Confusion about the 9,000 different perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) makes regulation a difficult subject.

By Brian Rosenstein

The miscommunication, disinformation, and overall confusion that is being spread around the textile industry regarding perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is getting worse every day. Unfortunately, this may not improve any time soon. As someone who works in the textile finishing industry,

I currently spend almost half of my time dealing with PFAS in one way or another. One may think this is a good thing for a textile coater who specializes in the application of durable water repellents (DWR) and other performance-enhancing

technologies. But when discussions have nothing to do with increased sales or new business development, it’s a big problem.

I was always taught not to present a problem without a suggestion on how to solve the problem. PFAS seems to have become an exception to that “rule.”

PFAS is an umbrella term for more than 9,000 unique substances that all have one thing in common — they provide the highest level of cleanability and stain resistance. There is

no other technology on the planet that can singularly protect against water and oil-based stains at the level of a PFAS. Substitutes result in inferior protection. PFAS can be found in a wide variety of products such as automobiles,

food packaging, military equipment, cosmetics, cell phones, and yes, textiles. While a small subset of

the 9,000 substances have been linked to environmental and health hazards, the majority of them have not. More importantly, the PFAS chemicals that are currently used in the textile industry have not been tied to any health or environmental hazards. However, the small subset of harmful substances has made the entire group of chemicals a target for regulation.

Confusing Topic

So why is there so much confusion about PFAS? The biggest culprit is the fact that as an industry, our audience has changed. We’re no longer trying to sell customers on something they need and instead are dealing with regulators on science. Customers can be persuaded by science and facts. Regulators will only process enough information to fit their agenda, which leads to poor decision-making.

For example, many may have heard of the dreaded CAS# by now. Briefly, a Chemical Abstracts Service number (CAS#) is a unique identification for any given chemical that exists. There cannot be one CAS# for a group of chemicals. The definition of PFAS literally means, “many different fluorinated chemicals.” Therefore, it is virtually impossible to create one CAS# for a specific PFAS. The only solution is to identify and disclose the many individual CAS# that make up any given PFAS product. When this happens, it might be possible to assign a CAS# to one of the 9,000 different PFAS chemicals. The problem is that this is akin to revealing a chemical formula or intellectual property. Translation: no one will be getting a CAS# for PFAS right now. Unfortunately, regulators — at both federal and state levels — are continuing to ask for one specific CAS# for PFAS sold into their state. What are the product manufacturers supposed to do in this situation?

Another example of poor decision-making is illustrated by the Department of Defense (DoD), which almost passed a rule banning all PFAS on all textile materials it purchases for the U.S. military, including warfighters.

If passed, there would no longer be any alcohol or oil protection on the coveralls for our fuel handlers on aircraft carriers or surgical scrubs for doctors performing surgeries. The rule also would result in reduced protection against moisture and the elements for Kevlar® body armor.

Once moisture is introduced to Kevlar, it is no longer bulletproof. This broad-brush approach employed by the DoD to eliminate PFAS quite literally puts people’s lives in danger. Fortunately, at the eleventh hour, the Washington-based National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) was able to get the provision removed from the bill. But that was last year, and unfortunately, this same provision is now back on the table as part of DoD purchase plans for 2023.

Sharing The Message The Right Way

Where has the textile industry failed? The problem is education, and more importantly, the third component of education. There are three key parts when it comes to teaching an audience — content, volume and messaging.

In the textile arena, both content and volume have been maxed out. We have more detailed information and people willing to present it than is necessary. But the messaging still reflects an approach towards customers and not regulators. When textile professionals try to educate their audience, its common to see a periodic table of the elements, graphs, charts, and sometimes even a T-square. While highly accurate and irrefutable, this method of educating is not received very well by our new audience — the regulators. Especially when it’s compared to the environmentalists’ message where sensationalism is an artform. Scientists still wear pocket protectors and don’t know how to scare people. This makes exposing the truth about PFAS even harder.

Lawmakers at both the federal and state levels have all of the information they need to make sound decisions on PFAS. But sound decisions are not happening because the science is boring and doesn’t usually earn votes. While there are plenty of “teachers” out there, what is really needed is a team of PFAS-whisperers who understand the science AND can effectively convey the information to these decision-makers. This is sorely needed as soon as possible because poor decisions are being made at breakneck speed.

Some states are already beginning to pass laws based upon the confusion and misinformation. Some of the states are not looking to ban PFAS right out of the gate. They are asking instead that certain key pieces of information are reported. At least one of those states recently passed a law mandating certain PFAS reporting by January 1, 2023. Many companies already have begun collecting and preparing information to meet this new requirement. There’s only one problem — there’s nowhere to send the data. The same state who legislated reporting to begin in January isn’t expected to have its data-collection system up and running until at least April 2023. Talk about putting the cart before the horse. In the meantime, the supply chain is scrambling to address the new state regulations on PFAS while spending untold amounts of time and money. In the absence of any federal oversight, each state will devise its own method of monitoring and regulating PFAS. Currently, five states actively are trying to legislate or regulate PFAS, and none of them have the same set of “rules.” Only 45 more to go after that. What are manufacturers supposed to do?

It is a huge problem. Lawmakers and regulators are running out of their shoes in this “race” to eliminate PFAS. Personally, I just wish they would take a breath, slow down, and make a concerted effort to actually listen to the science and make educated decisions.

Solutions

How can the industry help solve this problem? By joining advocacy groups, such as NCTO, which possesses the experience and lawmaker outreach. This will give the textile industry a stronger, clearer voice in educating the individuals who are charged with making decisions in our country. PFAS is not the end of this. Once PFAS is in the rearview mirror, another topic no doubt will bubble to the surface. Maybe it will be an attempt to ban antimicrobials or flame retardants, again. Or perhaps lawmakers will try to ban cleaning products such as bleach and solvents. How’s that for irony?

Bottom line is this: Everyone reading this article either already has a product, or will have a product impacted by government regulation. The only solution is to do a better job of educating our government about what it is the textile industry does and the benefits its products offer.

Editor’s Note: Brian A. Rosenstein is CEO of Devon, Pa.-based TSG Finishing LLC, a fifth-generation family-owned high-performance finishing and coating company with facilities in Hickory and East Conover, N.C. TSG Finishing provides value-added service to all textile markets including medical, military, automotive, construction, home furnishings and filtration. The company recently announced a multiphase investment project to modernize all its primary textile finishing equipment.

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent official policy or position of Textile World/Textile Industries Media Group, LLC or its clients.

November/December 2022

By Jim Kaufmann, Contributing Editor

Recent issues of Textile World featured “Textile Education Circa 2022,” an article I wrote split into two parts that focused on current textile- related education programs in the United States. Part 1 featured a review of the more formal degreed options provided by colleges and universities for those interested in receiving a degree in some version of textiles — in design, fashion, engineering or management, for example — while part 2 focused more on the assorted training, apprenticeships and other related non-degreed training options being conducted through universities, colleges and industry related organizations.

However, after finishing the two articles, the thought occurred to me that while the editorial provided information on options for degreed and non-degreed offerings, neither article really offered much help in the way of what one should actually try to learn specific to textiles. So, allow me to offer an opinion, or two, derived from close to 45 years of experience in the textile industry. I’ll call it Part three-ish.

It’s All About Hand

First and foremost is the term “hand,” which many would argue is the primary fundamental factor guiding much of the global textile industry. Hand is defined by www.textileglossary.com as “literally, the feel of the goods in the hand.” In essence, it’s the tactile characteristics of a fabric. The desired “hand” for an application or specific end-use will likely influence fabric choices, architecture, construction, manufacturing techniques, processing parameters and any finishes applied.

I doubt I’ll ever forget my first real encounter with fabric hand. It occurred when I was maybe 12 years old, yet I remember it like it was yesterday. I was in the lingerie section of a department store with my father, who at the time ran a small tricot knitting mill. He appeared to be caressing different pieces of lingerie and suggested that I feel this one or look at that one. At 12 I knew enough to know that I should feel uncomfortable, and definitely noticed a few people in the store who were

looking at us curiously. Later, I realized my father was essentially comparing the different tactile aesthetics of these lingerie items to similar fabrics he was producing. “It’s all about the hand,” he said with a wink.

“I still always inquire if there is a sample when engaging in a new project with a customer,” said Bill Christmann, vice president, sales and marketing, Gehring Textiles, Hauppauge, N.Y. “I need something I can touch and handle and get the feel of. Otherwise, we’re just initially guessing at what you might want. If I have something representative to start with, it makes the development and selection process that much easier moving forward.”

A sentiment, I’ve found, that is shared by many others in the textile industry. Granted, the hand of specific fabrics is likely more evident and meaningful to the fashion and perhaps home furnishings industries, but hand also applies to many, if not all, other textile industry segments. The crisp, neat and clean look of a properly assembled printed banner; a composite parts operator who notices the fiberglass fabric in use is too stiff to nest neatly into the crevices of a mold; how a convertible top fabric has to be stretched and conformed properly around its support structure on an expensive new sports car; or the feeling and support of a seating fabric on an office chair are just a few examples of the hand in segments outside of the fashion industry.

And to those involved, each of these examples has respective significance and importance equal to that feel, softness and comfort of my niece’s snuggle blanket.

One concern voiced with greater frequency is the feeling that the use of hand as a formal term and attribute is waning and not entirely appreciated in today’s textile industry. This fear continues to grow given today’s focus on digitization and Industry 4.0, more folks working from home doing business over Microsoft® Teams or Zoom calls, less and less true research and development happening, emphasis on speed-to-market creating a shortened development cycle, and the continued lack of experienced and properly trained next-generation employees at all levels to back-fill for the older ones who either have or are quickly approaching retirement age. Like everything else, the future remains to be seen, but today, a clear understanding of the importance of hand remains a critical factor to every aspect of success in the textile industry, whether the term hand is used or not.

Truly No Substitute For Hands-On Learning

A natural extension of hand specific to textiles and its related facets is being hands-on, or more specifically learning by doing. As Marcia Weiss, director, Textile Design Programs at Thomas Jefferson University, so eloquently stated in Part 2 of the article, “there’s truly no substitute for hands-on learning when it comes to textiles!” I’m certain most industry veterans will agree that Weiss’ statement rings absolutely true. One simply cannot learn certain things from a book or computer screen. Some may equate this to the differences in one being street smart instead of being book smart. A fine differentiation of the two terms was offered by Ashley Fern in a lifestyle article for the website Elite Daily: “Street smarts are what a person learns through their personal endeavors whereas book smarts comes from a lecture or textbook.” The value of either or both can certainly be debated in a number of different ways and forums.

That said, in my humble opinion, one should not only be satisfied with book smart learnings alone! As a newly learned component of the global textile industry, there are just some things you have to experience in person and hands on. I certainly learned this from my father during my days working at his knitting mill. I received my bachelor’s degree in Textile Engineering from the then Philadelphia College of Textiles and Sciences — now part of Jefferson University — but I earned what I affectionately refer to as my unofficial and possibly more valuable Master’s degree from the unlicensed and certainly unstructured “Bubba U.” It was at Bubba U — under the tutelage of folks like Bubba, Harold, Jim, Frank and others who I worked with throughout the years —where I learned so much more about the real world of textiles through mentorships and friendships, not to mentioned various versions of working relationships.

Things like how to handle a fine filament yarn — maybe the size of a human hair at best — that you can barely see, let alone position accurately to thread it into the eye of a 48-gauge tricot knitting machine blade — that’s 48 blades per inch for those not familiar with it. It truly requires a sense of touch that most cannot appreciate. The only viable method of learning this skill, and it is a skill, is to actually do it, which requires figuring out how to grip the fine yarn without losing or breaking it, determine the yarn’s location by its touch on your fingertip and then gently manipulate and guide it into the threading hook and through the hole in the correct blade. Or, why does one fabric style run better on machine #123 instead of machine #321 though each machine is basically identical? Or what affect will a particular setting allow one style to run well, but a similar style won’t run at all? The nuances of working with highly elastic yarns compared to ones with little to no stretch. The useful short-cuts in the design, interface or even ERP programs that are used every day; or the different sounds machines make when they’re running well or right before all hell breaks loose. Some of these examples may be simply attributed to common sense or street smarts, but each is representative of the untold examples of lessons that can only truly be learned through trial and error or with the assistance of an experienced machine technician or operator.

Speaking of which, please allow me a moment here to go on the record and state that some of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met are machine operators and technicians, most of whom truly do not receive the recognition they deserve. Many of these people may not have formal degrees, but they certainly do deserve credit for their knowledge of the machines and systems they operate, in many cases the underpinnings of the companies they work for. And lest we forget or underestimate that little “black book” that many technicians possess containing their most guarded and, in some cases, magical secrets on machine settings for specific products, computer codes, batch formulas and the like. It is definitely worth getting to know a few of these folks.

An additional aspect of learning through a hands-on approach is that one develops a much better understanding of the machines and programs used by the industry and how each relates to a fabric being produced. Directly working with the machines, processes and technologies in the training labs allows one to try and learn different things in a typically more user-friendly environment, without the potential corporate concerns or pressures related to possibly breaking something that could result in shutting down production and impacting customers. Also, from a more practical personal perspective, keep in mind that the more practical experience one gains, the more employable one becomes and the potentially higher wage they can command.

Transition Into The Real World Of Textiles

Understanding the concept of a fabric’s hand and fully embracing the notion of a hands-on work ethic throughout college and on into, if not throughout, one’s textile industry career, will only help to ease the transition into the real world of textiles. Priya Jyotishi, a textile technologist for Propel LLC, Pawtucket, R.I., and graduate of Drexel University with a Masters in Science, Fashion Design and Research, felt her hands-on work during her tenure in school was instrumental to landing her position at Propel. “If I didn’t do that lab work at school, I would likely not have my position at Propel,” Jyotishi said.

“My lab experiences really helped to tie everything together. Drexel teaches both the pattern coding and also working directly on the machine to make the pattern work correctly, which really helped me to understand what works, what to do when you encounter an issue and ultimately how to figure it out. Sometimes it may take a while, but you figure it out and that helps to make the next time much quicker. All very pertinent to my work now at Propel.”

Essentially, today’s textile education experience continues to evolve in order to grow a more well-rounded individual. As noted in Parts 1 and 2 of the original article, various related entities are working towards this through any combination of hands-on lab work, inter-department and industry-specific project collaborations, course work that may require an engineer to take design courses or vice-versa, and internships and apprenticeships. The end goal is to ease an individual’s transition into the textile world and speed up the company on-boarding processes. Companies are responding with increased involvement in these programs along with more direct textile industry support. Here’s to the ongoing success of these efforts and the hope that the fundamentals of hand and hands-on continue to be a vital focus!

May/June 2022

By Jim Kaufmann, Contributing Editor

While 2020 is turning out to be a rather interesting year from any number of different perspectives, one perspective I’m actually glad to see is the large number of people who are beginning to understand that the textile industry truly is an “essential” business to the United States and the world. The advent of the global coronavirus pandemic has reiterated just how important textiles are to sustaining and protecting our everyday lives in a number of ways. Yet, the textile industry continues to instill a perception that often includes images of sweat shops, rusted out mills and dye houses, decrepit run down mill towns and low wages. Well, ok, the low wages one may still be a bit true, but regardless, the reality is that most in the general public still thinks of the U.S. textile industry as being dead, if not remnants from a by-gone era.

Now, given the realities of living through a global pandemic, imagine the look on the faces of people who thought textiles were irrelevant as they eventually realized that personal protective equipment (PPE), the variety of protective masks that many — including my niece — have started home sewing businesses to produce, as well as linens, bedding, and unfortunately even the body bags seen on the evening news, are all products of the textile industry. Lest we forget about the filter media in respirators, ventilators and clean air systems, the swabs for testing, the curtains and room dividers being used to separate patients, the list goes on and on. And it doesn’t take long to realize that the textile industry is far from dead; it is in fact a very integral part of our everyday lives. But the majority of those reading Textile World, already know that, at least I hope we do?

One of the most relevant lessons learned over the past several months is that while we really do live in a global economy, having a strong, efficient and competent localized supply chain is paramount to surviving any number of global challenges. The real question, and the purpose for the above commentary, is that many facets of the textile industry are certainly not dead, and in fact appear to be reinvigorated as many companies focused on essential product categories look to improve their local supply chains. So how do we in the industry keep this new found momentum moving forward?

And given this new attitude and a re-emphasis on a strong textiles supply chain, I think most would agree that this industry could definitely use an infusion of new faces, new business perspectives and new employees. Maybe even a new localized and even global marketing campaign to convince prospective workers and the public in general that the textile industry has in fact changed, or maybe evolved into an industry full of advanced technologies, incredibly diverse products, applications and much, much more than those old images, opinions and perceptions continue to portray.

Prior to this new era in which we currently reside, virtually anyone I spoke with throughout the textile industry supply chain expressed a need for “new blood” at pretty much every level from operators, technicians, engineers, chemists to industry and product savvy sales folks, managers and everything in between. But almost universally, the biggest need is for machine mechanics, fixers and technical types who actually understand textile machinery and have the experience and wherewithal to make the products run and machines hum.  Yep, the machine whisperers! The folks who can identify a problem just by listening to the machine run, then massage and coax it back to life with a subtle turn of a wrench or tap of a hammer or even simply a few choice words offered in a way that only the machine can understand. Unfortunately, the really good ones still working, if you can actually find them, are getting older and older. Of great concern is the fact that there are fewer and fewer young ’uns or apprentices coming in to fill the growing void.

Part of this ongoing challenge is that in addition to the negative perception of the textile industry, there continues to be the largely incorrect notion that you need to have a college degree to get a good job, and a stigma may be attached to someone choosing not to go to college. The perception and emphasis on the need of a college degree for recent generations has resulted in a reduction of people looking to the trades as a career option and with that it feels like something we used to refer to as “good common sense” has regrettably gone away … but that’s a subject for another article. We’ve all seen it demonstrated time and again that intelligence is not only the result of having a Bachelor’s, Masters or Ph.D.-level education and I will offer that many of the most intelligent down to earth people I’ve ever met are machine operators, mechanics and technicians who never went to college. They may not be able to recite a Shakespeare sonnet or spell Pythagorean theorem, but they typically have a common sense view of the world and understand how to get the most from their position in life.

Another item I was reminded of not too long ago is that a fairly high percentage of people currently working in textiles most likely have a parent or relative — in my case it was my father — who was working in the textile industry and got them interested. I really haven’t come across too many folks in textiles who found the industry intriguing enough to make textiles a career without having that personal connection. This also has to change. The question really becomes how do we reverse these trends and entice new folks, young and old alike, to give the textile industry a look as a potential career and maybe help to change that negative view that the industry carries?

Austin Conner, a project engineer at SAERTEX-USA in Huntersville, N.C., and recent graduate of the Wilson School of Textiles at North Carolina State University, said: “I think when a lot of young people hear the word ‘textiles’ or ‘textile manufacturing’ they think of old stuffy mills that people their grandparents age used to work in and a lot of people who were alive to see the textile industry get largely outsourced in the 80’s and 90’s still feel that there isn’t any job security. In order to lose this stigma, I think textile companies need to do a better job promoting the cool technologies and exciting textile applications they are a part of. Maybe use modern marketing strategies such as social media more effectively to promote their businesses. Although some of the industry’s technology is rooted in the old, there is plenty of new. And new is exciting to young people!”

“The textile industry is really about more than clothing, as evidenced by its ability to rapidly transition to the production of PPE in a time of crisis,” stated Dr. Chris Pastore, professor of Transdisciplinary Studies and Engineering at Jefferson University. “It is an industry that actually remains vibrant, is constantly pushing the bounds of technology and is people oriented, all the things that I’d be looking for in a new career path.”

“Another thought is to possibly incorporate basic fiber science and textile knowledge into entry level science courses,” Conner added. “Educate youngsters in high school and college about the fundamentals of textiles and their many uses. The fact that everyone wears clothes but many people don’t know anything about how they are made is crazy!”

Fortunately, there are a few organizations and individuals who have been listening and are taken up this effort to change perceptions of the textile industry and get more people interested in the opportunities it presents. Cotton Incorporated, the not for profit U.S. cotton research and promotions company, in partnership with Young Minds Inspired, recently created a series of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Program-focused teaching kits intended to engage 4th to 8th grade students and introduce them to cotton science and sustainability. Dan St. Louis, director of the Manufacturing Solutions Center (MSC) in Conover, N.C., and a long time champion of the textile industry, has been working with STEM Education departments at high schools for years to promote STEM tours of MSC and introduce students to various textile programs MSC supports. The Textile Technology Center at Gaston College has been offering and providing textile-based education programs and consulting to the industry for more than 75 years and continues to do so. As do higher education centers like North Carolina State University’s Wilson School of Textiles and Jefferson University, formerly the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Sciences, both of which offer a variety of textiles focused programs with an eye towards the future. But as mentioned earlier, colleges and universities are not always for everyone, so we should also promote trade schools and apprentice programs as viable options throughout the textiles supply chain with as much passion as parents have been promoting the need for degrees.

We all know that the textile industry has and continues to remain a significant component of the global economy, but as the past several months have shown us, it is an essential business and worthy of that recognition. Here’s to hoping that the textiles supply chain uses this time in the spotlight to effectively foster an image change and get more young and old people alike interested in the variety of career options that the industry offers. We need that new blood and energy to help keep that spotlight shining bright or once again, we may find our industry and ourselves looking back and wondering what the heck happened?

June 25, 2020

By Jim Kaufmann, Contributing Editor

With plans already made to attend CAMX, the Composites and Advanced Materials Expo, Textile World asked me to provide coverage of the show, originally scheduled for last October in Orlando, Fla. Unfortunately, that original schedule also coincided with the arrival of Hurricane Irma, which put everyone’s plans into the spin cycle. For obvious reasons, CAMX organizers rescheduled the show and the new date was December 12-14.

The CAMX tradeshow focuses specifically on all aspects of the composites industry — raw materials and fabric manufacturers, molders, an assortment of other support companies along with a vast array of applications with markets ranging from sporting goods to wind energy, aerospace and various forms of transportation. Its focus and execution is governed by the collective efforts of the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) and Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE). “CAMX is definitely the number one composites show for us in the Americas,” said Daniel Stumpp, global marketing manager, SAERTEX GmbH, a show exhibitor. “It’s just a shame that the hurricane caused the show to be rescheduled.”

Rescheduling a popular industry tradeshow is never an easy endeavor, but when the best option for new dates happens to be in mid-December, expectations definitely change. Typically, end-of-year activities create some of the busiest times for companies trying to close out the old year strong at the same time making preparations for the start of a new one, not to mention the personal challenges typically associated with the holiday season. CAMX organizers tried to put a positive spin on the situation and make the most of it, but most participants realized the show would see lower attendance levels than originally expected and the feel of the show would be very different.

Tradeshows Still Matter

In a discussion with a buddy at CAMX, the topic of tradeshows and the TW article and how best to write about the show came up. The friend thought about things for a moment, then said simply, “tradeshows still matter.”

I realized he was absolutely correct, and concluded that CAMX, even though it was rescheduled, was a fine example of why tradeshows in fact do still matter.

I have to admit — I like tradeshows and pretty much always have. I remember the first one I went to, long ago with my father. It was a sports industry show in Chicago and I was ecstatic to say the least. I was in my teens, so just traveling with my father when he was on business was great. But I couldn’t believe all the stuff at the show — not just the booths and sporting goods, but the knick-knacks and giveaways too. I was in heaven and remember returning home with two shopping bags stuffed full of handouts and what can best be described as a little bit of everything.

Changing With The Times

Of course, tradeshows have changed quite a bit in the years since my first experience at one, or maybe more appropriately, they have evolved with the times and must continue to do so. Originally, tradeshows were the place where all the exhibitors showed their newest, latest and greatest products — the best they had to offer — to all the prospective customers that might wander by the booth. Trade shows were the great industry gathering event. But trade shows began to change as more and more competitors from near and far came booths to take lots of pictures and make notes. This high-level of interest inevitably resulted in conspicuously similar products of questionable origin being offered by other companies, generally at lower prices. This practice, in turn, began the trend of companies limiting product offerings at shows and highlighting just enough interesting items to draw curiosity. Sections of the booth space seemed to evolve into restricted or private meeting areas. Potential customers were drawn in by the interesting items and then essentially vetted. Those deemed worthy were brought to the restricted areas to be shown the real new items. Skip to the present with our fast-paced culture with everything online, and given the advent of mobile phones with all kinds of apps and access to more intelligence at our fingertips than the computers that were used to put a man on the moon years ago, and the evolution continues. Tradeshows have taken on yet another purpose.

An Atmosphere Of Conversation

A wise man once told me: “More business at tradeshows is conducted during meals, at the after-parties and in the bars, than on the show floor. It’s where the actual conversations take place.” From what I’ve seen over the years, he was obviously correct and tradeshow organizers have begun to acknowledge this as well. Recent incarnations of tradeshow floor layouts have incorporated more meeting spaces and communal areas for people to gather. This allows attendees — both exhibitors and those wandering the show floor — the opportunity to have genuine, bona-fide actual face-to-face conversations with one another without the need for a cell phone. “Of course, digital media becomes more and more important for our marketing activities, but it´s the special environment of tradeshows that you cannot find via the Internet,” offered Stumpp. “Tradeshows generate an atmosphere of conversation that becomes the basis for new ideas. Face-to-face conversations not only generate new contacts, they also help to improve the relationships we have with existing suppliers and customers.”

This year’s CAMX show proved to be a great example of conversations improving relationships. Several attendees appeared to relish the extra time available to simply talk with others in attendance, whether it be a new or current customers, suppliers and even possible competitors. “The show floor wasn’t overly busy given the approaching holidays and year end, but the people who were at the show were here for a reason,” stated Jeff Thompson, director of sales, basalt yarn producer Mafic North America, Shelby, N.C. “So, we had more time for real, more in-depth interactions with customers and potential customers that we hope become quite valuable. I prefer this to the more hit and run type of communications that inevitably happen when the show floor is very busy. You just gain so much more out of real conversations.”

You Just Never Know What You May Learn Or Who You May See

Another reason tradeshows are great, is they present an opportunity similar to that of going to a flea market or yard sale. One truly never really knows what one might find or whom you might run into. Maybe seeing one product or technology sparks an idea for a new product or better way of doing something. And there’s always the chance to run into old friends or colleagues you haven’t seen in years. At CAMX for example, I was able to talk to several different companies and gained ideas on new products and processing technologies that may lead to improvements in our productivity. I also ran into a colleague who I hadn’t seen in almost 20 years. It was a complete surprise for both of us, and really nice to catch up.

Everyone who exhibits or attends tradeshows has their own agenda and opinion of the show’s worth and will weigh the associated costs. However, some in the industry have said in recent years that tradeshows are no longer worth the cost or effort, and I respectfully disagree. Granted, tradeshows used to be the primary source for finding new products, but now with the advent of the Internet, new products are found everywhere. Today, tradeshows present an opportunity and atmosphere to forge relationships and renew personal connections, which may have been misplaced as a result of the fast-paced Internet, mobile phone, information overload world we all live in. It really does take only one enticing introduction, stimulating conversation or a new nugget or two of information to reinforce the belief that tradeshows really do still matter. The recent CAMX show certainly strengthened this belief for me.

January/February 2018

By Jim Kaufmann, Contributing Editor

There’s an old adage suggesting that “Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened?” I mention this, because when I first started in the textile industry circa 1983, there always were older guys and gals around for the young ‘uns to learn from. Many of you know whom I’m referring to. There was the wizened fixer who not only named but talked to his machines, yet knew just how to coax them into running smoothly no matter what we did to them; guys like Bubba, Harold and Big Jim who told fantastic stories that constantly made you laugh until you cried; Ms. Sue in purchasing, all four feet ten and 105 pounds soaking wet who would stand toe to toe with literally anyone, even Mr. Milliken himself, to get you the best pricing; or the crazy mad scientist with his little black book who could create the most vibrant of colors from a bunch of pixie dust. Everyone knows folks like this, and went to them for help and guidance. They’re the real-world teachers and mentors that drive the textile industry. Fortunately, I still know and am proud to call many of these now “older folks” friends.

Unfortunately, looking at all the folks in the textile industry today, the old ones regrettably are getting older, and there appears to be significantly fewer and fewer young ones hoping to take their place. “Textiles are growing worldwide and expanding into new and fascinating areas, but the talent pool is shrinking and continues to shrink,” lamented James Wang, CEO of Pailung Machinery Co. “The impression of textiles is that the industry is in the sunset, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Many others in the textile industry are sounding alarms with similar concerns about the lack of young people showing an interest in textiles. Dan St. Louis, director of the Manufacturing Solutions Center established to assist and grow industry in North Carolina, proclaimed: “Man it’s tough! Everyone thinks textiles are dead. Do a Google search for textiles and you still see pictures of the old dirty, nasty factory mills from days gone by. Those old images couldn’t be further from the truth given the advanced factories of today or the unbelievable breadth of applications where textiles are used. But how do we get kids interested in textiles? They think stuff like robotics and artificial intelligence are the cool jobs, not textiles. How do we manufacture anything if they’re all playing on their smart phones and immersed in virtual reality? We’re at less than 4-percent unemployment in this area now. We already can’t find people, so where’s the future hands-on work going to come from? Where do we find the fixers? Where do we find the craftsmen? That’s really the huge concern!”

“The textile industry was never sexy,” said Lee Berry, sales manager at SAERTEX USA. “It’s always had an image problem. The media consistently portrays the textile industry as old school, not the highly technical growth industry which it really is. There truly needs to be an effort to change that image and get young people interested again.”

Wang is equally concerned. “The new generation doesn’t see textiles as interesting globally,” Wang said. “They don’t realize that today’s textile industry is as advanced or even more advanced than many other industries. We have to change the global image of textiles and get more young people involved and we have to do it soon. How can we continue to realize growth and find new opportunities without the talent pool to drive it?”

“It seems like the textile industry created its own self-fulfilling prophecy when many of the traditional textile schools started dropping or greatly reducing their textile programs,” said Berry. “Georgia Tech maybe has some classes. Philadelphia Textile is now Jefferson University. It still has textile programs, I think? Does Clemson or Texas Tech still offer textile courses? I don’t know,” Berry opined. “People imply that textiles aren’t around anymore and all the jobs are going to Asia, yet the textile industry in the United States keeps evolving into new and interesting directions that most don’t realize. Somehow we need to change that.”

On the bright side, there is a lot of good going on in textiles and several efforts are increasing the textile industry’s visibility to bright young people. Raleigh, N.C.-based North Carolina State University (NC State) still maintains an active textiles program. The Nonwoven’s Institute at NC State, led by Behnam Pourdeyhimi, is a world-class organization benefitting the nonwovens industry. There are a growing number of composites programs using textiles for reinforcements at universities around the country expanding the understanding and use of composite technologies in a variety of industries.

And speaking of technologies, while most people still think of textiles as only being the stuff that clothing and bed sheets are made from, it is a progressive industry filled with technology and literally untold numbers of applications. Some fun facts:

• The global textile industry, when categorized properly, remains one of the largest, if not the largest, in terms of manufacturing dollars and number of employees.

• Machine manufacturers like Pailung continue to push the limits of machinery and resulting fabric technologies. It’s estimated that more than 20 percent of the human body can now be replaced or improved using some form of textiles.

• Performance and high-tech fabrics are everywhere. Several new running shoe uppers are actually complex one-piece knit fabrics while near net-shape 3-D woven preforms are being used in ultra-high performance composite applications.

• The Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA) organization — initially funded with a Department of Defense grant and based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — is investigating truly advanced uses for textiles in the military, electronics and beyond.

No, it’s definitely not my father’s textile industry any longer, and we need to inspire more young people from all education levels and disciplines to get immersed in the textile industry in order to keep

it advancing. “We have to engage youth early in order to service industry needs of the future,” St. Louis suggested. “We have to help them understand that knowing how to make stuff is a worthy and valuable skill. Textiles are a large part of our history in this area and they are still a significant part of our future.”

Personally, I remain bullish about the future of the textile industry, but share all the concerns that textiles needs to improve its image. It’s one of the oldest industries known to man and has continually progressed through the cumulative efforts of young and old guys and gals alike.

Textiles are used virtually everywhere in applications that amaze and inspire, but regrettably many people harbor that old, dirty image of a dying industry. And that’s the image that needs to change in order to get young people excited about textiles. Otherwise, the concern is that when all the old guys are gone, the textile industry is going to look back and wonder what happened?

September/October 2017