Textiles 2012: The Prognosis Good

The U.S. industry’s rebound from the lows of the last decade is expected to continue into another year.

Robert S. Reichard, Economics Editor

The $70 billion U.S. textile and apparel sector is alive and, in fact, doing quite well. Too upbeat an appraisal? Not really — given the fact that even in today’s relatively lackluster business climate, these industries have managed to rack up gains for two consecutive years.

To be sure, the increases have been rather modest. Nevertheless, they mark a major change from the steady tattoo of declines and retrenchments that marked most of the past decade.

And the good news is almost sure to spill over into the new year. Again, any improvements will be far from spectacular. But, by and large, overall production, shipments and profit numbers should end up at or above 2011 levels when all the results are in.   To read the full story please click here.

NAT and Westex Inc. Enter Into Short Term Development Agreement

We are pleased to announce that we have entered into a short term CRAiLAR® Flax fiber development agreement with Westex Inc., the premier manufacturer of flame resistant and arc rated protective clothing fabrics.  The development agreement begins in September 2011 to support evaluation of processing CRAiLAR® Flax fiber for Westex products used in electrical maintenance, electric and gas utilities, oil, gas, petrochemical, chemical, military, and ferrous metals industries.

“With Westex, we have an opportunity to evaluate CRAiLAR® as an apparel and uniform ingredient across a number of industrial and municipal categories where flame resistance is critical,” said Ken Barker, CEO of NAT.  “This agreement is a logical progression of our previously announced development agreement in the work wear category, and further illustrates the diverse industry applications of CRAiLAR Flax fiber and its potential to enhance performance in those categories.

Since March 2011, we have signed development or purchasing agreements with HanesBrands, Georgia-Pacific, Levi Strauss & Company, Cintas Corporation, and Ashland Inc.

About Westex Inc.

Established in 1919, Westex has more than 50 years of experience in the manufacturing of flame resistant fabrics.  It is the premier manufacturer of cotton and cotton-blended flame resistant and arc rated protective clothing fabrics which include Westex® UltraSoft®, UltraSoft AC® and Indura® fabrics.  It is headquartered in Chicago, Ill. and can be found online at www.westex.com.

Crailar Organic Fibers

Organic Fibers

Crailar Organic Fibers are the building blocks for the first truly sustainable yarn in the apparel industry.  Our fibers are processed through a patented enzymatic bath created in collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada.  Prior to the bath, the fibers of up to a meter in length are cut to the desired staple length rivaling the very best long line cotton.  These fibers then enter processing equipment which turns the straw-like fibers into soft, fluffy white fibers similar to organic cotton.

The result is a yarn with characteristics such as increased burst strength, enhanced wicking properties and reduced shrinkage that organic cotton simply can never achieve.  As every step of the process can be certified organic, Crailar’s Organic Fiber  has become the first truly sustainable yarn in the apparel industry.

We’ve recently entered into a joint development agreement with one of the worlds largest consumer brands – Hanes.  To find out more about our relationship with Hanes, click here.