“IME South” Event Launch Draws Attendees from 3M, Amazon, DuPont, Johnson & Johnson, Space X, Stryker, Toyota, Among Others

CHARLOTTE, NC — June 22, 2022 — IME South, a conference and exhibition serving the multi-billion-dollar advanced manufacturing industry, convened nearly 2,300 buyers and 300+ exhibitors across the advanced manufacturing industry for the event’s launch.

Held last week from June 14 through 16 at the Charlotte Convention Center in North Carolina, IME South comprises six complementary event brands to facilitate cross-category discovery: Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) South, Automation Technology Expo (ATX) South, SouthPack, Powder & Bulk Solids (PBS) South, Design & Manufacturing (D&M) South, and Plastec South.

An event of IME South’s categorial breadth was highly anticipated in the Southeastern region of the U.S., as industrial production and capacity utilization continue to surpass pre-pandemic levels and address new market demands born from accelerated digitization and smart factory adoption. Thousands of senior-level engineers, executives, and buyers from the industry’s most sought-after companies participated in the three-day event, keen on discovering solutions to pressing challenges, networking, inking deals, and learning from renowned experts.

“Nearly every major segment in the advanced manufacturing industry was represented at IME South last week, from automotive and aerospace, medical and pharmaceutical, packaging and plastics, industrial automation and energy, to infrastructure and construction,” said Steve Everly, Group Event Director, IME South, organized by Informa Markets – Engineering. “Nearly half of our attendees hold significant decision-making power and leveraged IME South as a strategic means to move business forward, whether that be learning a solution to a challenge they are facing in an expert-led session, meeting a customer face-to-face, or discovering a new partner to break into a new vertical.”

Notable attendee companies represented at IME South include 3M, Abbott Laboratories, Amazon, BASF Corporation, Boston Scientific, Bosch Rexroth, Chevron Phillips, DuPont, Corning, Covestro, Dow Chemical, Eli Lilly, Eastman, Electrolux, G.E. Healthcare, Johnson & Johnson, Hanes Brands, Honeywell, Michelin, Panasonic North America, Red Star Yeast, Siemens, Space X, Stanley Black & Decker, Stryker, Toyota Motor North America, and Yamaha Motor Corporation.

Everly continued, “It was remarkable to see the event come to fruition after so many years of planning. We walked away with learnings and new opportunities to tap into that will greatly elevate the experience for our second edition in 2024.”

Given IME South is a Smart Event, event participants benefit from an online platform in addition to the live event. The platform is strategically designed to augment the in-person experience, enabling exhibitors to hold meetings with new leads and houses educational content to tune into conveniently.

The expo floor hosted more than 310 exhibitors representing the automation, design manufacturing, plastics, processing, packaging, and medical sectors. Prominent exhibiting companies that played a substantial role in the event’s success include ARBURG, AstroNova Product Identification, Automation NTH, B. Braun OEM, Bole Machinery, Carclo Technical Plastics, Cefamol, Delta Modtech, FANUC, Invotec, Japan Steel Works Americas, Inc., Jenike & Johanson, JR Automation, Keyence, LUTZE, Medical Murray, National Bulk Equipment, NETZSCH, Nordfab Ducting, PAC Machinery, Pak-Tec, PakSouth, Qosina, Renishaw, Vac-U-Max, among others.

In addition to a robust selection of companies and technologies on display, event participants benefited from three days of free and paid education. The PBS Conference explored a range of highly technical and topical issues impacting the processing and bulk solids handling industry.

IME South produced a robust free educational agenda focused on topics pertaining to the medical, processing, and advanced manufacturing segments and partnered with The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) to host the highly specialized ANTEC® conference, bringing 80+ years of global and national advocacy for advancing the plastics industry to curate the event’s conference and networking opportunities.

Well-attended sessions are as follows, indicating industry-wide challenges and bringing to light upcoming trends to watch.

  • Keynote: Miniaturized Devices: Current and Future State-of-the-Art High-Volume Micro Molding
  • Keynote panel: Collaborative Manufacturing to Keep America Competitive
  • Keynote panel: Everything Old is New Again – Reviving a Legacy Industry in the U.S.
  • Digital Tech in the OR: How to Plan for SaMD & A.I. in your Medical Devices
  • State of Medtech Investment in the North Carolina Region
  • Taking the Sting Out of Growth – Financial Incentives & Tax Strategies for Manufacturers
  • Redefining the Manufacturing Cell: New Economics, New Teams, New Tech
  • Fighting the Maintenance Crisis
  • New Workforce Development Strategies for a New Era
  • How Local Governments Play a Role in Energizing the Manufacturing Sector

IME South Exhibitor Commentary:

“The Southeastern region of the U.S. is an area that has seen significant growth in the injection molding market and plastics industry as a whole. We’re very excited to have a trade show back in this area – it’s a huge benefit to us to meet with our customers in the area and connect with potential new customers.”— Dale Bartholomew, National Technical Manager, Japan Steel Works Americas, Inc.

Bartholomew added: “The return to in-person events like IME South is priceless – you can’t, no matter how many sales calls you make in a day, get the visibility that you can face-to-face at a show like this. You have a captive audience of your customers all under one roof. You can do your presentations, and they can see your equipment running live, which during a sales call, you can’t do. Having this level of visibility is invaluable in front of our customers.”

“IME South was pretty extensive as far as attending companies are concerned – for example, there is a company here from Virginia Beach that is a very large, well-represented company. But this show is so much more than a regional show, it’s attracted a wide range of attending companies geographically, and I must say, even some of the exhibiting companies are our customers. It’s very exciting to have IME South in Charlotte; there is so much going on here, and it’s only just begun.” – Jeff Sauter, Director of Business Development, SteriTek

“IME South has been a very successful event; we had strong leads only halfway through day two and were able to leave the show with new prospects. A show like this is a great opportunity for us to grow and find new customers, and I’m blown away by how many people we’re seeing attend from outside the Carolinas. We’re already starting to plan for the show’s return to 2024.” – Mitch Davey, Sales Development Manager, Pak-Tec

Davey continued: “Face-to-face events are essential for us. We sell industrial equipment, and our selling approach is visiting our customers, seeing their processes, feeling their products, and talking person-to-person. Events like IME South are crucial for us to show off our equipment and what’s new and meet new customers.”

IME South is held on a biennial cadence and thus is confirmed to return to Charlotte for the second edition in two years’ time, slated for June 4-6, 2024, at the Charlotte Convention Center. In the interim, the industry is encouraged to reunite next year at IME East, the sister event held from June 13-15, 2023, in New York City at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, which is home to six leading event brands: MD&M East, EastPack, ATX East, D&M East, Plastec East, and Quality Expo East.

Posted: June 22, 2022

Source: Informa Markets

Schumacher Announces Exclusive US Partnership With Boråstapeter

NEW YORK — June 22, 2022 — Schumacher, the venerable American design house, announces a partnership with Boråstapeter, one of Scandinavia’s most legendary wallpaper companies. As of late spring 2022, Schumacher will be the exclusive distributor across North America for Boråstapeter’s original designs.

Like Schumacher, Boråstapeter has been a leader in the design industry for more than one hundred years. However, while both companies have been known to tap into the past by bringing out classical designs, their thrust is to be forward thinking, to anticipate trends and to bring exceptional designs to their customer that are just right for contemporary living and will positively impact people’s homes and lives. Both brands are relentlessly committed to craftsmanship and innovation, honoring age-old techniques while always pushing the needle forward.

Boråstapeter’s livable motifs and Scandi-forward patterns that range from the charming to the chic will sit perfectly alongside the Schumacher portfolio and augment the brand’s kaleidoscopic offerings to their clients.

“When design is well rooted, both locally, historically and in its time, wonderful things arise, whether it happens in Sweden or in the United States. The love of excellent interior design is universal,” Boråstapeter Head of Design Sissa Sundling.

“Boråstapeter’s portfolio of wallpapers is incredibly diverse, but each pattern – whether it’s naïve and charming, exuberant, and contemporary, modern, and edgy, pretty, and traditional – pushes the limits to achieve great design that people want to be surrounded by. We couldn’t be more thrilled to partner with a company that shares so many of the same values as Schumacher,” says Dara Caponigro, Chief Creative Officer of F. Schumacher & Co., the parent company of Schumacher.

All Boråstapeter’s goods are sustainably made across their entire production chain—from the responsibly managed forests and water-based dyes that comprise their raw materials to the recyclable packaging in which the wallpapers ship. Their facilities are powered entirely by renewable energy, and they operate their own water- treatment plant.

Posted: June 22, 2022

Source: Schumacher

3DLOOK Recognized In Latest Gartner® Innovation Insight For Best Fit Technology For Fashion Retailers Report

SAN MATEO, CA— June 22, 2022 — 3DLOOK, the global leader in AI-first mobile body measuring and virtual try-on solutions, has been recognized as a Representative Provider of virtual fit and try-on technology by Gartner, a company that delivers actionable, objective insight to executives and their teams, and the market analysis firm CB Insights.

Gartner recognized 3DLOOK in its ‘Innovation Insight for Best Fit Technology for Fashion Retailers’, a comprehensive report covering the innovative solutions addressing size and fit uncertainty in the apparel sector.

“Retailers who have implemented best-fit technology into the buying journey have witnessed a net incremental revenue lift. Two major contributors to this are greater conversion rates and increases in average order value (AOV)”, the Gartner report states. We believe this is evidenced by the results achieved by 3DLOOK’s clients. Brands using the company’s virtual fitting room YourFit, have seen 13-16% higher conversion rates, an increase of up to 20% in AOV and 4-6% decreases in product returns. Gartner clients can access the full report here. https://www.gartner.com/document/4014381?ref=solrAll&refval=329618172

3DLOOK was also among the select companies that CB Insights included in its 2021 ‘E-Commerce Tech: Consumer & Retail Market Map’, an in-depth report detailing the technologies securing and enhancing the retail experience. In this report, 3DLOOK was featured in the ‘Virtual Try On’ category. Recognized among the leading e-commerce solutions, 3DLOOK’s YourFit provides a unique virtual fitting room experience that helps shoppers to visualize how products will look and fit on their body, providing them with the confidence to checkout. Powered by a simple body scanning process, the platform offers an engaging, frictionless and customer-centric experience that enables brands to stand out in the competitive fashion retail space. The full report can be found on CB Insights website. https://www.cbinsights.com/reports/CB-Insights_Tech_Market_Map_Ecommerce_Tech_Consumer_Retail.pdf

“The growing interest in virtual fit and try-on among analysts is indicative of the technology’s vast potential to address considerable challenges in fashion retail. Soon enough, solutions such as YourFit will be not an innovation, but a must-have for brands as demand for digital, personalized, sustainable and inclusive shopping experiences grow,” Vadim Rogovskiy, CEO and co-founder of 3DLOOK, said. “As a leader in the space, 3DLOOK is working closely with well-known and mission-driven brands to unlock, enhance and showcase the incredible benefits virtual fit technology can provide to businesses, consumers and our planet.” This recognition from CB Insight strengthens 3DLOOK’s track record of positive endorsements from industry leaders and market shapers.

In 2021, the company was named as a highly commended vendor by PCIAW®, recognized in the Gartner® ‘Hype Cycle™ for Retail Technologies’ report, and received Digiday Technology and RTIH Innovation Awards.  3DLOOK’s leadership team has also been honored, with co-founder and CSO Whitney Cathcart recently named as a Women in IT Awards finalist, and co-founder and CEO Vadim Rogovskiy receiving the Retail TouchPoints 40 Under 40 Award.

In April 2022, 3DLOOK strengthened its position as a leader in virtual fit technology further with the release of the first omnichannel shareable fitting room YourFit 2.0, which combines photorealistic virtual try-on with data-driven size recommendations, personalized product recommendations and an engaging social sharing feature. Since its launch, innovative brands including Careste and Date of Birth have turned to the solution to boost fit confidence, customer engagement and brand loyalty.

Posted: June 22, 2022

Source: 3DLOOK

TRSA Holds 5th Annual Marketing & Sales Summit In Tampa Bay

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — June 22, 2022 — TRSA will host its 5th Annual Marketing & Sales Summit Oct. 25-26 at The Embassy Suites U.S.F. and Busch Gardens in Tampa, FL. TRSA members expressed their opinions through a recent survey that the summit should focus on several key topics, such as what is working in digital marketing and how a company can benefit, and how they can develop consistent messaging between sales, service, and marketing departments. Acting on those recommendations, TRSA has developed an agenda offering an interactive workshop, dynamic presentations, and an informative panel discussion.

Corey Perlman will be this year’s keynote speaker; as a digital marketing specialist, author and founder of Impact Social Media, a full-service digital marketing company, Perlman will share insights, experience and current trends of what is working in the digital marketing B2B space and how your company can benefit.

Attendees will be inspired during a variety of keynote presentations and panel discussions scheduled throughout the summit. Sessions include:

  • Developing a Marketing Strategy with Proven ROI
  • Bridging the Gap Between Marketing: Sales & Service Marketing & Sales Panel
  • Digital Marketing Masterclass

Opportunities for attendees to network and discuss business strategy with colleagues both old and new are included in the agenda. In addition, the summit will offer “Best of the Best” breakout sessions during breaks, with each break highlighting selected marketing and sales successes submitted by fellow attendees. Attendees will have the chance to score the successful ideas and at the end will collectively select a winner who will take home a $250 Amazon Gift Card.

Registration is open, and further information is available at trsa.org/marketingsummit.

Posted: June 22, 2022

Source: TRSA

Elkem Appoints Larry Zhang As New SVP For Silicones Division

OSLO, Norway — June 22, 2022 — Larry Zhang has been appointed as the new Senior Vice President for Elkem’s Silicones division, a leading global player in fully integrated silicone manufacturing. He will step into the role with immediate effect and be based in Shanghai, China.

Mr. Zhang comes from the position as the Vice President for Operations in Elkem’s Silicones division and Director of the Asia-Pacific region. He has significant leadership experience from China National Bluestar and holds an engineering degree from Central South University. This follows the previously announced appointment of Frederic Jacquin as Elkem’s Senior Vice President for Strategy & Business Development from 1 March 2022.

Elkem is a fully integrated producer from silicon metal to upstream siloxane and downstream silicone specialties. The Silicones division in Elkem has more than 4400 employees, 14 multi-functional manufacturing sites and 13 research and innovation centres around the globe. It offers a full range of silicone solutions for diverse specialty markets, and in 2021 delivered revenues of NOK 17.4 billion.

“Elkem is one of the world’s leading suppliers of silicon-based advanced material solutions shaping a better and more sustainable future, and we are proud to be a global leader in fully-integrated silicone manufacturing. Elkem pursues a strategy of growth through operational excellence and increased specialisation, and this will continue in the Silicones division under Larry’s strong leadership. Silicones will also continue to develop and grow both in China and the rest of the world, supported by megatrends such as the green transition and the rise of middle class worldwide. I know Larry as a committed business leader and I very much look forward to having him as a member of Elkem’s corporate management team. With this change, our corporate management represents five nationalities from three continents, further reflecting Elkem’s diverse global organisation,” says Elkem’s CEO Helge Aasen.

Due to its wide range of application areas, silicone solutions are used in a large number of products and industries, including manufactured goods, construction materials, electronics and consumer items. An electric vehicle contains on average four times more silicones than a traditional car, as the insulation material of choice for EV battery cables. Silicones also enable CO2 reductions equal to nine times the emissions from production and end-of-life.

In April 2021, the Elkem board approved a NOK 3.8 billion strategic expansion of the Xinghuo Silicones plant in China to strengthen Elkem’s position in the fastest growing silicones market and to further support the specialisation strategy. In addition to supporting Elkem´s specialisation and growth strategy, the project will also significantly improve Elkem’s overall cost position and environmental profile based on state-of-the-art technology.

In July 2021, Elkem announced the official opening of its new EUR 25 million Research & Innovation Centre in Saint-Fons in Lyon’s “Chemical Valley” in France, hosting 120 researchers to work on innovations in partnership with customers, mainly in the fields of the circular economy, digitalisation, consumer goods, living comfort and new materials for energy and mobility. Elkem also announced, in October 2021, a EUR 36 million capacity extension of its upstream silicone intermediate units in Roussillon in France, which in February 2022 received financial support from the French government.

Posted: June 22, 2022

Source: Elkem

Itema Exhibits The Itematech Weaving Solutions At Techtextil

COLZATE, Bergamo, Italy — June 20, 2022 — Itema, the leading Italian manufacturer of advanced weaving solutions, including weaving machines, spare parts, and integrated services, exhibits the most comprehensive weaving portfolio on the market to weave technical fabrics at Techtextil, from June 21st to 24th (Hall 12 – Booth A50) in Frankfurt, Germany.

In fact, always attentive to its Customers’ needs and to market trends, in 2019 Itema set up Itematechwith the aim to provide to technical fabrics producers a partner capable of satisfying their specific requirements by offering to its Customers cutting-edge technological innovations and customized solutions for technical fabrics and special applications.

Thanks to this forward-looking choice, Itematech offers nowadays the most complete weaving machines portfolio to weave technical fabrics, ranging from Negative and Positive rapier, to Monorapier for carbon fiber and fancy styles, Airjet and the legendary Projectile.

Itematech representatives will be on site to present in detail all the Itematech weaving solutions and the widest range of fabrics that it is possible to successfully weaving thanks to the Itematech technology.

Particularly, Techtextil is the perfect occasion to discover more about the new entries in the portfolio, that along with the rapier R9500-2, the airjet A9500-2 and the projectile P7300HP make up the range of Itematech weaving machines:

Unirap, the Itematech Monorapier Weaving Machines, combines the advantages of a positive rapier weft insertion with the gentle yarns’ treatment ensured by the free flight transfer, enabling complex and creative fabrics weaving with practically no limitations and maximum textile efficiency. UniRap is declined in two main machine versions, both reciprocally and easily upgradeable: UniRap P—designed to weave complex technical fabrics such as flat yarns up to 30mm—and UniRap G—mostly employed to weave specific technical textiles such as metallic or non-metallic (from carbon fiber to aramid and fiberglass) single threads up to 2mm in diameter. Ranging from refined lamè to high tenacity monofilament yarns, passing through bouclé yarns up to carbon, polyester and polypropylene tape, UniRap provides the possibility to weave sophisticated technical fabrics as well as innovative fashion styles.

Hercules Negative and Positive Rapier Weaving Machinehas been designed to excel in the weaving of technical textiles. One of a kind on the market, Hercules provides unbeatable textile flexibility thanks to its unique weft transfer system that enables the valuable possibility to easily and quickly switch from positive to negative rapiers, thus leading to unparalleled textile efficiency when handling the widest range of weft yarns counts, from 10 up to 48,000 dtex, in single or multiple weft insertions configurations.

Maxiplus Negative and Positive Rapier Weaving Machineeffective and flexible, it is the ideal technology to combine excellent machine performances with rapid return on investment. Capable to handle a wide range of yarns, the Maxiplus is an effective technology guaranteeing ease of use and weaving efficiency.

Trustable, skilled, and uniquely positioned in the market, Itematech is the ideal partner to identify the best weaving solution to weave the broadest range of technical textiles for applications such as Carpet Backing, Carbon Fibre, Heavy and Standard Coating Fabrics, Conveyor Belts and Filter Fabrics – including Bolting Cloth, Medical, Fiberglass, Agrotextile, Geotextile, Mesh Fabrics and many others.

Discover more about Itematech range of services and its unique technological offering to weave technical textiles by visiting Hall 12, Booth A50.

Posted: June 22, 2022

Source: Itema S.p.A.

Texprocess 2022: VDMA Solutions For Future Textile Processing

FRANKFURT, Germany— June 22, 2022 — The garment and textile processing industry meets for the first time after
the Corona-related break in Frankfurt at Texprocess, the leading trade fair for the sector, opening its
doors for four days on June 21, 2022. “Technology manufacturers have great expectations for the first
leading trade fair for the sector after such a long time”, said Elgar Straub, Managing Director of VDMA
 Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies at the VDMA TFL press conference at Texprocess.
”The current situation, with the after-effects of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, also poses major
challenges for the garment and textile processing industry. Here, at Texprocess, customers are looking
for solutions for more flexible, regional and sustainable production. Accordingly, hopes are high that
the necessary investments will also be made.”

At the VDMA TFL press conference, the member companies bierrebi SPA, Expert Systemtechnik GmbH
as well as Dürkopp Adler GmbH gave an exemplary overview of the innovations the companies had
made in the last three years. On the cutting machines of bierrebi, for example, more than 3 billion parts
for T-shirts and underwear are produced every year. Expert Systemtechnik, another manufacturer of
fully automatic 2D cutting systems, is presenting the flexibility in cutting with the 2nd generation of their
knife cutter, both for the textile and the leather sector. Dürkopp Adler shows how the sewing production
of tomorrow is mastered with flexible automation and on-demand production.

Industry records stable order intake and turnover

Orders and sales of German manufacturers of Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies continue
to be positive: in the period from May 2021 to April 2022, incoming orders increased by 66 percent in
real terms and sales also turned positive after two years with a 0.1 percent increase. German machinery
manufacturers were able to increase exports by 8 percent to 442 million euros in 2021. The most
important export markets from a German perspective were Poland, followed by the USA and France.

Exports of Italian technology manufacturers also recovered in 2021, increasing by 12 per cent to 271
million euros. The most important markets for Italian exports were the USA, China and Turkey. “The
stable incoming orders after the pandemic-related slumps give reason for hope,” said Straub.
”However, the as yet unforeseeable consequences of the war in Ukraine represent a major uncertainty
factor. In addition, there are still challenges in the form of rising raw material prices, massive delivery
delays for preliminary products, expensive and difficult transport conditions and the enormous increase
in energy costs. Despite the positive figures, there is still no relief in sight.”

VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies is the conceptual sponsor of Texprocess

Texprocess is the leading international trade fair for the processing of textile and flexible materials.
From June 21 to 24, 2022, for the sixth time, international exhibitors are presenting to trade visitors at
Texprocess their latest machinery, plant, processes and services for manufacturing garment as well as
textile and flexible materials. Techtextil, the leading international trade fair for technical textiles and
nonwovens, and Heimtextil, the international trade fair for home and contract textiles, is held parallel to
Texprocess.

Posted: June 22, 2022

Source: VDMA

Partnership For Sustainable Textiles Recognizes U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol As A Standard For Sustainable Cotton

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — June 13, 2022 — The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol has been approved as a standard for sustainable cotton by Siegelklarheit, an initiative of the German Federal Government. By helping consumers to better understand environmental and social labels, Siegelklarheit wants to contribute to more sustainable purchasing decisions. U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol successfully passed Siegelklarheit´s assessment system. As a result, members of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles (PST) can use the Trust Protocol as another standard to calculate their share of sustainable cotton.

The Partnership for Sustainable Textiles was founded in October 2014, with the mission to improve social and ecological conditions within global textile supply chains. The Textiles Partnership orientates its work on the OECD Due Diligence Guidance and on international agreements and guidelines that define the principles of social, environmental, and economic sustainability and the framework for corporate responsibility.

“Members of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles work together to achieve substantial social and ecological improvements in their global supply chains,” said Jürgen Janssen, head of the PST secretariat. “This also includes the production of raw materials and thus the cultivation and processing of cotton. In the Textiles Partnership, we advocate for transparent and traceable criteria in the certification of sustainable cotton. We are pleased that the Trust Protocol has successfully passed the audit by Siegelklarheit.”

The PST has developed an implementation framework and reporting format for corporate due diligence. In the context of this format PST member companies also indicate how much cotton they source and how much of it is sustainable or organic cotton, certified by recognized standards. Besides U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, these include Better Cotton standard, the Australian myBMP standard, Cotton made in Africa, Fairtrade Cotton and CottonConnect. The following standards apply to purchasing of organic cotton: the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), the International Association of Natural Textile Industry (NATURTEXTIL IVN) standard, the Textile Exchange Organic Content Standard (OCS), the bioRe Social & Environmental Standard, and all the organic standards forming part of the IFOAM Family of Standards.

The Trust Protocol is the only system that provides quantifiable, verifiable goals and measurement and drives continuous improvement in six key sustainability metrics – land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy efficiency. It is also the world’s first sustainable cotton fiber to offer its members article-level supply chain transparency through the Protocol Consumption Management Solution.

“We are thrilled to have received this recognition of being a sustainable cotton standard by the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles and proud to have passed Siegelklarheit’s rigorous assessment,” said Dr. Gary Adams, president of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. “The Trust Protocol’s vision is to set a new standard in sustainable cotton production where full transparency is a reality and continuous improvement to reduce our environmental footprint is the central goal. We commit to ensuring the protection and preservation of the planet, using the most sustainable and responsible techniques.”

The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, recognized by Textile Exchange and Forum for the Future, and part of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Cotton 2025 Sustainable Cotton Challenge, Cotton 2040 and Cotton Up initiatives. It has also been recognized and published in the ITC Standards Map.

Posted: June 21, 2022

Source: The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol

Levi Strauss & Co. Names Amisha Jain To Lead South Asia-Middle East And Africa

SAN FRANCISCO — June 15, 2022 — Levi Strauss & Co. today announced the appointment of a new leader in its commercial organization. Amisha Jain has been named as the company’s new senior vice president and managing director of South Asia-Middle East and Africa (SAMEA).

She will be responsible for leading the company’s operations in SAMEA and ensuring that the geography continues to drive expansion and growth, contributing to the company’s success in Asia and around the globe.

Jain brings more than 20 years of experience across multiple industries including physical and digital retail, consumer goods and technology and a strong track record of leading profitable, sustainable growth and transformation initiatives in both multi-national and domestic companies in India to the company.

Most recently, Jain was the chief executive officer at Zivame, India’s number one intimate-wear brand and platform where she is known to be a transformational leader and a turnaround specialist. During her tenure there, she scaled the business nine times in three years before the business was acquired by Reliance Group in 2020.

Amisha has an MBA from INSEAD and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington. She started her career as an engineer with Motorola Inc. and has held roles across multiple functions including sales, operations and strategy at organizations like McKinsey & Company, Nike and Arvind Group.

“We are thrilled to welcome such a dynamic, proven leader to the company,” said Seth Ellison, executive vice president and chief commercial officer of Levi Strauss & Co. “Amisha’s years leading digital and physical retail businesses, her track record of delivering results while connecting with consumers and her passion for innovation are a combination that will set our SAMEA cluster up for accelerated growth.”

“I am excited to join LS&Co. and the Levi’s® a brand—one that I have always admired as a consumer and a business leader. The team has had an incredible journey thus far, and I am delighted to be part of this passionate and high-performing group. Together we will strive to take the brand to even greater heights in the region,” said Amisha Jain, senior vice president and managing director of South Asia-Middle East and Africa (SAMEA), Levi Strauss & Co.

Jain fills this role following the transition of Sanjeev Mohanty in late 2021. Mohanty, the company’s previous senior vice president and managing director of SAMEA, is currently Levi Strauss & Co.’s senior vice president and managing director of the U.S. and Canada.

Posted: June 21, 2022

Source: Levi Strauss & Co.

U.S. Government Guidance Permits DNA Traceability And Isotopic Testing As Evidence Under Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act

STONY BROOK, N.Y — June 21, 2022 — Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. (the “Company”), a leader in cell-free, enzymatic DNA production, has been increasing its engagement with all stakeholders in anticipation of the June 21, 2022, effective date of the “rebuttable presumption” standard under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) signed into law on December 23, 2021. Under the UFLPA, all imports that originate from China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) or otherwise use Uyghur or other minorities for forced labor in China, are excluded from entry into the U.S. by the Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

On June 17, DHS issued its much-anticipated Implementation Strategy (the “Strategy”) for the rebuttable presumption standard under the UFLPA. In this new report, DHS has, for the first time, identified DNA traceability and isotopic testing – both central components of Applied DNA’s CertainT® authenticity platform – as evidence that importers may present to potentially prove that items do not originate in XUAR or may have benefitted from forced labor.

The UFLPA seeks to insulate U.S. companies and consumers from complicity in forced labor practices in XUAR, which produces nearly 20% of global cotton1. Commercially available for almost a decade, Applied DNA’s CertainT® platform is a multi-layered textile traceability solution that offers proof of product origin, authenticity, and sustainability.

Catalyzed by the imminent implementation of the UFLPA, Applied DNA is acquiring DNA traceability and isotopic testing clients intent on establishing proof of origin to comply with the UFLPA in the near-term with the long-term objective of securing their global supply chains using CertainT. Louis Dreyfus Company B.V., the Company’s cotton merchant partner, recently received a request to ship the first quantities of traceable tagged cotton that is directly attributable to the UFLPA.

In GFY21, CPB used its forced labor authority to detain almost 1,500 shipments with a value of almost $500 million. The Biden Administration’s budget request for GFY23, which begins on October 1, 2022, calls for $70 million to implement the UFLPA, to hire 300 additional CBP inspectors, and screen 11.5 times as many shipments for forced labor violations as is being undertaken currently.

“CertainT is a 100% American solution that is unique in its ability to offer multiple traceability solutions, including DNA traceability and isotopic testing that are both cited (see page 49 in the link) in the Strategy. We believe that the high bar established by the UFLPA with its documentary and supply chain management requirements place a burden on importers that cannot be adequately met by fungible reporting frameworks, such as conventional paper- or electronic systems,” stated Dr. James A. Hayward, president, and CEO, Applied DNA.

“Coming on the heels of Customs and Border Protection’s budget request to fully implement the Strategy, we are pleased to see agreement at the regulatory level as a precursor to potentially broader industry adoption,” continued Dr. Hayward. “As a U.S.-based company, we applaud the imperative with which the Strategy is moving federal law towards action and, not only for its potential to be transformative to our supply chain security business, but also to deliver clear societal and ethical benefits to the American consumer. With the 2022 cotton ginning season soon upon us, we stand ready to deliver DNA-tagged American cotton to meet brand demand driven by the UFLPA.”

Andrew Samet, principal at trade consulting firm Sorini, Samet & Associates and textile lobbyist for Applied DNA, said, “It is clear from the new strategy document that Homeland Security officials and others in the U.S. government recognize that documentary traceability is insufficient. Technology solutions proving origin, such as DNA tagging and isotopic analysis, are for the first time being referenced and are the emerging framework both for authentication and enforcement – forced labor is a key driver for this secular change now officially underway.”

1 https://www.supplychaindive.com/news/uighur-labor-will-be-tough-to-avoid-in-cotton-supply-chains/586217/

Posted: June 21, 2022

Source: Applied DNA Sciences, Inc.

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