Specialty Fabrics Review January 2020 - 16

BRIEFINGS

SWATCHES

COMPANY NEWS
A&E expands in Vietnam

Solvay opens innovation centers

WestPoint attains environmental standard

American & Efird (A&E) has opened its 28th
global manufacturing facility in Dong Nai
Province, Vietnam. Strategically positioned
to provide expanded services and regional
support for apparel, footwear, handbags and
other sewn products in Vietnam, Cambodia,
and Laos, A&E's newest manufacturing site
supports its commitment to produce quality
thread products in the most sustainable
manner. The new site aligns the company
with the growth of the sewn products industry
in the region.

Solvay has opened innovation centers
dedicated to thermoplastic composites in the
U.S. and Europe, reinforcing its research and
innovation capabilities in high-performance
materials for the aerospace, automotive, oil
and gas markets. The Product Development
Center in Alpharetta, Ga., is dedicated to
the rapid innovation and development of
next-generation thermoplastic composites.
The Customer Engagement Center in
Brussels, Belgium, focuses on collaboration
to accelerate the market adoption of
thermoplastic composites.

New York-based textile manufacturer
WestPoint Home has achieved STeP by
OEKO-TEX® certification for sustainable
and responsible textile production. The
newly certified WestPoint Home plant,
located in Chipley, Fla., produces comforters,
bedspreads, pillows and other filled bed
products for the home textiles market. With
the addition of STeP certification, WestPoint's
products now fulfill a requirement of the
MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX® traceable
label for products that have been tested for
harmful substances and produced responsibly.

TWE says tariffs impact pricing

Roland receives awards for printer/cutters

Vita Nonwovens, the U.S. division of the
TWE Group, announced that recent increases
in tariffs on Chinese imports will affect its
pricing. The tariffs on polyester staple fiber
were expected to move from a high rate of 25
percent to 30 percent in the month of October.
Viscose fibers saw an increase from 10 percent
to 15 percent as of September 1. This comes
in addition to anti-dumping duty orders on
fine-denier polyester staple fibers that were
put in place by the U.S. administration.

Roland DGA Corp.'s next-generation
TrueVIS™ wide-format inkjet printer/
cutters earned top honors in three categories
of the 2020 Pick Awards from Keypoint
Intelligence's Buyers Laboratory (BLI).
First place in the Outstanding Gamut
Expansion Eco-Solvent/Latex 54-/64-inch
Printer category were the TrueVIS VG2 series
eight-color printer/cutters with orange ink.
In the Outstanding Enhanced CMYK EcoSolvent/Latex 54/64-inch Printer category,
the VG2 series eight-color printer/cutters
with white ink (CMYKLcLmLkWh) came out
on top. The third Buyers Lab Pick Award for
Outstanding Entry-Level CMYK Eco-Solvent
/Latex 54/64-inch went to TrueVIS SG2 series
four-color printer/cutters.

All American installs Epson Center
All American Print Supply Co. opened
an Epson Certified Solution Center in
Philadelphia, Pa. The Solution Center will
showcase the comprehensive portfolio
of Epson printing options, including its
direct-to-garment solutions, allowing All
American to create a space for its customers
to receive hands-on demonstrations, engage
with product experts, view creative print
applications and run test prints using their
own files. The center also includes a full
suite of SureColor® production equipment,
extensive print samples and customer
training opportunities.

Diamond announces sewing program
Diamond Brand Gear, Asheville, N.C.,
is helping to launch an industrial sewing
program for Western North Carolina
(WNC) sewing manufacturers. The course
is a collaboration between more than 20 WNC
manufacturers, funding from the Carolina
Textile District, and the support of Blue
Ridge Community College and AB-Technical
Community College. Free for all incumbent
workers, students will learn sewing terms,
basic sewing skills and techniques for
industrial straight stitch and more.

16 REVIEW JANUARY 2020

YKK awarded 2019 Good Design Best 100
YKK's GreenRise™ zipper received the
2019 Good Design Best 100 award from
the Japan Design Promotion Association.
GreenRise reduces fossil fuel consumption
and CO2 emissions in the product cycle by
replacing polyester, which is derived from
conventional fossil fuels and is the main
material used in zippers, with plant-derived
polyester made from sugarcane molasses,
a by-product generated during the sugar
production process. This award recognizes
YKK's commitment to eco-friendly product
development and its influence on the
subsidiary materials industry.

Coats acquires Pharr HP
Coats has signed an agreement to acquire Pharr
HP, a manufacturer of high-performance
engineered yarns based in McAdenville, N.C.
Pharr HP provides technical yarn solutions to
the industrial thermal protection, defense and
fire service industries. The acquisition of Pharr
HP's manufacturing capabilities and customer
base provides further expertise and scale to
Coats' existing personal protection business.
Specialty Fabrics Review January 2020

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