Association Director Stands Down From The BTMA

Alan Little

MANCHESTER, England — April 14, 2022 — Alan Little, Association Director of the British Textile Machinery Association for almost 20 years, is standing down at the age of 79 and is leaving the Association.

During his tenure at the BTMA he has managed and directed the association, undeterred by a recession and a pandemic, through changing times and evolving markets and technologies; and representing the industry at government level.

Educated at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology as part of a University Apprenticeship Scheme in association with Mather and Platt Ltd., Manchester, Little graduated in Mechanical, Electrical, Process and Marine Engineering. Little’s career in the textile industry reaches across a remarkable seven decades; with more than 45 of those years being spent in senior sales and marketing positions. Furthermore, he has organized participation and attended at every ITMA-branded exhibition since 1965 in Basle.

He began full time employment at Mather & Platt in its Textile Machinery Design and Development Department in 1960 and was responsible for the design of bleaching, dyeing, printing and finishing machinery, as well as conducting technical audits at large textile complexes in North and Central African countries. By 1971, Little became the company’s sales manager, responsible for textile machinery sales in the Middle East, North Africa, Asia, Asia Pacific, and China.

In 1982 he became a founder member and director of Mather Machinery and took control of the sales and marketing of textile machinery in the United Kingdom, North Africa, Middle East, Asia and the Far East.

In 1989, Little joined David Bentley Ltd., and became the sales and technical director responsible for the worldwide sales of calendar bowls and development of specialized rollers in the textile, paper, steel and automotive industries. In 1989 he also joined the Executive Committee of the BTMA, eventually taking over as the association director in 2003.

Jason Kent, BTMA CEO said: “Alan leaves the BTMA in prime condition for its onward journey. He has worked tirelessly both on the world stage and behind the scenes to help promote and market the BTMA members’ products and services. This has been on a day-to-day basis as well as long term strategy, such as organizing much of the detail for many international trade exhibitions, seminars and missions.”

Little says that he is not ready to retire completely and will see what the future brings, however, in the meantime he will spend more time with his wife Anne and also try and find time to get his golf handicap back down to a single digit.

Posted April 19, 2022

Source: BTMA

Starlinger Joins UN Global Compact

VIENNA, Austria — April 14, 2022 — On March 13, 2022, Starlinger & Co Gesellschaft m.b.H. became one of the signatory companies of the UN Global Compact, a global pact between the United Nations and over 15,000 official members who are committed to working together for a sustainable future. By joining the UN Global Compact, Starlinger has pledged to uphold core issues such as human rights, labor standards, environmental protection and anti-corruption, and to voluntarily take measures that go beyond the legal requirements. “As a company that is active on the world stage, we have a significant responsibility towards society and the environment,” emphasized Angelika Huemer, Managing Partner at Starlinger. “With our participation in the UN Global Compact, and the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy that we established recently, we want to demonstrate to our business partners and our workforce that we are committed to fully integrating the ten principles of the UN Global Compact into our business practices.”

As the world’s largest initiative for corporate sustainability, the UN Global Compact is a tool that enables companies not only to recognize their social responsibility, but also to shoulder it. Clarissa Graf, sustainability officer at Starlinger, sees this global movement as an opportunity to shape a more sustainable future.

“Companies that join the UN Global Compact are called upon to comprehensively address the issue of CSR and to ascertain the status quo, thus enabling them to set ambitious goals,” Graf said. “Given the fact that annual reporting is mandatory, regular evaluation of the measures and the achievement of objectives also takes place. This is the only way to ensure that we are heading in the right direction. I am delighted that Starlinger is rising to this challenge!”

Together with her team, Graf is currently gathering all the relevant data in order to be able to set realistic goals for the upcoming strategy development. Another objective is the promotion of dialogue with stakeholders, especially along the value chain — and Huemer and Graf are quick to agree on this: “Developing and implementing effective solutions to complex issues requires lively exchange and cooperation among all stakeholders.”

Posted April 19, 2022

Source: Starlinger

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Receives $1.5 Million In Capital Funding

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — April 14, 2022 — Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Inc., the biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of spider silk, announces that it has received another $1.5 million from YAII PN, Ltd., a fund managed by Yorkville Advisors Global LP. The $1.5 million received this week is the second half of a $3 million fund agreement signed with YAII in January 2022. This $3 million and those from the previously announced transactions account for an $8 million total YAII investment into Kraig Labs over the past 16 months.

The company is well underway, putting this impact capital to work, strengthening its production operations. Over the last nine months, the company has deployed capital to build additional production capacity and bring key onsite quality control systems online. These renovations included building out custom-designed rearing rooms, purchasing and installing custom automated production equipment, and planting onsite mulberry to support year-round operations. This work also included the construction of a fully operational molecular biology laboratory that provides onsite and in-process quality control, mirroring the capabilities of the company’s U.S.-based R&D labs.

“This capital is allowing us to make strategic investments in critical processing, facilities, and equipment that have dramatically enhanced our production capabilities and capacity. Prodigy Textiles is now fully operational and beginning to fulfilling its mission of bringing eco-responsible and cost-effective spider silk to the global textile markets,” said company COO Jon Rice.

Maxim Group LLC acted as the sole placement agent for this capital raise.

The Company thanks Maxim Group LLC and Yorkville for their continued trust and confidence in Kraig Labs and its disruptive innovation of the technical textile markets.

Posted April 19, 2022

Source: Kraig Biocraft

The European Confederation Of Flax And Hemp I CELC Confirms Flax And Hemp As The Premium Natural Fibers For Composites At JEC WORLD 2022

PARIS — April 14, 2022 — The European Confederation of Flax and Hemp I CELC, as the leading industry authority for flax and hemp, is delighted to announce that it has partnered with JEC GROUP to set up the new Natural Fiber Village at JEC WORLD 2022 held from May 3rd to 5th. Located in Hall 5, the Natural Fiber Village will showcase the high-performance properties of CELC’s market leading European Flax® label, present its latest technical reports detailing best practice guidelines, and demonstrate the renewable materials and innovative solutions of its members.

EUROPEAN FLAX® and PEF Life Cycle Analysis Study

CELC’s European Flax provides composite manufacturers with fully traceable and certified premium-quality flax fibers that are sustainably grown in Western Europe and account for 80 percent of global production. At JEC, CELC will present a full Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) study for European Flax scutched fiber that uses the new EU recognized Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) method. CELC is the first agro-industrial sector to measure its environmental impact according to these criteria and delivers accurate scientific data from European Flax fiber grown and processed in France, Belgium, and Netherlands.

NEW Technical Report on Handling Moisture Sensitivity with Flax and Hemp Fibers

CELC is working to help composite manufacturers integrate renewable fibers into their products by providing technical support and resources.  At JEC World 2022, CELC will launch its latest technical report “A Moisture Sensitivity Technical Guideline”, detailing the best practice guidelines on handling moisture sensitivity with flax and hemp fibers. The report has been completed by CELC’s European Scientific Council, gathering experts from top European universities to demonstrate and detail the advantages of technical flax and hemp fibers in composites. In addition, CELC will also showcase three technical reports compiled by its European Scientific Council and co-published with JEC Group, that will each detail optimum processing methods for working with flax and hemp.

CELC and its Members Showcase mechanical and added value properties of Flax and Hemp Composite

In addition to exceptional eco-qualities, lightweight flax and hemp fibers provide benefits such as high specific stiffness, fatigue performance, impact resistance, thermal insulation, acoustic performance, radio transparency and vibration damping, which can be engineered to create structural and semi structural composite parts.

In the Natural Fiber Village, on the Innovation Planets, and as finalists for the JEC Innovation awards, CELC members will exhibit a range of European Flax products that are specifically optimized for industrial scale applications from automotive interiors to bio-composite building facades, bio sourced panels, and motorsport components.

Solutions on display include :

  • High-performance natural fiber reinforcements for sustainable lightweighting – Bcomp
  • Injection, thermoforming, and additive manufacturing solutions – Demgy
  • Thermoplastic prepregs with woven flax fiber and flax fiber composite panels – Flipts & Dobbels,l Flaxco
  • 100% flax and hybrid woven reinforcements from untwisted flax rovings – Depestele
  • Low-twist flax roving and yarns as wells as a range of woven flax technical textiles – Safilin
  • Specially selected and prepared flax fibers and rovings for composites – Terre de Lin
  • Innovative lower cost flax preforms and reinforcements for the composite industry – Flower Interreg Project

PRESENTATIOn of “Flax and Hemp Fiber Composites, a Market Reality”

On the first day, experts from the CELC’s European Scientific Council, Professor Ignaas Verpoest and PhD candidate Gilles Koolen will also present a session titled “Flax and Hemp Fiber Composites, a Market Reality” at the JEC Composites Exchange forum. The presentation will demonstrate how flax and hemp fibers meet manufacturer performance targets and match consumer demand for increasingly sustainable products using an analysis of several commercial bio-composite products.

Julie Pariset, CELC Innovation & CSR Director, comments, “JEC World 2022 promises to be a fantastic opportunity for CELC to support its members in creating a powerful technical platform to communicate the remarkable properties and sustainable advantages of flax and hemp in composite applications. In partnership with the JEC Group, we will present our latest technical reports and best practice guidelines delivering proven, scientific data that confirm European Flax® as the premium natural fibers for composites.”

Posted April 19, 2022

Source: CELC

AATCC Seeks Members For New Technology Committee

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — April 14, 2022 — The new AATCC Technology Committee is looking for members to help guide Association decisions. No experience or expertise is necessary; you just need to be willing to seek out information, ask questions and learn.

Committee Scope

The Technology Subcommittee shall advise as needed on all matters related to AATCC’s purchase and use of technology, including but not limited to servers, digital platforms, electronic hardware, and software. Issues for review may be presented by AATCC staff, another committee, or proactively identified by the Technology Subcommittee. The subcommittee may conduct research or seek professional input to provide recommendations. Members may also test new technology before, during, or after implementation by AATCC.

Committee membership is a great way to enhance your resume, make connections and get involved! Most AATCC administrative committees meet virtually twice per year, though interim meetings may be scheduled as needed.

Members of the C1-S17 Technology Committee serve a five-year term, and each takes a turn as Chair for one year. All nominees must be individual members of AATCC.

If you would like to get involved in this new committee, please contact Jack Bare by May 11 at jack.bare@star-na.com

Posted April 19, 2022

Milliken & Company President And CEO Halsey Cook Joins National Association Of Manufacturers (NAM) Board Of Directors

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — April 14, 2022 — Diversified manufacturer Milliken & Company is pleased to share that its President and CEO Halsey Cook was elected to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Manufacturers (“NAM”) this month. Cook, along with the other industry leaders currently serving on the board, bolsters the association’s leadership in policy advocacy, workforce solutions, legal action, operational excellence and news and insights affecting the manufacturing industry.

Founded in 1895, the NAM is the largest industrial trade association in the U.S., with more than 14,000 members. The NAM is the nation’s most influential manufacturing advocate, and its membership includes both iconic global brands and local manufacturers that power the domestic economy.

“Serving on the NAM Board is an honor and a responsibility,” shares Cook. “In this role, I’m an advocate for not only our 8,000 Milliken associates, but also for the 12 million people who make up the U.S. manufacturing sector. I look forward to doing my part to ensure our industry’s continued growth and success.”

The NAM is a one-stop shop for manufacturers, telling the story of the industry and equipping members with invaluable resources through the NAM’s channels and partnerships with the Manufacturing Leadership Council, The Manufacturing Institute and the Innovation Research Interchange. The association and its members are at the forefront of every important policy debate for manufacturers, with executives on the NAM Board serving as the driving force behind its efforts.

“Halsey is a recognized leader in our industry, and the NAM will be stronger thanks to his service on our Board of Directors,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “The NAM’s mission is to ensure we always keep moving forward, and Halsey will bring invaluable insights as we advocate for the men and women of our industry and advance the values that have made America’s manufacturing industry strong—free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty and equal opportunity.”

Posted: April 18, 2022

Source: Milliken & Company

TRSA Clean Green Awards Honor Corporate Sustainability Excellence

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — April 14, 2022 — On March 30, 2022, Individuals and Operations were honored by their peers for outstanding efforts made in specialized categories in their digital, safety, educational, inclusionary and operational pursuits. From alternative energy to natural resource conservation practices, The Clean Green Innovation Award, honors those companies that act as a guide to finding new ways to streamline their workplaces while being mindful to the environment.

Honored individuals and operation include:

  • Aramark Uniforms Services in Burbank, Calif. — Aramark has been called one of the most attractive and forward-thinking textile rental companies in North America pertaining to Alternative Fueled Vehicles. For more than two decades Aramark has added Propane, CNG, Electric Hybrid and fully Electric vehicles to their fleet of route trucks. Now they have several hundred alternative fueled vehicles. They are adding (52) fully Electric Vehicles on the Ford F59 Strip Chassis Platform with the Motiv Power System to their fleet with deliveries starting late in the 2nd quarter of 2022.
  • Brady Linen in Las Vegas — Brady Linen, a part of PureStar Group, was recognized for their efforts in installing Ultrapure water recycling systems in its Mayflower and Foremaster plants in Las Vegas last year. Mayflower processes 240,000 pounds a day and Foremaster, 275,000. Between the two of them, water use has decreased by an average of 10 million gallons per month. Accordingly, they have also decreased chemical usage as well as waste sent down the city sewer. Given new restrictions on drawing water from Lake Mead in southern Nevada, water recycling is helping the plants operate below state- mandated thresholds and avoid penalties for using too much water.
  • Cintas Corp. in Mason, Ohio — Cintas Corp. was celebrated for their efforts towards their pledge to achieve Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 made as a part of their comprehensive, enterprise-wide review of its business model as it relates to environmental, social and governance opportunities, improvements, and efficiencies. Between the fiscal years 2016 and 2020, Cintas improved its water efficiency rate by 16% while increasing its sales by almost 48%. In the last three years, the company has reduced its energy consumption by almost 13% as sales rose by 10%. From 2020 to 2021, water consumption dropped 5.1% and total energy use was reduced 6.9%. The 2021 water assessment showed nearly a 15% decline in discharged water since 2019. Water withdrawn was down 14.4%
  • Ecolab Textile Care in St. Paul, Minn. — Ecolab’s award-winning effort, Protex Plus, is enabling F&B/mixed linen laundries to meet energy and water conservation goals and sustainability standards. The program also helps them retain and grow their customer base and conserve critical resources. Surfactant and enzyme technology reduce alkali, wash temperatures, water consumption, and time, facilitating water and energy savings and wastewater compliance. Total operations cost is reduced through customized formulas based on comprehensive plant surveys.
  • Kemco Systems in Clearwater, Fla. — Kemco has spearheaded and innovative means for laundries to invest in water recycling without the high upfront capital cost, all while producing high quality recycled water. Known as “Conserve”, the program is an all-inclusive monthly offering that covers the equipment, installation, parts, and service at a price point lower than a laundry’s current water costs. It uses ceramic microfiltration and reverse osmosis to remove nearly 100% of harmful contaminants. Recycled water is free of viruses, bacteria, hardness, PFAS, synthetic dyes, and microplastics. Energy usage, cost, and impact on the environment are reduced.
  • Millers Textile in Wapakoneta, Ohio — Millers Textile has earned their award for their efforts in impacting water, sewer, electricity, natural gas, trash, and truck fuel. In partnership with Norchem, chemical consumption is down 15% per pound and fresh water consumption down 45%. This translates to almost 2 million gallons of water saved every month. These gains are due in large part to water softening and wastewater filtration and recycling. Other measures include partnering with a local recycler for plastic refuse, replacing all 200 fluorescent light fixtures in the 75,000-square-foot plant with energy-efficient LEDs, and adding integrated heat reclaimers. RFID chipping has significantly reduced overproduction and unnecessary deliveries.
  • New System Laundry in Portland, Ore. — New System sought wastewater recycling to combat high water and sewer costs and has seen dramatic improvements ever since. Substantial wastewater discharge reduction has been achieved thanks to ceramic crossflow membrane design, consistently reclaiming up to 85% of wastewater and 85% of wastewater heat. Prior to the installation, fresh water use was 1.7 to 2 gallons per pound; after, it dropped to 0.3-0.4. A total of 186 million gallons of water (about 90,000/day) have been saved and discharged with lower BOD. New System additionally converted to another wash chemical program saving an additional 10% on water, reducing wash time, and reducing water heating by washing at lower temperatures. Technologies used are Norchem’s UltraPure® and NupHase Pro.
  • Sitex Corp. in Henderson, Ky. — On the heels of existing sustainability practices including green laundry chemicals, wastewater monitoring, Green Seal-certified products and reduced paper and fuel use, Sitex has firmed its green position by implementing renewable energy to reduce their carbon footprint. Partnering with Amerlight Energy, Inc., Sitex has installed 572 solar PV modules (panels) at 445 watts per PV module. With an equipment lifespan of 30 years, their solar array will produce 338,593 kWh of green energy, powering almost 40% of their energy consumption. This prevents 311,506 pounds of carbon emissions, equivalent to 6,490 trees. This effort demonstrates to their community and industry that solar implementation is feasible and cost effective for industrial/commercial applications and has a long lasting, positive effect on the environment.

“This award acknowledges those who have found novel ways to conserve natural resources,” said Joseph Ricci, TRSA President and CEO. “Kudos to all of this year’s winners for your outstanding performance.”

The TRSA Industry Awards Dinner is an annual event and it is never too early to begin working towards being honored at the next one. Members are encouraged to visit the awards page on the TRSA website to learn more about the individual awards and how they can nominate candidates for next year.

Posted: April 18, 2022

Source: TRSA

Mannington Commercial Introduces New Color Palette For Color Anchor Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) Collection

CALHOUN, Ga — April 18, 2022 — Mannington Commercial introduces a refreshed color palette featuring 29 colors for the Color Anchor Collection, a luxury vinyl tile flooring solution that brings spaces to life with versatile hues complemented with subtle patterning. The new color palette includes rich neutrals with multiple value steps, shades of blues and greens and vivid primary colors. The collection works beautifully on its own or easily integrated with carpet and hard surface offerings.

“As the name of the collection implies, the Color Anchor LVT Collection offers commercial designers a product that can be used as a foundation for all types of projects. The organic, subtle patterns provide visual interest & come in a range of colors,” said Roby Isaac, vice president of Commercial Design at Mannington Commercial. “Depending on one’s design intent, our newly updated line can be the starting point to create lively, active spaces or sophisticated, quiet ones.”

Color Anchor LVT is available in two patterns. Groove is a small-scale textile-inspired visual with nondirectional crosshatching, and Stride is a finely drawn linear pattern with soft line work.  The visual can be run in a uniform direction or turned to create playful patterns. Both styles come in multiple plank and formats that can be mixed and matched in unlimited combinations to create endless pattern possibilities that work well for education and healthcare applications.

Both patterns are available in 29 colors and three sizes including 6” x 36” planks and 12” x 24” and 18” x 18” tiles.

Mannington Commercial is committed to helping customers reduce the negative impact projects can have on climate and health by improving operations and offsetting the embodied carbon in all new and refreshed products by 105 percent.  Additionally, the Color Anchor Collection features a 20 mil wear layer and Quantum Guard Elite®, Mannington Commercial’s industry-leading performance technology offering the highest scratch resistance and advanced stain and impact resistance.

Posted: April 18, 2022

Source: Mannington Commercial

Corsicana Mattress Co. Turns To Industry Veteran Eric Rhea As New CEO

Eric Rhea

DALLAS — April 18, 2022 — Corsicana Mattress Co. has named long-time industry leader Eric Rhea as its new CEO. Rhea has more than three decades of bedding experience, from his tenure at Leggett and Platt Inc., including being the president of its bedding group.

Rhea is focused on renewing Corsicana’s value proposition as the means to continue the company’s dramatic growth.

“Corsicana has an immense amount of talent! In a short time, the team has aligned around focusing our efforts on our core markets, understanding the need to provide solutions for our customers, and begun to streamline the business to assure we are lean and agile,” Rhea said.

“Our company is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and I’m extremely excited to join the team at this pivotal time. The company is rich in history at providing its customers with excellent service and value. Going forward, we will renew Corsicana’s commitment to unmatched service and value for our customer base.”

Rhea replaces Mike Thompson, who resigned in March to pursue other interests.

“The board believes Eric is the right leader for Corsicana in its next evolution. His industry expertise and operational skills are some of his key qualities, and a talented team supports him,” said Matthew Kahn, leader of Corsicana’s board of directors.

Rhea retired from Leggett and Platt in 2020. Most recently, he was president of North American Pipe and Precast, an infrastructure business for global building materials leader CRH.

He received both his bachelor’s and master’s of business administration degrees from Missouri State University.

Founded in 1971 in Corsicana, Texas, Corsicana Mattress operates 11 factories across the country and has become one of the mattress industry’s largest manufacturers. The company offers a full range of products that feature the latest in sleep technology, including innerspring, memory foam and hybrid models. The company also has a mattress-in-a-box line that simplifies delivery. Corsicana leverages its national manufacturing presence to provide industry-leading quality, value, delivery, and customer service. Its mission is to provide hard-working Americans with innovative and affordable sleep products that improve their quality of life.

Posted: April 18, 2022

Source: Corsicana Mattress Co.

INDA Opens Registration For World Of Wipes® International Conference In Chicago This June

CARY, N.C. — April 13, 2022 — Industry participants are looking forward to a dynamic, information-packed conference focused exclusively on the wipes sector and making business connections face-to-face as the World of Wipes® (WOW) International Conference returns for its 16th edition, June 27-30, at the Marriott Marquis in Chicago.

Registration is now open at WOW 2022. https://www.worldofwipes.org/register.html

WOW 2022 will feature eight sessions addressing the hottest topics in wipes including Circular and Sustainable Wipes, Supply Chain Challenges in Wipes, Nonwoven Substrates for More Sustainable Wipes, Trends in the Wipes Market and Among Consumers, Disinfection Concerns and New Technologies, Sustainable Wipe Packaging Trends and Developments in Flushability Issues.

Responding to industry demand for continued in-person meeting opportunities, the program includes more than 11 hours of face-to-face networking time to form new relationships and strengthen existing bonds. The program features a first-time attendee networking event, as well as an industry welcome reception, breakfast connections, and coffee and networking events. WOW 2022 also features two nights of tabletop displays and receptions on June 28 and 29.

The education kicks off with WIPES Academy, a 1.5-day value-added training opportunity on June 27-28. Following the welcome by INDA President Dave Rousse, the full conference program will feature thought leading speakers addressing pertinent trends as the wipes industry continues to address the needs of a changing world.

Among the many other highlights are the presentations of the finalists for the 2022 World of Wipes Innovation Award® and the INDA Lifetime Technical Achievement Award.

Last year’s event marked the return to in-person meeting following the pandemic and drew 475 enthusiastic professionals from 14 countries to Atlanta, Georgia. INDA has seen strong interest in high-level interaction and recently welcomed some 5,000 participants to its successful IDEA® 2022, the world’s preeminent event for nonwovens and engineered fabric professionals, last month at the Miami Convention Center.

Posted: April 13, 2022

Source: INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry

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