Explore ideas, evidence and developments across the textile value chain.
617 articles · latest first · 97–120
News15 Apr 2015Lenzing Group has sold its fully owned German subsidiary Dolan GmbH, Kelheim and its 91.1% stake in European Carbon Fiber GmbH, Kelheim to WHEB Partners’ Growth Fund 2 of England and Jan Verdenhalven. The corresponding agreement was concluded on April 15, 2015.
Insight9 Apr 2015Warp knitting technology manufacturer Karl Mayer is looking to expand its business in India with its assembly plant which opened in Ahmedabad last summer now manufacturing its MJ59/1B lace making machine, DS21/30EC2 direct warping machine and IsoWarp sectional warping machine.
US press reports indicate American Apparel Inc is laying off about 180 employees in a bid to return the company to profitability. Only last week WTiN.com reported that the vertically-integrated manufacturer, distributor and retailer of branded fashion basic apparel saw profits fall by $72.2m in the fourth quarter of 2014 compared with the same period in 2013.
Carpets and sport pitches company Desso has appointed Roland Jonkhoff as managing director of Desso. Formerly a divisional MD at Desso, Mr Jonkhoff is now responsible for the complete management of the Desso business and carpet activities within Tarkett EMEA.
Global yarn production fell in Q4/2014 compared to the previous quarter due to a strong decline in Asia and decreases in North and South America. Yarn output in Europe, on the other hand, increased quarter-on-quarter, according to statistics from the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF).
Insight31 Mar 2015It may surprise some to learn that the European textile industry has increased its productivity by almost 50% in the last ten years and its exports to countries outside the EU have risen by one-third to more than €42bn, but there remains significant scope to improve.
News27 Mar 2015Martin Folini is to take over as CEO at Saurer Group from Daniel Lippuner, who is leaving the company for personal reasons. Mr Lippuner will remain on the board until the end of April to facilitate a smooth transition, according to the company. Mr Lippuner has played a key role over the past two years in forming the new Saurer, formerly part of Oerlikon. Mr Lippuner said: “I have been with Oerlikon/Saurer for nine years. I have very much enjoyed working with the new Saurer. The employees are great and I am confident that I leave Saurer in good hands. Martin Folini has so much knowledge about the industry and technology; it makes him the right person to drive the growth strategy and the innovation pipelines.” Mr Folini, current CEO of the Group’s largest business unit, Schlafhorst Zinser, will have a dual role in the organisation in the future, taking on the challenge of being Group CEO in parallel to his current function as business unit CEO. Pan Xueping, chairman of the board of Saurer and owner of the parent Jinsheng Group, said: “We sincerely appreciate the passion and commitment Daniel Lippuner has shown during the last few years, resulting in an excellent top and bottom line performance of the Saurer Group.” Mr Folini, has worked in the textile industry for many years. He graduated from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich in 1990 with a PhD. He then worked for Rieter for more than 15 years, for seven years as the CEO of Spun Yarn Systems and for six years as head of Manufacturing and Procurement. From 2010, he was the CEO of Pfiffner Group, a supplier of efficient, high precision, automatic industrial machines. On November 1, last year he joined the Saurer Group. Mr Folini has driven organisational changes in the Schlafhorst Zinser business unit, rearranging the product lines to focus on customer needs and delivering groundbreaking innovations at a faster pace, said Saurer. He will further develop and drive Saurer’s growth strategy, said the company.
Insight26 Mar 2015The double whammy of low oil prices – leading to pressure on polyester prices which in turn holds down viscose prices as well as high cotton inventories in China – is continuing to hit revenues at Austrian cellulosics manufacturer, Lenzing, although its earnings have improved, as a result of significant cost saving measures.
Insight23 Mar 2015As Stefan Doboczky prepares to take on the role of CEO at Austrian cellulosic manufacturing company, Lenzing, his considerable skills in developing Asian markets will prove crucial to a company that has seen fluctuating fortunes over the last five years.
News20 Mar 2015Swiss-based SSM is to participate at Shanghaitex in Shanghai, China, from June 15-18. Machines for dye packages and rewinding will be on display, including the SSM TW2plus-W, a precision package winder for dye packages and rewinding operations. The electronic fastflex yarn laying technology allows a high level of flexibility to produce a made-to-measure cross wound package, according to SSM.
Collaboration in textile research between different nations is essential to maximise progress in this increasingly globalised industry. Institutes from two nations with a strong engineering reputation – Germany and Korea, have recently sought closer working relationships which should lead to exciting new developments.
Invista’s CORDURA brand has launched a new range of fibres designed primarily for the development of durable hi-vis knitted and woven fabrics. The high tenacity polyester fibre range is available in 90 to 1180 dtex and is air jet textured for enhanced abrasion resistance and tensile and tear strength.
Insight16 Mar 2015It is interesting to reflect on the different rates of development of knitwear manufacturing nations in South East Asia. They have varying degrees of integration in their supply chain, with countries like Vietnam, relying heavily on imports of yarn. While Vietnam imports significant quantities from India, which offers good value and variety, lead-times are a problem, leading companies to having to make last minute purchases from domestic producers or the US with the associated higher costs.
Insight9 Mar 2015Last year was a positive year for the Swiss textile machinery industry. Exports were 8.9% up on the previous year. This equals an export volume of 1.339bn CHF (€1.25bn). Looking at the quarters individually, export volumes were up quarter by quarter, according to the Swiss textile machinery association, Swissmem.
