From the Sector

The Lenzing Group has achieved outstanding results in the Higg Facility Social & Labor Module (FSLM) certification for five of its production sites. This involved measuring the social impact of production in areas such as wages, working hours, health and safety and treatment of employees.

One of Lenzing's key sustainability goals is to obtain a valid, independently audited and accredited social standard certificate for each of the Lenzing Group's production sites by 2024. This goal is pursued through the Higg Facility Social & Labor Module (Higg FSLM), which assesses social and labor-related conditions. In 2023, more than 7,200 companies worldwide underwent this audit, with Lenzing's result placing it in the top 25 percent of all verified Higg FSLM facilities.

A recent study by the Society for Applied Economic Research in Innsbruck (Austria)¹ emphasises Lenzing's responsibility as an important employer. The Lenzing Group creates a total of 25,292 jobs in the five countries in which it operates production facilities. This figure includes not only employees, but also indirect jobs - because every direct job created creates more than two additional indirect jobs in other sectors of the economy.

1 GAW Wirtschaftsforschung: Economic and Regional Importance of the Lenzing Group in 2023; March 2024

Cascale, a non-profit alliance for driving impact in consumer goods (formerly the Sustainable Apparel Coalition), announces Colin Browne as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective May 1, 2024.

Browne previously served as Interim CEO and Chief Operating Officer of Under Armour, a Cascale member. During his tenure at Under Armour, Browne oversaw sustainability efforts and, in addition, led significant transformations across supply chain, go-to-market and technology. In 2023, the company shared achievements related to its environmental footprint, product circularity, and renewable energy goals – some accomplished with Cascale’s Higg Index suite of tools.

Prior to joining Under Armour, Browne was managing director of Asia Sourcing for VF Corporation, a Cascale member that includes The North Face, Timberland, Vans, and Smartwool brands. In addition to his experience leading brands, Browne also spent four years running manufacturing plants in Thailand and began his career at Bally Shoe factories in the UK. He has lived and worked in the UK, South Korea, mainland China, the Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong SAR, and the USA; his international experience and localized approach underscore his commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) both in and outside of the workplace. Browne also served as the Chairman of the American Apparel and Footwear Association and was on the board of the World Federation of Sporting Goods Industries. As a member of the Worldly Board, the leader in environmental and social impact data for the apparel and footwear industry and the exclusive platform for Cascale’s Higg Index tools, Browne will ensure a unified approach to advancing sustainability initiatives across both organizations.

During his first 100 days with Cascale, Browne will connect with the organization’s 300+ members across the value chain, emphasizing manufacturer engagement and relationship building. He will also engage Cascale’s broader ecosystem of stakeholders including NGOs, governments, and academia. Browne is personally committed to Cascale’s vision to lead the consumer goods industry to combat climate change, foster decent work for all, and build a nature-positive future.

At the Techtextil trade fair in Frankfurt, the Chairman of the Walter Reiners Foundation of the VDMA, Peter D. Dornier, presented awards to six successful young engineers. Promotion and sustainability prizes were awarded in the categories bachelor/project theses and diploma/master theses. Academic theses in which, for example, solutions for resource-saving products and technologies are developed are eligible for the sustainability prizes.

The Walter Reiners Foundation awarded Anna Markic a sustainability prize worth 3,000 euros in the Bachelor's category. The topic of her thesis, written at Reutlingen University, was the recycling of carbon fibres.

Mark Zenzinger, Albstadt-Sigmaringen University, received a 3,000 euro promotion award in the Bachelor's category. His topic was the automation of the process chain for the production of welded textile hard goods.
 
Lena Fink from the TU Dresden received another promotion award worth 3,000 euros. Her construction engineering project work focused on a device to simplify the maintenance of braiding machines.

Fabio Bussmann from RWTH Aachen was awarded a promotion prize in the Master's category, worth 3,500 euros. In his thesis, he analysed the life cycle assessments of alternative semi-finished products for geotextiles.

Katharina Maria Ernst, TU Dresden, was honoured with a sustainability prize of 3,500 euros in the Master's category. Her work focused on the development of a suitable process for the treatment of chitosan fibres as an alternative starting product in the production of carbon fibres.

Lennart Hellwig, RWTH Aachen University, was awarded a 3,500 euro prize in the Master's category. He focused on the topic of machine learning using the example of a nonwovens plant.

Archroma is bringing a comprehensive suite of denim solutions to the Bangladesh Denim Expo 2024 at the International Convention Center (ICCB) in Dhaka on May 6 to 7, 2024.

The demand for denim wear is on the rise, accompanied by consumers' heightened expectations for sustainability. Brands looking to meet this demand must not only deliver functional and stylish denim but also minimize environmental impact.

Archroma is presenting a range of planet conscious solutions at the expo, including DENISOL® PURE INDIGO 30, DIRESUL® EVOLUTION BLACK, EARTHCOLORS®, as well as their latest SUPER SYSTEMS+ for Denim and the recently launched DENIM HALO concepts.

Major developments:

• Currency-neutral sales up 8% driven by growth in all regions except North America
• Double-digit DTC growth reflects strong adidas sell-through
• Gross margin improves 6.4pp to 51.2%, reflecting healthier inventory levels, reduced discounting, lower sourcing costs and a more favorable business mix
• Operating profit of € 336 million compared to € 60 million in the prior-year period
• Inventories down more than € 1.2 billion versus the prior year to € 4.4 billion
• Top- and bottom-line guidance upgraded on April 16 due to successful start to the year

Full-year outlook
adidas expects revenues to increase at a mid- to high-single-digit rate in 2024
On April 16, adidas upgraded its full-year financial guidance as a result of the better-than-expected performance in the first quarter. adidas now expects currency-neutral revenues to increase at a mid- to high-single-digit rate in 2024 (previously: increase at a mid-single-digit rate). Within this guidance, it is assumed that the remaining Yeezy inventory will be sold on average at cost, resulting in sales of around € 200 million throughout the remainder of the year. This corresponds to a projected total amount of Yeezy-related sales of around € 350 million in FY 2024 (previously: around € 250 million), of which around € 150 million were generated in the first quarter. For its underlying business, adidas remains focused on scaling its successful franchises, introducing new ones, and leveraging its significantly better, broader, and deeper product range. Improved retailer relationships, more impactful marketing initiatives, and the company’s activities around major sports events are also expected to contribute to sales increases throughout 2024.

Outlook impacted by significant currency headwinds
Unfavorable currency effects are projected to weigh significantly on the company’s profitability in 2024. They are expected to continue to adversely impact both reported revenues and the gross margin development in the remainder of the year.

Operating profit of around € 700 million projected
Following the better-than-expected performance in the first quarter, the company also increased its full-year profit guidance on April 16. The company’s operating profit is now expected to reach a level of around € 700 million (previously: to reach a level of around € 500 million). The improved bottom-line guidance includes a contribution of around € 50 million from Yeezy (previously: no Yeezy contribution) related to the drop in Q1. The sale of the remaining Yeezy inventory is assumed to result in no further profit contribution during the remainder of the year.

Lectra’s Annual Shareholders’ Meeting held on April 26 appointed a new Director, Jérôme Viala, for a four-year term. He becomes member of the Audit Committee, the Strategic Committee and the Compensation Committee.

For the 2023-2025 period, Lectra aims to harness its transformation to accelerate its growth, significantly increase the share of SaaS solutions in its sales, and seize opportunities for external expansion. Supported by the commitment of its employees and recognized by its customers, the Group is at the forefront of a more sustainable future.

Jérôme Viala has held various positions within the Lectra Group since 1985. In recent years, and until his retirement on March 31, 2024, he served as Executive Vice President, Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and Secretary to the Board of Directors of Lectra.

Jérôme Viala began his career as a credit analyst at Esso (France) before joining Lectra's financial department in 1985. He held the positions of Financial Controller for Europe and North America (1988-1991) and Finance Director of Lectra France (1992-1993), then of the products division (1993-1994). He was then appointed Chief Financial Officer of the Group in 1994, a position he held until 2016, when he was appointed Executive Vice President.

Wie kann man durch Transferlernen Fertigungsschritte optimieren? Wie kann man die Umweltauswirkungen von Geotextilien aus petrochemischen Kunststoffen mit denen aus biologisch abbaubaren Kunststoffen vergleichen, um eine Entscheidungshilfe für nachhaltigere Produkte zu finden? Für die Entwicklung dieser Methoden wurden Lennart Hellwig und Fabio Bußmann vom Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) der RWTH Aachen am 25. April mit Preisen des Deutschen Textilmaschinenbaues 2024 der Walter Reiners-Stiftung ausgezeichnet.

Einsatz von Transferlernen ermöglicht Datenreduzierung beim Vernadelungsprozess
Lennart Hellwig erhielt den „Förderpreis Masterarbeit“ für seine Masterarbeit „Transfer Learning Modell für Vernadelungsprozesse in der Vliesstoffproduktion unter Berücksichtigung von Unsicherheiten“.

Die Auszeichnung wurde für die Entwicklung einer Methodik verliehen, die es ermöglicht, durch Transferlernen einen Fertigungsprozess in der Vliesstoffproduktion zu modellieren. Dieses Modell kann genutzt werden, um die Fertigungsschritte zu optimieren. Durch den Einsatz von Transferlernen wurde die Menge der benötigten Daten für die Modelle reduziert und die Vorhersagegenauigkeit verbessert. Konkret wurde in der Arbeit der Vernadelungsprozess als Fertigungsschritt ausgewählt. Das Verfahren lässt sich grundsätzlich auch auf andere Fertigungsschritte übertragen.

Ökologische Entscheidungshilfe für die Auswahl nachhaltigerer Produkte
Fabio Bußmann wurde mit dem „Nachhaltigkeitspreis Masterarbeit“ für seine Masterarbeit „Methodenentwicklung und Durchführung von Life Cycle Assessments zur Bewertung der Nachhaltigkeit von Produktion und End-of-Life-Szenarien biologisch abbaubarer Geotextilien“ ausgezeichnet. Kunststoffe bieten aufgrund ihrer vielfältigen Eigenschaften und Formgebungsmöglichkeiten ein breites Anwendungsspektrum. Ein Beispiel sind Geotextilien. Zu ihrer Herstellung werden fast ausschließlich petrochemische Kunststoffe verwendet, die in erster Linie nach ihrer Funktionalität ausgewählt werden, ohne dass an eine nachhaltige Entsorgung nach der Nutzungsdauer gedacht wird. Oft verbleiben diese Textilien im Boden, da sie nur sehr schwer und mit hohen Kosten oder gar nicht zu entfernen sind. Eine nachhaltigere Alternative könnte der Einsatz von Geotextilien aus biologisch abbaubaren Kunststoffen sein.

Ziel dieser Arbeit war es, die Umweltauswirkungen von Geotextilien aus petrochemischen Kunststoffen mit denen aus biologisch abbaubaren Kunststoffen zu vergleichen. Diese Untersuchung wird in drei verschiedenen Anwendungsbereichen durchgeführt, um als ökologische Entscheidungshilfe zu dienen und das nachhaltigere Produkt zu identifizieren.

Der Vorsitzende der Walter Reiners-Stiftung des VDMA Fachverbands Textilmaschinen, Peter D. Dornier, überreichte die Preise während der Fachmesse Techtextil in Frankfurt am Main.

Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris opens its doors from 1 to 3 July at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. More than a thousand exhibitors from the world's major sourcing countries will be offering inspirational sources for building collections for 2025-2026. This season's show will focus on suppliers of innovative products and solutions for high-performance and sustainable fashion.

Yarn in the spotlight
Taking us further upstream in the industry and for the first time at the Parisian trade shows, a pavilion featuring yarn producers will be found at the exhibition. Co-organised with Yarn Expo, a Shanghai show in the Messe Frankfurt galaxy, this dedicated pavilion will feature companies from China, India, Pakistan and Taiwan.

A Leather trends area at Leatherworld, partnerships at Avantex
As in previous summers, this season’s show will bring together all the different aspects of Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris. Leatherworld, the platform dedicated to leather sourcing, is announcing the return of a South African pavilion. This area will also host a Leather Trends area created and run by Italian publisher Edizioni AF, a specialist in the leather industry. Particular attention will be paid to the design processes and choice of materials used by Italian accessories and footwear manufacturers.

A number of new features are also expected in the Avantex innovations area: Partnerships with the IFA Paris fashion design school, the TCBL association and the TUV Rheinland certification body, which will showcase  solutions in sustainable fashion and textiles, and provide an opportunity to discuss these issues at expert round tables.

Furthermore, the fair will be showcasing Texpertise Econogy, the sustainable economy approach developed by the international Messe Frankfurt group to guide visitors in their sourcing choices. Following its launch in February, the upcoming event will continue to promote sustainability with a number of features and provide a platform for green pioneers.

The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), representing the full spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber through finished sewn products, held its officer elections for fiscal year 2024 at its annual meeting April 9-11.
NCTO has elected Charles Heilig, President of Parkdale Mills, as Chairman; and Chuck Hall, President and CEO of Barnet, as Vice Chairman.

In addition to the appointment of a new chairman and vice chairman, NCTO elected chairs for each of its five councils. NCTO is comprised of five councils to ensure a broad representation of the industry supply chain. Each council has an allotted number of members who are elected to the association’s Board of Directors, in addition to the Executive Committee.

Elected as NCTO Chairman and Vice Chairman for 2024:

• Chairman – Charles Heilig, President of Parkdale Mills based in Gastonia, North Carolina, a leading American manufacturer of yarn and cotton consumer products.
• Vice Chairman – Chuck Hall, President and CEO of Barnet based in Spartanburg, South Carolina, a 125-year-old manufacturer of technical textiles.

Elected to the NCTO Board of Directors:

• Fiber Council – David Adkins of Lenzing; John Freeman of Nan Ya Plastics; and Melissa Stewart of The LYCRA Company
• Yarn Council – Justin Ferdinand of Kentwool; Peter Iliopoulos of Gildan; Eddie Ingle of Unifi; Eric Noe of Buhler Quality Yarns; Marvin Smith of Shuford Yarns; and Jay Todd of Service Thread
• Fabric and Home Products Council – David Smith of Milliken & Company; James McKinnon of Cotswold Industries; Blake Millinor of Valdese Weavers; Leib Oehmig of Glen Raven; Dan Russian of Sage Automotive Interiors; and Walter Spiegel of Standard Textile
• Finished Textiles and Apparel Products Council – Marisa Fumei-South of Two-One-Two New York (Alternate: Gabrielle Ferrara of Ferrara Manufacturing)
• Industry Support Council – Todd Bassett of Fi-Tech; Greg Duncan of American Truetzschler; and Jim Reed of YKK Corp.

Elected by their respective Councils to serve on the Executive Committee:
David Adkins, Lenzing; Eddie Ingle, Unifi; Marvin Smith, Shuford Yarns; David Smith, Milliken & Company; James McKinnon, Cotswold Industries; Marisa Fumei-South, Two-One-Two New York; Gabrielle Ferrara, Ferrara Manufacturing; and Todd Bassett, Fi-Tech.

NCTO Chairman Charles Heilig has elected additional executives to serve on the Executive Committee: Anderson Warlick of Parkdale Mills; Norman Chapman of Inman Mills; John Maness of Gildan; Amy Bircher Bruyn of MMI Textiles; and Jackie Ferrari of American Fashion Network.

Elected to chair the Councils:

• Fiber Council: David Adkins of Lenzing
• Yarn Council: Justin Ferdinand of Kentwool
• Fabric and Home Products Council: David Smith of Milliken & Company
• Finished Textiles and Apparel Products Council: Marisa Fumei-South of Two-One-Two New York.
• Industry Support Council: Todd Bassett of Fi-Tech

STOLL launcht die neue Flachstrickmaschine CMS 503 ki L, 50″, für den Volumenmarkt. Erst Mitte März 2024 hat STOLL die CMS 503 ki L gelauncht und damit die bewährte CMS 503 ki um eine Maschine mit größerer Arbeitsbreite ergänzt. Das L im Namen steht für XXL-Musterungspotenziale: Mit einer 50″-Arbeitsbreite können Designs mit ausgedehnten Motiv-Formaten, aber auch Artikel mit einer erweiterten Größenrange umgesetzt werden.

Die CMS 503 ki L ist mit einem Feinheitsspektrum von E5 - E18 / E2,5.2 - 8.2 und einer Arbeitsbreite von 50″ / 127 cm im Angebot. Zur technischen Ausstattung zählen u. a. der Multiflex®-Abzug von STOLL und die standardmäßig in allen STOLL-Maschinen verwendeten Federzungennadeln. Der patente Abzug sorgt für eine optimale Breitenfixierung der Strickware und dadurch für weniger Ausschuss und Kosten. Die Federzungennadeln tragen ebenfalls zu einer Senkung der Kosten und Fehlerquote bei, führen aber auch zu einem gleichmäßigen Maschenbild und Warenflächen mit klaren Texturen. Die Grundlage hierfür ist eine durchdachte Konstruktion: Eine Zungenfeder unter der Nadelzunge gewährleistet höchste Sicherheit bei den Umhängeprozessen und beim Schließen der Zungen, auch bei der Verarbeitung vieler Fäden oder bauschiger Garne. Zudem werden die Nadeln durch den Einsatz von Nadelbürsten sicher geöffnet – ein Vorteil speziell bei leeren Nadeln – und ein kleinerer Zungenvorsprung macht ein festeres Stricken möglich.

Als Vertreterin der Knitelligence®-Maschinengeneration ist die CMS 503 ki L auf die Anforderungen der modernen digitalen Ära vorbereitet. Sie bietet vielfältige Vorteile, darunter die Möglichkeit zur Prozessautomatisierung, Transparenz, kurze Reaktionszeiten und Produktionszyklen, Vernetzung und die Erschließung neuer Geschäftsmodelle.