Nylgold – a new innovative luxury fibre featuring 24-carat gold nanostructure – was launched at Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics by Nylstar, specialists in polyamide 6.6 fibres and yarns for more than 80 years.
Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics was held in October at Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Shanghai, China.
Nylstar said that Nylgold offers continuous and effective care of the skin, and that it represents a new era in textiles – “the era of dermawear.”
The key to Nylgold is its integration of the NYG nanosystem, a new breakthrough in nanotechnology with revolutionary biological properties. Hyaluronic Acid (HA) molecules are bound to 24-carat gold nanoparticles to generate the NYG nanosystem, with HA molecules directly mounted on the surface of a gold nanoparticle, forming a novel nano-structure composed by a gold core and a HA shell. Each gold nanoparticle carries thousands of HA molecules. Nylgold is created when the NYG nanomaterial is integrated in nylon fibres using a new process developed by Nlystar. The company has said that Nylgold’s use of nanoparticles offers anti-oxidant, moisturising and anti-ageing benefits for products using the new fibre.
Nylstar is focusing Nylgold primarily on the underwear market, but the fibre can also be used in active wear, T-shirts, stockings, socks, therapeutical wear, wellness wear and shapewear.
Raul Gonzalez, head of marketing and international strategic development at Nylstar, said: “Nylgold is for the very top end of the market – it represents a combination of luxury, beauty, and anti-ageing through its protection of the skin. The fibre has been designed for use by highend brands which have special design capabilities.”
The Zonal Technology Management and Business Planning & Development unit of the Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (CIRCOT), Mumbai in association with Fiber2Fashion, the global B2B portal for the textile, apparel and fashion industry is organizing a ‘Business Development Programme for Cotton Technologies’ at the Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA), Vastrapur, Ahmedabad on January 7, 2010 at 10 AM.
The objective behind hosting the meet is to showcase the latest cotton technologies. This business development programme intends to bring cotton industry and scientists from The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to discuss about the opportunities on setting up of knowledge based enterprises using agri-technologies.
Indian Council of Agricultural Research under National Agricultural Innovation Project scheme has started the “Zonal Technology Management and Business Planning & Development” unit at CIRCOT, Mumbai in the year 2008. Role of Business Planning and Development unit (BPD) is considered as an effective tool for fostering the growth of sustainable technology-based business endeavour and this facility is expected to provide a wide range of services ranging from incubation and research support to business planning and business services such as office space, access to information and communication technologies, advice on management, marketing, technical, legal, IPR and financial issues.
The BPD Units are also expected to promote entrepreneurial attitude and raise awareness about the technology driven business opportunities that the entrepreneurship can bring into the local business environment. Currently BPD has 40 registered members who have shown interest in availing CIRCOT technologies. The profile of the members ranges from seed processing to garment manufacturing. These members are updated constantly about technologies of their interest and meetings were arranged for their interaction with the scientists. BPD is providing various business incubation services like interaction with scientists and business support services to these registered members.
Delegates from eight African cotton growing countries which include Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe were in India for a fortnight to study the cotton textile value-chain in India.
On the last leg of their visit, they were in Gujarat for three days in which in the first two days they visited cotton ginneries, a handloom centre, met cotton growing farmers, met state government officials and also paid a visit to the garmenting facility of Arvind Ltd, the textile major in India.
On the last day of their tour, a meeting between these African delegates and those from across the cotton textile value-chain, beginning from seed producers to exporters was hosted in Ahmedabad. The representatives from Gujarat got an opportunity to meet and discuss various business opportunities sitting across the table with members from the African delegation.
Speaking about his experiences to fibre2fashion, the team leader from Kenya, Mr Micah Powon, CEO - Cotton Development Authority – Kenya said, “The cooperative movement in Gujarat is very strong and the cooperation between farmers, ginners and spinners is very good. We got to see and learn firsthand a lot of things over here and since the cooperative movement in Kenya is not very strong; we can implement the same model in our country.
“Secondly, there is a huge potential to export raw cotton from Kenya to India and also on our visit to a textile mill in Ahmedabad, we saw a huge potential as it produces world-class textile products which can be imported by Kenya as well as we would also like to collaborate with them.
Thailand's Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited has signed agreements with Korea's SK Chemicals Company Limited to acquire the entire issued capital of SK Eurochem Sp. z o.o., in Poland and PT SK Keris together with its subsidiary PT SK Fiber in Indonesia.
The acquisitions will consolidate Indorama Ventures (IVL) position in the two important emerging markets of East Europe and Southeast Asia with Polyethylene Terephthalate resin (PET) and Polyester Fibres and Yarns businesses. SK Eurochem is a 140,000 tons per annum PET manufacturing facility while SK Keris is a 160,000 tons per annum PET and Polyester Filament Yarn manufacturing facility and SK Fiber Indonesia is a Polyester Filament Yarn manufacturing facility with a capacity of 36,000 tons per annum.
Mr. Aloke Lohia, Group CEO of Indorama Ventures Pcl, said, "The business and markets of these SK Chemicals' assets are in new and attractive geographic regions that Indorama has been keen to develop. These acquisitions will allow the Company to build upon its objective of expanding its global platform by entering emerging markets with high long-term potential for demand. This will also strengthen our value proposition to our regional and global customers and stakeholders alike, while further reinforcing our ongoing focus on the Polyester value chain."
Indorama Ventures has built up a strong brand with cost leadership position in the Polyester value chain. The acquisition in Poland is virtually integrated with a third party supplier of Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA), further consolidating the Company's low cost structure.
The Indonesian assets very much mirror the earlier announced acquisition of parts of Invista in USA and Mexico, in that they produce differentiated polymers and fibres that complement Indorama Ventures portfolio of speciality products. Indorama will now be amongst the largest producer of polymer for films to serve markets in Asia, Europe, USA and Latin-America.
Aqua-Chem Inc, a complete water purification solution provider, and its teaming partner, Enviro-Solutions, LLC, an industrial water treatment equipment and chemical firm, announced that initial results from an innovative pilot project with a high-volume U.S. carpet manufacturer demonstrate that it is both practical and economically feasible to simultaneously remove dye and other contaminants from wastewater used in large-scale carpet manufacturing.
The project, which began last week, shows we can produce potable quality water, and maintain an 80% recovery rate from wastewater that is typically sent to sewers after the manufacturing process, while also extracting valuable heat from the water for reuse in production at the facility.
David Gensterblum, President & CEO of Aqua-Chem, said, “We believe this is the first time that dye separation and water purification have been successful as a one-part process for a high-volume manufacturing facility. While the process employed is a major step forward in water conservation for the carpet industry, it also has wide applications for manufacturers in other water-intensive industries. With the ability to recycle at least 80% of their wastewater, manufacturers will conserve millions of gallons of water per year, taking green manufacturing to a whole new level.”
Bentley Prince Street Inc has been honored by the industry with Interior Design Magazine's Best of Year Award for its Domestic Alchemy broadloom carpet collection. For the past five years, Interior Design Magazine has used the Best of Year Awards to give architects, facility managers and interior design professionals the opportunity to express their opinions.
The votes have been tallied and the design community has spoken - Domestic Alchemy has been named the Best of Year winner in the Broadloom Carpet category for 2010. Also described as the Soft Hard Surface , Domestic Alchemy is a vibrant and lustrous, metallic-inspired flat weave product made in the USA. Its tightly woven texture appears as sleek and uniform as any hard surface, making Domestic Alchemy the perfect solution for highly visible, open areas such as retail spaces, convention centers, educational and healthcare facilities, as well as corporate environments.
"From the moment we previewed Domestic Alchemy at NeoCon this year, we knew we had something special," says Anthony Minite, president of Bentley Prince Street. "This product is unlike anything else available in the marketplace; it is exciting, functional, and gives our customers endless style and design possibilities. We are very proud of this collection and honored that it has been selected as the industry's best new broadloom product."
Bentley Prince Street had a total of three products nominated for Best of Year, including Modern Block carpet tile in the modular product category, and both Modern Block and Domestic Alchemy in the broadloom product category. Voting was open to industry professionals and winners were announced during an awards ceremony in New York on December 2, 2010. Winners will be featured in the December issue of Interior Design Magazine and appear in Interior Design Best of Year hardbound commemorative book.
The Dow Chemical Company announced that it plans to increase ethane cracking capabilities on the U.S. Gulf Coast over the next two to three years, and improve its ethane cracking capabilities by 20 – 30 percent in this timeframe.
In addition, Dow announced it is reviewing joint venture options for building a Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) Fractionator to secure this supply of ethane.
Both actions are intended to capitalize on the current favorable supply dynamics in North America, and further bolster the competitive advantage of Dow’s Plastics franchise, as well as its high-margin, downstream performance businesses.
Dow is the world’s largest ethylene producer. The Company plans to use its well-developed infrastructure to participate with producers in fractionation, transportation and storage of NGLs.
Dow produces approximately 55 percent of the Company’s ethylene from ethane, and the Company’s competitive U.S. cost position provides a key strategic advantage for its higher-margin specialty plastics businesses, such as Linear Low Density Polyethylene, as well as its Performance and Advanced Materials businesses.
“Ethane is an advantaged feedstock in the United States and we anticipate a favorable oil to gas ratio to continue,” said Raja Zeidan, Global Business Vice President for Dow Hydrocarbons. “Bringing additional fractionation capacity online and expanding our ethane cracking capabilities will further improve Dow’s feedstock flexibility and competitive positions in the United States. Couple that with our feedstock flexibility in Europe and with our advantaged feedstock positions in the Middle East, Western Canada and Argentina, we truly have a competitive advantage – evidenced by the strong returns delivered by Dow’s ethylene derivatives this year.”
Dow combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element" to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress.
American Textile Company (ATC) continues its growth in manufacturing bed pillows and utility bedding by announcing the opening of a new manufacturing and distribution facility in Tifton, Ga.
The 218,000 square foot facility, leased from the Tifton County Development Authority, is strategically located to service ATC's customers in the Southeast. The state-of-the-art manufacturing facility will begin by manufacturing bed pillows, one of the key items offered by ATC. "The opening of the Tifton facility completes our strategic nationwide pillow distribution strategy," said John Riccio, Chief Financial Officer for ATC.
"With pillow manufacturing facilities in Duquesne, Pa.; Salt Lake City, Ut.; Dallas, Tx.; and now Tifton, Ga., we can efficiently ship bed pillows across the United States and Canada. We are thrilled with our interaction at the state and local level that executed this plan in a short period of time."
In addition to Georgia's pro-business climate, the company selected the Tifton, Ga. location from among competitive sites due to its strategic location to customers with distribution centers in the Southeast, access to a skilled textile workforce, low cost of doing business, and incentives provided by the State of Georgia.
Customers with distribution points in the Southeast will benefit from a significant reduction in their freight costs. "Providing cost effective and efficient service to our customers is the cornerstone to our continued success," said Mark Bachner, Senior Vice President of Manufacturing for ATC.
Today, Mr Maheshwar Sahu – Principal Secretary (Industries), Govt of Gujarat, echoed what was conveyed by cotton ginners of Gujarat and reported exclusively by fibre2fashion, that there is an urgent need to set up more spinning mills in Gujarat.
Mr Sahu was present at the road show organised by the Ministry of Textiles to popularize the extended ‘Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks’ in India
Fibre2fashion had reported and is worthwhile mentioning again that, Gujarat which is the biggest producer of cotton in India, sends 70 percent of its raw cotton output to other states and the yarn produced out of that cotton, again comes back to Gujarat for value-addition into fabrics, which increases the costs to a great extent.
To a question from fibre2fashion, about ginners who had raised these concerns, Mr Sahu said, “We have received feedback from 5-6 top industrial houses on the need to have more spinning mills in the state, which we are examining in minute detail.
Chairman All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) Gohar Ejaz has called a meeting of all textile associations on November 30 to evolve a joint strategy on imposition of Reformed General Sales Tax (RGST) on textile industry.
He said 85 percent of the textile products are exported in one or other form and any withdrawal of sales tax exemption on this largest exporting sector of the country would lead to more than Rs400 billion refunds stuck up with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for an estimated collection of Rs25 billion Sales Tax on domestic consumption.
It may be noted that the APTMA has already urged the Federal government for continuity of zero rate tax regime for textile industry through a letter to the Standing Committee of National Assembly on Finance.
Gohar said the industry apprehends serious adverse implications of the withdrawal of exemption of zero-rating of the textile industry under the Reformed General Sales Tax (RGST).
He said 85 percent of textile produce is exported in one or the other form, with only 15 percent left for local consumption. Therefore, zero rating of the entire value chain from ginning to garmenting for the export and local supply is imperative to remain competitive in the international market, he added.
He said the petition is based on premise of peculiar fibre procurement processes of the spinning industry, causative liquidity crunch due to inadequate bank limits and unregistered sub-sectors of the textile value chain.
Chairman APTMA reminded that previous imposition of 15 percent sales tax on industry proved a failure and the government had no option but to zero rate the export-oriented industry after realizing that refunds were far in excess of collection of the sales tax.
Deniz Bütüner, Executive VP Marketing and Business Development of the Uster Group since 2007, will step down from her role from the 31st December, 2010 and will leave the Company at the end of May 2011 to pursue a full time international MBA and work on some of her entrepreneurial projects. Mr. Reine Wasner has been appointed as her successor and will assume his function at the Uster Group from 3rd January, 2011.
Deniz Bütüner joined Uster early in 2007 as VP Marketing and Business Development and became a member of the Executive Management team for Uster Technologies Ltd later that year. CEO Geoffrey Scott said: “During her 4 years at Uster Technologies Ltd, Deniz played a key role in steering successful marketing projects and campaigns, starting with the 50th Anniversary of the USTER STATISTICS at ITMA in Munich, the implementation of the mid-segment product strategy in China, the integration of the Zweigle product portfolio and the recent launch of the USTER QUANTUM 3 yarn clearer. Our Board of Directors and the whole management team thank her for her contribution to Uster Technologies Ltd and wish her a very successful future.”
The Company initiated an early selection process and has appointed Mr. Reine Wasner as the new Executive VP Marketing and Business Development. Reine Wasner has had a broad and progressive management consulting career, working in Switzerland since 2000 with various management consulting companies including Booz Allen Hamilton, Arthur D Little and A T Kearney where he gained extensive experience working on and managing projects in market and business development, innovation management and strategy in various industries, including projects for Uster Technologies Ltd.
FESPA will host the third of its successful Digital Textile Conference events on 25th February, 2011, alongside FESPA Americas (Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, 24-26 February 2011).
Following on from the success of the first two FESPA Digital Textile Conferences, the events will once again be chaired by John Scrimshaw, textile expert and editor of Digital Textile and International Dyer. As in previous years, each conference will feature a mix of speakers including leading print specialists, digital textile printing authorities, textile printers and end-users of digitally-printed textiles, covering commercial and technical topics, and examining trends and opportunities in the sector.
At the FESPA Americas Digital Textile Conference, in February 2011, these include Dr John Provost, Technical Editor of Digital Textile magazine and a global consultant with expertise in textile ink formulation; Dr Mike Fralix, President and CEO of TC2; Kevin Kelly, Blue Heron Industries Inc; and Tim Greene of InfoTrends, who will discuss new market research findings.
John Scrimshaw comments, "The wide-format market is evolving rapidly and the use of textile as a substrate, as opposed to vinyl, is increasingly common in the flexible, soft-signage sector. Additionally, there has been a move towards direct digital printing in the garment decoration market. With so many changes occurring, and at such speed, the FESPA Digital Textile Conferences are the perfect opportunity for printers to confront these changes and discuss the questions they raise for their industry."
Coco coir is biodegradable and eco-friendly. It has drawn a large number of European markets as well as markets in other nations which support eco-friendly technology.
Coco coir is used in a number of products in Japan and China such as mats, mattresses and geo-textiles, which is meant for checking the problem of soil erosion. It is exported to these two countries as a raw material.
There are three plants manufacturing coco coir in Mati, which is located in Mindanao. The joint output of these three plants is likely to fill 10 container vans every month. The production of this new exportable product has contributed significantly to the local economy.
These plants have also been successful in generating a number of jobs of the people. Each of these three units involved in extracting coco coir has employed minimum 40 people.
The dry weather that continued for long in Mindanao in the first six months of the year has resulted in low coco coir production this time. However, its volume can be doubled without much effort.
NanoHorizons Inc, a leader in the creation of nanoscale performance additives for textile, health care, and industrial applications, has extended the worldwide distribution of its SmartSilver antimicrobial products to India with sales support provided in partnership with Indorama Polyester Industries Ltd. (IPI).
SmartSilver is presently available in other Asian markets such as Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. IPI currently integrates SmartSilver into its Ambs polyester fibre line. Headquartered in Thailand with annual sales of US$3.5 billion, IPI is a global leader in polyester production and the second largest producer of PET bottle polymers in the world. “We are targeting India’s textile market with IPI, a key strategic partner, as part of our global growth strategy,” says Timothy J. Skedzuhn, Vice President Textile Business Unit, NanoHorizons.
“Consumers in India are gaining buying power and are constantly looking for new and innovative products. At the same time, India’s textile industry produces high quality materials and seeks out value-add technologies as the consumer market expands. We believe SmartSilver technology with its high durability, safety, efficacy, and ease of integration will generate significant interest in this market.”
As a result of India’s growing medical tourism industry, the medical textile market is a specific target for SmartSilver. “India’s medical textile market is emerging, and is poised for take-off,” states Prabeer Mukherjee, Senior Vice President Polyester Business for Textiles and Packaging, IPI.
Consolidated Fibers is expanding geographically with the launch of Consolidated Fibers Latinoamericana, based in Mexico City. The subsidiary will initially sell polyester textured filament and flat yarn into the Mexican market.
Work is already underway to expand the product offering to include polyester, rayon, polypropylene and other staple fibers for nonwovens, fiberfill and industrial end uses. Consolidated Fibers Latinoamericana also plans to serve customers in Central and South America once established in Mexico.
A signature feature of the new company is its ability to satisfy order quantities ranging from one box of filament yarn for small customers up to full truckloads for larger customers.
“Customer service is what sets Consolidated Fibers Latinoamericana apart. A team of individuals with more than 70 years of experience will provide local sales and technical service to our clients. Understanding the product, processing and logistical needs of our customers improves the value equation for them by saving time and money”, says General Manager, Paul Latten. Consolidated Fibers Latinoamericana has also developed a Spanish language website as another convenient option to connect with customers in Latin America.
Consolidated Fibers is a privately held company with a 50-year history as a producer, buyer, seller and consumer of fibers. Today, we are a leading fiber supplier to manufacturers across a range of industries - including hygiene, medical, filtration, automotive, furniture, home textiles, and more.
On February 1-2, 2011 a high-level conference on the latest developments and future trends in the personal protective clothing and equipment (PPE) market will take place in Brussels. It will be organised by EURATEX – The European Apparel and Textile Confederation and European Textile Technology Platform together with other key stakeholders of the European PPE sector such as the European Technology Platform on Industrial Safety (ETPIS), the European Safety Federation (ESF), the European Textile Services Association (ETSA) as well as Centexbel, the research institute of the Belgian textile industry.
The purpose of the PPE Conference 2011 is to take stock of the activities of the European Lead Market for Protective Textiles over the last 3 years and to explore evolving end user needs, emerging technology and innovation trends as well as business developments in the European and global markets for Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment.
The 1 ½ day event will especially seek an intensive exchange between buyers and users of such products on the one side and the PPE value chain on the other. Finally the event will also benefit from contributions of policy makers, regulators and other public sector stakeholders with impact on the future shape of the European PPE market.
Hohenstein Institute, a leading worldwide provider of textile testing and certification services, will present its MedTex Symposium on textiles for health care applications on Tuesday, December 14th from 10:00 AM-2:00 PM in the Dogwood Room at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center in Research Triangle Park, NC. The symposium is open to the public and is presented free of charge.
Hohenstein’s MedTex Symposium will feature a panel of health care specialists who will share their expertise on the industry as well as emerging applications and innovations in the field. The panel of medical textile specialists includes:
• Prof. Dr. Dirk Hoefer, Hohenstein Institute for Hygiene and Biotechnology. Hohenstein’s IHB group has developed significant innovations for medical textiles including a methodology to test a textile’s interaction with skin cells and a new silicon-based technology for using textiles to deliver drugs. Dr. Hoefer will present updates on textile innovations under development in his group.
• Dr. James Delattre, VP Global Marketing, NanoHorizons Inc. As the makers of SmartSilver®, a safe and highly effective antimicrobial additive, NanoHorizons is well versed in making health care environments cleaner for patients and caregivers through applications in operating room paints, equipment, and medical scrubs. Dr. Delattre will share research on antimicrobial efficacy in various applications.
On Sunday 31 October and Monday 1 November 2011 the International Cotton Association (ICA), the Bangladesh Cotton Association(BCA) and the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) staged two ‘awareness seminars’ at the BTMA Research & Training Institute in Dhaka and were joined by more than 75 members of the Bangladesh cotton community.
Specially developed to help generate a greater understanding of the principles of contract sanctity, ICA Rules and arbitration procedures, the seminars took the form of a one-day workshop and open forum session and were hosted by ICA Managing Director, Mr Kai Hughes and ICA Past President and Arbitrator, Mr Derek Tanner.
On his return to the UK, Mr Hughes explained: "We were delighted to be invited back to Bangladesh to deliver the seminars and we were very pleased with the delegate turn-out. Both sessions were well received. The seminars are part of our ongoing plans to engage more international members and new players in the cotton trade. They also provide an opportunity for us to hear the views and ideas of local cotton communities, enabling us to develop the ICA Bylaws and Rules so that they meet the needs of both buyers and sellers.”
During the visit, Mr Hughes and Mr Tanner were Guests of Honour at the BCA 10th anniversary celebrations attended by the Minister of Commerce Mr Muhammad Faruk Khan MP.
Tunisia is involved in improving its efforts to recognize prospective associates in the textile and clothing industry in order to fulfill the needs as well as expectations of Italian firms. A representative of eight Italian firms is currently on a visit to Tunisia, as a part of the country’s efforts to promote its relations with Italian firms.
The main purpose of this visit is to focus on what the country can contribute to the textile and clothing industry.
An event was organized by the Tunisian Export Promotion Centre, CEPEX which involved business to business meetings with exporters from Tunisia who were chosen on the basis of the requirements put forward by the Italian firms.
During the visit in Tunisia, the representative of the Italian firms is expected to meet the representatives of Tunisian firms which are operating in 56 different areas in the textile and clothing industry. The Italian firms are likely to recognize prospective partnership, areas of cooperation and setting up of business ties with Tunisian firms.
The Italian market ranks second among the export markets of Tunisia for textile and clothing.It had a market share of 31.4 percent of the total Tunisian exports in 2009.
The first ever two-day ‘International Denim Conference’ opened on October 29, to a rousing reception, from the more than 500 plus delegates, who included the who’'s who of the Denim & Jeans industry, present on the occasion, at the hallowed campus of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM-A), Ahmedabad
The conference had been organized by fibre2fashion, the leading global B2B portal for the textile, apparel and fashion industry in conjunction with the Ahmedabad chapter of the Textile Association of India (TAI), which is the foremost textile professional body in India & the largest in the world.
Dr PR Roy, Director of fibre2fashion and President Emeritus of TAI, began the proceedings by announcing the theme of the conference. He aptly said, “Denim is a subject that does not need to be introduced, but needs to be experienced, touched and felt, to understand the fabric”.
More than 25 eminent speakers from the global denim and jeans sector had been lined up at the conference and who were able to attract the eyeballs and ears of all the delegates. It was said that, these delegates broke all previous conventions to be present in full strength, even during the closing hours of the second day of the conference, which goes to show the high level of deliberations, conducted at the conference.
The topics lined up at the conference ranged from overview of the Indian and US jeans industry, technology developments and innovations as well as marketing strategies in the denim & jeans sector, recovery and recycling of cotton waste, branding and retailing, Indigo wool and silk, organic cotton denims and many more. The highlight of the conference was a panel discussion on denims.
Fibre2fashion one of the largest global B2B portal on the textiles, apparels and fashion industries and Textiles Intelligence have recently formed a strategic alliance. The alliance was recently inked in Ahmedabad, during the visit of Mr Robin Anson to Ahmedabad.
Textiles Intelligence is a leading provider of business information on the global fibre, textile and apparel industries - via printed publications, online access to news and information, and conference presentations from its team of industry experts.
Fibre2fashion is one of the world's largest B2B platforms in the apparel, textile and fashion vertical with close to 6,00,000 registered members and attracts more than one million visitors from across 190 countries with around 13 million page views every month, which is growing at an annual rate of 300 per cent.
INVISTA introduces the LYCRA T400 fibre brand into jobwear at the Expoprotection Fair in Paris (2nd – 5th November).
INVISTA will be showcasing this innovative fibre alongside its CORDURA brand fabric offering at the Paris trade show, Expoprotection, the fair dedicated to risk prevention and management. Introduced to the textile industry in 2001, LYCRA T400 fibre is renowned in the ready to wear industry for its outstanding stretch–recovery characteristics, and is now poised to bring the benefit of durable comfort to the jobwear market.
According to David Capdevila, European marketing manager for wovens, the extension of LYCRA T400 fibre into jobwear garments was the next logical step in the products’ evolution.
Capdevila explains, “Garments with LYCRA T400 fibre meet the wearer’s needs for comfort, lasting fit and moisture management, all of which are important benefits for jobwear garments. The fibre’s excellent strength, stability and chlorine resistance make it very well suited for specific jobwear applications, and industrial laundering.”
What is LYCRA T400 fibre?
LYCRA T400 fibre is INVISTA’s trademark for its bi-component fiber. The fibre itself is made with two distinct polymers which shrink differently, causing the fibre to form a permanent coil. After being exposed to heat in the standard finishing process, the coil gets even tighter. Unlike textured fibres which rely on mechanical processes to develop their stretch, the physical coil-like structure of LYCRA T400 fibre provides durable recovery.
The LYCRA T400 fibre brand meets INVISTA’s high quality standards so customers can be confident that the brand will always meet their specific requirements of excellence.
The first ever ‘International Denim Conference’ opened today to a rousing reception at the hallowed campus of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Ahmedabad, also called as the ‘Denim Capital of India, from the more than 350 plus delegates, who include, industry leaders and stakeholders from the textile industry, present on the occasion.
The conference has been organised by Fibre2fashion, the leading global B2B website for the textile, apparel and fashion industry in conjunction with the Ahmedabad chapter of the Textile Association of India (TAI), which is the foremost textile professional body in India & the largest in the world. The morning began with registration of all the delegates, who have come from across the length and breadth of India and abroad.
At the inaugural session of the conference were present, Mr Maheshwar Sahu - IAS and Principal Secretary, Industries & Mines, Govt. of Gujarat and also the Chairperson of the conference, Mr Sanjiv Shah, CEO – fibre2fashion, Mr Naishad Parikh, Advisor - Arvind Ltd, the biggest denim producer in India, Robin Anson - Managing Editor, Textiles Intelligence, UK, Dr PR Roy, convener of the conference, Mr TL Patel and Mr VJ Trivedi, President and Honorary Secretary, respectively of TAI.
Mr TL Patel gave the welcome address by welcoming all those sitting on the dais and all the delegates from across India and abroad.
Dr PR Roy, Director of fibre2fashion and President Emeritus of TAI, began the proceedings by announcing the theme of the conference. He began by saying, denim is a subject that does not need to be introduced, but needs to be experienced, touched and felt to understand the fabric. He said, India used to cultivate cotton and indigo was also used to dye cotton and wool more than five thousand years back, however in the intervening period, it did not witness much commercialization.
He informed that India is still struggling to find a sustainable cotton policy and at the same time, China is reducing its cotton acreage in order to increase food output, which could prove to be an opportunity for Indian denim manufacturers to take the lead. He further informed that globally, denim consumes 14 percent of the cotton produced worldwide and expects Indian denim output to touch one billion meters in a few years.
He spoke about a new strategy called ‘Blue Ocean’, which emanated from France and implies; “Why compete with everybody. Let everybody swim in the red ocean and you swim in the blue ocean, where there is less competition”. Denim manufacturing in India, he said, was born in the 1980’s from the need to compete with the decentralized sector also called denim the ‘New face of Indian textile & apparel industry’. He concluded by saying that, new innovations are needed to sustain denim for a longer period of time.
A carpet manufacturer from Nepal has set up a fully-owned plant at Xigaze in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. The plant is likely to generate employment opportunities for 3,500 persons, alongside, generating a sales turnover of 70 million Yuan ($10.3 million), per year.
A subsidiary of Kathmandu-based Samling Carpet Industries; Tibet Dunlin Trade and Industry Co. Ltd. is the first ever firm in Xigaze, Wangdu, which is fully foreign owned.
The new facility came up as a part of Chinese government’s initiative to boost Tibet’s economic through promotion of conventional handicraft industries, he said.
The factory which has been set up at a cost of 28-million Yuan was recently opened , and is likely to churn out 200,000 square meters of Tibetan wool carpet, each year.
Samling is amongst leading carpet producers in Nepal, and each year produces around 144,000 square meters of rugs and carpets.
International Textile and Apparel Association - ITAA announced 2010 Annual Conference in Montreal October 27-30. ITAA is a professional, educational association composed of scholars, educators and students in the textile, apparel and merchandising disciplines in higher education.
The Bazaar organized by the International Relations committee has been a unique tradition for ITAA members. This year, the committee hosts another bazaar from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Friday, October 29.
The revenues generated from the highest bidders of each item will be used to achieve one of the missions of the International Relations committee—to promote and encourage international collaborations among ITAA members around the world. Primarily, the revenues are used to help cover the travel cost of scholars from developing countries to attend an ITAA annual meeting. Please mark your calendar so you won’t miss this important and fun event at ITAA.
International Textile and Apparel Association - ITAA is a professional, educational association composed of scholars, educators, and students in the textile, apparel, and merchandising disciplines in higher education. ITAA welcomes professionals employed in those fields who wish to join with members of the Association in the pursuit of knowledge, interchange of ideas, and dissemination of knowledge through meetings, special events, and publications.
With 6 months until the beginning of the INDEX11 global nonwovens exhibition, EDANA - European Disposables and Nonwovens Association, the association representing the nonwovens and related industries has announced the categories for the prestigious INDEX11 awards for innovative achievements in nonwovens. The awards are open to any EDANA member company or exhibitor at INDEX11.
From November 2nd, 2010, companies can download an application form from www.edana.org, which must then be completed and returned with samples and supporting details (as applicable) to EDANA before the 15th January, 2011.
While companies may only submit one product per category, they may enter into as many categories as they wish. Products must be commercially available at the time of submission, and must not have been commercially launched before April 2008. All applications will be treated with full confidentiality.
The award categories for 2011 include:
• Nonwoven roll goods
• Finished products made from, or incorporating nonwovens
• Marketing achievement for the most original marketing campaign for a product made from, or incorporating nonwovens
• Raw materials or component - innovation in a raw material or component (eg polymer, fibre, binder, film, tape), (other than nonwoven) of special relevance to the nonwovens industry and related converted products industry
• Machinery - innovation in machinery of special relevance to the nonwovens industry
• Sustainable product
• Sustainable process or management practice
In addition to the established categories focussing on specific points along the nonwovens supply chain, two new categories for 2011 highlight the evolving nature of companies to manage and integrate their sustainability actions into their business.
John Flynn, vice president of design and development for organic apparel manufacturing heavyweight Greensource Organic Clothing Co., will address how to put both value and values in one’s supply chain at the Organic Exchange Sustainable Textiles Conference October 28 in New York City. Also speaking on the panel are representatives from C&A, Anvil Knitwear, and Loomstate.
Greensource is the world’s eighth largest user of organic cotton and its mills are certified to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) which prohibits the use of toxic inputs during the processing stages. In addition, the mills are involved in numerous other social and environmental initiatives including solar-based lighting, stringent waste-water treatment practices, support of local schools and hospitals, and their own organic cotton production.
Greensource prides itself on manufacturing premium organic apparel in Pakistan, India, and Nicaragua at affordable prices, while being fair to workers and the environment. It enjoys strong sales of organic cotton knit and denim apparel sold mostly at big box stores such as Kohl’s, Sam’s Club, and Walmart, providing consumers with premium fashion at affordable prices.
Brady Hill, vice president of marketing, and Scott LeMaster, vice president of sales, will also be attending the conference. Greensource is a proud sponsor of the event.
Greensource Organic Clothing Company, a trend-forward apparel design and manufacturing company based in Seattle, WA, is one of the nation’s largest suppliers of private-label and branded apparel made with organic cotton. It is also a large supplier of certified organic cotton blank T-shirts for the men’s, women’s, and children’s markets.
Precedent, a division of Sherrill Furniture, is excited to announce that they are partnering with DwellStudio, the New York City-based lifestyle brand, to debut their first furniture collection in April 2011 at the High Point Furniture Market. Bringing their signature eclectic modern look to furniture, DwellStudio has designed a complete collection of upholstered and occasional pieces that will be manufactured by Precedent and other Sherrill Furniture divisions.
Precedent CEO, Woody Williams says; "We are thrilled to partner with DwellStudio because their impressive track record for innovative design in home furnishings. We know that their uniquely modern sense of design in textiles resonates with today's style-aware 25 – 45 year old consumer, who many of our furniture retailer partners have found elusive. We are excited to translate that same design sense into furniture."
Aesthetically, the line has an elegant European mid-century feel to it, but updated with DwellStudio's signature stamp of mixing old and new styles, adding bold color and pattern. For the upholstery collection, fabric sourcing will be a blend of Precedent's current vendors and DwellStudio's collection of residential fabrics with Robert Allen.
Pakistan textiles would receive another US $4 billion this year due to the increase in the prices of domestically produced cotton. Another $1 billion will be added to its earnings as a result of the tariff concessions issued by the European Union (EU). This will take the total textile exports of Pakistan to $15 billion.
The APTMA Chairman, Gohar Ejaz stated that the cotton growers had received Rs 260 billion by selling 12.7 million bales of cotton, last year. This year, they are going to earn as much as Rs 400 billion from the sale of same amount of cotton. This hike in the earnings is due to the rise in international cotton prices.
Gohar further added that EU has low spinning potential. Pakistan exports yarns worth 62.7 million Euros to the region. Even an increase of 40 percent in the country’s yarn exports is not going to affect the availability of cotton yarn in the domestic market.
The 6th International Garment and Textile machinery exhibition, IGATEX Pakistan 2010 is all geared up to encompass its significance in the textile industry of Pakistan.
Having developed into one of the largest and well established garment & textile machinery and accessories exhibition in south Asia, the 6th IGATEX Pakistan will take place at LAHORE EXPO CENTRE from 22~24 October 2010 where more than 400 companies from 25 countries have already confirmed their participation in IGATEX LAHORE 2010.
IGATEX is the most awaited show in Pakistan where manufacturers of textile and garment machinery meets the largest number of buyers under one roof and builds a bridge of international and local heads with maximum business deals.
The Australian wool market finished 2.1% higher, on average, at sales in Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle this week when the US exchange rate rose by a further 1.7% to 98.32¢ at the close on Thursday.
40,827 bales were on offer, compared with 40,861 bales last week. 5.1% were passed in, comprised of 4.6% in Sydney, 4.5% in Melbourne and 7.2% in Fremantle. Pass-in rates for Merino fleece and skirtings were 4.2% and 5.5%, respectively.
956 bales (2.3%) from the expected offering of 41,783 bales were withdrawn prior to sale and re-offered bales made up 10.0% of the final offering. 38,755 bales were cleared to the trade.
The New Zealand Merino Company also offered 3,352 bales in Melbourne on Tuesday, of which 10.5% were passed in.
The US exchange rate continued its sharp rise this week. The decision by the Reserve Bank to leave official interest rates unchanged led to a 0.81¢ fall in the closing rate on Tuesday. But, this was short-lived with rises totalling 2.46¢ over the next two days. Many experts now think parity with the US dollar is inevitable.
It was a very strong market, as reflected in the lowest pass-in rates of the season. This was particularly noticeable in the fleece wools in all centres. The EMI was again up in all currencies, including a 32¢ rise in US currency to 878¢. The increases in US over the last four sales have been 10¢, 19¢, 17¢ and 32¢. A very steep rise.
The increases occurred across all wool types and micron ranges, but were led by a 2% plus rise in the 19 to 22 micron wools.
Mission Linen Supply, a leader in textile rental and buy direct programs, announced that it has been awarded an exclusive five-year contract from Santa Barbara County. Under the agreement the company will be the sole provider of uniforms, dust mops, mats and towels to more than 250 people and over 50 locations throughout Santa Barbara County.
The Santa Barbara County contract covers a range of local offices and departments including Sheriffs’ stations, County fire departments, County roads, Flood Control, Sanitation Transfer Stations (Tajiguas Land Fill), County clinics and the County Jail. Mission Linen Supply will be providing uniforms for county employees, excluding those in the Sheriff’s and Fire Departments, as well as a range of industrial service products.
Although Santa Barbara had been a Mission Linen customer in the past, the County had contracted with a different provider in recent years. Now that the two entities are working together again, both parties are pleased that the business has gone to a local company.
Karl Willig, Mission Linen Supply’s President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “As a national business with local headquarters, we couldn’t be more proud to provide service to the government and public works employees of Santa Barbara County. We’ve been business members of this community since 1930, and we’re delighted the County has chosen to work with a local partner.”
In other Santa Barbara news Mission Linen Supply announced that it has launched a pilot project using a specially-designed delivery truck fueled with environmentally friendly compressed natural gas (CNG). The company worked with BAF Technologies, the recognized leader in natural gas technology and conversion, to equip the truck with the CNG system. The vehicle will use less fuel and produce fewer harmful emissions, saving the company money while minimizing its environmental impact.
Gujarat which is considered one of the most industrialized states in India has a vibrant textile industry, whose history can be traced, going back by many decades.
Ahmedabad at one time was considered the ‘Manchester of the East. Surat, the second biggest city of the state is one of the biggest textile hubs in India and is also the biggest man-made textiles manufacturing hub in the country.
The textile industry contributes as much as 6 percent to the industrial production of the state and Surat also has to its credit installations of over 40,000 multi-head embroidery machines in the world, in the last three years.
The state also accounts for 12 percent of all textile exports from the country and has a well developed infrastructure for the textile industry, consisting of 18 product clusters, 5 dedicated Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and six industrial parks.
Gujarat accounts for 35 percent of the cotton output and also 60 percent of cotton exports from India. With the world’s third largest denim production capacity and the biggest in India, Ahmedabad has arguably earned the distinction of being called the denim capital of the world.
As the countdown begins for the ‘International Denim Conference’ to be held in the hallowed premises of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad on October 29-30, 2010, about 15 eminent speakers from the global denim and textile sector have confirmed their presence, so far, with more yet to confirm.
Textile Association India, Ahmedabad Unit is all set and geared up to host the conference on the global denim & jeans industry in association with Fibre2Fashion, under the chairmanship of Dr. PR Roy.
The inaugural keynote address on ‘Strategic Issues in Managing Global Denim Business’ is slated to be delivered by Mr Sanjay Lalbhai, Chairman and Managing Director of one of the largest global denim manufacturers – Arvind Ltd., India.
Robin Anson, Managing Editor, Textiles Intelligence, UK, will share insights on ‘India's potential in the International Market for Denims & Jeans vis-a-vis China, Bangladesh, Pakistan & Sri Lanka’.
Mr Shumone Chatterjee, Head Marketing, Levi Strauss (Asia Pacific Region) will deliver his views on ‘Global Brands entry into emerging Indian Market’.
Another well-known face in Branding & Retail - Mr Darshan Mehta, CEO, Reliance Brands will speak on ‘Premium Denims & India - Branding & Retailing’ while Mr Rajiv Dayal – Managing Director of Mafatlal Denim will provide an ‘Overview of Indian Denim Business’. Ms Jenna Caccavo from Cotton Inc, USA will delve on the ‘US Denim & Jeans Industry’.
There will also be a panel discussion on ‘Jeans’ which will be chaired by J Suresh - CEO, Arvind Brands.
Enrique Silla representing Jeanologia from Spain - a consultant for the apparel industry, specialised in product and process research and development, and engineering solutions for garment production will speak about ‘Recent developments in garment treatment for jeans’.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Miskeen Originals LLC for workplace safety and health violations, including employee exposure to methylene chloride. Proposed penalties total $43,150. Miskeen Originals LLC is a clothing manufacturer with 12 employees at the Camden location.
OSHA initiated an inspection after receiving an employee complaint alleging workplace safety and health hazards. As a result of the inspection, Miskeen was cited for one willful violation with a penalty of $28,000, 12 serious violations with a $15,150 penalty, and seven other-than-serious violations, which carry no penalty.
"Employees exposed to methylene chloride are at increased risk of developing cancer; adverse effects on the heart, central nervous system and liver; and skin or eye irritation," said Paula Dixon-Roderick, director of OSHA's area office in Marlton, N.J. "These hazards need to be corrected immediately to protect the safety and health of workers at the plant."
The willful violation was due to the company's failure to provide emergency exits free of obstruction and unlocked. A willful violation is one committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employees' safety and health.
The serious violations include employee overexposure to methylene, failing to provide personal protective equipment, conduct a personal protective equipment assessment, evaluate respiratory hazards, properly monitor for methylene chloride, conduct medical evaluations for respirators, provide eyewash, train employees on how to use fire extinguishers, establish a regulated area for employees exposed to methylene chloride and implement effective engineering controls. An OSHA violation is serious if death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard an employer knew or should have known exists.
The term "third-hand smoke" refers to that part of cigarette smoke which is not inhaled by either the smoker themselves or by passive smokers, but is deposited on surfaces, cushions, carpets, curtains or clothing. There, the concentrations of toxic substances from cigarettes are far higher than in smoky air, and they can be released again, for example by contact with the skin.
In fact, only about 30% of the smoke is inhaled. The remaining 70% go out into the atmosphere and form a reservoir of "third-hand smoke". This is why scientists at the Institute for Hygiene and Biotechnology (IHB) at the Hohenstein Institute studied the question of whether and to what extent "third-hand smoke", in the form of the toxic substances on clothing, could damage the health of infants.
Unlike with passive smoking, where the risks of inhaled nicotine, which is toxic to the nervous system, are well-known, the first question in connection with "third-hand smoke"
was to examine whether there are other health risks if the transmission channel is the skin. So researchers at the Hohenstein Institute wanted to find out exactly what happens when parents have a smoke outside on the balcony and then, after their break, take their baby in their arms again.
To find the answer, the scientists at the IHB used a specially developed cell culture model of baby skin - a 3D skin model, the cell composition, structure and properties of which imitate the skin of babies and toddlers. To simulate the effects of third hand smoke, a T-shirt was deliberately impregnated with nicotine, the main toxic ingredient of cigarettes, just like during a smoker's break on the balcony. So that the quantity of the toxin could be verified afterwards, radioactively marked nicotine was used. Then the smoke impregnated textiles were placed on the baby skin and the penetration of the nicotine into the skin was tracked in tracer studies.
