Kontoor Brands Appoints Mame Annan-Brown As Global Head Of ESG

GREENSBORO, N.C. — May 9, 2022 — Kontoor Brands Inc., a global lifestyle apparel company with a portfolio led by two of the world’s most iconic consumer brands, Wrangler® and Lee®, today announced the appointment of Mame Annan-Brown to serve as Global Head of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), effective immediately.

In this expanded role, Annan-Brown will lead the integration of Kontoor’s global ESG efforts, spearheading strategy, integration, reporting and engagement across the Company’s, ongoing commitment to environmental, health and safety, corporate social responsibility, corporate governance, sustainability, diversity and inclusion and other matters. She will also represent Kontoor Brands as an active participant in organizations promoting ESG issues across the business landscape. Annan-Brown will continue to oversee Global Communications and Public Affairs, with responsibility over all aspects of global corporate communications, government relations, global philanthropy, and charitable giving.

“ESG is central to our mission and continued success as a responsible and sustainable organization. In addition to Mame’s more than two decades of experience at global institutions at the forefront of ESG and sustainable investing, including the World Bank Group and JPMorgan Chase, she also brings a depth of experience in shaping and driving holistic business strategies,” said Scott Baxter, president, CEO & Chair of the Board for Kontoor Brands. “We’re delighted to appoint someone of Mame’s calibre and experience to work with our teams to further integrate ESG at Kontoor. Her demonstrated leadership and passion for these critical issues make her an outstanding fit for this role.”

To ensure full integration of ESG priorities across Kontoor’s business, Annan-Brown will lead Kontoor’s ESG Council, comprised of Kontoor leadership globally, to ensure a highly integrated, coordinated approach to ESG. The Council will work to establish a foundational ESG framework and roadmap that establishes Kontoor’s priorities and vision relating to ESG matters, and prioritizes and recommends policies, practices, and disclosures that conform with the strategy.

“Now more than ever building a strong ESG strategy is not only the right thing to do, but it will help ensure Kontoor’s success — and the success of our shareholders — for years to come,” said Annan-Brown. “I am honored to have the opportunity to work alongside our exceptional teams to further integrate ESG into our strategic vision.”

“We’re proud of what we’ve done so far as a company: launching our sustainability framework, declaring our DEI goals, and keeping our focus on the community,” Baxter added. “We’re thrilled to expand Mame’s role to oversee this important element of our business, allowing her to further champion our ongoing commitment to ESG as we work to raise the bar on ourselves and our industry.”

Posted: May 10, 2022

Source: Kontoor Brands, Inc.

Recover™ Opens Manufacturing Facility In Bangladesh To Meet Recycled Cotton Fiber Scaling Ambitions

Recover™ Dhaka Factory

VALENCIA, Spain — May 10, 2022 — Recycled cotton fiber producer, Recover™, has announced the official opening of its new facility in Bangladesh, expanding the company´s manufacturing capabilities and accelerate its efforts to transform the fashion industry by solving one of the world’s biggest environmental issues.

The Bangladesh facility comes fully equipped with Recover’s proprietary machinery, as well as RColorBlend installation, Recover’s innovative technology that provides fiber blends with color, with a lower environmental impact.

Located in Dhaka, the new manufacturing hub is an integral part of Recover´s strategy for growth and scalability with its recent partnership with STORY3 Capital, a leading alternative investment manager. This new facility helps Recover support the surging global demand for sustainable fibers, and circularity in the textile and fashion industry.

The strategic location of the facility, close to both textile waste sorting and textile manufacturing, will support Recover with its scaling ambitions, and place it close to the supply and demand, reducing carbon impact of transport. Asia is one of the largest cotton waste producing regions and by establishing a presence in Bangladesh, Recover can provide a fully closed loop solution.

Alfredo Ferre, CEO of Recover, stated, “The new facility in Bangladesh is just one step in Recover’s ambitious expansion plans. In addition to our existing facilities in Spain and Pakistan, we are excited to announce the opening of a new manufacturing hub in Vietnam and a second facility in Bangladesh this year. Operations in Spain will also be expanded with greater investment in product development and further strategic alliances and business partners established globally.”

Posted: May 10, 2022

Source: Recover™

Techtextil North America 2022 Exhibitor Preview: Shima Seiki

WAKAYAMA, Japan — May 9, 2022 — Japan-based Knit solutions provider Shima Seiki Mfg. Ltd. together with its U.S. subsidiary Shima Seiki U.S.A. Inc., will participate in the Techtextil North America exhibition in Atlanta this month. Under the theme “techKNITians — Technical Engineered Knit Applications,” the company will display its latest computerized flat knitting machines and computer graphic design system technology, aimed at promoting knitted applications in the field of technical textiles.

Pioneered by Shima Seiki, WHOLEGARMENT® knitting technology is capable of producing knitted items in their entirety without the need for sewing, and allows complex 3D forms to be knit such as car seat covers and interior furnishings. Selective compression allows control over placement and amount of pressure for various compression wear in sports and medical applications. The seam-free nature of WHOLEGARMENT also ensures continuity of yarn, allowing functional yarns such as conductive yarns to wrap around the entire body without interruption, for applications in smart garments and wearable technology. Demonstrating the latest in WHOLEGARMENT knitting technology at Techtextil North America will be the flagship MACH2XS machine that features the company’s original SlideNeedle™ on 4 needle beds and patented spring-loaded full-time sinker system. Capable of WHOLEGARMENT knitting in all-needles, MACH2XS offers great flexibility for knitting high-quality WHOLEGARMENT products with a seemingly endless variety of knit patterns at very high speed and efficiency, all while minimizing dependence upon labor-intensive sewing and linking. At Techtextil North America MACH2XS will be shown knitting a seam-free balaclava in one entire piece using fire-resistant yarn.

Also shown will be the SWG091N2 compact WHOLEGARMENT knitting machine, also featuring SlideNeedle technology. Capable of producing small knitted items from safety gloves and compression socks to more sophisticated industrial applications such as tubular shields and harnesses, SWG091N2 offers unique solutions for the automotive, aerospace, sports, medical, safety, outdoor and other markets by knitting items in 3D without seams. SWG091N2 will be knitting fire-resistant gloves at Techtextil North America.

Shima Seiki’s SDS®-ONE APEX4 3D design system will also be available for demonstrations in design and simulation of various technical textiles. Of particular interest is its ultra-realistic simulation capability that realizes virtual sampling. When numerous variations must be evaluated before arriving at a final design, virtual product samples can be used to streamline the decision-making process by minimizing the enormous amount of time and cost normally associated with producing actual physical samples for each variation. The sustainability factor is also undeniable considering the amount of material normally gone to waste in the sampling stage.

Posted May 10, 2022

Source: Shima Seiki

Integration Technology Appoints Two New Directors To Support Ongoing Growth And Strategic Direction

OXFORDSHIRE, England — May 9, 2022 — Developer of ultraviolet (UV) LED curing solutions Integration Technology Ltd. (ITL) recently announced two key promotions. To support ITL’s growth strategy and effective immediately, Holly Steedman, previously Business Development manager, becomes Business and Technology Development director; and Business Development Manager for Northern Europe, Koen Santegoeds, moves into the global sales director position.

Building on a successful year last year, Integration Technology will continue to focus on long-term client partnerships based on customer service, technological innovation, customer service and research and development and these appointments demonstrate its commitment to this goal.

New Business and Technology Development Director Steedman brings with her expertise in the creation of successful business strategies and partnerships. With a degree in Integration Engineering, she has held a number of senior roles at leading in the printing and coatings industry, specializing in product management and technology development.

“I have been fortunate to witness the incredible evolution of industrial inkjet over the course of my career, which has further stoked my passion for technology development,” Steedman said. “As a pioneer in the commercialization of LED Technology for use in the printing industry, ITL has always been at the forefront of development.

“My ultimate goal is to enable our Research and Development to become more strategically focused on developing products and processes that will allow us not just to continue to be a market leader in the UV LED industry, but to be fundamental to the growth and implementation of LED Technology in multiple applications and industries. We are only at the beginning of the LED curing revolution, and I am proud to help ITL continue to lead the way.”

Santegoeds brings a wealth of experience from his electrical technical background, with 15 years in the printing industry and six in UV application-driven markets. “Throughout my career I have been fascinated with the evolution of technology, and experiencing ITL grow, innovate, and push the industry forward has been remarkable,” Santegoeds noted. “I’m looking forward to being a part of cementing ITL’s reputation as the global leader in UV LED, not just technologically but as a valued and trusted partner. It’s crucial to our long term vision that our customers really experience the difference when partnering with us.” Santegoeds has been instrumental in nurturing the consistent growth at ITL. He has a track record of instigating and nurturing strong client relationships with highly-regarded international companies.

Simon Roberts, group managing director, commented: “Both Holly and Koen are talented and enthusiastic assets to ITL, with the precise skills to create and develop the right action plans for both our clients’ goals and our strategic direction. Holly’s industry experience and background in chemistry and business development perfectly positions her to identify new applications and focus on strategic development in these emerging areas, coupled with Koen’s extensive technical sales background and commitment to our customers’ success is guaranteed to play a key role in continuing the significant growth we’ve seen over the past two years. They have my full support in these new roles and I look forward to continuing to work alongside them as we continue to push the boundaries and create new opportunities.”

Posted May 10, 2022

Archroma Bridges The Gap Between Art And Science With A Ready-To-Use Swatch Book Dedicated To Its DEEP DIVE Sustainable Dyeing System For Dark, Popular Color Basics

PRATTELN, Switzerland — May 10, 2022 — Archroma, a global supplier of specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, launches its first ever ready-to-use swatch book, dedicated to creating sustainable black and dark color basics for faster time to market, to support its popular DEEP DIVE 2.0 system.

In 2018, Archroma launched its system solutions, a holistic approach aimed at addressing the growing expectations of the public in terms of keeping consumers, and the environment, safe.

Under the umbrella of “The Archroma Way to a Sustainable World: Safe, efficient, enhanced, it’s our nature”, the Archroma systems are designed to create innovation and performance, whilst reducing the impacts on water, energy and other natural resources.

The savings generated by these 70+ system solutions are demonstrated by Archroma’s proprietary ONE WAY Impact Calculator, a ground-breaking tool launched in 2012 and continuously upgraded to simulate and optimize the footprint of textile application processes.

One of these systems, DEEP DIVE 2.0, has attracted a lot of interest not just from textile manufacturers but also from major brands and retailers worldwide.

This popular system combines Drimaren® Ultimate HD, high-performance reactive dyes, with Blue Magic, an all-in-one pretreatment, Optifix® RUB New liq and Siligen® SIH-S New liq, a finishing treatment improved rub fastness and elegant hand feel, and an effective hydrolyzed dye remover, Cyclanon® XC-W New liq.

The result is a shorter dyeing process combining right-first-time productivity, an improved fabric quality for longer lasting end-articles, as well as dramatically reduced water and energy utilization for brands committed to drive more sustainable production. Savings can reach up to 31 percent water and 34 percent energy.

The system is ideally suited for medium and dark cottons that have high performing fastness to light, multiple home laundering, saliva — in other words: apparel used for fashion, sports and baby’s wear.

At the same time, interested manufacturers and brands were facing the constant challenge of the fashion industry: time to market.

Often design is separated from execution in the factory and as such often designers initially select color that cannot be met in reality on different fibers or production routes in terms of color flare, metamerism, brightness, depth and now sustainable metrics — leading to lengthy delays and compromises in function, performance and/or color.

Archroma decided to create a dedicated tool aimed at addressing these issues. The company developed a new, unique book with color swatches made with the system that is ready to implement immediately into production thanks to engineered color standards and specifications.

This new tool offers a path to bridge the gap between “art and science” by providing at inspiration phase fully executable deep colors for cotton with controlled color metamerism and at the same time demonstrate water, energy and chemical savings, enhanced color fastness using safe chemistry for the end consumer.

As a wardrobe staple, medium to dark shades are very popular with consumers. As a result, most brands and retailers often have and sell up to 60 percent of medium to dark shades in their seasonal palettes. It’s also the dark shades that use the most water and energy in production, so prioritizing these colors would have the largest ecological positive impact.

The 48 colors swatched in the DEEP DIVE 2.0 book have been selected based on market popularity to allow brands and manufacturers to match that very stable market demand. Customers may use these colors as presented, or as inspiration whereby Archroma can create and match new custom colors using the DEEP DIVE 2.0 system.

Christophe Maestripieri, Global head of the Archroma Brand Studio, the company’s department dedicated to support brands’ projects and innovations, explained: “We wanted to make sure our partners have all the tools they need to convert to more sustainable colors. We had the ideal dyeing system to do that, DEEP DIVE 2.0, with its high performance and reduced impacts on resources. Now, with the new DEEP DIVE 2.0 swatch book, we also offer to brands and manufacturers a way to select sustainable color options that meet the market demand for high quality medium to dark shades which can be implemented into production right away.”

Posted: May 10, 2022

Source: Archroma

AAPN Confers Newly Named Walter T. Wilhelm Industry Achievement Award Upon Ed Gribbin and Dr. Lynne Sprugel

ATLANTA — May 5, 2022 — In 2017, the Americas Apparel Producers’ Network (AAPN) created the AAPN Industry Achievement Award. At this year’s 2022 AAPN pro:Americas Annual Conference, held recently in Miami, the organization renamed the award the AAPN Walter T. Wilhelm Industry Achievement Award.

The name change acknowledges the literal decades of leadership and wisdom from Wilhelm’s commitment to AAPN. In fact, in 2009, when AAPN’s meetings lost direction, Wilhelm convened a high level member conference to discuss the issue. The outcome was a decision to make the 2010 conference on sustainability. That meeting more than doubled the 2009 attendance, and every meeting since has grown or been near record setting.

Ed Gribbin

On Monday, May 2, AAPN presented the achievement award to Ed Gribbin. He was president of AAPN when COVID-19 hit. As a consultant, Gribbin’s work came to a dead stop and when many AAPN members began making masks and gowns, Gribbin took charge.

The citation reads: In March 2020, when the virus hit, Ed created a database of over 1,000 producers 
and literally ran production of billions of masks and millions of gowns across the U.S. 
Ed was alone in this brilliant initiative and kept many thousands of people working. 

Dr. Lynne Sprugel with Walter T. Wilhem

On Tuesday, May 3, at the 2022 AAPN pro:Americas Annual Conference AAPN also presented the newly-named AAPN Walter T. Wilhelm Industry Achievement Award to Dr. Lynne Sprugel.

Her citation reads: In 2020, with all AAPN events canceled, Lynne organized a survey that created the 
AAPN Future Forums, generating 28 sessions with over 50 people creating over
 7 hours of original content. These future-looking insights were an industry exclusive. 

The award comes with a puzzle globe that was renamed “The Walter.”

Posted May 10, 2022

Source: AAPN

FESPA Global Print Expo 2022: Meet JK Group & MS Printing Solutions

COMO/VARESE, Italy  — May 10, 2022 — If you think that digital printing is an opportunity for growth, come and visit our booth at FESPA Global Print Expo 2022. (31 May – 3 June 2022 – Berlin – Hall 3.2 – Stand B-21)

We will talk about sustainability, versatility, and reliability.

  • Dye-sub printing is the sustainable choice to print onto synthetic fabrics: It is a straightforward and water-saving printing process for flexible production. You will see the JP4 Evo 1.8 working with Digistar K-ONE. It is the excellent combination of a tireless and solid scanning machine and an eco-friendly dye-sub ink for transfer printing.
  • Pigment inks = less water and energy consumption. The pigment printing is an easy and waterless process, allowing to set a sustainable production chain and ensuring cost-effective printing outputs.  You will see the JP7 1.8 working with Digistar K-CHOICE 4.0. It is a combination of a scanning machine and an ECO PASSPORT certified ink to increase production capacity by reducing operating costs.

Do not miss the exclusive sneak peek of Digistar Helios that stands out for the dramatic high lightfastness ideal for outdoor signage. The new dye-sub transfer ink has been jointly developed with Universal Woods Inc. specifically to print onto ChromaLuxe® Outdoor material

Posted: May 10, 2022

Source: JK Group & MS Printing Solutions

TSG Finishing Begins Phase One Of Its Modernization Initiative

HICKORY, N.C. — May 9, 2022 — TSG Finishing LLC is pleased to announce it has begun phase 1 of its project to modernize all of its primary textile finishing equipment.
TSG currently relies on seven tenter frames to coat or process almost every yard of fabric it receives. Though the basics of textile coating have not changed, new machinery comes equipped with technology to ensure better quality, efficiency and safety. TSG kicked off phase 1 of this initiative with a new tenter, purchased from Ehwha, a highly-regarded South Korea-based manufacturer whose machinery is becoming commonplace in the American textiles industry. Michael Goldman, president, said: “We vetted almost every tenter manufacturer and decided that Ehwha was the best fit for the wide variety of textiles we process on a daily basis”.

Another key element in choosing Ehwha was the ability to modify their standard equipment as new opportunities arise. “In recent years TSG has had to design numerous textile coating and handling methods, all of which must be retrofitted to one of our exiting tenters,” Goldman added. “This new piece of equipment will allow us to further expand our technical abilities and entertain programs that we currently cannot handle.”

Installation is expected to begin in late Summer 2022 in TSG’s Synthetics Plant in Hickory, N.C.

TSG Finishing is one of the largest textile finishers in North America. With three processing plants and more than 200 employees in the Hickory, N.C., area, it provides value-added services to all textile markets including medical, military, automotive, construction, home furnishings and filtration.

Posted May 10, 2022

Source: TSG Finishing

Alchemie Technology And HeiQ Transform The Sustainability Of Odor Control Textile Finishing – With 84% Energy Saving

CAMBRIDGE, England/ZÜRICH, Switzerland — May 9, 2022 — Furthering their sustainable textile finishing partnership, Alchemie Technology and HeiQ are enabling a step change in odor preventing textile finishing. HeiQ Life botanical odor control, applied using Alchemie’s Novara™ digital finishing technology, uses 84-percent less energy and 92-percent less water to add sustainable and durable odor control to fabrics.

Alchemie Technology, experts in low energy, digital dyeing and finishing technology, partnered with HeiQ, leader in textile innovation, in 2021 to bring sustainable, effective technology to manufacturers across the world and reduce the cost and environmental impact of textile finishing.

Now, HeiQ has launched HeiQ Life, a renewable source peppermint oil-derived textile technology to control malodor development on textiles.

HeiQ Life imparts fabrics with a long-lasting odor control capability. Thanks to the use of peppermint oil as active ingredient, the source of body odors is tackled: odor causing bacteria are inhibited from growth on the textile surface to keep garments fresh, clean, and comfortable. HeiQ Life is especially suitable for apparel such as sportswear, base layers, linings, intimates, hosiery, casual and business wear, but is also designed for home textiles. HeiQ Life can be used on all textiles and is compatible with other finishes, including fabric softeners and wicking agents. It is durable for up to 50 washes.

When using Alchemie’s Novara precision digital finishing solution, which uses high velocity jetting technology, to apply HeiQ Life odour control to textiles, the process will consume 84-percent less energy and 92-percent less water than the conventional padding process — ultimately improving sustainability and saving costs. In Alchemie’s trials, Novara required 0.4 kWh energy and 0.06 liters of water per kilo, compared to 2.6 kWh energy and 0.8 liters of water using a padder system.

Alchemie’s Novara low energy, single sided digital application system enables functional finishes to be applied at up to 20x the concentration of traditional processes — with a more even application and higher quality.

Alchemie Technology is on a mission to stop 500 million tonnes of total global carbon dioxide emissions being produced by the fashion and textile industry by 2030, by providing manufacturers with more sustainable solutions.

Dr. Simon Kew, managing director of Alchemie Technology, said: “Consumers are all too aware of the need to improve sustainability, but brands and manufacturers need to lead the change and invest in more sustainable textile production methods. Annually, approximately 1 million tonnes of chemicals are used for applying functional finishes to apparel and home textiles. The textile industry is one of the biggest polluters on the planet, yet it is also one that can achieve the biggest and quickest amount of change.

“Alchemie’s low energy, digital finishing technology, together with HeiQ’s plant-based odour control, delivers high performance sustainable finishing which dramatically reduces energy, water, and environmental impact, while also reducing production costs.”

“Our quest for achieving the ultimate in sustainability took a big step in the right direction thanks to our partnership with Alchemie Technology. Consumers typically wash apparel when they smell. Odor-free textiles will be laundered less frequently thereby using less resources as washing represents greater than 30 percent of the environmental footprint of a garment’s lifetime. With HeiQ Life odor-preventing plant-based ingredient, consumers can wash less and wear more frequently and its application to textiles using Alchemie’s Novara energy saving finishing process takes the sustainability of treated textiles to the next level. We look forward to our fellow humans smelling fresh throughout the day with good conscience” said Carlo Centonze, co-founder and CEO of HeiQ.

Posted: May 10, 2022

Source: Alchemie Technology/HeiQ

ACIMIT Renews Its Corporate Identity With a New Logo And Website

MILAN — May 10, 2022 — ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, has presented its renewed corporate identity, the result of a collaborative effort involving the association itself and the communications agency Take, which handled the logo’s restyling, new brandbook design, and the development of the new website.

ACIMIT’s new image reflects its evolving and dynamic soul. The logo has been renewed so as to remain faithful to the association’s values, which are strongly rooted in Italy, while accentuating its international impetus, representing the evolutionary nature of the entire textile machinery sector. The official website has been completely renovated both in its look, feel and structure, but remains essentially unchanged in its DNA.

“Creativity, technological innovation, and a coming together of Italian concepts — these are the ideas that have guided us in conceiving and redefining our logo and our association’s coordinated image,” stated ACIMIT president Alessandro Zucchi. “The new logo was designed to mirror our organization’s core values, with two main goals: promoting the idea of closeness and coming together, while reflecting a spirit of belonging for all our associated partners, and proposing ACIMIT to the global textile supply chain, communicating Italy’s leadership role in the textile machinery sector.”

A further innovation announced by ACIMIT is the all-new communications concept promoting the presence of Italy’s textile machinery manufacturers at ITMA 2023, which will be held in Milan from June 8-14 this year. The key communications concept designed to bring people together at ITMA is Shaping the Future, a project developed to link ACIMIT’s core values to those of ITMA, comprising the association’s various activities, initiatives and communications schemes, all of which will be presented with the support of Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Italian Trade Agency. The aim is to promote an immediate desire to shape the future of the textile supply chain, tracing an innovative and ever-changing path. The website and communications initiatives enhancing ACIMIT’s corporate identity, as well as the creative project Shaping the Future, can be viewed online and on the association’s official channels as of end of April.

Posted May 10, 2022

Source: ACIMIT

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