World Of Wipes® International Conference 2021 Returns As In-Person Event Goes Live In Atlanta This July

CARY, N.C. — March 17, 2021 — Making and renewing connections in-person will be a key theme when INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, holds its 15th annual World of Wipes® (WOW) International Conference as a live event July 12-15 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Georgia.

With COVID-safety measures in place and the outlook looking positive for this summer, INDA is enthusiastic about reopening the doors at WOW for wipes industry product managers, buyers and suppliers to meet after moving to a virtual format last year due to the pandemic. To register, visit the World of Wipes® International Conference event page.

“We are hearing a lot of pent-up demand from the industry for renewing in-person contacts and meetings. WOW 2021 will bring back all of the content, excitement and sizzle that WOW always delivers, and do it in a safe environment,” said Dave Rousse, INDA president.

INDA stated its commitment to participant safety and adherence to all CDC and local protocols and guidelines. Face masks, hand sanitizer, and wipes will be available at WOW 2021.

The conference program also will be recorded and available for purchase on-demand for those who cannot attend, providing both options for participants to get the full, dynamic WOW program experience.

WOW Highlights

Coming off a year of significant change for the industry and the wipes sector, WOW will explore wipes and the growing plastics debate, new directions in sustainability, the explosive growth in cleaning brought on by COVID-19, emerging markets, regulatory changes and more.

This year’s event will open with a day and a half devoted to the WIPES Academy training and a Welcome Reception onsite. WOW will feature three days of cutting-edge conference program content, two days of tabletop displays, plus presentations from the three finalists and the announcement of the 2021 World of Wipes Innovation Award® as its finale.

The program also includes more than 11 hours of face-to-face networking time to form new relationships and strengthen existing bonds over breakfasts and session breaks, the Welcome Reception, and other events to connect with industry peers.

Learn the Latest on the Plastics Debate

The first session of presentations on July 13 will focus on the very important conversation on issues related to new European Union (EU) regulations on single-use plastics and their impact on the North American wipes market.

Experts providing the latest insights on this vital topic include Dr. Anna Gergely, director – EHS Regulatory, Steptoe & Johnson LLP, who will speak on Recent Developments Under the EU Green Deal and Plastics Strategy – Update on the Impact of the Pandemic.

Providing the perspective on the proposed Canadian plastic regulatory approach will be Karyn Schmidt, senior director, Chemical Regulation, Regulatory and Technical Affairs, American Chemistry Council (ACC); while Andrew Hackman, principal lobbyist, Serlin Haley, will talk about plastic policies in the various states within the United States.

Eight Stimulating Session Topics

The World of Wipes® will dive deep into the following eight areas:

Wipes and the Growing Plastics Debate — The discourse around plastics is only growing. What does this mean for your business? Experts will explore what is happening in the European Union, Canada, and the United States at the federal and state levels.

Government Affairs Update — After a turbulent year, get the insider’s edge on what’s next in 2021 from Jessica Franken, director of Government Affairs, INDA.

Regulations Impacting the Disinfecting and Sanitizing Wipes — Speakers will provide clarification on the difference in sanitizing, disinfecting, and anti-bacterial products and regulating bodies. Tony Herber, Principal Regulatory consultant/Assistant Federal Team manager, Scientific & Regulatory Consultants Inc., will give an overview of the FDA and EPA framework of regulations.

Trends in the Wipes Market and Among Consumers — Hear the latest research that will bring greater understanding on the state of the industry and the wipes markets now and into the future post-COVID.

COVID19 Impact on Wipes Consumption and Cleaning Habits — With both disinfecting and flushable wipes usage up 30 percent, experts will look at what’s behind this significant market development and what’s ahead.

Nonwoven Substrates for More Sustainable Wipes — Speakers will explore what the future holds for new substrates, raw materials, and technologies. Among the intriguing topics are plastic-free wipes and hemp fibers in nonwovens.

Sustainable Packaging and Dispensing for Wipes — Learn about how sustainability is impacting the value chain of wipes packaging and how dispensing can create value.

Flushable Wipes: Loved by Consumers, Wrongly Accused by Utilities — Wipes manufacturers and wastewater utilities continue to clash, but there are some rays of hope for resolution on the issue. Find out more at WOW 2021.

For the full program details and list of speakers, visit the WOW 2021 website. (https://www.worldofwipes.org/)

Posted March 17, 2021

Source: INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry

FloorTek Expo 2021 Sets Dates For This Fall

DALTON, Ga. — March 17, 2021 — The American Floorcovering Alliance (AFA) has announced dates for FloorTek Expo 2021. The event will be held September 14-15, 2021, at the Dalton Convention Center in Dalton, Ga.

Stephanie Manis, AFA’s executive director, stated: “With the vaccine distributions, lowering infection rates and hopeful ‘herd immunity’ by late summer, we are optimistic that Fall 2021 will be a good time for FloorTek and will move us in a positive direction to fulfill our commitment to our motto and serve the entire floor covering industry. With the nonexistence of trade shows for 2020 and few in 2021, we are ready to resume networking opportunities for exhibitors and attendees. New additions to this year’s event will be released in the near future. The format will be an ideal opportunity for every flooring professional from every level to explore avenues for growing their business.”

Priority applications are currently being sent. Information regarding the event will be posted on the show website at www.Floor-Tek.com.

Dalton is where decisions are made; Dalton is where technology is making consumer products a better value; Dalton is where flooring begins.

Posted March 17, 2021

Source: American Floorcovering Alliance (AFA)

X-Rite Simplifies The Capture And Communication Of Digital Materials Using Color Measurement Devices

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — March 17, 2021 — X-Rite Inc. and Pantone LLC, global suppliers of color science and technology, announced a new release of the PANTORA™ desktop application for the management of color and appearance data in digital design and production workflows. Pantora now connects with the Ci7000 Series, MA-T12, and MetaVue VS3200 spectrophotometers, enabling brands and suppliers to quickly capture or import spectral and appearance data into the application and create virtual material samples for paints, plastics, metals, fabrics, and meshes. Using Pantora, customers can store, edit, and share digital material files using Appearance Exchange Format (AxF™) files across Product lifecycle management (PLM), CAD, and 3D rendering software.

“The latest release of Pantora makes digital material scanning accessible to a broader audience by allowing brands and suppliers to leverage their existing color data and measurement devices,” said Matthew Adby, Appearance Product Portfolio manager, X-Rite. “The ability to easily and affordably transform a physical material into a digital sample minimizes the need to ship samples around the globe between design teams, suppliers, and partners. This allows companies to innovate and accelerate the design to manufacturing process.”

Virtual Material Libraries for Plastics, Textiles and Paints

The Pantora desktop application simplifies the management of a large volume of complex color and appearance data. It acts as the epicenter for appearance workflows connecting digital material capture sources with output destinations.

Users can now import a measured material sample or connect to an X-Rite spectrophotometer to measure a physical sample directly into Pantora. For paint and coatings samples, the MA-T12 multi-angle spectrophotometer can measure and virtualize flake texture and color flop. The Ci7000 series of benchtop sphere spectrophotometers capture transmission of color on translucent materials and reflection color common in plastics. For multi-spectral texture measurements, the MetaVue VS3200 non-contact imaging spectrophotometer captures the texture of leather, laminate and textile samples.

The Pantora Material Browser locates, acquires, and imports the digital material data as an AxF file that accounts for appearance attributes such as color, gloss, and texture. With the Material Viewer, companies can render the material in a virtual scene to see the effect of lighting, gloss levels, and special effect pigments. The new Pantora Variant Editor enables suppliers to create large digital material libraries by combining sample attributes.

“Using digital material virtualization, remote teams can continue to design and source materials using a 3D workflow while having confidence that material color and appearance will be accurate in production,” Adby continued.

Posted March 17, 2021

Source: X-Rite Inc.

EURATEX: An Effective Pact For Skills Should Be An Essential Pillar Of The New EU Textiles Strategy

BRUSSELS — March 17, 2021 — EURATEX President, Alberto Paccanelli addressed European Commissioners Thierry Breton and Nicolas Schmit during a High Level Roundtable on Skills for the Textiles, Clothing, Leather and Footwear (TCLF) sectors. In his remarks, Paccanelli insisted that addressing the skills challenges will be an essential condition to make a successful transition of the industry. These challenges relate to the ageing workforce and difficulties to attract young talents, and the need for new skills — related to digitalization and sustainable production. He asked support to the European Commission to increase already existing up/reskilling activities, and in attracting younger generations to work in the sector.

The European Textile and Clothing industries stand out on the global market with their quality and heritage, high-end goods, but also innovation of production processes and products. In recent years, digitalisation, sustainability and other trends emerged, requiring new skills to be developed and integrated in the companies. The sector also suffers from an ageing workforce — 35 percent of current workers in the textile and clothing industry are over 50 years old — decreasing number of younger employees and lack of attractiveness. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly accelerated these trends and created new challenges.

These issues were presented yesterday to European Commissioners Nicolas Schmit and Thierry Breton during the “Pact for Skills roundtable.” Several representatives from the industry and related stakeholders 1explained that these trends not only affect the workforce of E.U. companies, but more broadly  the competitiveness of the industry. A “Pact for Skills” can offer the right framework for developing a new framework, if well designed and implemented.

A recent TCLF survey among 150 companies, launched by EURATEX, CEC and COTANCE, confirmed these challenges:

  • Only 57 percent of respondents implement currently up/reskilling activities to meet digital skills needs; 85 percent foresee them as important or very important in the next 5 years.
  • One in three companies implements up/reskilling activities to meet green skills needs, and around 60 percent see them as very important in the next 5 years.
  • Up/reskilling activities, focused on process and production skills characteristic for the textile and clothing industries, will remain important in the future. 9 out of 10 companies foresee needs for this type of skills in coming years.
  • Up/reskilling initiatives in companies are constricted by time and financial constraints, as well as lack of knowledge about existing offer. That’s why only 15 percent of companies admitted that they often or always use external financial support in up/reskilling. Collaboration structures between education stakeholders and policy makers — on national and regional levels – are considered ineffective.

The Pact for Skills initiative can then be the solution to these problems, but it needs to deliver concrete answers. EURATEX President highlighted some actions which should be part of the Pact for Skills:

  • Support SMEs in their digital transformation with financial aid or programmes. In the survey, companies stated that direct funding is the only way to meet this transformation.
  • Improve the skillsets of existing workforce, by supporting companies in their efforts to upskill and reskill their workforce through training, apprenticeship and mentorship programs.
  • Minimize skills gaps and mismatches in the areas of sustainability, digitalization, process innovation and new business models.
  • Attract well-qualified young workers and professionals.
  • Supporting the modernization of the sectors’ VET and training infrastructure through improved education-industry collaboration.

At the same time, European T&C companies are willing to engage and develop the Pact for Skills initiative. With the necessary support, they can commit to:

  • increase diversity at the leadership level to become more inclusive and dynamic;
  • foster closer cross-sector collaborations, as for example in Digital Innovation Hubs;
  • create new collaborations with education and policy stakeholders;
  • plan to make greater use of the possibilities offered by Erasmus+ Programme.

“The Pact for Skills initiative can be the driver for change in a sector which is going through a substantial transformation” commented Alberto Paccanelli. “But it should be implemented quickly, offer tangible results, and be part of the wider EU Textiles Strategy. EURATEX is ready to support the European Commission in running the process and connect all the different actors”.

Posted March 17, 2021

Source: EURATEX

Alder Color Solutions Names Marty Davis As New Co-President

PORTLAND, Ore. — March 17, 2021 — Alder Color Solutions today announced that Marty Davis will be joining Alder Color Solutions as co-president. Davis, an experienced leader in the color industry, will be working alongside Alder Color Solutions’ current President Keith Voigt, effective March 15, 2021.

“I have known Marty for over 10 years. I have watched him manage, grow, motivate and build great teams and successful business models over that time,” stated Keith Voigt. “We are very fortunate that he decided that Alder Color would be his next adventure.”

Marty Davis added, “After meeting the team, hearing about their vision, and listening to their passion, the decision was really a no-brainer. Alder Color Solutions is bringing much needed Color IT services to brands, printers, textiles, designers, and other industries that are trying to apply color using different technologies, on inconsistent substrates, using color software and specs that are difficult or not integrated … and trying to do this on a deadline and cost effectively. Our customers are asking for help, suggestions, and automation to make their work easier. There is a growing need for this type of support, and I am excited to help guide and grow the Alder Color team and model.”

Posted March 17, 2021

Source: Alder Color Solutions

Mondi Gronau Starts Production Of More Than 1 Million Medical Face Masks Per Day In Germany

SURREY, England — March 17, 2021 — Mondi, global supplier of packaging and paper, has started up new production lines for meltblown nonwoven fabric and medical face masks at its site in Gronau, Germany, to mitigate the spread of COVID‑19.

Mondi Gronau has more than 50 years of experience in the production and processing of films, nonwovens and elastic components for hygiene products. Last year Mondi announced it would start up production lines to produce both the important base material, meltblown nonwoven fabric, as well as the medical face mask themselves. With the new lines, Mondi is building up a local value chain in Germany to address the needs of the pandemic. The fully integrated production with two highly automated high-speed machines allows the output of 700 high‑quality medical face masks per minute. This is approximately seven times higher than the standard face mask production line and will produce at least one million medical grade masks a day.

The masks are certified as a medical product by the German Johner Institute as well as meeting the German standards OEKO‑TEX and Dermatest. With this production, Mondi Gronau will be directly addressing the needs of the German health sector including hospitals, pharmacies and specialised medical retailers.

“We identified the shortage in melt‑blown nonwoven fabric in Germany early on in the pandemic last year and reacted swiftly to set up the production of high‑quality medical face masks. With our high‑speed production set-up and certifications in place, Mondi Gronau is ideally positioned to supply high‑quality medical masks that offer reliable protection and high comfort from the moment they are put on to when they are taken off,” said Jürgen Schneider, managing director Mondi Gronau.

Posted March 17, 2021

Source: Mondi Group

ITMA ASIA + CITME 2020 Exhibitor Preview: KARL MAYER

OBERTSHAUSEN, Germany — March 17, 2021 — KARL MAYER will once again be presenting itself as a pioneer of digitalization at ITMA ASIA + CITME, located in Hall 4, Stand A 32. The company offers innovative digital solutions for all its machine segments, enabling customers to benefit from unprecedented flexibility, efficiency and, above all, independence.

These digital trendsetting offers will be the focus for each of the three powerful brands in the expanding Group: Karl Mayer, KM.ON and, most recently, STOLL. For the first time in Asia, Karl Mayer will be exhibiting machines with the highest market relevance for both warp knitting and flat knitting.

“The upcoming ITMA ASIA+CITME is a very special trade show for us in two respects. After a long pause in face to face communicaton, we are looking forward to exchanging ideas with our customers in person again in China, our most important market. In addition, this is our first trade fair appearance together with STOLL. Visitors from both the warp knitting and flat knitting sectors, as well as from the warp preparation and technical textiles sectors, will be able to find out all about the opportunities for new business, stronger market positions and optimized production processes,” said Arno Gärtner, CEO of the Karl Mayer Group.

On show at the exhibition stand will be an HKS, two machines from the ADF family and a new flat knitting machine for the volume market. All models offer unique possibilities thanks to digital features that keep the customer one step ahead when it comes to modern production processes. For visitors from the field of weaving, Karl Mayer will be exhibiting the ISODIRECT beam warping machine with an excellent price-performance ratio.

Karl Mayer founded KM.ON to develop pioneering digital products. The company’s own software start-up made its first major market appearance at ITMA ASIA + CTME in 2018, and this time round, it will showcase new and enhanced digital solutions that are highly effective in helping customers do business.

The possibilities afforded by digitalisation are also a pillar of Care Solutions, Karl Mayer’s new concept for an even more comprehensive, focused and solution-oriented after-sales service. The SPARE PARTS WEBSHOP is part of this. The procurement tool is already well established on the market and can now also be used to procure electronic lapping data. The SwapKnit 36 and SwapKnit 36 Flat have been developed for this purpose and will be presented at ITMA ASIA + CITME.

In addition, an exclusive textile and application demonstration on the Karl Mayer stand will open up new market opportunities for visitors. Highlights include high-performance geotextiles and construction textiles for manufacturers of technical textiles, on-trend warp knitted fabrics for brands and fabric producers from the sportswear, underwear and fashion sectors, and denim fabrics through which Karl Mayer demonstrates its strength in indigo dyeing.

Posted March 17, 2021

Source: KARL MAYER

Filo: The “Con Le Mani” Project Continues – Episode IV Is Online Interview With Alessandro Barberis Canonico – President Of Milano Unica

BIELLA, Italy — March 17, 2021 — Alessandro Barberis Canonico, president of Milano Unica and CEO of Vitale Barberis Canonico, opens the doors of his own company to illustrate the role of the supply chain both in terms of production and in terms of trade-fairs, where those products are presented.

In Episode 4 of “Con le mani”, the series of meetings organized by Filo with some outstanding testimonials from the textile world, Barberis Canonico explains how the synergy develops between the companies exhibiting at Filo and those exhibiting at Milano Unica, companies that represent concrete evidence of the completeness of the textile supply chain.

During the interview, he identifies in the presence of Filo in the Trend Area of Milano Unica the moment that summarizes and enhances the uniqueness of the Made in Italy supply chain, which is the basis of the success of Italian textile-clothing in the world.

The three previous interviews of the cycle “Con le mani” hosted Franco Ferraris , CEO of Lanificio Ermenegildo Zegna; Gianfranco Di Natale, general manager of Sistema Moda Italia e director of Confindustria Moda; and Paolo Monfermoso, general manager di Filo.

The 56th edition of Filo will take place on the September 29-30, 2021, at MiCo – Milan.

Posted March 17, 2021

Source: Filo

The National Cotton Council Welcomes The Unanimous Senate Confirmation Of Katherine Tai As U.S. Trade Representative

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — March 17, 2021 — The National Cotton Council (NCC) welcomed today’s unanimous Senate confirmation of Katherine Tai as U.S. Trade Representative — a step that can protect U.S. cotton’s success in the global marketplace.

NCC Chairman Kent Fountain, a Georgia cotton producer and ginner, said: “Tai has proven to be a skillful negotiator who we believe can advance workable trade pacts and enforce them. This is crucial as we are acutely focused on the importance of fair and reciprocal trading relationships that offer opportunities for the cotton and textile industries to expand exports of cotton fiber, yarn and fabrics.”

Fountain noted that Tai’s recent efforts at gaining widespread support for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement also provide the U.S. cotton industry with assurance regarding her negotiating skills.

As the central organization for the U.S. cotton industry, the Memphis-based NCC serves as the unifying force in working with policymakers to ensure cotton’s interests are heard. The NCC’s mission is ensuring the industry’s seven segments’ ability to compete effectively and profitably in the raw cotton, oilseed and U.S.-manufactured product markets at home and abroad.

Posted March 17, 2021

Source: The National Cotton (NCC)

Rio Sul Supports Business Growth By Digitizing Production Planning With Coats Digital’s FastReactPlan

TW Special Report

As the textile industry resets from COVID-19, Mexico-based denim manufacturer Rio Sul is laying the foundations to win the recovery by digitizing best practice production planning and control processes with FastReactPlan from Coats Digital.

Established in 1987, Rio Sul has cutting and laundry facilities centrally located in Puebla, Mexico, with five sewing factories distributed across the country. The business is focused on developing and manufacturing high quality denim garments, offering flexibility and excellent customer service to a range of customers including VF Group, Perry Ellis, Ariat and Aeropostale.

In 2010, as part of a strategy to become a fully vertically integrated business, Rio Sul acquired the denim business of Arte en Denim, adding a capacity of more than 1.6 million yards of denim fabric per month. Rio Sul is now taking the next step in its business improvement program by prioritizing digitization of best practice planning and control processes with FastReactPlan. Coats Digital’s market-leading solution is proven to deliver rapid and significant improvements in speed to market, agility, and efficiency, by increasing visibility, coordination and control with a single solution for capacity planning of manufacturing processes, product development activities, and raw material availability.

Developed specifically for the fashion, apparel, and textile industries, FastReactPlan supports a fast, reliable planning process, optimized for delivery and efficiency, and can be configured for the specific requirements of any apparel manufacturer. The project at Rio Sul will include detailed planning of the sewing factories using FastReactPlan’s highly visual planning board, automatic scheduling of cutting, embroidery and finishing processes, as well as a product development board and dynamic planning of material requirements (MRP). FastReactPlan’s remote collaboration tool will also be used to receive production updates from the sewing factories. The detailed planning of the laundry operations using FastReactPlan’s embellishment planning module is  being considered as a second phase for the project.

Justo Olvera, president, Rio Sul, said: “Despite the difficult times we’re living in, we’ve seen a drastic increase in the demand. By digitizing key businesses processes we will be able to manage this increase in demand with the current planning and product development teams, increasing efficiency as well as improving our deliveries.”

The training will be delivered using the online Learning Management System, a new platform launched by Coats Digital to support remote implementation and customer success projects during the world-wide pandemic.

“FastReactPlan will support the re-engineering of our company, by providing a highly visual picture of the current situation,” said Ingrida Lingyte, Rio Sul CEO. “Coordinating and aligning priorities across all departments will optimize the workload, guarantee the coordination between departments and provide management with the key indicators we need for the continuous improvement of the business. The understanding of the best practices of the industry by the Coats Digital team is an additional plus.”

FastReactPlan is the market leading production planning solution, designed and developed specifically for apparel and footwear manufacturers and used successfully in more than 2,000 factories and 40 countries around the world.

Oscar Gonzalez, Coats Digital Agent in LATAM, said: “We are excited to play a key role in Rio Sul’s reengineering and digitization journey by implementing our application for production planning and control. It’s encouraging to see businesses recognizing the important role digital tools play in business transformation, especially as the industry resets and recovers from the global pandemic. FastReactPlan is a perfect match to Rio Sul’s requirements and we are looking forward to working together to improve the business’s delivery performance and reduce its manufacturing costs.”

Posted March 16, 2021

Source: Coats Digital

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