Tri Vantage, a distributor serving the awning, marine and furniture industries, is opening a Seattle distribution center that will focus on expanded service throughout the Pacific Northwest. The Seattle center is scheduled to begin operations on April 16, 2012. The new 15,000-square-foot center is located in the Southcenter South Industrial Park in Tukwila, Wash., just [...]

Solutia, a performance material and specialty chemical company based in St. Louis, Mo., was spun off from Monsanto in 1997, struggled with legacy liabilities until it filed for Chapter 11 reorganization in 2003, emerged from bankruptcy in 2008 and earned $243 million in 2011. The business goes into its next transformation in 2012, as it [...]

In Kings Mountain, N.C., city council members awarded Specialty Textiles Inc. (STI), a local textile goods manufacturer, a $15,000 grant to support its planned expansion in the community. The expansion will bring an estimated 62 new jobs and $5 million in taxable investment into Kings Mountain. Mayor Rick Murphrey cited Kings Mountain assets, such as [...]

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement will put at risk hundreds of thousands of related apparel jobs in the Western Hemisphere that depend on U.S. textile exports, said Cass Johnson, president of the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) in testimony before the U.S. International Trade Commission in March. Vietnam has subsidized its textile and apparel [...]

The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) has published its State of Trade report for the third quarter of 2011, and production of yarn and fabrics increased over the previous quarter. Global yarn production increased because of higher output in Asia (particularly in China) and South America, despite lower yarn production in Europe and North America. [...]

Peter C. Parker has been named marketing manager for Miller Weldmaster, Navarre, Ohio, a leading provider of heat press pre-sealing technology services and machinery. His new role will include global brand development, product positioning, segment marketing, marketing communications, customer development, business research and strategy. Parker formerly served as marketing manager for Vox Mobile, a managed [...]

Sanitized AG, a provider of antimicrobial and protective treatments for textiles and plastics, recently named Urs Stalder its new CEO. The company, based in Burgdorf, Switzerland, appointed Stalder, a 20-year veteran in Sanitized AG management, to pursue a strategy focused on innovation, development of new technologies and strengthening current comprehensive services. In his previous role [...]

The Cooley Group has announced changes to its leadership team: Steve Katz will fill the newly created position of director of sales and customer service in the Engineered Membranes division. Dan Johansen joins the company in the newly created position of director of sales, Cooley Commercial Graphics division. Tem McInville will become plant manager for [...]

[TenCate Geosynthetics] Almelo, The Netherlands TenCate Geosynthetics used geotextiles to reinforce locally available soil fill in the construction of an extensive retaining wall supporting a new coal processing plant at the Hetaoyu Coal Mine Complex in Gansu Province, China. Approximately one km long, 30 meters high and 140 meters wide, the wall traverses rugged, sloped [...]

[Ace Geosynthetics] Taiwan Mountains cover more than 70 percent of Taiwan and a massive transportation system is essential for cargo transport. The Taiwan Ministry of Transportation had devised a temporary solution to drain out excess water in a steep slope in Nantou County in central Taiwan, but landslides instigated by torrential rains caused major damage [...]