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Linen, Uniform and Facility Services Customers Credited for Environmental Friendliness
13.04.2018

Linen, Uniform and Facility Services Customers Credited for Environmental Friendliness

  • Clean Green Certified Companies Commemorate Earth Day 2018

U.S. Clean Green certified laundries are marking Earth Day 2018 (April 22) by commending the 250,000+ businesses across the nation that use such certified operations for linen, uniform and facility services.

Selecting a Clean Green certified company reflects concern for maximizing sustainability in a business supply chain. Private- and public-sector organizations who choose such a provider are learning that how their reusable textiles are supplied, laundered and maintained is a factor in their environmental impact.
Clean Green operations use a third party (TRSA) to verify their conservation practices and quantify their compliance with water and energy use thresholds.

  • Clean Green Certified Companies Commemorate Earth Day 2018

U.S. Clean Green certified laundries are marking Earth Day 2018 (April 22) by commending the 250,000+ businesses across the nation that use such certified operations for linen, uniform and facility services.

Selecting a Clean Green certified company reflects concern for maximizing sustainability in a business supply chain. Private- and public-sector organizations who choose such a provider are learning that how their reusable textiles are supplied, laundered and maintained is a factor in their environmental impact.
Clean Green operations use a third party (TRSA) to verify their conservation practices and quantify their compliance with water and energy use thresholds.

Laundered, reusable linens, uniforms, towels, mats and other products provided by the linen, uniform and facility services industry to enhance businesses’ image and provide clean, safe environments for their employees and patrons. Most Americans benefit from the industry at least once per week, either at work or by patronizing restaurants, healthcare facilities, hotels and other retail and service establishments.

Nearly 50 of the industry’s companies are Clean Green certified, serving business customers from more than 150 locations combined nationwide. These launderers work with customers to connect the certification to their efforts to minimize their carbon footprint. Certified operators report to TRSA that customers and prospects ask them about green laundry initiatives. These include environmentally friendly wash chemistry, water reuse and recycling, recapturing heat from hot water headed down the drain and operating efficient delivery routes.

“They are far more likely to inquire about the sum of environmentally friendly practices as opposed to the parts,” observes TRSA President and CEO Joseph Ricci of the industry’s customers. Many document their justification of purchase decisions, though, such as government agencies that profile the winners of contract bids. “Clean Green companies bidding for their work mention the certification in their sales promotion and these profiles reflect it.”

Linen and uniform services conserve water and energy best by using high-capacity, high-efficiency equipment, he pointed out, controlling expenses and thereby aiding efforts to keep service pricing under control. “It is the perfect sustainable business model. Business interests and environmental concerns align. Improving efficiencies reduces costs and reduces the impact on the environment,” Ricci says.

Based on the U.S. Census of the industry’s sales and a TRSA survey of member financial data, the association estimates that nearly 3 million businesses use the industry’s services. Clean Green companies are challenged to capture more of these industry customers. Their collective Earth Day 2018 campaign gives them an opportunity to highlight the extent to which their individual efficiencies have contributed to a nationwide movement. Publicizing their own gains around Earth Day can better qualify and quantify their environmental virtues to encourage detailed comparison with competitors’ efficiencies, Ricci noted.

 

Oerlikon: AC-Automation Acquisition (c) Oerlikon
Georg Stausberg, CEO of Oerlikon Manmade Fibers Segment, Rolf Gänz, Managing Director of AC-Automation, and Ralf Schilken, CFO of Oerlikon Manmade Fibers Segment (from left, first row).
13.04.2018

Oerlikon: AC-Automation Acquisition

  • Oerlikon integrates automation solutions for largescale plants in technology portfolio

Remscheid, Germany / Pfäffikon, Schwyz, Switzerland - Oerlikon announced today that it has acquired Germany-based AC-Automation GmbH & Co. KG, an engineering company specializing in large-scale plant automation solutions for the textile and packaging industries. The two companies have been partnering since the early 1980s. The integration of AC-Automation in Oerlikon expands the market-leading technology portfolio of its Manmade Fibers Segment. It also marks a milestone in Oerlikon’s ongoing quest to offer innovative, fully automated and digitally networked Industry solutions in the manmade fiber industry.

  • Oerlikon integrates automation solutions for largescale plants in technology portfolio

Remscheid, Germany / Pfäffikon, Schwyz, Switzerland - Oerlikon announced today that it has acquired Germany-based AC-Automation GmbH & Co. KG, an engineering company specializing in large-scale plant automation solutions for the textile and packaging industries. The two companies have been partnering since the early 1980s. The integration of AC-Automation in Oerlikon expands the market-leading technology portfolio of its Manmade Fibers Segment. It also marks a milestone in Oerlikon’s ongoing quest to offer innovative, fully automated and digitally networked Industry solutions in the manmade fiber industry.

The 60 employees at AC-Automation’s Bernkastel-Kues and Augsburg locations will become part of Oerlikon’s Manmade Fibers Segment, which includes the leading brands Oerlikon Barmag and Oerlikon Neumag. The move will expand the Segment’s business model, adding another key core component to its current offering of production plants and technology solutions from melt to yarn, fibers, andnonwovens. Ultimately, Oerlikon will be able to offer customers a total solution from a single source, including automation logistics for packaging, high-bay storage, and other areas, which complement its current market-leading spinning and process technologies for the textile industry.

"We see our expanded overall offering as an Industry solution, reflecting the future of an even more efficient, digitized and profitable chemical fiber industry, especially for large-scale plants with daily production capacity of several hundred tons of polyester, nylon, polypropylene, or other manmade fibers,” explains Georg Stausberg, CEO of the Manmade Fibers Segment. Manmade fiber producers from China — the world’s most important market, generating more than 70 % of worldwide manmade fiber production — as well as companies from other fast-growing markets such as India, Turkey and the USA are also relying on automated and networked Industry total solutions.

"The acquisition and integration of AC-Automation’s automation solutions will provide new opportunities for our manmade fiber business. It enables the Segment to increasingly position itself as an Industry solution provider in combination with our own digitization solutions,” says Oerlikon Group CEO Dr. Roland Fischer. “As a leading provider of advanced materials, surface solutions and materials processing including the engineering and production of polymer plants, this acquisition marks another milestone in Oerlikon’s strategy to strengthen its businesses and thus sustain profitable growth.”

"After such a long partnership, we are excited to be able to benefit even more in the future as part of a global player in the textile industry. Our market access will further improve with the help of the Oerlikon
Group's sales and service network. For my employees, I am very pleased to be able to bring them into an international Group, in which there would be new opportunities and perspectives for them personally,”
said Rolf Gänz, AC-Automation’s Managing Director.

More information:
Oerlikon Automation
Source:

Oerlikon - Corporate Communications
and Public Affairs (Segment Manmade Fibers)

09.04.2018

Heimtextil India and Ambiente India 2018 launch Bespoke Living in their fifth edition

  • Special display arena will showcase exquisite signature collections from interior décor and home textile sectors

India’s premium fairs for home textiles, homeware and interior décor, Heimtextil India and Ambiente India have launched Bespoke Living, an exclusive product showcase space dedicated to companies dealing with signature collections at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from 27th – 29th June 2018.

With four successful editions in a row, Heimtextil India and Ambiente India also slated on the same dates, have become the country’s leading business trade fairs to showcase the finest quality of dining, living, giving and home textiles. The launch of Bespoke Living aims to highlight one of a kind brands who deal with uniquely crafted designs that will range from plush statement pieces to extensive signature collections for home and retail furnishing.

  • Special display arena will showcase exquisite signature collections from interior décor and home textile sectors

India’s premium fairs for home textiles, homeware and interior décor, Heimtextil India and Ambiente India have launched Bespoke Living, an exclusive product showcase space dedicated to companies dealing with signature collections at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from 27th – 29th June 2018.

With four successful editions in a row, Heimtextil India and Ambiente India also slated on the same dates, have become the country’s leading business trade fairs to showcase the finest quality of dining, living, giving and home textiles. The launch of Bespoke Living aims to highlight one of a kind brands who deal with uniquely crafted designs that will range from plush statement pieces to extensive signature collections for home and retail furnishing.

The term luxury décor is not restricted to brand names anymore. With trends like fully furnished luxury houses, theme dominated homes and tastefully designed retail showrooms rapidly picking up in the country, consumers are open to different styles and unique designs.
Be it the very popular Scandinavian themed houses to colourful cultural artefacts creating a soothing aura, Indians now want their homes and businesses to reflect their personal style with statement interiors.

Halls dedicated to Bespoke Living will feature selected designer brands from India and around the world showcasing their premium collections. This product showcase arena will be beneficial for interior designers, architects, hotel buyers, buyers of luxury goods and luxury homes developers. Business visitors can gain knowledge about the upcoming trends, source timeless pieces, build new connections with people sharing the same interest and experience the quality of the products in person. Exposure to best in class products and latest trends presented here will help them create a better home design experience for their clients.

Excelling in statement leather pieces the brand Three Sixty will showcase their latest leather collection that comprises of rugged travel accessories and signature furniture pieces. Inspired by the world’s deserts and explorers who traversed them, the brand designs fully customisable handmade products which are available in beautiful shades of tan, sure to up the sophistication quotient of home and retail interiors.     
        
“Our latest collection at Bespoke Living will showcase our ever evolving tastes and designs. We believe luxury need not be synonymous with breaking open the bank. Traditional Indian craftsmen can craft the most beautiful signature pieces and provide quality beyond compare, shared Mr Vikash Gupta, CEO, Three Sixty. International exhibitors present at the show will showcase exquisite artefacts like decorative ceramics with glaze, handmade clay wreaths with metal leaves, ceramic vases and other decorative items to make every home unique.

Apart from this specially curated design platform, Heimtextil India and Ambiente India 2018 will host the Interior Lifestyle Awards that will bring creative masters from the interior decor and home textile sectors together by recognising their art and giving them an international platform to showcase their designs.
The trade fair will also organise the Hospitality Day, a hospitality and retail procurement programme that will bring top class purchase managers from the industry to build new contacts and source quality products. Together, Heimtextil India and Ambiente India together will host over 100 companies from countries like India, Indonesia, Switzerland and Thailand showcasing trendsetting designs in the interior décor and home textile industry.

Source:

Messe Frankfurt

CHIC March 2018 closes successfully with rise in attendance (c) JANDALI
German Pavilion
29.03.2018

CHIC March 2018 closes successfully with rise in attendance

  • CHIC Shanghai, March 14-16, 2018
  • CHIC March 2018 closes successfully with rise in attendance
  • CHIC´s new design: Discovering the young consumer world
  • Successful business in all fair segments
  • Service point CHIC as international platform for the international fashion trade
  • New autumn date for CHIC: September 27-29, 2018

The spring edition of CHIC, taking place from March 14-16, 2018, finished successfully with yet another increase in visitor figures. 1,210 exhibitors from 21 countries and regions presented themselves on 117,200 m² at the National Exhibition & Convention Center in Shanghai. 112,666 visitors of all business channels were registered at the fair, among them leading department stores, shopping malls, multibrand stores, agents, distributors.

  • CHIC Shanghai, March 14-16, 2018
  • CHIC March 2018 closes successfully with rise in attendance
  • CHIC´s new design: Discovering the young consumer world
  • Successful business in all fair segments
  • Service point CHIC as international platform for the international fashion trade
  • New autumn date for CHIC: September 27-29, 2018

The spring edition of CHIC, taking place from March 14-16, 2018, finished successfully with yet another increase in visitor figures. 1,210 exhibitors from 21 countries and regions presented themselves on 117,200 m² at the National Exhibition & Convention Center in Shanghai. 112,666 visitors of all business channels were registered at the fair, among them leading department stores, shopping malls, multibrand stores, agents, distributors.

Chen Dapeng, President of CHIC and Executive Vice President of China National Garment Association: "The consumers in China develop rapidly, `consumer upgrade´ is the keyword, the Chinese market is consumer oriented, in demand is an individual young style. The offer has to adapt to the needs of this target group, the industry has to become even more innovative and face the technological challenges."

CHIC Shanghai shows that the Chinese market follows the current trends which is also mirrored by its fresh young design and a full visual concept that was developed in cooperation with WGSN. Addressees are the young trendsetting consumers, China´s driving force for the strong growth in retail sales, which increased by 10.2% in 2017 to about 5.7 trillion US$. According to a study by BCG this target group accounts for 65% of consumption increase in China with a predicted growth rate of 11% per year until 2021. The total domestic consumption contributed nearly 60% to the economic expansion of the country in the last year.

Intensive contacts and ordering in all areas of CHIC

The exhibitors of the designer area IMPULSES, one of the core segments at CHIC and occupying the entire North Hall, among them Hua Mu Shen, Shan Zi, Mood for Mode, were very satisfied. In addition to numerous concrete cooperation agreements high value orders were placed as well.

The international exhibitors in the FASHION JOURNEY area came from Brazil, Denmark, Germany, France, China Hong Kong, India, Italy - with 40 exhibitors again the biggest European participation - , Japan, Korea, Peru, Poland, Sweden, Spain, China Taiwan, UK. They expressed their satisfaction with their participations and recognize the potential of the Chinese market. The trade fair objective are contacts, numerous promising cooperation talks took place that need intensive follow-up after the fair. Nevertheless there were also orders placed at the fair. The Polish Investment and Trade Agency participated for the first time in CHIC with its national export program “go-to-brand”. Polish jewellery and kidswear designer brands participated in the program and exhibited at CHIC.

Showing at the leather and fur area HERITAGE the International Fur Federation (IFF) presented itself for the first time with international producers such as the auction houses NAFA and SAGA. Turkey was again represented under the roof of IDMIB / ITKIB by ten companies. For the national participants, grouped in pavilions of the respective Chinese provinces, CHIC is an essential business platform, here they regularly meet their buyers and this time once again registered orders of high sums.

Young brands in the CHIC YOUNG BLOOD area like Monkey King (after the monkey king in the classic Chinese novel The Journey to the West) with manga style shirts or JPE, a trendy street style brand with a traditional Chinese dragon being its mascot, made more than 300 contacts with concrete cooperation intentions at CHIC.

Companies in the segment URBAN VIEW, the menswear area, e.g. RUYI group with more than 30 international fashion brands such as Aquascutum or Sandro; GSON, a menswear line of SEMIR group or ManCode, a new exhibitor at CHIC, reported hundreds of cooperation inquiries and direct deals at the fair.

A sensation in the accessories segment SECRET STARS was created amongst others by the German brand LEONARDO. Large groups of visitors interested in the jewellery collection gathered at the booth. The fair participation beat the company´s expectations by far.

The young generation is the engine for fashion consumption in China, a fact also recognized by the management of the SEMIR group that presented product novelties and its service offer with its kidswear brand BALABALA in the KID´S PARADISE at CHIC. New technologies were shown on more than 500 m² by the HODO group and its "unstaffed shops", "smart fitting rooms", "magic dressing mirrors". Further innovations were "cloud shelves" and "big screen data".

Service platform CHIC

The intensively expanded visitor management, online and offline, was a central aspect of the fair. Online via WeChat and the official CHIC APP more than 200,000 visitor request for specific product groups were made, exhibitors uploaded more than 700,000 pieces of product information. Active exchange was initiated by the Buyer´s Talk on the second fair day, dealing with the development of the buying systems of department stores and shopping malls, trend information was given at CHIC Buyer´s Theme Salon also taking place on day 2. The VIP Buyer´s Meeting brought international brands and interested agents and distributors together - a service that the organizer will expand in the future. “We visit CHIC Shanghai every time, for us it´s a very important platform for trend information and also to find European brands that we can introduce to the Chinese market”, says Wen Liu, CEO Jesery from Wuhan, representative of Canadian designer brand JAC. The management of Mallstyle Investment (Shanghai), with e.g. Italian luxury brands in its portfolio, directly got in touch with German and Italian brands at CHIC after the meeting.

The event schedule of CHIC offers a broad seminar and workshop programme with its CHIC TALK, from trend information to retail solutions to buyer meetings, the show programme CHIC SHOWS staged fashion presentations, of which especially the IMPULSES and OVERSEAS´ JOINT FASHION SHOWS attracted the visitors´ attention. CHIC Shanghai is designed as a global platform for the fashion industry and fashion trade and integrates all resources that are relevant to a successful development of the fashion business in China.

CHIC Shanghai changes autumn date to September

CHIC Shanghai changes together with Intertextile Shanghai, PH Value and Yarn Expo the date for its autumn edition to September. The next fair will be held from September 27-29, 2018 at the National Exhibition & Convention Center in Shanghai.

Marcos Furrer: President Brand & Performance Textile Specialties Business, and Innovation. (c) Archroma
Marcos Furrer: President Brand & Performance Textile Specialties Business, and Innovation.
08.03.2018

Archroma: New leader for Brand & Performance Textile Specialties business

Archroma, a global leader in color and specialty chemicals, announces the appointment of Marcos Furrer to the post of President Brand & Performance Textile Specialties, and Innovation, based in Archroma's headquarters in Reinach, Switzerland.

Marcos Furrer will take over from Thomas Winkler who will retire at the end of March 2018 after more than 30 years in the textile industry, among which 12 years at the helm of the business.
Announcing the appointment, Archroma CEO Alexander Wessels said: “Marcos Furrer was rather an obvious choice when we started to look for a potential successor for Thomas Winkler. He has the right combination of strong textile expertise and leadership skills that we need to drive the business in line with Archroma’s ambitious growth strategy.”

A Swiss national with a 20 years career, Mr Furrer has earned a strong reputation as a well-rounded business manager with excellent leadership skills and a taste for delivering on targets.

Archroma, a global leader in color and specialty chemicals, announces the appointment of Marcos Furrer to the post of President Brand & Performance Textile Specialties, and Innovation, based in Archroma's headquarters in Reinach, Switzerland.

Marcos Furrer will take over from Thomas Winkler who will retire at the end of March 2018 after more than 30 years in the textile industry, among which 12 years at the helm of the business.
Announcing the appointment, Archroma CEO Alexander Wessels said: “Marcos Furrer was rather an obvious choice when we started to look for a potential successor for Thomas Winkler. He has the right combination of strong textile expertise and leadership skills that we need to drive the business in line with Archroma’s ambitious growth strategy.”

A Swiss national with a 20 years career, Mr Furrer has earned a strong reputation as a well-rounded business manager with excellent leadership skills and a taste for delivering on targets.

Biography
A Chemical Engineer from the Ingenieurschule Beider Basel, Mr Furrer started his career with Clariant in Switzerland as Product Manager Sulphur Dyes, Textile Business, in 1997. He then grew in the organization as Head of Continuous Dyeing Cellulosic (1999 to 2001); Head of Business Unit (BU) Textile Dyes and Textile Chemicals in México (2001 to 2005); Global Head for the Product Group Cellulosic Dyes (2005 to 2007), Head of BU Textile Chemicals Latin America (2007 to 2009); Head of BU Textile Chemicals Americas (2009 to 2012); Head of Emulsions (January 2012 to June 2012); and Head of Marketing and Sales Plastic and Special Applications, BU Pigments (January 2013 to 2015).

His latest role as Head of Regional Business Line Europe, BU Pigments, Strategic Plastics, brought him back to Switzerland in January 2015, with the mission to implement the new BU Pigments regional structure in Europe.

Mr Furrer speaks 5 languages: English, German, Spanish, Portuguese and French.
 

More information:
Archroma
Source:

Archroma

JEC World 2018 (c)AGENCE APOCOPE
Crowded aisle of JEC World 2018
08.03.2018

JEC World 2018: Composites Industry in Paris

  • JEC World 2018, closes its doors on March 8 with a record increase in attendance resuming 3 days of vibrant networking and knowledge sharing.

The event confirms its leading position of JEC Group as number one organization for the promotion and development of the composites industry. Indeed the show welcomed more than 1,300 exhibitors from every continents and counted 42,445 professional visits from 115 countries. “The ability of JEC Group to gather the whole composites Industry under one roof over 3 days lies in the fact that we always initiate new precursory programs to the service of composites professionals.” says Ms. Frédérique Mutel, JEC Group President & CEO. “This year we initiated new programs, for instance the Composite Challenge allowing 10 PhD students to pitch their thesis in front of the industry, thus facilitating connections between students and industrialists. In the same spirit, we increased in power our Start Up Booster and Innovation Award Programs to accelerate relations between young or innovative companies with investors or established enterprises.

  • JEC World 2018, closes its doors on March 8 with a record increase in attendance resuming 3 days of vibrant networking and knowledge sharing.

The event confirms its leading position of JEC Group as number one organization for the promotion and development of the composites industry. Indeed the show welcomed more than 1,300 exhibitors from every continents and counted 42,445 professional visits from 115 countries. “The ability of JEC Group to gather the whole composites Industry under one roof over 3 days lies in the fact that we always initiate new precursory programs to the service of composites professionals.” says Ms. Frédérique Mutel, JEC Group President & CEO. “This year we initiated new programs, for instance the Composite Challenge allowing 10 PhD students to pitch their thesis in front of the industry, thus facilitating connections between students and industrialists. In the same spirit, we increased in power our Start Up Booster and Innovation Award Programs to accelerate relations between young or innovative companies with investors or established enterprises. We also introduced one new planet called “Make it Real” along with the Aero, Auto and Construction planets. In this planet, we could discover astonishing futuristic products for example the Aeromobil, a flying car that would revolutionize urban transportation in the near future,“ she adds. “We launched our new Book on Natural Fibers: Flax and Hemp. We had strong communications on Composites Environmental Input and Recycling.”

The event was the first event to promote and host the new “French Fab”, a French government initiative to internationally promote the French Industry and Manufacture. Also, JEC World welcomed the French Secretary of State to the Minister of Economy and Finance Ms. Delphine Gény-Stephann, visit that demonstrates the growing role of composites in the industry.

Inspiring Keynotes to foster composites disruption

Dirk Ahlborn,CEO of Hyperloop opened the Startup Booster ceremony by supporting the spirit of ingenuity in the Industry. Dayton Horvath, industry expert and consultant in additive manufacturing presented his vision of how to apply artificial intelligence to composite Materials and Manufacturing. Finally, Yves Rossy, the “jetman” using the latest carbon-fiber wings for flight introduced the JEC Innovation awards ceremony, motivating the audience to pursue their dreams and explaining how composites could made his dreams come true.

The "Public Choice” Awards Winners

A first at the show this year was the introduction of the public votes to elect their favorite projects among two JEC programs promoting innovation. “The goal to create the “public choice awards” was to involve and embark our community to make their innovation loud. Our vision at JEC is to demonstrate and to make understand towards a broader scope the vast range of possibilities that composite materials offer.”
comments Ms. Anne-Manuèle Hébert, Director for JEC World and European Events for JEC Group.

Public Choice Award for Startup  Booster: Inca-Fiber (Germany) with 62.36% of the 2,221 votes
Public Choice Award for JEC Innovation Awards: Infusion technology for an aircraft wing by AeroComposit JSC (Russia) gaining 20.96% of the 4,126 votes.

Source:

AGENCE APOCOPE

20th anniversary of the JEC Innovation Awards (c) GROUPE JEC - Thierry-Alain TRUONG
07.03.2018

20th anniversary of the JEC Innovation Awards

  • JEC Group pays tribute to the winners at JEC World 2018

The 2018 session of JEC World, the reference trade show organized by JEC Group, is in full swing and the focus is on innovation!
The JEC Innovation Awards ceremony, which took place on the Agora stage on Wednesday, March 7 at 5 pm, opened with a presentation by Yves Rossy, aircraft pilot and inventor of the first jet-powered wingpack. Then the jury revealed the names of the composite champions up for a JEC Innovation Award. Eleven winning innovations were chosen, out of the thirty finalists that had been previously selected from more than 100 applications from all over the world.

  • JEC Group pays tribute to the winners at JEC World 2018

The 2018 session of JEC World, the reference trade show organized by JEC Group, is in full swing and the focus is on innovation!
The JEC Innovation Awards ceremony, which took place on the Agora stage on Wednesday, March 7 at 5 pm, opened with a presentation by Yves Rossy, aircraft pilot and inventor of the first jet-powered wingpack. Then the jury revealed the names of the composite champions up for a JEC Innovation Award. Eleven winning innovations were chosen, out of the thirty finalists that had been previously selected from more than 100 applications from all over the world.

“JEC Group supports innovation. In 1998, it created the first award dedicated to composites, as a way to promote and reward the sector’s champions. Thanks to the work of JEC Group’s teams, the program has become an international benchmark. Each year, we receive more than a hundred applications from all over the world. Selection is now based on criteria like the level of involvement of the innovation’s partners in the value chain, the technical nature of the innovation, or its commercial applications,” explains JEC Group President & CEO Frédérique Mutel.
A new feature this year is that the jury revealed the winners during the ceremony, and the public could choose their favorite innovation before, during, and after the ceremony. So there is still time to vote! Votes are opened until Thursday March 8th, 5pm http://innovationawards.jec-world.events
Did you miss the ceremony?

11 AWARD WINNERS:
AEROSPACE APPLICATION

Winner:
AeroComposit, JSC (Russia) and its partner Solvay (United Kingdom)

  • Infusion technology for an aircraft wing

The use of infusion technology to manufacture primary structural components for an aircraft wing. The technology makes it possible to create extra-long, integrated composite structures with complex aerodynamic shapes.

AEROSPACE PROCESS 
2 tied winners!
Winner: Airbus (Germany) and its partners, BMW Group (Germany), Technical University of Munich (TUM) (Germany), Neue Materialien Bayreuth GmbH (Germany), Werkzeugbau Siegfried Hofmann GmbH (Germany), BASF SE (Germany), Foldcore GmbH (Germany), Neenah Filtration (Germany) and SGL Carbon GmbH (Germany)

  • Complex structural applications for MAI sandwich technology

Cost-effective production of a complex 2.5D structure made of thermoplastic composite sandwich, with very short cycle times: under 5 minutes for aerospace materials and 2.5 minutes for automotive materials.

Winner: M. Torres Diseños Industriales SAU (Spain)
Moldless process to manufacture one-piece parts
A new manufacturing process for oversized one-piece reinforced composite structures, without requiring the use of complete molds.

AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATION
Winner: Ford Werke GmbH (Germany) and its partners, Gestamp (United Kingdom), GRM Consulting (United Kingdom) and University of Warwick (United Kingdom)

  • Lightweight composite automotive suspension part

Structural suspension part made of lightweight composite, using a brand-new patented process for prepreg/SMC/steel overmolding that was designed using a new computer-aided engineering (CAE) technology.

AUTOMOTIVE PROCESS
Winner: Audi AG (Germany) and its partners, Voith Composites GmbH & Co. KG (Germany), Dow Automotive (Switzerland), and Zoltek Corp. (United States)

  • Series production of a rear panel module made of carbon composite

For the first time, the potential of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) is used to full advantage in series production with a new rear panel module and cost-effective production technologies.

CONSTRUCTION & INFRASTRUCTURE
Winner: Komatsu Seiren Co., Ltd. (Japan) and its partners, Kanazawa Institute of Technology (Japan) and Nagase ChemteX Corporation (Japan)

  • Cabkoma cable made of CFRTP

Komatsu Seiren has developed a cable made of molded carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP), using a very cost-effective process that consists in polymerizing a thermoplastic epoxy resin in situ.

MARINE
Winner: Uljanik JSC (Croatia)

  • Composite cargo decks for a vehicle carrier

On the SIEM Cicero, a vehicle carrier with a capacity of 7,000 vehicles, glass-fiber reinforced composites are used for a number of the structures for the cargo decks, thereby considerably reducing the ship’s weight, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

RAILWAY
Winner: ELG Carbon Fibre Ltd. (United Kingdom) and its partners, Alstom Transport (United Kingdom), Magma Structures (United Kingdom), the University of Birmingham (United Kingdom), and the University of Huddersfield (United Kingdom)

  • A bogie frame made of optimized lightweight carbon fiber

This project has developed the very first carbon-fiber bogie frame that uses a recycled material, making it possible to overcome the obstacles to a commercial adoption of this type of structure.

SPORTS & LEISURE
Winner: BMW Group (Germany) and its partners EDAG Engineering GmbH (Germany), KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH (Germany), Chr. Karl Siebenwurst GmbH & Co. KG (Germany), TUM-LCC (Germany), Automation W + R GmbH (Germany), and FHG-IGCV (Germany)

  • A modular construction system for the rear swing arm suspension of a motorcycle

A modular system to produce a complex-shape swing arm suspension reinforced with carbon fiber. The system can adjust the mechanical properties on a case-by-case basis, for a competitive cost and weight compared to metal solutions.

SMART CITIES
Winner: MC Materiales Compuestos (Argentina) and its partners, Plaquimet (Argentina), Purcom (Brazil), IS Groupe - Composite Integrity (France), and G12 Innovation (Brazil)

  • The Wet Core Pod composite housing module

The Wet Core Pod is a composite housing module with an industrialization potential that can facilitate the most complex, costly and difficult step in a construction project.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Winner: Cetim-Cermat (France) and its partner, CETIM (France)

  • “3-in-1” line for producing recycled composites

A modular line that uses an innovative thermomechanical process to make large panels from recycled composites or plastics. The panels are then thermoformed into parts.
 

Source:

Dorothée David & Marion RISCH, Agence Apocope

Lectra ESCP Europe (c) Lectra
27.02.2018

Technology propelled by Industry 4.0 brings new opportunities for the fashion industry

  • Lectra – ESCP Europe ‘Fashion & Technology’ Chair round-table event hears panelists emphasize the need for fashion companies to embrace Industry 4.0.

Paris, February 27, 2018 – Lectra, the technological partner for companies using fabrics and leather, the French business school ESCP Europe and their joint ‘Fashion & Technology’ Chair explored the impact of Industry 4.0 on fashion’s value chain during a recent insightful round table discussion at ESCP Europe’s London campus.
For the participants Robert Diamond, Founder and CEO, Fernbrook Partners; Dan Hartley, Global Head of Digital Commerce, AllSaints; Laëtitia Hugé, Vice-President, Product Marketing, Lectra; Pierre Mercier, Senior Partner and Managing Director, Boston Consulting Group; and Evelthon Vassilou, CEO, Alison Hayes, there was consensus. Industry 4.0 represents unparalleled opportunities to take the fashion industry forward.

  • Lectra – ESCP Europe ‘Fashion & Technology’ Chair round-table event hears panelists emphasize the need for fashion companies to embrace Industry 4.0.

Paris, February 27, 2018 – Lectra, the technological partner for companies using fabrics and leather, the French business school ESCP Europe and their joint ‘Fashion & Technology’ Chair explored the impact of Industry 4.0 on fashion’s value chain during a recent insightful round table discussion at ESCP Europe’s London campus.
For the participants Robert Diamond, Founder and CEO, Fernbrook Partners; Dan Hartley, Global Head of Digital Commerce, AllSaints; Laëtitia Hugé, Vice-President, Product Marketing, Lectra; Pierre Mercier, Senior Partner and Managing Director, Boston Consulting Group; and Evelthon Vassilou, CEO, Alison Hayes, there was consensus. Industry 4.0 represents unparalleled opportunities to take the fashion industry forward.

From brand to manufacturer, panelists from across the value chain emphasized the necessity for the industry to embrace the alliance between man and machines to leverage massive benefits, from quicker decision-making to cost-reduction.
Exploring the advantages of Industry 4.0 technology, Evelthon Vassilou commented: “Interpreting the data of what is, and isn’t, selling should help to speed up decisions. You can react very quickly across the entire supply chain, and either stop producing something unsuccessful or ramp up production if successful. Data and data analytics is not sufficient, to succeed this also requires a high degree of trust and integration between retailers and suppliers.”

“It’s about using technology to deliver continuous improvement in everyday business,” said Robert Diamond. “People are not good at making a large volume of repeatable decisions with many different data inputs”. Identifying where machines, and where people, bring value is an important part of embracing Industry 4.0. “If the business decision, or the outcome of the resolution tomorrow, is pretty much the same as what happened yesterday, then there is a chance for machine learning to help improve the situation.”
For Pierre Mercier, technology propelled by Industry 4.0 is disrupting former sources of competitive advantage, “forcing companies to rethink how they want to compete in their respective industries, and how to use data to compete differently. The common denominator in the fashion ecosystem is that everyone is facing the opportunity for a step change and need to figure out where to double down and accelerate their transformation.”

“Agility and flexibility are increasingly important for fashion players. Cutting-edge technology is supporting the fashion industry as it steps into the 4.0 era, ensuring businesses have the right solutions in their own ecosystems, to effectively harness the right data to make the right decisions,” stated Laëtitia Hugé.

At UK fashion brand AllSaints, valuable data harnessed from the net promoter score is paramount for their business. “We take customer feedback very seriously and we use it as a framework for our internal roadmap - from a tech and development point of view, through to design and fit, the customer is at the heart of everything we do,” stated Dan Hartley. In addition, he underlined that using technology across communications “will be huge going forward for AllSaints. From supply chain to store teams, we aim to use a cloud-based system that works within our own eco-system, complementing our agile model.”
The round table was moderated by the co-director of Lectra-ESCP Europe ‘Fashion and Technology’ Chair Valérie Moatti.
 

More information:
Lectra-ESCP Europe Industry 4.0
Source:

Lectra, Nathalie Fournier-Christol

27.02.2018

JEC GROUP MAKES PARIS THE WORLD’S COMPOSITES CAPITAL

On March 6-8, 2018, Paris will host the largest international trade show for advanced materials: JEC World, which is organized by JEC Group. For three days, more than 43,000 professional visits from some 100+ countries will gather at the world’s most innovative platform for the materials and products that are revolutionizing our century. “One field where France is a global leader is the field of composites!” says JEC Group President and CEO Frédérique MUTEL.

COMPOSITES ARE GOING STRONG
The share of composites in the global economy is growing. The market for these products is worth 83 billion euros, for a volume of 11.23 million metric tons of volume (2017 statistics). Analysts are predicting a steady 5% growth by 2021. From the industrial viewpoint, composites are developing rapidly, with new automated processes for high-volume production.

On March 6-8, 2018, Paris will host the largest international trade show for advanced materials: JEC World, which is organized by JEC Group. For three days, more than 43,000 professional visits from some 100+ countries will gather at the world’s most innovative platform for the materials and products that are revolutionizing our century. “One field where France is a global leader is the field of composites!” says JEC Group President and CEO Frédérique MUTEL.

COMPOSITES ARE GOING STRONG
The share of composites in the global economy is growing. The market for these products is worth 83 billion euros, for a volume of 11.23 million metric tons of volume (2017 statistics). Analysts are predicting a steady 5% growth by 2021. From the industrial viewpoint, composites are developing rapidly, with new automated processes for high-volume production.

INNOVATION IN COMPOSITES
“Innovation is there with the raw materials, such as better-formulated resins (and even recyclable ones like thermoplastics) and higher-performance fibers like carbon, glass and aramid. Moreover, natural materials like starch for matrices and flax, hemp, sisal and bamboo for fibers are being introduced. There is also innovation in the ways composites are being used, and with the creation of completely new things like drones, electronic devices, hydrofoils and flying taxis. Composites are currently making progress everywhere there is a need for low weight and performance. They offer nearly infinite possibilities. These are truly the materials of the century. Designers are adopting them in a broad range of fields like smart cities, infrastructure, networks, transportation, medical devices, sports & leisure and design. Composites materials expand the field of possibilities.” explains Ms. MUTEL.

“MAKE IT REAL” AT THE 2018 JEC WORLD TRADE SHOW
To present the latest trends and innovations, the 2018 JEC World has even more surface area, with 68,000 square meters. The 1,350 exhibitors (from carbon fiber producer to auto builder, from designer to decorator, from research fellow to aircraft manufacturer) will display their latest advances. All stakeholders will be present at the show. JEC World received more than 40,000 professional visits last year, and is expecting 43,000 this year!

THE NEW “MUST” THINGS TO SEE
This year, JEC World will have four planets. Besides the aerospace, automotive and construction planets, there will be a new “Make it real” planet, which gives a preview of designer creations to be exhibited at the Ghent museum starting in October 2018. “We will show the many aspects of composites, and how these materials are being gradually incorporated into everyday objects,” adds Ms. MUTEL.
This year’s JEC World will feature a new “Composite Challenge” program that gives the floor to ten PhD students, who will be given five minutes to pitch their research projects with the help of a single slide. “True to its mission, the JEC Group has set up this new program to share the latest research on composites. But it is not just a way to share the most advanced knowledge, it also helps to bridge the gap between academics and the industry and to identify the industry’s next generation of leaders,” she says.
JEC World will also be the occasion to launch Flax & Hemp Fiber Composites, A Market Reality: The Biobased Solution for the Industry, a new book published by JEC Group on the use of plant-based materials.

KNOWLEDGE & NETWORKING PROGRAMS SUPPORTED BY JEC GROUP
The trade show will host well-known speakers, including Dirk AHLBORN, the CEO of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, a company that is reinventing transportation with high-speed travel (up to 1,300 km/h, or 808 mph), and Yves ROSSY, aircraft pilot and inventor of the first jet-powered wingpack, with which he is able to reach speeds of up to 300 km/h, or 186 mph. The Startup Booster program will pay tribute to startups, and the JEC Innovation Awards program, to innovations. For the first time, the public will be invited to vote on these two programs!
Six new conferences will also address the latest technical advances that are moving the sector forward, and a Composites in Action program will present live demonstrations throughout the show, in three different places.

More information:
JEC World JEC Group
Source:

Dorothée DAVID & Marion RISCH, AGENCE APOCOPE

21.02.2018

Der Bangladesh Fashionology Summit bereitet das Land auf die Zukunft der Mode vor

Als erstes Mode- und Technik-Event seiner Art in Bangladesch, dem zweitgrößten Exporteur der Welt für Konfektionskleidung, präsentierte sich der BANGLADESH FASHIONOLOGY SUMMIT am 12. Februar 2018 in der Hauptstadt Dhaka.

Mostafiz Uddin, Gründer & CEO der international hoch angesehenen Bangladesh Denim Expo, hat den Gipfel unter dem Thema "Trete heute in die Zukunft ein" organisiert.
Wie können sich die Bekleidungsfabriken in Bangladesch auf die Transformation hin zu Industrie 4.0 vorbereiten? Welche Fähigkeiten und Erfahrungen werden benötigt, um den Übergang von Industrie 3.0 zu Industrie 4.0 erfolgreich zu schaffen? Herausfordernde Themen wie diese wurden beim ersten Fashion-Technologie-Event dieser Art im Land diskutiert, um eine Brücke zu schlagen zwischen der Gegenwart und Zukunft von Bangladeschs Bekleidungs- und Textilindustrie.  

Als erstes Mode- und Technik-Event seiner Art in Bangladesch, dem zweitgrößten Exporteur der Welt für Konfektionskleidung, präsentierte sich der BANGLADESH FASHIONOLOGY SUMMIT am 12. Februar 2018 in der Hauptstadt Dhaka.

Mostafiz Uddin, Gründer & CEO der international hoch angesehenen Bangladesh Denim Expo, hat den Gipfel unter dem Thema "Trete heute in die Zukunft ein" organisiert.
Wie können sich die Bekleidungsfabriken in Bangladesch auf die Transformation hin zu Industrie 4.0 vorbereiten? Welche Fähigkeiten und Erfahrungen werden benötigt, um den Übergang von Industrie 3.0 zu Industrie 4.0 erfolgreich zu schaffen? Herausfordernde Themen wie diese wurden beim ersten Fashion-Technologie-Event dieser Art im Land diskutiert, um eine Brücke zu schlagen zwischen der Gegenwart und Zukunft von Bangladeschs Bekleidungs- und Textilindustrie.  

Insgesamt 17 Redner aus der ganzen Welt, darunter die USA, die Niederlande, Frankreich, Großbritannien, Japan und Indien, diskutierten auf dem Gipfel über die aktuellsten Produktentwicklungen, Technologien und Innovationen - mit dem Ziel, die Zukunft der Industrie zu gestalten.
Vier Vortragsreihen wurden während des Gipfels abgehalten: "Die Fabrik der Zukunft", "Virtuelles Prototyping und die Digitalisierung der Lieferkette in der Textilindustrie", "Fashion-Technologie & nachhaltige Innovationen" und "Massen-Maßanfertigung & On-Demand-Fertigung".
Etwa 450 Entscheider aus den Interessensvertretungen der Schlüsselindustrien wie Hersteller, Käufer, Handelsorganisationen, Entwicklungspartner und andere nahmen am Gipfel teil.

Organisator Mostafiz Uddin: "Unser Ziel war, die inspirierendsten und innovativsten Denker und Unternehmen aus der ganzen Welt unter einem Dach zusammenzubringen, um den dringend notwendigen Austausch über Technologie, Digitalisierung und Innovation in der Bekleidungs- und Fashionindustrie anzustoßen."

Zu den Teilnehmern gehörten die Botschafterin des Königreichs der Niederlande in Bangladesch, Leoni Cuelenaere, der Präsident der Föderation der Kammern für Handel und Industrie (FBCCI) in Bangladesch, Md. Shafiul Islam (Mohiuddin), der soeben ausgeschiedene Präsident der Vereinigung von Bangladeschs Bekleidungsherstellern und Exporteuren ( BGMEA), Md. Atiqul Islam und der Geschäftführer von Pacific Jeans, dem Titel-Sponsor des Events, Syed Mohammed Tanvir. Er lobte den BANGLADESH FASHIONOLOGY SUMMIT in seiner Rede auf der Abschlussveranstaltung als längst überfällige und effektive Initiative, um Bangladesch in einen Bekleidungsindustrie-Standort der nächsten Generation umzuwandeln.

Die allererste Tech Runway Show des Landes wurde ebenfalls während des BANGLADESH FASHIONOLOGY SUMMIT abgehalten.
Designer aus den Niederlanden, Spanien, Frankreich/Paris, Großbritannien und Indien führten ihre neuesten digitalen Tech-Kollektionen auf der Veranstaltung vor. Smart wearable, 3D printed, LED embedded glow show collections waren nur einige der futuristischen Fashion-Tech-Kreationen, die auf dem Laufsteg zu sehen waren.

“Smarte Kleidung mit integrierter Technik ist die Zukunft der Mode. Weil man das gesehen haben muss, um es zu verstehen, haben wir die Fashion Tech Runway Show organisiert, mit dem Ziel, die Industrie zu inspirieren, den Schritt in die Zukunft zu wagen." erklärt Mostafiz Uddin.

20.02.2018

Hexcel Congratulates Airbus

On Febuary 20, 2018 – Hexcel congratulated Airbus on delivering the first A350-1000 to Qatar Airways earlier today, following successful FAA and EASA Type Certification on November 21.
Hexcel is a major supplier of advanced materials for the A350 XWB program, and composite materials make a significant contribution to the weight savings, performance and fuel efficiency of both aircraft in the family, the A350-900 and the A350-1000. This stretched version of the aircraft is 7 meters longer than the A350-900, carries an additional 40 seats, and offers similar unrivalled comfort and efficiency. Both versions are powered by latest generation Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines.

Hexcel’s HexPly® M21E/IMA carbon fiber/epoxy prepreg is used to manufacture all composite primary structures of the aircraft, including the fuselage panels, keel beam, wing and empennage. The lower wing cover is the biggest single civil aviation part ever made from carbon fiber and spans 32 meters long.

On Febuary 20, 2018 – Hexcel congratulated Airbus on delivering the first A350-1000 to Qatar Airways earlier today, following successful FAA and EASA Type Certification on November 21.
Hexcel is a major supplier of advanced materials for the A350 XWB program, and composite materials make a significant contribution to the weight savings, performance and fuel efficiency of both aircraft in the family, the A350-900 and the A350-1000. This stretched version of the aircraft is 7 meters longer than the A350-900, carries an additional 40 seats, and offers similar unrivalled comfort and efficiency. Both versions are powered by latest generation Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines.

Hexcel’s HexPly® M21E/IMA carbon fiber/epoxy prepreg is used to manufacture all composite primary structures of the aircraft, including the fuselage panels, keel beam, wing and empennage. The lower wing cover is the biggest single civil aviation part ever made from carbon fiber and spans 32 meters long.

A further advancement is the introduction of CFRP in other structural components such as the pylon upper spar and door surround. For the first time on an Airbus aircraft, Hexcel’s HexMC® carbon fiber/epoxy molding compound has also been used for the A350-1000 fuselage crutches.

“I send my congratulations to Airbus on delivering the first A350-1000 to Qatar Airways,” said Nick Stanage, Hexcel Chairman, CEO and President. “Hexcel is proud to be a partner-supplier to Airbus and to have Hexcel carbon fiber and composite materials incorporated into so many structural parts in the A350 XWB family.”

More information:
Hexcel’s HexPly® Airbus
Source:

AGENCE APOCOPE, Dorothée DAVID & Marion RISCH

16.02.2018

Superior Linen Supply Recertified Hygienically Clean

  • Emphasis on Process, Third-party Validation and Outcome-based Testing

ALEXANDRIA, Va., February 16, 2018 —Kansas City, Mo.-based Superior Linen Supply has again achieved Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification, reflecting their commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by on-site inspection and their capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbial testing.

The laundry was first certified in 2014. Recertification confirms the organization’s continuing dedication to infection prevention, compliance with recognized industry standards and processing healthcare textiles using BMPs as described in its quality assurance documentation, a focal point for Hygienically Clean inspectors’ evaluation. The independent, third-party inspection must also confirm essential evidence that:

• Employees are properly trained and protected
• Managers understand regulatory requirements
• OSHA-compliant
• Physical plant operates effectively

  • Emphasis on Process, Third-party Validation and Outcome-based Testing

ALEXANDRIA, Va., February 16, 2018 —Kansas City, Mo.-based Superior Linen Supply has again achieved Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification, reflecting their commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by on-site inspection and their capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbial testing.

The laundry was first certified in 2014. Recertification confirms the organization’s continuing dedication to infection prevention, compliance with recognized industry standards and processing healthcare textiles using BMPs as described in its quality assurance documentation, a focal point for Hygienically Clean inspectors’ evaluation. The independent, third-party inspection must also confirm essential evidence that:

• Employees are properly trained and protected
• Managers understand regulatory requirements
• OSHA-compliant
• Physical plant operates effectively

To achieve certification initially, laundries pass three rounds of outcome-based microbial testing, indicating that their processes are producing Hygienically Clean Healthcare textiles and diminished presence of yeast, mold and harmful bacteria. They also must pass a facility inspection. To maintain their certification, they must pass quarterly testing to ensure that as laundry conditions change, such as water quality, textile fabric composition and wash chemistry, laundered product quality is consistently maintained. Re-inspection occurs every two to three years.

This process eliminates subjectivity by focusing on outcomes and results that verify textiles cleaned in these facilities meet appropriate hygienically clean standards and BMPs for hospitals, surgery centers, medical offices, nursing homes and other medical facilities.

Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification acknowledges laundries’ effectiveness in protecting healthcare operations by verifying quality control procedures in linen, uniform and facility services operations related to the handling of textiles containing blood and other potentially infectious materials.

Certified laundries use processes, chemicals and BMPs acknowledged by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, American National Standards Institute and others. Introduced in 2012, Hygienically Clean Healthcare brought to North America the international cleanliness standards for healthcare linens and garments used worldwide by the Certification Association for Professional Textile Services and the European Committee for Standardization.

Objective experts in epidemiology, infection control, nursing and other healthcare professions work with Hygienically Clean launderers to ensure the certification continues to enforce the highest standards for producing clean healthcare textiles.

“Congratulations to Superior Linen Supply on their recertification,” said Joseph Ricci, TRSA president and CEO. “This achievement proves their ongoing commitment to infection prevention and that their laundry takes every step possible to prevent human illness.”

More information:
Hygienically Clean Healthcare
Source:

Ken Koepper, TRSA®

09.02.2018

TRSA Donates $80,000 Toward Hurricane Relief from Proceeds of Cancelled Annual Conference

TRSA, the global association for the linen, uniform and facility services industry, has donated approximately $80,000 to Anayat House, Children of Restaurant Employees (CORE) and ConPRmetidos: organizations assisting those impacted by hurricanes in Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico.

The donations are the result of TRSA’s 105th Annual Conference, which had been scheduled for last September in Miami, but was cancelled due to Hurricane Irma. While offering to refund all registration and sponsorship fees, TRSA asked members to donate all or a portion of those fees to support local charities.

“We’re very proud of the TRSA community, which was able to create some positive outcomes in an overwhelmingly tragic circumstance,” said Joseph Ricci, CEO of TRSA.

TRSA, the global association for the linen, uniform and facility services industry, has donated approximately $80,000 to Anayat House, Children of Restaurant Employees (CORE) and ConPRmetidos: organizations assisting those impacted by hurricanes in Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico.

The donations are the result of TRSA’s 105th Annual Conference, which had been scheduled for last September in Miami, but was cancelled due to Hurricane Irma. While offering to refund all registration and sponsorship fees, TRSA asked members to donate all or a portion of those fees to support local charities.

“We’re very proud of the TRSA community, which was able to create some positive outcomes in an overwhelmingly tragic circumstance,” said Joseph Ricci, CEO of TRSA.

"The contribution from TRSA will directly assist low income families and the elderly who seek overnight accommodations during a medical crisis,” said Tressa Clarke, Executive Director of Anayat House, which provides affordable overnight accommodations for family members of patients at local Beaumont, TX, hospitals and anyone traveling to Beaumont for medical care and outpatient treatment. “This contribution will help bridge the gap between the suggested donation of $20 and the actual cost of $90 per room.”

CORE, an organization that is part of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, grants support to children of food and beverage service employees navigating life-altering circumstances. "CORE was incredibly grateful to receive the generous donation from TRSA," said Lauren LaViola, executive director of CORE.  “The donation to CORE will help to fulfill grants for qualifying children of food and beverage service employees navigating life-altering circumstances."

“I feel truly inspired by TRSA’s continued commitment to the support of our industry’s community of families. It is an honor and a privilege to be part of such great association,” said Pablo Lucchesi, Managing Partner of Crown Linen, in whose name TRSA made the CORE contribution.

An additional contribution was made to ConPRmetidos, an organization that specializes in matching Puerto Rico’s “diaspora” – people who settle away from their ancestral homeland – with companies there to help them grow.

“We don’t have words to say thanks for all your generosity,” said Michael Shulevitz, President of Cadillac Uniform & Linen Supply in Puerto Rico. “Thank you for helping Puerto Rico to rise up again.”

The $80,000 donation follows an immediate TRSA charitable effort that took place just after the conference, when several hundred homeless residents were given welcome boxes that had been packaged for conference attendees at the time of the cancellation.

More information:
TRSA
Source:

TRSA®
Ken Koepper, Director of Marketing/PR

06.02.2018

Loop Linen Certified for Food Service Laundering

Loop Linen has earned the Hygienically Clean Food Service designation, reflecting their commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by on-site inspection and their capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbial testing. Loop Linen is a fourth-generation family-owned linen and uniform service company located in New Orleans suburb of Westwego.

The certification confirms the laundry’s dedication to compliance and processing linens and garments using BMPs as described in its quality assurance documentation, the focal point for Hygienically Clean inspectors’ evaluation of critical control points (CCPs) that minimize risk. The independent, third-party inspection must confirm essential evidence that:
•             Employees are properly trained and protected
•             Managers understand legal requirements
•             OSHA-compliant
•             Physical plant operates effectively

Loop Linen has earned the Hygienically Clean Food Service designation, reflecting their commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by on-site inspection and their capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbial testing. Loop Linen is a fourth-generation family-owned linen and uniform service company located in New Orleans suburb of Westwego.

The certification confirms the laundry’s dedication to compliance and processing linens and garments using BMPs as described in its quality assurance documentation, the focal point for Hygienically Clean inspectors’ evaluation of critical control points (CCPs) that minimize risk. The independent, third-party inspection must confirm essential evidence that:
•             Employees are properly trained and protected
•             Managers understand legal requirements
•             OSHA-compliant
•             Physical plant operates effectively

In addition, Loop Linen’s facility passed three rounds of outcome-based microbial testing, indicating that their processes are producing Hygienically Clean garments and linens and diminished presence of harmful bacteria. To maintain their certification, laundry plants must pass quarterly testing to ensure that as laundry conditions change, such as water quality, textile fabric composition and wash chemistry, laundered product quality is consistently maintained.

This process eliminates subjectivity by focusing on outcomes and results that verify textiles cleaned in these facilities meet appropriate hygienically clean standards and BMPs for full- and limited-service restaurants and other food service operations.

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) practices are examined in the Hygienically Clean Food Safety inspection process, evaluating the plant’s techniques for:
•             Conducting hazard analysis
•             Determining CCPs, monitoring their control, correcting them if not under control
•             Validating and verifying HACCP system effectiveness
•             Documenting and record-keeping to show ongoing conformance

Inspections also evaluate practices relevant to handling and processing textile products used in food manufacturing/processing establishments for adherence to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) directives. Introduced in January 2016, Hygienically Clean Food Service brought to linen and uniform service laundering in North America the international cleanliness standards used worldwide by the Certification Association for Professional Textile Services and the European Committee for Standardization.

“Congratulations to Loop Linen on their certification,” said Joseph Ricci, TRSA president and CEO. “This achievement proves their dedication to building their customers’ confidence that their laundry takes every step possible to prevent human illness.”

TINTEX reveals “NATURALLY ADVANCED COTTON” Collection TINTEX TEXTILES, S.A.
25.01.2018

TINTEX reveals “NATURALLY ADVANCED COTTON” Collection

At the Munich Fabric Start in Munich, TINTEX proudly announced its complete switch from the use of conventional cotton and the concomitant launch of a new fabric range that is the highest expression of the new generation of cotton: Naturally Advanced Cotton by TINTEX.

This new range is able to offer an advanced smart choice of 4 different premium and responsible advanced cotton solutions such as BCI Cotton, ECOTEC® by Marchi & Fildi, GOTS certified organic cotton and Supima. These new fabrics maintain and upgrade the transparent, hi-tech and sustainable organics that are at the heart of the TINTEX DNA. They represent better, smarter ecomaterials with new levels of performance and hi-tech smarts, thanks to a first class expertise in specialist dyeing and finishing techniques, coatings and applications that use the latest research, equipment and processes to deliver it. 

At the Munich Fabric Start in Munich, TINTEX proudly announced its complete switch from the use of conventional cotton and the concomitant launch of a new fabric range that is the highest expression of the new generation of cotton: Naturally Advanced Cotton by TINTEX.

This new range is able to offer an advanced smart choice of 4 different premium and responsible advanced cotton solutions such as BCI Cotton, ECOTEC® by Marchi & Fildi, GOTS certified organic cotton and Supima. These new fabrics maintain and upgrade the transparent, hi-tech and sustainable organics that are at the heart of the TINTEX DNA. They represent better, smarter ecomaterials with new levels of performance and hi-tech smarts, thanks to a first class expertise in specialist dyeing and finishing techniques, coatings and applications that use the latest research, equipment and processes to deliver it. 

This new launch is confirming once more the commitment of TINTEX to its ‘Naturally Advanced’ position meaning “advancing beautiful, organic and natural materials to the next level combined with unique, hybrid ‘nature-tech’ smarts, with added value and creativity, thanks to dedicated investments that serve and secure our customer’s demands both now and in the seasons to come” says CEO Mario Jorge Silva.

The “Naturally Advanced Cotton” on Collection by TINTEX:

BCI cotton: The Better Cotton Initiative has specific aims:

  • Reduce the environmental impact of cotton production
  • Improve livelihoods and economic development in cotton producing areas
  • Improve commitment to and flow of Better Cotton throughout supply chain.

ECOTEC® by Marchi & Fildi: a range of full-colour yarns, a smarter cotton made from pre-consumer clippings that save up to 77,9% water during manufacture. This season TINTEX is also introducing a new, finer ECOTEC® yarn called Phoenix, also GRS certified, being made from 50% ECOTEC® cotton and 50% recycled polyester. Here wellbeing credentials are guaranteed with Tessile e Salute* certification. 

GOTS Organic Cotton: The Global Organic Textile Standard GOTS is the most important standard for sustainable production of garments and natural fiber textile products from organic farming such as organic cotton or organic wool. GOTS criteria measures environmental, technical quality, toxicity and social impacts. GOTS is backed by independent certification for the entire supply chain.

Supima Cotton: Luxury, quality and craftsmanship are the benchmarks of American-grown, extra-long staple cotton. TINTEX offers 100% Supima precious fabrics and blends with tencel.

These special 4 cotton actors are made even more “advanced” by unique smart finishing as Plummy and Naturally Clean, for clean surfaces, bright colours, outstanding touch always with a very careful eye at the responsible values.  

Trevira CS Stoffwettbewerb 2018 © Trevira GmbH
Trevira CS Stoffwettbewerb 2018
25.01.2018

Trevira's CS Joint Booth at the 2018 Heimtextil trade fair a tremendous succes

At this year's Heimtextil, which took place from 9-12 January in Frankfurt, Trevira impressed visitors with a brand new fair concept. The company worked together with sixteen of its biggest customers to create a joint booth covering 1,305 square metres of Hall 4.2, drawing a large crowd.

Head of Marketing, Anke Vollenbröker, explained, "Thanks to our new approach and booth concept, we were able to present our brand Trevira CS in an open and welcoming manner plus highlight the good relationship we have with our customers."

Trevira CEO Klaus Holz added, "We are really pleased with the very positive feedback we have had from all sides in response to our grand Trevira CS joint booth. We would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the booth's success. The extremely positive market reaction has reassured us that this is a concept we can build on in the future."

At this year's Heimtextil, which took place from 9-12 January in Frankfurt, Trevira impressed visitors with a brand new fair concept. The company worked together with sixteen of its biggest customers to create a joint booth covering 1,305 square metres of Hall 4.2, drawing a large crowd.

Head of Marketing, Anke Vollenbröker, explained, "Thanks to our new approach and booth concept, we were able to present our brand Trevira CS in an open and welcoming manner plus highlight the good relationship we have with our customers."

Trevira CEO Klaus Holz added, "We are really pleased with the very positive feedback we have had from all sides in response to our grand Trevira CS joint booth. We would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the booth's success. The extremely positive market reaction has reassured us that this is a concept we can build on in the future."

A Trevira exhibition formed the centrepiece of the joint booth, showcasing the winning fabrics from the 2018 Trevira CS Creativity Competition, which this year featured "Colour" as its major theme. At the heart of the display, visitors could find out more about Trevira with the help of twelve tablets providing information in a variety of formats, including a staff presentation and a flyer about the new Trevira Sinfineco® brand.

Encircling this core and thereby completing the joint booth concept, sixteen major customers grouped their individual stands around this centrepiece to display their own new Trevira CS collections for residential and contract usage. The customers joining Trevira to create the booth were Baumann Dekor Ges.m.b.H., Engelbert E. Stieger AG, FIDIVI Tessitura Vergnano S.p.A., Georg + Otto Friedrich, Jenny Fabrics AG, Johan van den Acker Textielfabriek B.V., Mattes & Ammann GmbH & Co. KG, Pugi R.G. S.R.L., Spandauer Velours GmbH & Co. KG, SR Webatex GmbH / Getzner Textil AG, Swisstulle AG, Tessitura Mario Ghioldi & C. srl, Torcitura Fibre Sintetiche S.p.A., Torcitura Lei Tsu S.r.l. / Ilcat S.p.A., Vlnap a.s. / Wagenfelder Spinning Group and Wintex S.r.l..

Another major section of the Trevira booth was dedicated to the world of acoustics. Increasingly, customers are (re)discovering textiles as a way to significantly improve the quality of room acoustics, and this part of the booth also attracted numerous visitors.

A special highlight at the joint booth were the Trevira CS sports shoes, worn by Trevira staff as a key element of the brand's trade fair outfit. The shoes are an Adidas Originals Special Edition of the iconic Stan Smith Silhouette, which Adidas manufactured in cooperation with Kvadrat.

In keeping with annual tradition, the new Trevira CS Gold and Silver Club members were announced during the Heimtextil fair. The new members were presented with their awards at a formal ceremony on Tuesday evening (9 January).

21.12.2017

Montalvo Promotes New Director of Sales and Marketing

Gorham, ME, USA – Montalvo, international specialists in web tension control, has promoted Bryon Williams to Director of Sales and Marketing. Mr. William’s will oversee Montalvo’s North America sales efforts, and global marketing strategy with an emphasis on building relationships within existing and new industries, managing Montalvo’s internal and external sales team, and continuing to further Montalvo’s marketing strategy. Previously Mr. Williams worked as Montalvo’s Global Marketing Manager.

Montalvo’s CEO Robin Goodwin says “Bryon has been with Montalvo since 2010, during which time he has shaped and elevated our global branding and marketing strategy while helping to manage our product portfolio. Bryon is highly committed to delivering excellence both internally and externally, directly benefitting our customers and his colleagues. He will bring this commitment and dedication to his new role, to grow Montalvo even further.”

Gorham, ME, USA – Montalvo, international specialists in web tension control, has promoted Bryon Williams to Director of Sales and Marketing. Mr. William’s will oversee Montalvo’s North America sales efforts, and global marketing strategy with an emphasis on building relationships within existing and new industries, managing Montalvo’s internal and external sales team, and continuing to further Montalvo’s marketing strategy. Previously Mr. Williams worked as Montalvo’s Global Marketing Manager.

Montalvo’s CEO Robin Goodwin says “Bryon has been with Montalvo since 2010, during which time he has shaped and elevated our global branding and marketing strategy while helping to manage our product portfolio. Bryon is highly committed to delivering excellence both internally and externally, directly benefitting our customers and his colleagues. He will bring this commitment and dedication to his new role, to grow Montalvo even further.”

Before Montalvo, Mr. Williams specialized in customer communication and marketing coordination at JobsintheUS.com and Sunday River Ski Resort. Mr. Williams attended Bryant University and earned a Bachelor’s in Business Administrant in Marking and Communication and is currently earning his Masters of Business Administration in Leadership from Saint Joseph’s College of Maine.

Source:

The Montalvo Corporation

 

DSM-Niaga announces research collaboration with ECOR © Niaga
Niaga Productionline
20.12.2017

DSM-Niaga announces research collaboration with ECOR

Geleen, NL - Royal DSM, a global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials, today announces that DSM-Niaga and ECOR are to start a research collaboration. The collaboration will focus on developing fully recyclable and healthier alternatives for particleboard, MDF and other panel materials which can be used in industries such as building & construction, furniture, interior decoration and displays. ECOR offers technology for circular materials and has an R&D facility in Venlo, the Netherlands.

Looking at the piles of waste generated by the interior and construction industries, design for recycling is inevitable. Both ECOR and DSM-Niaga have been redesigning products to be fully recyclable back into the same product. The irreversible combination of materials and ingredients used in most products made with MDF and particleboard is the biggest challenge for technically and economically feasible recycling. Both ECOR and DSM-Niaga want to outsmart complexity for healthier and recyclable products.

Geleen, NL - Royal DSM, a global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials, today announces that DSM-Niaga and ECOR are to start a research collaboration. The collaboration will focus on developing fully recyclable and healthier alternatives for particleboard, MDF and other panel materials which can be used in industries such as building & construction, furniture, interior decoration and displays. ECOR offers technology for circular materials and has an R&D facility in Venlo, the Netherlands.

Looking at the piles of waste generated by the interior and construction industries, design for recycling is inevitable. Both ECOR and DSM-Niaga have been redesigning products to be fully recyclable back into the same product. The irreversible combination of materials and ingredients used in most products made with MDF and particleboard is the biggest challenge for technically and economically feasible recycling. Both ECOR and DSM-Niaga want to outsmart complexity for healthier and recyclable products.

Eric Logtens, CEO ECOR-NOBLE Environmental Benelux commented: “The concept that traditional materials like tabletops are up for incineration or disposal after their life cycle will be eliminated. Combining ECOR and Niaga® technologies, the core materials of products can be made from recycled content, and can be fully recycled after use.”

Chris Reutelingsperger, Chief Technology Officer DSM-Niaga commented: “By combining ECOR and Niaga, waste becomes a treasure. I can’t stop thinking of all the possibilities, and I hope that designers will approach us for ideas to make beautiful products and challenge us to broaden the possibilities of these technologies.”

In recent months ECOR and DSM-Niaga explored a collaboration by combining each other’s technologies. The technology of ECOR can make materials from natural fibers, with water, pressure and heat alone. DSM-Niaga manufactures products by using a reversible adhesive. This adhesive enables easy decoupling of different material layers, for full recovery and high value recycling. Both technologies were combined and tested in diverse product applications, like furniture and displays. The preliminary results led to further investigating of applications and will lead to new fully recyclable products.

Both technologies combined offer a fully recyclable alternative to all products made from MDF and particleboard, without compromising on material safety, quality, and recyclability. The joint objective of both companies is to offer manufacturing processes to local companies, solving local waste problems and boosting local economies on a global scale.

More information:
ECOR DSM-Niaga
Source:

DSM Media Relations

TINTEX Presents “NATURALLY ADVANCED” Innovations © TINTEX
TINTEX Presents “NATURALLY ADVANCED” Innovations
19.12.2017

TINTEX Presents “NATURALLY ADVANCED” Innovations

TINTEX is pleased to present its latest fabric innovations at the above salons with a new range of more than 80 qualities and styles designed for the Sportswear, Athleisure, Fashion and Underwear market sectors. The collection focusses on three jersey fabric concepts: TIMELESS, FASHIONABLE & INNOVATIVE.

TINTEX is a modern industrial company based in the Porto region since 1998, producing market savvy fabrics for global designers and brands. TINTEX makes a truly sustainable range of precision, modern hybrid jersey fabrics that offer a better, Naturally Advanced choices to all its customers.

TINTEX is pleased to present its latest fabric innovations at the above salons with a new range of more than 80 qualities and styles designed for the Sportswear, Athleisure, Fashion and Underwear market sectors. The collection focusses on three jersey fabric concepts: TIMELESS, FASHIONABLE & INNOVATIVE.

TINTEX is a modern industrial company based in the Porto region since 1998, producing market savvy fabrics for global designers and brands. TINTEX makes a truly sustainable range of precision, modern hybrid jersey fabrics that offer a better, Naturally Advanced choices to all its customers.

The new ‘Naturally Advanced’ position means “advancing beautiful, organic and natural materials to the next level combined with unique, hybrid ‘nature-tech’ smarts, with advanced, added value and creativity, thanks to dedicated investments that serve and secure our customer demands both now and in the seasons to come” says CEO Mario Jorge. New innovations, which include the ISPO Best Product Award i (SOFT EQUIPMENT category) in TexTrends for fall winter 19/20, maintain and upgrade the honest but hi-tech sustainable organics that is at the heart of the TINTEX DNA to create better, smarter eco-materials, always with new levels of performance and hi-tech smarts, thanks to its expertise in specialist dyeing and finishing techniques, coatings and applications. These are all researched, designed and made using the latest equipment and processes. This season the new TINTEX collection plays with new colour balance techniques that deploy the benefits of chromotherapy for welbeing alongside skin safe materials and finishings.

The collection uses up to 90% of new smart and sustainable materials and include: Tencel, Modal & Micromodal, Organic Cottons, Supima cottons, Seacell fibres, Natural organic linens and the new, full colour ECOTEC® yarns by Marchi & Fildi, a smarter cotton made from pre-consumer clippings that in manufacture save up to 79% water. This season TINTEX is also introducing the new ECOTEC® yarn Phoenix (50% ECOTEC®, 50% recycled polyester, NM1/50 GRS-certified) for open, light and dry textures. Wellbeing credentials are guaranteed with Tessile e Salute certifications, TINTEX also presents new developments using the ROICA™ Eco Smart family of ecosustainable stretch yarns with certificated credentials. This family of yarns claim the world-first GRS certified ROICA™ premium stretch yarn that comes at least 50% from recycled pre-consumer waste.

The newest introduction for second skin qualities and for products to the athleisure market within TINTEX collection is ROICA™ Feel Good family that promises a new level of performance with ‘feelgood comfort’ and freshness.

For colouration effects, we can use the ROICA™ Colour Perfect family of yarns to create a flawless and responsible finish to dyed performance stretch assortments. Colours to Tranquilize, to Activate the Senses, to Recharge, to Energize.

Key highlights include: changeant effects (yarn and dyeing solutions), thermosensitive (reds/ blues) coatings, UV sensitive coatings and colourful coated patterns, extra fine and semi-transparent jerseys, but also, compact and fluid qualities.

 

 

 

18.12.2017

Tencent, JD.com and Vipshop Announce Equity Investment and Business Cooperation

Beijing - Tencent Holdings Limited (“Tencent”) (00700.HK), JD.com, Inc. (“JD.com”) (NASDAQ:JD), and Vipshop Holdings Limited (“Vipshop”) (NYSE:VIPS), today jointly announced that Tencent, a leading provider of internet value-added services in China, and JD.com, China’s largest retailer, have entered into definitive agreements with Vipshop, a leading online discount retailer for brands in China, such that Tencent and JD.com will invest an aggregate amount of approximately US$863 million in cash in Vipshop at the closing of the transaction.

 

Beijing - Tencent Holdings Limited (“Tencent”) (00700.HK), JD.com, Inc. (“JD.com”) (NASDAQ:JD), and Vipshop Holdings Limited (“Vipshop”) (NYSE:VIPS), today jointly announced that Tencent, a leading provider of internet value-added services in China, and JD.com, China’s largest retailer, have entered into definitive agreements with Vipshop, a leading online discount retailer for brands in China, such that Tencent and JD.com will invest an aggregate amount of approximately US$863 million in cash in Vipshop at the closing of the transaction.

 

Pursuant to the share subscription agreement, Tencent and JD.com will subscribe for newly issued Class A ordinary shares of Vipshop in the amount of approximately US$604 million and approximately US$259 million, respectively. The purchase price will be US$65.40 per Class A ordinary share, which is equivalent to US$13.08 per American Depositary Share (“ADS”) of Vipshop, five of which represent one Class A ordinary share. The purchase price represents a 55% premium over the closing price of the ADSs as of the last trading day on December 15, 2017.

The transaction is expected to close in the near future, subject to customary closing conditions.  Upon the closing, Tencent and JD.com will beneficially own, taking into account any existing holding, approximately 7% and 5.5%, respectively, of Vipshop’s total issued shares. The Class A ordinary shares issued to Tencent and JD.com will be subject to a two-year lock up restriction. Tencent and JD.com will have the right to appoint a director and an observer, respectively, to Vipshop’s board of directors during the two-year lockup period. After the end of the lock-up period, for so long as Tencent and JD.com hold approximately 12% and 8%, respectively, of Vipshop’s total issued shares, or otherwise by mutual agreement with Vipshop, they will maintain director and board observer rights.

Concurrently with the entry of the share subscription agreement, Tencent and JD.com have entered into business cooperation agreements with Vipshop, effective upon closing, establishing a cooperative relationship among Tencent, JD.com and Vipshop. Under these agreements, Tencent will grant Vipshop an entry on the interface of Weixin Wallet enabling Vipshop to utilize traffic from Tencent’s Weixin platform, and JD.com will grant Vipshop entries on both the main page of JD.com’s mobile application and the main page of its Weixin Discovery shopping entry, and will assist Vipshop in achieving certain GMV targets through JD.com’s platform.   

“I am truly delighted about Vipshop's new strategic cooperation relationships with Tencent and JD.com,” said Mr. Eric Ya Shen, Vipshop’s Co-founder, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer. “This undoubtedly is an important event for Vipshop as well as China's e-commerce and internet industries. We, together with Tencent and JD.com, will leverage our respective strengths to form a strategic cooperative alliance aiming to achieve a deep, win-win cooperation and to benefit internet users and consumers. We will develop a holistic cooperation with Tencent on the Weixin platform and expand our strategic alliance with Tencent into more and broader areas.  We will explore win-win opportunities in multiple areas with JD.com, including establishing a strategic alliance in collaboration with brand suppliers, and an on-line traffic alliance. We will continue to operate as an independent e-commerce platform and further deepen and enhance our leading e-commerce capabilities in fashion (including apparel, shoes, bags and accessories) and cosmetics categories as well as our strong female user base, thereby offering higher value and better user experience to our customers.”

“The strength of Vipshop’s flash sale and apparel businesses, as well as its outstanding management team, create clear and strong synergies with us,” said Richard Liu, Chairman and CEO of JD.com. “This partnership will further extend the strong inroads that we have made with female shoppers, and will expand the breadth and reach of our fashion business. We continue to add the top-notch partners to complement JD.com’s core strengths, ensuring that JD and our partners provide the best customer experience for every shopping need.”

Martin Lau, President of Tencent Holdings, said, “We are pleased to become strategic investor in and partner with Vipshop. We look forward to providing Vipshop with our audiences, marketing solutions, and payment support to help the company provide branded apparel and other product categories to China’s rising middle class. We already see substantial demand from our users to discover, discuss and purchase branded apparel in our applications, and we believe that connecting our users more deeply to products on Vipshop’s platform will enrich their online experiences while benefiting Vipshop. We are proud of the role our resources such as marketing technology, payments handling, and machine learning play in facilitating a healthy and diverse retail ecosystem, online and offline.” 

About JD.com, Inc.

JD.com is both the largest e-commerce company in China, and the largest Chinese retailer, by revenue. The company strives to offer consumers the best online shopping experience. Through its user-friendly website, native mobile apps, and WeChat and Mobile QQ entry points, JD offers consumers a superior shopping experience. The company has the largest fulfillment infrastructure of any e-commerce company in China. As of September 30, 2017, JD.com operated 7 fulfillment centers and 405 warehouses covering 2,830 counties and districts across China, staffed by its own employees. JD.com is a member of the NASDAQ100 and a Fortune Global 500 company.

About Vipshop Holdings Limited

Vipshop Holdings Limited is a leading online discount retailer for brands in China. Vipshop offers high quality and popular branded products to consumers throughout China at a significant discount to retail prices. Since it was founded in August 2008, the Company has rapidly built a sizeable and growing base of customers and brand partners. For more information, please visit www.vip.com.

About Tencent Holdings Limited

Tencent uses technology to enrich the lives of Internet users. Our social products Weixin and QQ link our users to a rich digital content catalogue including games, video, music and books. Our proprietary targeting technology helps advertisers reach out to hundreds of millions of consumers in China. Our infrastructure services including payment, security, cloud and artificial intelligence create differentiated offerings and support our partners’ business growth. Tencent invests heavily in people and innovation, enabling us to evolve with the Internet. Tencent was founded in Shenzhen, China, in 1998. Shares of Tencent (00700.hk) are traded on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong.

 

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “confident” and similar statements. Among other things, statements regarding the expected closing of the transactions and the quotations from management in this announcement are or contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to, those included in JD.com’s and Vipshop’s filings with the SEC and in Tencent’s filings with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and none of Tencent, JD.com or Vipshop undertake any duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

Source:

© JD.com