Class never goes out style. This very well-known saying is valid not only for fashion. In times of
way too many exhibitions, seminars and other “not to be missed” events, the Dornbirn Man-Made
Fibers Congress in Dornbirn, Austria, is an exception. Since its inception, the conference has
changed a lot.



Communicating The Textile Future

The 48th Dornbirn Man-made Fibers Conference will take place September 16-18, 2009. Its main
motto is “Communicating the Textile Future,” and climate change is one of its main issues.
Furthermore, despite the effects of the financial and energy crises on the economy and subsequent
cost-saving measures, there is still a possibility of a positive future. According to organizers,
the conference dedicates “the time to reflect and develop models for solutions: How to implement
more quality-minded, innovative, sustainable, environmentally-friendly, resource-saving findings
from industry and academic research into optimized manufacturing processes and multi-functional,
market-suitable products.”

Closer To Reality

In the beginning and for many years, the Dornbirn event was a get-together for chemists and
physicists only. The papers were on a scientific level that was hardly understandable. This has
changed in the last 20 years, and the change is the main reason for its ongoing success. The
congress is the leading European/American man-made-fibers industry event and maintains access to
the impressive potential of the industry and the scientific and technical potential of universities
and institutes for the largest-possible audience of innovators, opinion leaders, developers,
product managers and students.

The conference focuses on issues of current interest, not only for the papers but also for
networking. Usually, more than 600 to 700 experts from all over the world come together in
Dornbirn. Topics include: new developments in fibers; fibers for medical and hygiene applications;
fibers for composites, transportation and professional wear; fibers used the context of climate
change; and European Union research projects.

Climate Change Of Major Interest

Climate change is one of the main topics. Communication among the participants will be
facilitated through lecture modules and – fortunately – a slight decrease in the total number of
presentations. The plenary session on the first day will include among others a lecture by the
Bavarian State Collection for Soology referring to the topic: “Climate Change – Biological View.”
The American Chemical Society will present a paper on “Green Chemistry.” And the German Association
of Composite Manufacturers will present market-development trends for composites. Last, but not
least, the European man-made fiber association, The International Rayon and Synthetic Fibres
Committee, will discuss development strategies for the European man-made fibers industry.

According to the organizers, the event is keeping prices at last year’s level but would like
to link it with an appeal to all decision-makers and persons responsible for the budget to actively
support its endeavors. Participants who register by May 31, 2009, will receive an early bird bonus

For more information, visit
www.dornbirn-mfc.com.

February 24, 2009

France-based Protex International, a producer of chemical and biochemical specialties for a variety
of industries, has developed a dye bath additive for reactive and direct dyeing of 100-percent
cotton and polyester/cotton blend fabrics. According to Protex, Prote®-Gal EDR promotes an even dye
strike with an on-tone uptake and buildup of dye leaving dyestuff yield unaffected; is suitable for
use in dye recipes containing dyes that have different strike rates and affinities for cellulose
fibers, especially in difficult dye recipes such as those for bright shades; prevents differential
dyeing of abraded cotton fabrics, which is common when high-molecular-weight dyes, such as
phtalocyanines, are used; and is recommended when a small shading addition is made to match a
target color.

February 24, 2009

State College, Pa.-based NanoHorizons Inc. has appointed Toshinobu Hirohata as an authorized sales
and technical support agent in Japan for its SmartSilver™ nanoscale antimicrobial additive for
textile, healthcare, coatings and plastics applications.

“SmartSilver has been proven effective, durable and safe, and is cost effectively integrated
into the manufacturing process,” Toshinobu Hirohata said. “For these reasons, there is a growing
interest and demand in the Asian market to use SmartSilver for a variety of applications, including
hosiery, functional garments, sports apparel and medical textiles. I look forward to providing
customers with the unique performance features of SmartSilver.”

February 24, 2009

Greenville-based wool yarn spinner Kentwool has installed a solar electricity generation system at
its manufacturing facility in Pickens County, S.C. The 15.6-kilowatt system – designed and
installed by Greer, S.C.-based Sunstore Solar Energy Solutions – creates electricity from sunlight
using 72 photovoltaic panels mounted to track sunlight as it passes from east to west. According to
Kentwool, the phase-one installation generates enough power to offset all office and corporate
functions at its 100,000-square-foot headquarters, and is designed in a way that allows for future
expansion.

“Having such a bold corporate vision statement demands an innovative approach to everything
we do, including how we use resources to fuel our operations,” said Mark Kent, president and CEO,
Kentwool. “Integrating cutting-edge, environmentally friendly technologies such as solar power into
how we conduct business is an exciting step for Kentwool. We didn’t want to just talk about caring
about the environment; we wanted to begin doing our part in a high-impact way – and felt this was a
great time to continue investing in our company’s future, while increasing our overall efficiency
level.”

Kentwool’s sustainability initiatives also include recycling raw and unused production waste
materials into products such as industrial fabrics and blankets; and research collaborations with
Clemson University scientists on eco-friendly manufacturing processes.



March/April 2009

After denying the crisis for a while, the results are quite clear: The world is in trouble.
Everything in the modern economy is now questioned. After a long period of negotiations, the world
finally agreed to the new World Trade Organization treaty, which was implemented this year.
However, this agreement was made under the presumption of an ever-so-flourishing economy, in which
hard-working people were often sacked for the benefit of a company’s financial performance and
shareholder value, and finance jugglers became the richest men in the world. Who shouted Madoff?
Those days are gone now, probably forever.

China’s Dropped Exports …

In the last 10 years, China became the textile powerhouse of the world. Exports soared by
double digits every year. This is history, too. Like many other countries, China is planning
multibillion-dollar packages for its petrochemical and textile sectors as part of efforts to help
key sectors through the global economic crisis.

China wants to spend 100 billion renmimbi (US$14.6 billion) by the end of 2010 to upgrade
refineries for cleaner fuels – a very good idea. It will invest a further 400 billion renmimbi on
20 new projects related to the fuel-upgrading initiative, as well as on the overseas acquisition of
oil and some fertilizer assets.



… Provoke A Stimulus Package

The Chinese government also is drafting a stimulus package for the textile industry,
including preferential loans, to boost sales and create new jobs. The plan already has been
submitted to the State Council, and it is expected to be issued soon. As with many other countries
in Asia, China’s textile industry had a tough year in 2008, with profits in the first 11 months
falling by 1.8 percent. This is considered to be the first decline in a decade.

To fight these Eastern stimulus packages, some countries are talking again about
establishing new quota systems for textile products, despite the years it took to abolish them. In
the United States, the new Obama administration said China’s trade surplus is unacceptable, and it
wants Beijing to help balance flows. But China opposes any return to the quotas that shortened its
textile exports to the United States and Europe. China, so a senior Chinese official said, is
seeking steady growth in those exports despite weak prospects for 2009.

The Same Old Story

Washington and the European Union set quotas to restrict Chinese-made textiles and garments
in 2005, claiming the lapse of previous global restrictions was giving way to a surge of cheap
products from China that threatened Western manufacturers. Those agreements with China lapsed at
the end of 2008. And now, in these rough times caused by the global economic slowdown, some US and
EU industry groups have called for new limits or quotas.

The Chinese are not very amused. A senior Chinese Ministry of Commerce official told an
official Chinese newspaper that China’s textile companies are having enough trouble already but
would exercise voluntary discipline to avoid any export surge. “We believe that after 2008, textile
trade should stand by the principles of free trade and importing countries should not erect more
trade barriers,” the official said.

A Dull 2009

In 2008, China’s textile and garment exports were worth US$185 billion. Year-on-year, this
was 8.2-percent more than in 2007, but the rate of growth fell 10.7 percent for 2008. According to
Xinhua, the official news agency, in November 2008, China’s textile exports fell 3.8 percent
year-on-year to less than US$5 billion. Higher labor costs, the rising value of China’s currency
and weakened export demand are the major reasons for a more pessimistic future for the Chinese
textile industry. But with some 20 million jobs in the textile sector, China wants and needs growth
in textile exports.

It seems the textile industry is back to protectionism and economic war. This was meant to
be gone a long time ago, but it seems the governments are lacking better ideas to stimulate the
industry than to put up new barriers. And I wonder how the big retailers in the West want to fill
up their shelves if the Chinese textile industry is in trouble. Who will pay the higher price? The
Western consumer is not ready anymore to pay a decent price for a decent piece of work. And
finally, why weren’t barriers erected for the financial industry before the system collapsed?

Any comments? Write to
jrupp@textileworld.com.

February 17, 2009

Textile industry representatives in Washington believe two “Buy American” provisions in the
economic stimulus package will preserve or create thousands of jobs in the industry.

The final version of the legislation includes the Kissell Amendment, sponsored by freshman
Congressman Larry Kissell, D-N.C., that requires the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
and the Coast Guard to purchase domestically produced uniforms, and a broader “Buy American”
measure requires US sourcing for iron and steel and manufactured products. There are conditions
attached to both measures. “Buy American” regulations will apply if they do not violate any US
obligations under international trade agreements or if it can be shown that the products needed are
not available from domestic sources. Supporters of the legislation insist that it does not violate
any such agreements. In addition, the iron and steel requirement will not apply if the domestic
goods would increase the overall cost of a construction project by more than 25 percent.

Karl Spilhaus, president of the National Textile Association, said the long-sought
requirement for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to purchase domestic goods can be
expanded to include agencies other than TSA and the Coast Guard to include Customs and Border
Protection, the Secret Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency and the US Citizenship and
Immigration Services.

A statement by a number of textile trade associations and UNITE HERE says the reason the
Kissell Amendment applies only to TSA and Coast Guard purchases is that the United States is a
signatory to the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Government Procurement that prohibits
those types of restrictions except where exceptions are made. The United States has the option to
exempt agencies critical to national security, and it has done so with respect to TSA and the Coast
Guard. The Kissell Amendment would allow the Obama administration to exempt other DHS agencies
should it desire to do so.

As the stimulus bill cleared Congress, Auggie Tantillo, executive director  of the
American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition, said that for every $100 million spent annually
under the Kissell Amendment, 5,000 jobs in the textile industry will be preserved or created.
Addressing the impact of the broader “Buy American” provision, Scott Paul, executive director of
the Alliance for American Manufacturing, cited a recent study that says an estimated 33-percent
more manufacturing jobs will be created with exclusively domestic sourcing of iron, steel and
manufactured materials. Cass Johnson, president of the National Council of Textile Organizations,
said that section of the legislation would benefit the textile industry because of a “substantial
amount” of geosynthetics and other textile products used in highway construction.

February 17, 2009

Switzerland-based Testex® Swiss Textile Testing Institute – an independent, accredited testing
laboratory that provides a variety of services to textile companies and others in related fields –
has acquired a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence
analysis (EDX). The SEM can reveal the cross-section and surface characteristics of a fiber, yarn
or filament; and the EDX makes it possible to identify individual chemical elements in minute areas
of the sample being tested. Both of these features make the SEM suitable for assessing damage
claims or performing cashmere analysis.

February 17, 2009

Genencor – a manufacturer of enzyme product solutions for a variety of industries, and division of
Denmark-based Danisco A/S – has introduced PrimaGreen® EcoFade LT100 for the textile industry. The
enzyme, suitable for denim bleaching and shading, incorporates a new laccase and new mediator into
a single product that comes ready-to-use. According to the company, PrimaGreen EcoFade LT100 allows
textile manufacturers to perform bleaching operations at low temperatures and neutral pHs, which
reduces chemical and rinse water use and also saves energy. The product is the first in a planned
series of textile processing solutions from Genecor to help improve the sustainability of the wet
processing sector.

“We estimate that with the new technology, textile processors can save up to 90 percent of
heating energy used today in the denim bleaching process,” said Glenn Nedwin, executive vice
president of Genencor’s Technical Enzyme Business Unit. “We believe this represents a significant
cost saving, which can be further enhanced by combining the low temperature cellulase technology of
the Genecor IndiAge Super products. This means that the whole process of abrasion, shade adjustment
and bleaching of denim can be done without any need for heat and/or steaming in the process. Lower
energy consumption also means about 90-percent lower [carbon dioxide] emissions from the same
process stage.”

Because certain components used in this new laccase/mediator product are awaiting regulatory
approval in various regions, the product currently is available on a geographically limited basis.

February 17, 2009

Portland, Ore.-based Pendleton Woolen Mills is celebrating its 100th anniversary. The family-owned
company opened its first woolen mill in Pendleton, Ore., in 1909, and since then has woven hundreds
of thousands of Indian trade blankets, purchased mainly by American Indians. The sixth-generation
of the Bishop family manages the company today, which still weaves fabric and specialty woolens for
home and apparel collections at its own US mills.

The company launched its “Weaving America’s Spirit Since 1909” celebration at the site of its
original mill, where it hosted a rededication and announced upcoming celebrations and the
introduction of commemorative apparel and home collections for Fall 2009.

February 17, 2009

Miami-based Finotex USA Corp. – a producer and supplier of printed labels and heat-transfer and
digital thermal printing solutions – has opened its new production facility in Honduras. Finos
Textiles de Centroamerica S.A. is located in Choloma, in a two-story, 120,000-square-foot facility.

“This expansion was absolutely necessary as the demand for our products and services have
increased remarkably ever since the company started operations in the country in October of 2002,”
said a company spokesperson.

February 17, 2009