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A&R Tarpaulins named SBA Family Business of the Year
June 1st, 2009
A&R Tarpaulins Inc., and its divisions AR Tech and AR Industries, have received the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 2009 Family Owned Small Business of the Year Award, one of only two winners from the agency’s Region IX zone (California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii and Guam). “Recession is a challenge, and meeting that obstacle head-on with […]
Bloomsburg Mills closes operations
June 1st, 2009
After 120 years of weaving, dyeing and finishing fabrics in Bloomsburg, Pa., and Monroe, N.C., the Bloomsburg Mills Inc. closed its plants and ceased operation May 31. The closing affects 226 employees at the two locations. President and CEO James P. Marion III cites an ongoing influx of low-cost imported textiles and the economic downturn […]
Manufacturer seeks to lower cost of kenaf
June 1st, 2009
Kenaf fibers work well for automotive interior door trim, seat backs and other parts, but cost 30 percent more than comparable polypropylene materials. Toyota Boshoku, Aichi, Japan, a manufacturer of auto interior materials, aims to lower the cost of kenaf within three years: in part because it absorbs tons of CO2, a greenhouse gas, and […]
Water lily fibers supply textile artisans
June 1st, 2009
Renewable fibers from coconuts, bamboo and pineapple are joined by a new plant-based raw material: the lovely water lily. The Philippino Las Pinas Water Lily Weaving Center recently donated an extracting and drying machine for water lily fiber to Malabon City to support artisans making handicrafts such as bags, table runners, carpets and other textiles. […]
Joint venture forms in auto fabric production
June 1st, 2009
In December 2009, Japanese manufacturers Suminoe Textile Company Ltd. and Teijin Fibers Ltd. will locate a joint venture in Osaka, Japan, to combine their strengths in automotive fabric production. The new venture, Suminoe Teijin Techno Company Ltd., will have the advantages of Suminoe’s large market share and developed relationships with auto manufacturers, as well as […]
TAPAS consortium improves airplane technology
June 1st, 2009
The Thermoplastic Affordable Primary Aircraft Structure (TAPAS) consortium consists of companies and research institutes focused on airplane structural improvements in material, processing and joining technology. Recently, French manufacturer Airbus extended its agreement to work with TAPAS, which includes Dutch company TenCate Advanced Composites, Almelo, The Netherlands. TenCate uses composites of carbon or glass in synthetic […]
Bioplastic used in auto seat fabric
June 1st, 2009
Mazda wants its Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid to have a green, sustainable profile, and Teijin Fibers Ltd., Osaka, Japan, obliged with BIOFRONT seat fabric, made almost completely from plant-based raw material. BIOFRONT is a heat-resistant bioplastic that allows for high-temperature, high-pressure dyeing, and is durable enough for automotive interior use.
U.S. unlikely to impose trade restrictions on Chinese textiles
June 1st, 2009
Despite widespread demands among U.S. textile industry groups for trade protections against Chinese imports, practical and political barriers will prevent substantial restrictions, experts predict. China’s entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001 gives it some protections; the WTO requires the U.S. to legitimize trade measures affecting Chinese imports before putting them into practice, […]
Supply chain integration a possibility in Thailand
June 1st, 2009
The Thai Garment Manufacturers Association invited experts to advise them how to stem the decline in garment and textile exports by almost 14 percent in the first two months of 2009. David Birnbaum, a garment industry expert with the World Bank, the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, confirmed that economic times were tough; […]
Avian influenza increases need for protective fabrics
June 1st, 2009
Demand grows for anti-virus masks and protective clothing. By Kikuko Tagawa According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a worldwide avian influenza outbreak is not a matter of “if” but “when.” The recent outbreak of H1N1 (swine flu) has renewed concerns about the the difficulty of containing influenza viruses. In spite of the global economic […]