoting teamwork and the formation of cross-functional teams to present their ideas to the Evaluation Committee. Innovative ideas can be aimed at reducing costs, reducing lead times, entering new markets, creating new applications and  new value added services for narrow elastic products.

A. Dreher  also mentioned that “this is a very challenging initiative to implement but we are willing to take the challenge. It is not so easy to ‘walk the innovation talk’, to go from words to actually developing a credible infrastructure that nurtures, evaluates, implements and recognizes new ideas presented by our employees”.

George C. Moore Co. has excelled as one of the best textile plants in El Salvador in terms of quality, on-time delivery, innovation and excellence. In 2013 they we were recognized by the Embassy of the United States of America in El Salvador with the Award for Corporate Excellence 2013 and by Fruit of the Loom Inc. with the Supplier Innovation of the Year Award.  “Public recognition is the result of all the hard work, dedication and creativity of the 415 people that work for this great company” said Jaime Campos, General Manager.

Senior management recognizes that despite all the awards and recognition the company has received throughout the years they acknowledge the fact that there is still great potential to grow, improve and overcome many challenges as a result of a highly competitive market and ever changing demands from current and potential customers. 

Posted April 3, 2014

Source: George C. Moore
 

The Rupp Report: The World Of Consulting

The Rupp Report doesn’t know if this happens in other industries too: Media people — and certainly people in important positions in the textile industry — often encounter people who either retired or were forced to retire. These persons often have a remarkable record of achievement, and some of them don’t want to stop working. In other words, they want to stay in the industry and remain important; and, why not, make some money. So what is the solution? Consulting! The author remembers very well along his entire working life as a writer meeting retired people who offered their knowledge to the public or to the trade magazine. Ninety-nine percent of these offers were refused for a single reason: the industry should be managed and led by people who are in the business every day, know the pace of the textile industry, and are not retired and living in the past.
 
Know-how From Yesterday …
There are many examples in the business world of consultants who engulfed companies in the abyss. The list of companies in trouble due to bad consulting seems to be virtually endless. However, there are other enterprises that have acted with a proven track record as consultants for decades. One of the leading enterprises in textile consulting is the Switzerland-based Gherzi Group. In April 1929, Dr. Giuseppe L. Gherzi, who came back from a stay in the United States, laid the foundation for the current Gherzi Group, by creating the Gherzi Textil Organisation AG. As a young economist, equipped with experience gained in the U.S.-American textile industry, Gherzi recognized the vast industrial engineering consulting potential in Europe. Very soon, he was aware of the great importance of policies of cost competitiveness and of a clear organizational structure of industrial plants. This awareness led to the start of the management and operational consulting sector of the group.
 
Another milestone came in 1948: The advantages of integrating industrial planning and plant construction with technological and organizational concepts grew and became increasingly apparent, leading to the formation of Gherzi Engineering Zürich Ltd. The result was the ability to offer a full range of advisory services in the technological, organizational and engineering areas.
 
During the 1990s, the Gherzi Group expanded its activity into logistics and planned some of the most modern fully automated warehouses for retail as well as large-scale distribution. At the threshold of the second millennium, the Gherzi Group started to assist its clients with corporate finance activities and introduced new consulting services related to Clean Tech.
 
… And Today …
Today, the Gherzi Group is managed by the founder’s two grandsons, Francesco and Giuseppe Gherzi, and includes five different market segments: Management Consulting; Engineering; Logistics & Supply Chain; Corporate Finance; and Clean Technologies.
 
According to grandson Giuseppe Gherzi, “Since the beginning as the first consulting enterprise focusing on the global textile industry, the company has developed into an integrated group with the areas of management consulting, strategic development, engineering, logistics and supply chain and corporate finance.” The group claims to be a leader for strategic and engineering development and expansion of companies in the textile industry from production to retail.
 
Important sectors also include textile machinery manufacturers, textile associations, financial institutions and private equity funds, governments, world aid Institutions, and development banks. Giuseppe Gherzi confirms that the company went quite satisfactory through the turmoil of the financial crisis.
 
For the constantly growing sector of technical textiles and nonwovens, the group provides strategy, merger and acquisitions, operational improvement, and R&D support. As a matter of fact, and this was written many times by the Rupp Report and confirmed by Giuseppe Gherzi, technical textiles have developed into a major growth industry worldwide, already representing more than 50 percent of the entire textile production in certain countries like, for example, Germany.
 
Among the cornerstones of the consulting activities are industrial projects. According to Gherzi, his group was the first engineering company to provide industrial engineering consultancy in several fields. Today, the areas covered include textiles, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, investment, and consumer goods.
 
… And Tomorrow
Giuseppe Gherzi mentions that “since 85 years the Gherzi Group has offered to the industry international, independent and integrated consulting services, ranging from strategy to operational assistance, corporate finance, as well as engineering and logistics.” Both Gherzi brothers see a growing demand from European companies for services to optimize their plants in Europe and Asia. “Increasingly, global companies demand European know-how, especially in the area of engineering, operations and logistics,” adds Francesco Gherzi.
 
Recently, Gherzi reinforced its presence in Germany by opening a second office in Rottweil to answer the growing demand for engineering and logistics services. The group’s office in Krefeld, Germany, offers services related to strategy, management and operational consulting.
 
The company’s press release announcing the opening of its new office states that “Gherzi Wolak Engineering GmbH, located in the historic centre of the city of Rottweil, develops and implements modern engineering and architecture projects for industrial, commercial, public and private clients. The company is majority owned by the Gherzi Group and the team consists of architects, engineers and draftsmen. This integrated approach gives the client the advantage to work with a single service partner, i.e. general planner. Apart from the classical engineering and architectural services in accordance with German, European and International standards, the following services are provided: integrated planning for industrial buildings; energy concepts with energy consulting; quality management; project coordination, project management and controlling; safety and health coordination, following construction site ordinance standards.”
 
April 1, 2014

SYFA Announces Spring Conference Details

The Arlington, Va.-based Synthetic Yarn And Fiber Association (SYFA), a non-profit organization comprised of individuals affiliated with the synthetic yarn and fiber industry, will host its spring conference titled “USA Textiles and Technology: Moving Forward” April 3-4 at the Sheraton Airport Hotel in Charlotte.
 
Joe Quinn, senior director, public affairs and government relations, Walmart Stores Inc., will give the keynote presentation. Quinn currently is helping Walmart’s effort to bring manufacturing and jobs back to the United States after the company committed to spending $10 million over the next five years to fund research grants in an attempt to find solutions to complex problems facing U.S. manufacturers. Additionally, over the next 10 years, Walmart has committed to buying $250 billion worth of U.S.-made goods, and at the end of the 10-year period, expects to be spending $50 billion more each year on U.S.-made goods than it currently spends. Quinn has assisted Walmart in multiple significant company initiatives including hiring 100,000 veterans over five years, and rolling out Walmart’s $4 generic drug program. Quinn was a co-recipient of the 2007 Walmart Sam Walton Entrepreneurial Award for his work with the generic drug program.
 

Julie Reiser, president and cofounder of Made in USA Certified® will give a special presentation on April 3. Made in USA Certified is a third-party, independent certification company for “Made in USA,” “Product of USA” and “Service in USA” claims. Reiser promotes herself as an expert on manufacturing in the United States and has received attention from national media channels in both television and radio.
 
Other participants in the conference program include Stephen Foss, PurThread Technologies Inc.; Mark Cleveland, Swiftwick; Vijay Amirtharaj, Premiere Fibers Inc.; Roger C. Tutterow, Ph.D., Stetson School of Business & Economics, Mercer University; Dina Dunn, T-ChIP; Mike Hubbard, National Council of Textile Organizations; Alasdair Carmichael, PCI Fibres; and Nikki Brooks, Goulston Technologies Inc.
 
More information about the conference can be found at thesyfa.org.
 
April 1, 2014

USTR Creates Blogs For T-TIP Stakeholders, Investor-State Dispute Settlement

The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has posted two new blogs.
 
“Stakeholder Consultations, Investment and the T-TIP [Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership]” may be accessed at ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/blog/2014/March/Stakeholder-Consultations-Investment-and-the-TTIP.
 
“The Facts on Investor-State Dispute Settlement: Safeguarding the Public Interest and Protecting Investors” may be accessed at ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/blog/2014/March/Facts-Investor-State%20Dispute-Settlement-Safeguarding-Public-Interest-Protecting-Investors.
 
March 27, 2014
 

BRAC USA Establishes The Bangladesh Humanitarian Fund

BRAC USA — the North American branch of Bangladesh-based nongovernmental antipoverty organization BRAC, formerly the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee — has launched a multi-year fundraising initiative to ensure continued progress on humanitarian aid and support for workers in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment industry. The initiative comes nearly one year after the Rana Plaza building collapse on April 24, 2013, which claimed the lives of more than 1,100 Bangladeshi garment workers.
 
The Bangladesh Humanitarian Fund will focus on three areas: supporting the Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund, which is open to donors globally and provides financial support for victims of the building disaster and their families; continuing support of BRAC’s work in providing counseling and rehabilitation to garment workers; and setting up a reserve that can be used to help workers affected by other tragedies such as the Tazreen Fashions Factory fire in late 2012, which killed 112 workers in Bangladesh.
 
“The Rana Plaza tragedy was a wake-up call for the world that shocked our collective conscience,” said BRAC USA President and CEO Susan Davis. “Even 11 months after Rana Plaza, more support needs to be provided to victims and their families. Delays have taken place for a variety of reasons, but rather than looking back, we’re moving forward on common ground, and with a clear message: A better path is possible, and we can help create it.”
 
“Bangladesh has seen significant gains in living standards, halving poverty rates in the last 20 years, thanks largely to women’s empowerment,” said Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, founder and chairperson, BRAC. “The garment industry has played a tremendous role in this. But these gains will mean little if we allow tragedies like Rana Plaza to continue. The words ‘Made in Bangladesh’ should be a mark of pride, not shame.”
 
The Bangladesh Humanitarian Fund to date has raised more than $5 million, with support from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation, Asda, The Children’s Place and the Gap Foundation; and provided a $2.2 million grant to the Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund. BRAC USA also will use contributions to make grants in support of BRAC’s continued work beyond providing financial compensation to affected garment workers by including counseling and job training for those workers who survived Rana Plaza, Tazreen and similar disasters but who cannot or choose not to return to the ready-made garment industry.
 
April 1, 2014
 

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