January/February 2022

Germany-based Freudenberg Performance Materials has increased prices in Europe, the
Middle East and Africa for its nonwoven performance materials used in flooring and filtration applications. The company cited increased raw material, packaging, freight, consumables and energy costs, as well as inbound supply chain disruptions for
the increases.

Bemberg™ cupro fiber — manufactured by Tokyo-based Asahi Kasei — is celebrating its 90th anniversary. The company has launched a rebranding campaign to coincide with the milestone.

The Zurich-based International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), recently announced it was postponing its 2022 annual conference from April until September.
In conjunction with that change, ITMF also has extended the application deadline until April 30 for the “Sustainability & Innovation” and “International Cooperation” awards to be handed out during the conference. More information about the awards and the application process can be found at itmf.org/awards/itmf-awards-2022. In other ITMF news, the textile
division of ARISE Integrated Industrial Platform, United Arab Emirates, has joined
the organization as a Corporate Member.

Sorona®, Wilmington, Del., recently launched the Preferred Mill Network. This catalog lists global mills that offer the full collection of sustainable Sorona sub-branded fabrics including Agile, Aura, Luxe, Profile and Revive.

Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Renaissance Fiber LLC recently won a $50,000 Venture Winston Grant from Agile City, a company focused on business ecosystem building and entrepreneur innovation. Renaissance agreed to move 51 percent of operations and a
co-founder to Winston-Salem where it will have access to a personal mentor and consulting team, among other benefits.

Italy-based Datatex and its U.S. subsidiary Datatex TIS Inc., Alpharetta, Ga., report Gehring Tricot Corp., Hauppauge, N.Y., selected Datatex ERP — including its Product Lifecycle Management (PDM), CAMS shop floor management system, CATS and QA systems for quality control, and PM and MQM solutions for maintenance and machine scheduling solutions — to manage its production processes.

LiveSmart® performance fabric from CULP Inc., High Point, N.C., was used to cover 10,000 lower-level and mezzanine seats at the Dean E. Smith Center at UNC Chapel Hill. The
fabric, matched exactly to the Pantone shade for Carolina Blue, was selected as a way to honor the late company co-founder Rob Culp who was a UNC Chapel Hill graduate.

ARTILECT has selected the Touchlink™ Near Field Communication enabled zipper from YKK® Group for 17 different styles in its Fall/Winter 2022 outdoor performance clothing collection.

Germany-based BASF announced plans to build a new hexamethylene diamine plant in France, and also to increase its nylon 6,6 production at a facility in Germany.

At the recent Outdoor Retailer Winter show, Acteev® and Coalatree launched a zinc-powered shirt designed to fight unwanted odors and the sun’s damaging rays.

Piana Technology, Cartersville, Ga., has received UL formaldehyde-free certification for its flame-retardant (FR)-treated fibers produced by its Tintoria Piana business. The company also has achieved a Zero Discharge certificate for its closed-loop FR treatment process employed at its E.C.O. Planet facility in Cartersville.

Gerber Childrenswear LLC, Greenville, S.C., has expanded its Modern Moments™ by Gerber® collection of baby and toddler essentials sold exclusively at Walmart and on Walmart.com. New items available include playwear, bedding, blankets, nursery décor and toys all available in on-trend colorways.

Pure White Celliant® from Los Angeles-based Hologenix LLC was recognized as a Top Ten product in the Fibers & Insulation category of the ISPO Textrends Fall/Winter 2023-24 trends.

Ireland-based Ulster Weavers recently launched its Home Comforts collection of
contemporary home furnishings, which features linen bean bags, pouffes and cushions, as well as merino wool throws.

England-based MagnaColours® has introduced two new special effect inks. The MagnaPrint® Foil Adhesive is a water-based foil binder that may be used to apply a variety of foils to fabric or garments. The MagnaPrint Ultra Clear Glitter Base allows a printer to add up to 20 percent glitter particles into the base ink.

January/February 2022

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