PARIS — March 26, 2024 — Chargeurs PCC, an interlining manufacturer, has launched Chargeurs PCC Academy, an education project with an international scope that aims to train the new talents of tomorrow through partnerships with some of the most important fashion schools.
The initiative, which will run throughout 2024, stems from the collaboration with prestigious partners such as Central Saint Martins School in London, Institut Français de la Mode in Paris, Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan and Istituto Marangoni Firenze with others to follow across the globe. Consisting of several cycles of masterclasses, which are to be led by the company’s executive experts, it aims to educate students on the interlining industry, delving into its components, techniques of use and cutting-edge technologies.
The Academy’s main goal is to share the company’s unique know-how and commitment to promoting and upholding the fundamental principles of corporate social responsibility in all its business. The intention is to raise awareness and enrich the debate on the future of the textile industry and the opportunities provided by innovation and CSR policies. Together with the new talents, it will therefore be contributing to the sustainable transformation of the sector.
Gianluca Tanzi, CEO and chairman of Chargeurs PCC, commented: “Today there are no specific courses that train the technicians and engineers working in interlinings’ field: expertise is gained in the company. With the Chargeurs PCC Academy, we want to enhance the educational program by providing in-depth knowledge on what is a key component of any garment, both in terms of performance and fit and its impact on the supply chain and sustainability. Exchanging and debating with leading academics and the students is an opportunity for Chargeurs PCC to further progress its innovation, research and development, discover new talents and pass on professional know how to the future generations.”
The masterclasses will be supplemented by visits to the Chargeurs PCC innovation studios in Paris and Milan. All training sessions are adjusted in collaboration with each school’s faculty to meet the specific needs of their students. At the end of the training cycles, the students will have the opportunity to select materials from the company’s collections to create their thesis projects and end-of-year fashion shows, as well as to receive customized training with the company’s teams of professionals.
To date, Chargeurs PCC Academy involves eight classes of students from the fashion design degree programs of the schools selected. This is the first step in a project that aims to create increasingly customized initiatives in partnership with schools and their students all over the world, to promote innovation in the sector through a trusted dialogue with top experts, talent and the new generations in the industry.
(right to left): Bcentriqe.AI. CEO Alakh Verma; Datatex CEO Ronnie Hagin; and Shannon McCarthy, vice president of Operations and Business Development at Datatex.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — March 26, 2024 — Bcentriqe.AI, a company based in Silicon Valley, Calif., and Datatex, a global developer of ERP applications for textile and apparel manufacturing based in Italy, have announced the partnership to deliver innovative AI-driven business profitability and productivity solutions for textile and apparel manufacturing companies.
Bcentriqe is a boutique AI solutions provider in AI-driven business profitability, productivity and demand predictions solutions, and will offer integrated solutions with Datatex ERP. This strategic partnership will underscore Datatex’ commitments with its 1000+ existing customers to accelerate customer AI adoptions globally.
Bcentriqe Inc. offers ProfitEdge and VisionEdge as its cutting-edge AI-based profitability platform with various offerings for an enhanced demand prediction, production control, inventory, and profitability improvement.
The strategic partnership with Datatex has laid a solid foundation to show case Bcentriqe AI based business profitability system with industry leading ERP solutions for textile and apparel manufacturing companies. The association also solidifies commitment to serve customers globally with Bcentriqe AI powered profitability system with a robust offshore engineering, development center in India, said Alakh Verma, CEO, Bcentriqe.AI.
“We see huge potential of AI based solutions globally across our customers, Datatex has a robust ERP suite with all modules and expertise needed to implement AI-powered solutions with the ERP and Supply chain applications,” said Ronnie Hagin, CEO of Datatex AG. “The combined solution will provide customers with predictable insights and profitability, leveraging AI and Intelligent Process Automation needed for product quality control, smart manufacturing processes and effective supply chain with reliable Services.”
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. —March 26, 2024 — With two months remaining before drupa 2024 is held, INX International Ink Co. officials are getting ready for the return of the world’s leading tradeshow for print technologies and graphic communication. One of the leading global ink manufacturers, INX not only will present a broad range of inks, coatings, and color management solutions, but also demonstrate its commitment to sustainability, product innovation, and customer partnerships in Hall 3, Booth E83 at the Dusseldorf Exhibition Centre in Germany, May 28-June 7.
Renee Schouten, INX vice president of Marketing, says the company has evolved and made advancements in many key areas since the last live drupa show was held in 2016.
“With strong leadership and worldwide support from Sakata INX, our capabilities expand every year,” she commented. “New product innovation has always been a top priority, and the recent expansion of our R&D campus was paramount in our efforts to involve sustainability for every new product we have developed since the beginning of this decade. We value our customer partnerships, and drupa is the perfect environment for us to reconnect with them and others.”
Coloring a safe and sustainable future
INX has been steadfast in its development of new products and process since introducing the Coloring a Safe and Sustainable Future (CSSF) model in 2020. Delivering innovative, safe, and sustainable solutions for brand owners, customers, and consumers is a top priority. A recent priority assessment project helped identify Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives that were aligned with the CSSF model and integrated into INX’s Sustainability strategy.
“We recognize that while delivering high quality printing inks, coatings, and services, we have a responsibility to do so in alignment with environment, society, and corporate governance,” stated Schouten. “As an industry leader and a manufacturer of products that serve all of society, we are committed to enhancing and growing our ability to add sustainable value for brand owners, customers, consumers, and our employees.”
Schouten explained that INX assists brand owners and customers in making products easier to recycle and promotes the development of circular economies. This may include improving functional barriers to enable the use of mono material structures; the use of color fast washable inks such as the GenesisÔ GS washable inks that are easily removed in the recycling process; sustainably sourced natural based inks; and inks and coatings that are designed to be highly robust for multiple re-use and returnable applications.
Driving future business growth and innovation
INX’s presence at drupa 2024 will be a touch point for discussions and conversations about future trends and current solutions for the print and packaging industry.
“In order to advance print and graphic communications for a circular world, we need to work even closer together to test new ideas across the entire industry,” says Shane Bertsch, senior vice president of Strategy and Innovation for INX. “Therefore, we want to bring people together in our booth to share and develop innovative ideas to meet future packaging and printing trends.”
INX also has taken the appropriate steps to strengthen its product pipeline for the future by establishing the INX Venture Capital program in mid-2022. The program has already netted minority investments with five technology and materials science start-ups that have strategic relevance to the printing inks and coatings value chain. The deals impact both conventional and digital platforms, and developments involve a wide range of industry market segments.
Attendees who want to learn more about all the product offerings and discuss their service and color management needs can schedule a meeting in the INX booth.
HIGH POINT, N.C. — March 26, 2024 — Culp Inc. (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, CULP) today announced that it has hired Armando Alfaro as director of Business Development for Culp Home Fashions (CHF), the company’s mattress fabrics division.
Alfaro has 35 years of experience in the textile sewing industry, with 27 of those years in apparel manufacturing in the United States and Central America for major brands. He also has 8 years of experience in the cut and sewn mattress cover industry, working with a variety of large mattress manufacturing brands. Alfaro’s role will be focused on growing CHF’s cut and sewn mattress cover business and driving the expansion of capabilities across its global platform.
Tommy Bruno, president of CHF, said: “Armando’s deep knowledge of manufacturing, sales, and product development will be instrumental in elevating Culp Home Fashions’ business in the future. We are excited to have him on the team.”
“We are excited to build our second U.S. world-scale molecular recycling facility at our existing site in Texas,” said Mark Costa, Eastman Board Chair and CEO. “We have decades of history successfully operating in Longview, and this will be a great investment for the local community.”
KINGSPORT, Tenn. — March 25, 2024 — Eastman today announced significant progress towards its leadership in the circular economy.
Selected by the Department of Energy as one of 33 companies for award negotiations to support Eastman’s second U.S. molecular recycling facility
Named Longview, Texas, as the location for its facility
Finalized incentives with the State of Texas to assist with project funding
Eastman’s second U.S. molecular recycling project has been selected by the Department of Energy (DOE) to begin award negotiations for up to $375 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act funding as part of the Industrial Demonstrations Program (IDP). The DOE announcement led to Eastman announcing the intent to build a second U.S. molecular recycling facility at its location in Longview, Texas.
Investment in the Longview site
The company selected the Longview site due to synergies with existing infrastructure and operations, favorable energy supply and footprint, and access to western and central U.S. feedstock pools. The location also provides enough space for onsite renewable energy. The investment includes operations that will prepare mixed plastic waste for processing, Eastman’s next-generation molecular recycling unit to depolymerize waste, and a polymer facility to create virgin-quality materials for packaging and textiles. The Longview molecular recycling facility will have the capacity to recycle approximately 110,000 metric tonnes of hard-to-recycle plastic waste.
The investment is expected to bring over 200 full-time, high-paying jobs to the Longview community in addition to approximately 1,000 temporary construction jobs during site development and building of the facility. Eastman has operated in the Longview community for over 70 years and currently has over 1,500 team members at the location.
“We are excited to build our second U.S. world-scale molecular recycling facility at our existing site in Texas,” said Mark Costa, Board Chair and CEO. “The plant will remove significant waste from the region, enable true circularity and set a new benchmark for decarbonization. We have decades of history successfully operating in Longview, and this will be a great investment for the local community.”
Incentives from the U.S. Department of Energy and the State of Texas
The company was selected by the DOE to accelerate the demonstration of industry-leading low-carbon intensity recycled PET with this project. Reaching a collaborative agreement with the DOE enables expanding the project to include the deployment of thermal heat batteries and onsite solar power. This, combined with Eastman’s next-generation methanolysis technology, achieves a step-change improvement in decarbonizing PET production resulting in recycled PET with greater than 70 percent reduced carbon emissions compared to fossil virgin production, and approximately 90 percent reduced carbon emissions when including avoided emissions.
Eastman’s planned project in Longview is aligned with the DOE’s goal of catalyzing industry-wide change to a low-carbon future. Also, as part of the award from the DOE, the company plans to support the renovation of a community center to be used as a hub for community outreach, workforce training and development, and other ongoing needs of its community partners.
“We are honored to be selected by the DOE to help fund this important project,” Costa continued. “The commitment helps us to further invest in the local community with a comprehensive community benefits plan. The support of these partners is a testament to our technology and the difference we can make for future generations.”
Eastman also obtained significant state and local tax incentives in support of the project totaling approximately $70 million.
“Texas is where businesses flourish and people prosper,” said Texas Governor Greg Abbott. “With our highly skilled workforce, unmatched business climate, and reasonable regulations, it is no surprise businesses from around the globe continue to choose to grow in Texas. This additional facility by Eastman in Longview will bring hundreds of good-paying jobs to hardworking Texans and millions in capital investment to East Texas. I thank the members of the Texas Legislature and local leaders for their tireless work to attract world-class business investments to our great state. Together, we will continue to create a bigger, better Texas for generations to come.”
“We also deeply appreciate the support of Governor Abbott and the State of Texas for its continued collaboration as we announce this large investment at our Longview facility,” Costa added. ‘We are excited to work with the state and local leaders to continue our legacy in Texas for generations to come.”
Eastman can transform waste plastic into virgin quality food contact polyesters with lower greenhouse gas emissions than traditional methods.
Eastman’s proven polyester renewal technology recycles hard-to-recycle plastic waste bound for landfill or incineration today. The company’s technology allows this waste to be broken down into its molecular building blocks and then reassembled to become virgin-quality material without compromising performance. Eastman is enabling the potentially infinite use of materials by keeping these valuable molecules in production, in a material-to-material high-yield loop. Eastman can transform waste plastic into virgin quality food contact polyesters with lower greenhouse gas emissions than traditional methods.
In addition to this newly announced facility in Texas, Eastman has recently completed its first molecular recycling facility in Kingsport, Tennessee, and plans to invest in another location in France. For more on Eastman’s circular economy strategy and initiatives, visit eastman.eco.
COSTA MESA, Calif. — March 25, 2024 — Put Vans Skateboarding’s most advanced technology ever with Anthony Van Engelen’s speed and power, and what do you have? The AVE 2.0, a cutting-edge skate shoe that both talks the talk and walks the walk. “20 years ago, skate shoes just gave the appearance of tech,” says Anthony Van Engelen of his new signature model. “Now, we’re in the future, where that technical design extends to the shoe’s performance.”
With an illustrious quarter-century career, Van Engelen has remained at the forefront of Skate Culture due to the fearless nature of his skating and his willingness to always push boundaries. That mindset extends to his footwear too, and, as a result, the AVE 2.0 is designed to handle anything a skater can throw at it. The hero piece of the design is its unparalleled knit upper, made of technical textile with a zonal construction: extra stretch at the top of the foot and the collar makes for an adaptable fit, while open knit on the midfoot increase’s breathability and a more dense knit towards the heel aid with structure and durability. Combine this knit material with RapidWeld™ (A stitchless construction for improved fit and feel with a no-sew welded upper for seamless durability) suede vamps, bottom eye stays and toe boxes for enhanced flick plus an external TPU heel cage for increased lockdown, and you’ve got a shoe that can stack up to even the most grueling sessions.
“I’ve found knit material to be super comfortable, lightweight and breathable,” says AVE. “Combined with suede in the more high-use parts of the shoe, it makes for a great mixture of design and performance.”
The AVE 2.0 also has a torrent of tech below its top half thanks to an UltimateWaffle™ midsole and outsole — a combination of UltraCush™ cushioning, a TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) midfoot support and SickStick™ rubber outsoles for cushioning and board feel — packed up in a neutral yet energizing color scheme that combines cream, white and black with a hit of neon green. “Vans and I have stayed on track with innovations over three signature shoes and ten years now,” says Van Engelen. “True innovation creates both a high-performance skate shoe and excitement for what’s possible in the future.”
Accompanying the shoe’s release is a concise collection of apparel, including the Drill Chore AVE Loose Carp Denim Pant in “Pirate Black,” the AVE LS Woven in “Demitasse,” the AVE SS Tee in “Flame” and an AVE Beanie in “White.”
The AVE 2.0 and its accompanying apparel collection will be released on March 28via vans.com/skateboarding and select skate shops. To celebrate the footwear release, a Global Gallery tour titled “Commitment to Progression,” will kick off in downtown Los Angeles the same day and touch down in Shanghai and Seoul shortly thereafter—with AVE himself present at every stop. Stay tuned for more info.
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — March 25, 2024 — Tractor Supply Company, the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the United States, announced today it is expanding its apparel offerings for women with the launch of the Martha Stewart Garden Apparel Line in collaboration with Martha Stewart, Marquee Brands and French Dressing Jeans Inc. The line, which includes eight clothing items, will initially launch exclusively at Tractor Supply beginning the week of March 25th in 50 select stores and online.
Martha Stewart in the garden chore jacket, convertible overalls and peony long sleeve T-shirt now available at Tractor Supply. Photo — Business Wire
“This new line of apparel reflects my passion for gardening and outdoor work, so I am thrilled to share it with consumers,” Martha Stewart said. “With creativity and hard work at the core of gardening, this collection embraces artistry and functionality, bringing ease to those who strive to keep a healthy, beautiful garden.”
Debut pieces include a Garden Chore Jacket, Garden Work Shirt, Short Sleeve Puffer Vest, Cargo Convertible Pants, Convertible Overalls and more. Each item creatively merges function and comfort with personal style, designed to meet the unique needs of the modern gardener living Life Out Here.
The addition of the Martha Stewart Garden Apparel Line is the latest in Tractor Supply’s ongoing efforts to bring top brands and unmatched quality to its rural neighbors.
“Women’s apparel continues to be an important product category for us at Tractor Supply, especially when it comes to gardening,” said Seth Estep, chief merchandising officer at Tractor Supply Company. “This launch with Martha Stewart is the perfect way for us to bring fashion and function to our gardening customers, with great new styles and products our customers can’t get anywhere else.”
“From seasoned cultivators to those new to the hobby, gardeners will love Martha’s Garden Apparel Collection. As a one-stop destination for everything gardening, Tractor Supply is the perfect retail partner for this launch, and we’re delighted to bring this collection to their customers,” said Helaine Peters, president of French Dressing Jeans Inc.
Pottery Barn x Deepika Padukone Collection Photo — Pottery Barn
SAN FRANCISCO — March 22, 2024 — Pottery Barn, a portfolio brand of Williams-Sonoma Inc. announced today the launch of a new product collaboration with globally acclaimed actor and style icon, Deepika Padukone.
Named as one of the 100 Most Influential People by TIME Magazine, and an internationally acclaimed actor and fashion icon, Deepika Padukone brings her worldly and sophisticated eye for design to her debut home furnishings collection with Pottery Barn. Richly influenced by Indian motifs, Padukone and Pottery Barn came together to create a collection of entertaining and serveware pieces, textiles and decorative accessories inspired by Padukone’s love of vintage designs that she has collected for her own home.
The U.S. assortment includes bedding, embroidered pillows, decorative accessories, and hand knotted rugs. The textile designs feature an elevated take on traditional Indian patterns and the color palette consists of soothing neutrals and luxe natural tones. A collection for entertaining including dinnerware and serveware, with textured, floral sculpted details and an earthy aesthetic, will be available exclusively in India, the Middle East, and the Philippines.
“I am so proud of my collection with Pottery Barn designed for decorating and entertaining at home,” said design enthusiast and acclaimed actor, Deepika Padukone. “My home has always been a calm refuge and is a space to express myself, create, and entertain. We created a collection that encapsulates this through soft textures, a neutral palette, and intricate details.”
Pottery Barn President Monica Bhargava, shared: “We’re thrilled to launch the Deepika Padukone for Pottery Barn collection internationally. The new collection artfully blends Pottery Barn’s world-renowned quality with Deepika’s iconic style, bringing unique designs to the home for creating a beautiful and inviting space.”
“Pottery Barn’s design aesthetic and Deepika’s flair for conceptualizing home spaces makes this collaboration a natural fit. No surprise that the outcome, the Pottery Barn x Deepika Padukone collection is so refreshingly different and effortlessly blends the innate styles of these two iconic brands,” shared Darshan Mehta, president & CEO Reliance Brands Ltd. Reliance Brands Limited, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, is a Williams-Sonoma Inc. franchisee in India.
The Deepika Padukone for Pottery Barn collection is available starting March 22nd, online at potterybarn.com, potterybarn.in, and in 18 global stores.
Posted: March 25, 2024
Source: Pottery Barn, a member of the Williams-Sonoma Inc.
TOKYO, Japan — March 25, 2024 — YKK Corp. is pleased to announce that it has received the highest Leaderboard status for the second year running in the FY2023 Supplier Engagement Rating (SER) conducted by the international non-profit organization CDP*.
This selection indicates that YKK’s governance, targets, and initiatives to collaborate with suppliers to reduce GHG emissions, all aimed at reducing GHG emissions throughout the YKK supply chain, constitute efforts befitting a global leader. In FY2023, over 450 companies around the world were selected for the SER Leaderboard.
In February 2024, YKK also received the highest “A List” rating in the CDP Climate Change 2023 Questionnaire undertaken by CDP. This was YKK’s first ever A List selection. This recognition underscores YKK’s dedication to combatting climate change and its pledge to uphold transparent information disclosure in alignment with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
Takayuki Aoki, vice president of the Procurement and Logistics Department at YKK, commented: “Since the establishment of our YKK Sustainability Vision 2050 in October 2020, we have been steadfast in our pursuit of sustainability goals. By fostering strong partnerships with customers and suppliers, grounded in the ethos of the YKK philosophy – the Cycle of Goodness®, we have achieved remarkable progress in reducing GHG emissions. Receiving the highest Supplier Engagement Rating for the second consecutive year is a testament to our collective efforts. Looking ahead, we remain committed to collaborating closely with our suppliers to comprehensively address GHG emissions across our entire supply chain. Together, we strive to pave the way towards a decarbonized society.”
*CDP: An international non-profit organization with a worldwide system to enable corporate and public environmental disclosure. Established in 2000, the organization makes use of capital markets and the power of corporate purchasing to take the lead in encouraging companies to disclose their environmental impacts, reduce GHG emissions, and protect water resources and forests.
STOCKHOLM, Sweden — March 25, 2024 — After an intensive few years of development, ACG Kinna Automatic and ACG Nyström — members of TMAS, the Swedish textile machinery association — have delivered the first microfactory for the production of fully finished filter bags to a major international filtration industry customer, in cooperation with JUKI Central Europe.
As a fully automated system, it promises to revolutionize the production of woven or nonwoven needlefelt filter bags which until now have rather surprisingly been assembled and finished in laborious and time-consuming cut and sew operations by third party suppliers.
The Filtermaster 2.0 in action.
The microfactory’s configuration is based on two separate interconnecting modules — the Smart Filter Line (SFL) and the Filtermaster 2.0.
The SFL handles the fabric feeding from rolls and its folding prior to seam construction, which can either be by automatic sewing, welding or with sewing and taping, depending on specifications. Very rapid changeover of the modular seaming methods can be achieved during product changes. The specific size of the now fully-tubular fabric is then precisely cut to size for each individual unit and further folded ready to be fed into the Filtermaster 2.0.
The Filtermaster 2.0 then automatically attaches the reinforcement, bottom and snap rings onto the filter tube with a second Juki sewing head on a robotic arm, to form the fully finished filter bag ready for packaging.
Reinforcing the bottom of a filter bag.
“The automation of these essential steps is the real innovation we’ve achieved with this microfactory, eliminating the need for the many hours of labour-intensive manual work that has previously been necessary,” said ACG Kinna Automatic CEO Christian Moore. “The output is 120 finished filter bags per hour and the entire configuration is guided by precise automatic steering and alignment, with quality control handled by the latest high-definition vision cameras.
“This type of automation is the way forward, not just for filter bags, but for many industries who heavily rely on such consumables in their operations,” he added. “It makes sound economic and operational sense for the major filtration players to have such lines close to their individual operations — wherever they may be in the world — and to be self-sufficient and in control of their production, for just-in-time, guaranteed delivery.”
Under the radar
Filter bags are employed in a wide range of industrial processes and while they may be largely under the radar as products, they represent a pretty significant percentage of overall technical textiles production.
They are used extensively, for example, in foundries, smelters, incinerators, asphalt plants and energy production plants. Other key manufacturing fields — often where dust is generated — include the production of timber, textiles, composites, waste handling and minerals, in addition to chemicals, food production, pharmaceuticals, electronics and agriculture.
As a further example of the scale of the industry and the high volumes of fabrics involved, one supplier has delivered a single order of 30,000 filter bags to be used for flue gas cleaning at a European power plant. The bags can also be anywhere up to 12 meters in length and frequently have to be replaced.
Many fields
“I continue to be surprised by the many fields of industry our TMAS members serve, and where automation can make the difference,” said TMAS Secretary General Therese Premler-Andersson. “The innovations coming from our companies are far-ranging and characterised by an advanced grasp of automation techniques and the need for more sustainable processing methods that is being demanded by their customers. There will be much more of this in the coming years.”
Posted: March 25, 2024
Source: The Swedish Textile Machinery Association (TMAS)
