Tavex Corp. Installs Montex Tenter

Spain-based denim manufacturer Tavex Corp. recently installed a Montex 6500 tenter from
Germany-based A. Monforts Textilmaschinen GmbH & Co. KG. at its facility in Tlaxcala, Mexico,
to increase production of stretched denim. The tenter was delivered and installed by Sattex,
Monforts’ distributor in Mexico.

According to Adalberto Avendano, manager for dyeing and finishing at the Tlaxcala plant, the
Montex 6500 has features that make it particularly suitable for denim production and eliminate
several traditional processing steps. “This really is a tenter that is perfect for denim,” Avendano
said. “Monforts and Sattex installed and commissioned the machine, and trained our operators and
maintenance staff. Now the machine is practically handling itself.”

The installed Montex 6500 has eight chambers and is handling fabric weights ranging from 290
grams per square meter (g/m2) to 460 g/m2 and widths from 170 centimeters (cm) to 180 cm. Avendano
noted that Tavex decided to split production of denim types evenly between its existing tenter at
the plant, which produces standard denim, and the Monforts tenter, which produces stretched denim.
The machines together are processing at a rate of 17 million meters of denim per year, Avendano
reports.

Tavex

The Monforts 6500 tenter at Tavex Corp.’s denim manufacturing plant in Tlaxcala,
Mexico

Four years ago, Tavex acquired Mexico-based denim manufacturer Acotex and its plants in
Tlaxcala and Puebla, and now is upgrading those facilities in an effort to expand its stretch denim
business and increase sales to the U.S. market. According to Avendano, stretch denim is the largest
volume trend in the market, and Tavex’s strategy is to offer denim that is comparable to premium
European stretches but manufactured closer to the U.S. market. He reports that total denim capacity
at Tavex’s Tlaxcala and Puebla plants amounts to more than 20 million meters annually, and 90
percent of that production is sent to the United States, the world’s largest market for denim. The
company also has denim production facilities in Spain, Morocco, Brazil and Argentina.

May 22, 2012

Lectra Launches Kaledo® V3

Paris-based Lectra, an integrated technology solutions provider serving the fashion and soft goods
industries, has introduced an updated version of its Kaledo fashion-specific design software. The
Kaledo® V3 textile design suite for creating prints, knits and wovens allows designers the
flexibility to experiment across fabrics while balancing business objectives and production
constraints.

“Consumers are less convinced by price alone — today they crave something new and something
they can value,” said Anastasia Charbin, marketing director, Fashion, Lectra. “Demand has
intensified for original designs and high quality, which means that fashion companies now face the
double challenge of producing rapidly and meeting consumer desires for something unique. Designers
need a professional tool that allows them to turn inefficiency into design time.”

Lectra

Lectra’s Kaledo® V3 textile design software gives designers more flexibility to experiment
across fabrics.

Kaledo V3 features enhanced yarn shading options that give designers control over
individual colors in any given yarn and enables development of highly realistic yarn and fabric
simulations. The software offers a more structured method of sharing and saving information as well
as enhanced technical report creation owing to new features that update fabric specifications
automatically, thereby eliminating accuracy issues, Lectra reports.

“Design and innovation are the essential ways companies can stand out from the competition
today,” said Daniel Harari, CEO, Lectra. “The newest version of Kaledo meets the absolutely
fundamental need for fast time to market and product quality, while at the same time elevating
design to its proper place as a strategic force for brand success.”

May 22, 2012

Reyes Acquires Swisstex France

Reyes Groupe, France, has acquired SwissTex France S.a.s. — a manufacturer of twisting, assembling,
cabling, covering and winding machinery for technical and textile yarn markets. Going forward,
Reyes will operate the company under the name Verdol.

Reyes has worked with SwissTex for more than 25 years and is familiar with its products and
expertise — including brands such as Verdol, ICBT, Rieter ICBT and RITM.

May/June 2012

Jomar Softcorp Reports Interest In Mobile Apps

Jomar Softcorp International Inc., Ontario, Canada — a developer of Web-based mobile enterprise
resource planning and smart grid utility management software solutions for commercial and
industrial applications — reports increased interest in its mobile apps for technical and
industrial textile products and processes.

The apps enable mobile interaction between management and support staff and provide real-time
information including product sales margins; inventory levels across the supply chain; production
schedules; quality control test results and test history; warehouse shipping schedules;
preventative maintenance/repair schedules; and costs by plant, process and product. The software
also provides mobile field services and sales force support, enabling the user to create sample
product presentations, check inventory availability, produce quotes and confirm print orders.

May/June 2012

Stork To Distribute Klüber Lubrication’s Products

Stork Prints America Inc., Charlotte, is now a distributor of Londonderry, N.H.-based Klüber
Lubrication North America L.P.’s lubricants for the textile printing and coating and graphics
printing industries.

“Stork Prints is providing high-quality printing systems, printing screens and forms, spare
parts and services, and maintenance for both the textile printing and the graphics printing
industries,” said Edward Scheppink, managing director, Stork Prints America. “We feel that the
supply of high-quality lubricants and greases for capital goods will be of complementary value for
our customers, [who] have to deal with more efficiency and at the same time with environmental
requirements. The Kluber lubricants and greases have shown to reduce wear and need fewer changes,
and will contribute to higher machine utilization with less impact on the environment.”

May/June 2012

The Fiber Year 2012 Textiles/Nonwovens Survey Now Available

The Fiber Year GmbH, Switzerland, and Managing Director Andreas W. Engelhardt have released “The
Fiber Year 2012 World Survey on Textiles & Nonwovens.” The report, which has been produced for
more than 50 years, is now being published in cooperation with Lenzing AG, Austria.

According to the report, 2011 global fiber usage totaled more than 51 million metric tons of
man-made fibers and nearly 30 million metric tons of natural fibers. The record-high total of 81
million metric tons represents a 1-percent increase over 2010 fiber usage, and per-capita
consumption of nearly 12 kilograms. Over the last three to four years, man-made-fiber usage has
steadily increased, while natural fiber usage has remained basically flat and begun to decline.

The surge in cotton prices to all-time highs contributed to an overall rise in fiber prices,
although the price differential with polyester has increased. Viscose staple fiber prices were on a
par with cotton prices.

Price levels have trended lower and inventory levels have risen as a result of concerns over
financial conditions in the United States and certain European countries, but these trends have
slowed significantly.

Within man-made fibers, polyester’s market share grew to 73 percent. Cellulosics and
polyamides also gained market share, while polypropylene and acrylic fibers lost share. Aramid,
carbon and elastane fibers are believed to have reached record-high levels, although they comprise
a very small portion of the sector.

In geographic terms, China’s market share is greater than 60 percent. Japan and Indonesia are
believed to have increased production; while India, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand are estimated
to have decreased production. Output in Europe and the Americas also has declined.

May/June 2012

NAT, Lenzing Sign Joint Development Agreement

Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc. (NAT), Vancouver, Canada, and Lenzing AG, Austria, have signed
a joint development agreement under which the two companies will evaluate the blending of NAT’s
enzymatically processed CRAiLAR® Flax fiber with Lenzing’s Tencel® and Lenzing Modal® regenerated
cellulosic fibers. Potential applications for any yarns that might be developed include fashion and
sport performance.

“With Lenzing, we can now evaluate the opportunity to expand the host fibers with which
CRAiLAR can blend to identify new performance attributes, applications and industries,” said Ken
Barker, CEO, NAT. “This partnership will have applications in industry sectors where polyester
fibers have been the norm, in addition to our existing applications as a sustainable complement to
cotton.”

Lenzing and NAT intend to develop a range of yarns that stress the fibers’ sustainability
attributes, leverage each fiber’s water absorption and wicking properties to offer alternatives to
current materials used in athletic and sport performance apparel, and develop a blended yarn
featuring Crailar and Lenzing’s fibers for women’s fashion applications.

May/June 2012

Americhem Debuts NBALANCE™ Product Line

Americhem Inc., Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, now offers the nBALANCE™ line of sustainable color and
additive masterbatches. The company used ASTM International’s standards as a guide when developing
the products, which it reports have a reduced environmental impact, consume fewer natural resources
than comparable products, and use minimal energy in manufacturing and distribution.

The line includes defined palettes and technologies for polylactic acid (PLA) and bio
polytrimethylene terephthalate; a post-consumer recycled renewal additive for polyester; nCore®
chemical blowing agents that reduce raw material usage in the creation of lightweight products; and
natural fibers such as flax for use as fillers and for unique aesthetic effects. The company can
customize all of its sustainable solutions vis-à-vis material, production method and other factors.

Americhem also is developing natural colorants based on organic resources; a line of
non-halogenated flame retardants for polyester; and a general-purpose PLA product line for film and
molded applications.

May/June 2012

Under Armour Collection Features Coldblack® Finishes

Under Armour Inc., Baltimore, has launched a collection of men’s and women’s sports apparel
featuring coldblack®, a textile finishing technology developed through a cooperation between
Schoeller Technologies AG and Clariant International Ltd., both based in Switzerland.

The technology enables dark-colored fabrics to reflect rather than absorb the sun’s rays.
According to Schoeller and Clariant, textiles treated with coldblack reflect up to 80 percent of
heat rays and are guaranteed to offer a minimum ultraviolet protection factor of 30. The technology
is bluesign® approved and meets Oeko-Tex® Standard 100, class I-IV, requirements.

Schoeller and Clariant have developed 144 separate coldblack formulations for a range of
fabrics including knitted and woven 100-percent polyester and blends with elastane and polyamide in
a variety of colors. The fabrics also feature Switzerland-based Sanitized AG’s Sanitized®
antimicrobial fabric finish, which is distributed globally by Clariant.

May/June 2012

Sanitized Upgrades TH 22-27 Antimicrobial Treatment

Sanitized AG, Switzerland, has upgraded its Sanitized® TH 22-27 treatment designed for use with
man-made-fiber and wool fabrics that are in direct contact with the skin and that may require high
durability to washing.

The zinc pyrithione-based treatment works by destabilizing the cell walls of odor-causing
bacteria and deactivating them. Sanitized notes that the active ingredient has been used for years
in cosmetic products and medication, and textiles treated with Sanitized TH 22-27 have been tested
using the human patch test and have demonstrated very good skin compatibility, with no potential
for skin irritation or sensitization.

In addition to providing antimicrobial benefits to apparel, the treatment can be adapted for
use on home, automotive and other textiles.

Sanitized TH 22-27 may be applied during dyeing using exhaust, dispersion, acidic or
metal-complex dyes; and also may be applied during PAD thermosol processes. The treatment has
received bluesign® and Oeko-Tex® Standard 100, class I-IV, certification, and Allergy UK
registration.

May/June 2012

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