Mathieu St-Arnaud Lavoie Appointed As Executive Director Of mmode

MONTREAL — March 28, 2022 — Mathieu St-Arnaud Lavoie is the new executive director of mmode, the Metropolitan Fashion Cluster, with a mandate to strengthen Montreal’s leadership and visibility as a major fashion hub, both in Canada and abroad.

“Mathieu’s experience and remarkable knowledge of priorities in our sector are valuable assets that will help us continue moving forward with the major projects and initiatives that are currently under way with the support of the mmode team, which is expected to grow in 2022. I’m convinced that Mathieu will be able to engage all stakeholders in the sector — to which thousands of dedicated entrepreneurs, creators and employees contribute actively each day — in order to drive the growth of our industry, a veritable pillar of the Quebec economy,” stated François Roberge, chairman of the board, mmode.

A Strong Track Record

Over the past five years, as a member of mmode’s leadership team, St-Arnaud Lavoie has led various strategic projects aimed at increasing the sector’s visibility and expansion at the international level, notably including a number of trade missions to New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Paris and Barcelona. Recently, he attended three major American trade fairs to present Quebec’s manufacturing expertise and build connections with American brands interested in entrusting production of their clothing lines to Quebec companies. With some contracts already signed, the outlook is promising.

St-Arnaud Lavoie also played a central role in establishing a new personal protective equipment stream and engaging industry stakeholders to rapidly meet the needs of healthcare personnel and the public from the pandemic’s outset. What’s more, through the lamoderecrute.ca digital platform, he has supervised projects relating to workforce and succession planning, which is a priority challenge for the long-term sustainability of the sector.

As part of his new responsibilities, St-Arnaud Lavoie aims to keep the cluster on track with regard to key priorities in its business plan, including the circularity and sustainability strategies, on which work has already begun. He also wants to ensure the continuity of flagship projects that impact and engage the entire industry, including Montreal Fashion Week, the mmode Gala and the mmode Accelerator program, En mode croissance, which aims to nurture, promote, support and accompany entrepreneurs and the next generation of talent.

St-Arnaud Lavoie holds a master’s degree in education and training as well as a bachelor’s degree from the Université de Sherbrooke. He is also a lecturer at the École Supérieure de mode of ESG UQAM. Before joining the mmode team in 2016, he held managerial positions at the Fondation Santé Haut- Richelieu-Rouville and Fondation Eulalie-Durocher.

Heartfelt Thanks to Debbie Zakaib

St-Arnaud Lavoie, who previously held the position of senior director, Market Development and Human Resources at mmode, will ensure a smooth transition process by working with Debbie Zakaib, who recently announced her decision to retire after six years at the organization’s helm. During the coming months, Zakaib will serve as a consultant to support the continuity of the Cluster’s activities.

“I would like to express my profound gratitude to Debbie for her extraordinary contributions. I’m sure that her decision will have no impact on her passion for our sector and that she will remain an exceptional ambassador. The many initiatives led by Debbie and her team in recent years have helped to reaffirm Montreal’s global fashion leadership and promote the creativity and expertise of industry players while encouraging consumers to buy local,” stated Roberge.

Posted: March 28, 2022

Source: mmode

Hemp Black President Honored As Leader, Innovator: Jeffrey Bruner Will Receive Thomas Jefferson University Medal

PHILADELPHIA — March 24, 2022 — Jeffrey Bruner, president of Hemp Black, has been chosen to receive Thomas Jefferson University’s Leader of Innovation Award at its Celebration of Innovation on April 28, 2022.

The Celebration of Innovation is an annual event that honors Jefferson’s pioneering nature. It showcases the creativity, talents, and inventive spirit of the institution’s students and faculty, and recognizes the contributions of community leaders. The Leader of Innovation Award medal is presented to those who make significant or influential contributions to education, industry, or other professional fields.

“There is no one more deserving of this award than Jeff,” said Elizabeth A. Dale, EdD, MPA, executive vice president and chief advancement officer at Jefferson. “His pioneering work in the field of textiles, as well as his generous and ongoing philanthropy has made him a leader, and a role model to students and colleagues alike.”

Bruner received his B.S. in Textile Design in 1973 from Thomas Jefferson University (then Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science), where he later taught for three years. He also has certificates from Leicester Polytechnic and City & Guilds of London Institute. He holds 38 patents for processes and materials used in the construction of office chairs, structural textiles, elastomeric yarns, and artificial turf.

A substantial gift from Bruner established the Jeff Bruner Materials Characterization Laboratory in the university’s Kay and Harold Ronson Health and Applied Science Center, which opened in January 2020. He is also the benefactor of three scholarships at Jefferson.

Bruner is a member of Jefferson’s Kanbar Advancement Council, and previously served on the Fashion and Textiles Futures Center Campaign Leadership Committee and the School of Design and Engineering Advancement Council. He received the university’s Frank L. Giese Textile Award in 2013.­­

Posted March 25, 2022

Source: Thomas Jefferson University

Russell E. Toney Elected To Albany International Corp. Board Of Directors

ROCHESTER, N.H.  — March 21, 2022 — Albany International Corp. announced today that Russell E. Toney has been elected to its board of directors.

Toney has served since 2018 as president, Specialty Business Group at Dover Corp., a diversified global manufacturing company, responsible for multiple operating companies in Dover’s portfolio of entities producing highly engineered products for the electronics, automotive, industrial automation, defense and communications industry. From 2015 to 2018 he was Dover’s senior vice president, Global Sourcing, where he also had responsibility for its Global Innovation center in India. Before joining Dover, Toney spent 13 years at General Electric Co. where he held various sales and leadership positions in its plastics business, as well as supply chain and leadership roles at its energy business. Prior to that, he was a strategy consultant with Boston Consulting Group and worked in engineering and manufacturing roles at Proctor Gamble Company. Toney holds a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Dayton and an M.B.A. from the Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia.

Albany International Chairman Erland “Erkie” Kailbourne said: “We are pleased to welcome Russell to our Board of Directors. He is a seasoned business leader who brings significant functional and industry experience. His experience in sales, operations, supply chain, and strategic consulting, as well as his engineering background, will contribute greatly to the board’s vision and strategy for the company. He is a leader with significant profit and loss responsibilities, who understands the challenges of bringing highly engineered products to market. He brings significant knowledge and experience to the role which will prove insightful as we continue to innovate and develop new product offerings. Toney will be a valuable contributor to our Board, and I take great pleasure in welcoming him as a new director.”

Posted: March 23, 2022

Source: Albany International Corp.

RE:JERSEY – PUMA Trials Garment-To-Garment Recycling In Circularity Project, Using Old Football Kits To Produce New Ones

HERZOGENAURACH, Germany — March 23, 2022 — Sports company PUMA will pilot an innovative production process to use existing football jerseys to produce new ones. This initiative is aimed at reducing waste and paving the way towards more circular production models in the future.

The process used in RE:JERSEY means that old garments that feature logos, embroideries and club badges, which previously hindered recycling efforts to turn old garments into new ones, can now be used. The RE:JERSEY project takes football kits as the major ingredient to create yarn for new jerseys.

In the recycling process used for the RE:JERSEY project, the garments are chemically broken down into their main components — depolymerization. Colors are then filtered out and the material is chemically put back together to create a yarn — repolymerization — that has the same performance characteristics as virgin polyester.

While PUMA’s football kits on the market today are already made from 100-percent recycled polyester, RE:JERSEY kits are made with 75-percent repurposed football jerseys. The remaining 25 percent comes from SEAQUAL ® MARINE PLASTIC.

“With the RE:JERSEY project, we wanted to develop ways to reduce our environmental impact, respect resources and reuse materials,” said Howard Williams, director Apparel Technology at PUMA. “The insights we gained with RE:JERSEY will help us develop more circular products in the future.”

The products made in the RE:JERSEY project will be worn on-pitch during pre-match warm-ups by PUMA Clubs Manchester City, AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund and Olympique de Marseille. The teams will wear the jerseys ahead of their respective league fixtures in late April and May, starting with Manchester City against Watford on April 23.

The RE:JERSEY pilot experiment is part of PUMA’s Circular Lab and its Forever Better sustainability platform. As part of Circular Lab, PUMA announced the RE:SUEDE program last year, which tests, whether the company can make a biodegradable version of its iconic SUEDE sneaker.

Posted: March 23, 2022

Source: PUMA Group

Waterwipes® Baby Wipes Are Now 100-Percent Biodegradable And Plastic-Free, A First For Major U.S. Baby Brands

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — March 23, 2022 — Today WaterWipes® has announced the launch of its new 100-percent biodegradable and plastic-free wipes, making WaterWipes the first major U.S. baby brand to change all its wipes to be 100-percent biodegradable, plant-based, plastic-free and compostable. WaterWipes baby wipes are even made using 100-percent green energy (wind). This change, which has also been rolled out globally, will mean WaterWipes will save the equivalent of 228 million plastic bottles and 3.28 Olympic-sized swimming pools of water a year and most importantly, be part of the movement to help reduce the amount of waste filling our landfills.

“As the world has grown more environmentally conscious, so has WaterWipes,” said Lindsay Martin, vice president, WaterWipes North America. “With the U.S. launch of biodegradable and plastic-free wipes we’re excited to offer a product that is better for the planet, without compromising the quality of our wipes. This launch marks another step forward in WaterWipes’ commitment to sustainability.”

WaterWipes baby wipes will continue to be made with just two ingredients, 99.9-percent purified water and a drop of fruit extract. The new launch means parents and healthcare professionals no longer need to compromise between cleansing and helping protect their baby’s skin and choosing the better option for the environment.

Billions of baby wipes are used in the U.S. each year — imagine the impact WaterWipes could make if every American switched to biodegradable wipes, helping to reduce overall impact on the environment one small step at a time. Additionally, baby wipes are often made with or from plastic materials such as PET, polypropylene, or cotton woven together with plastic resin, and 8 million metric tons of plastic waste enter the ocean each year. WaterWipes biodegradable and plastic-free wipes are USDA Certified Biobased made with viscose, are 100-percent compostable and take only four weeks to biodegrade. Like cotton and linen, viscose is highly absorbent, soft and strong for effective cleaning, but gentle enough for even the most delicate skin. When switching to biodegradable and plastic-free wipes, consumers are taking a step towards a more sustainable life.

Like all WaterWipes formulations, the new biodegradable and plastic-free wipes have undergone rigorous testing which included product quality, safety, biodegradability and compostability testing to ensure only the highest standard of product.

WaterWipes are available in the United States across all major retailers, including Target, Walmart and Amazon.

Posted: March 23, 2022

Source: WaterWipes®

Mayor Adams Announces New York Embroidery Studio Creating 500 Jobs at Brooklyn Army Terminal

NEW YORK CITY — March 18, 2022 — New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced that New York Embroidery Studio (NYES) will be the newest tenant at the Brooklyn Army Terminal (BAT), signing the largest new lease at the terminal in three years and filling one of the largest spaces at BAT. This expansion will create more than 500 on-site jobs, yielding an estimated $73 million in economic output for New York City. The full-service design manufacturer will take over nearly 80,000 square feet to create a state-of-the-art facility, where they will manufacture personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline health-care workers across the country.

“One week after announcing my administration’s economic recovery plan, I am proud to show New Yorkers that we are getting to work and creating jobs in our city,” said Mayor Adams. “Small and minority- and women-owned businesses must be at the core of an inclusive and equitable economic recovery, and I am proud to honor Women’s History Month by supporting NYES and women entrepreneurs in all five boroughs.”

“The New York Embroidery Studio’s expansion at the Brooklyn Army Terminal will bring 500 jobs to Sunset Park and further advance New York’s economic recovery,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development Maria Torres-Springer. “As we continue to invest in the city’s garment manufacturing sector, this is a great opportunity to support an innovative, women-led business providing life-saving personal protective equipment to medical professionals across the country. New York Embroidery Studio embodies the spirit of reinvention will bring our economy back from the pandemic.”

“The local production of PPE is essential to our health care workers and our city, so we are always prepared,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President and CEO Andrew Kimball. “We must be forward-thinking as we address our city’s future pandemic preparedness. NYCEDC is proud to support a local, women-led small business, like New York Embroidery Studio, with a new state-of-the-art space in the Brooklyn Army Terminal, to help them meet their PPE quotas and ensure the equipment is made in America. We commend New York Embroidery Studio for answering the call and pivoting from high fashion to sustainable PPE for our frontline workers.”

“New York Embroidery Studio has been manufacturing in the garment center for over 30 years. I am totally committed to growing the apparel industrial base here in NYC,” said Michelle Feinberg, founder and owner, NYES. “Additionally, we want to bring high fashion’s drive for innovation and quality to PPE manufacturing, by developing novel and sustainable products for our clients.”

At the height of the pandemic, NYES pivoted from high fashion to making PPE. Founder Michelle Feinberg and her team prototyped and made more than 590,000 hospital gowns in just nine weeks, while also keeping hundreds of New Yorkers employed when the city’s economy was shut down.

That pivot laid the foundation for the company’s expansion to NYCEDC’s BAT, where they will use state-of-the-art automated cutting and spreading machines and other advanced manufacturing techniques to produce biodegradable and sustainable PPE full-time, as part of an ongoing effort to restore the country’s national stockpile. NYES prioritizes eco-friendly production methods to reduce waste and the city’s carbon footprint. While medical PPE is typically not biodegradable, NYES has developed an innovative biodegradable isolation gown.

In the coming months, NYES will be fitting out the large-scale operation center at BAT, and the company has committed to working with Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises as contractors and subcontractors to build out the space. In addition, NYES will utilize NYCEDC’s HireNYC program, which connects businesses with qualified job seekers in the local community.

Previously, NYCEDC supported NYES with grant funding through the Fashion Manufacturing Initiative from 2014 to 2018, to offset costs associated with purchasing new equipment, upgrading technologies, and making improvements to the company’s Manhattan facility.

Michelle Feinberg founded NYES in 2001, in Manhattan’s Garment Center, offering embellishment and specialized services and skills in fashion manufacturing for the likes of Tory Burch, Thom Browne, Coach, Ralph Lauren, and Alexander Wang, as well as small and emerging New York City-based brands like Kerby Jean-Raymond.

Today’s announcement builds on the mayor’s vision for the future of New York City’s economy outlined in “Rebuild, Renew, Reinvent: A Blueprint for NYC’s Economic Recovery.” The blueprint, released this month, contains 70 initiatives designed to capitalize on a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reinvigorate the city’s economy and increase equity and inclusivity. The blueprint specifically aims to accelerate the return to pre-pandemic employment levels, while simultaneously laying the foundation for the city’s economic future — addressing historic injustices and reimagining outdated ways of doing business.

“The road towards a full and just recovery is a long one, but we must learn the hard lessons coming out of this pandemic,” said New York City Councilmember Alexa Avilés. “We cannot continue to rely on unstable global supply chains when our community stands willing and able to produce necessary PPE right here. We welcome New York Embroidery Studio to our district and look forward to working with EDC on adding even more high-quality, good-paying jobs to our working waterfront.”

Posted: March 23, 2022

Source: City of New York

Mayer & Cie. Looks Back On A Successful 2021 — Digitization, Sustainability And Modernization Are The Topics For 2022

ALBSTADT, Germany — March 23, 2022 — Looking back, 2021 was a positive year for the Albstadt-based circular knitting machine and braiding machine manufacturer Mayer & Cie. After two tough years, sales exceeded Euro 100 million again last year, and the outlook for this year is promising, with production working at long-term full capacity in the circular knitting machine sector. In order to maintain its market edge Mayer & Cie. continues to rely on digitization of both its processes and its products. Substantial investment at its headquarters location, especially in machinery, is on the Mayer & Cie. agenda for 2022. The company passes an energy upgrade milestone these days with launching its new CHP cogeneration units.

Sales back to pre-crisis level

“Compared with 2020, our Group sales were up by about 40 per cent in 2021,” said Mayer & Cie. Managing Director Benjamin Mayer. After two difficult years in 2019 and 2020 the circular knitting machine manufacturer was able last year to restore sales to a stable level of about 103 million Euro. And it could have achieved an even better result.

“Supply chain problems hampered production perceptibly,” the company’s managing director said. “In view of the order situation up to five per cent more might have been possible.” The Albstadt textile machinery manufacturer’s order position has stayed at a sound, high level since the fourth quarter of 2020, and orders in hand will already keep the circular knitting machine division busy until the end of the year, with orders coming in from all over the world, but especially, and with no change, from the company’s core markets Turkey, China and India. The management views with concern, however, the conflict in the Ukraine, which at first glance may not affect the sales market directly but might lead to general purchasing restraint in the capital goods sector that like the trade war between the United States and China, which began in 2018, would also affect Mayer & Cie. In addition, effects of the conflict such as high energy prices and interruptions in material supplies and logistics pose a genuine challenge in the further course of the year.

In the braiding machine division, the order position recovered in 2021. Sales of new machines and, especially, spare parts exceeded the 2020 figures significantly. “In the braider business,” Benjamin Mayer said, “we regained ground to some extent, although our sales are still not where we would like to see them. We aim to expand in this area in the years ahead with further developments to existing machines and plans for new machines.”

Award-winning digitization

Production and machine data bundled and available to access worldwide in real time is part of the vision of Sebastian Mayer, a member of the Mayer & Cie. management and its development supremo. He and his team have in recent years created a digital backbone that connects the entire company. Product Lifecycle Management, or PLM, is part of it and has standardized and streamlined historical processes in production and development. What customers will see are the online spare parts Web shop, the remote maintenance options for machines and the bundling of production and machine data on the knitlink platform.

Mayer & Cie. has once more won an award for its in-house and external digitization measures as one of the most innovative German SMEs. The textile machinery manufacturer won a 2022 Top 100 award for its innovative processes in particular. “Even in difficult years,” says Sebastian Mayer, “we have deliberately focused on optimizing core processes in order to be able to hit the ground running when the market recovers. We are naturally pleased to have been able to set a benchmark with this approach.”

Investing in the location

“To operate successfully in the long term, investing in the location is absolutely essential,” Benjamin Mayer says. “That is quite clear in the policy of modernizing machinery that we are pursuing.” In the years ahead a range of production machinery — lathes, gear cutting and grinding machines — is to be replaced at a scheduled cost running into low double-digit millions. Last year saw an investment in a robot-controlled laser hardening system for heat-treating machine components.

The company has also completed its on-site energy upgrade. The CHP cogeneration plant that will supply much of the energy consumed by Mayer & Cie.’s main production facility in Albstadt is to be inaugurated shortly.

Posted: March 23, 2022

Source: Mayer & Cie. (MCT)

Borealis Appoints Mirjam Mayer As Vice President Polyolefins Transformation

VIENNA, Austria — March 23, 2022 — Borealis announces the appointment of Mirjam Mayer as vice president Polyolefins Transformation, effective March 1, 2022. In this position she will be responsible for developing and leading the business portfolio of Borealis Polyolefins, Innovation & Technology and Circular Economy Solutions initiatives.

Mayer joined Borealis in 2020 in the role of director strategy & growth portfolio in which she drove the development and implementation of the Borealis Group Strategy and supported the different businesses in strategy and business development as well as growth initiatives. Prior to Borealis she gained extensive experience as a consultant with McKinsey for several years, based in Germany, India, the United States and Austria.

Mayer holds a postdoctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston and a doctorate in Biochemistry/Biophysics from the Max Planck Research School and University of Technology in Dresden, Germany. She is a German citizen.

“We warmly welcome Mirjam to the Borealis Polyolefin business,” said Lucrèce Foufopoulos, executive vice president Polyolefins and Circular Economy Solutions. “Her experience as strategic programme leader in global projects and growth initiatives will be a key asset in realizing our ambitions to further accelerate the Borealis Polyolefins transformation to a carbon-neutral, advanced and circular growth business.”

Posted: March 23, 2022

Source: Borealis

Monique Buch Appointed As Lenzing’s Vice President Of Global Nonwovens Business

LENZING, Austria — March 23, 2022 — Lenzing Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Monique Buch as the new Vice President Global Nonwovens Business, effective March 1, 2022. This strategic appointment underscores Lenzing’s unwavering commitment to drive the future development of the nonwovens industry, strengthen its leadership role, and create a zero-carbon future for the industry.

In her new role, Buch will spearhead the strategic development and growth of Lenzing’s nonwovens business, while delivering value to its current customer base and growing into new segments through the development of sustainable, innovative and pioneering fiber solutions. Furthermore, Buch will be responsible for driving the implementation of a variety of strategic priorities to foster the development of the VEOCEL™ brand while delivering its brand promise for customers and partners across the value chain.

“The nonwovens segment represents a core part of Lenzing’s overall business, and we see tremendous growth opportunities in this sector,” said Robert van de Kerkhof, member of the nanaging board at Lenzing. “Monique is a proficient leader in commercial, strategic and growth management. With extensive experience in the global nonwovens and industrial business across various B2B manufacturing environments, she is excellently positioned to bolster growth of the nonwovens business globally, while advancing our goal towards a more sustainable future for the nonwovens industry.”

“I am excited to get started and look forward to leading the business towards its sustainability goals and taking the nonwovens business to the next level. Our goal is to be a talent driven, global player with a passion for creating value for our customers, the planet we live on, and our stakeholders. At VEOCEL, we have a deep commitment to be a ’responsible natural care brand‘. Every action we take demonstrates our care for the environment and future generations,” said Monique.

From March 01, 2022, onwards, Jürgen Eizinger will take on the role of senior commercial director, EU/AM/MEA. Leveraging his core competence and experience in sales and marketing of nonwovens across Europe, Turkey and the Middle East, Jürgen will oversee the delivery of customer excellence and drive commercial success in the key markets of the nonwovens business. He will also focus on strengthening partnerships within the industry to progress the sustainability agenda, through his position as board member of EDANA and his recent appointment as board member of INDA.

In his 27 years with Lenzing, Heinrich Jakob has been pivotal in driving the transformation of the nonwovens business into a truly global portfolio that contributes greatly to Lenzing’s overall business growth. Heinrich will start his well-deserved retirement in October 2022. The Managing Board of Lenzing Group would like to sincerely thank him for his exceptional achievements at Lenzing.

Posted: March 23, 2022

Source: The Lenzing Group

Spinnova’s Spinning Facility Construction Started In Jyväskylä

JYVÄSKYLÄ, Finland — March 21, 2022 — The in-house yarn spinning facility that Spinnova decided on making a development investment in at the end of 2021 has proceeded fast. Real estate development company Jykia is building the spinning facility for Spinnova right next to the Woodspin factory in Jyväskylä, Finland.

A property has been reserved for Spinnova’s R&D spinning facility across the road from the new fibre factory, and the levelling work has already begun. Construction will kick off in June, and will be completed in the spring of 2023. Costs of building the 2,000 square meter spinning facility are some four million euros, and Spinnova estimates that the share of machinery and equipment investments is some 2.2 million euros.

Jykia who is also building the Woodspin fibre factory will build the space tailormade for a spinning facility and rent them to Spinnova. “Local support has been invaluably important to us, and everything has worked out well and very fast with the city ever since we started exploring the possibility of building our first commercial factory in Jyväskylä,” said Spinnova’s CEO Janne Poranen. “The factory is now being built on schedule, and the spinning line project is in full steam before the ink on the agreements has dried.”

An in-house, local spinning facility will streamline the bigger scale R&D processes that come with Spinnova’s commercial phase, and enable a fast turnaround of product development projects with multiple brand partners. The spinning facility produces yarns out of SPINNOVA® fiber, used in product development projects between Spinnova and its brand partners.

“Thanks to the spinning line, we can offer our brand partners fiber, yarn or fabric depending on their needs, in line with our strategy,” Poranen added.

Spinnova has chosen Switzerland-based Rieter as the technology supplier of the new spinning facility. In its pre-commercial stage, Spinnova has collaborated closely with Rieter and several other spinning partners on yarn development for quite some time. Spinnova also has international yarn specialists in its own team. Spinnova estimates that the spinning facility will initially employ some ten people.

Posted March 22, 2022

Source: Spinnova

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