Winston-Salem, N.C.-based apparel manufacturer HanesBrands Inc. has announced it is restructuring
its global imagewear business, which sells basic apparel to wholesalers in the screen-print market
and accounts for 8 percent of the company’s sales.

The company will sell the European imagewear division to an affiliate of Smartwares BV — a
consumer goods company based in The Netherlands — for approximately $20 million. With regard to its
U.S. imagewear division, HanesBrands will discontinue private-label production and exit its Outer
Banks brand business, which produces golf, corporate and sportswear apparel for men and women. The
company reports it will work with affected customers on transition plans.

To reflect its new strategic direction, HanesBrands will rename its imagewear operations
branded printwear. That business will focus on Hanes® and Champion® branded products in the United
States, with the expectation of improving operating margins and realizing annual sales totaling
approximately $150 million in 2013.

“We are a branded company,” said Richard A. Noll, chairman and CEO, HanesBrands. “That
includes being committed to branded printwear in the United States where we can partner with our
wholesale customers to take advantage of our strong consumer brands and product differentiation.
With our exit from Europe, we can devote all of our energies to growing our branded portfolio in
core geographies in the Americas and Asia.”



June 5, 2012

FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany — May 2012 — Against the background of an increase in the number of
exhibitors at the last Heimtextil and a positive economic climate in Germany, all the signs are
that Heimtextil 2013 in Frankfurt am Main will be distinguished by a very large number of top
exhibitors. With around seven months still to go before the doors open (from 9 to 12 January2013),
the international trade fair for home and contract textiles is already almost fully booked up.
Moreover, several renowned exhibitors have announced that they will take part in the coming
Heimtextil after a period of absence.”Even at this early stage, we can say that Heimtextil 2013
will be an exceptional event – with numerous top companies that are either making their debut or
returning after a break. The current registration level gives us good ground to take an optimistic
view of the future and underscores the positive developments in the sector”, explains Olaf Schmidt,
Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies, Messe Frankfurt. With 2,634 exhibitors and
growth of 2.4 percent in comparison to the year before, Heimtextil 2012 represented an excellent
start to the new season. The economic statistics for Germany also confirm the upward trend. “The
successful course of business at Heimtextil 2012 and the buoyant economy at the beginning of the
year, which resulted in an increase of a good four percent in sales, reinforce the predominantly
good and confident outlook of the German home-textile industry for the coming months”,adds Martin
Auerbach, Director of the Association of the German Home Textile Industry (Verband der Deutschen
Heimtextilien-Industrie). At the beginning of the year, there was a positive sales trend in the
fields of furniture and decorative fabrics, carpets and bedding. Growth was generated in both the
domestic (2.1 percent)and foreign markets, where the rate of growth was much higher(10.3 percent).
The export quota was 25.3 percent (2011: 23.9percent).

Renowned returnees and new exhibitors

A number of renowned manufacturers have announced they will betaking part in Heimtextil
again. Tissat Deslee from Belgium will be back in the ‘window’ and ‘upholstery’ product groups in
Hall 4.1:”Without doubt, Heimtextil is the most important trade fair for decorative fabrics and the
whole world meets in Frankfurt every January. After a three-year break, we are very much looking
forward to returning to Heimtextil”, says Koen Deruyck, General Manager of Tissat Deslee. Several
returning and new companies are expected at the British Pavilion in Hall 4.1, the première of which
was a great success last January. “We returned to Heimtextil in 2012 and were surprised by the
quality and the variety of visitors to our stand.Hence, it didn’t take long for us to decide to
take part again in 2013”, explains Blair Macnaughton, Managing Director of The Isle Mill.

Exhibitors include key international players

The international sector with its key players meets in Frankfurt am Main every January at the
world’s leading trade fair for textile interior design. The renowned companies to exhibit in the
‘window’ and’ upholstery’ product groups in Hall 3.0 include Albani and Gustav Gerster from
Germany, IFI from Greece and Bandex from Austria.Among the prominent companies presenting the
latest wallpaper,curtains, decorative fabric and furniture fabric segments in Hall 3.1will be
Grandeco from Belgien, Elitis from France, SAHCO Hesslein and Schmitz/Essener Tapete from Germany
and textiles editeur Kobe from The Netherlands. In Hall 4.1, the highlights in the ‘upholstery’
product group will include Rafael Catalá and Manuel Revert from Spain: “Heimtextil is the world’s
leading trade fair with the most visitors, and this is where we meet the majority of our
international customers”, says CEO and proprietor José Ramón Revert. As well, Marta Catalá,
proprietor Rafael Catalá, a longstanding Heimtextil exhibitor, confirms the great interest shown by
international trade buyers at the fair. Among the national and international suppliers of
sun-protection, track and decorative systems in Hall 5.1 are Karl F. Buchheister, Junkers &
Möller and MHZ from Germany and Coulisse from The Netherlands. The textile designer segment at
Heimtextil is also very popular with demand for exhibition space coming from several new studios.



New products for the bathroom, bedroom and table

Visitors can also look forward to product presentations by numerous top companies in the
household-textiles segment. Thus, Billerbeck Betten Union from Germany and Sanko Tekstil from
Turkey will be showing their latest products in the ‘bed’ and ‘bath’ product groups in Hall 8.0.
Among the exhibitors with high-quality home collections in the premium segment of Hall 11 are Curt
Bauer from Germany, Martinelli Ginetto from Italy, Corn. Van Dijk from The Netherlands, Luzmonte 2,
Piubelle and Sorema from Portugal and Eke from Turkey. Kas from Australia will be back again with
bed linen fromDown Under: “As a trend-oriented design company in the home fashion sector,
Heimtextil is extremely important for Kas as a launching pad for our future-oriented trends and
collections”, says Karen David, Director of Kas. “We will be exhibiting again at Heimtextil 2013
because this is where we meet our existing and,hopefully, potential customers.”

Young design in the premium segment

Also in Hall 11 will be ‘New@More’, a presentation area where young, innovative companies can
attract the attention of a large audience of trade buyers. The platform proved to be very popular
at the last Heimtextil. In addition to new manufacturers, Peppa Grace and Robespierre Europe from
Germany will be taking part again and presenting creative bed linen in the premium segment.

Posted on June 5, 2012

Source: Messe Frankfurt

New York City-based materials consultancy Material ConneXion Inc. has named the Netherlands-based
DyeCoo Textile Systems BV winner of the third annual MEDIUM Award for Material of the Year for its
waterless dyeing technology. The MEDIUM award recognizes materials and processes juried into
Material ConneXion’s materials library within the past year that demonstrate outstanding
technological innovation and the potential to make a significant contribution to the advancement of
design, industry, society and the economy.

DyeCoo’s supercritical fluid carbon dioxide (CO2) technology uses recycled CO2 instead of
water, and eliminates the need for auxiliary chemicals and drying. Currently, the technology is
used to dye polyester fabrics, but DyeCoo is conducting research to extend the technology’s
application to other man-made-fiber and natural fabrics as well.

“DyeCoo’s new process has the potential to significantly lower the environmental impact of
dyeing,” said Dr. Andrew H. Dent, vice president, Materials Research, Material ConneXion. “The
elimination of process water and chemicals are a breakthrough for the textile dyeing industry.
Combine that with the reduction in energy use, and the process is twice as fast. The technology can
also improve the quality of the dyed fabric, allows for greater control over the dyeing process,
enabling new dye capabilities and transforming fabric dyeing so that it can take place just about
anywhere. We chose DyeCoo as the winner of this year’s award because it embodies the direction that
materials and processes are taking: sustainability and high performance.”

DyeCoo and Beaverton, Ore.-based athletic apparel, footwear and equipment designer and
marketer Nike Inc. recently entered into a strategic partnership. Nike is implementing DyeCoo’s
waterless dyeing technology in the production of a line of apparel for elite athletes that will be
introduced later this year. Nike’s long-term plans include scaling the implementation to include a
much larger segment of its products
(See “
Nike
To Use DyeCoo Waterless Dyeing Technology On Apparel Line,”
TextileWorld.com, Feb. 14, 2012).



May 29, 2012

As previously reported, the Rupp Report wanted to get some thoughts from the leading exhibitors
prior to ITMA Asia + CITME 2012, and sent out a questionnaire. Soon the answers started to drop in.
The Rupp Report indicated in the questionnaire that the interviews would be published on a
first-come, first-served basis, and Trützschler GmbH & Co. KG was the first company to respond
to the questionnaire. Following are thoughts from Heinrich Trützschler, managing partner of the
well-known German textile machinery manufacturer.

Expectations

Rupp Report
: What do you expect from 2012 in general?


Heinrich Trützschler
: We expect an average business year. Europe is quite weak, the Americas are medium and
Asia seems to be partially good: However, India shows some weaknesses and China is showing less
activity than average.

RR
: What is the biggest change you see in the business this year for your products prior to
ITMA Asia?


Trützschler
: Because of the reasons mentioned above, we anticipate less business in India, and China is
still uncertain — this has yet to be seen. For our products, we see great opportunities by offering
machinery with less energy consumption and higher production.

Influencing Business Conditions

RR
: What conditions are mainly influencing your business?


Trützschler
: Well, there are a few: First of all, the increasing raw material costs for cotton and
man-made fibers. Another still existing problem is the exchange rate; and of course, the political
and economical situation of some countries. And this is the same for our customers. On top of that,
the consumption of textiles in the United States, Europe and Asia is heavily influencing their
business; and, last but not least, the availability of cheap energy.

RR
: How do you see the current market situation in Asia and in China?


Trützschler
: The market situation in Asia — excluding India — is quite stable, even good. As we all
know, China is having less growth than years before, but it is still OK.

New Technology Welcome All Over The World

RR
: Do you face any problems in China?


Trützschler
: The wages are going up, but this is not only in the textile industry. The other well-known
problem is the strong Chinese currency.

RR
: What do you think should be done to solve these problems?


Trützschler
: I think more productivity and better products would help the Chinese textile industry.

RR
: Do you think that the mills are receptive to new technology or are they on the
sidelines?


Trützschler
: They are very receptive to new technology. However, a good price/productivity ratio is also
very important.

RR: Is this the same all over the world?


Trützschler
: Yes, a good product can be successful everywhere.

RR: Let us talk about the green movement and sustainability. Is this a reality for
your customers or not?


Trützschler
: Yes, of course; and if I may say so, I think more and more.

RR
: So how are you helping them to address that issue?


Trützschler
: We provide machines with less energy consumption and machines and technologies with better
raw material utilization.

New Products

RR: Will Trützschler show any true novelty for the first time in Asia?


Trützschler
: Yes, we will. The TC 8 card and TD 8 draw frame. The TC 8 has been specifically
designed for the Asian market and will be built at Trützschler Textile Machinery (Shanghai) Co.
Ltd. The TC 8 is the top card in the card segment with a working width of one meter. It offers high
productivity and sets standards in its segment with regard to energy efficiency.

RR
: What are the special features of the TC 8?


Trützschler
: Depending on the application, the exclusive developments are part of the standard
equipment of the high-production TC 8 card, such as T-Con, the optimization tool for cards;
Magnotop, the magnetic fastening system for flat tops; and Nepcontrol, the online nep monitoring
system.

RR
: And what about the TD 8?


Trützschler
: Well, the Trützschler TD 8 draw frame is equipped with new sensor technology. The new
feed sensor Disc Leveller TD-DL ensures consistently uniform sliver count, and significantly
improves sliver count variation. The new quality sensor Disc Monitor TD-DM in the delivery area of
the draw frame permanently monitors the quality data of the sliver.

RR
: Did you face any problems with product piracy at the last ITMA ASIA and what did you do?


Trützschler
: Oh yes, of course. And we reacted with new and better products. And the outcome of our
action was very successful.

RR
: What will you do if you face product piracy again in Shanghai?


Trützschler
: That depends on the problem.

RR
: In a recent interview with the Rupp Report, show organizers declared that they are
committed to fight against any infringement of product piracy (See “
The
Rupp Report: Successful ITMA Asia + CITME 2012 Anticipated,”
TextileWorld
.com, April 17, 2012). Do you think they will be successful?


Trützschler
: Hopefully.

Trützschler GmbH & Co. KG can be visited in Hall W2, Booth E01 at ITMA Asia + CITME 2012.

May 29, 2012

Wickers Performance Wear — a Commack, N.Y.-based manufacturer of performance fabrics for
fire-resistant base layer apparel — announces its Wickers flame retardant (FR) T-shirts have earned
the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Certified Biobased Product Label certifying that the
shirts contain 97-percent renewable biobased ingredients, which meets or exceeds USDA standards.

The T-shirts are made using the company’s FR fabric — a blend of 50-percent Merino wool and
50-percent Lenzing FR® flame-resistant fiber that is moisture-wicking and provides an arc flash
protection rating of 4.8 small calories of heat energy per square centimeter.

“We are pleased that Wickers Performance Wear has earned the USDA Certified Biobased Product
label,” said Ron Buckhalt, USDA BioPreferred Program Manager. “Biobased products provided
opportunities to help add value to renewable commodities; create jobs in rural communities and
generate investment income.”

Wickers reports it will apply for the USDA Certified Biobased Product label for its other FR
base layer apparel including long underwear tops and bottoms, boxers, and ski hoods.

May 29, 2012

WASHINGTON — May 23, 2012 — William L. Jasper, chairman of the Board and CEO of Unifi, Inc. located
in Greensboro, NC was elected to serve a second term as chairman during NCTO’s ninth annual meeting
held at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC last week.

Bill Jasper was named Chairman of Unifi’s Board in February 2011 and has served as Unifi’s
CEO and member of Unifi’s Board of Directors and the Company’s Executive Committee since September
2007. Prior to his role as chairman, he served as president and CEO, vice president of sales and
general manager of the polyester segment. He joined the company with the purchase of Kinston
polyester POY assets from INVISTA in September 2004. Prior to joining Unifi, Mr. Jasper was the
director of INVISTA’s DACRON® polyester filament business. Before working at INVISTA, he held
various management positions in operations, technology, sales and business for DuPont since 1980.

James C. Self III, president and COO of Greenwood Mills located in Greenwood, SC, was elected
to a second term of vice chairman of NCTO.

Elected to the NCTO Board of Directors during the various Council meetings were the
following:

Fabric and Home Furnishings Council – Norman Chapman of Inman Mills; Jerry Cook of
Hanesbrands Inc.; Allen Gant of Glen Raven, Inc.; Carlisle Hamrick of Hamrick Mills; David Hastings
of Mount Vernon Mills; and Smyth McKissick of Alice Manufacturing Co.

Fiber Council – Donald Burich of INVISTA, John Freeman of NanYa Plastics, and
James Netzel of DAK Americas

Yarn Council – Bill Carstarphen of Pharr Yarns, LLC; James Chesnutt of National
Spinning Company; Trey Hodges of Swift Spinning; Peter Iliopoulos of Gildan; Gilbert Patrick of
Patrick Yarn Mills, Inc.; and Robin Perkins of Frontier Spinning Mills

Industry Support Council – Joni Davis of Duke Energy, Ludovic Petrois of Staubli,
and Bob Sage of Oerlikon Textile




After being elected chairman, Jasper’s first order of business was to announce appointments
to the following offices of NCTO: president and CEO – Cass Johnson, NCTO; secretary – Mike Hubbard,
NCTO; and treasurer – David Hastings, Mount Vernon Mills. He also announced chairmen for the
following NCTO program committees: Cotton – Andy Warlick, Parkdale; Government Procurement – Steve
Hundgen of Glen Raven Technical Fabrics; Regulatory & Standards – Jim Booterbaugh, National
Spinning Company; and Trade & Economic Policy – Allen Gant, Glen Raven, Inc.

The National Council of Textile Organizations, headquartered in Washington, DC with an office
in Gastonia, NC, is the national trade association representing the entire spectrum of the textile
sector. Domestically focused to ensure a prosperous future for the U.S. textile sector and globally
positioned to work effectively with our international allies, NCTO is on the front lines meeting
the challenges of the 21st Century for the industry.

KEY FACTS ABOUT THE U.S. TEXTILE INDUSTRY

• The U.S. textile shipments totaled $53.3 billion in 2011.
• The U.S. textile industry is one of the largest manufacturing employers in the United States,
  the overall textile sector – from textile fibers to apparel – employed over 390,000 workers in
  2011.
• Textile companies employed 238,000 workers.
• U.S. government statistics estimate that one textile job in this country supports three other
  jobs.
• The U.S. textile industry is the third largest exporter of textile products in the world.
  Exports in 2010 grew 13.4 percent to more than $17 billion in 2011. Total textile and apparel
  exports were a record $22.4 billion.
• Nearly two-thirds of U.S. textile exports during 2011 went to our Western Hemisphere free trade
  partners. The U.S. textile industry exported to more than 170 countries, with 22 countries buying
  more than $100 million a year.
• The U.S. textile industry supplies more than 8,000 different textile products per year to the
  U.S. military.
• The U.S. is the world leader in textile research and development, with private textile
  companies and universities developing new textile materials, constructions, product capabilities,
  and functions for textiles that go far beyond basic wearing apparel.
• The U.S. textile industry invested more than $16.5 billion in new plants and equipment from
  2001 to 2010. And recently producers have opened new fiber, yarn and recycling facilities to
  convert textile waste to new textile uses and resins.
• The U.S. textile industry has increased productivity by 45 percent over the last 10 years,
  making textiles one of the top industries among all industrial sectors in productivity
  increases.
• In 2011, textile workers on average earned 151% more than clothing store workers ($575 per week
  vs. $229) and received health care and pension benefits.

Posted on May 24, 2012

Source: NCTO