From the Sector

Solvay announced the future Board of Directors of SYENSQO, effective upon completion of the planned separation of Solvay into two companies – SOLVAY and SYENSQO – which is on track to be completed in December 2023.

SYENSQO’s Board will be composed of 10 members, including 6 independent members, 3 members representing the reference shareholder, Solvac, and the company CEO. They have deep expertise in specialty industries, international business operations, risk management, corporate governance, finance and clean technology.

The following individuals will serve on the SYENSQO Board of Directors:
Rosemary Thorne will serve as independent Director and Chair of the SYENSQO Board, as well as Chair of the Board’s Finance Committee. She is currently an Independent Director on the Solvay Board of Directors, appointed in 2014, and Chair of the Board’s Audit Committee. She is also an Independent Director on the Board of Merrill Lynch International (UK), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of America, serving as Chair of the Audit Committee. Ms. Thorne has decades of financial leadership experience across a wide range of industries. She previously served as Chief Financial Officer at J. Sainsbury, the UK’s largest supermarket chain at the time; Bradford & Bingley; and Ladbrokes. Ms. Thorne previously sat as an Independent Director on the Boards of Royal Mail Group, Cadbury Schweppes, Santander UK, First Global Trust Bank and Smurfit Kappa Group.

Dr. Ilham Kadri will serve as Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors of SYENSQO. She is currently CEO and President of the Executive Committee at Solvay. Ms. Kadri has successfully led the turnaround of Solvay, delivering double-digit EBITDA growth and 18 consecutive quarters of positive free cash flow, deleveraging the balance sheet and promoting superior people engagement. She is an independent Board member at A.O. Smith and L’Oréal. She is active in non-profit organizations, as Chair of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), member of the steering committee of the European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT) as well as a permanent member of the World Economic Forum’s International Business Council (WEF). Ms. Kadri has extensive leadership experience across a variety of industries in four continents and with leading industrial multinationals, including Shell, UCB, Huntsman, Dow, Sealed Air. Prior to Solvay, she was CEO and President of Diversey in the USA, led the company’s return to profitability and resulting spin off and divestiture to Bain Capital. She founded two non-Profit foundations: the Solvay Solidarity Fund in Belgium in 2020 which supported more than 7000 families affected by Covid-19 and natural disasters; and founded the ISSA Hygieia Network in 2015 in the USA, to help women in the cleaning industry. She received two Doctor Honoris Clausa from EWHA University in Korea and Université de Namur in Belgium.

Julian Waldron will serve as independent Director and Chair of the Audit Committee. He currently serves as Deputy Executive Chairman of privately-held Albea Group, a global beauty and personal care packaging company which operates 35 facilities in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Mr. Waldron has held senior leadership roles at several leading listed companies in the industrial, technology and services sectors and brings a wealth of expertise in finance and business operations. Prior to joining Albea in 2022, he was Chief Financial Officer of Suez for three years after serving as Chief Financial Officer and subsequently Chief Operating Officer of Technip. He started his career at UBS Warburg where he spent 14 years. Mr. Waldron also served as an independent Board member and Chairman of finance, risk and investments at Carbon Clean, a privately-owned carbon capture company dedicated to achieving net zero.

Heike Van de Kerkhof will serve as independent Director and Chair of the Nomination Committee. She currently sits on the Board of OCI N.V.. Ms. Van de Kerkhof brings more than 30 years of experience in the chemicals, oil & gas and materials industries, having served in numerous leadership roles around the globe. From 2020 to 2023, she was Chief Executive Officer of Archroma Management, a global specialty chemicals company. During her tenure, she successfully completed the transformational acquisition of Huntsman’s Textile Effects business. Prior to her role at Archroma, Ms. Van de Kerkhof served as Vice President of Lubricants, Western Hemisphere at BP, and held positions at Castrol, The Chemours Company, and Neste Corporation. She also held many leading roles within DuPont over 18 years.

Matti Lievonen will serve as independent Director and Chair of the Compensation Committee. He is currently an independent director on the Solvay Board, appointed in 2017. Mr. Lievonen is a proven executive in the energy, forestry, power and automation industries with an extensive track record of leading businesses through climate transition. For over ten years until 2018, he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Neste Corporation, a global leader in next-generation renewable fuels and chemicals. During his time at Neste, Mr. Lievonen successfully promoted the development of clean fuels as well as Finland’s bioeconomy strategy in advancing renewable transportation fuels. He has also been involved with organizations such as Fortum Board, SSAB, Nynäs AB, Ilmarinen, and the HE Finnish Fair Foundation. Until 2021, Mr. Lievonen was also Chairman of the Board of Directors at Fortum. He has been recognized for his admirable leadership and expertise, and in 2016 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Technology by the Aalto University Schools of Technology.

Dr. Françoise de Viron will serve as non-independent Director, Chair of the ESG Committee and Vice-Chair of the Board. She is currently a director of the Solvay Board, appointed in 2013. Ms. de Viron is a regarded academic leader and has extensive experience in innovation, R&D and qualitative research. She is a Professor Emeritus at the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences and Louvain School of Management at UCLouvain in Belgium where she has been an Academic Member of various groups at UCLouvain. Ms. de Viron previously served as the president of AISBL EUCEN – the European Universities Continuing Education Network. Prior to her university position, from 1985 to 2000, she was in charge of developing Artificial Intelligence applications at Tractebel S.A. (now Tractebel-Engie).

Roeland Baan will serve as independent Director. He currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Topsoe, a privately-held leading provider of clean energy and petrochemical technologies. He is also Chairman of the Supervisory Board of SBM Offshore NV. Roeland Baan has extensive experience in supply chain management, M&A, business development and operations management. Prior to joining Topsoe in 2020, he was President and CEO of Outokumpu and has held several executive roles at global organizations such as Aleris International, ArcelorMittal and SHV NV. He spent over 16 years in various roles across the globe at Shell, living in South America, in Africa and in the United Kingdom.

Edouard Janssen will serve as non-independent Director. He is currently a Director on the Solvay Board, appointed in 2021. Earlier this year, he was appointed Chief Financial Officer of D’Ieteren Group, a European leader in automotive distribution services. Mr. Janssen is also a Board member of privately-held Financière de Tubize and Union Financière Boël, as well as Co-Founder and Chair of Trusted Family. Mr. Janssen is active in academics, as Vice-Chair of the International Advisory Board of the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management and on the advisory board of the INSEAD HGIBS. He brings expertise in finance, strategy, entrepreneurship, business management, planning and marketing. He has served as Solvay’s Vice President in strategy and M&A between 2019 and 2021, and prior to that, he was the US-based General Manager for North- and Latin America at Solvay’s Aroma Performance Global Business Unit.
 
Dr. Mary Meaney will serve as non-independent Director. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors and of the Audit Committee of Groupe Bruxelles Lambert SA. She also sits on the Board of Directors and the Remuneration Committee of Beamery, the privately-held talent management company. She is a member of the Board of Directors and of the Finance Committee of Imperial College, London.Dr. Meaney will bring expertise in Strategy, M&A, and change management, which she acquired over a 24-year career at McKinsey. She was a Senior Partner, served on the McKinsey Shareholders Council and led McKinsey’s global Organization practice.

Nadine Leslie will serve as independent Director and is based in the United States of America. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Provident Financial Services , as well as a Non-Executive Director of Seven Seas Water Corporation, a water and wastewater treatment multinational company. She also sits on the Board of Trustees of Hackensack Meridian Health Network and is active as strategic consultant for civil engineering firm T&M Associates. Over a 22-year career at Suez, Ms. Leslie held several leadership positions, the last one being Chief Executive Officer of Suez North America, until 2022. Previously she served as Executive Vice President Health & Safety.

Archroma celebrated 100 years of sulfur dye innovation at its manufacturing and research hub in Castellbisbal, near Barcelona in Spain.

The milestone was marked at an on-site ceremony attended by more than 250 guests, including authorities from the Catalan government, senior Archroma leaders from Spain and overseas, current and former staff, key customers and suppliers and other important stakeholders.

The Castellbisbal site traces its roots back to 1921, when Joan Cardoner Vidal founded a dye manufacturing company that was eventually bought by Sandoz, which was subsequently acquired by Clariant, and later, SK Capital to create Archroma. Its breakthroughs have helped sulfur dyeing technology become a staple in the production of denim, casual wear and workwear fabrics over the past 100 years, with excellent color fastness and cost-efficiency.

Home to a leading research center that has contributed numerous innovations, Castellbisbal is particularly known for the creation of Archroma’s DIRESUL® RDT range in the 1980’s, which entered the market as the first low sulfide pre-reduced sulfur dyes.

Recently, Archroma developed the cutting-edge DIRESUL® EVOLUTION BLACK which enables a significant impact reduction in the dye synthesis, allowing for the creation of new black denim styles.
Among patented technologies from the Castellbisbal-based research team are the DIRESUL® EarthColors and FiberColors dyes, which use waste from the food and textile industries respectively as raw materials. These revolutionary innovations manufactured at Castellbisbal for customers, brands and retailers, help to advance circularity in the textile industry.

Freudenberg Performance Materials Apparel (Freudenberg) launches two advanced thermal insulation products made from low-level Bisphenol A (BPA) recycled PET fibers (rPET) into the global range of comfortemp®, Freudenberg’s thermal insulation brand.

The additions of DOWN FEEL WA 150LB and FIBERBALL WB 400LB to the comfortemp® global range serve as high-quality and ecologically-minded alternatives to down, enhancing the comfort and sustainability of your garments. DOWN FEEL WA 150LB is an extremely-lightweight, loose fiber thermal insulation with a super-light loft, while FIBERBALL WB 400LB uses clusters of extra-fine fibers to offer optimal breathability, maximum comfort, and minimal clumping after washing and drying.

GRS-certified and OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 Class I certifications
Both products utilize 100% GRS-certified rPET fibers, customizable to any desired fill levels. Additionally, these new products not only comply with but significantly surpass the stringent OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 Class I certifications. While OEKO-TEX® categorizes low-level BPA as less than 100 parts per million (ppm), these new products contain less than 1 ppm BPA, a testament to Freudenberg’s unyielding standards.

DOWN FEEL WA 150LB and FIBERBALL WB 400LB are available globally and more low-level BPA thermal insulation options are available in Asia.

The winners of the prestigious Innovation Award for Fibre-Reinforced Plastics of the AVK, the German Federation of Reinforced Plastics, were presented in Salzburg this year. This award always goes to businesses, institutions and their partners for outstanding innovations in composites the three categories Products & Applications, Processes & Methods and Research & Science. Projects are submitted in all three categories and are evaluated by a jury of experts in engineering and science as well as trade journalists, who look at each project in terms of their levels of innovation, implementation and sustainability.

Products & Applications category
First place: “Insulating Coupling Shaft for Rail Vehicles” – Leichtbauzentrum Sachsen GmbH, partner: KWD Kupplungswerk Dresden GmbH

Second place: “Electric Car Battery Housing Components Based on Innovative Continuous Fibre-Reinforced Phenolic Resin Composites” – SGL Carbon

Third place: “High Performance Recycled Carbon Fibre Materials (HiPeR)” – Composites Technology Center GmbH (CTC GmbH), partners: Faserinstitut Bremen e. V, Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V., C.A.R. FiberTec GmbH; partners Japan: Faserinstitut Bremen e.V., Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V., C.A.R. FiberTec GmbH; Partner Japan: CFRI Carbon Fiber Recycle Industry Co., Ltd., IHI Logistics and Machinery Corporation, ICC Kanazawa Institute of Technology

Innovative Processes & Methods category
First place: “Chopped Fibre Direct Processing (CFP)” – KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH, partner: Wirthwein SE

Second place: “CIRC - Complete Inhouse Recycling of Thermoplastic Compounds” – Fraunhofer Institute for Production Engineering and Automation (IPA), partners: Schindler Handhabetechnik GmbH, Vision & Control GmbH

Third place: “CarboScreen – Sensor-Based Monitoring of Carbon-Fibre Production” – CarboScreen GmbH, partner: Institute of Textile Technology at RWTH Aachen University

Research & Science category
First place: “Development of a Stereocomplex PLA Blend on a Pilot Plant Scale” – Faserinstitut Bremen e. V.

Second place: “Fibre-Reinforced Salt as a Robust Lost Core Material” – Technical University of Munich, Chair of Carbon Composites, partners: Apppex GmbH, Haas Metallguss GmbH

Third place: “VliesSMC – Recycled Carbon Fibres with a Second Life in the SMC Process” – Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. (STFI), partner: Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology (ICT)

Entries for the next Innovation Award 2024 can be submitted from January 2024 onwards.

The mission of Accelerating Circularity is to create new supply chains and business models to turn textile waste into mainstream raw materials. Accelerating Circularity has created a working group, the Alliance of Textile Chemical Recyclers (ACTR), to meet and address the textile industry with a common voice to facilitate accurate information on textile chemical recycling.

“We formed this collective to move chemical recycling technology forward, share common definitions, and address policies in a collaborative way to maximize the elimination of textile waste to landfills and incineration” explained Karla Magruder, Founder and President of Accelerating Circularity. “Chemical recycling technology has many benefits, including quality more similar to virgin fiber and the ability to recycle multiple times.”

ACTR plans to provide the industry with information on how textile chemical recycling can:

• offer solutions for diverting textile waste to landfill
• enable textile to textile recycling versus incineration/landfill
• provide sustainably sourced/circular materials
• support brand/retailers/producers in achieving their CO2 reduction targets
• provide long term price stability and consistent supply of raw materials versus virgin

Members of the Alliance include founding members Eastman, Lenzing, and The LYCRA Company, as well as key innovators Circ®, Sappi, Renewcell, Infinited fiber, Worn Again Technologies, Gr3n, CuRe Technology, and OnceMore® from Sodra.

As a first step, the ACTR (Alliance of Chemical Textile Recycling) is introducing a dictionary of common terms developed to educate the industry on the chemical recycling of textiles.

Die Acteev® Textiltechnologie, eine Tochtergesellschaft der Ascend Performance Materials,  wächst über ihre Anti-Geruchs-Wurzeln hinaus. Ein neues, hochzähes Nylon, eine antistatische Faser und ein zertifiziertes biobasiertes Nylon ergänzen das Angebot zur Geruchsbekämpfung.

Die Flaggschiffprodukte der Marke tragen jetzt die Bezeichnung Acteev FREE. Sie ermöglichen die Fertigung von Sport- und Freizeit-, Outdoor-, Dessous- und weiteren Bekleidungsartikeln mit geruchshemmenden Stoffen. Acteev FREE lässt sich mit anderen Fasern zu ganz spezifischen Mischungen kombinieren und uneingeschränkt einfärben.

Acteev TOUGH ist eine hochzähe Nylon 6,6-Stapelfaser mit niedrigem DPF, die für strapazierfähige Anwendungen wie Arbeitskleidung, Schuhwerk, Rucksäcke, Gurte und Kletterseile entwickelt wurde. Sie eignet sich für robuste Textilwaren aller Art, von Industrieoveralls bis hin zu taktischer Ausrüstung für Militär und Polizeibehörden. Als Stapelfaser in Mischungen für Unterwäsche verträgt sie sich gut mit Baumwolle und Wolle in Artikeln, die eine gleichmäßige Färbung erfordern.

Acteev CLEAN ist eine Faser mit antistatischen, haar-, staub- und flusenabweisenden Eigenschaften für Kleidung und textile Haushaltswaren wie Polstermöbel. Ihre Funktionalität ist in die Faser selbst eingebettet und erfordert keinerlei nachträgliche oder chemische Behandlung, was Acteev CLEAN für hautnah getragene Anwendungen prädestiniert. Die Faser ist schon bei geringer Beimischung wirksam, kann mit anderen Fasern zu Garnen versponnen werden und bietet dennoch eine statikfreie Leistung.

Acteev BIOSERVE ist ein aus pflanzlichen Quellen gewonnenes Nylon, das darauf ausgerichtet ist, die Nachhaltigkeitsziele von Markeninhabern ohne Leistungseinbußen zu unterstützen.

Darüber hinaus umfasst das Angebot Acteev MED, eine Produktlinie mit diversen Formfaktoren, darunter Fasern für hautnahe Anwendungen wie Kompressionsbekleidung sowie für Vliesstoffe zur feuchtigkeitsregulierenden Wundversorgung und für Wundnahtfilamente.

Jedes Produkt im Acteev Portfolio ist auch in einer CO2-Fußabdruck reduzierten Ausführung lieferbar.

After four decades in the packaging industry, the Manjushree Group is entering the Indian nonwovens market. The entrepreneurs rely on a flexible RF Smart Composite line from Reifenhäuser Reicofil to meet very different customer requirements.

The Manjushree Group operated a blown film line for packaging materials for the tea industry in the eastern part of India as early as 1983. In the years that followed, Manjushree Technopack Ltd. developed into one of the largest suppliers of solutions for rigid plastic products in South Asia - and the family business grew into a group with several business segments. In 2018, the entrepreneurial family repositioned itself: it sold its previous core business to a financial investor and established Manjushree Ventures with footholds in start-up financing, real estate business, and manufacturing - the largest of which is Manjushree Spntek as a producer of high-quality spunmelted fabrics.

Since February 2023, Manjushree Spntek has been producing high-performance spunmelts on an RF Smart Composite line from Reifenhäuser Reicofil - benefiting both from many years of experience in the packaging industry and from experience with Reifenhäuser's blown film lines. "We know a lot about plastic extrusion, for example when it comes to line operating parameters such as temperature and pressure. Processing is similar in both industries," explains Rajat Kedia. "The main difference is the distribution of the products: In plastic packaging, we had an established customer base and sold a lot of material to the big consumer goods manufacturers. The nonwovens market in India, on the other hand, is still forming, with thousands of small companies currently getting involved." These serve customers in their regions, such as hospitals.

The RF Smart Composite line is a standardized spunmelt line for smaller and emerging markets. The line produces nonwovens of the highest Reicofil quality with appropriately adapted throughput. This makes it ideally suited for applications in hygiene and medical technology and, with typically 8,200 annual production hours, it is extremely reliable. In addition, operators can start production quickly because in many cases the line can be integrated into existing buildings.

Before production could start, Manjushree built a new production building in Bidadi, a town an hour's drive from Bangalore International Airport. The building is designed to be sustainable: It uses natural light and fresh air, has comprehensive contamination control, and obtains almost all of its energy from renewable sources. Reifenhäuser Reicofil then installed, commissioned and tested the RF Smart Composite line.

Since February 2023, Manjushree Spntek has been producing high-quality spunmelted nonwovens, including ultra-soft fabrics and fabrics with special coatings for customers in the hygiene and medical industries. The material can be used, for example, for baby diapers and feminine hygiene products, but also for medical articles ranging from surgical gowns to surgical drapes.

Ahead of the extra-ordinary Council on 6 October in Granada, EURATEX President, Alberto Paccanelli, and CIE President, Jose Vte Serna, call on the EU Presidency to develop a new competitiveness strategy, which can relaunch the European industry and ensure it will remain competitive in the decades to come. This means bringing together trade, energy, state aid and sustainability policies into a single, integrated, comprehensive approach, which can support a robust and modern European manufacturing industry.  
 
To consolidate a strong industrial structure in Europe, the Union should

1. secure the supply of clean energy at a competitive cost;
2. support innovation and foster the necessary talent pool and
3. be more assertive in achieving an international level-playing field on sustainability, based on the European model.  

During the past few years the implementation of incoherent and conflicting objectives under the trade, energy, industrial and sustainability policy has been observed. As a matter of fact, while the circular economy promised to be a recipe for a competitive industry of the future, the likelihood of pushing the EU industry out of the market and driving investment elsewhere than in Europe is very high. If this approach were to continue in the next years, it will result in a de-industrialised Europe, depending on imports from abroad. Such a Europe would be more exposed to geopolitical turmoil, with no agency to deliver its vision of peace, well-being and a healthy environment to its citizens.

It is fundamental for Europe to pursue a more coherent set of policies that put the competitiveness of its domestic industry at the core. In this context, all the industrial manufacturing sectors should be in the scope, including the textile industry, given its importance in providing essential products and applications to our society. A first impactful action that can be taken in this direction, would be to expand the scope of the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) to include the textiles and clothing industry.
 
The history of European industry is fully woven in the birth and expansion of the European textiles industry since the XVIII century. Still today, the European textiles and clothing industry holds a pivotal position in the market, encompassing a diverse range of sectors and applications. In terms of employment, our industry creates 1,3 million direct jobs in Europe, encompassing a wide range of roles, from design and production to distribution and retail. European textiles have a wide range of applications, the most common one is of course clothing and fashion. The industry has a long history of producing high-quality apparel, with various regions specializing in specific niches.
 
Beyond clothing, there is a wide range of industrial sectors were textiles play an essential role, including  Automotive (used for upholstery, interior components, and even lightweight composite materials), Aircraft and Shipbuilding (where textiles are employed for their lightweight and high-strength properties, to enhance fuel efficiency, reduce emissions, and improve overall performance), Building and Construction (insulation, roofing, geotextiles, and architectural textiles), or Personal Protective Equipment, for medical personnel, firefighters, police and army officers. This includes masks, gowns, uniforms, helmets, and fire-resistant clothing, ensuring safety in hazardous environments.
 
Textiles are essential components of our society and our well-being. It is key for Europe to maintain its capacity to manufacture high-quality, sustainable and high-technology textiles.  With this in mind, the competitiveness policy of the future and the related funds to support it, should include the textile ecosystem in its scope.  

Since the rapid growth brought about by the pandemic, the technical textiles and nonwovens markets are stabilising towards a new normal – one in which technological innovation, sustainable development, and intelligent manufacturing are the most sought-after qualities. Held from 19 – 21 September 2023 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, the fair amplified this new industry direction, both through its fringe programme and across the booths of the 40,000 sqm show floor. With a nearly one-third increase from 2021, 467 exhibitors representing 13 countries and regions engaged a significantly international visitor flow, numbering 15,542 total visits from 52 countries and regions. Suppliers showcased up-to-date products for multiple application areas, with various equipment, technical textiles and nonwovens for agriculture, automotive, protective apparel, and medical and hygiene especially prevalent.

Speaking at the fair’s close, Ms Wilmet Shea, General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, had an optimistic outlook for the future of the sector: “Sustainability and innovation often go hand-in-hand, and walking through the various halls, zones, and pavilions these past few days the evidence for this was widespread. With environmental protection more important than ever, and buyers across application areas increasingly sourcing eco-friendly solutions, our exhibitors were well-placed to meet that demand. This fair is consistently at the leading edge of technological progress, and with the global and domestic markets showing signs of improving further, we are already looking forward to what we can offer at next year’s edition.”  

With many overseas exhibitors making a comeback, this year’s fair was marked by the return of the Taiwan Pavilion and the 40-exhibitor strong European Zone. Beyond the international areas, domestic pavilions were organised by Beijing Guanghua, China Hang Tang Group, Funing, Jiujing, Shenda, Tiantai, Xianto, and Xiqiao, showcasing nonwovens for various sub-sectors, including filtration and medical. Valuable insights were exchanged at multiple fringe events, including the 11th China International Nonwovens Conference, the Advanced Technical Textiles Industry Chain Synergistic Innovation Development Forum, various events covering marine textiles and rope netting, and the “Kingsafe Dangs” National University Students' Nonwovens Development and Applications Showcase. Visitors, meanwhile, were pleased with the innovation on show across the entire platform.

The fair’s product categories cover 12 application areas, which comprehensively span a full range of potential uses in modern technical textiles and nonwovens. These categories also cover the entire industry, from upstream technology and raw materials providers to finished fabrics, chemicals and other solutions. This scope of product groups and application areas ensures that the fair is an effective business platform for the entire industry.

Founded in 2013, NOPINZ is a UK-based manufacturer of clothing for cyclists and triathletes. The company's first product was the ‘SpeedPocket’, a product that allows competitors to attach their race numbers more easily (and with ‘no pins’) while improving the all-important aerodynamics. Soon recognising the customer demand for premade attire with incorporated number pockets, the company embarked on a mission to manufacture these new product lines itself. Today, NOPINZ boasts a diverse portfolio, with 60% of its products made in-house, catering to a growing customer base across the UK and international markets. NOPINZ creates speed suits for some of the world’s top cycling teams, as well as competitive amateurs.

NOPINZ places a strong emphasis on sustainability and is committed to minimising its environmental impact. Using a microfactory approach gives better oversight and control of the manufacturing process, including sourcing materials sustainably and locally where possible, reducing transportation, and improving access to recycling. “Our ‘zero to landfill’ policy, means that we reduce our wastage where possible and either recycle or donate excess product to charity,” Blake adds. “We hope to become a B-Corp company in the future.”

“We tested out a few printers, before we ultimately settled on Mimaki,” Blake Pond, the founder of NOPINZ explained. Now the company’s line-up entirely consists of Mimaki’s textile dye sublimation solutions.
“During our search we prioritised the ability to produce fluorescence and accurately replicate colours. Customers often come to us with existing kit made by other manufacturers, which they want to match, so accurately replicating colour is extremely important. And even without existing kit, customers occasionally ask for specific pantone colours. When it comes to cycling kit, colour is often pivotal when considering where to buy from.”

As two flagship dye sublimation printers, both the TS300P-1800 and TS55-1800 are equipped to print on the various technical fabrics that are needed for cycling attire and faithfully reproduce colours to meet customer expectations.