From the Sector

Giorgio Calculli has been appointed new managing director of ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers. A law graduate with a Master’s degree in training and employment policies, he has been on staff at ACIMIT since 2006 as head of the Association’s training, internal relations and technical department. Calculli takes over as ACIMIT managing director from Federico Pellegata, who after 25 years managing the Association has been appointed CEO of ACIMIT Servizi srl, the company set up by ACIMIT to provide services in support of associated member companies for the promotion of the Italian textile machinery industry in Italy and abroad.

“It has been a truly enriching experience,” asserts Federico Pellegata, “for which I am grateful to our associated members, ACIMIT’s Board, and the Association’s presidents who have served during my years in ACIMIT. However, my commitment to continue to promote the Italian textile machinery sector by no means ends here. As CEO of ACIMIT Servizi, I will continue to work relentlessly to ensure that ITMA, the world’s primary textile machinery trade fair, remains a representative showcase for the success of Italian manufacturers in the sector, as has been the case for the editions of the exhibition held in Italy in 2015 and 2023.”

ACIMIT managing director Giorgio Calculli comments: “I wish to thank the Board of ACIMIT for the appointment and for the opportunity to lend continuity to the work carried out by Federico Pellegata, for whom the success enjoyed at the latest edition of ITMA is only the most evident expression. I will work to further develop the membership base and ensure member companies receive maximum support from the Association in their business activities.”

Dr. Laurie-Ann Agama, Acting Assistant U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) for Textiles, wrapped up a three-day visit of state-of-the art U.S. textile manufacturing facilities in North and South Carolina, highlighting the importance of trade policies that bolster the competitiveness of the vibrant domestic supply chain that contributes significantly to the U.S. economy and workforce.

Dr. Agama, who advises the nation’s top trade chief on textile and apparel trade policy matters and conducts and oversees negotiations affecting textiles and apparel products, was joined by USTR textile trade officials in touring seven textile manufacturers including: Glen Raven, Barnet, Standard Textile, Parkdale Mills, Beverly Knits, Gildan, and Unifi.

Her three-day tour culminated in an industry roundtable discussion with key textile executives hosted by Unifi, in Greensboro, N.C.

U.S. textile executives spanning the fiber, yarn, fabric, and finished product textile and apparel industries participated in the roundtable and outlined critical policies, such as: the importance of maintaining the yarn forward rule of origin in the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) and other trade agreements; advancing the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) and its importance to domestic manufacturers; closing the de minimis loophole in U.S. trade law; addressing larger systemic trade issues, particularly the use of forced labor, with China; and upholding buy American and Berry Amendment government procurement policies.

“We deeply appreciate Assistant USTR Agama’s visit to the heart of the U.S. textile industry in North and South Carolina this week to meet with U.S. textile executives and experience first-hand the breadth of the industry’s innovation, advanced sustainability practices, capital investments and critical contributions to local economies and the U.S. economy as a whole,” said Kim Glas, president and CEO of NCTO. “The three-day visit by Dr. Agama and the USTR textile team included facility tours of several NCTO member companies, all of which have made major investments in state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities that are part of a broader domestic industry supply chain that produced $65.8 billion in output in 2022 and employed 538,000 workers.”

Glas continued: “We are also grateful for Dr. Agama’s participation in the industry roundtable hosted by Unifi and substantive discussions around policy opportunities and challenges. We look forward to working closely with Dr. Agama, the USTR textile team and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai to advance policies that provide incentives for onshoring and nearshoring production and bolstering the industry’s competitiveness, while enforcing policies that address illegal trade practices that undermine this industry.”

“The U.S. textile industry has always been resilient, innovative, and a driving force of our nation’s competitiveness,” said Acting Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Textiles Dr. Laurie-Ann Agama. “For USTR, this local engagement and conversations underscore our need to create trade policies that put workers first and promote inclusive economic growth. The spinning, knitting, and weaving operations of the textile industry are at the center of many communities across the Carolinas. This was another opportunity to hear first-hand how we trade can create jobs that allow workers, businesses, and communities to thrive.”

INDA, the Association of the Nonwovens Fabrics Industry, announces the publication of a new study, North American Nonwoven Materials Annual Study 2022.

Based on actual surveys and interviews with producers, enhancing the accuracy and relevance, this study tracks machine additions, closures, and productivity improvements. This study is the industry benchmark for capacity and production information for North America and the only publication that provides an estimate of operating rates, based on nameplate machine capacity, through the year 2022. The 72-page study contains 43 figures and 11 tables.

“An element of INDA’s mission is to provide credible statistics to the nonwovens and engineered materials industry,” said Tony Fragnito, INDA President. “Our objective is to continually improve the quality of data and industry information. We feel the industry will greatly benefit from this in-depth resource for strategic planning and investment purposes,” Fragnito added.

The complete study is provided to producers who supplied key metrics. The Executive Summary, an overview of the findings and implications, will be offered to current INDA members on a complimentary basis.

The detailed study is available for purchase, with members receiving a discount.

Findings from this year’s study include:

• North American capacity continues to increase with investments being made across all the processes and for a variety of end-uses. The industry’s nameplate capacity utilization has increased year-over-year, for the fifth consecutive year.
• In 2022, capacity of nonwovens in North America reached 5.565 million tonnes, an increase from the previous year of 2.4% (net growth of 128,700 tonnes) and an improvement over the previous year’s growth rate of 1.8%.
• North American imports, in tonnage, decreased 24.3% in 2022 and exports decreased 16.3% due to market stabilization after COVID. Nonwoven production tends to stay within the region, so the net trade balance (imports less exports) accounted for less than 5.5% of the region’s capacity.

“2022 was a period of economic adjustment and stabilization,” said Mark Snider, Chief Market & Industry Analyst. “We’re seeing a controlled and consistent transition back to pre-pandemic levels of nonwoven growth.”

The fourth quarter 2022 textile machinery orders index, processed by ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, showed a sharp 35% decline compared to the period from October to December 2021. In absolute value, the index stood at 83.6 points (basis: 2015=100).

Orders took a 34% drop on the domestic market, while the foreign index was down fully 37%. In Italy, the index’s absolute value came in at 155.4 points, whereas on foreign markets the value stood at 75.8 points.

On annual basis, the orders index marked an 18% decrease and an absolute value of 110.4 points. The drop in orders abroad was 17%, while orders collected in Italy were 28% lower than the figures drawn up in 2021.

ACIMIT president Alessandro Zucchi stated that, “The orders index data for the fourth quarter confirms what had already been observed in the previous quarters in 2022. After a sharp increase in 2021, this decrease in orders for the past year is physiological. Furthermore, the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, with its related consequences on daily business and trade, and a macroeconomic framework in which uncertainty prevails, have further negatively affected the orders intake.”

Data for the last quarter does not suggest a reverse in the negative trend for the first months of 2023. Declining energy prices and inflation, although still high, also declining slightly are, however, signs of a light improvement in the business of companies in the sector as well. “We need to look to the current year with optimism,” continued ACIMIT president. “Our member companies are already focusing on ITMA, the upcoming global textile machinery industry trade fair, that will be held from June 8-14 in Milan.” “I am confident that ITMA Milan can represent an opportunity for further development of the Italian textile machinery sector,” concluded Zucchi. “The technological innovations that our manufacturers will bring to the trade show will meet the textile industry’s need to be increasingly sustainable, both environmentally and economically.”

• The European Confederation for Flax and Hemp (CELC) has unveiled its new visual identity and name: Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp.
• The European Flax-Linen and Hemp industries have announced they are organizing their development around a strengthened team with a clear mission: to expand the entire industry whilst making European Flax-Linen and Hemp the preferred sustainable premium fibers worldwide.
• The Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp will launch its new identity in the first semester of 2023 for all target groups including Natural Fiber Composite Applications.

CELC has announced its new name and visual identity. The organization, which is the only European agro-industrial organization that serves as a global reference, will now be known as the Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp.

The new name - Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp – reflects a newly restructured European industry which brings together the entire value chain around a common goal: to make European Flax-Linen and Hemp the preferred sustainable premium fibers worldwide for Fashion, Technical Textiles and Natural Fiber Composite Applications.

The new brand identity is accompanied by a new logo that connects the identity, values and strategic direction of the Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp. In addition to visual changes, the Alliance has announced enhanced values and a clear strategic path to turn European Flax-Linen and Hemp into the preferred sustainable premium fibers worldwide.

The Alliance’s future development pathway will focus on three distinct strategic pillars.

• Enhancing its work in publishing structured, reliable economic data and information on a regular basis, in order to be able to continuously deploy a set of specific decision-making support tools.
• Transforming the Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp into an innovative and sustainable international reference which continuously improves its environmental footprint through two essential elements: traceability and Life Cycle Analysis.
• Guaranteeing quality and better describing the quality of its fibers by using technological innovations to create a reference for describing long fibers. A description of European Flax® fibers through optical imaging will soon complement the organoleptic method.

“Europe is the top global producer of Flax fiber. In an international context of growth and reindustrialization, Flax, which accounts for just 0.4% of global textile fibers, is a globalized fiber with remarkable technical and environmental properties. At the same time, the European textile Hemp industry is organizing itself to boost growth. Today, the European Flax-Linen and Hemp ecosystem thus embodies an innovative and sustainable European textile dynamic that meets the needs of consumers and brands.” Bart Depourcq, President, Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp.

The plan of the European Commission to propose a price cap on wholesale gas price at 275€/MWh would be a bitter disappointment for the European textiles and clothing manufacturers, said EURATEX.

November 22nd, EURATEX stated in a letter to EC President, Ursula von der Leyen, that any price cap above the level of 80€euro/MWh would not help the EU industry – the textile sector in particular – to survive the current crisis. Indeed as early as July 2021, the wholesale gas price in the EU was below 30€/MWh. Now, the EU industry is facing gas and energy prices that have exceeded any coping capacity: from the record-high 320€/MWh last August, the price has reached to 127€/MWh today. Still, it is more than 300% than the business as usual prices.

The very existence of the European industry is at stake and with it the European sustainability agenda – and Europe’s capacity to implement it. Furthermore, Europe will lose its strategic autonomy, which guarantees essential goods and services are made available on the European Internal Market. If we continue on this path, the EU will soon become totally dependent on foreign imports with no leverage to implement its sustainability agenda, let alone lead the transition to a circular economy on the international stage.

At present, the EU industry is facing a dire international competition with the industry in China, India and the US working at energy prices of around 10$/MWh. In addition, these competitors are benefitting of sky-high subsidies from their own governments: the rollout of the US $369bln industrial subsidy scheme is just the latest example.

EURATEX Director General, Dirk Vantyghem, believes that “while the EU Industry is under immense, unprecedented pressure, a price cap at 275€/MWh would be meaningless: the European industry will be permanently pushed out on the market. The industry is at the heart of the European way of life and the fundament of our social market economy. The EU must save its industry to save Europe. The moment to act is now.”

• European textile industry needs to prepare for a paradigm shift, and become global leader in sustainable textiles

Organised by EURATEX in partnership with the Portuguese Textile Association (ATP), the Porto Convention – Sustainability meets Competitiveness: How to Square the Circle? – took place on 13-14 October in Porto, Portugal, with nearly 250 entrepreneurs attending from all over Europe. They discussed the current challenges of the European textile industry and set the grounds for a bright future, based on some strong foundations: innovation, creativity, quality and sustainability.

In his keynote speech, Mr. Pedro Siza Vieira, Former Minister for the Economy and Digital Transition of Portugal, assessed the geopolitical and macroeconomics changes, and how this will impact on the future of the textile industry: nearshoring and friend-shoring, independence from foreign gas through the use of European sustainable energy, as well as circular and automated production lines. While the current turbulence causes uncertainty, he sees a better future for our industry.

The first CEO Panel, addressing the theme of How to Measure and Communicate about Sustainability, focused on the challenges to translate “sustainability” towards the consumers. The panel addressed the issue of greenwashing and the role of brands in communicating about sustainability. It looked at how the new European Commission regulations on eco-label, digital product passport (DPP) and product environmental footprint (PEF) will create a new framework.

The second CEO Panel, discussing Financing Sustainability, looked at the cost of sustainable investments, and how this cost should be managed within the entire supply chain, including the brands and retailers.

Four workshops with industry experts followed in the afternoon, addressing the themes of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in Textiles, Digital Product Passport (DPP), Recycling Textile Waste and Labelling Textiles (Product Environmental Footprint). As these initiatives will roll out in the coming years – as part of the EU Textile Strategy – participants got a better understanding of the future framework for our industry.

Dirk Vantyghem, Director General of EURATEX, commented on this: “to prepare for a brighter future requires a new regulatory framework, where quality and durability become the norm, where transparency and sustainability is rewarded, where free riders – who do not comply with rules and standards – are kept outside the market. The EU Textile Strategy aims at creating such a framework, which must be fair and balanced, and requires a close and constant dialogue between the regulator and the industry.”

During the 2nd day of the convention, participants had the opportunity to visit state of the art textile companies (Têxteis J.F. Almeida, RIOPELE, and TMG Automotive) and the Portuguese textile  research centre CITEVE. They showcased how the Portuguese textile industry is making this transition, while remaining globally competitive.

Alberto Paccanelli, President of EURATEX, concluded: “We need to attract creative people in our companies, we need to produce top class quality products, and we need to become more sustainable. That is the recipe for our success in a globalised and highly competitive industry.” Paccanelli is positive about the future: “While we face very tough times, I am optimistic about the future of our European textile industry. The rest of the world is watching us, as we move forward with our strategy. We should become their benchmark and Europe should become a global leader in sustainable textiles.”

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, is mourning the loss of Walter “Walt” G. Jones, Chief Executive Officer, Precision Fabrics Group, Inc., of Greensboro, NC, who passed away Sept. 22.

He is being remembered fondly by the association for his strong contributions as a leader, mentor, and advocate for the nonwoven industry. INDA, in particular, benefited from Jones’ vast industry and business knowledge as an INDA Executive Committee Appointee for over 20 years. Jones started his career at Burlington Industries in 1977 and was named president and CEO, in 1999 of Precision Fabrics Group Inc., a spin-off of Burlington Industries. Jones was a graduate of the University of Cincinnati and the Wharton School of Finance.

“INDA is saddened by the loss of a true industry leader who devoted his career to advancing the nonwoven & engineered material industry,” said INDA President Tony Fragnito. “Walt Jones will be missed by all of us at INDA and by the many professionals whose careers and businesses were positively impacted by his expertise. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family.”

• Free trade deal boosts export potential

The time is right for Swiss textile machinery companies to grow their export business with Indonesia – one of the world’s top 10 textile producers. A free trade agreement between the two countries came into force in 2021, and market analyses show that there is scope for a significant increase in business in textile and textile machinery sectors.

This was the background to a successful symposium in the Indonesian capital Jakarta last month when Swiss Textile Machinery Association members presented their products and innovations to an invited audience of 200 delegates from Indonesian textile companies.

The symposium audience was welcomed by Philippe Strub, of the Swiss Embassy in Indonesia; Ignatius Warsito, from the Indonesia Ministry of Industry’s Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Textile Industry branch; Anne Patricia Sutanto, of the Indonesian Textile Association (API); and Ernesto Maurer, President of the Swiss Textile Machinery Association.

Swiss companies taking part were: Stäubli, Zeta Datatec, Loepfe, Saurer, Benninger, Rieter, Bräcker, Jakob Müller, Maag, Uster and SERV.

The presentations were followed by panel discussions with speakers, and there were also networking opportunities at the companies’ exhibition tables.

Also taking part in a panel at the event was Testex, the independent Swiss organisation which provides testing, certification, OEKO-TEX® and other labels for the textile industry. Discussion focused on the relevance of innovation in textile technology to sustainability and ‘saving the planet.’  

Recent years have seen an acceleration in trade relations between Switzerland and Indonesia, which in 2008 was classed as one of eight priority countries for economic development cooperation by SECO, the Swiss Secretariat for Economic Affairs, with a joint economic and trade commission established the following year.
Collaboration was heightened further in 2018 with a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) for Indonesia with Switzerland and the other EFTA countries. This more extensive form of free trade agreement was accepted after a popular referendum, and ultimately came into force in November 2021.

Trading between the two countries is supported by SERV, the Swiss export risk insurance organisation. This insures export goods against political and commercial risks and facilitates credit.

Cornelia Buchwalder, Secretary General of the Swiss Textile Machinery Association, said the Indonesia Symposium was ideally-timed, right after the CEPA came into effect: “With the free trade agreement in place, there is even greater potential for the development of trade between our countries,” she said.

“Business in textile and textile machinery is actually below the relative market shares for the sectors, so this stronger cooperation is probably overdue. It was a successful symposium, with enthusiastic participation from Indonesian textile companies, so we are optimistic about future export prospects for Swiss textile machinery.”

• Innovations in Recycling and Sustainability: Sustainable Diaper Components, Natural Fibers, and Kitty Litter from Recycled Nappies

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced the three finalists that will present their innovative material science solutions as they compete for the prestigious RISE® Innovation Award during the 12th edition of the Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics Conference (RISE®) to be held in person September 27-28, 2022 at North Carolina State University.  The award recognizes novel innovations within and on the periphery of the nonwovens industry that creatively use next-level science and engineering principles to solve material challenges and expand the usage of nonwovens and engineered fabrics.

Finalists for the 2022 RISE® Innovation Award:
Cat Litter Made from Recycled Nappies – DiaperRecycle
DiaperRecycle has developed technology to recycle used diapers into cat litter. The aim of the company is to make an environmental impact and decrease the climate changing emissions of diaper waste. They’re diverting used diapers (used in households and businesses such as elder care) from landfill, separating the plastic and fiber and making cat litter. The plastic is prepared for recycling by plastics recyclers. The cat litter product is made by DiaperRecycle from the super absorbent fiber of diapers; it’s highly absorbent and flushable.

Biodegradable Diaper Components – Gottlieb Binder GmbH & Co. KG
Together, Avgol and Binder take on the challenge of disposable absorbent articles for the good of future generations and came up with sustainable diaper components. The technologies used are based on biotransformation technology, which makes it possible to achieve more sustainable products by supporting recycling and providing an alternative route for non-recyclable/fugitive waste management.

sero® hemp fibers – Bast Fibre Technologies, Inc.
Bast Fibre Technologies’ sero® hemp fibers offer the nonwoven industry an all-natural substitute for plastic fibers. From dedicated European- and US-based production facilities, BFT transforms raw bast fibers into premium natural fibers for applications ranging from single-use and durable wipes to industrial applications. Suitable for minority or majority blends, sero® hemp combines easily with standard nonwoven fibers to produce fabrics that meet the industry requirements for strength, uniformity, and processing efficiency.

RISE® conference attendees, technology scouts and product developers in the nonwoven/engineered fabrics industry seeking new developments to advance their businesses, will electronically vote for the recipient of the 2022 RISE® Innovation Award. The winner will be announced Wed., Sept. 28^th.

Technical experts on INDA’s Technical Advisory Board selected three finalists from among 12 nominations.  The 22-member board of technical professionals is represented by companies such as Absorbent Hygiene Insights LLC, Attindas Hygiene Partners, Berry Global, Cotton Incorporated, Crown Abbey, LLC, The DAK Group, Fi-Tech, Inc. Freudenberg Performance Materials, Glatfelter Sontara Old Hickory, Inc., Lenzing Fibers, Inc., Natureworks LLC, Nice-Pak Products, Inc./PDI, Nonwovens by Design, Norafin (Americas) Inc., The Nonwovens Institute at North Carolina State University, Poccia Consulting, LLC, The Procter & Gamble Company, RKW North America, Inc., Rockline Industries, Smith, Johnson & Associates, Suominen Corporation, and Texas Tech University.

“The RISE Conference recognizes and promotes innovation across the nonwoven and engineered material industry. Technology leaders will share invaluable information on innovative new approaches and concepts to resolve material science challenges. For any technical leader, technology scout or new product innovator, RISE is an event not to be missed,” said Tony Fragnito, INDA’s President.

The conference program will cover relevant and timely topics including: Creating a Circular Industry, Advancements in Sustainable Inputs in PLA, Developments in Natural Fibers I and II, Sustainable Inputs in Fibers and Biofibers, Sustainable Inputs from Waste Products, and Economic Insights and Market Intelligence.