SYFA Conference Highlights Industry Resilience & Future Trends

(left to right): SYFA President Meredith Boyd; Brian Moore, Unifi’s executive vice president and president of Unifi Manufacturing Inc.; Symtech Owner Per Olofsson; and Aquafil O’Mara President Jason Hickman, participated in an “Industry Leader Panel” during the recent SYFA meeting, which attracted 96 attendees.

The conference, under the theme “Innovation: A Catalyst for the Future,” offered a broad range of presentations, as well as a panel discussion all  relevant to the synthetic fiber and fabric industry.

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Meredith Boyd, president of the Synthetic Yarn and Fabric Association (SYFA), gave an  impassioned speech to kick off the recent fall conference held at the Sheraton Charlotte Airport Hotel in Charlotte, N.C. She spoke of the industry’s resilience, adaptability and innovation, as well as the pressures and challenges. In addition, Boyd touched on the future opportunities, sustainability, digital transformation and artificial intelligence — all topics that carried over into an “Industry Leader Panel” discussion — among Brian Moore, Unifi, Per Olofsson, Symtech, and Jason Hickman, Aquafil-O’Mara with Boyd as the moderator — held at the end of the first day of proceedings. The panel also talked about ways to attract talent, an often-dis-cussed topic in the textile industry as the workforce is aging out.

The first day’s presentations began with a “Fiber and Yarn Update” from Consultant Laura Murphy. She was followed by Jenn Hanna, director of Innegra Sales, Quantum Materials LLC, who discussed Innegra, a high-performance lightweight fiber featuring patented micro voids and nano bridges for enhanced performance.

The second day of proceedings included a focus on water-repellent finishes by Jerrod Flanagan, R&D manager, Staple and Nonwovens, Goulston Technologies, who presented “Novel Solutions for Fluorine-Free Water Repellency;” a look at a more sustainable elastane fiber from Lycra Consultant Jean Hegedus who offered a talk on “From Farm to Fiber: Developing Elastane with 70% Renewable Content;” and least, but not least, a presentation by Andrew Fraser with e.dye Americas, who presented the “e.dye Waterless Color System” to attendees.

Conference sponsors included Diamond Sponsor Premier Fibers Inc.; Gold Sponsors Goulston Technologies and Jomar Softcorp International Inc.; Silver Sponsors Pulcra Chemicals LLC and Unifi Inc.; Bronze Sponsor Polyspintex; and Patron Sponsors Milliken & Company and the Economic Partnership Development of North Carolina.

“The SYFA conference was a solid success,” Boyd said after the event. “Our theme, ‘Innovation: A Catalyst for the Future,’ was felt throughout all of the presentations. The membership offered a great reception to the technical presentations on new materials, the fiber market update, and the panel that highlighted leaders from their industry. The conference left me energized and determined to find even more opportunities to leverage innovation and collaboration to promote our industry and our capabilities among our membership.”

The next edition of the SYFA conference will be held April 10-11, 2025, at the Sheraton Charlotte Airport Hotel. The association also will host its third annual golf outing the day before the conference, on April 9, to raise money for the SYFA Scholarship Fund for Gaston Community College’s textile program. Mark your calendar!


Editor’s Note: Also see “Executive Forum: Meredith Boyd: Unifi Leader & SYFA President, TW,, this issue” to learn more about Boyd and her role as president of the SYFA, as well as her career at Unifi.


2024 Quarterly Issue IV

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