From the Sector

Polartec, a Milliken & Company brand and the premium creator of innovative and more sustainable textile solutions, unveils the first of three short films which comprise the company’s multifaceted Beyond Begins Today campaign. Featuring Eva Karlsson (CEO, Houdini), Chris Parkes (Natural World Photographer), and Karen Beattie (Director of Product Management, Polartec), the first chapter explores our Planet and the intrinsic value of our natural world.

As a global initiative through which Polartec aims to raise awareness and unity around important universal themes including sustainability, diversity and positive change, Beyond Begins Today leverages static and multimedia content published on multiple touchpoints and channels throughout the year. Chapter 1: the Planet, is the first of three chapters with the second and third chapters dedicated to Product and People respectively.

AkzoNobel has announced the intention to close the manufacturing sites of Groot-Ammers (The Netherlands), Cork (Ireland) and Lusaka (Zambia) and transfer the production to other locations in the region. This intention is the first part of a multi-year industrial efficiency plan to be fully finalized by the end of 2026.
 
The intended site closures align with AkzoNobel's strategic priorities and its commitment to industrial excellence. By focusing on units with scale and higher cost efficiencies, AkzoNobel aims to rationalize, upgrade and optimize its industrial network to improve competitiveness and drive sustainable growth.
 
The related social partners have been informed about the intended closures and next steps.  Finalization will follow after the usual consultation process with employees and local social partners.

Monforts, which is celebrating its 140th anniversary this year, will exhibit a Montex stenter chamber with an integrated overhead heat recovery unit at the forthcoming ITM textile machinery exhibition in Istanbul from June 4-8.

The heat recovery unit on display at the stand of Monforts partner Neotek is just one of a range of energy saving options the company is now providing for both new and existing line installations.

Monforts Montex stenters and Thermex dyeing ranges are industry standard for the fabric finishing industry, providing many advantages in terms of production throughput and especially in energy efficiency and savings.

coaTTex
At ITM, Monforts will also introduce its latest coaTTex coating unit, dedicated to air knife and knife-over-roller coating. For single-sided application with paste or foam, the versatile coaTTex is suitable for both incorporation into existing finishing ranges as well as installation with new Monforts lines, especially Montex stenter systems.

A wide range of coatings can be applied to fabrics for providing functions such as waterproofing, liquid and gas protection and breathability, in addition to foam lamination and coating, including black-out coating.

Central location
“In Turkey we are very strongly supported by our representative Neotek, our solution partner on the ground for service, installation and commissioning, providing specialised and rapid help to all of our customers,” says Monforts Area Sales Manager Thomas Paeffgen. “ITM is always one of the most important exhibitions for Monforts, for meeting customers not just from Turkey, but across the Middle East and Central Asia, as well as Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

“Istanbul’s centralised position makes it accessible to the majority of the major textile manufacturing hubs and as we mark our 140th anniversary in 2024, having been founded back in 1884, the ITM show will provide us with the ideal opportunity to celebrate with colleagues and customers all together in one location.”

British technology company Hypetex has been awarded a significant grant from Innovate UK to develop the world’s first technical coloured flax fibre, which will have applications in the sustainable manufacturing of cars, boats and other products that are usually made with carbon fibre.

Called FlaxTex the material is strong, lightweight and 100 per cent biodegradable, having a net positive carbon footprint at point of manufacturing. It can be colourised whilst enhancing its performance properties, with the process adding some important manufacturing attributes compared to standard flax fibre.

As such, FlaxTex’s mechanical properties represent the closest sustainable substitute for robust and lightweight materials like glass fibre and carbon fibre in composite structures.  

The performance of standard flax fibre is often hindered by its high moisture absorption, resulting in reduced structural integrity when used in composite construction. In addition, the natural brown colour of flax has been deemed unappealing for product use.

Flaxtex solves these issues by removing moisture through the colouring process and sealing the fibres, which waterproofs them and enabling their core mechanical properties. Hypetex’s patented nano-pigment technology changes the colour adding an aesthetic quality to the material.  

This colouring process is set to transform industrial design possibilities of Flax natural fibres by enhancing the strength and performance while simultaneously reducing post-processing requirements and total energy usage. This also aligns with Hypetex's commitment to supporting the green transition and helping manufacturers meet government expectations on the path to UK Net Zero targets and the European Green Deal.

Over the course of a 12-month industrial research project, Hypetex will further optimize its resin systems and processes, expanding the use of FlaxTex across various markets.  

FlaxTex has a range of industry uses, including on construction, automotive, sports equipment and furniture products.

An innovative web application now enables independent, flexible, and digital fitting when selecting workwear. By using Sizekick's AI-based technology, which the start-up developed together with Hohenstein, the textile service provider Elis is offering its customers personalised size recommendations based on individual body measurements for the first time.

The web application implemented by Sizekick in collaboration with Elis uses a two-stage process to determine the right size for the web shop’s customers: First, realistic body shapes are suggested and selected using the BodyFinder. Then, sizing is completed with the BodyScanner, a video-based body scan using a smartphone camera. The data is transmitted anonymously, so only the correct clothing size is sent to Elis, and the entire user-friendly sizing process only takes a few minutes.

• Revenue up 5.7 percent year-on-year to EUR 658.4 million
• EBITDA more than doubles year-on-year to EUR 71.4 million
• Free cash flow of EUR 87.3 million (compared with minus EUR 132.3 million in the first quarter of 2023) and thereby positive for the third consecutive quarter
• Performance program shows positive effect on revenue, EDITDA, and free cash flow
• Lenzing confirms EBITDA guidance for 2024

The Lenzing Group, a leading supplier of regenerated cellulose for the textile and nonwovens industries, recorded a further improvement in fiber sales volumes in the first quarter of 2024. An expected recovery in markets relevant for Lenzing has to date failed to materialize. Fiber prices remained at a low level. Although the costs of raw materials and energy continued to decrease, they remained higher than in the pre-crisis 2019 year.

Outlook
Even though the IMF has upgraded its growth forecast for 2024 from 3.1 percent to 3.2 percent, a number of risks remain for the global economy: potential geopolitical shocks, persistently higher inflation and key interest rates, as well as market risks emanating from the Chinese real estate market are currently considered to be the most relevant.

General inflation and falling incomes in real terms are continuing to exert a negative impact on consumer sentiment. A recovery in the consumer clothing market, which is important for Lenzing, will also depend on a further normalization of stock levels.

The currency environment is expected to remain volatile in regions relevant to Lenzing.

In the trend-setting market for cotton, a stable price trend is expected for the 2023/2024 harvest season.

Earnings visibility remains limited overall.

Revenue and earnings in the first quarter exceeded Lenzing’s expectations, despite the persistently difficult market. Lenzing is ahead of schedule with the implementation of its performance program. By appointing a separate Managing Board member, the projects identified to date are to be implemented even more rapidly, and new potentials are to be leveraged. Lenzing expects that these measures will increasingly contribute to further earnings improvement over the coming quarters compared to the first quarter of 2024.

Taking the aforementioned factors into consideration, the Lenzing Group confirms its guidance for the 2024 financial year of year-on-year higher EBITDA.

In structural terms, Lenzing continues to anticipate growth in demand for environmentally responsible fibers for the textile and clothing industry as well as the hygiene and medical sectors. As a consequence, Lenzing is well positioned with its “Better Growth” strategy and plans to continue driving growth with specialty fibers as well as its sustainability goals, including the transformation from a linear to a circular economy model.

Meisheng Group has started up a new ANDRITZ needlepunch line at its facility in Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, China. It is the third line supplied by ANDRITZ to the manufacturer of high-end nonwoven synthetic leather. This expansion will enable Meisheng to address the growing demand for synthetic suede in the automotive industry, particularly for New Energy Vehicles (NEVs).

The advanced line is equipped with a ProWid™ system that allows Meisheng to ensure an optimum web weight regularity across the full product width. As a result, the web distribution is improved, which reduces material consumption (fibers) and improves web weight evenness (CV%) – factors that are particularly important in synthetic leather manufacturing for automotive applications.

Stahl, a provider of speciality coatings and treatments for flexible substrates, has appointed former AkzoNobel CEO Thierry Vanlancker as a Non-Executive Director to its Board.

As a Non-Executive Board Director, Mr Vanlancker will provide valuable oversight, advice and strategic guidance to Stahl’s leadership, supporting the company’s position as a leader in speciality coatings and treatments for flexible substrates.

From 2017 to 2022 Mr Vanlancker served as CEO and Chairman of the Management Board of AkzoNobel NV. Prior to his tenure at Akzo he held several senior positions in Europe and the US at Dupont.

Mr Vanlancker also serves as Chairman of the Board at Sika and as Non Executive Board Director at Aliaxis and Etex. He brings over 30 years of experience in the  speciality coatings and chemicals industries and holds a Master's degree in chemical engineering from Ghent University.

adidas introduces its 15-piece SS24 Paris Collection ahead of the 2024 clay season. Built to help players adapt to clay court conditions, the collection includes a core 8-piece range of apparel and footwear to help raise awareness of adidas’ annual Move For The Planet activation.

Designed to be played in seasonably warm Parisian temperatures, the collection features HEAT.RDY technology – breathable and lightweight fabrics that maximize airflow, to help keep players feel comfortable on court. Meanwhile increased mobility is unlocked thanks to adidas’ FreeLift Construction – a paneled fabric structure under the armpits – that enables greater freedom of arm movement during play while preventing the hems from riding up.

The pieces have been intentionally paired back, using zero prints to allow other bolder design features to make maximum impact, through striking color blocking, engineered paneling and textured fabrics. White and black panels on the garments emulate classic tennis court lines, highlighted by black bonding seams, meanwhile a stimulating Orange ‘Spark’ is used throughout to foster a sense of joyful energy for players during high-pressure games.

The collection will be worn by athletes including Caroline Wozniacki , Elina Svitolina, Xinyu Wang, Dana Mathewson, Jessica Pegula, Maria Sakkari, Stefanos Tsitsipas , Felix Auger Aliassime, Jason Wu and Martin de la Puente.

Global apparel retailer UNIQLO announces that it has signed a partnership agreement with the Singapore National Paralympic Council (SNPC) where UNIQLO becomes the Official Clothing Partner for the Singapore Paralympics team. Under the partnership, UNIQLO will provide LifeWear apparel to Singapore's delegations and officials at the coming major summer sports tournament in France. This comprises apparel to be worn for the opening and closing ceremonies, athlete village, and travel during the Games.

This is the first time that UNIQLO is providing apparel for a national team in Southeast Asia. The Singapore team clothing for the 2024 Summer games will largely comprise LifeWear items available at UNIQLO stores.

UNIQLO worked closely with SNPC to thoughtfully curate a selection of LifeWear apparel that emphasises function and comfort, while featuring modern looks that represent Singapore and blend seamlessly with the cityscape of Paris.

A red accent is applied to the accessories and lining as a tribute to the Singapore national colours. Touches of Singapore icons such as the orchid and the Singapore Lion Head symbol are reflected in the women's scarf and men's tie alongside a colour application of red, white and blue to represent Singapore and France.

UNIQLO'S commitment to diversity and inclusion
As part of the partnership, UNIQLO will also undertake community contribution activities with the council and athletes.

UNIQLO will be taking part in the inaugural Singapore Paralympic Fiesta to support Singapore's Para Athletes. Held at Our Tampines Hub from 4 - 7 May 2024, a UNIQLO Singapore team of over 100 staff and family will be participating in the Walkathon.

In line with UNIQLO's Next Generation Development Program, an initiative to inspire children and youth to discover a love of sport, UNIQLO will also join SNPC on their schools outreach efforts to raise awareness on Diversity and Inclusion and disability inclusion with programmes such as UNIQLO Access.