Special Report on Haiti's CODEVI Park

Like most of you, I travel a lot. Seldom do I fly into someone else’s vision, one that moved mountains beyond mountains, as in Fernando Capellan thinking he might be able to build a unique industrial park in Haiti, now called CODEVI. I just got back from his park. Here’s the story.

Since early 2001, I have traveled this hemisphere, top to bottom, recruiting apparel, textile and trim producers, as well as industry services, into the AAPN. On one of those trips in 2008, I visited Grupo M in Santiago, DR and, from there, was given a tour of their industrial park, CODEVI, in Ouanaminthe, Haiti, on the DR border. Nine years later, I returned to the park on Monday August 7.

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Unifi Announces Executive Team Additions and Promotions

Greensboro, N.C. – August 4, 2017 – Global leader of innovative and sustainable textile fiber solutions Unifi, Inc. (NYSE: UFI) today announced the appointments of Richard E. Gerstein as executive vice president, global branded Premium Value Added (PVA) products and chief marketing officer, and John Vegas as executive vice president, global chief human resources officer, effective August 14th and 21st, respectively.

Commenting on the appointments, Unifi's Chief Executive Officer Kevin Hall said: “Together Richard and John bring over 50 years of strategic experience to the team. We look forward to the insight they’ll provide as we continue to expand globally.”

Gerstein brings to Unifi thirty years of P&L and marketing expertise, and an ability to attract and build strong teams. He has served in executive roles for global companies including Procter & Gamble, Alberto Culver, Hewlett Packard, and Sears Holdings. Gerstein also sits on the advisory board of Motista, and served on the board of Lands’ End.

"Richard brings leadership experience in the US and internationally as both a manufacturer and retailer,” said Hall. “He has a diverse skill base across strategic planning, marketing, digital, and partnership development, as well as valuable expertise driving growth in consumer products, technology, e-commerce, and retail.”

Vegas has over twenty years of global business experience, with his career encompassing multifunctional roles in human resources, general management, sales and retail operations for three Fortune 1000 companies. He is a skilled strategist who proactively builds and organizes teams to solve problems and accelerate business growth. Vegas serves on the Board of Trustees for The Nature Conservancy of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

"John has a strong track record of value creation through innovation, P&L management, and organizational development, as well as a diverse skill set across HR, sustainability and retail management,” said Hall. “We are excited by his ability to recruit and retain top talent, while also building scalable talent platforms in complex labor markets.”

Adding to Hall’s comments, Unifi Chairman James Mead stated: "Richard and John are excellent additions to our executive leadership team. Their experience will be invaluable as we continue to execute our strategic growth plan."

Concurrent with these additions, Unifi announces the promotion of Mark McNeill to executive vice president, global innovation. Commenting on McNeill’s promotion, Hall said: “This promotion reflects Mark’s outstanding contributions and leadership in technology and innovation efforts at Unifi for the past 20 years. Mark will also continue to lead the expansion efforts of our Asia business unit as he has done so successfully over the past two years.”

The Unifi sales organization will continue to be led by Jay Hertwig on the global PVA business, and Allen Smith on the regional polyester, nylon, and dye operations.

The Company is proceeding with its search for a CFO to round out the executive leadership team and expects to announce that appointment shortly.

YuniquePLM® 7.1 Features Adobe® Artboard Support and Advanced User Configurability Options

New Features Support Adobe CC17 on MAC and PC

TOLLAND, CONN., USA, AUGUST 2, 2017 – An increase in personalization has become an expectation with today’s technological advancements and the new YuniquePLM 7.1 upgrade delivers this to its customers. “Bringing the power of the configurability to the user of a YuniquePLM workspace is at the heart of this release,” said Clayton Parker, PLM product manager, Gerber Technology.

With the new release of YuniquePLM 7.1, Gerber used customer feedback to develop the upgrades. These included:
Artboard support within YunquiePLM Design Suite Plugin for Adobe Illustrator® CC17 on both Mac and PC, allowing customers to work with 1 multi-paged Adobe Illustrator doc and assign pages to different sections within a product in YuniquePLM.
Improvements to Configurability that was released with v7.0 and the ability to group pages when editing, allowing you to edit pages en masse.
Addition of 6 new PANTONE® libraries.

Gerber Technology has enhanced the performance of YuniquePLM – enabling the continuous delivery of new features requested by our customers. This means new features can be delivered to the core product in a shorter development timeframe so customers don’t have to wait for major software releases to reap the benefit of new functionality. “Using our user-voice feedback system, customers can request, discuss, and vote on new features to be added to the core product that will help them in the future,” continued Parker.

The YuniquePLM product lifecycle management software serves as a central repository of critical data and eliminates problems companies often face when using multiple Excel spreadsheets or tracking documents to communicate throughout the stages of product development and management. YuniquePLM creates a single version of the truth, connecting a company’s creative process with their supply chain and production processes.

Gerber’s Partner Danit Peleg Launches First Commercially Available 3D Garment

Peleg Uses AccuMark® 3D and YuniquePLM® to Bring Garment to Market

TOLLAND, CONN., USA, JULY 27, 2017 – Similar to the way iTunes disrupted and personalized the way we all consume music – 3D printed garments will revolutionize the way consumers buy clothes. Through the use of AccuMark 3D and YuniquePLM, Danit Peleg has brought a new limited edition bomber style jacket to market, available for purchase on her website danitpeleg.com. Each garment will be personalized with individual choices for color, lining and even a word embedded into the back of the jacket.

“We are excited to help Danit bring 3D printed garments to the market and be a part of this incredible journey,” said Elizabeth King, vice president of digital solutions, community and eco-system at Gerber Technology. “Our creative partnership has helped define a workflow in AccuMark 3D for the benefit of our customers who will transform the industry in the coming years.”

Gerber and Danit have been partnering on the future of 3D garments beginning with her senior project at Israel’s prestigious Shenkar College of Engineering and Design to her latest collection that was inspired by the painting ‘The Birth of Venus,’ including the bomber jacket that is now available on her webDanit Peleg's 3D printed jacket is available for purchase.site. In a limited edition of 100, this is the first commercially available 3D printed garment ever sold online. Customers have the opportunity to customize their own and Danit’s team will print and ship it to their home.​

“With each collection, Gerber has helped me streamline my workflow to accelerate the 3D printed design process,” said Danit Peleg. “My vision of the future is that you will buy your 3D print file and print your clothes at home or at a designated store.”

Find more out about her 3D printed garments and the new jacket in this video: https://youtu.be/T7bdM05-Rx4

NGC Software Announces Cloud-Based Andromeda® Quality Control Solution Release

NGC’s Andromeda Cloud SaaS solutions enable retailers and brand owners to protect their brand reputation

MIAMI—July 19, 2017—NGC Software, a leading provider of cloud-based Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and Supply Chain Management (SCM) solutions, today announced the latest release and general availability of its next-generation Andromeda® Quality Control solution for fashion retailers and brand owners. This Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution helps companies identify product quality problems on the factory floor where issues can quickly and easily be resolved, reducing chargebacks and returned inventory.

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A&E Joins ZDHC In-line with Commitment to Sustainable Business Practices

MOUNT HOLLY, NC (July 11, 2017) - American & Efird (A&E), one of the world's leading manufacturers and distributors of industrial and consumer sewing thread, embroidery thread, and technical textiles, is officially announcing it has joined the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Programme. As a sustainability leader in the textile industry, A&E is proud to join over 20
leading brands working together to drive industry-wide change in responsible chemicals management.

"Being a part of the ZDHC Programme provides us the opportunity to share our knowledge and insights, partner and collaborate on issues with others in our industry, and improve our knowledge on sustainability, environmental, and chemical management issues." Jimmy Summers, A&E Vice President Environmental, Health and Safety/Sustainability continued, "We believe it is very important to be actively involved in driving positive change throughout the industry. It's simply the right thing to do."

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After Nearly 50 Years of Leadership, Gerber’s Sam Simpson Retires

Simpson will serve as consultant to the company

TOLLAND, CONN., USA, JULY 12, 2017 – It is rare today that a person spends their entire career servicing one industry. This is something people in the industry recognize of Sam Simpson who announced his plans to retire from Gerber. “When someone spends more than 47 years in an industry, it becomes a part of them,” stated Sam Simpson, vice president of global strategic accounts at Gerber.

Even though Simpson will retire from Gerber, he will continue to serve as a consultant to the company providing insights on customer needs and trends, maintaining and strengthening key partnerships, providing oversight on software compliance, as well as serving as a special advisor to the CEO.

“It has been a privilege to work alongside Sam and learn about the industry,” said Peter Morrissey, senior vice president global sales at Gerber. “Sam’s knowledge of the industry, customers and markets is unparalleled and we thank him for his years of service.”

Sam will continue to hold his position as chairman for the Sewn Products Equipment Suppliers of the Americas (SPESA), a position he was elected to in 2016. SPESA is one of the organizations he has supported throughout his career by representing Gerber on the board since 2000.

Sam’s retirement comes after a long and prosperous career in the sewn products industries. He began his career at G&H Manufacturing Co., a division of Genesco, where he participated on the team that pioneered the first automated grading and marking system, including the development of the first laser cutter for apparel applications. Sam joined Gerber through the acquisition of Hughes Aircraft Company AM-1 system. Throughout his tenure at Gerber, he held various positions including vice president/general manager of the Americas, vice president of global sales, director/general manager of the international division and several technical and marketing roles. Sam was integral in the expansion of Gerber’s international business activities in the European, Asian and Latin America regions.

Lectra and Armani nurture young pattern-making talent

Lectra enhances the link between students’ creativity and the fashion business with award-winning competition at Italy’s fashion school Istituto Secoli

Paris, July 11, 2017 – Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using fabrics, leather, technical textiles and composite materials, ensures pattern-making students in Italy benefit from cutting-edge technology and nurture key skills thanks to a recent competition organized in co-operation with Armani at Istituto Secoli.

Lectra has developed partnerships with over 850 fashion schools across the world, providing them with solutions and expertise to help the teachers prepare students with the skills they require for the workplace. Working with leading education partners, Lectra organises regular student competitions in association with customers. The latest competition with Istituto Secoli, renowned for its pattern-making savoir-faire, and organized with Armani, is a clear example of industry and education working hand-in-hand to nurture young fashion designers.

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Renowned Fashion Icon Tim Gunn Returns as Guest Speaker for ideation 201

Software Conference is November 1-3 in Los Angeles, California

TOLLAND, CONN., USA – Gerber Technology is proud to announce that Tim Gunn, famed fashion and television personality, will return by popular demand as a guest speaker at ideation 2017. Tim Gunn will engage in a fireside chat with Gerber Technology’s senior vice president and general manager, Software Solutions Group, Karsten Newbury as they explore how attendees should embrace digitization, making it easier for anyone in the world to design, manufacture and sell beautiful garments. Ideation, the premier software conference for the fashion, apparel, accessories and footwear industries, will be held in Los Angeles at the Sheraton Universal.

Tim Gunn is the Emmy-winning co-host and mentor for Lifetime’s Project Runway, where he also serves as one of the show’s producers. In addition to his television prowess, he served as Fashion Dean at Fifth & Pacific, where he was responsible for attracting, retaining and developing the creative talent within the portfolio of brands. Prior to his office at Fifth & Pacific, he was the Chief Creative Officer at Liz Claiborne Inc. Gunn served as a member of the administration and faculty at Parsons School of Design, an institution he shares a rich and deep history with having served there for 29 years where he was Design Chair of the Department of Fashion Design. Gunn is also a New York Times best-selling author penning Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style, Gunn’s Golden Rules: Life’s Little Lessons for Making It Work, and Tim Gunn’s Fashion Bible: The Fascinating History of Everything in Your Closet. Tim released his fourth book, Tim Gunn: The Natty Professor: A Master Class on Mentoring, Motivating, and Making It Work! in Spring 2015.

“Tim Gunn’s energy and passion as keynote speaker at ideation 2015 was both inspirational and entertaining. His dedication to design education and technology-led solutions will help attendees gain important knowledge and invaluable insights on how to navigate and thrive in an ever-transforming market,” said Newbury. “Mr. Gunn exemplifies the dynamism, creativity and innovation of fashion and we are honored to welcome him back to ideation.”



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Lectra, ESTIA, the Today Tomorrow Textiles Foundation and JPS Conseil launch the ‘Biarritz Active Lifestyle Integral’ Chair

Dedicated to innovative and sustainable materials for the future,
the Chair will help the textile and apparel industry create disruptions

Paris, July, 5, 2017 – Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using fabrics, leather, technical textiles and composite materials, l’École supérieure des technologies industrielles avancées (ESTIA), the Today Tomorrow Textiles Foundation, and JPS Conseil announce the creation of the ‘Biarritz Active Lifestyle Integral’ Chair dedicated to tomorrow’s innovative and sustainable materials.

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FlynnO’Hara Uniforms Selects CGS BlueCherry® ERP and EDI to Improve Supply Chain Efficiency

New York, NY – June 29, 2017 – CGS, a global provider of business applications, enterprise learning and outsourcing services, today announced that FlynnO’Hara Uniforms, one of the nation’s largest school uniform companies, selected BlueCherry® Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), essential modules within the BlueCherry Enterprise Suite of solutions, providing end-to-end capabilities for apparel and consumer lifestyle brands.

FlynnO’Hara Uniforms sought to update its legacy back-end solution and also improve access to its product data, related trends and inventory levels to improve its supply chain and distribution efficiency. With extensive expertise and resources in the apparel market, the CGS BlueCherry ERP and EDI solutions will support FlynnO’Hara’s growth and improve overall access to real-time supply chain data.

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The University of Fashion Trains on TUKAcad by the Thousands

NEW YORK, NY – The world’s largest online fashion design video library introduces lessons on TUKAcad at fraction of the cost of traditional schools. The University of Fashion [UofF] partners with Tukatech to provide video training on TUKAcad, Tukatech’s flagship software for pattern making, grading and marker making. The video training is accessible to everyone, and over 50,000 UofF subscribers already have access to it.

The University of Fashion provides online lessons to teach every facet of fashion design and business. Lessons are taught exclusively by college professors and fashion industry professionals. The UofF subscribers have access to the full library of video tutorials through their website, www.universityoffashion.com.

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Lectra’s Fashion 4.0 event looks ahead to tomorrow’s digital future

As fashion companies grapple with shifts in global economics and consumer behavior, Lectra offers digital solutions that keep the value chain agile

Paris, June 27, 2017 – Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using fabrics, leather, technical textiles and composite materials, gathered more than 100 industry professionals from around the world at its state-of-the-art technology center in Bordeaux-Cestas, France, to look at how Industry 4.0 is shaping and transforming the global fashion and apparel business.

The conference brought together brands and manufacturers to discuss the major challenges fashion businesses are facing in today’s digital marketplace, and identify practical steps companies can take to digitalize their value chain. During two days of in-depth presentations and workshops, Pr Céline Abecassis-Moedas and Pr Valérie Moatti, ESCP Europe shed light on innovative new retail models; Liz Doupnik, associate editor, Women’s Wear Daily, shattered myths and set straight misconceptions about the millennial generation; and Fred Lemoine, Vice President, Weave Services, delved into the advantages of a digitalized supply chain. Among the attendees were some of today’s most prominent fashion brands, such as H&M and Shanghai-based Dayang Group, one of the world’s largest suit manufacturers.

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NYC Alliance Holdings Selects CGS BlueCherry® PLM to Provide Full Visibility into Product Development

New York, NY – June 15, 2017 – CGS, a global provider of business applications, enterprise learning and outsourcing services, today announced that NYC Alliance Holdings, Inc., a multi-platform apparel company, selected BlueCherry® Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), an essential module within the BlueCherry Enterprise Suite of solutions, providing end-to-end capabilities for apparel and consumer lifestyle brands.

NYC Alliance Holdings sought to advance its visibility into product development data and remove manual processes to improve workflow speed and gain insight into product design adoption. The company also wanted a solution that provided triggers and alerts that would enable the team to address production issues. With the CGS team's extensive expertise and resources in the consumer lifestyle products market, the implementation of BlueCherry PLM will help support NYC Alliance Holdings’ growth, bring end-to-end visibility to its product lifecycle and improve its timeline to bring goods to market.

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DeSales Trading Company Enter Partnership In Distribution Rubber Thread – USA

BURLINGTON, N.C. — June 12, 2017— Rubberflex Sdn. Bhd. of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and DeSales Trading Co. of Burlington, N.S., have begun a partnership for the distribution of 100-percent latex rubber thread in the United States.

“DeSales offers excellent channel for our products to reach the elastic narrow fabric, braided rope and related market segments in the Eastern half of the United States,” said Amy Wong, international sales coordinator at Rubberflex. “Even some of our container load customers use DeSales as a back-up to maintain a consistent inventory.” DeSales carries a wide range of gauges & end counts.

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The new Lectra Fashion PLM gears fashion companies up for the fourth industrial revolution

Paris, June 7, 2017 – Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using soft materials—fabrics, leather, technical textiles and composite materials—is pleased to announce the launch of Lectra Fashion PLM 4.0, the first-ever product lifecycle management solution designed to help fashion and apparel companies navigate the fourth industrial revolution and thrive in the digital era of fashion.
With digitalization transforming the way consumers shop, today’s fashion companies are playing a never-ending game of catch-up, as they compete for the attention of a generation of connected, fickle-minded millennials who want it all: personalization, sustainability, quality and speed, accessible at all times, across multiple channels, and at the lowest price. Industry 4.0 is not only revolutionizing how manufacturers operate, but also how brands and retailers need to function, if they want to be fast and agile enough to meet the needs of this demanding new consumer. The stakes are high and how effectively companies harness technology to put the consumer at the heart of their process will be the deciding factor in who comes out ahead and who gets left behind.
Lectra Fashion PLM 4.0 has undergone a drastic reboot to give fashion and apparel companies the speed and agility they need to tackle the challenges of Industry 4.0 head on. Lectra Fashion PLM 4.0, with the widest functional scope on the market, acts as an intelligent nerve center to the digital supply chain, from planning through design to production. This ensures a consistent flow of error-free data between processes, technologies and people. The system connects CAD, industry-standard software such as Adobe Illustrator, company IT systems (such as ERP) and external suppliers, so that actors across the supply chain can work on, save and share information on the platform, ensuring data integrity.
The solution also draws on best practices, fashion-business intelligence and real-world scenarios to automate administrative and repetitive tasks, with templates, standard libraries and shortcuts that allows more time for value-added activities. The final result is a fast, connected digital supply chain that helps fashion companies jump on trends quickly and deliver products that fulfill their customer’s expectations.
This new incarnation of Lectra Fashion PLM is designed to work out of the box and can be scaled to accommodate the different needs of small to large businesses, brands, retailers and manufacturers. Companies can start small by implementing the standard offer, then add on as they go, choosing from up to ten different modules, such as design integration, product details, sourcing, sampling and costing.
The solution is available on a monthly subscription or perpetual license basis. Special attention has been paid to make this new product user-friendly, with learning tools that enable fast onboarding. The new Lectra Easy Tool allows IT teams to configure the platform to suit the needs of its users and the new mobile app, Lectra Collection Advanced, provides more ways to share information. The fuss-free implementation process means companies can get the platform up and running quickly with little disruption to business, and quickly start seeing a return on their investment.
The only fashion-dedicated PLM solution on the market that covers the entire value chain, Lectra Fashion PLM 4.0 is Lectra’s first software product release since it announced its 4.0 strategy, which aims to help fashion companies succeed in this brave new digital world. The culmination of Lectra’s 40-plus years of experience in the fashion industry, the platform gives companies a competitive edge by giving them a smart, user-friendly solution that allows them to remain agile and connected, facilitating their transition towards Industry 4.0.
“As our customers take their first steps toward the world of Industry 4.0, we want to be right there beside them to help them succeed. Just like today’s fashion companies, we are evolving to make our offer more customer-centric than ever before. We are extremely proud of this powerful new PLM platform, and are convinced that it will help our customers flourish in this digital age of fashion,” says Céline Choussy Bedouet, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Lectra.

George C. Moore Celebrates 108 Year Anniversary

A&E's 2016-2017 Sustainability Report Demonstrates Industry Transparency, Traceability and Trust

MOUNT HOLLY, NC (June 1, 2017) - American & Efird (A&E), one of the world's leading manufacturers and distributors of industrial and consumer sewing thread, embroidery thread, and technical textiles, announced today it is releasing its 2016-2017 Corporate Sustainability Report. This year's report reflects the three concepts that drive A&E's industry-leading sustainability program: Transparency, Traceability and Trust, while highlighting A&E's accomplishments in the areas of safety, environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility.


A&E's continued improvements, specifically in global water reduction and Zero-Waste-to-Landfill efforts, serve as an example of leadership and good stewardship throughout the textile industry.

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Tukatech poised to simplify fashion design and development with solutions starting at $29.00 per month

FRANKFURT, GERMANY May 9, 2017 – At Texprocess, Tukatech, Inc. is launching a suite of applications that will change the design community. The patent-pending applications and processes will eliminate sketching, and thus design misinterpretations. By working with existing 3D garments, real scale prints, Pantone-based true colors and pattern repeats, the entire supply chain will be able to collaborate and communicate design ideas at fraction of time and cost. Tukatech’s suite of Cloud-based product development solutions gives key players in the design process special digital tools designed with their unique requirements in mind:

TUKA3D Designer Edition

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Hansae International S.A. & Hansae Haiti S.A. Select CGS BlueCherry® Shop Floor Control to Optimize Production

New York, NY –  May 8, 2017 – CGS, a global provider of business applications, enterprise learning and outsourcing services, today announced that Hansae International S.A. and Hansae Haiti S.A. selected BlueCherry® Shop Floor Control (SFC), an essential module for manufacturing operations within the BlueCherry Enterprise Suite of solutions.

Hansae sought to improve productivity, quality and labor related compliance of its manufacturing operations in Nicaragua and Haiti, and turned to BlueCherry SFC to implement systems in both countries to provide workers with productivity and performance benchmarking, driving incentive-based earnings. With extensive expertise and resources in the consumer lifestyle products market, the CGS team’s experience in optimizing production on the factory floor along with BlueCherry SFC will help support Hansae’s growth, and improve its factory operations and productivity.

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