Industry Talk

According to a Reuters report this morning, Mauritian clothing maker Ciel Textiles has reported a 28% rise in first-half pre-tax profits after an improved performance from its knitwear business (Floreal Knitwear). The company is said to have satisfactory orders for the current quarter.

Nylon 6.6 yarns producer Nilit held its Annual Sales, Marketing and Technical conference in January in Tel-Aviv, Israel. The event which was attended by a number of leading industry figures was themed ‘Connecting the Links of Innovation’.

A remote island knitwear firm, located on the smallest of the three Aran Islands, Inis Meain, last year enjoyed a substantial increase in profits and revenues. Accounts recently filed by Cniotail Inis Meain Teoranta fpr Inis Meain Knitting show that the firm's accumulated profits more than doubled to €68,358 in the 12 months to the end of December 2012.

Just months after re-launching its advanced textiles engineering lab, Fabdesigns Inc. took delivery of one of the first new technology Stoll ADF3 machines in the U.S. In the last year, the flow of both domestic and international clients to its’ private textile laboratory has grown substantially, the company reports.

Retail demand for clothing in South Africa has expanded significantly since the world recession, according to a new report from the global business information company Textiles Intelligence – Prospects for the Textile and Clothing Industry in South Africa. But the main beneficiaries have been foreign suppliers rather than the industry in South Africa itself. The retail sector in South Africa has expanded as a result of an improvement in the distribution of goods and the development of suburban shopping centres, and a stimulation of consumer demand stemming from low interest rates, real wage increases, increases in government subsidies and low inflation.

The Supervisory Board meeting of Lenzing AG has appointed Robert van de Kerkhof, MBA, as a member of the Management Board for three years. In his capacity as Chief Commercial Officer Robert van de Kerkhof will have management responsibility for marketing and sales. His relevant international management experience is a key reason justifying his appointment to the Management Board.

Latvian based fabric manufacturer Lauma Fabrics has acquired a 100% of shares in German textile company Elastic Textile Europe, hoping find new clients in western markets. The Latvian firm is one of the leading manufacturers of lace, elastic knitted fabric and ribbons in Europe. Its key sales markets are Belarus, Baltic countries, Ukraine, Poland, Russia, France, but the firm now believes the deal will offer a great opportunity to expand into markets of western countries. The business model of German firm will remain unchanged with all employees, machines and the complete infrastructure have been taken over. On this basis Lauma and Elastic continue to implement their strategy to combine premium know-how with a competitive cost base, financial stability and European origin.

Gildan Activewear has announced record adjusted net earnings of US $0.35 per share for the first quarter of a fiscal year, which is seasonally the lowest sales quarter for T-shirts in the fiscal year. The company also reconfirmed its prior guidance for the full 2014 fiscal year for EPS, sales revenues, capital expenditures and free cash flows.

The US Outdoor Retailer show, which just completed its four-day Winter Market on January 25, showcases the best in winter apparel and cold weather gear. The outdoor industry creates $646 billion in annual consumer spending in the US, not to mention 6.1 million jobs; innovative fibres and knitwear for base layers, hosiery, and performance apparel and accessories comprise a key segment of the business. The industry is facing changing demographics with the rise of the millennial generation, who are more urban, more diverse, and much less likely to have grown up with a connection with the outdoors. In addition, the programs which support America’s public lands and national parks system are being adversely affected by government cutbacks.

Decades after many people thought the US textile industry was dead, the industry generated $54 billion in shipments in 2012 and employed about 233,000 people. 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, Great Britain, 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.