CHARLOTTE, N.C. — October 25, 2022 — Printful, a print-on-demand ecommerce company, today announced the appointment of Alex Saltonstall, former general manager of CastleGate and partner operations at Wayfair, as the new CEO. The interim CEO, Zane Levsa, will remain as Printful’s COO and a board member.
“On behalf of the entire Board, I want to express our excitement that Alex will be joining the Printful team,” comments Lauris Liberts, co-founder and chairman of the board of Printful. “Alex built and successfully grew multiple organizations at Wayfair, one of the largest ecommerce retail companies in the world, including CastleGate, Wayfair’s mission-critical supply chain as a service business. His experience rapidly scaling innovative ecommerce solutions and large organizations will help support Printful in our next chapter of growth. I believe that our team and our customers will thrive under his leadership.”
“Printful has an impressive history of ecommerce innovation and rapid growth, and has tremendous opportunities in the future. I believe Printful will play an important role in transforming how companies authentically build and monetize their brands by producing products their customers love, and doing so in a more cost-efficient and environmentally sustainable way. I am excited to join the high-caliber team for the promising journey ahead,” Saltonstall added.
Previously Saltonstall served as the general manager of CastleGate and partner operations at Wayfair, one of the world’s largest home goods retailers with $13.7 billion in revenue in the last fiscal year. At Wayfair, Saltonstall led a team that drove best-in-class consumer experience by working with over ten thousand suppliers on operations strategies to create broad product availability and fast, reliable, and cost-efficient order fulfillment.
At Printful, Saltonstall will focus on delivering the company’s growth strategy of launching additional products and services and building the enterprise-level customer segment. This includes allocating further resources to serve this customer base and continuing to build relationships with key ecommerce platforms and other strategic partners.
In addition to his daily activities, Saltonstall will be joining the Printful board of directors alongside the chairman of the board and co-founder Lauris Liberts, COO Zane Levsa, Bregal Sagemount representative Adam Fuller, and Independent Directors Nils Melngailis and Ernst Teunissen.
MOORPARK, Calif. — October 24, 2022 — The breeze is picking up, the leaves are changing colors, and the smell of pumpkin spice is hanging in the crisp, cool air. Fall is officially here, and that means it’s time to swap out the vibrant, playful colors of summer for the cozy, comforting colors of autumn. As designers prepare for the season, Pindler is sharing fall fabric suggestions and color schemes for every environment.
Gorgeous Greens
Fall is a great time to start incorporating earthy hues that add a cozy touch to any space. Pairing darker, forest green shades with the right mix of browns and neutrals pays homage to the season perfectly.
Bold Browns
Bold browns add a warm, comforting feel that brings to mind hot coffee, freshly baked brownies and the crunch of leaves under boots. Pair dark, rich shades with caramel hues and off whites for the perfect fall combination.
Autumn Oranges
Pumpkin patches. Changing leaves. A warm bowl of butternut squash soup. Oranges are the perfect reminder of some of the best cozy comforts of fall. Pair bold and muted shades to add a seasonal touch of festive flair.
Beautiful Beiges
Cozy meets luxury with light beiges that add seasonal warmth without overpowering a space. Pair light, neutral shades with whites for a crisp, clean fall feeling.
All of these fall Pindler fabrics are available online, as well as at Pindler’s 16 corporate showrooms and nine agent showrooms across the U.S., and two agent showrooms in Canada.
LOS ANGELES — October 25, 2022 — Recognizing the urgent need to accelerate the adoption of Smart Manufacturing in the United States, CESMII, (the Smart Manufacturing Institute) and SME (the Society of Manufacturing Engineers) have announced the official launch of the Smart Manufacturing Executive Council (SMEC). Described as “a national think tank of smart manufacturing leaders,” the Smart Manufacturing Executive Council has been created to engage business and technology executives, thought leaders and visionaries advocating for the transformation of the U.S. manufacturing ecosystem.
“As we transition from one manufacturing era to another, it’s clear that legacy behaviors, business models and technology architectures must make way for new ones,” said CESMII CEO John Dyck. “It’s the charter of this Smart Manufacturing Executive Council to advocate for this transformation, and the practical steps, investments and policy recommendations that will help this ecosystem cross this digital divide.”The Smart Manufacturing Executive Council will focus on these strategic initiatives:
Ecosystem — Collaborative strategies enabling plants connected to the enterprise and supply chains for real-time data-driven business orchestration. Goal: flexible and agile processes and supply chains easily reconfigured for changing market demands and empowering collaboration between OT and IT.
Technology — Accelerate evolution from proprietary, closed systems, enabling interoperability to eliminate data silos, stovepipe architectures and vendor lock-in. Goal: drive down costs, improve agility.
Workforce — Aligning education, training, and continuous improvement strategies to develop people with the skills needed to accelerate smart manufacturing and create data driven cultures. Goal: organizational structures and capabilities that align resources and people for SM success.
“The Smart Manufacturing Executive Council will act as ambassadors for the vision of Smart Manufacturing in the U.S., working to accelerate the transformation of the entire manufacturing ecosystem and to inspire a vision for the future of manufacturing,” said Dyck.
The Smart Manufacturing Executive Council includes these members representing a diverse array of companies and industries:
Antoine Dhennin, ArcelorMittal;
Alpen Patel, Caterpillar Inc.;
Venu Pillai, Corning Incorporated;
Craig Sutton, Eaton;
Scott King, Ford;
Michael Bastian, Ford;
Lisa Zasada, General Mills;
Jeff Abell, General Motors;
Jon Hobgood, Honeywell;
Ken Creasy, Johnson & Johnson;
Audrey St. Onge, Lallemand Baking Solutions;
Jesus Flores-Cerrillo, Linde;
Don McCartney, OshKosh;
Jeff Kent, Procter & Gamble;
Rick Van Dyke, PepsiCo;
Kelly Dodds, Raytheon; and
Sudhi Bangalore, Stanley Black & Decker.
“Both CESMII and SME are laser-focused on accelerating the democratization of Smart Manufacturing,” said SME Executive Director and CEO Robert Willig. “SME and CESMII are excited to engage with this remarkable assembly of industry leaders to lift the entire ecosystem. From large organizations and their supply chains to small & mid-size organizations, they’re all essential to creating a more competitive manufacturing environment here in the U.S.”The Smart Manufacturing Executive Council will convene for the inaugural SMEC Session in December 2022 to affirm the charter and set strategic priorities for 2023.
CINCINNATI, Ohio — October 25, 2022 — Michelman is excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Chuck Xu to its board of directors. Xu is vice president and general manager, Strategy and M&A, Electronics and Industrial Segment, DuPont de Nemours Inc.
Michelman looks forward to Xu’s strategic growth leadership contributions based on his deep general management and M&A experiences. His broad commercial and technical acumen, in both industrial and consumer markets, cuts across the advanced printing, automotive, aerospace, electronics, advanced materials, biomaterials, medical, and consumer industries. Xu has acquired valuable corporate experience in roles of rapidly escalating responsibility while working at DuPont in multiple business units as well as at Honeywell and at Telephotonics Inc., an integrated fiberoptics startup. His fluency in Mandarin and expertise on Chinese business culture will help fuel Michelman’s growth in China.
Chuck’s stellar educational background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Peking University, a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Southern California, and an MBA from Columbia University.
Steve Shifman, executive chairman of the board at Michelman, stated: “I am very excited to have Chuck join the Michelman Board. His extensive experience in global business markets, and in specialty chemicals in particular, will be a valuable asset to the Michelman Board. Chuck will be a tremendous cultural fit with the rest of the Board and our Executive Team.”
Xu is happy to be joining the board and has said: “I am honored and excited to join the Michelman Board. I look forward to working with a very experienced and diverse Board as well as the Executive Team to drive Michelman’s substantial growth trajectory.”
Michelman is delighted to have Chuck on the Board and anticipates leveraging his extensive expertise while guiding the company’s growth across its digital printing, flexible packaging, fibers & composites, architectural, wood, and metal coatings, and advanced agricultural coatings businesses.
Chuck will begin his term on the Michelman Board of Directors in Q4 of 2022.
NEW YORK CITY — OCTOBER 25, 2022 — Carnegie Fabrics — a producer of sustainable textiles and space management solutions for building interiors — announces Outlook, a new upholstery collection with organic, hospitality-driven patterns and textures. Outlook is an exploration of sculpture as a two-dimensional form, combining color and contour, tactility and balanced structure. The organic hospitality patterns are performance-driven, price-conscious, and environmentally forward. By highlighting traditional craft techniques, it’s an ode to storytelling with performance in materiality.
The Outlook collection joins the Elements group — a versatile range of affordable upholstery fabrics that don’t compromise quality. Elements fabrics are offered in various solid, textured, and bold patterns and can withstand over 75,000 double-rubs, making them suitable for high-traffic environments that require regular maintenance, like hospitality settings. Outlook features the Elements group’s first 100 percent recycled content pattern (Paramour), a gestural silicone hybrid pattern (Choreography), and a matelasse woven pattern (Folklore). The Outlook collection, like all Carnegie products, is 100% PVC-free.
“Hospitality design is all about weaving in brand and story throughout a space to create memorable experiences for guests,” said Carnegie Fabrics CEO Gordon Boggis. “The Outlook collection not only helps curate a unique visitor experience, but it’s also extraordinarily durable and environmentally friendly.”
The new upholstery offerings include:
Choreography 6180
Choreography is a study of sculptural shapes in boundless syncopation. Featuring unprecedented printing clarity with all the benefits of silicone, its coated silicone hybrid qualities are designed to have the appearance of a woven fabric, all while boasting superior cleanability, durability, and sustainability.
Folklore 6178
An ode to the vernacular of traditional craft, the bleach-cleanable fabric Folklore is an appreciation of the art of storytelling and preservation of the textile as narrative. Woven with solution-dyed yarns for performance, it reflects a purposeful design that meets the needs of modern, functional living.
Paramour 6176
Paramour is a love affair of material sensibility and substance. Woven with a soft boucle made entirely from post-consumer recycled materials, this sumptuous addition to the Elements group is about enhanced comfort with purpose.
Gumption 6266
Gumption’s highly tactile surface is created through an interaction of both slub and heathered yarns, giving this quality a very natural hand-woven effect. As part of the Elements group, this fabric is suitable for high-traffic environments where a sophisticated look needs to last.
Fizzy 6264
Twisted novelty yarns complement a plush chenille, giving Fizzy a contrasting, rich color palette. Both versatile and durable with a contemporary twist, the textured and soft hand of Fizzy is an excellent coordinate to any space.
Bespoke 6244
Bespoke achieves its wool-like surface using spun bleach cleanable polyester yarns, giving the multi-purpose fabric a soft, luxurious hand and essential performance. As part of the Elements group, this fabric is suitable for high-traffic areas that need to remain timeless.
CLITHEROE, England — October 25, 2022 — Pertex, a performance fabric brand and Cycora®, a breakthrough material made from regenerated end-of-life textiles, will collaborate to develop high-performance, woven fabrics from landfill-destined textile waste. This collaboration would be directly tackling the growing problem of textile waste, which sees more than 70 percent of clothing either landfilled or incinerated at end-of-life.
Cycora is the first solution developed by Ambercycle Inc., a Los Angeles-based materials science company that’s mission is to end waste in the fashion industry. The Ambercycle™ ecosystem enables the consolidation, regeneration, and reintegration of end-of-life textiles back into supply chains, reducing the extraction of finite resources from the planet. Ambercycle technology powers this movement, regenerating textiles at a molecular level while matching the quality of what today comes from petroleum
With a history stretching back more than 40 years and a deep understanding of fabric development, Pertex are the leaders in lightweight woven fabrics for technical performance apparel. Pertex brand partners include the world’s most renowned outdoor and sportswear brands.
Using this expertise in product development, Pertex will work in partnership with cycora to produce high-performance woven fabrics. These fabrics will be intentionally designed to be compatible with Ambercycle end-of-life solutions to have minimal impact when being regenerated back into cycora to start the cycle again.
“We are constantly striving for new ways in which to reduce our environmental impact,” said Steve Laycock, Pertex brand director. “This partnership with Ambercycle offers new opportunities to achieve these goals. For example, our Pertex Revolve fabrics are mono-material, made entirely from recycled polyester. Currently this polyester is from PET bottles, but the partnership with Ambercycle carves a pathway for a new truly circular fabric made through textile-to-textile regeneration.”
“In the journey to develop a truly circular infrastructure in the fashion industry, we wanted to utilize cycora materials in advanced, technical products; while setting a precedent for intentional design,” said Shay Sethi, Ambercycle CEO. “The partnership with Pertex allows for circular materials to thrive in the toughest of environments; climbing, hiking, backpacking, and so much more. Pertex and cycora are naturally aligned to accelerate the pursuit of material harmony.”
Pertex and cycora will work closely together to meet the rigorous demands of outdoor and sportswear brands to move towards truly sustainable practices. More details of the collaboration will be released in the coming months.
LAS VEGAS — October 25, 2022 — ORORO Heated Apparel will be on-site with new products on Saturday, November 5, 2022, for Minnesota Wild’s outdoor practice event, presented by ORORO, at Recreation Outdoor Center (ROC) located at the City of St. Louis Park Rec Center (3700 Monterey Drive) in St. Louis Park.
ORORO is thrilled to continue their partnership with the Wild and showcase new products and colors, including new lightweight heated gear collection for the 2022-23 season. The ORORO team will be present at the outdoor practice to give Wild fans a chance to check out new heated gear and keep them warm as the weather cools down.
The Wild’s practice is scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. and last approximately 45 minutes. The event is free and open-to-the-public. Fans should come early, as space is limited.
DÜSSELDORF, Germany — October 25, 2022 — Reifenhäuser Extrusion Systems (RES) — the Reifenhäuser Group’s business unit specializing in extrusion components — announces a strategic partnership with maku AG at K 2022, the world’s largest plastics trade fair. The aim of the cooperation is the joint marketing and further development of the automation system designed by maku for coextrusion adapters and slot dies.
The so-called PAM system (precise, autonomous, mechatronic) is available immediately and exclusively as an automation option for new Reifenhäuser dies and adapters, as well as for aftermarket dies across all manufacturers. PAM enables producers in the field of flat film and sheet production as well as extrusion coating to precisely control the entire hot part (coextrusion adapter and die) via the line’s control panel. This is significantly faster and more accurate than conventional control by hand or expansion bolt automation. It enables faster start-up of good production, higher output with lower energy consumption, and thus significantly improved overall equipment efficiency (OEE). The decisive advantage lies in the use of motorized manual adjustment bolts that replace conventional thermal expansion bolts. Reifenhäuser presented the system for the first time at the K 2022.
Posted: October 25, 2022
Source: Reifenhäuser GmbH & Co. KG Maschinenfabrik
LOS ANGELES — October 25, 2022 — Hologenix, creators of CELLIANT®, and global textile solutions provider UNIFI®, makers of REPREVE®, have announced their partnership to introduce Celliant with Repreve. Celliant with Repreve has the infrared properties of science-backed Celliant infrared technology and the sustainable footprint of Repreve, the world’s number one brand of recycled fiber.
Celliant is a blend of IR-generating bioceramic minerals, which, when embedded into textiles, allows them to convert body heat into infrared energy, returning it to the body and temporarily increasing local circulation and cellular oxygenation. This aids significantly in muscle recovery, increases endurance, and improves overall performance in healthy individuals, among other benefits.
Repreve recycled performance fiber consists of high-quality fibers made from 100-percent recycled materials, including post-consumer plastic bottles and pre-consumer waste. It is also certified and traceable with U TRUST® verification and FiberPrint™ technology, to back up customers’ recycled claims. Compared to virgin fiber, Repreve helps to offset the use of petroleum, emitting fewer greenhouse gasses and conserving water and energy in the process.
Both Celliant and Repreve are key ingredients in world-class brands across many sectors, from apparel and sportswear to upholstery fabric and more, so the partnership opens an array of possible applications. No doubt for brands that are already utilizing both Celliant and Repreve independently, the Celliant with Repreve union is a welcome innovation.
Celliant with Repreve’s official preferred North America knitting partner is Beverly Knits, one of the largest circular knitters in the US, developing fabric for all markets including intimate apparel, activewear, outdoor products, mattress and bedding, automotive, industrial and medical. Beverly Knits also operates Creative Dyeing & Finishing, LLC. The three-way partnership allows for the production of finished goods to take place within a 300-mile radius, from Celliant mineral processing to final product.
“We are honored to partner with sustainability leader Unifi and its Repreve fiber,” said Seth Casden, Hologenix co-founder and CEO. “Celliant with Repreve marries self-care and sustainability for a new generation of products.”
Eddie Ingle, CEO of UNIFI, continued, “We’re excited that the infrared component of Celliant with Repreve provides enhanced health and wellness benefits and that we are expanding the use of sustainable fiber options that positively impact our planet, both now and in the future.”
“It is a core part of our ethos to provide Made in USA products that support American manufacturing,” added Ron Sytz, CEO of Beverly Knits. “To further this aim while simultaneously creating products that are both better for the consumer and better for the earth is something we can all be proud of.”
NEW YORK CITY — October 25, 2022 — To mark the third annual World Circular Textiles Day, which took place on October 8th, an action-oriented Roundtable with a select group of industry pioneers came together at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City to identify realistic and achievable priority milestones over the next three decades to create the foundation for a Roadmap to Full Textiles Circularity.
Representatives from the co-founding organizations of World Circular Textiles Day (WCTD), including Circle Economy (Netherlands), Centre for Circular Design (London), and Worn Again Technologies (UK), together with Lenzing Fibers (US) and in collaboration with the United Nations Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network hosted the Circular Textiles Roundtable with key stakeholders from across the circularity landscape, including textile collectors and sorters to brands/retailers, industry associations and policymakers.
The United Nations Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network, a joint initiative of the Fashion Impact Fund and the United Nations (UN) Office for Partnerships, is an UN-hosted online platform for industry stakeholders, media, Governments, and UN system entities to showcase collaborations that accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Participants were brought together to vision and populate a textiles circularity roadmap to 2050, identifying key milestones for transitioning from the current linear model of ‘make, use and waste’ to one which is circular, where products and materials are kept in continual circulation, and replace the use of virgin materials use, and industry workers are supported inequitable, socially just and resilient societies.
The roundtable took a future system thinking approach, across three core themes: Materials and Planetary boundaries, Products and Services, and People and Society, and across three distinct development phases over the next 3 decades.
Cyndi Rhoades, founder of Worn Again Technologies, and co-founder of WCTD shared: “The scale of change required to transition to a fully circular textiles industry is immense but can be broken down into bite-sized and achievable phases and delivery plans. Designing and aligning on circular strategies for implementation and action across the industry today is crucial for achieving future goals and delivering beneficial outcomes for society, economics, and the environment in equal measures. Convening these committed industry leaders to evolve collective knowledge and strengthen relationships is a crucial step in fast-tracking necessary change.”
Kerry Bannigan, executive director, of Fashion Impact Fund, added: “The United Nations Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network fosters transparent, inclusive, and transformative engagement of global stakeholders to drive urgent action for sustainability. The Circular Textiles roundtable aligned with our objective to mobilize expertise, innovation, technology, and resources towards a sustainable and inclusive COVID-19 recovery, with the Sustainable Development Goals as a guiding framework.”
Key insights generated by some of the industry’s leading pioneers included:
Technology — a clear, rationalized plan for scaling up between now and 2050 is needed, for all parts of the collecting, sorting, pre-processing, and recycling stages
Scope 3 — education, training, new investment, and business models are needed to transform the supply chain, including multi-stakeholder models for ownership and distribution
Data/Digitization — a data-driven approach embedded as soon as possible, to enable greater understanding and efficiencies for circular flows
Policy — development of Government policies for micro, meso, and macro actions, that include alignment between global North and South actors
Overall, the group expressed a desire to see ‘turbo stakeholder collaboration’ and more partnerships established, at a greater pace. They also noted a lack of information and action around the social innovation potential for the circular textiles industry and requested more information on realistic and fair proposals for transformation.
Tori Piscatelli, regional marketing manager, Lenzing Fibers, commented: “Witnessing leaders across the textile industry come together at the United Nations to engage in collaborative exercises and conversations on circularity, in itself, shows the urgency and need to work together to set up systems and guidelines to achieve this common goal. Most notably, I remember one participant saying ‘We need to go faster. Let’s get there now.’”
Karla Magruder, Accelerating Circularity, added: “At Accelerating Circularity we call ourselves a “Do Tank” and ask everyone we work with to provide their expertise and energy to making the textile-to-textile circular transition. It’s not enough. At WCTD 3 key systems, Product & Services, Materials and People have been put forth as essential. To enable circularity, we must align on all strategies to implement and accelerate this necessary revolution. “Action”, “change”, and “fast” are descriptors we use for the textile industry. Let’s show the world we can take the required ACTION to CHANGE FAST and create a textile industry worthy of the needs of our industry and world.”
The roadmap template will be released in the coming months and will be used as a foundation for integrating existing industry circularity and decarbonization commitments, as well as for setting a longer-term framework across a range of topics, including transparency, traceability, social metrics, legislation, design, circular materials, and products & services. The aim of the Roadmap is to focus industry activities on aligned activities that will accelerate circularity momentum while supporting the industry in reaching its climate targets and delivering against multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Participants
22 x In-Person Roundtable Attendees:
Marisa Adler, Senior Consultant, Resource Recycling Systems
Chad Bolick, VP Brand Sales – Global Key Accounts, Unifi Manufacturing, Inc.
Steven Bethell, Founder, Bank & Vogue, BVH Services Beyond Retro
Carmen Gama Ramirez, Director of Circular Design, Eileen Fisher
Steven Usdan, Founder, Giotex US
Stephanie Warrick, Industry Engagement Director Apparel Impact Institute
Tricia Carey, Director of Business Development – Americas and Denim, Lenzing Fiber
Cyndi Rhoades, Founder, Worn Again Technologies
Rebecca Earley, Professor of Circular Design Futures, UAL
Caroline Rush, CEO of, the British Fashion Council
Caitlyn Holt, Director, Product and Business Innovation – Cone Denim, Elevate Textiles
Cynthia Power, VP of Brand Success, Recurate
Martin Böschen, CEO, Bei Texaid AG
Ann Runnel, Founder & CEO, Reverse Resources
Boris Mercier, VP of Marketing, Recover
Peter Majeranowski, CEO & Co-Founder, Circ
Karla Magruder, Founder, Accelerating Circularity
Paola Laudazi, Senior Accounts Manager, Eon
Raymond Randall, Sr. Manager, Textiles – Sustainability Growth Solutions, WM
Kerry Bannigan, Executive Director, Fashion Impact Fund
Megan McAstocker, Head of Events and Programs, Fashion Impact Fund
Tori Piscatelli, Regional Marketing Manager, Lenzing Fibers
5 x Virtual Attendees:
Hilde Van Dujin, Capacity Development Programme Lead, Circle Economy
Arnoud Passenier, Strategic Advisor on Circular Economy, Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure & water Management | Environment Directorate | International Affairs
Taylor Hill, Senior Manager Circular Solutions, Bleckmann
Ke Wang Program Director, PACE (on behalf of Stientje vanVeldhoven, Vice President/Regional Director Europe, WRI)
