Highland Industries Marks 50 Years At Cheraw, S.C., Facility

Highland Industries Inc., a Greensboro, N.C.-based industrial and automotive textiles manufacturer,
recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of its Cheraw, S.C., manufacturing facility, which
includes fabric forming and aqueous finishing capabilities and is said to be the largest airbag
manufacturing facility worldwide. Festivities included a traditional southern barbeque that was
attended by employees, company leaders and community officials.

Highland Industries was founded in 1940 as Burlington Industries Industrial Fabrics Co., and
the Cheraw facility was built in 1961. In 1988, the company and the plant were acquired by Takata
Corp. — a Japan-based manufacturer of automotive safety systems including airbags, seat belts,
interior parts, electronics and other related products — and was renamed Highland Industries.
According to the company, the cooperative spirit of its employees and a commitment to innovation
and technological advances have helped it survive the challenges brought by lower-cost competition
in other countries. In addition, the leadership of Takata Corp., including Juichiro (Jim) Takada
and his son, President and COO Shigehisa Takada, has been very important to Highland Industries’
success.

“The personality of Cheraw is one to be held up and admired,” said Shigehisa Takada in an
address to those attending the celebration. “Since I first came here nearly a quarter-century ago
when my father first purchased the facility, the consistent things I see are the people, some I
recognize still here today. The building and the machines have changed, but many of the people have
remained. This stable and dedicated workforce is a unique trait, and that togetherness and
commitment has helped to make you the success you have become. Combining individual pride with a
commitment to teamwork is a winning combination, and that is what Cheraw represents.”

As part of the celebration, Cheraw Mayor Andy Ingram presented Takada with a key to the city
of Cheraw and declared April 10 to be officially recognized each year as Takata Day in Cheraw.

“This has been a tremendous day for all of us,” said David Jackson, president and COO,
Highland Industries. “What made it extra special was we celebrated this milestone appropriately
with our company’s corporate leaders in attendance — especially Mr. Shigehisa Takada. Plant
leadership, employees, and the community representatives have all worked together over the years to
make Cheraw a shining example of what can be accomplished through constant teamwork. It has been
said that in order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.

“We have had a very strong and dedicated team with tremendous leadership over the years who
are undaunted by challenges,” Jackson continued. “That type of dedication is what has kept us
moving forward over the past half-century, and is what will drive us to the challenges of the next
50 years.”


HighlandTakada

Takata Corp. President and COO Shigehisa Takada addresses attendees at Highland Industries’
Cheraw Plant’s 50th anniversary celebration.

May 8, 2012

Dell’Orco & Villani Introduces Twin Carding Opener

Dell’Orco & Villani S.r.l. — an Italy-based manufacturer of fiber blending equipment and
machinery and plants for recycling textile waste materials — has introduced the Twin Carding Opener
(TCO) fiber carding and opening machine. A revision of the company’s CO single drum opener, the
state-of-the-art machine features two cylinders that work in tandem as well as a number of
peripheral working rollers.

The TCO comprises two sections: the first featuring two feed rollers with rigid wire
clothing, a main cylinder that can be clothed with rigid wire or supplied with lags and pins, and
three working rollers with rigid wire clothing; and the second featuring a main cylinder and five
working rollers, all with rigid wire clothing. According to the company, the different combinations
possible for wire clothing choice, speed options and the distance setting between rollers and main
cylinders enable flexibility in the machine’s applications, allowing opening of a range of
nonwovens production waste — even that which usually cannot be processed on comparable machines on
the market. The machine is available in either a 1,500-millimeter (mm) or 1,000-mm working width,
and can be fed either manually or by a chute feed or regular hopper feeder.

Dell’Orco & Villani reports the machine uses only 20 percent of the power usually
required for comparable operations; offers high productivity; and has a low footprint.

May 8, 2012

Reyes Groupe Acquires Swisstex France

France-based industrial company Reyes Groupe has acquired all the assets of SwissTex France S.a.s.
— a manufacturer of twisting, assembling, cabling, covering and winding machinery for technical
and textile yarn markets, and formerly part of the SwissTex group also including SwissTex
Winterthur AG, Switzerland. Going forward, Reyes will operate the company under the name Verdol.
SwissTex France has been operating under a Chapter 11-type regulation of the French courts.

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. The new owner believes
this knowledge will help it enhance Verdol’s technological, commercial and financial strength.

“Verdol and its teams, which we renewed our confidence for the quality of work in recent
years, will be able, given the new resources that we put now at their disposal, to bring you again
a better service and remove the failures of the past,” said Reyes Groupe CEO Christophe Reyes and
Verdol General Manager Jean-Claude Gnonlonfoun, in announcing the acquisition.



May 8, 2012

Azonprinter Debuts Direct-To-Garment Printing Solution

Croatia-based Azonprinter d.o.o. has debuted a direct-to-garment printing solution that is faster
and less energy-consuming than the current Azon models, requires little maintenance and produces
textiles with a soft touch. The printing solution uses new INVI inks, which require no primer and
facilitate printing on dark garments, the company reports. It comes in sizes A2+ as well as A1,
which has exchangeable dual platens designed for industrial production and large quantities.

May 8, 2012



Albany International To Sell PrimaLoft® Products Business

Albany International Corp., a Rochester, N.H.-based advanced textiles and materials processing
company, has announced plans to sell all assets of its PrimaLoft® products business to Albany,
N.Y.-based PrimaLoft Inc. — a company recently established by the current PrimaLoft management team
in partnership with Prudential Capital Partners L.P. The $38-million transaction is expected to be
completed by the end of the second quarter of 2012.

PrimaLoft® man-made insulations and yarns are used in home furnishings, outdoor and fashion
brand products, workwear, and military applications.

“This transaction, following the sale of Albany Door Systems and the integration of Paper
Machine Clothing and Engineered Fabrics earlier this year, completes our efforts to simplify our
‘cash and grow’ corporate strategy and structure,” said Joseph G. Morone, president and CEO, Albany
International. “For our friends and colleagues at PrimaLoft Products, who have so successfully
grown and positioned PrimaLoft as a leading global brand, they will have the opportunity to
continue to grow with the support of Prudential, while building on the strong foundation they
established as a part of Albany International over the last 20+ years.”

“This is an incredible opportunity for the future of PrimaLoft and I am excited to again
work with PrimaLoft and the management team,” said Michael Joyce, former president, Albany
International’s Applied Technology Group, who will become president and CEO of PrimaLoft.
“PrimaLoft has grown to become the world leader in performance insulations and yarns. This move
will enable PrimaLoft to continue to grow by making the necessary investments in the brand to
maintain its leadership position in the marketplace.”

Primaloft will retain its entire global team, as well as its headquarters in Albany and
European offices in Italy and Germany.

May 8, 2012

Teijin Develops World’s First Mass-production Aramid Nanofiber – Promising Material For Heat-resistant Separators In Batteries

TOKYO — April 26, 2012 — Teijin Techno Products Limited, a Teijin group company producing advanced
aramid fibers, announced today its development of the world’s first mass-producible aramid
nanofiber to offer reliable heat and oxidation resistance together with high quality. Until now,
aramid nanofibers have been produced only in laboratories, so this first commercially viable
product represents a significant step forward in the evolution of this promising new material.

Teijin Techno Products’ nanofiber, which is uniformly sized with a diameter of just several
hundred nanometers is based on Teijin’s proprietary Teijinconex® heat-resistant meta-aramid. It
will be marketed in the form of nonwoven sheet for separators in lithium ion batteries (LIBs).
Commercial production is targeted at 2014. 

Teijin Techno Products’ highly heat-resistant aramid nanofiber sheet maintains its shape even
at 300°C. It is also highly resistant to oxidation. Such features are expected to enhance the
safety of high-power, high-capacity, energy-dense LIBs for vehicles and stationary storage,
offering significant advantages over conventional separators in terms of reducing the risk of
ignition in high-capacity, energy-dense applications.

Other features that Teijin Techno Products expects to achieve with aramid nanofiber nonwoven
sheet for battery separators include:

–       High porosity promotes smooth mobility of the
electrolyte, resulting in higher output and faster charging.

–       Large surface area, a feature of nanofibers, as well as
high porosity, hold the electrolyte effectively to maintain battery performance at low
temperatures, when ion conductivity drops.

–       As a nonwoven sheet, absorbs electrolyte more rapidly
than conventional polyolefin-based separators, helping to shorten the time required to pour
electrolyte into the battery, thereby reducing the production cost of large batteries.

Teijin

Teijinconex® aramid nanofiber separator

Teijin Techno Products expects to develop other applications for its thin, heat-resistant
aramid nanofiber sheet, such as separators for capacitors; high-performance, heat-resistant
filters; and heat-resistant cleaners for office automation equipment.

The Teijin Group has also developed two types of separators based on porous polyethylene
film, one coated with a fluorine-based compound for high heat-resistance and adhesion to polymer
electrolyte, and the other coated with Teijinconex® meta-aramid for excellent heat-resistance and
dimensional stability, both of which will be commercialized in June under the Lielsort™ brand. The
addition of aramid nanofiber sheet will further strengthen Teijin’s presence in the high-end LIB
separator market.

Posted on May 8, 2012

Source: Teijin Group

Fusion Customers To Support Eco-Charities, Help Ford Through REPREVE Save 2 Million Plastic Bottles From Landfills

DEARBORN, Mich. — May 3, 2012 — Customers who buy the new 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid, Fusion Energi
plug-in hybrid or Focus Electric can automatically give back to eco-charities while helping save
fuel and landfill-destined plastic water bottles.

Through the REPREVE® Gives Back program, a portion of REPREVE sales are donated to one of
four environmental nonprofit organizations. The charitable program is offered by Unifi Inc. (NYSE:
UFI), supplier of the REPREVE-branded recycled fiber being used in the seat fabric of the new
Fusion hybrids and 2012 Focus Electric. 

“REPREVE Gives Back is a natural fit for Fusion hybrid customers who already are contributing
to a better world by saving fuel while driving and keeping water bottles from landfills,” said
Carol Kordich, Ford’s lead designer of sustainable materials. “Ford is committed to delivering
vehicles with leading fuel efficiency while targeting at least 25 percent recycled content in seat
fabric across our lineup.”

The four environmental nonprofits that customers can designate are:

•           Keep America Beautiful –
creates a cleaner, greener America, from national parks to community gardens and everywhere in
between

•           Conservation Alliance –
protects North America’s last wild places by supporting conservation work at the local level

•           American Rivers – protects and
restores America’s rivers and the full variety of life they sustain

•           Rocky Mountain Institute – an
organization working to accelerate the profitable transition from fossil fuels to efficiency and
renewables

Through the REPREVE Gives Back program, Ford customers and supporters can help determine how
the funds will be distributed among the four nonprofits. To vote, customers must “like” REPREVE on
Facebook and click the “Gives Back” tab to get a passcode. At www.repreve.com, customers can vote
for their favorite environmental cause and learn more about the authentic recycled fiber of choice,
REPREVE.

“We are excited to continue to work with Ford on integrating the REPREVE product into new
vehicles, like the Fusion. It is important to align with companies that share the same vision and
strategy around recycling. A core part of the REPREVE brand is generating awareness around the
importance of recycling, helping to increase the U.S. recycling rates and giving back through our
REPREVE Gives Back program,” said Roger Berrier, president and COO of Unifi. “Unifi’s REPREVE Gives
Back program helps to create the consumer connection between recycling and environmental
sustainability.”

REPREVE is made from a hybrid blend of post-industrial and post-consumer waste. Each Focus
Electric seating interior contains the equivalent of about 22 recycled plastic bottles made of PET
(polyethylene terephthalate) – the technical name of the plastic of which the bottles are made –
while Fusion hybrids feature nearly 42.

In addition to recycling waste that otherwise could have ended up in landfills, REPREVE
reduces energy consumption by offsetting the need to use newly refined crude oil. REPREVE fiber
meets all Ford design and comfort requirements to help ensure the Fusion hybrids and Focus Electric
meet the company’s high performance standards. 

Unifi and Ford also are working together to set up plastic bottle collection points within
Ford facilities in Michigan and California – bottles that could be part of the more than 2 million
plastic bottles that will be recycled into REPREVE for fabrics in the Fusion and Focus Electric in
their first model years.

Eco-conscious solutions

Ford’s “reduce, reuse and recycle” commitment is part of the company’s broader global
sustainability strategy to reduce its environmental footprint while at the same time accelerating
the development of advanced, fuel-efficient vehicle technologies around the world.

Over the past several years, Ford has concentrated on increasing the use of nonmetal recycled
and bio-based materials whenever possible, provided these materials are environmentally favorable
in the specific application. Examples include soy foam seat cushions and head restraints, wheat
straw-filled plastic, castor oil foam in instrument panels, recycled resins for underbody systems,
recycled yarns on seat covers and natural-fiber plastic for interior components.

In addition to Ford, REPREVE can be found throughout many products made by some of the
leading brands and retailers, including Polartec, Life Khaki, The North Face, Patagonia and Blue
Avocado. Learn more at www.repreve.com and follow REPREVE on Facebook.



Posted on May 8, 2012

Source: Repreve

Zepol Launches New Import Trade-Compliance Tool: ComplianceIQ™

MINNEAPOLIS — May 1, 2012 — Zepol Corporation, the leading trade intelligence company, has released
its latest and much anticipated trade data tool, ComplianceIQ™. This new product helps U.S.
importers adhere to U.S. government import regulations. ComplianceIQ™ is a unique solution to find
all the information trade compliance professionals need in order to bring a product into the United
States; it combines multiple import-compliance datasets within one online interface, which allows
users to find the exact information they need, for specific HTS Codes.

“We’re very excited to offer a product that eases the U.S. import process,” states Zepol’s
CEO Paul Rasmussen, “ComplianceIQ™ users can view product classifications, search by binding
rulings, tariffs, quotas, antidumping duties, and more, which helps businesses identify the best
import opportunities, and reduces the risk of import penalties.”

ComplianceIQ™’s vast amount of information can be used to: classify your own products, see
how competitors classify their products, view applicable duties and quotas, and better demonstrate
due diligence if an audit occurs. This tool saves both time and money and even allows you to
proactively monitor government updates via scheduled emailed reports.

Zepol offers a free trial of ComplianceIQ™ and its entire suite of trade-data tools. For more
information, a free trial, or free demonstration, click
here.



Posted on May 8, 2012

Source: Zepol Corp.

Finalists Named For Fifth World Of Wipes Innovation Award™

CARY, N.C. — May 4, 2012 — Four finalists have been selected to compete for the World of Wipes
Innovation Award competition being held as part of the annual World of Wipes (WOW) Conference, set
for June 5-7 at the Hotel InterContinental in Chicago, Illinois.

The annual WOW Conference, organized by INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry,
is devoted solely to wipes, with a concentration on substrates, active ingredients, packaging,
market metrics, industry challenges and market opportunities, particularly in Asia and Europe. The
World of Wipes Innovation Award recognizes and rewards the industry members who bring new and
value-added processes and products to the wipes market.The four finalists, chosen from products
nominated by the industry, are:


Fibertect® High-tech Nonwoven Wipes, Oil and Vapor Sorbing Wipe, from Hobbs Bonded
Fibers.
 The multilayered wipe has both absorptive and adsorptive properties, a unique combination
that is needed to have both liquid wiping and toxic vapor holding capability. Fibertect’s structure
gives enough flexibility to vary the fibers in the nonwoven layers and can also be functionalized
to achieve antimicrobial characteristics and absorb different chemicals, acids and bases. 




Raptor SAFE-T® Wipe (Substance Activated Fast Evaluation Technology), from Raptor Detection
Technologies, LLC.
 SAFE-T Wipes quickly and easily detect explosives and provide a simple colorimetric indicator
for the user and are available to military, law enforcement and first responder organizations
worldwide. SAFE-T technology uses molecularly imprinted polymers that act as functional sensors to
detect multiple explosives in a single wipe. 




Table Turners® No-Rinse Sanitizing Wipes, from Sani Professional®.
 Table Turners No-Rinse Sanitizing Wipes (TTSW) are a total cleaning solution for foodservice
operations. The product is EPA-registered and meets guidelines for both front-of-house and
back-of-house cleaning and sanitizing of food contact surfaces. TTSW is a cost-saving replacement
for the traditional, cross-contamination prone, reusable “rag and bucket” solutions. 


Clean & Cream® Wet Wipes Cream Dispenser, from Wetnaps Ltd.
 Wetnaps is offering wipes with nappy cream all in one package. The wipes travel pack
includes a container of baby cream, for quick and efficient baby or cosmetic use. Inside the
plastic lid, which covers the wipes exit, there is a compartment with eight grams of cream. The
compartment is part of the package and can be refilled until wipes ran out.

The four finalists will give 10-minute presentations during WOW 2012 and attendees will then
vote on the recipient of the 2012 World of Wipes Innovation Award. The Award will be presented
during a session on the final morning of the Conference.

Full registration for INDA members is $1350 and $1895 for non-members. Networking
Registration, which allows access to the two evening receptions and table-top displays, is $595 for
INDA members and $695 for non-members.

For more information on the 2012 World of Wipes International Conference: 
http://www.inda.org/events/wow12/index.html.  



Posted on May 7, 2012

Source: INDA

ICA Bremen Announces New ‘Cotton Classing & Testing’ Training

BREMEN, Germany — May 2012 — ICA Bremen — the global centre for cotton testing, research and
quality related issues — has announced a new training initiative for this July in Bremen, Germany.

Taking place from 3-11 July 2012, the training covers a series of modules delivered by
industry experts; from classifying various growths of cotton to practical HVI training on the
latest equipment — including Uster 1000 and Premier ART2.

Speaking in advance of the training, ICA Bremen Managing Director, Mr Kai Hughes, explains:
“Having recognised that there is a growing demand for training in this area, we have developed a
comprehensive, interactive and unique training programme which concentrates purely on quality
issues in raw cotton.”

The programme is aimed at individuals who wish to gain an in-depth knowledge in cotton
classing and testing. Delegate places are limited to 12 so early booking is advised.

Full details, including an application form, can be found at www.ica-bremen.org.

Posted on May 3, 2012

Source: ICA Bremen

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