AUSTIN, Texas — May 19, 2021 — Austin-based western brand Tecovas took a cowboy-sized leap forward with the addition of Elliott Hill, a former Nike executive, to their board as a director. Hill served as Nike’s president of Consumer and Marketplace before retiring in 2020 after 32 years at the company. Hill’s experience managing Nike’s end-to-end direct-to-consumer and wholesale strategies will be a valuable foundation for counsel to a brand that was the first in its category to adopt the direct-to-consumer sales strategy.
“Over the past couple of years, I have been lucky to get to know Elliott as a friendly advisor and I’m thrilled to now have him as an official member of the Tecovas board,” said Tecovas’ Founder and CEO Paul Hedrick. “His Nike experience speaks for itself, and his passion for people and his leadership instincts are second to none — all of which is invaluable for a young and growing brand like Tecovas. We are very fortunate to have him along for the ride.”
Tecovas’ growing board mirrors its ambitious rise since its founding in late 2015. After three years of selling its cowboy boots, apparel, and accessories exclusively online, Tecovas opened its first retail store in March 2019 — and has opened 15 since then, including eight in 2020 and two more this year to date. While most Tecovas stores are in Texas, its 2020-2021 expansion included outposts in Arizona, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Alabama.
Tecovas has also expanded its product line significantly since 2015 when it launched with 4 styles of cowboy boots. Today, the brand offers dozens of boot styles for men and women, a burgeoning apparel line, and accessories ranging from duffle bags to belts. In November, the brand had its biggest launch to date with its line of rugged outdoor-oriented boots and apparel, Tecovas Ranch Wear. Hill himself is familiar with cowboy boots, being born and raised in Tecovas’ hometown of Austin, Texas.
“I’ve been a fan of the Tecovas brand and product since its inception and am honored to be joining the board,” Hill said. “I’m passionate about helping the Tecovas team to innovate within a heritage product category, to know and serve the customer better than any other brand, and to grow a world-class company in such a great town.”
Hill joins a board led by Hedrick, a former McKinsey consultant and Texan who quit his job in private equity to launch the world’s first direct-to-consumer western brand after being frustrated by the lack of high-quality and affordable cowboy boot options on the market. The brand’s meteoric rise has further solidified his belief that cowboy boots are a product that is marketable far beyond the Lone Star State, with customers hailing from all 50 states. The Tecovas board includes an impressive breadth of entrepreneurial and investing experience, with Hill joining Hedrick, Brian Spaly (founder of Bonobos and Trunk Club), Andy Hunt (co-founder of Warby Parker and Elephant, Tecovas’ lead investor), Roy Seiders (co-founder of YETI), and Julie Effron (Partner at Elephant).
BALTIMORE — May 19, 2021 — Today, Under Armour announced up to a 50-percent increase in its minimum pay rate for hourly teammates in the United States and Canada. Hourly rates will increase from a minimum of $10 per hour to $15 per hour — $15.25 Canadian dollars per hour in Canada — which will go into effect on June 6. As a result, more than 8,000 part-time and full-time teammates — approximately 90 percent of the Retail and Distribution House (DH) workforce — will see a compensation increase.
Under Armour’s pay rate increase marks the beginning of several steps to enhance the teammate experience. Over the coming year, the company will implement additional measures to holistically support teammates on their career journeys through important initiatives like compensation, learning and development, and a new incentive plan for our hourly teammates.
“Our Retail and Distribution House teammates are the backbone of our business, and play an essential role in our ability to serve our Focused Performers,” said Patrik Frisk, president and CEO of Under Armour. “We are committed to doing the right thing, and at the center of our commitment is ensuring our teammates feel valued and appreciated.”
Under Armour currently has more than 3,000 open roles in retail locations and distribution houses, some of which are seasonal and include Sales Teammates, Store Managers and Stock Teammates. All of these roles will start at a minimum of $15 per hour in June.
“At Under Armour, direct-to-consumer is one of our biggest growth opportunities and an area that I am proud to oversee,” said Stephanie Pugliese, president of the Americas at Under Armour. “Teammates in our retail stores and distribution houses are our strongest asset and we needed to make a strategic decision on our hourly wages to be a competitive employer in the retail space.
“We’re delighted to be able to raise our minimum pay rate and acknowledge the hard work of our frontline teammates in retail and warehouse, particularly over the past year.”
NEW YORK CITY — May 19, 2021 — Katten announced today that Ilana Lubin has joined its Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity practice in New York City and will advise companies in a range of industries on domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, and divestiture and joint venture transactions, particularly those in the retail, apparel, footwear, accessory and beauty sectors.
“Ilana’s reputation for excellence precedes her. She is an exceptional attorney whose outstanding skills and pragmatic approach will deepen our industry-leading client services,” said Kimberly Smith, global chair of Katten’s Corporate department and co-chair of the firm’s global Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity practice.
In addition to advising on mergers and acquisitions, and divestiture and joint venture transactions, Lubin counsels clients on other strategic corporate and commercial matters. Her practice often sits at the intersection of traditional retail operations, digitization and entertainment.
Skilled at advising on celebrity endorsements and the licensing of celebrity, entertainment and fashion brands around the globe, Lubin represents retailers, consumer products companies and brand owners in connection with the development of celebrity-branded and -founded consumer product lines. Additionally, she provides counsel on implementing the revival and expansion of brands internationally, including in Europe, Asia and South America.
Her appreciation of both the scope of legal issues and the accelerated demand for businesses to innovate and reinvent themselves has made her a trusted attorney who offers a range of solutions for her clients in fashion and beyond.
Katten is a full-service law firm with nearly 650 attorneys in locations across the United States and in London and Shanghai. Clients seeking sophisticated, high-value legal services turn to Katten for counsel locally, nationally and internationally. The firm’s core areas of practice include corporate, financial markets and funds, insolvency and restructuring, intellectual property, litigation, real estate, structured finance and securitization, transactional tax planning, private credit and private wealth. Katten represents public and private companies in numerous industries, as well as a number of government and nonprofit organizations and individuals.
TAIPEI — May 19, 2021 — Kingwhale — responsible manufacturer of performance textiles — commits to furthering its sustainability initiatives by emphasizing recyclable fibers in its portfolio of products. Through new processes, Kingwhale has better positioned itself to recycle discarded resources to develop new, reusable textiles, in turn, minimizing carbon emissions and its reliance on petrochemicals.
“We call it a ‘textile-to-textile’ process, where we can make new fibers from existing ones,” said James Huang, president of Kingwhale. “Forget about landfills. We’re collecting discarded garments, breaking them down, and reviving them as sustainable fibers. And it’s all done with environmentally safe treatments.”
Renowned for its range of technical knits and fleeces, Kingwhale is a vertically integrated company controlling the entire production process from fiber spinning to textile manufacturing to garment construction. Moreover, the company has long placed an emphasis on sustainability, with its proprietary technologies resulting in manufacturing practices that minimize energy consumption, reduce waste, and utilize fewer resources.
“The textile industry is notorious for generating excessive waste,” Huang said. “But Kingwhale is helping fix that. We’ve long been proponents of a circular economy for apparel, so we’re working hard to develop innovative recyclable fibers that can be regenerated into new materials over and over again, and thereby minimize the industry’s dependance on petroleum and other mined resources.”
New sustainable and biodegradable fiber-based products from Kingwhale are slated for launch this year.
To further demonstrate its commitment to carbon neutrality and responsible production, Kingwhale joined the RE100 global initiative in 2020, pledging to 100-percent renewable electricity by 2040. The textile manufacturer has become the first mill in the Asia-Pacific region to do so. RE100, led by the international non-profit The Climate Group, brings together large, influential organizations, such as Kingwhale, that are committed to taking ambitious actions to combat climate change.
Moreover, in the past year, solar panels located across Kingwhale’s facilities generated nearly 850,000 kWh of energy. Its reduction in carbon emissions is comparable to the carbon dioxide absorption of more than 41,000 trees.
As a bluesign® system partner and OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certified company, Kingwhale is already regarded as an industry leader with regards to its environmental stewardship. In fact, its L.I.T.® (Low Impact Technology) is lauded for its waste reduction and efficiency. This innovative yarn technology modifies the molecular structure of yarn fibers, thus making the dyeing process more efficient, leading to 60-percent less water for dye preservation, 15-percent less dyestuffs to achieve color, and 22-percent less electricity for heating and cooling.
“We’ve been paving the path for responsible textile production for years,” said Huang. “Looking ahead, I know Kingwhale can help establish new best practices to reduce carbon emissions and minimize the industry’s dependance on petroleum. And I know we’ll launch some game-changing sustainable fibers in the process.”
Figure 1: Where do they come from? (Courtesy of Consumer Reports)
Despite the textile industry’s limited use of PFAS materials, future regulation may impact producers of performance fabrics.
By Hardy Sullivan
Given the wide array of end uses for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), producers of performance fabrics, including personal protective equipment (PPE) gowns with superior blood repellency, workwear with oily stain release properties, and high-use upholstery needing resistance to oily foods and stains, might think the press’ portrayal of the textile industry misses the mark. Why focus on fabric but ignore phones?
As an end-user of PFAS materials, textiles make up only a tiny fraction of PFAS consumption. And as a percentage by weight of fabric, a little goes a long way. Yet stain-resistant fabric gets top billing as a PFAS source in consumer-facing news articles. In turn, some state regulators have targeted PFAS-containing carpet and upholstery, detracting attention from primary pollution sources — non-polymeric PFAS processing aids and PFAS-containing firefighting foam.
But textile producers have a story to tell, too. These products are safe for the consumer and require only a small amount of short-chain PFAS to impart performance, saving the environment from detrimental effects of a fast fashion, disposable goods mentality. And there are significant differences between PFAS substances; thus, one-size-fits-all regulation is unfair and not science-based.
Who will prevail in the battle for the narrative? Will other consumer products get noticed?
PFAS In The Media
A May 2021 Consumer Reports article, “How Safe is Our Drinking Water?,”1 states PFAS were detected in the drinking water of 117 out of 120 households. Two of the samples exceeded the federal advisory level of 70 parts per trillion (ppt), and 46 samples exceeded Consumer Reports’ recommended 10 ppt limit for total PFAS.
Though the Consumer Reports article states manufacturers use PFAS to make “hundreds of other common products,” a visual representation of PFAS sources published by the publication (see Figure 1) shows only three sources — stain resistant fabric, non-stick pans and fast-food packaging. A picture, is indeed, worth a thousand words — or at least hundreds in this case.
There are numerous other examples of the industry’s unwanted high profile. A recent New York Times article titled “These Everyday Toxins May Be Hurting Pregnant Women and Their Babies”2 featured the subhead “PFAS, industrial chemicals used to waterproof jackets and grease-proof fast-food containers, may disrupt pregnancy with lasting effects.” And in a podcast interview, the European Chemical Agency’s Executive Director3 cited cookware, clothing and carpet as common end-uses for PFAS.
Whoever said “There’s no such thing as bad press” wasn’t producing PFAS-containing fabric.
Response To Negative Press
The years of bad press led some companies to, publicly or privately, discontinue the use of PFAS compounds in their fiber-based products. In 2019, Home Depot announced the phase-out of PFAS in carpet.4 That same year, Gap Inc. announced it would phase out all PFC-based finishes by 2023,5 where PFC has been used to mean fluorochemicals. Even fast-fashion company H&M proudly touts its long-standing commitment to PFAS-free clothing, accessories and shoes.6 Healthcare organization Kaiser Permanente also prohibits the purchase of upholstery with fluorochemicals.7
Which Industries Utilize PFAS?
A better question to ask is what manufacturing industries do not utilize PFAS. All PFAS chemistries include strong carbon to fluorine bonds. As early as the 1940s, companies started capitalizing on fluorine’s unique properties, such as its relatively compact atomic structure and high electronegativity, or affinity for electrons. Carbon-fluorine bonds enable chemical resistance, stability in hot and cold temperatures, low surface energy, low friction, low rigidity, variable permeability, and dielectric insulation. Numerous industries developed an array of uses, some of which, given fluorine’s special place on the periodic table, may not be possible by other means. Figure 2 contains descriptions of end-uses by industry according to the American Chemistry Council.8
Figure 2
How Does PFAS Consumption In Textiles Compare To Other industries?
Putting PFAS consumption in perspective is a central issue that has gone unaddressed in press coverage. Some consumer end-uses have been reported, but PFAS consumption by industry has been absent. Everyday consumer goods containing PFAS chemistries include smart phones and tablet touchscreens, smart watch bands, dental floss, bicycle chain lubricant, and eyeglass lenses, to name a few. There are hundreds more.
A recent paper, “An overview of the uses of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)”9 published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, attempted to not only identify PFAS end-uses but also characterize consumption by industry. Though the data comes from some of the Nordic countries, it provides useful insight for the United States. The take-away? While the regulation of PFAS-containing textiles might make some state regulators feel good that something is being done, the impact on the safety of drinking water will be very limited. Figure 3 shows that textiles, despite all of the attention they receive, don’t break the top 10 in terms of end-use consumption.
All of the end-uses with a dark gray background are industrial end-uses.
It is also worth noting the distinction that is drawn between polymeric and non-polymeric substances. More on this distinction later.
How Complex Is This Topic?
Fluorocarbon’s unique properties led to the creation of more than 5,000 PFAS compounds. The multitude of chemistries makes PFAS ripe for confusion. The array of designer cocktails is so large that a panel of stakeholders came together in 2011 just to establish PFAS naming guidelines.10 If it takes 29 pages to describe how to name chemistries within a class of chemicals then, chances are, there are significant differences between the chemistries.
Should PFAS Chemicals Be Treated As A Single Class?
Some groups argue all PFAS chemicals should be regulated as a single class.11 It is true that the carbon-fluorine bond is a strong one, making all PFAS materials environmentally persistent; thus, the term “forever chemicals”. It is important to distinguish, however, between environmental persistence, toxicity, and bioaccumulation. After all, sand on a beach is persistent.
While all PFAS materials are environmentally persistent, an important distinction within the PFAS class is they exist in different states — including solids, liquids, and gases. The state of matter greatly impacts mobility through air, water and soil. The liquid state, for example, of PFAS-containing firefighting foam contributes greatly to its ability to contaminate soil, as opposed to PFAS solids found on textiles.
Additionally, there are, literally, sizeable differences between polymeric and non-polymeric PFAS substances, referred to here as PFAS polymers and PFAS non-polymers (see Figure 4). A PFAS non-polymer consists of a single molecule; whereas, polymers can consist of thousands of repeating molecular units. The relatively small size of PFAS non-polymers makes them more mobile — easy to spread in air and waterways — and more bio-available — with increased potential to build up in blood and body tissues where they might do harm.
Figure 4
It is not as simple as PFAS polymers are good and PFAS non-polymers are bad, however, because there are varying levels of toxicity between the PFAS non-polymers. Adding to the complexity, there is an interdependence between some PFAS polymers and PFAS non-polymers.
As visualized in Figure 4, PFAS non-polymers, play one or more of the following roles:
process aids essential for production of PFAS polymers that do not necessarily end up in PFAS polymer;
raw material inputs for making PFAS polymers that are incorporated in the PFAS polymer;
impurities or unintentional byproducts contained within the PFAS polymers; and/or
degradants resulting from decomposition of PFAS polymers over long periods of time.
Figure 5
Which PFAS Chemicals Are Commonly Used In Textiles?
The primary PFAS chemicals used in textiles include polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and short-chain fluorinated polymers known as C6 or C4 chemistries. Both materials are PFAS polymers. As shown in Figure 5,12 PTFE can serve as a waterproof breathable membrane, and the C6 reduces the surface energy of the uppermost layer, imparting water and oil repellency. Non-fluorinated chemistries are available as supplements or replacements to the PFAS-containing materials, but they tend to not perform as well.
Shown in Table 1 and Table 2 are non-comprehensive lists of textile-related PFAS materials.
Table 1Table 2
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been studying the environmental and human health profiles of PFAS chemistries since 2000. The products in production today meet the EPA’s current regulatory requirements and comply with the EPA’s PFOA [perfluorooctanoic acid] Stewardship Program. Human health and environmental impact studies are ongoing,15 and the EPA, of course, has the authority to change its requirements.
Fluoropolymers, including PTFE, the predominant type,16 are not water soluble and are not concerns for toxicity.17 Keep in mind, however, that PFAS non-polymers are required as processing aids — GenX, for example — for some fluoropolymers. While PFOA and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) are no longer produced in the United States, GenX is one of the replacements for PFOA and PFOS. The EPA reported GenX chemicals are less toxic than PFOA and PFOS,18 but water pollution of these non-polymer processing aids remains a concern.19
The ultimate breakdown product of short-chain fluorinated polymer continues to be studied. C6 consists of side-chains (fluorotelomers) attached to a backbone polymer, usually an acrylic or urethane. The ultimate breakdown product for C6 is perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA). A 2019 review of the literature indicates PFHxA is less hazardous to human health than PFOA,20 an important benchmark for the EPA.
Figure 6
Does Carpet Cause PFAS Pollution?
Researchers are using sophisticated analytical techniques to measure PFAS levels in waterways, homes, retail stores and fire-fighting stations.
The latest scientific evidence appears to refute regulators’ emphasis on carpet. A 2020 study published by the American Chemical Society in its Environmental Science & Technology journal measured PFAS levels in dust taken from 184 homes in North Carolina.
While earlier studies draw different conclusions,21 this journal article reported there was no significant difference in PFAS levels in dust collected at homes with and without carpet.22 Additionally, no significant differences were found based on age or square footage of the houses. The article also reported a decline in PFAS content in dust samples collected over the past 20 years. Using data from earlier studies, some state regulators are targeting PFAS-treated carpeting as a non-essential end-use.
What Are The Sources Of PFAS Pollution?
According to the EPA,23 PFAS contamination is “typically localized and associated with a specific facility … an industrial facility where PFAS were produced or used to manufacture other products, or locations where firefighting foam was used such as oil refineries, airfields or other training facilities for firefighters.”
Why Is Textiles One Of The Frequently Implicated End-Uses?
The public can more easily relate to consumer goods — frying pans and raingear — than low-friction pipelines lined with PFAS materials, for example. But additional factors played a role in textiles becoming a media-spotlighted user of PFAS. Imprecise naming and guilt-by-contamination linked two well-known PFAS materials — PFOA and PFOS — to PFAS-treated Textiles.
Chemists have well-established shortcuts for naming chemical structures, but such shortcuts can lose their original meaning when used in the public domain. Such was the case in the early 2000s when the EPA referred to PFOA as C8, which was the same generic name used in the textile industry to identify the long-chain fluorinated polymers. C6 and C4 are now commonly used to describe today’s short-chain fluorinated polymers. Whether it’s C8, C6 or C4, these are just shorthand terms that do not fully explain the chemical compounds; rather, they simply indicate the number of carbon atoms linked in a series. In the case of fluorinated polymers — fluorotelomers attached to polymeric backbones — used in textiles, this nomenclature only refers to the length of the side-chain functional group; the identity of the backbone polymer is omitted entirely.
Adding to the confusion, PFOS and PFOA, were both intentionally produced processing aids for PTFE and low-level impurities of long-chain fluorinated polymers. PFOA, though not a raw material, was a low-level impurity in the long-chain fluorinated polymer manufacutured by DuPont via telomerization. PFOS was the impurity present in 3M’s long-chain fluorinated polymer produced via electrofluorination.
Figure 7a
For Textiles, How Do Non-Fluorinated Repellents Compare To C6?
Shown in Figures 7a-7g is a comparison of the same polyester upholstery style with three levels of finish treatment — no treatment, non-fluorinated repellent, and C6 side-chain fluorinated repellent. Sixteen food and beverage stains were applied to the fabric, which was then photographed before cleaning, cleaned with a spot cleaner, dried, and re-photographed. As shown in the figures, untreated polyester will not repel most foodstuffs and beverages. Non-fluorinated finish provides some protection but, because its surface energy is higher than C6, it does not resist penetration of oils. The C6 finish, on the other hand, is fully able to repel a variety of food and beverages, allowing the fabric to be cleaned more easily, thoroughly, and quickly. In hospital rooms, restaurants, and homes, all of these features contribute to customer satisfaction. Such results can be achieved with fluorine making up only 0.1 percent of the fabric weight.24
Spot-cleanability of polyester upholstery25 — penetrated and residual stains — are labeled in the figures.
Figure 7b: No treatment, before cleaningFigure 7c: No treatment, after cleaning
Figure 7d: Non-fluorinated, before cleaningFigure 7e: Non-fluorinated, after cleaning
Figure 7f: C6, before cleaningFigure 7g: C6, after cleaning
What Are The Consequences Of Removing C6 PFAS From Textiles?
Multiple surveys of U.S. designers by Interior Design magazine indicate strong demand among specifiers and end-users for surface cleanability. Cleanability is particularly important in the healthcare segment, topping the list of factors that influence fabric selection.
Figure 8
For markets where spot-cleanability is important, the absence of C6 could shorten the life of fabrics, leading to increased demand for replacements. While selling more fabric benefits producers, it is higher cost to end-users, and negatively impacts the environment because of higher use of non-renewable fuels for man-made fibers, coatings, production and transportation; increased use of pesticides for natural fibers; elevated emissions and effluent from manufacturing; increased landfill use; possibly higher microplastics pollution; and increased use of harsh solvent cleaners.
Some textile producers claim C6 finish extends the life of upholstery by years. By extending the life of commercial (non-residential) upholstery in the United States from 3 to 5 years, and not having to produce replacements as frequently, the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) estimated 274k metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions is avoided, equivalent to emissions from 58 thousand passenger cars (see Figure 9). Similarly, other resources — such as water and landfills — would be proportionately impacted.
Figure 9
PFAS Regulation In The United States And Europe
A comprehensive list of actions being taken by the EPA is available on its website.26 Actions affecting drinking water include studying PFAS chemistries, monitoring sites, setting standards and identifying treatment options.
Figure 10
In addition, some U.S. states have proposed or enacted an array of disparate measures to prevent or constrain PFAS contamination. Safer States is an organization that tracks PFAS-related legislation and litigation.27 State-by-state legislation varies widely but includes testing water supplies for PFAS; funding for cleanups; bans for PFAS in food packaging; firefighting foam restrictions; and prohibition on the use of PFAS in consumer products, including carpet and textiles28 (See Figure 10).
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 202029 includes multiple PFAS provisions. Among others, it restricts the use of PFAS in firefighting foam; addresses clean-up of military bases polluted by firefighting foam; requires standards for monitoring PFAS; and adds some PFAS chemicals, including PFOA, PFOS and GenX chemicals, to the Toxic Release Inventory. The latter action requires applicable manufacturers to report their releases and disposals.
The FDA obtained agreements from short-chain fluorotelomer producers to phase out their PFAS products in food packaging by 2023.30 Viewed in combination with other end-uses under scrutiny, the loss of this market opportunity reduces the overall market attractiveness for short-chain fluorinated polymer producers that also supply textile finishers.
PFAS materials are also under pressure in Europe. Operating within the guidelines of the European Chemical Agency (ECHA), five Member States have proposed a ban or restriction on all PFAS materials.31 This process will take several years to unfold.
A more immediate threat to European textile producers is Germany’s proposal to restrict perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) and products containing PFHxA.32 Small quantities of PFHxA are found in fabrics finished with C6; thus, C6 finish would be restricted. During the Call for Evidence, numerous comments from industry reinforced the lack of an alternative for oil repellency; the use of only minor quantities to achieve the desired property; and the wide array of non-textile end-uses that rely upon PFHxA directly or indirectly. While derogations may be allowed, such as for PPE fabrics, some textile applications are likely to be viewed as non-essential. Timing to implement restrictions is unclear.
Which PFAS end-uses are essential? Is that the right question?
The scope of PFAS regulation extends well beyond textiles. As regulators and consumer groups start to realize PFAS is essential to industries tied to national security — such as semiconductors and microchips — and renewable energy, including photovoltaics and rechargeable batteries, there has been a push, particularly in Europe and by U.S. states, to distinguish between essential and non-essential end-uses. Their goal is to eliminate non-essential end-uses.
An argument in favor of this approach is the end-use format — industrial versus consumer good — impacts product safety or risk. To be fair across industries, however, regulators would need to develop a consistent, quantifiable means for comparing risk — hazard and exposure — of hundreds of consumer products. Risk is considered a function of hazard and exposure where hazard is a material’s toxicity or corrosiveness, for example, and exposure is the extent to which the material can be ingested or come into contact with parts of the body that can be harmed.
The “What’s essential?” approach raises many questions. Who should decide whether smudge resistance of a touchscreen is more important than stain resistance of upholstery? If a grease containing PFAS is used to ensure a windmill operates more efficiently, can that grease be used to lubricate weaving loom gears? On a bicycle? What about the negative environmental implications of shortening a product’s useful life? How long would it take to formulate the criteria, answer these questions, and educate lawmakers?
In the absence of quantifiable criteria and vast resources for comparing end-uses, the subjective assignment of non-essential does not bode well for textiles. In comparison to the negligible public awareness of PFAS in electronics, stain-resistant textiles is a high-profile category, employs relatively few people, uses small quantities of PFAS, has limited political reach, and generates relatively low turnover. Compared to makers of airplanes, automobiles, and smart watches, textiles looks highly exposed and even expendable.
Meanwhile, the “What’s essential?” approach omits the consideration for actual sources of contamination and their relative impacts. What is the value of picking winners and losers if it has little impact on the problem?
What Does The Future Hold For Textiles Made Using PFAS?
Select types of PFAS — PTFE and short-chain fluorinated polymers — allow textiles to achieve levels of performance that, so far, cannot be matched without those compounds. Superior breathability, cleanability, and stain resistance all result in higher consumer satisfaction, allowing the textile products to last longer.
Despite the textile industry’s role as a minor user of PFAS, negative press coverage has dented PFAS usage in textiles. Looking ahead, the path will be difficult to navigate. Challenges include the media spotlight, environmental persistence, confusion about the chemistries, customer perception, shrinking market attractiveness for fluorotelomer producers, ongoing safety studies and regulators’ desire to target low-hanging fruit. The cards are stacked against performance textile producers and finishers.
One thing is clear: Textile companies that haven’t already launched fabrics with a non-fluorinated finish need to have a backup plan ready to go.
As for other industries using PFAS, it seems unlikely that regulators would limit the electronics industry from making semiconductors and other products that affect our global economic competitiveness, national security, and renewable energy technologies. Some PFAS uses are too big to fail.
Bottom line: PFAS contamination of waterways needs to be addressed. The main focus should be on keeping PFAS out of drinking water, as opposed to keeping it out of durable performance fabrics.
Editor’s Note: Hardy Sullivan is a sales representative for Thies Corp., a Germany-based producer of dyeing machines and dispensing systems. Prior to Thies, Sullivan developed performance fabrics and finishes for commercial, residential and automotive end-uses. He has an M.S. in Textile Technology from the Institute of Textile Technology, and a B.S. in Textile Management from North Carolina State University’s Wilson College of Textiles.
BRYAN, Texas — May 17, 2021 — Otis Instruments has introduced The Cube non-explosion-proof gas detector to their existing line of industry-leading gas detection systems.
Suited for diverse applications, The Cube uses an electrochemical, infrared or photoionization detector (PID) sensor element to detect a variety of toxic gases in various industries including oil and gas, wastewater management, manufacturing, food and beverage, laboratory, and more.
The Cube features a transparent cover with multi-colored status indicator front panel LEDs that can notify users from a distance of hazardous conditions. Magnetic switches allow for non-intrusive calibration while in the field, as well as full-system settings and diagnostics.
The device is available as part of our wired and wireless (dual-battery) powered product lines and includes radio, 4-20 mA analog and/or RS-485 Modbus communication options.
How can the textile dyeing industry collectively combat the current skills crisis?
By Andrew Filarowski
Although anecdotal evidence exists showing the lack of critical skills and resources in the dyeing sector, recent research undertaken by the England-based Society of Dyers and Colourists (SDC) has found the true extent of the issue — and the results suggests that the industry really is now at a crisis point.
An overwhelming majority of industry players that took part in the SDC’s recent survey, “An Industry in Crisis: The Widening of the Textile Dyeing Skills Gap” stated that there is an international shortage of knowledgeable textile coloration professionals, with more than three quarters of respondents describing this as harmful to textile production and quality of product.
But what is causing the issue? It’s clear that fresh talent is not entering the profession as once was the case, with negative perceptions of textile dyeing as a dirty and hazardous industry being a key reason. This, combined with properly qualified staff retiring means that there is now a “squeezed middle,” stretched very thinly across the board.
Technical knowledge is also seen as hard to achieve and can sometimes be undervalued by employers, but it’s also true that people with the chemical expertise behind the dyeing process are the only ones able to innovate and bring the industry forward — achieving both quality excellence and sustainable operations.
SDC’s research also found that there is poor promotion of opportunities within the industry, and a lack of locally available training and support from employers in relation to learning and qualifications. SDC’s assumptions also were confirmed that there is a lack of traineeships available that offer qualifications in the science of fabric coloration.
Further to all of this, is the preference of textile students leaving higher educational institutions to become designers — rather than dyers with an interest in the practical side — and therefore a lack of understanding of how color is applied to fabric.
Six Practical Steps
So, how can the industry collective combat this skills crisis before it is too late?
Firstly, the industry must take a more practical approach to learning to allow a greater scope of candidates to enter the industry, such as earn and learn schemes and paid traineeships. This will allow people to continue to make a living while becoming qualified, thus opening up a wider talent pool.
Secondly, part-time online learning should be made available globally, making tuition more accessible to all within the sector. This accessibility is something that the SDC is spearheading, working with the industry to make courses available to all.
Thirdly, young people should be incentivized with higher starting salaries to bring chemists back into the fold, using their scientific knowledge to drive the industry forward. Whether that’s better-paid traineeships, or bonuses to join with prior qualifications in science or chemistry. The industry needs to reward skills accordingly.
The industry must also collaborate collectively to lobby governments to provide support and subsidized training — or at least to help promote textile dyeing as a career at a national level, and made known within schools as a viable and fulfilling career path.
In addition, dyers and employers should work together with training providers, with a two-way approach to information sharing, to ensure that courses are relevant, up-to-date, and applicable to the modern-day dyehouse. Those with considerable dyeing skills should also take up teaching and training positions to pass on their invaluable knowledge and experience to a new generation of dyers.
Lastly, dyehouses must engage with those further down the supply chain, such as fashion brands, to educate them on the importance of the dyeing process and how it can help improve their product to help change perceptions on the prospect of textile dyeing as a career. Fashion brands can help highlight the importance of knowledgeable dyers at this critical stage in the manufacturing process.
Consequences Of Inaction
Without qualified dyeing technicians, the industry will come to a standstill because knowledge and expertise will be lost permanently, higher processing costs will be incurred because of a lack in process innovation, which will result in inferior end products.
This paints a severe picture of what could happen if the talent crisis within the sector is not solved. Smaller dyehouses will be forced to shut their doors, and only larger operations with in-house training would remain — though with the scope of technical expertise severely narrowed.
Sustainability and efficiency also will be compromised, and a dyehouse’s ability to remain compliant with changing legislation will be compromised.
Ultimately, the industry must both take notice and take action to halt the widening of the skills gap and to bring science back into the equation.
Editor’s Note: Andrew Filarowski is deputy chief executive and technical director at the England-based Society of Dyers and Colourists (SDC).
Clyde Fairfax Wilmeth Jr., owner of Wilmington, N.C.-based Wilmeth Yarns Inc., recently passed away at the age of 89. Prior to starting his own company, Wilmeth worked for L.P. Muller, a textile conglomerate in Charlotte, N.C. He was a graduate of North Carolina State University with a degree in textile technology.
Sanjeev Rastogi has joined Hexion Inc., Columbus, Ohio, as senior vice president, Global Resins.
TenCate Protective Fabrics, Union City, Ga., named Maria Gallahue-Worl CEO.
BLOOM™ Sustainable Materials, Meridian, Miss., has named Chuck Mason president and CFO of Algix LLC and the BLOOM brand of sustainable materials used in footwear and other products.
Waterford, N.Y.-based Soft-Tex International Inc. recently announced three new executive management appointments. Danielle Ignazzi was named chief innovation officer, Christine McKiernan was named chief quality officer, and Lloyd Wilson was appointed chief legal officer. All three managers report to Soft-Tex Principal Mark Smiderle.
Smith
Kaylee Smith has joined Mehler Engineered Products, Martinsville, Va., as regional sales manager, North America.
HanesBrands, Winston-Salem, N.C., has named Michael Dastugue CFO.
England-based technical fabrics manufacturer Nonwovenn has named Mark Kirkup operations director.
Don Rusch was appointed new director of the Textile Technology Center (TTC) at Gaston College, Belmont, N.C. Rusch will direct, manage, supervise and coordinate TTC programs and activities as he oversees day-to-day aspects of the center.
Georgina Yu has joined Fil Doux Textiles, Brooklyn, N.Y., as its Las Vegas sales representative.
Los Angeles-based PacSun recently announced management changes. President Alfred Chang and PSEB Group Interim CEO Michael “Mike” Relich were named co-CEOs; and PacSun’s Chief Brand Officer Brieane “Brie” Olson was promoted to president. PSEB Group owns PacSun and Eddie Bauer.
Denver-based VF Corp. has named Matt Puckett CFO. He will serve on the company’s executive leadership team and reports to CEO Steve Rendle.
Klaus Heinrichs
Klaus Heinrichs has announced he is retiring from Germany-based A. Monforts Textilmaschinen GmbH & Co. KG after almost 30 years with the company.
Los Angeles-based Barco™ Uniforms has named Ron Wagenseil president and CEO.
Switzerland-based SSM Schärer Schweiter Mettler AG (SSM), a Rieter Group subsidiary, has named Per Olofsson managing director.
Switzerland-based Schoeller Textil AG added North American Sales Directors Megan Fulton and Jack McPheron to its team. Fulton will concentrate on customers based in Northern California, the greater Pacific Northwest and parts of Canada. McPheron’s focus is on Southern California, Colorado, Utah and beyond.
Funk
Herculite Products Inc., Emigsville, Pa., has hired Pamela Funk as manager, Human Resources.
Carnegie Fabrics, Rockville Centre, N.Y., has appointed Gordon Boggis CEO.
WASHINGTON, DC — May 19, 2021 — National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) President and CEO Kim Glas is testifying today on “COVID-19 Part II: Evaluating the Medical Supply Chain and Pandemic Response Gaps, before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee at 2:30 p.m. ET.
In written testimony submitted to the committee, Glas provides an overview of: the U.S. market prior to the pandemic and the root causes of America’s dependence on offshore sources for medical PPE; the heroic response of the U.S. textile industry; the federal government’s response to the crisis; and a series of policy recommendations to incentivize the establishment of a permanent domestic PPE supply chain.
“The time is ripe for a revival of American PPE textile manufacturing. It has already begun, but we are at a pivotal point,” Glas adds. “Without the necessary policy response and support, our recent progress will be undone just as quickly, and China’s stranglehold over global medical textile supply will be locked in for the foreseeable future with no reason to invest here. However, with the right policy framework, the domestic PPE supply chains built overnight can endure and grow, creating a level of self-sufficiency domestically that we have learned the hard way is essential to our national health and economic security.”
Glas details key policy recommendations designed to establish a permanent domestic PPE supply chain, including:
Create strong domestic procurement rules for federal PPE purchases and other essential products — substantially similar to the Berry Amendment and the Kissell Amendment which require 100-percent U.S. content from fiber production forward.
Implement forward-looking policies to shore up the Strategic National Stockpile and issue long-term contracts to incentivize investment in the domestic PPE manufacturing base.
Create federal incentives for private sector hospitals and large provider networks to purchase domestically-produced PPE.
Continue to deploy the Defense Production Act to shore up the textile industrial base from raw materials to end products for all essential products.
Please view the full written testimony by NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas here.
Posted May 19, 2021
Source: National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO)
New York City-based Ralph Lauren Corp. has announced a deal with Major League Baseball to design special collections in collaboration with iconic teams. The first capsule will include the New York Yankees™, Los Angeles Dodgers™, Chicago Cubs™ and St. Louis Cardinals™. Later collections will focus on other teams including the Boston Red Sox™.
Fruit of the Loom (FOTL), Bowling Green, Ky., recently partnered with Zara to launch a capsule collection featuring classic styles FOTL is known for such as quality T-Shirts, sweatshirts and shorts all branded with FOTL’s recognizable vintage logo. Items are available globally in stores and on Zara.com.
For the second year in a row, Yorkville, Ill.-based Aurora Specialty Textiles Group reports it has won awards from the Valley Industrial Association (VIA) in the Fox Valley region of Illinois including the VIA Excellence in Operations for a company with 51 to 250 employees.
Spartanburg-based Milliken & Company recently donated more than 23,000 reuseable gowns to Richland County School District One in Columbia, S.C. The donation helps ensure that school nurses and special education teachers have access to gowns as children return to in-person learning.
The Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA), Cary, N.C., has published the eighth annual edition of its North American Nonwovens Supply Report. The 72-page report, available to INDA members, offers capacity, production and operating rate metrics as well as regional trade in 2020. INDA also announced the three finalists for the World of Wipes® (WOW) Innovation Award®. Kimberly-Clark Professional, Lenzing and SharkNinja will compete for the honor at the WOW International Conference that will be held July 12-15, 2021, in Atlanta.
Irvine, Calif.-based surf brand O’Neill selected Mipan® regen nylon from Seoul-based Hyosung Corp. for its O’Neill Blue sustainable women’s swimwear collection. Mipan regen is made using 100-percent reclaimed waste and is certified by the Global Recycled Standard of the Control Union in the Netherlands for its energy-saving benefits.
