From the Sector

Supporting the industry through innovation and creativity.

The leading denim ingredient brand hosted a special panel to discuss some of the pioneering advancements in technology that are making the fashion industry more responsible: from R-TWOTM to automated laser technology.

With the fashion industry being considered one of the world’s most polluting businesses-sectors, collaborating and knowledge sharing are key in finding solutions for a better future. Fully aware of this scenario, for the second year running, ISKO was the headline sponsor at Drapers Sustainable Fashion Forum, the authoritative event bringing together the most responsible players to discuss what can be done to tackle the industry’s environmental and social issues through innovation and creativity.

Sharing knowledge, collaborating for change.

As evidence of its pioneering Responsible InnovationTM approach, ISKO shared its founding values of creativity, competence and citizenship by showcasing the R-TWOTM program, its latest responsible achievement, in a dedicated stand.

Stemming from the mill’s holistic vision, R-TWOTM represents a great example of how reducing, reusing, and recycling strategies can be implemented in a textile business to improve its environmental performance. With the goal to create fabrics that can provide both quality and responsibility, ISKO has developed this platform, which deals with the most critical issue that apparel supply chains are currently faced with: using more than what actually needed.

• Historically difficult market environment – trade tensions put textile value chain under pressure in 2019
• Prices for standard viscose at a historic low
• Positive development of the specialty fiber business with a revenue share of already 51.6 percent
• Strategic investment projects are progressing according to plan
• sCore TEN targets for 2024 defined – EBITDA of EUR 800 mn

Despite a generally difficult demand environment for textile fibers and a drastic drop in prices for standard viscose, the Lenzing Group recorded a solid business development in 2019. The disciplined implementation of the sCore TEN corporate strategy and the accompanying focus on specialty fibers once again helped to mitigate the effect of unprecedentedly low standard viscose prices.
As a result, revenue dropped by 3.3 percent from EUR 2.18 bn to EUR 2.11 bn in 2019, driven by lower selling prices as well as standard fiber volumes. Due to positive mix effects and more resilient specialty fiber prices, the share of specialty fibers increased from 45.5 percent to 51.6 percent of revenue.
The earnings development was largely influenced by the decline in revenue, but also by negative currency effects on material and personnel costs. EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) fell by 14.4 percent from EUR 382 mn to EUR 326.9 mn. The EBITDA margin declined from 17.6 percent to 15.5 percent. Net profit, at EUR 114.9 mn, was 22.4 percent lower than in the previous year at EUR 148.2 mn. Earnings per share amounted to EUR 4.63 (2018: EUR 5.61).

Monforts has recently been involved in a number of R&D trials aimed at improving the performance of the fishing cage nets employed in fish farming operations at its Advanced Technology Centre (ATC) in Mönchengladbach, Germany.

The cultivation of both freshwater and saltwater fish populations under controlled conditions is a global industry valued at around $200 billion annually and only made possible with the use of huge aquaculture nets.

Biofouling
“These nets are very prone to biofouling and to avoid its negative impacts, high-pressure robotic jets are now used to clean them,” explains Monforts Head of Technical Textiles Jürgen Hanel. “Net cleaning is expensive and can also damage current antifouling coatings on the nets, causing contamination as well as fish health and welfare risks.
The development of more effective antifouling coatings for fishing cage nets has been one aspect of R&D work at the Monforts ATC, while the use of how alternative fibres could potentially be coated or finished to replace the polyamide which is currently most widely used has also been explored.
The issue of plastics and synthetic fibres in the oceans has generated global media attention recently, and the aquaculture industry is exploring all avenues that will lead to more sustainable practices.

Expansions
Since its opening in 2013, over €3 million has been invested in equipment at the Monforts ATC, which over an area of 1,200 square metres houses two full finishing lines, engineered to accommodate an extremely diverse range of processes, in addition to a Thermex range for the continuous dyeing of denim.

Net result impacted by operating losses and high impairments in North America

In 2019, Autoneum grew organically by 2.5% and has thereby significantly outperformed the declining market. In Swiss francs, revenue rose slightly to CHF 2 297.4 million. However, as previously communicated, operational inefficiencies in North America and impairments on fixed assets in that region had a particularly strong impact on profitability and led to a net loss of CHF –77.7 million. The Board of Directors therefore proposes that no dividend bedistributed for the 2019 financial year. Based on the new turnaround program launched in North America at the beginning of this year, significant profitability increases are expected for 2020.

2019 was an extremely challenging year for the automobile industry. The continuing weakness of the global economy, ongoing trade disputes and the increasing regulation of mobility impacted vehicle demand negatively. But 2019 was also a year of change for Autoneum internally. An in-depth analysis carried out by the new Group Management in the fall showed a need to reevaluate the Group’s performance over the short- to medium-term. In Business Group North America, the operational and commercial problems have proven more extensive than originally assumed. As a result, the turnaround program launched in spring 2019 was replaced at the beginning of 2020 with a dedicated and far more comprehensive program for the North American sites.

Revenue growth despite a shrinking global market
As a result of weak demand, the number of light vehicles produced worldwide fell again sharply in 2019 compared to the previous year; whereby the decline of almost –6% was much steeper than in 2018. Thanks to numerous production ramp-ups and a favorable model portfolio, Autoneum generated organic revenue growth1 of 2.5%, despite the global market cooling. Revenue consolidated in Swiss francs rose by 0.7% from CHF 2 281.5 million to CHF 2 297.4 million.

Profitability2 impacted by operational inefficiencies and impairments
Operational inefficiencies in North America and impairments on fixed assets in this region were the main reason for the – first-ever – negative net result in 2019. In addition, the sharp drop in automobile production in Europe and China as well as associated lower utilization of production capacities in the affected Business Groups also burdened the Group’s profitability. EBITDA excluding IFRS 16 effects decreased to CHF 126.0 million (2018: CHF 197.2 million), which corresponds to an EBITDA margin of 5.5% (2018: 8.6%). One-time charges from impairments in the amount of CHF –68.0 million had a negative impact on EBIT, reducing it to CHF –32.9 million (2018: CHF 114.1 million). Without these one-time charges, EBIT amounted to CHF 35.0 million. The EBIT margin 1 Change in revenue in local currencies, adjusted for hyperinflation. 2 The figures for the 2019 financial year include IFRS 16 effects. Autoneum Management Ltd . Media Release . March 4, 2020 Page 2/5 excluding impairments was at 1.5% in 2019, and taking those into account the margin decreased to –1.4% (2018: 5.0%).

In keeping with the brand’s internationalization strategy, Pinko is glad to announce an ambitious retail expansion plan in the Korean market.
The first phase of this retail project, developed in collaboration with Mitsui & Co. Italia and La Pace as local partner, saw the opening of two stores located inside two of the most important and prestigious Korean duty free shopping destinations.

The first Pinko shop in Korea opened its doors at the end of January at Seoul’s Shilla Duty Free Downtown Store, which houses the boutiques of the most prestigious global luxury brands. The inauguration of the second Pinko store in Korea was celebrated with an opening party on Feb. 20. This store is located in Seoul at the Hyundai Department Store Duty Free Dongdaemun, one of the most important Korean touristic attractions at day and night, thanks to its wide offering of merchan-dising categories, spanning from international luxury and fashion items to the highly popular Made in Korea beauty products.

Pinko’s retail expansion plan in the Korean market also includes the opening of two new stores by the end of 2020, while the company aims to operate a total of 14 boutiques, 6 inside department stores and 8 at Duty Free destinations, within three years.

Trevira will be joining the first BCFA Open Berlin pop-up exhibition, which will be held at the British Embassy on 6 May at the same time of Berlin Design Week (4 – 10 May 2020). The one-day fair is being organised by the British Contract Furnishing Association (BCFA), and members of the association will have the opportunity to display their products in the atrium of the post-modern embassy building.  

At the exhibition, specially invited interior designers and furnishers, along with purchasers from the contract market, will be able to find out more about the collections and products of high-end British manufacturers and textile houses, and attend interesting talks by two top specialists of the sector.

Trevira will be showing a selection of Trevira CS fabrics which were on display earlier this year at the Heimtextil 2020, where they featured in the special exhibition ‘Textile Future by Trevira CS’. These fabrics are permanently flame retardant and can be deployed in a wide range of applications, as Berlin design company studio aisslinger impressively showed in the exhibition at the Trevira stand. For the Heimtextil fair, the prestigious studio aisslinger design team worked together with Trevira, creating a concept that revealed just how attractive and playful Trevira CS fabrics can be in a variety of settings on the contract market, including hospitality, healthcare, workspaces, public spaces and transport.

Designers and architects who are interested in taking part in the event are welcome to register their details with Trevira.

Archroma, a global leader in color and specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, today announced that its affiliate in Tianjin, China, has been named ‘Green Factory’ by the Tianjin authorities. The nomination was granted as of January 1st, 2020, following an evaluation process conducted under the authority of the Tianjin Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, which selected 56 other companies only to receive that same distinction.

The ‘Green Factory’ list comprises companies comprehensively evaluated and scored against 92 indicators, in areas such as site intensification, production cleanliness, energy consumption efficiency, raw material recycling, environmental impact, product ecological profile, and carbon footprint. The initiative takes place in the wider framework of fostering ‘Green manufacturing’, one of the nine strategic objectives defined by the Chinese Authorities under the ‘Made in China 2025’ plan, which led to the Industrial Green Development Plan published by The Ministry of Industry And Information Technology in 2016.

The production site in Tianjin is fully integrated into the Archroma Management System and was externally certified to ISO 9001. In the preparational system upgrade, additional external certifications to ISO 14001, ISO 50001 and OHSAS 18001 were completed in November 2019. Commitments to the United Nations Global Compact and Responsible Care® are complementing the local framework.

Captivating colours, optimum cost efficiency and a sustainable value chain: these are some of the typical features of Sappi’s Inkjet and Dye Sublimation Papers. The global manufacturer will showcase its diverse, high-quality product ranges at FESPA Madrid, in hall 3, stand D30.

• Transjet Drive dye sublimation paper tailored to industrial printing machines with a glue-belt system
• Scrolljet, a large inkjet paper, with impressively razor-sharp lines
• Digitally printed corrugated board with Fusion Topliner for consumer goods packing and displays

Eye-catching posters, textiles with excellent prints and labels that stand out clearly, this is how brand owners, advertising companies and retailers draw attention to themselves and their products. The comprehensive range of Sappi’s Dye Sublimation Papers, Inkjet Papers and Silicone Base Papers form the perfect basis for impressive brand communication. Customers and potential customers can come and convince themselves at this year’s FESPA event in Madrid, which takes place from 24 to 27 March.

Paper with impressive sustainable qualities
At its large exhibition stand in the Digital Printing hall, Sappi will showcase its Transjet range, which represents highest quality and optimal cost efficiency, offering also environmental advantages, such as low ink consumption and low transfer times. Minimal shrinkage of high elastic textiles is one of the key features of the Sportsline tacky grades. The special Transjet Drive, its extremely smooth backside and fast ink drying on the printable side, allow more efficient production on high-speed printers with glue belt systems. Sappi stands for much more than just the highest paper quality. Professional support through a special team of technical application engineers, Digital Solutions assist customers from their initial product idea to final production ensuring impressive results.

Differentiation through precision and sharpness
With its range of Inkjet papers, Sappi will demonstrate its considerable expertise in large format digital printing in Madrid. At the heart of the exhibition presentation is Scrolljet, a multi-layered coated paper for a wide range of outdoor applications, such as city light and mega light scrolling systems. DT-Plot and Swiss Matt are the best choice for graphic drawings and poster printing due to their exceptional colour results and the high precision and sharpness of the print.

Everything from a single, innovative source
When it comes to making classic packaging, shelf-ready packaging and POS displays stand out from the rest, marketing managers, brand owners and designers can always count on Fusion Topliner with its high degree of whiteness. As the topliner reproduces colours brilliantly and can be processed excellently, products made with this clearly stand out and attract attention. The product range presented by the paper and paperboard specialist is topped off by Silicone Base Papers for self-adhesive applications such as car wrapping, outdoor advertising and office supplies. This makes Sappi a versatile, long-term partner on which customers can rely. Sappi’s paper and paperboard thus go far beyond FESPA 2020: “Where colour comes alive.”

Sicomin continues to assert itself as the leading formulator and supplier of high-performance, bio-based epoxy resin systems with the launch of new bioresins at JEC World 2020, Hall 6, Booth 43. The group will unveil a variety of products that are each available in industrial quantities for series production within Automotive, Wind Energy and Civil Engineering.

Bio Fire Retardant Epoxy Gelcoat for Wind Energy and Infrastructure
Sicomin will showcase SGi 128, an innovative intumescent epoxy gelcoat developed specifically for fire retardant coating applications for critical components found in the Wind Energy and Civil Engineering markets.
SGi 128 Gelcoat is produced with 38% of its carbon content derived from non-oil sources and is a halogen free gelcoat that provides outstanding fire protection for epoxy laminates and extremely low smoke toxicity. Available with both fast and slow hardeners, this easy to apply epoxy system forms a much tougher and waterproof part surface than traditional intumescent coatings. Sicomin’s SGi 128 is available in industrial volumes with short lead times and has been successfully tested to EN 13501 (EUROCLASS B-S1-d0) and ASTM E84 (Class A).

NEW Bio Resin for HP-RTM processing for Automotive
Sicomin’s new bio-resin specifically formulated for HP-RTM processing, SR GreenPoxy® 28, is the sixth product in Sicomin’s renowned GreenPoxy® range. SR GreenPoxy® 28 is a fast cycle, low toxicity, third generation bio-based formulation aimed specifically at the HP-RTM moulding processes used for both high performance Automotive structural parts and aesthetic carbon fibre components. The new formulation has been optimized for fast production cycle times and superior mechanical performance and is a more sustainable alternative to traditional resins providing exceptional performance and quality for high volume programmes.

GreenPoxy® InfuGreen 810 on display with the GREENBOATS Flax 27 Daysailer on the JEC Planets
With very low viscosity at room temperature, InfuGreen 810 has been formulated to support manufacturers seeking bio-based alternatives for producing parts using injection or infusion techniques. Produced with 38% plant-based carbon content, InfuGreen 810 holds the DNV GL certification, providing extra assurance of the product’s quality, efficiency and safety standards. This high-performance epoxy infusion system is demonstrated at JEC World through the display of the GREENBOATS Flax 27 daysailer on the JEC Planets.

Ascend Performance Materials, the largest fully integrated producer of polyamide 66 resin, announced today it signed an agreement to purchase Poliblend and Esseti Plast GD from D’Ottavio Group. The acquisition includes a manufacturing facility in Mozzate, Italy, the masterbatch portfolio of Esseti Plast GD and the engineering plastics portfolio of Poliblend, which consists of virgin and recycled grades of PA66, PA6, PBT and POM.

Poliblend offers compounding and masterbatch services, including color and additive concentrates that enhance the appeal and end-use performance of plastics products, packaging and fibers. Its certifications include ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO TS 16949.

Giancarlo D’Ottavio, Poliblend’s president, will continue to run Poliblend’s operations and join Ascend’s European management team. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter.