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)
GHENT, Belgium — October 21, 2022 — Today, Milliken & Company and PureCycle Technologies, Inc., jointly announced that they have created the first fully sustainable concentrate for PP on the market. This development advances circularity, since the concentrate based on PureCycle materials will allow for greater use of 100-percent recycled content. Additionally, when used in combination with PureCycle’s recycled PP, it produces a formulation with a carbon footprint (GHG) approximately 35-percent lower than that of virgin PP.
The new concentrate has been formulated using Milliken’s Millad® NX® 8000 ECO clarifier. As an added benefit, the certified energy savings realized by using resin produced with this clarifier allows brand owners to display the much-desired UL Environmental Claim Validation label on their injection-molded parts.
In a press panel at the K 2022 fair in Düsseldorf, Dustin Olson, CEO of PureCycle, and Wim Van de Velde, global vice president of Plastics Additives at Milliken, provided an update on their companies’ collaborative efforts since the partnership began in 2019. Today’s announcement of the first odorless concentrate for PP based on a recycled resin carrier was a direct result of that collaboration.
Headquartered in Florida, PureCycle’s patented recycling process was developed and licensed by The Procter & Gamble Co. The game-changing technology separates color, odor and other contaminants from PP waste feedstock to transform it into ultra-pure, virgin-like resin.
Milliken’s technical leadership and top-tier additives play a critical role in reinvigorating recycled polypropylene (rPP) for PureCycle. By providing a backbone of support through the principal scientist role, and across their broader R&D team, and by establishing an exclusive supply relationship with PureCycle, Milliken is helping to address the plastics end-of-life challenge.
Purposeful innovation for a “no-compromise” solution
The innovative concentrate resulting from this partnership is proof that Milliken’s mission of working together for tomorrow can lead to moving the industry forward in its goals for circularity. It also aligns with the company’s stated goals to advance the circular economy through chemistry. In this case, because the new concentrate enables the production of parts that are free of odor and color, it makes using rPP an attractive option for PP converters as it can be used in various applications, provides the same high quality as virgin PP and has crystal clear clarity.
“Milliken has been a steadfast partner for PureCycle since the very early days,” Olson noted. “For a startup company like ours with groundbreaking technology, we needed their help to set our technical foundation. Their expertise and commitment to understand, grow and develop our product is a differential factor in this partnership.”
Olson stressed that PureCycle is developing a “no-compromise solution” that is designed to deliver high-quality polypropylene resin for a wide spectrum of applications, along with a good carbon footprint — both of which he says are important when innovating in a new space like sustainability. In addition, customers using PureCycle’s product should not need to adjust their operations to accommodate it. This offers a distinct advantage compared with using alternative recycled material, which typically requires the customer to make color or formulation adjustments to get an acceptable end result.
From collaborative vision to global reality
PureCycle is currently scaling its production capabilities. In addition to completing its first plant, in Ironton, Ohio, the company has announced it will install two lines at a new plant it is building in Augusta, Ga. It is also establishing a partnership in South Korea, with plans for another partnership in Japan.
“Our global growth is good for the planet and good for consumers,” Olson said. “We have a special product that can change the world of recycling, and we are executing on our strategic plan to deliver this product to the world, because the world needs it.”
Van de Velde added: “Sustainability is a key pillar and our focus as an organization. The concentrate we announced today is just the beginning. With our technical expertise, we will continue to innovate and bring in new technologies and sustainable solutions to enable our customers to grow. We know that continuing to work with PureCycle and supporting their solution can help the industry move towards where they need to be in the next 10 to 15 years.”
Olson said: “This partnership is proof that when you have groups of people working collaboratively together with a similar vision they can execute results quickly to meet industry commitments. What we like about Milliken is that they don’t represent only one additive. They have other technologies that help boost sustainability. Three years ago, we announced what we would do together in this partnership, and now we are doing it.”
To learn more, visit Milliken in Hall 6, Booth A27 at the K Show or k2022.milliken.com, or check out PureCycle online at www.purecycle.com.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — October 24, 2022 — Motion Industries Inc. (Motion), a distributor of maintenance, repair and operation replacement parts, and a premier provider of industrial technology solutions, is pleased to announce Motion Ai’s new and extensive facility, which officially opened on June 1, 2022. The address is 7350 Golden Triangle Drive, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, 55344.
As an industrial automation solution provider, Motion Ai needed a larger space for their growing business. The new 105,000 square-foot premises features a gain of 55,000 square feet over the old location, which was also in Eden Prairie. The larger space allows for integrated use, including a regional sales and support center, classrooms for employee and customer training, a regional fulfillment center, assembly and fabrication shops, a proof-of-concept design area, and engineering labs for customer product and demonstration engagement. In addition, Motion Ai capabilities at this facility include large conveyor system builds, complete automation system builds, robotic and machine vision solutions, expanded pneumatic and machine control solutions, machining, welding, and more comprehensive value-added offerings.
“We wanted to meet the growing demands of our customers and the industry by growing every facet of automation and robotics solutions,” said Aurelio Banda, Motion’s senior vice president, Automation Intelligence. “Our investments allow for future, incremental expansion within our structure up to 30 percent beyond our current growth plans. This will also allow us to add employees over time.”
Randy Breaux, president of Motion, said: “Opening this state-of-the-art automation facility represents just one more way we anticipate our customers’ needs in production efficiency across virtually all industry sectors. This is an important step in our long-term growth strategy, and we’re excited to see the upward trajectory of technological innovation and services that the new Motion Ai location will support.” Motion Ai will hold an open house at the new facility in Spring 2023.
MOREE, Australia — October 19, 2022 — China–based Advance Denim has announced its partnership with Good Earth Cotton®, offering a fully traceable denim collection made from climate positive fiber, produced using clean indigo dyeing technology.
This movement is part of Advance Denim’s ongoing commitment to a new production model which centers environmental protection while simultaneously elevating innovation and quality.
Good Earth Cotton is earth’s only climate positive, traceable cotton, sequestering more carbon than it emits across its entire growth lifecycle with secure, auditable data protecting provenance and transparency.
Sharing a vision for a more environmentally accountable fashion industry, Advance Denim embraces Good Earth Cotton as a means of change — to disrupt traditional farming and manufacturing practices to further improve the environmental impact of denim and cotton overall.
Cotton makes up 25 percent of the world’s global fiber use and the fashion industry accounts for 5 percent of annual global carbon emissions as the third most polluting industry after construction (10 percent) and food (25 percent).*
Advance Denim intends to incorporate 90 percent environmentally-conscious fibers in its product line by 2023.
As an industry pioneer, Advance Denim’s 30 year history recognizes environmental care as a prerequisite to development. Their focus on constant sustainable modernization has led to such innovations as BigBox Dyeing and BioBlue Indigo that create cleaner indigo dye by using 95-percent less water as well as the elimination of added toxic sodium hydrosulfite in the dye process.
“Advance Denim is proud to announce that we will be adding another layer of sustainability to our Advance Sico mill in Nah Trang Vietnam by partnering with Good Earth Cotton, bringing denim made with modern regenerative cotton to the Vietnam region,” said Advance Denim’s US Marketing Director Mark Ix.
“Advance Sico and Good Earth Cotton share a commitment to sustainability and carbon reduction, and are motivated to deliver high quality, sustainable and fully traceable products.”
Good Earth Cotton employs modern regenerative and smart farming practices to minimize its global environmental footprint and maximise soil health, while elevating members of the global supply chain as agents of change.
Good Earth Cotton is completely traceable, backed by the power of FibreTrace® technology, which delivers end-to-end traceability in real-time to allow for irrefutable data and storytelling that is backed by scientific evidence.
The first of the partnership collection between Good Earth Cotton and Advance Denim will be released in December 2022.
