ANDRITZ and Infinited Fiber Company Sign Equipment Development Deal For Commercializing Textile Fiber Regeneration Technology

GRAZ, Austria — December 3, 2020 — International technology group ANDRITZ and biotechnology group Infinited Fiber Co. have signed a cooperation agreement to develop the process and equipment solutions for Infinited Fiber Company’s textile fiber regeneration technology. The technology can turn any cellulose-rich raw material, including discarded textiles, used cardboard or rice or wheat straw, into cellulose carbamate fibers — unique, high-quality textile fibers with the look and feel of cotton. Andritz is the process equipment supplier for the technology. The two companies have worked together to carry out trials since the end of 2019.

Under the newly signed cooperation agreement, which came into effect on November 13, 2020, the two companies will work together to develop the factory process and equipment solutions, aiming to perfect every step in preparation for the technology to be scaled up to commercial scale production. Infinited Fiber Co. currently operates two pilot facilities in Finland. The operations have a nominal combined capacity of 150 metric tons per year.

Under the new agreement, Andritz and Infinited Fiber Co. will spend the next six months collaborating on the development, testing and validation of the process and equipment solutions, with Andritz providing equipment for both the mechanical and chemical pre-treatment processes as well as for the carbamation process. This will be followed by factory deliveries, with Infinited Fiber Co. expecting to secure a commercial deal or deals during 2021.

“Andritz’s equipment and process portfolio offers good opportunities for fiber production technology, and the cooperation with Infinited Fiber Company is a significant step towards creating a new type of textile fiber. Textile waste recirculation is becoming mandatory in the EU in 2025 and we want to be involved in developing new bio-based fibers from textile waste and also from other pulp-based materials,” said Kari Tuominen, president and CEO of Andritz Oy.

“Andritz is a leading factory equipment supplier, and we are delighted to be working with them to prepare our textile fiber regeneration technology for commercialization,” said Infinited Fiber Co. Cofounder and CEO Petri Alava. “Bringing to market a new technology, a new fiber type, and even a new way of operating in accordance with circular economy principals requires the creation of a strong ecosystem of experts working towards common goals. We are proud that Andritz is a key member of this ecosystem.”

Posted December 8, 2020

Source: Andritz

Four AAPN Members Elected To AAPN Board Of Directors

ATLANTA — December 3, 2020 — The Atlanta-based Americas Apparel Producers’ Network (AAPN) announced the following new additions to its board of directors:

Chris Alt
Alt is senior vice president of Elevate Textiles, which, in turn, now owns American & Efird. Chris graduated from The University of Kansas with a BS Business Administration – Finance and Marketing. He has spent virtually his entire career at A&E. Chris is a strong supporter of the AAPN Carolina Mill Tour. He also graduated from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, Executive Program, Financial Management

Keith Dartley
Dartley is the president and cofounder of Swisstex based in Los Angeles with 165 employees and 70 knitting machines in El Salvador. Dartley has been highly active in AAPN’s Regional Conferences and many other events. He made an extraordinary commitment to fight the virus reporting to AAPN, “We produced enough mask fabric from March through June to produce about 180 million masks and enough gown fabric to produce about 1.5 million surgical gowns”.  He graduated from Colorado State University with a BS in Marketing.

Jennifer Knight
Knight graduated from Brown University with a B.A. in Religious Studies, and after a stint writing scripts for TV shows joined the family business of Georgia Narrow Fabrics. She has had numerous progressive steps in her industry career most recently as president & COO of the American Woolen Company. Jennifer is a long time member and close confidant of AAPN. She also holds an MBA from the Columbia Business School.

Pam Peale
Peale holds a BS degree in Fashion/Apparel Design from Baylor University. She began her degree in technology at Gerber and has remained in technology including time at a major producer of uniforms. She is currently vice president of DeSL. Pam has anchored several panels at AAPN Regional Conferences and on AAPN virtual events. She is leading several AAPN projects in new industry technology.

Posted December 8, 2020

Source: AAPN

Davlyn Group Acquires Norfab-Amatex

Spring City, Pa. — December 3, 2020 — Davlyn Group, a portfolio company of Emko Capital, today announced that it has acquired Norfab-Amatex, a provider of technical textiles and composites for the personal protective equipment (PPE) and industrial markets.

Norfab designs and manufactures heat and cut resistant textiles for personal protective garments, and other applications, including insulation, friction resistance, and composites. Industries served by Norfab include emergency response, steel, glass, and automotive. Amatex produces both broad and narrow woven thermal protection fabrics used in numerous industrial markets, including utility, automotive, marine, chemical, welding, and hearth. The company has roots dating back to 1909.

”Norfab-Amatex is an exciting acquisition,” commented Mauricio Zavatti, CEO, Davlyn Group. “It is aligned with our strategy of reinforcing our core, high temperature textile offering, expanding into high growth, adjacent markets, and achieving best-in-class manufacturing performance. Further, the combined company will be ideally positioned to tackle our customers’ most challenging heat and safety challenges.”

Headquartered in Norristown, Pa., the company has 130 employees across three manufacturing facilities in North America.

“We are excited to join Davlyn Group and create a world-class leader in technical textiles,” said John Weber, CEO, Norfab-Amatex. “Our customer-centric cultures are very compatible, which will allow for a smooth integration.”

The combined company will be headquartered in Spring City, Pa., the location of Davlyn Group’s current headquarters.

Posted December 8, 2020

Source: Davlyn Group

TRSA Virtual Healthcare Conference: COVID-19, Market Trends And More

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — December 8, 2020 — TRSA recently held its annual Healthcare Conference, with roughly 120 executives from the linen, uniform and facility services industry in attendance. This year’s event was shifted to a virtual gathering due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Dec. 1-3 event featured a keynote presentation by Dr. Jeffrey C. Bauer, a healthcare futurist and medical economist, who provided an update on the future of healthcare after the COVID crisis. Bauer noted how changes in the healthcare industry would affect businesses servicing the sector, and how healthcare launderers could best position themselves for success despite these challenges. To read a question-and-answer session with Dr. Bauer, look at the October 2020 issue of Textile Services magazine.

Educational breakout sessions held during the event included the following:

  • Healthcare Benchmarking Survey Results
  • Workplace Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • The Hygienically Clean Certification Process: Lessons Learned
  • Using UV Lighting for Disinfection
  • How to Build Personal Clothing Laundering Capabilities/Servicing LTC Facilities
  • Plant Disinfection Guidelines for COVID-19 Prevention

The final day of the conference featured a virtual tour of the Ecotex Healthcare Linen Service plant in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. After viewing the facility, its equipment and layout in several high-definition videos, attendees were able to ask questions of Ecotex executives following the video tour.

The conference closed with a panel discussion on healthcare launderers’ response and recovery from the COVID crisis. Panelists included Joseph LaPorta, president & CEO, Healthcare Linen Services Group; David Potack, president, Unitex Healthcare Laundry Services; and David Stern, CEO, Novo Health Services. The discussion was moderated by TRSA President & CEO Joseph Ricci.

The first day of the conference kicked off with meetings of the Hygienically Clean Healthcare Advisory Board, Hygienically Clean Healthcare Users Group and a CEO/Executive Roundtable for the healthcare sector. A virtual Welcome Reception took place following the meetings. To read more about the Hygienically Clean meetings, https://www.trsa.org/news/hc-advisory-board-users-group-review-21-program-updates/. For more information on the CEO/Executive Roundtable, https://www.trsa.org/news/hc-advisory-board-users-group-review-21-program-updates/.

Thanks to the following companies for sponsoring the Virtual Healthcare Conference:

Event Sponsors

  • Kannegiesser ETECH
  • Laundry Design Group LLC

Other Sponsors

  • Encompass Group LLC
  • JENSEN Group
  • Lac Mac
  • Omni Solutions
  • Sigmatex- Lanier Textiles
  • Standard Textile

The following companies sponsored the vitual plant tour: Ecolab, Kannegiesser ETECH, Miura and Pellerin Milnor Corp.. Presentations from the Virtual Healthcare Conference will be available for attendees to access https://www.trsa.org/resources/on-demand-learning/.

Posted December 8, 2020

Source: TRSA

INDA Remembers Ian Butler, Former Director Of Market Research & Statistics

CAREY, NC — December 8, 2020 — INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry warmly remembers Ian Butler, INDA’s former Director of Market Research & Statistics, a distinguished authority of the nonwovens industry, and mourns his passing on December 3rd, at the age of 78 in Toronto, Canada.

Butler was recruited by INDA in 1997 and created the role of Director of Market Research & Statistics.  For over three decades he served the nonwovens industry by providing valuable market and business intelligence reports on North America, China, and worldwide, as well as providing numerous handbooks on various technologies.

Under his direction, INDA’s market and business intelligence became renowned for accuracy, reliability, and insightful analysis. Butler was also a frequent speaker at INDA and industry events providing his expert insights on various market sectors’ growth in the nonwovens industry.

Butler’s vast nonwovens experience included leadership positions in Stearns Canada, Airform Fabrics, Veratec Canada Inc., International Paper, and his own company, International Nonwovens Consulting, Inc. before subsequently joining INDA.

“INDA is saddened by the loss of an industry leader who was an integral part of INDA’s growth,” said INDA President Dave Rousse. “He was a strong nonwovens advocate who tirelessly provided crucial market research our members needed in making key decisions to advance their business and products.”

Butler received his Bachelor’s degree from Concordia University in 1966 and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of Toronto in 1972. He is survived by his wife, Kathryn, his brother, his children, and his grandchildren.

Posted December 8, 2020

Source: INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry

Target Decorated Apparel Expands Its National Presence With Arizona Facility

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — December 7, 2020 — Target Decorated Apparel, a contract decorator for the promotional products and retail industries, is pleased to announce that it will open a new facility in Arizona to better serve its West Coast customers as well as support the future growth of the company. The new 7,200 square foot facility is located in Phoenix at the Weststate Arizona Commerce Center, 7225 W. Roosevelt Street, Suite 182, and will feature state of the art screen printing and embroidery equipment to provide the same outstanding quality that Target Decorated Apparel is known for. The facility will also offer heat transfers and fulfillment services, and is expected to be operational in March 2021.

“We are very excited to add a second Target Decorated Apparel location in Arizona,” said Steve Kanney, principal and owner of Target Decorated Apparel. “Having a second location will not only help us realize significant cost reductions and other efficiencies when serving clients in the Western United States, but it will also help us meet growing demand from new customers. Customer service, art services/design and accounting will continue to be centralized in Illinois.”

Kevin Schardt, president of Target Decorated Apparel who will oversee Phoenix in addition to the company’s Naperville headquarters, added, “The Arizona operation will follow the same standard operating procedures and best practices we employ at our Naperville location to ensure our customers receive the highest quality decoration, regardless of where it is produced. In addition, our close proximity to the UPS distribution center in Phoenix will help us ensure faster delivery to all of our West Coast customers.”

Posted December 7, 2020

Source: Target Decorated Apparel

Stitch Fix Announces Dan Jedda As New CFO, Joining The Company From Amazon

SAN FRANCISCO — December 7, 2020 — Stitch Fix Inc., an online personal styling service, announced that Dan Jedda has joined the company, reporting to Katrina Lake. Jedda will be appointed CFO effective December 9, 2020.

Dan Jedda joins the company from Amazon where he was vice president and CFO for Digital Video (including Amazon Studios), Digital Music, and the Advertising and Corporate Development organizations. During his 15-year career at Amazon, Jedda enabled explosive growth in these businesses and was with many of them since their inception. He has deep experience identifying and investing in market-defining consumer experiences.

“I’m excited to welcome Dan Jedda to our team,” said Stitch Fix founder and CEO Katrina Lake. “Dan brings extensive experience funding and scaling some of the most innovative businesses at Amazon. Dan will play a critical role in helping us expand our personalization platform to deliver the most relevant, resonant and delightful shopping experiences to consumers everywhere. His insight, energy and vision will be a great asset to our business as we move into the next stage of Stitch Fix’s growth.”

At Stitch Fix, Jedda will lead the Finance team, as well as being deeply involved in expanding the growth opportunities ahead for the business, partnering closely with the rest of the leadership team as Stitch Fix evolves its model to serve more customer needs.

Jedda said, “I am thrilled to be joining Stitch Fix at such an exciting time, when unprecedented consumer shifts to shopping online present such a significant opportunity for the business. I look forward to working with such an innovative company as it serves more consumers in highly personalized, relevant and convenient ways. I can’t wait to join Katrina and the leadership team.”

Posted December 7, 2020

Source: Stitch Fix Inc.

Arkema Expands Sartomer’s Product Offering And Expertise In 3D Printing With The Acquisition Of Colorado Photopolymer Solutions

COLOMBES, France — December 7, 2020 — Arkema announces the acquisition of Colorado Photopolymer Solutions, a company based in Boulder, Colo., with strong technical expertise in photopolymer formulation for the fast-growing 3D printing market, with applications in the medical, composites, construction and consumer goods sectors.

Colorado Photopolymer Solutions (CPS) develops and markets a range of value-added, formulated photopolymer resin solutions for energy curing technology, especially for 3D printing markets.

CPS’s recognized expertise in formulation and materials design, supported by strong innovation capabilities, will enable Sartomer, a global leader in photocure resins and photoinitiators, to further support its customers and partners. The project will foster the development of an integrated offering of customized and formulated additive manufacturing solutions to accelerate the design of turnkey solutions for the 3D printing market.

The acquisition, which was completed early December 2020, complements Sartomer’s resin solutions and expertise, and is in line with Arkema’s strategy to become a pure Specialty Materials player by 2024.

Building on its unique set of expertise in materials science, Arkema offers a portfolio of first-class technologies to address ever-growing demand for new and sustainable materials. With the ambition to become in 2024 a pure player in Specialty Materials, the Group is structured into 3 complementary, resilient and highly innovative segments dedicated to Specialty Materials — Adhesive solutions, Advanced Materials, and Coating Solutions — accounting for some 80 percent of group sales, and a well-positioned and competitive Intermediates segment. Arkema offers cutting-edge technological solutions to meet the challenges of, among other things, new energies, access to water, recycling, urbanization and mobility, and fosters a permanent dialogue with all its stakeholders. The Group reported sales of 8.7 billion euros in 2019, and operates in some 55 countries with 20,500 employees worldwide.

Posted December 7, 2020

Source: Arkema

JCPenney’s Retail And Operating Assets To Exit Chapter 11

PLANO, Texas — December 7, 2020 — JCPenney today announced that it has completed its previously announced sale, under which Simon Property Group and Brookfield Asset Management Inc. have acquired substantially all of JCPenney’s retail and operating assets (OpCo). The company’s asset purchase agreement (APA) with Simon, Brookfield and the company’s DIP and First Lien Lenders, supported by the Unsecured Creditors Committee, had previously been approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas on November 9, 2020.

“Today is an exciting day for our company, as we have accomplished our goal of putting JCPenney on a secure path for the future as a private company so that we can continue to serve our loyal customers,” said Jill Soltau, CEO of JCPenney. “With this closing, our operating company has exited Chapter 11 and is continuing under new ownership and the JCPenney banner. This milestone would not be possible without the commitment and hard work of our associates and the support of our vendor partners. Throughout the 2020 holiday season and beyond, we remain focused on implementing our Plan for Renewal to Offer Compelling Merchandise, Drive Traffic, Deliver an Engaging Experience, Fuel Growth and Build a Results-Minded Culture.”

“We have always been firm believers in JCPenney, and are very pleased to help preserve this iconic institution and save tens of thousands of jobs,” said David Simon, chairman, CEO and president of Simon Property Group. “JCPenney is now poised for a future focused on innovation and consumers, while continuing to navigate through the pandemic. We are excited about JCPenney’s future growth and look forward to collaborating with the JCPenney team to serve its customers and communities.”

“We are excited to help lead the turnaround of a storied institution while saving tens of thousands of jobs and continuing to serve over 35 million customers,” said Brian Kingston, CEO of Real Estate at Brookfield Asset Management. “This is exactly the type of investment our Retail Revitalization Program was designed to make and along with our partner Simon we have a successful blueprint in place to deploy our collective operational expertise and industry relationships to transform JCPenney through new innovations and offerings.”

In addition, on November 24, 2020, the court approved the company’s Plan of Reorganization to create separate property holding companies (PropCos) comprising 160 of the Company’s real estate assets and all of its owned distribution centers, which will be owned by the Company’s DIP and First Lien Lenders. The OpCo will enter into master leases with the PropCos and JCPenney will continue to operate the properties and distribution centers moved into the PropCos. The PropCos are expected to complete the Court-supervised restructuring process and emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the first half of 2021.

OpCo Financing Update

With the completion of the sale, JCPenney has access to approximately $1.5 billion of new financing. This includes a new ABL Facility, which was led by Wells Fargo, and the recently funded FILO Facility, on which Pathlight Capital (Pathlight) is serving as the FILO Agent.

“We are pleased to lead such an important financing for this iconic American retailer, to not only support our long-term client through their reorganization, but also provide Simon Property Group and Brookfield Asset Management the financial flexibility they need as they transition JCPenney into its next phase,” said David Marks, head of Wells Fargo Commercial Capital.

“Pathlight is pleased to support JCPenney through their emergence and future growth,” said Dan Platt, CEO at Pathlight Capital. “We are looking forward to working with the management team and new equity partners as they continue to implement their transformation strategy and focus on enhancing the shopping experience of their loyal customer base.”

Additional Information

Additional information regarding JCPenney’s financial restructuring is available at jcprestructuring.com. Court filings and information about the claims process are available at cases.primeclerk.com/JCPenney, by calling the Company’s claims agent, Prime Clerk, toll-free at 877-720-6576, or by sending an email to JCPenneyinfo@primeclerk.com

Advisers

Kirkland & Ellis LLP is serving as legal adviser, Lazard is serving as financial adviser, and AlixPartners LLP is serving as restructuring adviser to the Company.

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP is serving as legal counsel and BRG Capital Advisors, LLC is serving as financial adviser to Simon and Brookfield.

Posted December 7, 2020

Source: JCPenney

Amber M. Brookman To Depart As Brookwood CEO: Frank Montie Named As Successor

NEW YORK CITY — December 7, 2020 — Brookwood Companies Inc., an integrated textile company and wholly owned subsidiary of the Hallwood Group LLC, announced today that CEO Amber M. Brookman will be moving on effective January 1, 2021, to pursue other ventures. Frank Montie, who currently serves as executive vice president will assume the role of CEO. Brookman has been the company’s CEO since 1989, and will remain on the company’s board of directors and will serve as an advisor to Montie.

“I am grateful and honored to have spent over 30 years leading this great company. I am very proud of what my Brookwood colleagues and I have accomplished together during three decades. Brookwood has grown to be an internationally recognized name in technical fabrics, and I am proud of our excellent reputation and the hard work undertaken to achieve it. I believe that this is the right time for a transition, and following my departure I plan to pursue ventures that I have been passionate about for many years,” said Brookman.

Upon Brookman’s recommendation, the company’s board of directors has selected Frank Montie as CEO, effective January 1, 2021.

“Frank is well-prepared to lead this company,” said Brookman. “He has been with the company for over 20 years, is well-respected across the industry and embodies the company’s core values.”

Posted December 7, 2020

Source: Brookwood Companies Inc.

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