From the Sector

Marktführer BabyOne leitet die nächste Evolutionsstufe ein

Münster - BabyOne, die Fachmarktkette für Baby und Kleinkindbedarf, hat das Geschäftsjahr 2019 mit einem Nettoumsatz von 235 Millionen Euro und einem Umsatzplus von 7,2 Prozent im Vergleich zum Vorjahr erfolgreich abgeschlossen. Der Marktführer für Babyfachmärkte hat damit eine gute Ausgangssituation geschaffen, das Unternehmen konsequent weiterhin on- und offline aufzubauen und den Generationswechsel des familiengeführten Franchiseunternehmens zu vollziehen. Die beiden Inhaber Wilhelm und Gabriele Weischer werden sich per Ende des Jahres aus der operativen Geschäftsführung zurückziehen.

BabyOne blickt auf eine 32-jährige, erfolgreiche Unternehmensgeschichte zurück. Nun steht in diesem Jahr der Generationswechsel des familiengeführten Traditionsunternehmens an. Die Geschwister Dr. Anna Weber und Dr. Jan Weischer werden das Unternehmen in Zukunft gemeinsam mit Stefan Keil führen, der bereits seit 2016 Mitglied der Geschäftsleitung ist.

Der Generationswechsel steht im Zeichen einer Wachstumsstrategie on- und offline. „Wir sehen im digitalen Wandel eine große Chance und wollen unser bestehendes Geschäftsmodell in diese Richtung weiterentwickeln“, erklärt Dr. Anna Weber. Das Franchise-Konzept von BabyOne ist bekannt für seine werteorientierte und mitarbeiterzentrierte Unternehmenskultur. Daran anknüpfend plant die Nachfolgegeneration, das Geschäftsmodell und die Organisationsstrukturen noch stärker an den Markt- und Kundenbedürfnissen auszurichten und zu digitalisieren. „Aufbauend auf unserer bestehenden, sehr erfolgreichen Basis setzen wir in Zukunft stärker auf eine performanceorientierte und datengetriebene Kultur, um agiler zu werden,“ erläutert Dr. Jan Weischer.

Digitalexperte Marcus Diekmann als Advisor Change an Bord

Für die anstehende Neuausrichtung holt sich BabyOne den Handels- und Transformationsexperten Marcus Diekmann als Berater an die Seite. In der Funktion als Advisor Change wird er die Geschäftsführung bei der strategischen Weiterentwicklung und in Fragen der digitalen Transformation unterstützen. Der 40-Jährige gilt als einer der führenden Experten im digitalen Handel. Er ist selbst Unternehmer und Mitgesellschafter bei Radspezialist Rose Bikes und berät als selbständiger Berater Unternehmen bei digitalen disruptiven Transformationsstrategien. „Es ist bereichernd und inspirierend, Marcus Diekmann als Sparringspartner an Bord zu haben“, freut sich Jan Weischer.

„BabyOne hat in der Vergangenheit Großes geleistet und sich in einem hart umkämpften Markt erfolgreich als Marktführer etabliert. Ich bin stolz darauf, nun Teil des Teams sein zu dürfen und BabyOne bei der anstehenden Weiterentwicklung begleiten zu dürfen,“ kommentiert Marcus Diekmann seinen Einstieg bei BabyOne.

• For Soft Vibrant And Durable Pigment Prints

Reinach, Switzerland - Archroma, a global leader in color and specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, has recently launched at the ITMA exhibition its new Helizarin® LTC New liq, a formaldehyde-free* low temperature curing binder for pigment printing on all kinds of fibers.

Prints are increasingly popular in apparel and interior textiles, as they allow us to express ourselves through vibrant colors and patterns. Consumers are especially drawn to the soft touch of an elegantly printed fabric.

Creating soft and vibrant prints can however be challenging for textile manufacturers: Pigment printing is usually applied to the fabric with a binder that often contains formaldehyde, needs a high temperature for curing, and can make the fabric harsh to the touch.

That is why Archroma developed its new Helizarin® LTC New to allow textile manufacturers to address these challenges.

The innovation was developed in compliance with “The Archroma Way: safe, efficient, enhanced, it’s our nature”. The approach finds its origin in Archroma’s deep belief that it is possible to make the textile industry sustainable, economically and ecologically.

Helizarin® LTC New is a binder designed for low temperature curing or no curing. This allows to reduce the fixation temperature and time compared to conventional pigment printing processes. In addition, manufacturers will not experience the change of shades that sometimes occur with high temperature processes.

When using Helizarin® LTC New, textile manufacturers can therefore improve the productivity of their printing process and reduce their energy consumption.

Helizarin® LTC New is also a welcome solution for textile manufacturers who do not have curing equipment, since it offers similar to better fastness than commodity binders that have been treated through a full process, and excellent fastness on synthetic fibers such as polyester and polyamide.

When it comes to the final result on the fabric, Helizarin® LTC New allows the creation of soft and durable prints for premium quality articles.

The new product will be the core of Archroma's Cool Print, a complete formaldehyde-free* system that keeps printed textiles soft and durable, and the planet cooler.

The system, which combines Helizarin® LTC New with Luprintol® softening and fixing auxiliaries and Printofix® pigment preparations, allows manufacturers to realize potential savings of up to 30% in processing time, 45% in energy consumption and 44% CO2 emissions – compared to benchmark pigment printing.

Helizarin® LTC New, as well as the Cool Print system, is formaldehyde free* and registered under REACH. It can be used in line with the ZDHC & bluesign® requirements, is compliant with the Oeko-Tex Std 100 Class 1 standard for baby wear, and with the MRSL of the most major brands.

“Helizarin® LTC New was developed by Archroma’s R&D team together with experts at our Global Competence Center for Printing, based in Barcelona, Spain”, says Joaquin Femat, Head of Business Development for Printing, Brand & Performance Textile Specialties, at Archroma. “As The Archroma Way is based on Safe, Efficient and Enhanced as its three pillars, we designed an innovation that offers our customers a balanced combination of resource optimization, safe handling, and controlled effluent. Because it’s our nature!”
 

• Company to showcase innovation while marking its 100th anniversary

Paper Converting Machine Company (PCMC), part of Barry-Wehmiller, will showcase its extensive nonwovens converting experience at IDEA19, held March 25 to 28, 2019, in Miami. Attendees may visit booth #1660 to learn how PCMC’s modular equipment serves a variety of market needs, as well as join the festivities when the company commemorates its 100th anniversary with a cake celebration from 2 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 27.

Offering hygienic, high-speed folding solutions, crossfolding machines that provide quick product changeovers and multi-servo cutting modules, PCMC can meet a wide range of production demands and enhance customers’ profitability, whether they’re creating cosmetic, medical, baby, dispersible, scientific, cleaning, polishing, sanitizing or drying wipes.

For interfolded and non-interfolded flat-pack wet wipes, PCMC’s modular, low-maintenance Clipper series can achieve 800 cuts per minute in hygienic and non-hygienic designs. With the compact footprint of the Marlin Pro, crossfold wipe customers can save space, while also reducing waste and achieving the lowest cost per wipe.

• Lectra’s latest PLM solution selected by Jinfa Labi to improve its product development process through supply chain digitization

Paris – Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using fabrics, leather, technical textiles and composite materials, is pleased to announce that Jinfa Labi, one of the first publicly listed maternity and infant clothing companies in China, has chosen Lectra Fashion PLM 4.0 to help digitally transform their supply chain, making it more efficient, integrated and connected.

Spurred by the continued growth of the Chinese economy, young Chinese parents are now demanding maternity and baby products that are more personalized and sophisticated in terms of material and design. To meet these new market needs, Jinfa Labi has chosen to implement Lectra Fashion PLM 4.0 after researching on all PLM vendors in the market. With the help of this solution, the company aims to further improve their product development process by digitizing their entire supply chain, from design to production, enhancing business agility and collaboration. By embracing digitalization, the company hopes to make progress in adopting the government initiative “Made in China 2025”.

Lectra’s ultimate collaborative platform—Lectra Fashion PLM 4.0—gives fashion and apparel companies the extra speed and agility they need to tackle the challenges of Industry 4.0 head on. With the widest functional scope on the market, this technology serves as the intelligent backbone for the digital supply chain, facilitating the entire design-to-production process. This ensures a consistent flow of error-free data between process, technology and people, thus enabling organizations to quickly adapt to different business models and keep pace with the latest trends.

“As one of the first domestic companies to engage in R&D, design, production and distribution of baby clothing, Jinfa Labi is now growing exponentially. We are looking for a partner with a worldwide perspective and in-depth knowledge on the industry’s best practices,” said Lin Ruowen, General Manager, Jinfa Labi. “And Lectra fits the bill. Their latest PLM solution connects CAD, industry-standard software, company IT systems and external suppliers together, allowing us to fully digitize our supply chain by covering all production stages. We can then focus on improving our core competencies.”

“We are confident that Lectra will help Jinfa Labi make their mark for “Made in China 2025”. This Industry 4.0-based initiative will not only revolutionize the way in which manufacturers operate but also change the way in which the brands and retailers run their businesses. Lectra is committed to providing the technology and support that our customers need to thrive in this new digital era,” said Andreas A. Kim, Managing Director, Lectra, Greater China. “Lectra Fashion PLM 4.0 is the only PLM solution purpose-designed for the fashion industry that covers the entire value chain. We hope to leverage our 44 years of experience in the fashion industry to help Jinfa Labi succeed through operational excellence.”