Gildan Included On The Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations List By Corporate Knights’

MONTREAL — January 19, 2023 — Gildan Activewear Inc. is pleased to announce that it has been included in Corporate Knights’ 2023 Global 100 list of the world’s most sustainable corporations for the second consecutive year. Gildan moved up its ranking from 79th last year to 60th overall this year, and was the only apparel manufacturing company included on the list globally.

“We are pleased to be recognized by Corporate Knights’ once more, demonstrating Gildan’s strong commitment to ESG,” says Glenn Chamandy, President and CEO of Gildan. “Our increased ranking reflects our dedication and hard work in developing and advancing our Next Generation ESG strategy over the past year which includes increasing gender diversity, focusing on sustainable investments, employee safety, and linking executive compensation to ESG targets, amongst other initiatives. Under this strategy, we are driving ESG further into our business and remain committed to the path ahead to ensure that our products are made with respect for our people, the environment, and our communities from start to finish.”

Corporate Knights’ ranking of the world’s 100 most sustainable corporations is based on a rigorous assessment of nearly 7,000 public companies with revenues of over US$1 billion. The assessment methodology assesses up to 25 quantitative key performance indicators including sustainable revenue and investment, carbon productivity, and racial and gender diversity.

Last month, Gildan also announced the publication of its first stand-alone Climate Change Disclosure Report and its 10th consecutive inclusion on the Dow Jones Sustainability™ Index as well as its inclusion in CDP’s Leadership Band for its climate change disclosures in 2022.

Posted: January 20, 2023

Source: Gildan

U.S. Fashion Industry Association Elects New Chair From American Eagle Outfitters

WASHINGTON, D.C. — January 19, 2023 — The United States Fashion Industry Association (USFIA) announced today that the Board of Directors has elected a new Chair, Chris Lucas, Senior Director, Associate General Counsel at American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.

Chris Lucas takes over as chairman from Anna Walker, Vice President of Public Affairs for Levi Strauss & Co., who chaired the Board since July 2020. “On behalf of the members of USFIA, special thanks to Anna for her leadership over the past two and a half years, especially as we confronted the uncertainty of COVID and global disruption.  Anna’s leadership and experience in public policy focused USFIA’s advocacy and activities to offer our members — and the fashion industry — the information we all needed to successfully navigate the ‘new normal’ of the past few years.”

“USFIA remains committed to providing members with the intelligence, resources, and solutions needed to address the business and challenges of the fashion industry. Chris Lucas’s expertise reflects USFIA’s commitment to providing global brands and retailers with reliable, business-forward guidance on how to achieve strategic solutions to the trade and compliance challenges that we face every day and I look forward to working alongside him and the USFIA Board of Directors.”

Lucas has been a member of the USFIA Board of Directors since 2018 and served as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors since 2020.

“It is both a privilege and an honor to serve as the Chair of the USFIA Board of Directors.  I am excited to utilize my experience in the retail apparel industry, and my success navigating global supply chain, transportation, trade, and manufacturing challenges, to meaningfully advance USFIA’s advocacy and leadership.”

Chris Lucas currently serves as a Senior Director, Associate General Counsel at American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (“AEO”), supporting AEO’s business and strategy from the regulatory, compliance, and governance perspective. Chris has a Juris Doctorate from the George Washington University Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Virginia. In his free time, Chris enjoys fishing and playing/watching basketball.

To replace Lucas as Vice Chair, the USFIA Board elected Michael Lambert, Executive Director of Global Trade and Compliance for Urban Outfitters, Inc. Michael Lambert has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2020.

Posted: January 20, 2023

Source: The United States Fashion Industry Association (USFIA)

Darn Tough Vermont® Brings On Kristen Graf As Global Director Of Environmental And Social Responsibility

NORTHFIELD, VT — January 19, 2023 — Darn Tough Vermont, the fastest-growing American manufacturer of performance outdoor and lifestyle socks, announces the addition of Kristen Graf as Global Director, Environmental and Social Responsibility. Graf is stepping into the role with two decades of experience in developing and overseeing sustainability and equity programs. Building off her personal passions, Graf will leverage her skillset to shift towards corporate engagement and the outdoor industry, helping Darn Tough to continue to navigate the trail of environmental and social accountability.

“Having Kristen in this new role ensures that we continue to do and be the best that we possibly can be in regards to both environmental and social responsibility,” said Ric Cabot, President, and CEO of Darn Tough. “Her passion and background in social responsibility will play a big part in who we are as a brand moving forward.”

As Global Director of Environmental and Social Responsibility, Graf’s responsibilities will focus heavily on the brand’s mission to produce quality socks while positively affecting the environment and the community.

“Having the opportunity to work with a brand like Darn Tough that is made here in the USA was ideal for me,” explains Graf. “I am excited for the brand, especially in today’s landscape where I believe American manufacturing can and should be leading on sustainability and equity. There’s a lot already being done, and a lot we are going to do in the future.”

Graf holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural and Biological Engineering from Cornell University, and is a Senior Fellow in the Environmental Leadership Program. Previously, Graf served as the Executive Director of Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE), received a career achievement award from the US Department of Energy’s C3E Initiative, and was named 2022 Green Power Leader of the Year by the Center for Resource Solutions.

Posted: January 20, 2023

Source: Darn Tough Vermont

New Study To Explore Upcycling The Microfibers Released When Laundering Clothes

ROTHERHAM, England — January 17, 2023 — Xeros Technology has partnered with the University of Surrey to jointly fund pioneering research to upcycle the microfibers captured from laundering clothes into a useful and valuable carbon material.

Microfibers are defined as tiny “threads,” smaller than 5 millimeters, that break off from textiles through the everyday acts of wearing and laundering garments and textiles.1 Estimates suggest every year more than half a million tons of microfibres are released into the world’s oceans simply from washing our clothing.2 Research shows that microfibers from synthetic textiles are one of the biggest sources of microplastic pollution in the world’s oceans2 — they have contaminated the entire planet from the summit of Mount Everest3 to the depths of the Mariana Trench.4

In order to address this significant environmental problem, Xeros Technology developed a washing machine filtration device, XFilter, which captures the microfibers and prevents their release into the world’s oceans.

XFilter lasts the lifetime of a washing machine and allows users to place the captured microfibers directly into their bin to be disposed of with other household waste, as we already do with vacuum cleaners and tumble driers that collect similar mixed fibers. Microfiber waste from filtration is a complex material to recycle within existing recycling infrastructure: not only are the microfibers often mixed materials, but they also contain captured dirt and soil.

This is why Xeros have teamed up the University of Surrey to accelerative research into improved methods to permanently reduce this continued pollution build-up in the future.

Led by Dr Melis Duyar, the team from the University of Surrey and North Carolina State University have developed a new method specifically designed to upcycle textile micro/nano fibers shed during the washing and drying of clothes. The method produces clean hydrogen and solid carbon nanomaterials as a by-product.

Dr Duyar, senior lecturer at the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at University of Surrey, said: “At the University of Surrey, we are developing solutions to upcycle microplastics without releasing the fossil carbon contained within them into the atmosphere in the form of greenhouse gas emissions. Plastics are one of the problems associated with our dependency on fossil fuels, so any solution we develop to address plastics pollution must also fit within our strategy for reaching a net zero emission economy. This partnership with Xeros will allow us to bring our technology closer to commercialization, by developing methods for upcycling real microfiber waste collected from commercially available filters. We are excited to see our patent pending processes in action as applied to mixed fiber feedstocks, which is a big step towards developing a viable, real-world solution.”

The carbon nanomaterials developed using this upcycling method can be used in various essential products including batteries, solar cells and medical devices.

Dr Paul Servin, Application Development director of Xeros, said: “There is nothing better than to convert, what is today considered to be waste and a problem in the world, into a highly valuable product which is what we, together with the excellent researchers at University in Surrey, will accomplish. I’m extremely excited about this project which can hopefully lead the way to future separated collection of microfibers from washing machines, tumble dryers and vacuum cleaners for the purpose of upcycling to a higher valued product”

The project will begin in January 2023 with research conducted over a 12-month period.

1 Microfibre Consortium. Microfibre shedding. Professor Richard Thompson OBE FRS et al. Lost at Sea: Where Is All the Plastic? 2004.

2 Julien Boucher, Damien Friot. Primary Microplastics in the Oceans. 2017.

3 Napper I. et al. Reaching New Heights in Plastic Pollution—Preliminary Findings of Microplastics on Mount Everest. 2020

4 Peng et al. Microplastics contaminate the deepest part of the world’s ocean. European Association

of Geochemistry. 2018

Posted January 17, 2023

Source: Xeros Technology/University of Surrey

FESPA Announces Expanded 2023 Global Events Calendar

DORKING, England — January 17, 2023 — FESPA has confirmed the dates of all its global events in 2023, including FESPA Global Print Expo and European Sign Expo, the all-new WrapFest and Personalisation Experience, and regional events in Africa, Brazil, Dubai, Mexico and Eurasia.

Kickstarting the year is the new FESPA Leadership Exchange (FLEX) event. Taking place in Dubai from March 1-2, 2023, FLEX will welcome senior figures from leading print businesses in the Middle East to connect with their peers to facilitate business growth and inter-regional knowledge exchange.

FESPA Brasil then returns to Expo Center Norte in São Paulo from March 20-23, 2023. Jointly organized with APS Feiras & Eventos Corporativos, FESPA Brasil will offer a range of educational and inspirational features, including: the FESPA Digital Textile Conference; the Inteligência Gráfica conference; ‘the Maker’, a new initiative exploring the creativity and durability of acrylics and plastics in visual communications; the Sublimation Island lecture space; and CAMBEA, the Brazilian Automotive Wrapping Championship. The winner of CAMBEA will go on to compete in the World Wrap Masters Series Final in Munich.

WrapFest, FESPA’s new event experience for the vehicle wrapping, vinyl installation and detailing community, will take place from April 26-27, 2023, at Silverstone racing circuit in Northamptonshire, England. WrapFest will feature an exhibition space, educational conference and hands-on demonstrations, welcoming automotive professionals in wrapping, fleet graphics and car detailing, as well as printers and sign-makers. On site, visitors can also watch the first-ever UK and Ireland regional World Wrap Masters competition.

The FESPA Global Print Expo and co-located European Sign Expo will be back at Messe Munich, Germany, from May 23-26, 2023. To date, more than 390 exhibitors are already contracted for the exhibition and the popular FESPA Awards, World Wrap Masters (European competition May 23-24, and Series Final May 25-26) and Sustainability Spotlight features will be returning. Also in Munich, Personalisation Experience, FESPA’s brand-new conference and experiential showcase of personalisation in action, will open its doors.

Supported by FESPA’s Mexican association, Canagraf, FESPA Mexico will be hosted at Centro Citibanamex in Mexico City from August 17-19. Celebrating its 15-year anniversary, the event invites professionals from Mexico and Central America to see the latest developments in digital, textile, 3D and screen printing, sublimation and signage. At the event, wrapping professionals will compete in the World Wrap Masters Mexico competition for the chance to qualify for the World Wrap Masters Series Final 2024 in Amsterdam.

For the first time since 2019, FESPA Africa will return to Johannesburg alongside its co-located events, Sign Africa and the Modern Marketing Expo. Hosted in conjunction with FESPA Partner, Practical Publishing, the exhibition will open from September 13-15, 2023, at the Gallagher Convention Centre, connecting visitors with more than 150 exhibitors.

The final event of 2023 is FESPA Eurasia, which will run from November 23-26, at IFM – Istanbul Expo Center, Turkey.

“We’re delighted to have concrete plans for all our global events in 2023, including the long-awaited return of FESPA Africa, and we’re excited to be innovating again, with the launch of three new focused events to ignite new possibilities for businesses,” commented Neil Felton, FESPA CEO.

“After the disruption of 2020 and 2021, the market’s enthusiastic response to the return of our events has reaffirmed the value of making real, in-person connections, and the need to see, touch and try when making technology investments. We’re confident that 2023 will continue this momentum and we look forward to sharing new perspectives on specialty print and visual communications with our community throughout the year.”

FESPA also previously announced that FESPA Global Print Expo, European Sign Expo, Personalisation Experience and Sportswear Pro will take place from March 19-22, 2024, at the RAI Exhibition Centre in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Posted January 17, 2023

Source: FESPA

PAKA Wins Retail Innovation Award with PAKAFILL®

SALT LAKE CITY — January 16, 2023 — Paka Apparel was announced as one of the winners of the fifth annual Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards during a live ceremony at the Outdoor Retailer Snow Show on Thursday, January 11, in Salt Lake City.

Paka Apparel received the award for the launch of its PAKAFILL® insulation. Warmer than any synthetic insulation currently on the marketplace — 2.59 thermal CLO value (tested by IDFL Laboratory and Institute — and with half the volume of down, PAKAFILL insulation keeps you warm when wet and thermoregulates from freezing temperatures to high aerobic activity to keep you in a neutral comfort range. PAKAFILL insulation is also 100-percent hypoallergenic. This year’s winners were chosen by a judging panel from 29 finalist products, materials and services representing original design, function, impact and inspiring attributes.

“I’m honored to be recognized for Outdoor Retailer’s Innovation Award,” said Kris Cody, Founder and CEO. “It’s been amazing to see brands like Ralph Lauren, Cotopaxi, Simms, and Black Diamond come up at the show and be interested in using PAKAFILL in their products. We’re very excited to enable other brands to utilize this insulation. The outerwear industry needs more sustainable options, and this is a great first step.”

This is the first major innovation award Paka Apparel has received since launching PAKAFILL in December of 2022 in conjunction with Paka’s PAKAFILL Puffer. PAKAFILL Puffer is designed for extreme performance that rivals any premium outerwear on the market. Field tested at over 22,205 feet, the PAKAFILL Puffer’s innovation and design has been recognized and praised everywhere from its business impact, Inc Magazine to its fashion appeal, WWD.

Posted January 17, 2023

Source: Paka

Domestic Textile Groups Tell Biden Administration Penalty Tariffs Counteract China’s Unfair Trade Advantage And Give American Producers A Chance To Compete

WASHINGTON — January 17, 2023 — The Biden administration’s Section 301 penalty tariffs on finished textiles and apparel counteract China’s unfair trade advantages and give U.S. manufactures a chance to compete, two key American textile manufacturing groups told the Biden administration today. Removing tariffs, the associations said, would reward China, put U.S. manufacturers at a competitive disadvantage and do nothing to reduce inflation.

In a formal submission to the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) office, which is conducting a four-year statutory review of the tariffs, the associations, representing the entirety of the U.S. textile production chain, expressed strong support for the continuation of current Section 301 penalty tariffs on finished textiles and apparel imports from China and outlined the effectiveness of U.S. tariff actions.

“In some cases, such as on finished apparel, the tariffs have worked to partially offset and counteract China’s unfair trade advantages,” the groups said. “The tariffs on finished textile and apparel items are giving U.S. manufacturers the chance to compete, and we are seeing encouraging investment and growth in moving some production and souring from China back to the Western Hemisphere.”

“The CAFTA-DR [Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement] region has seen more than $1 billion in new textile and apparel investment this year, for example, which is historic and due to the textile and apparel rules negotiated under the agreement and sourcing shifts from China,” they added. “This investment and growing U.S. imports from the Western Hemisphere is attributable in part to the 301 tariffs on finished apparel.  The tariffs on finished items in our sector are broadly supported by textile/apparel producers in the hemispheric co-production chain, and it is essential that they remain in place, absent China reforming its practices.”

The submission was filed by the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) and the U.S. Industrial and Narrow Fabrics Institute (USINFI), a division of the Advanced Textiles Association (AFA).

The groups have long advocated for a fair, transparent process to remove tariffs on textile machinery, certain chemicals and dyes and limited textile inputs that cannot be sourced domestically to help U.S. manufacturers compete against China.

They also stressed that lifting the tariffs on finished textiles and apparel products from China “will solidify their global dominance in this sector for generations to come and reward their abusive behaviors, exacerbate the migration crisis, hurt domestic manufacturers and workers, undermine our ability to recalibrate essential PPE supply chains, and blunt the positive supply chains shifts and investments in the Western Hemisphere that are happening.” They added it would “do nothing to solve the inflation crisis facing U.S. consumers and manufacturers right now.”

See the full submission here.

Posted January 17, 2023

Source: NCTO

Milliken & Company Welcomes David Heiman as Account Manager  

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — January 17, 2023 — Global textile manufacturer Milliken & Company is pleased to announce David Heiman is joining the Textile Business’s Decor team as an account manager for the outdoor fabrics category. In the role, David will serve Decor’s growing customer base within the performance fabric market and represent Milliken as the organization continues to expand within the outdoor casual industry.

David brings more than 15 years of experience in performance fabrics, serving numerous customers within the outdoor casual market ranging from independent retailers to furniture manufacturers. Most recently, David served as Casual Furniture sales manager with Outdura. David brings a commitment to high ethical standards and customer-first approach to the role.

Posted January 17, 2023

Source: Milliken & Company

Newly Patented Vapor Barrier System Incorporates Metalized Film To Offer 100x Chemical Resistance

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — January 17, 2023 — Land Science®, a division of REGENESIS®, and supplier of contaminant vapor intrusion mitigation technologies, was recently awarded a U.S. patent for the innovative use of a reinforced geomembrane comprised of an encapsulated, metalized layer and installed with Nitra-Core™, a spray-applied nitrile-modified asphalt. This patented innovation provides 100 times more chemical resistance than other solutions and is integral to the enhanced protection built into Land Science’s popular MonoShield® and TerraShield® contaminant vapor barrier systems.

As part of the U.S. patent process, Land Science scientists presented lab testing data that compared the design of the new vapor intrusion (VI) barrier technology to commonly used high-density polyethylene (HDPE) systems.

“In our lab study, we discovered TerraBase+ provided 100 times more protection from TCE vs. the HDPE tested,” said Vice President of Quality and Process Improvement Kristen Thoreson, Ph.D., who is a co-inventor on the patent along with principal engineer Hieu Nguyen and REGENESIS President and CEO Scott Wilson. “This represents a significant improvement and ensures a safer environment for sites where contaminant vapor intrusion is a health concern.”

Land Science’s patented material design offers superior protection because it incorporates metalized film, a material proven to be highly effective at preventing the diffusion of contaminant gases. The advanced composite membrane prevents corrosion of the encapsulated metalized film and provides multiple layers of protection — including a reinforced grid geomembrane and geotextile. This reinforcement ensures greater tensile strength, enhances durability and minimizes the potential for punctures during installation, which often occurs in demanding construction environments.

The chemically resistant and proven design improvements apply to both MonoShield and TerraShield contaminant vapor barrier systems and are marketed through the Land Science team of technical sales representatives based throughout North America.

Posted: January 17, 2023

Source: Land Science®, a division of REGENESIS®

Standard Textile Names Alex Heiman President

CINCINNATI — January 17, 2023 — Standard Textile Co. Inc. today announced Alex Heiman will assume the role of president. Alex succeeds his father, Gary Heiman, as the fourth-generation president of Standard Textile. Gary Heiman continues a leadership role at Standard Textile as chairman and CEO.

“As I enter my thirty-fifth year leading Standard Textile, I’m proud to continue in my father’s and grandfather’s footsteps by appointing my son Alex as President,” said Gary Heiman. “Alex’s aptitude for leadership, his humility and willingness to learn from others, his forward-looking mindset and his deep respect for the ideals that were first put in place by my grandfather are all reasons I can proudly and with confidence pass on the presidency role to my son.”

Alex has held numerous leadership positions since joining Standard Textile, including serving as vice president of Strategy, overseeing the Human Resource function, and leading the Healthcare Business Unit. Alex is a graduate of Colgate University and holds a Master of Business Administration from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

“I’m deeply honored by Gary’s decision,” said Alex Heiman. “The legacy that my parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents have created through almost a century of tireless work is humbling to say the least. We will build upon that legacy and take this company to the next level.”

Standard Textile was founded in 1940 by Charles Heiman, a German immigrant who had been incarcerated in the Dachau concentration camp. Charles escaped the concentration camp and settled in the United States where he started a small linen-distribution company out of the family’s third-floor apartment in Cincinnati. Charles’ son, Paul, later expanded the company by specializing in healthcare textiles. After building the company’s first manufacturing operation in Arad, Israel, Gary assumed the role of president in 1988 and continued to expand the company’s global manufacturing and distribution infrastructure.

“As chairman and chief executive officer, I will continue building relationships with strategic customers and partners both domestically and globally and advise on product development and manufacturing,” Gary Heiman noted.

Alex Heiman assumes the role of presidency immediately and will lead all North American business units as well as Marketing, Human Resources, and Innovation.

Posted January 17, 2023

Source: Standard Textile

 

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