At the beginning of the month in an article entitled Textile industry comes back to life, especially in South, we reported that decades after many people thought the US textiles industry was dead, the industry generated $54 billion in shipments in 2012 and employed about 233,000 people. The article relates how business is on the upswing as Southern states in particular, woo textile companies with tax breaks, reliable utilities, modern ports and airports and a dependable, trained and non union workforce.

In 2013, companies in Brazil, Canada, China, Dubai, United Kingdom, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico and Switzerland, as well as in the US, announced plans to open or expand textile plants in Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

With even more good news last week, the industry is positively buzzing. Japan’s Toray Industries, one of the world’s largest producers of carbon fibre for the aerospace industry, announced it will invest a record breaking $1 billion over the next ten years and create 500 new jobs in South Carolina – see Toray to invest $1 billion in US carbon fibre facility.

Textile renaissance?

Also published last week, in A textile renaissance in the US?, technical textiles industry veteran Bill Smith reported from South Carolina, commenting on the industry’s apparent revival and the ‘Made in America’ movement, arguing that the US industry never really left and that Asian companies are simply moving in to get a share of one of the world’s largest markets for textiles and textile related products.

Nonwovens – strong, dynamic, evolving

The nonwovens sector is also doing well in the US. In mid February, INDA President David Rousse said the North American nonwovens industry is ‘strong, dynamic and constantly evolving’, speaking to hundreds of international industry leaders from across the consumer products value chain at the 2014 VISION Consumer Product Conference in Dallas, Texas – see North American nonwovens industry is strong, dynamic and constantly evolving.

In his state of the industry address at the annual event, he noted that nonwovens production has grown by more than 5% annually over the last five years versus 0.7 percent annual GDP growth in the US over the same period.

“INDA member companies are continuing to invest in new expansions and upgrades, and even in other players in the industry, resulting in consolidation,” Rousse said. “The nonwovens industry is poised to benefit from the GDP gains to come in 2014 in all of the major global economies. It is a strong and vibrant industry and will remain so for a long time.”

New products and technologies

The US also continues to be a hotbed for innovation in both textiles and apparel.

In early February when both East coast USA and Europe were being battered by storms, apparel industry veteran Debra Cobb reported from the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market show in Salt Lake City. In Hybrid Technologies Update Outdoor Product at OR Winter Market, Debra reported that there was plenty of enthusiasm for the new products and technologies developed for winter weather from the more than 1,050 exhibitors. An important trend was the development of hybrid yarns, fabrics, and technologies that improved product function and often resulted in cost benefits.

3D printing in apparel

In a follow up article today, Zensah Challenges Traditional Apparel Manufacturing with 3D Printing Concepts, Debra reports that from the ski slopes to the catwalks, product designers are increasingly using 3D printing to create innovative product and that consumer brands and manufacturers, particularly in the outdoor industry, are catching on to the idea of using 3D printers to prototype cleats, orthotics, and other “rigid” components for their products.

“But while printing a rigid plastic prototype in-house may save time and money, translating the concept to mass-produced apparel, which needs to flex and conform to the body, requires a giant leap of the imagination,” Debra writes.

There is a lot going on in this area including lots of research projects. In 3-D printer to make clothes you'd actually wear, we hear about how fledgling company called Electroloom wants to enter the apparel market by 3-D printing basics, like T-shirts and sweaters. Electroloom, founded by entrepreneur Aaron Rowley, is also the name of the company's sole product - an in-development 3-D printer for creating customised, on-demand apparel. Rowley recently won a grant from Alternative Apparel, the Atlanta-based company known for its comfortable and casual clothing made from organic cottons and recycled fibres.

In the area of ‘maturing technologies, two weeks ago in Applied DNA Sciences’ revenues increase by 88% we heard how Applied DNA Sciences, a provider of DNA-based anti-counterfeiting technology and product authentication solutions and services, reported a large increase growth in revenue for the first fiscal quarter of 2014 compared with the same period last year.

The company’s revenues amounted to $597,354 compared with $317,670 for the fiscal quarter of 2013. The increase in revenues of $279,684 was primarily due to increases in sales to suppliers of the United States Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) and in the textile industry, the company reported.

Upcoming events

There are a number of upcoming events in the US that should attract readers wishing to find out more about new products and technologies that are coming out of the US and Innovation in Textiles will have correspondents at the main events.

In Techtextil and Texprocess chosen for International Buyer Program we learn that leading combined Atlanta based shows, that will be held from 13 -15 May at the Georgia World Congress Center, are proud participants of the US Department of Commerce’s International Buyer Program Select (IBP).

The IBP is a joint government-industry effort that brings thousands of international buyers to the United States for business-to-business matchmaking with US firms exhibiting at major industry trade shows. It is designed to recruit and pre-screen buyer delegations to attend selected trade shows in the United States, connecting US companies with international buyers.

‘Smart Fabrics and Wearable Technology 2014’ will take place this year from 23-25 April in San Francisco at the historic Merchant's Exchange building, with special events to be held in the Julia Morgan Ballroom and One Leidesdorff. “Smart Fabrics 2013 was a huge success last year and we know the 2014 event will be even better with well-known and new players featuring new products,” said Barbara Fowler, Conference Director, Smithers Apex. “You might notice that this event has a new name. Incorporating wearable technology into the conference is a reflection on how the industry has moved.”

To get a taste of what to expect, check out Cath Rogan’s report from last year’s event in Barcelona - Smart Fabrics Europe 2013 – Conference Review.

Other important events coming up are INDA’s World of Wipes Conference 2014 in Minneapolis and its CAB 2014 - Converting and Bonding Conference in Greenville, SC. Both take place in May.

About Innovation in Textiles website

Finally, we wanted to let you know that, Innovation in Textiles website is now reaching almost 25,000 readers per month, almost 30% of whom are in North America. This year we will reach over 200,000 people globally. Should you be promoting your products and technologies on this website?

Please send your ‘Made in America’ stories and news of new products and technologies to me at [email protected].