U.S.-based textile companies join forces to fill nation’s PPE gap
August 5th, 2020
Faced with a global pandemic and massive Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) shortages in the United States, three large textile companies banded together earlier this year to help fill the nation’s explosive demand for personal protective equipment (PPE). The result was a fast response to PPE needs and an ongoing relationship that promises to help the […]
Freudenberg Performance Materials partners with NC State
August 4th, 2020
Germany-based Freudenberg Performance Materials has collaborated with the Nonwoven Institute of North Carolina State University to produce face masks for North Carolina government organizations, UNC system universities and North Carolina hospitals. Both the organizations will align their expertise and supply chains to bring PPE to healthcare professionals and universities as soon as possible.The production […]
Pivoting to the PPE textile products market
August 1st, 2020
How the manufacturing of medical protective gear is challenging U.S.-based textile businesses—and throwing them a lifeline. by Debra Cobb The COVID-19 pandemic made it abundantly clear that the U.S. is unprepared to supply its health-care and frontline workers, as well as its general population, with the personal protective equipment (PPE) needed in such an emergency. China […]
Breakthroughs in advanced textiles: New bio yarn, less toxic water repellent, firefighting gear for women, and more
August 1st, 2020
Researchers have created a bio yarn from human cells that can be braided, knitted or woven into medical devices or scaffolds, which can be integrated into the body without eliciting an immune reaction. It has been used to create a vascular graft, woven on a circular loom. New bio yarn shows breakthrough possibilities Researchers working […]
Jumping on design trends in the marine market
August 1st, 2020
by Sigrid Tornquist Aft deck entertaining is at its finest on the upper level of this Viking Yacht Co.’s 93’ Motor Yacht. The Lloyd Flanders furniture is covered in fabric by Sunbrella® and Crown barstools are upholstered in Ultrafabrics® Ultraleather®. Project by WBC Design. Photo: Forrest Johnson. Maybe it’s because boats are so special to […]
An architecturally significant performance hall gets a new canopy
August 1st, 2020
When Hurricane Irma slammed into Florida in 2017, the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota, Fla., was one of many buildings damaged. In particular, the fabric of the hall’s front canopy needed to be replaced. The new beige entrance canopy to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota, Fla., complements the lavender seashell […]
Roland-printed vehicle wrap takes to the speedway
August 1st, 2020
The Tyler Reddick No. 8 car getting ready to leave the RCR Graphics Center in Welcome, N.C. Photo: Roland DGA. Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick drove the No. 8 car with a full Roland DG wrap in the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in June. Originally […]
For small businesses, the pandemic triggers a season of uncontrolled experiments
August 1st, 2020
If you read any business news, you can’t avoid the headlines ruminating on the long-term effects of the pandemic on industry and the workplace: “How has coronavirus changed consumer spending?” “Will the COVID-19 pandemic accelerate automation?” “Can we just work from home forever?” There are a lot of opinions out there—but not a lot of […]
Staying agile in the time of COVID-19
August 1st, 2020
Agility has emerged as the essential defining attribute of organizations able to respond to this crisis and chart a new, resilient course for the future. by Jeff Moravec Agility has always been something of a prerequisite for owning a company, and that skill set is clearly more valuable now than it ever has been. We […]
Expo unveiled: Market experts gather at open segment meetings
August 1st, 2020
Experts in the textile industry have many shared interests, but they also face concerns that are unique to the markets they serve. That’s why IFAI offers textile companies the opportunity to participate in specific market segments that relate directly to their end products, supplies and services. Each year at IFAI Expo, open meetings are held […]