Greensboro, N.C.-based intimate apparel and hosiery manufacturer and marketer Kayser-Roth Corp. is
investing up to $28 million to expand its Burlington, N.C., and Asheboro, N.C., plants, which
manufacture legwear under its signature No nonsense® brand. The expansions are part of the
company’s No nonsense Sock Initiative with Walmart, which is expanding its Made in the USA program.
In addition to expanding the facilities and installing equipment, Kayser-Roth will add 50 jobs at
each facility.

Kayser-Roth produces more than 90 percent of its No nonsense tights, socks and sheer hosiery
in the United States. The expansion will increase production capacity for that brand by 30 percent.

“Walmart is proud to be working with suppliers like Kayser-Roth to increase domestic
production and create jobs that will support the middle class,” said Bill Simon, president and CEO,
Walmart U.S. “Growing business with existing suppliers supports our goal of purchasing an
additional $50 billion in U.S. manufactured products over the next 10 years.”

“The No nonsense Sock Initiative with Walmart represents a business model demonstrating our
mutual commitment, cooperation and trust with all stakeholders in creating more jobs and more Made
in the USA products,” said Kevin Toomey, president and CEO, Kayser-Roth Corp. “We’ve figured out
how to make a better product at a better price here in America, and working with Walmart has been a
tremendous asset in creating more jobs here at home. Together we are making a difference…one job
and one consumer at a time.”

September 10, 2013

Auburn Manufacturing Inc. (AMI) — an Auburn, Maine-based developer, manufacturer and marketer of
textile products for extreme-temperature industrial applications — has begun construction on a
22,500-square-foot expansion of its Kittyhawk manufacturing facility in Auburn. The company is
investing $1.4 million to nearly double the size of the facility and add a number of employees.

“The new expansion will not only facilitate our current growth, it also will provide the
extra space we need for our continued focus on innovation, particularly in the areas of coatings,
nanotechnologies, and heat protection enhancements,” said Kathie Leonard, president and CEO, AMI.
“With this new expansion we will have the opportunity to continue developing the most advanced,
safest and high-quality flexible barriers against extreme-temperature challenges.”

AMI recently unveiled product enhancements to its line of Ever Green® R/R insulation covers,
including Ever Green HS for hot service, Ever Green ET for elevated temperature, and Ever Green CHW
for chilled water systems. The company also has added products to its hot work line, including
AMI-TUF® TR translucent heat and fire barrier for data center protection, hot and cold aisle
containment, and hot work containment enclosures; a line of extreme barrier composites for heat
containment; and an expanded line of extreme temperature tapes and tubing for the pyrotechnics
industry.

AMI expects the expanded Kittyhawk facility to be fully operational this month, and already
plans an additional facility expansion in three to five years. The company’s Mechanic Falls, Maine,
manufacturing plant is currently running at full capacity.

September 10, 2013

The 2013 ITMF Annual Conference opened on September 8 in Bregenz, Austria. The overall theme is
“Rebalancing the Power between Manufacturing and Retail.” After the first day of the conference, it
was quite astonishing to see how much the attitude of this inner circle of the classic cotton
market has changed.

The New Approach

Years ago at an ITMF conference, it was virtually not allowed to mention the generic name of
a man-made fiber such as polyester or polyamide. However, over the last few years, the organizers
have even invited speakers from the man-made-fiber world and their fibers and yarns businesses.

For many decades, cotton was a raw material second to none, with a unique market position. In
this context, every man-made fiber was considered to be an enemy of cotton. Today – fortunately –
the cotton community is watching very carefully the fiber trends around the world, and their
respective applications. For an outside observer, it is amazing to see how the cotton industry is
looking at itself to hold its undisputed but challenged position in the global fiber market.

The ICAC View

In his remarkable opening speech for the Cotton segment of the conference’s Fiber Session,
Terry Townsend, Ph.D., soon-to-be-leaving executive director of the International Cotton Advisory
Committee (ICAC), gave an overview of the present and past situations in the cotton industry. He
mentioned the crucial situation in August 2011, when cotton prices skyrocketed. However, he
emphasized that prices today are back to a relatively stable level. Some years ago, the prices
among the major competing fibers – such as polyester filament, viscose (rayon) and cotton – began
to get closer. Today, he mentioned, cotton prices are sometimes higher than viscose prices. On the
other hand, the market share of cotton in apparel and home furnishings has dropped from around 75
percent down to some 55 percent.

Among the major concerns for the cotton industry is the ongoing discussion about
sustainability. Townsend asked the audience how one should measure and read sustainability. He
strongly urged the whole production chain to take this issue very much into consideration. Only if
the whole production chain takes care of this ever-more important matter will it be possible to
maintain the existing trust and confidence for cotton in the future.

Better Than Its (Current) Image

Fritz Grobien, president of the Bremen Cotton Exchange, talked about “The New Meaning of
Sustainability.” The Bremen Cotton Exchange organizes one of the most renowned cotton industry
gatherings with its biennial International Cotton Conference. Grobien underlined the importance of
what Townsend said – that the whole upstream production chain must become active in order to reach
the target for the cotton industry. He spoke about the fear of people on Main Street regarding some
environmental issues relating to cotton. Probably one of the most important issues today is that of
genetically modified products. One may understand that some people hesitate to eat genetically
modified food, and today even to wear genetically modified cotton. Some other common concerns in
the textile industry from the consumer side are prices, child labor, use of pesticides, water
quality, global warming and food additives.

Grobien said that today, more than 29 million hectares of land are used to grow cotton in the
Northern Hemisphere. Regarding cotton growing, the farmers have succeeded in the past years to
reduce the following:

• land use – 30 percent;
• soil erosion – 68 percent;
• water for irrigation – 75 percent; and
• energy – 36 percent.

Grobien strongly emphasized the fact that the textile chain must deliver what the customer is
asking for. As he said, “There is no excuse for the retailers not to know where their goods are
coming from.” At the end of the day, it is the customer who decides about sustainability,
traceability and confidence in a product. Grobien’s conclusion was that the industry is responsible
for securing production and demand.

It is obvious that the cotton community in all four corners of the world is very much
concerned about the image and the future of the industry. The people involved have been talking
about this concern for some 10 years so far. At the ITMF conference, it was apparent that the
situation is very much in mind, and some minds are really changing.

September 10, 2013

Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Canada-based Crailar Technologies Inc. has announced plans to
acquire a European fiber dyeing facility that has been in operation for more than 30 years in one
of Western Europe’s most prolific flax-growing regions.

The facility can produce more than 250,000 pounds of CRAiLAR® Flax fiber weekly, and its
capacity can be expanded. In exchange for the facility, Crailar Technologies would retire
approximately $1.2 million of the vendor’s debt over three years. Crailar also would sign a 10-year
lease with the option to purchase the building housing the facility, with a renewal option for
another 10 years.

“Acquisition of this facility would accelerate our production timeline by six to nine months;
eliminate construction risks inherent with a ‘green field’ project; and substantially reduce the
capital required to achieve one million pounds per week of capacity,” said Ken Barker, CEO, Crailar
Technologies Inc. “The plant is also is located in an area known for flax growing excellence,
thereby providing an abundant source of feedstock, and ties in perfectly with our European flax
fiber sourcing initiative.”

Last year, the company started Crailar production at its first fully integrated
commercial-scale facility in Pamplico, S.C.
(See ”
Crailar
Set To Start Up Pamplico Processing Facility,
TextileWorld.com, November/December 2012).

September 10, 2013

TenCate Advanced Armor — a division of the Netherlands-based Royal Ten Cate NV — has introduced the
TenCate Multi-light™ CX Plus series of ultra-lightweight ballistic inserts for soldiers and law
enforcement personnel.

The technology combines advanced composite materials with state-of-the-art aerospace
technologies to offer what TenCate reports is the lightest-weight insert available that provides
protection from AK47 Mild Steel Core (MSC) guns. The 750-square-centimeter inserts weigh less than
1 kilogram and are less than 15 millimeters thick; and are certified to the National Institute of
Justice’s Ballistic Resistance of Personal Body Armor NIJ Standard-0101.04 level III plus AK47 MSC.

September 10, 2013

Wichita, Kan.-based fibers and polymers manufacturer Invista and Portugal-based computational
biology company SilicoLife have agreed to work together to develop new technologies for the
creation of bio-derived processes for industrial chemicals production.

The collaboration will take advantage of Invista’s biotechnology and catalysis capabilities
and knowledge of the chemicals industry, as well as SilicoLife’s in silico metabolic engineering
and rational synthetic biology capabilities to develop biobased chemicals. Initial efforts will
include a focus on bio-derived production of butadiene.

“We anticipate this collaboration with SilicoLife will help us accelerate our timeline to
develop new bio-derived processes for a range of industrial chemicals – helping us further improve
our cost and sustainability position in this area,” said Warren Primeaux, president, Invista
Intermediates.

“The collaboration with Invista combines our state-of-the art engineering expertise with
Invista’s world-class research team to accelerate the design of optimized microbial strains for the
cost-effective production of industrial chemicals from renewable feedstocks,” said Simão Soares,
CEO, SilicoLife.

September 10, 2013

Concept III Textiles, Red Bank, N.J., and China-based Dry-Tex Textile Co. Ltd. have partnered to
offer customers the ability to create lightweight, supple “packages” comprising two or three layers
of performance textiles.

Dry-Tex, founded in 2005, specializes in the production of ultra-lightweight laminations and
works with customers to develop multilayered fabrics using their own or locally or otherwise
sourced fabrics and technologies. Customers may also work with Concept III to develop fabric
concepts.

Dry-Tex offers quick turnaround including accelerated fabric sourcing, lab dips and sampling.
The company recently teamed with another local textile company and is in the process of installing
new equipment and expanding facilities, with expectations of tripling its laminating capacity.

September 10, 2013

WASHINGTON — September 9, 2013 — This afternoon, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman reached
out to a broad cross-section of stakeholders to join him on a call to discuss the Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP) negotiations. As U.S. negotiators press forward to complete a high-standard trade
agreement that levels the playing field for U.S. workers and businesses in Asia-Pacific trade,
Ambassador Froman set the stage for a deeper level of engagement with these and other stakeholders
in the weeks and months ahead.

 

“We very much view stakeholder input, whether through our cleared advisers or other
stakeholders, as absolutely critical,” said Ambassador Froman. “We’re at a stage in TPP where we’re
going to have to make difficult decisions. I imagine that not everyone will be 100 percent pleased
with every decision, but we can guarantee that we will seek your input, we will consult with you.
We won’t make these decisions in isolation. And we will be proactive about getting your
participation in this process.”

 

More than 170 participants, including stakeholders from key sectors such as business, labor,
environment, public health, academia, advocacy groups, and some members of USTR’s Trade Advisory
Committee system participated in the call. Many asked and received information about the status of
U.S. proposals and prospects for advancing various issues in the talks — from agricultural market
access to intellectual property — in the near future.

 

Ambassador Froman said that TPP negotiators have been working “around the clock” to keep
moving forward toward an agreement. He noted that negotiations over number of sensitive issues will
likely take to the end of the talks; he also reviewed the facts on the new U.S. proposal on tobacco
in the TPP, which will for the first time in a trade agreement acknowledge the impact of tobacco on
public health and include measures to address the issue. Ambassador Froman said that October
meetings on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Bali, Indonesia would be
“an important milestone” in the process, offering a chance for Leaders of the TPP countries to come
together and offer guidance to trade ministers and negotiators on dealing with remaining issues
with the goal of finishing the negotiations this year.

 

USTR Froman underscored the President’s focus on making trade a driver of America’s economic
recovery and a pillar of our future economic stability. He called the President’s trade agenda bold
in scope, emphasis, and in ambition, with TPP as the cornerstone of the Obama Administration’s
economic policy in the Asia-Pacific region. He committed to keep Americans informed and involved in
the negotiating process as efforts continue this year.

Posted September 10, 2013

Source: USTR

LUBBOCK, Texas — September 9, 2013 — The latest information on cutting-edge research in fibers,
finishes, technical textiles and nonwovens will be featured in the forthcoming international
conference in Mumbai.

United States based American Association of Textile, Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) today
announced the final conference program of its international conference in Mumbai to be held on
October 1-2, 2013. The conference is jointly organized by Bangalore-India based TecniTex Nonwovens
Pvt Ltd.

During the two day packed event, overall 36 presentations will be made. The conference
provides plenty of opportunities for the speakers and delegates to interact and network during many
interactive/coffee breaks in addition to the two interactive lunch breaks.

The conference will begin on October 1st with a plenary talk on the latest trends in
technical textiles, market information and technological developments.

In addition to the plenary talk, three keynote presentations from leaders in the field will
be made which includes, multi-functional textiles for military, biax fiberfilm meltblown technology
and functional mosquito repellent finishes.

28 oral presentations will be delivered in sessions that will deal with new developments in
natural fibers, composites, functional finishes, sustainable textiles, dyeing and finishing, sports
textiles, technical textiles and quality control.

The conference will take place at The Orchid, Nehru Road, Vile Parle East in Mumbai. The full
conference schedule is available at:

http://www.aatcc.org/events/India_2013_Conference/India_Conference_2013.htm

The conference will provide latest and timely information on value-added textiles spanning
the entire fiber to technical textiles supply chain. The organizers hope that the two day event
will enable transfer of research ideas and spearhead the growth of value-added textiles sector.

Posted September 10, 2013

Source: Texas Tech University

TOKYO, Japan — September 9, 2013 — Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd., the Teijin Group’s fiber-products
converting company, announced today that it will establish Teijin Frontier Myanmar Co., Ltd. in
Yangon, Myanmar, on October 1 to strengthen Teijin Frontier’s overseas operations and also to
further expand the company’s global network.

The new company, in which Teijin Frontier will hold a 99% share and Teijin Frontier Thailand
the remaining 1%, will handle production management for Teijin Frontier’s overseas manufacturing
network, explore opportunities for new production facilities and conduct domestic market research.

“Myanmar is seen as a promising China-plus-one market, and as we focus on strategic global
expansion this year, the establishment of this new company will help reinforce sewing productivity
and improve our production management capabilities,” said Tetsushi Takenaka, president of Teijin

Frontier. “Teijin Frontier will continue to strengthen its global value chain from raw
materials to finished products.”



Posted September 10, 2013

Source: Teijin Ltd.