Specialty Fabrics Review July 2024 - 16

[ BRIEFS ] swatches
Military, policy updates highlight Outlook 2024
M
ore than 75 textile leaders gathered at this year's Outlook® Conference
May 5-7 at the Wild Dunes Resort in Isle of Palms, S.C., to hear updates
on the economy and the top issues facing the industry. The Outlook
conference is organized by the U.S. Industrial & Narrow Fabric Institute and the
Military Division of the Advanced Textiles Association.
Outlook 2024 kicked off with the Military Morning and a town hall discussion
of the issues facing companies working in the military segment. Participants said
some of the top challenges they are dealing with right now are labor challenges
and the " feast or famine " nature of producing military products.
Attendees also heard from Lisa Marie Vivino from the Defense Logistics Agency,
the government agency that manages the defense supply chain for the U.S. military.
Vivino discussed the new Economic Piece Index Clause in procurement contracts,
which is tied directly to material costs from the Bureau of Labor Statistics index.
The clause is designed to make sure prices go up or down based on current costs to
help account for inflation, but she did acknowledge that the index doesn't include
labor costs, a significant area of concern for textile manufacturers.
Several other speakers offered insights on some of the key issues impacting
the industry.
Sara Beatty, president of Whitehaven Trade Advisors, presented an update
on Washington policy and advocacy efforts by the USINFI.
Roger Tutterow, Ph.D., professor of economics at Kennesaw State University,
in Kennesaw, Ga., returned to Outlook again this year. In his economic update,
he noted that the chance of a recession is still there, even if it doesn't seem as
likely as it did a year ago.
Outlook 2025 dates and location will be announced soon.
OTEX Specialty Narrow Fabrics®
has
been awarded U.S. patents for both
variations (standard and arc-flash
resistant) of its SENTRY LIFELINE®
leading-edge webbing for self-retracting
lifeline devices and lanyards.
Herculite®
Products Inc., a manufacturer
of high performance and custom fabrics,
announced that Anthony Pappalardo has
been hired as regional sales manager
covering the Midwest and Southeast and
Patrick Clysdale has been hired as the
southeastern regional manager for the
direct sales team.
Swedish private equity firm Altor
announced it will buy circular textile
company Renewcell, which filed for
bankruptcy in February. Renewcell's
name will be changed to Circulose.
The Department of Homeland Security
(DHS) announced that it is outlining
an enhanced strategy to combat illicit
trade and level the playing field for the
American textile industry. Two of DHS's
agencies, U.S. Customs and Border
Protection and Homeland Security
Investigations, will further enhance their
work together to protect the integrity
of U.S. markets, hold perpetrators
accountable for customs violations and
safeguard the American textile industry.
16 SPECIALTY FABRICS REVIEW / July 2024
Green Theme Technologies, suppliers of
the EMPEL®
water-free and PFAS-free
textile finishing platform, announced a
partnership with Korean-based Hwasung
International, a global textile provider.
Hwasung International is the first Korean
mill to offer EMPEL technology.
The American Association of Textile
Chemists and Colorists announced the
addition of a new local section in Pakistan,
which is globally recognized for its rich
textile heritage along with its modern
presence as an international textile
production hub.
Archroma, a global specialty chemicals
company based in Prattein, Switzerland,
and Cotton Incorporated, a nonprofit
cotton research and marketing company
in Cary, N.C., announced the renewal of an
eight-year collaboration to accelerate the
shift to a more circular cotton economy.
IN MEMORIAM
Gabe Hill, who spent 60 years in the
textile industry-including 43 at SP
Associates in Charlotte, N.C.-died
April 13, 2024, in Abbeville, S.C., at
the age of 89. Hill was the owner and
general manager of SP Associates,
a well-known textile, nonwovens and
apparel placement firm, before his
retirement in 2017.
The Association of the Nonwoven
Fabrics Industry (INDA) announced three
recipients of the INDA Lifetime Service
Award and Lifetime Technical Achievement
Awards. David Powling, Paul Latten and
Arnold Wilkie are being recognized for
their key contributions to the advancement
of the nonwovens industry.
Specialty Fabrics Review July 2024

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