Lectra And Gerber Boost Fashion Ecosystem Productivity With Patternmaking Solution Interoperability

PARIS — December 7, 2021 — Lectra and Gerber announce that their patternmaking users will now be able to easily exchange CAD digital assets between their Modaris and AccuMark software to unleash productivity in the fashion ecosystem.

CAD systems abound in the modern fashion industry. Due to the diversity of user needs and required functions, designers, pattern makers, developers and manufacturing teams often work with different systems and platforms. Therefore, compatibility is essential. However, interoperability among various CAD systems has been a major challenge for the industry.

Thanks to the synergies created by the integration of Lectra and Gerber, Modaris and AccuMark customers now have access to modules that make the pattern conversion process quick and accurate. For Modaris users, Pattern Converter is a web application that enables companies to convert files in the AccuMark format into the Modaris format with a simple drag and drop. AccuMark users will be able to use Data Conversion Utility or Pattern Design, both of which are fully embedded in the AccuMark software, to convert Modaris patterns to the AccuMark format. Not only do these intuitive, easy-to-use applications eliminate the time-consuming, error-prone manual conversion process but they also enable companies to reduce costs linked to data conversion, open up the scope of collaboration and boost productivity by streamlining communication between teams and departments.

“Interoperability and data reliability represent a major challenge in the fashion industry. We understand that Lectra and Gerber customers have been using a mix of programs in their ecosystem for decades. Providing them with the flexibility they need to work in faster fashion cycles is our top priority. We are working on even more ways to ease the operations of our customers, no matter what tools and processes they use” says Céline Choussy, chief product officer.

Posted December 7, 2021

Source: Lectra

Biomimicry Institute Partnership Awarded Multi-Million Dollar Grant To Pilot Decomposition Of Textile Waste

LONDON — December 7, 2021 — The Biomimicry Institute has been awarded 2.5 million  euros to lead a multi-year initiative called Design for Decomposition. By embracing true decomposition — the way leaves break down into soil to build healthy ecosystems — the initiative will demonstrate scalable new pathways for the ~92 million tonnes of fashion waste discarded annually. The initiative is an ambitious follow-up to the Institute’s The Nature of Fashion report in 2020, which identified decomposition as the missing link for the sector.

Together with Laudes Foundation, Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA), Yale Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering, Metabolic Institute, The OR Foundation, and Celery Design, the Biomimicry Institute will pilot technologies that convert wasted clothes and textiles into biocompatible raw materials. The multi-year Design for Decomposition initiative will host pilots in Western Europe and Ghana, testing the most viable decomposition technologies that are commercially viable but have yet to scale.
The initiative begins with a deep-dive into biological research about the various types and circumstances of natural decomposition and then matches those approaches to the hundreds of known decomposition technologies to determine which best model nature. In the pilot phase these approaches will be tested in Accra, Ghana, which receives about 15 million used garments each week, and also in a large city like Amsterdam or Berlin with more established waste management infrastructure. Simultaneously, researchers at Yale will be taking a hard look at what really decomposes and how.

“Determining the rate or speed at which molecules degrade in the environment is of crucial importance to assess risks to our own health and health of the environment. While experiments to assess the biodegradation of chemicals when in the environment have been developed and are routinely carried out, these have several limitations that make it hard to predict the fate of chemicals and materials in the ‘real’ environment,” explained Dr. Paul Anastas, Director of the Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering at Yale. “Our goal is to close that gap.”
To avert some of the worst effects of a global industry that produces 100 billion garments each year for a population of 7.5 billion, a new approach is needed for the fashion sector. In the last 25 years, the amount of clothing bought in the EU per person has increased by 40%, following a sharp fall in prices. Europeans on average discard about 11 kilos of clothing every year, with some used items shipped overseas to places like Accra but about 87% incinerated or landfilled1, including the donated clothes people were hoping would have a second owner. But with landfills closing, new ones too costly to make, and incinerators under scrutiny for carbon emissions, a new option — or a very old one — is increasingly necessary.

“Nature has primary producers, consumers, and decomposers, and all rely on dispersal, entropy. Without all three there is no cadence to life,” said Beth Rattner, Executive Director for the Biomimicry Institute. “If the fashion sector is going to be a force for good on the planet, it has to follow the same laws of nature. The North Star is not a shirt that becomes another shirt, but a shirt that subsidizes the regenerative fashion system we all know is possible.”

With catalytic funding from Laudes Foundation, the initiative is part of its fashion materials portfolio, which supports brave, innovative efforts that inspire and challenge the industry to harness its power for good. “Demonstrating that decomposition can put fashion back into natural resource cycles will be a powerful proof point for fashion and its allied industries, and a bold step towards reversing the environmental damage the industry has created thus far,” said Anita Chester, Head of Materials at Laudes Foundation. “We are thrilled to support this consortium led by Biomimicry Institute, and eagerly await the results of their game-changing pilots to scale bio-compatible solutions for the fashion industry at large.”

More than a third of all microplastic pollution — some 500,000 tonnes — are released each year from clothing, most ending up in oceans. Knowing that over 60% of garments are plastic-based and nearly all apparel is made with toxic processes, dyes, and coatings, the foremost question in the initiative is: what will this post-consumer waste decompose into that is not hazardous? All decomposition technologies are being screened through this lens, and the team has engaged toxicology partners from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, University of Ghana, and Yale.

“The end-of-life management of waste is a huge and complex problem that sits at the interface of the biosphere and the technosphere. We must find alternative pathways for handling the myriad of natural and synthetic materials embodied in the products we consume,” said Savanna Browne-Wilkinson of Metabolic Institute. “This is a critical and under-represented part of the current discourse on industrial transformation and will play an important role in how we design a regenerative, inclusive, and circular bioeconomy.”
After proving that advanced decomposition is viable locally, the joint partnership plans to prove that this system change can scale globally.

The OR Foundation, leading the work in Accra, Ghana, sums up the schism humans often experience around what we buy versus our place on the planet: “Waste makes visible our separation from nature and yet this separation is rarely in focus. We are excited to be part of this initiative, because the goal is not to maintain a false sense of control, attempting to perpetually juggle products above nature, but rather the goal is to work with nature, to find our place within the ecosystem.”

Reflecting on the scale of the problem and the goals of the initiative to address this volume, Edwin Keh, CEO of HKRITA, remarked, “It doesn’t get much more ambitious than this.”

The consortium is looking for more partners, technologies, pilot sites, and funders who want to tackle post-consumer fashion waste.

1 European Parliament

Posted December 7, 2021

Source: Biomimicry Institute

High-Performance Structural Materials Company Materia Inc. To Join ExxonMobil Chemical As Wholly-Owned Subsidiary

PASADENA, Calif. — December 7, 2021 — Materia Inc., a high-performance structural materials company that has pioneered the development of a Nobel Prize-winning technology for making a new class of polymers, today announced that it has been acquired by ExxonMobil Chemical Co., a division of ExxonMobil Corp.

This acquisition couples Materia’s Nobel Prize-winning technology with ExxonMobil’s complimentary proprietary processes and world-class manufacturing capabilities to bring these new sustainable structural polymers to greater commercial scale.

Materia has been working since its formation in 1999 on the development and commercialization of a new class of ruthenium catalysts and ROMP chemistry invented by Caltech Professor Robert Grubbs, for which Dr. Grubbs received a Noble Prize in Chemistry in 2005.

“Materia’s flagship polymer family, Proxima™, draws upon the ROMP catalyst technology to produce hydrocarbon based products with significant performance and sustainability advantages,” said Cliff Post, Materia’s president and CEO, “This technology can be used to form composites that exhibit strength and stiffness equivalent to steel, with significantly reduced weight.”

With initial support from CalTech and private investor capital, Materia has achieved commercial applications in several sectors, including oil & gas and industrial molding applications. In 2016, Materia received a $2 million grant from the Department of Energy to explore the feasibility of molding hydrogen tanks from a Proxima/carbon fiber composite.

Since 2017, ExxonMobil and Materia have been collaborating to research further uses for Proxima under a joint development agreement, including wind blade and anti-corrosion coatings. The technology could enable the manufacture of longer and more durable wind turbine blades for more efficient renewable energy generation. ExxonMobil anticipates expanding the scope of applications for Proxima, including parts for electric vehicles and sustainable construction projects.

“We are excited to begin this new chapter with ExxonMobil in our mission to deliver next-generation materials for a more sustainable world,” said Ray Roberge, chairman of the board of Materia Inc. “This development marks the culmination of decades of basic science research made possible by Caltech and all of Materia’s shareholders, especially Michael M. Kellen and Andrew S. Gundlach of Bleichroeder LLC, and the Dr. Alfred J. Bader and Joseph Bernstein families. Materia employees are excited to pursue the commercialization of these important technologies.”

The acquisition includes Materia’s extensive portfolio of patents and intellectual property, its headquarters, research and technology center in Pasadena, Calif., and its manufacturing facility in Huntsville, Texas. ExxonMobil intends to operate the business under the Materia company name as a wholly owned subsidiary.

Posted December 7, 2021

Source: Materia Inc.

JEC Group Announces Theme For JEC World 2022; Reaffirms Global Leadership In Composites Innovation, Business & Networking

PARIS — December 7, 2021 — JEC World — a global trade show dedicated to composite materials, their manufacturing technologies and application markets — will take place in Paris from March 8-10, 2022, under the theme “Composites for a Sustainable World.” JEC World 2022 will be the industry’s most awaited international face to face event after the long pandemic period. Exhibition space is already 98-percent booked, a clear demonstration of the industry’s commitment to meet and resume business. Those unable to join in person will be able to experience the show via the JEC World Connect digital platform.

“We are looking forward to welcoming our exhibitors, partners and visitors back to Paris to resume business and promote innovation,” commented Thomas Lepretre, vice president Events, Sales and Operations of JEC Group. “JEC World will bring the composites industry together to showcase the sustainability benefits of composite materials to a global audience, and to provide a stimulating meeting-place for the industry to pursue its sustainability ambitions by exchanging knowledge, forging collaborations, and imagining new concepts to protect our environment.”

JEC World a unique get-together on sustainability throughout the product lifecycle
With the pandemic context, it is evident that ensuring a sustainable future for our world is an even greater priority for our industry. Communicating and advancing the sustainability benefits of composite materials is central to JEC Group’s mission. Under the theme of Composites for a Sustainable World, JEC World 2022 will offer a unique meeting-place for the global academic, business and end-user communities to engage in fruitful knowledge sharing, networking and innovation focused on improving sustainability throughout the product lifecycle. The event will showcase all the latest value chain strategies to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle in line with circular economy goals, and highlight how the composites community is seizing the opportunity to Rethink the way we do things now and direct Research into new and better solutions.

JEC World a real composites “think tank”

JEC World 2022 will demonstrate how sustainable thinking is at the heart of the innovative designs, technologies and business models driving the development of the next generation of composites applications. Four conferences will be held over the three days, focusing on:

• Sustainability of Raw Materials for Composites: Fueling the Circular Revolution
• Rethinking Composite Materials Production: The Path to Sustainable Manufacturing
• Design for Circular Composite Products: Turning Waste, Recycling & Reuse into Opportunities
• Applications of Composite Materials for Circularity: Towards a Net-Zero World

New for 2022, JEC World will feature two Agora Stages in Halls 5 and 6 which will host all conferences, onsite and in livestreaming, the Startup Booster competition, key industry leader sessions, and round tables and workshops. In addition, the “Country on Stage” sessions will give countries the opportunity to present their industrial ambitions and business potential to a global audience. The Netherlands, Russia, South Korea and the United States are already confirmed.

Innovation is in JEC World’s DNA

One of JEC World’s objective’s is to promote the composites sector’s most innovative projects. More than 600 product launches are expected to be announced over the three days of the show, which will also feature JEC’s high-regarded innovation challenges and awards ceremonies :

• The JEC Composites Innovation Awards celebrate innovative global composite projects, as well as fruitful collaborations between different players in the value chain. Over more than 15 years, the JEC Composites Innovation Awards have highlighted collaborations between some 1,900 companies and recognized 203 creative projects. The winners will be announced on March 7th during a dedicated ceremony and their successful technologies will be on display throughout the show.

• The JEC Composites Startup Booster is the leading startup competition in the world of composites. In 2022, this competition will celebrate its fifth anniversary, with a special event to be organized onsite and the launch of a new “sustainability” award. And, with 20 finalists for 2022, it will recognize innovations with the greatest potential market impact and promote them to an influential audience of decision-makers. The finalists’ innovations will be displayed at JEC World’s “Startup Village.”

JEC World is the unparalleled insight into the composites market

JEC World is the leading global event for composites innovation, business and networking. JEC World 2022 is expected to attract 1,350 exhibitors and more than 40,000 professional visits (on-site and online) from 112 countries.
In order to maximize their return on investment JEC World offers industry decision-makers access to effective marketing and relationship-building opportunities. More than 2,000 business meetings will take place over the three days of the show, tailored to the specific needs and priorities of business leaders while giving them the opportunity to strengthen their market profile, get involved in new programs, and meet new business partners.

Posted December 7, 2021

SourCE: JEC Group

AATCC: J. William Weaver Paper of the Year Award 2021

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — December 7, 2021 — This year, the J. William Weaver Paper of the Year is being awarded to two papers! Xuehong Ren and co-authors Meng Zhang and Yan Zhang from Jiangnan University, and Tung Shi-Huang from Auburn University are recognized for their paper “Antibacterial Finishing of Vat Dyed Cotton Fabrics with a Reactive N-Halamine” published in the 2020 AATCC Journal of Research. Lian-gang Zheng and co-authors Fujun Xu, Mohamed Amine Aouraghe, Sidra Saleemi, Yanhong Cao and Yiping Qui from Donghua University are recognized for their paper “Mechanical Properties and Failure Analysis of 3D-Woven Copper Wire/Glass Fiber Hybrid Composites” published in the 2020 AATCC Journal of Research.

About the Authors

Xuehong Ren is a Taihu Professor in the College of Textile Science and Engineering at Jiangnan University located in Wuxi, Jiangsu, China. He received his B.S. in Textile Chemical Engineering (Dyeing and Finishing) and M.S. in Textile Chemical Engineering at Soochow University in 1993 and 2002, respectively. He earned his Ph.D. in Polymer and Fiber Engineering from Auburn University in 2006.  Prior to professorship at Jiangnan University, he was a Process Development Scientist at HaloSource Inc. in the U.S. He has been a member of AATCC since 2019. Ren has written or been a corresponding author on 153 peer-reviewed journal articles and been a corresponding author on four different book chapters.

Contributing authors include Meng Zhang, a Research and Development Engineer at Tanatex Chemical Trading Company Ltd., in Shanghai, China, and Yan Zhang, an Intellectual Property Specialist at Pinghu Youpu Biosciences Co., Ltd. in Pinghu, Zhejiang, China. Tung-Shi Huang is a professor at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, U.S.A.

Lian-gang Zheng received his B.S. from Anhui Polytechnic University in 2017. He immediately began his graduate studies at Donghua University in Shanghai China, where he is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the College of Textiles. He has authored or co-authored seven papers and has recently received the Doctoral Academic Scholarship from Donghua University and the Excellent Paper Award of the 13th International Forum on Textile & Garment Innovation from Shanghai Textile Engineering Society.

Corresponding authors include Fujun Xu, a Professor and Vice Dean at the College of Textiles, Donghua University. Xu received a B.S. in 2005 and a Ph.D. in 2011 from Donghua University; during this time, he also received a joint Ph.D. from North Carolina State University. Xu has authored or co-authored 10 journal papers. Kun Zhang is a PhD candidate in the College of Textile at Donghua University, where he also received his BS degree. He has authored or co-authored six publications. Mohamed Amine Aouraghe is a Ph.D. candidate at Donghua University. He received an Engineering degree from ENSAIT in Roubaix, France and a Master of Research degree from the University of Lille 1, Lille, France. He has authored or co-authored seven publications. Sidra Saleemi is a Ph.D. candidate at Donghua University. She has authored or co-authored nine papers. She is also an Assistant Professor at the University of the Punjab in Lahore, Pakistan since 2014. Yanhong Cao received her Bachelor’s degree and recently completed her Master’s degree from the College of Textiles at Donghua University; she has published two papers. Yiping Qiu is a professor in the College of Textiles at Donghua University. He received his bachelors from Zhejiang Silk Institute of Technology, his masters from Auburn University, and his Ph.D. from Cornell University. He did his post-doctorate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He served as Dean of the College of Textiles at Donghua University from 2007 to 2013. He has co-authored ten papers and is an Editorial Board Member of Textile Research Journal and Fellow of the International Society of Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Engineering.

The Weaver Award

The AATCC Publications Committee presents the J. William Weaver Paper of the Year Award to the author or authors of the best peer reviewed paper published in AATCC Journal of Research each year.

Even before it began publishing its own journal, AATCC had a long-standing tradition of friendly rivalry among authors. From 1925 to 1933, awards were presented for the best AATCC conference papers published by American Dyestuff Reporter. From 1940 to 1996, an Intersectional Paper Competition winner was chosen each year. In January 1969, AATCC began publishing Textile Chemist and Colorist and in February 1979, an annual award was established to honor the best paper published in that journal.

In 1990, the award was named for J. William Weaver, who was chair of the AATCC Editorial Board at the time of his death. Over the years, winning papers have covered a variety of topics, including antimicrobial textiles, color measurement and calculation, computer technology, exhaust dyeing, fiber-surface modification, formaldehyde, hydrogen peroxide bleaching, indigo dyeing, jet dyeing, metal content, recycling, soil release finishes, vacuum slot extraction, and yellowing.

The award includes a framed certificate signed by the AATCC president and the Publications Committee chair and was presented at AATCC’s Textile Discovery Summit during the Awards Luncheon on November 18, 2021 at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel, Durham, N.C.

Posted December 7, 2021

Source: AATCC

Texworld New York City: Winter 2022 Edition Unveils New Trends, Color Palettes And Material Innovations During One-Day-Only Trend Presentation

ATLANTA — December 7, 2021 — Texworld New York City and Apparel Sourcing New York City return in-person January 25-27, 2022, to the Javits Center with a dramatic presentation of the latest trends.  This Winter 2022 edition brings an exciting and artistic direction from the New York-based agency, The Doneger Group, spearheading the look and design for the Trend Showcase, along with offering insights during a one-day only seminar on what’s to come for the Spring/Summer 2023 season.

The Trend Showcase will fill the hall with innovative materials and color palettes, taking visitors on a journey through the Age of Enlightment.  “We are living in a rapidly changing world and no longer able to exist as we did so in the past”, noted Kai Chow, Creative Director, The Doneger Group.  “In this age of enlightenment, we honor the beauty of the earth and the power of technology, seeking to strike the perfect balance between nature and science”.

Chow will present four unique themes encompassing his vision:
Bio-Romance, Earth-Sense, Kinetic-Energy and Utopia-World.

BIO-ROMANCE

A new romantic renaissance has begun. We are infatuated by life’s delicate delights – The gentle caress of a cool breeze, the soft kiss of sunlight at dawn. Here, nature and science blend in perfect chemistry.

EARTH-SENSE

Conscious living and contemporary lifestyle combine, with earth as our guide and technology as our aide.  Bask under the sultry summer sun and take the time to enjoy life in Mediterranean culture.

KINETIC-ENERGY

Let’s get loud! Self-expression runs wild as we mix and match to suit our ever-changing moods. Playful meets punchy and flashy meets fun. We’re moving faster than ever before in this digital age!

UTOPIA-WORLD

What makes us unique? We honor our heritage as we embrace our individuality. In this global melting pot of ancient traditions, we move towards a modern future.  It is here that culture and community collide.

In addition to the Trend Showcase and the one-day only Trend Presentation, Texworld NYC and Apparel Sourcing NYC will host a variety of industry experts in their educational program across the three day event.  Both Textile Talks and the Lenzing Seminar Series will focus on today’s most relevant topics.

As the east coast’s largest sourcing event, both domestic and international manufacturers representing all aspects of the textile sourcing industry will be in attendance.  For those exhibitors that are unable to join in-person, The Sourcing Showroom will display their textiles and utilizing technology, buyers can chat with the exhibitors onsite in real time.  Together the two events will showcase the latest fabrics and apparel from more than 35 product categories, including lace, cotton, denim, wool, silk, functional fabrics and more.

Registration for the Winter 2022 edition is open.

Posted December 7, 2021

Source: Texworld New York City

The Fur Is Faux — And Bio-Based — On Bravo’s Project Runway

The winning design

WILMINGTON, Del. — December 3, 2021 — This news is real, but the fur is faux (and bio-based!). Last night, Bravo’s “Project Runway”, Episode 1907: Are You Fur Real”, surprised contestants with a competition featuring faux fur made with Sorona®. Sorona in collaboration with Ecopel developed Koba®, one of the first commercially available bio-based faux fur collections. In the Avant Garde challenge, designers were paired up and asked to select from over 200 yards of the plant-based and recyclable faux fur in a wide range of colors, patterns and lengths. Judges Nina Garcia and Elaine Welteroth were joined by guest judge Esteban Cortazar and famously avant garde actor and singer Billy Porter. Host and designer Christian Siriano called the sustainable faux fur “groundbreaking” and “amazing”. This timely episode airs as the industry is buzzing with major brands and media outlets taking a stance against animal fur.

After selecting from luxurious faux options that mimicked leopard, cheetah, coyote,
wool, and rabbit, designers created looks that went far beyond the traditional coat.
Designers Chasity Sereal & Prajjé Oscar Jean-Baptiste stole the show combining a
structured pink Sorona® faux fur bodice and pillars with a bespoke street art style skirt.

“This episode of Bravo’s Project Runway is a call to action for the industry. Luxury and
faux fur are not mutually exclusive,” says Sorona® Global Brand & Communications
Leader Alexa Raab. “The world’s most influential thought leaders in fashion and media
are advocating for innovative, sustainable fabrics. We’re proud to answer the call with
options like the bio-based faux fur we offer in collaboration with Ecopel, called Koba.”

An ethical alternative that’s also better for the planet, faux fur made with bio-based Sorona polymer fibers can be recycled. The exceptionally soft, natural feeling fur-alternative offers design flexibility, dyeability, warmth and uncompromising durability. Options are available in a range of lengths and colors providing limitless solutions for accessories, coats, linings, and more.

Stella McCartney was the first to debut a look with Sorona faux fur during her Paris Fashion Week Spring 2020 show. Now, brands including Maison Atia and Karl Lagerfeld are featuring styles with Sorona for faux fur.

Following its debut, Sorona faux fur received the ISPO Textrend “Best Product” Award in the Accelerated Eco category for the Fall/Winter 2021/22 season.

DuPont™, the DuPont Oval Logo, and all trademarks and service marks denoted with ™, SM or ® are owned by affiliates of DuPont de Nemours, Inc. unless otherwise noted.

Posted December 7, 2021

Eastman 2021 Innovation Day Highlights Innovation-Driven Growth Model, Circular Economy, And Strong Cash Flow As Drivers Of Growth

KINGSPORT, Tenn. — December 7, 2021 — Today, Eastman Chemical Co. hosted its virtual and in-person 2021 Innovation Day. During the meeting, members of Eastman’s executive management team highlighted key elements of the company’s business strategies and detailed its pathway to deliver growth through 2024.

“Over the past several years, we have executed a strategy to position Eastman as a leading material innovation company. Central to our strategy is our compelling, innovation-driven growth model, which is succeeding in creating consistent, sustainable value for all our stakeholders,” said Mark Costa, board chair and CEO. “We are leveraging our unique model to create value from disruptive macro trends, which we expect to be a strong contributor to Eastman’s growth over the next three years.”

Costa continued: “One area in particular that we are very excited about is our leadership position in the circular economy. Through our competitively advantaged molecular recycling capabilities, we are providing solutions for the plastic waste and climate crises while also creating a new vector of growth that has the potential to deliver greater than $450 million of adjusted EBITDA by 2026.”

In addition, Costa detailed how the company is strengthening execution across the organization to convert growth to value. This includes building application development, technology, and commercial capabilities, continuous cost structure improvement, and portfolio and site optimization. Taken altogether, Eastman expects:

  • Adjusted earnings per share compounded annual growth rate of 8 to 12 percent over the next three years;
  • Revenue growth in specialty products that is two times underlying markets;
  • An increase in corporate adjusted EBITDA margin to approximately 23 percent;
  • Greater than $1.6 billion of annual operating cash flow;
  • Approximately $2 billion of share repurchases in 2021-2022; and
  • Return on invested capital to be between 12 to 15 percent, which is significantly above cost of capital.

Stating that sustainability and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) are integrated into the company’s growth plans, Costa detailed the company’s path to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. This includes increased energy efficiency, process transformation, focus on renewable energy, and by leveraging technology breakthroughs.

Sustainable Innovation

Steve Crawford, executive vice president, technology and chief sustainability officer, discussed how Eastman is leveraging its growth model to accelerate and deliver sustainable innovations and create a competitive advantage.

“The triple challenge created by the climate, plastic waste, and growing population crises has intensified the need for sustainable innovations. To address these issues, we have aligned our top innovation platforms with these significant sustainability drivers,” said Crawford. “We are contributing to solutions that build a better world and building a strong pipeline of growth for Eastman that is on track for new business revenue from innovation approaching $700 million in 2024.”

Crawford further detailed the sustainable and competitive advantages to Eastman’s molecular recycling technologies, including a lower carbon footprint, the ability to recycle hard-to-recycle waste, no compromise in performance, and security of supply. He discussed how the circular economy is also creating new growth opportunities for Eastman’s biodegradable cellulosic polymers.

Outlining how Eastman intends to achieve its aggressive climate goals, Crawford detailed the company’s action plans for reducing its carbon footprint by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

Advanced Materials

Brad Lich, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, detailed the business strategies to build on the performance of the Advanced Materials segment, which consists of specialty plastics, advanced interlayers, and performance films product lines. Lich discussed how the company’s innovation-driven growth model is deployed throughout the segment, which has enabled Advanced Materials to grow its premium offerings, outperform key underlying markets, and deliver strong adjusted EBIT growth.

“Advanced Materials is a great specialty business that is well positioned to accelerate its strong track record of growth as global sustainability macro trends gain momentum,” said Lich. “In response to the global plastic waste and climate crises, customers and brands are looking to increase materials with recycled content. Through our circular recycling technologies, we are uniquely positioned to take materials that were otherwise bound for the landfill and deliver high-quality products without compromising quality or performance.”

Earlier this year, Eastman announced that it is moving forward with its circular economy project in Kingsport, Tenn., which includes construction of the world’s largest polyester material recycling facility and a Tritan™ polyester polymerization plant. The project is expected to begin producing at commercial quantities in 2023. In addition, Lich said the company is in active discussions for additional projects in Europe and the U.S. and expects to announce at least one additional circular economy project in the first half of 2022.

Advanced Materials expects approximately 15 percent adjusted EBIT CAGR in 2021-2024.

Additives & Functional Products

Dr. Lucian Boldea, executive vice president, Additives & Functional Products and Chemical Intermediates, discussed actions taken in the Additives & Functional Products segment over the past year that have resulted in a more focused and resilient portfolio. These actions include the divestiture of non-strategic businesses with approximately $1.1 billion of revenue expected to be completed in first quarter 2022. The focused, more streamlined segment now consists of coatings additives, care additives, animal nutrition, and specialty fluids businesses.

Boldea discussed how the formula for growth in Additives & Functional Products is the combination of volume growth that is above key underlying markets, innovation initiatives leveraged to sustainable macro trends, and Eastman’s competitive advantage from greater scale and more significant integration than competitors.

“Eastman’s innovation-driven growth model is clearly at work in Additives & Functional Products and is driving strong growth of high-value products across the segment,” said Boldea. “Our growth efforts are focused on multi-generational product planning and new offerings tailored to macro trends, coupled with efficient market execution at the customer level.”

A global leader in many of the markets it serves, Additives & Functional Products expects 6 to 8 percent adjusted EBIT CAGR through 2024.

Chemical Intermediates

Boldea also outlined the critical role that the Chemical Intermediates segment plays in supporting specialty growth through scale and integration, feedstocks for circular recycling facilities, and its contribution to Eastman’s strong cash flow generation. The company has taken many actions to improve the segment, which has resulted in an improved cost structure, product mix improvement, and reduced volatility. The company plans an ethylene to propylene project that will enhance the segment’s capability to produce low-cost propylene and further reduce ethylene-related volatility.

As a result of these actions, the company projects future normalized adjusted EBIT for Chemical Intermediates to be approximately $325 million with reduced volatility.

Fibers

According to Crawford, the company’s Naia™ cellulosic fiber is well positioned to capitalize on many of the fashion apparel mega trends, including a preference for sustainable materials. “Naia is now growing at an incredibly high pace and gaining scale. From 2018, we have grown by 20 percent, including the impact of COVID,” said Crawford.

He added that growth in the segment’s textiles products are growing at 2x underlying markets. In part due to this growth, Eastman expects the segment’s adjusted EBIT CAGR to be approximately 5 percent through 2024.

Financial Outlook

Willie McLain, senior vice president and CFO, shared how Eastman’s financial position and disciplined capital allocation have delivered value over the past several years and remain a point of strength for the company. He added that the company expects to deploy greater than $6 billion during 2022-2024 for growth investments, capital expenditures, and returning cash to stockholders.

“Given our strong balance sheet and cash generation, we are accelerating our track record of capital returns,” McLain said. “We intend to maintain a capital structure that provides the financial flexibility to invest for growth and reward stockholders. We remain committed to returning cash to our stockholders through dividends, which we intend to grow as the company grows, and share repurchases.”

The company recently announced that it has increased its dividend for the 12th consecutive year, and that it expects to repurchase approximately $2 billion of its shares during 2021-2022. This includes a recently announced $500 million accelerated share repurchase program that is expected to be executed in fourth quarter 2021. In addition, Eastman has also announced that its Board of Directors has increased the company’s share repurchase authorization by $2.5 billion, which enables Eastman to continue delivering returns to stockholders in 2023 and beyond.

Posted December 7, 2021

Source: Eastman Chemical Co.

Applied DNA Advances Cotton Genomics-Based Methodology For Determination Of Authenticity And Provenance

STONY BROOK, N.Y. — December 6, 2021 — Applied DNA Sciences Inc. (Applied DNA), a developer of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-based DNA manufacturing and nucleic acid-based technologies, announced today a development in its cotton genomics program that the company believes can bring forensic proof of cotton authenticity and provenance specifically related to regional cotton varietals to give brands and relevant regulatory authorities access to fiber origin data regardless of location of manufacture. The company recently presented initial data describing a methodology and findings for the successful determination of Egyptian cotton fiber, yarn and fabric origin using the combination of cotton genomics and isotopic analysis (IA) at an American Apparel and Footwear Association event. Applied DNA intends to publish its methodology and data upon completion of its manuscript.

The program, an ongoing applied genomics strategy to identify genomic markers that are associated with cotton grown within specific geographies, has identified a biomarker specific to Giza 94, the largest planted Egyptian cotton varietal1 used in the production of premium cotton textiles. This biomarker was confirmed to be specific to Giza 94 grown in Egypt by validation with stable isotope analysis through a collaboration between the company and Isotech Laboratories, a division of Stratum Reservoir. The data showed the Giza 94 biomarker was present in all samples bearing an IA signature from Egypt. The biomarker was not present in samples confirmed to not be of Egyptian origin by IA.

Given these findings, the company believes that it has proven for the first time that the geographic origin of cotton can be definitively ascertained via genotyping, a process of determining minute differences in the DNA of living matter. The Company has filed a provisional patent application on its newly discovered biomarker with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and intends to develop the biomarker into a rapid and cost-effective geoTyping™ assay that can be performed by various supply chain stakeholders and/or any molecular diagnostics lab.

Dr. James A. Hayward, chairman and CEO of Applied DNA, stated: “With textile brands sourcing finished product from factories globally, the provenance of cotton is often opaque to brands, regulatory bodies, and consumers alike. The ability to determine Egyptian Giza 94 cotton origin genomically via DNA-based geoTyping is a game-changer for an industry still recovering from the multi-hundred-million-dollar fallout in 20162 of mislabeled cotton sheeting sold by leading U.S. retailers. The industry is seeking to find a fast, accurate, and immutable means of establishing cotton origin to address concerns of cotton authenticity and provenance. Through geoTyping, we are working to bring the same level of fidelity to cotton from the U.S., India, Australia, and China.”

Posted December 6, 2021

Source: Applied DNA Sciences

Delta Apparel Appoints Simone Walsh As CFO

GREENVILLE, S.C. — November 30, 2021 — Delta Apparel Inc., a provider of core activewear and lifestyle apparel products, announced today that its Board of Directors has appointed Simone Walsh as the company’s vice president, CFO and treasurer. Deborah Merrill submitted her resignation, but has agreed to continue working with the company on an orderly transition of her responsibilities to Walsh through January 22, 2022.

Walsh has most recently served as vice president – deputy controller of Novelis Inc., since September 2020. Prior to that, she served as chief accounting officer, controller and principal accounting officer of PRGX Global Inc. from April 2019 to September 2020 and as vice president – Finance from August 2017 to April 2019. Walsh worked as a consultant for Steele Consulting from October 2016 to July 2017 leading a tax and divestiture process for certain operations of Cable & Wireless Communication Ltd. to a U.S. public company. Prior to that, Walsh served as the senior director – Finance, Home Services for The Home Depot Inc. from January 2015 to April 2016 and as the senior director – Tax from 2012 until 2014. She has also held other leadership and senior financial positions with various other companies and began her career as a public accountant, working at both Ernst & Young and Deloitte. Walsh holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Wollongong (Australia) and a Master of Business (Accounting and Finance) from the University of Technology Sydney (Australia). Walsh is both an Australian and British Chartered Accountant.

Robert W. Humphreys, the company’s chairman and CEO, commented, “We are delighted to have Simone join our team. She has extensive expertise in accounting, finance, operations and global strategy. In addition, her international business experience combined with a deep understanding of tax strategies will be of great benefit to propel the Company in its continued growth and profitability.

“On behalf of the entire Board and management team, I would like to thank Deb for her dedication and valuable contributions during her 23-year career at Delta Apparel. Deb has played a significant role in improving our financial and operational performance. We wish her the best in her future endeavors and are pleased that she will remain with the company into 2022.”

The company and Humphreys have agreed to extend the term of his existing employment agreement through the filing of the company’s fiscal 2024 Annual Report on Form 10-K and have agreed to enter into a formal amendment in the near future.

Posted December 6, 2021

Source: Delta Apparel, Inc.

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