Textiles Review |

San Francisco Fire Department Becomes Largest In U.S. To Adopt Non-PFAS Turnout Gear

2025-12-30T10:00:00+00:00

The transition follows an ordinance passed in May 2024 making San Francisco the first city in the country to ban the use of PFAS chemicals in its firefighters’ turnout gear. With a June 30, 2026 deadline to make the switch, department officials worked efficiently to procure and test potential solutions, selecting the final gear well ahead of the deadline.

The selected gear went through rigorous performance and safety testing, including a 90-day wear trial with 50 firefighters going through live fire training at the San Francisco Division of Training burn rooms. The gear is UL certified and meets the NFPA 1971-2018 and 1971-2025 standards.

While non-fluorinated fabrics have existed for turnout gear outer shells and thermal liners, moisture barrier alternatives remained a key technical challenge. The introduction of Milliken Assure™ — North America’s first non-PFAS, non-halogenated flame-resistant moisture barrier — in October 2024 made it possible for Fire-Dex to provide SFFD with a solution that met all requirements.

The San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) has become the largest department in the United States to transition its entire fleet to non-PFAS turnout gear.

“A non-PFAS moisture barrier was the missing piece for departments wanting to move away from fluorinated chemicals,” said Marcio Manique, SVP and Managing Director of Milliken’s apparel business. “With Assure™, we refused to trade one hazard for another. It meets the strictest performance standards without adding weight or compromising breathability – giving firefighters exactly what they asked for.”

SFFD worked with MES Life Safety to order the garments from Fire-Dex and size each firefighter individually for their new equipment. Milliken and Fire-Dex have maintained a decade of strategic collaboration that delivers fire service innovation and advancement through U.S. research and manufacturing.

“Fire-Dex is honored to supply the San Francisco Fire Department with AeroFlex turnout gear featuring a non-fluorinated moisture barrier,” said Jeff Koledo, Fire-Dex Vice President of Sales. “We’re grateful to work alongside Milliken and MES in delivering this solution. Our goal has always been to provide fire departments across the country with options that meet their needs — and ultimately ensure they have the essential protection required to keep their communities safe.”

San Francisco encompasses 49 square miles and is the fourth largest city in the state of California. The SFFD is the 10th largest fire department in the United States, serving an estimated 1.5 million people. With 45 stations, firefighters respond to an average of 180,000 annual emergency calls.

Paul Stuart, American Luxury Menswear Brand, Acquired By Middle West Partners

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With the acquisition complete, Middle West Partners and Peerless Clothing are jointly focused on strengthening core brand identity, unlocking international growth, and investing in product design that reminds us why Paul Stuart was, and is, an American icon.

Earlier this year, MWP announced its acquisition of high jewelry house, David Webb, another iconic American heritage brand.

Middle West Partners was advised on the transaction by David G. Hoffman,Legal Counsel was provided by Hinckley Allen, and valuation advisory was provided by Gordon Brothers.

For more information, please contact Heather Zachary at heather@hz-consulting.com and visit www.paulstuart.com to view the full collection.

Paul Stuart

Founded in 1938 by Ralph Ostrove and named for his son, Paul Stuart Ostrove, Paul Stuart embodies timeless elegance and a steadfast commitment to craftsmanship. The brand has remained anchored at its iconic flagship boutique on the corner of Madison Avenue and 45th Street, where it has long dressed some of the world’s most influential male style icons. Serving generations of discerning customers, Paul Stuart continues to design refined collections that define modern American luxury. Paul Stuart operates four boutiques across the US in New York City, Southampton, Chicago and Washington, D.C. https://www.paulstuart.com.

Navis Tubetex Announces U.S. Partnership With Icomatex

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“Our goal is—and always has been—to provide the right solution for every customer,” said Will Motchar, President & CEO. “This partnership with Icomatex expands our offering. It does not diminish our commitment to the Marshall & Williams brand, which remains an industry benchmark. Instead, it enhances our ability to support customers across a wider range of production needs.”

Reducing Confusion, Increasing Clarity

To ensure clarity for all current and future customers:

Navis TubeTex will continue full support, service, spare parts, and new machinery offerings for Marshall & Williams.
The company will work closely with each customer to recommend the solution—M&W or Icomatex—that best fits their specific production, speed, fabric, and budget requirements.
The partnership enables Navis TubeTex to offer more options, better responsiveness, and strong lifecycle support across both platforms.

A Shared Vision for Innovation

“Icomatex has built a reputation for quality, engineering excellence, and continuous improvement,” said David Valmana, President. “We are proud to partner with Navis TubeTex, whose decades-long industry leadership, trusted service network, and customer-first mindset make them the ideal representative for our products in the U.S. market.”

Together, Navis TubeTex and Icomatex share a commitment to innovation, energy efficiency, sustainability, and long-term value for textile finishers around the world.

Auburn University’s Applied Research Institute Expands Advanced Manufacturing Capabilities With CF3D Enterprise Cell

2025-12-30T10:00:00+00:00

“Huntsville continues to be the gravitational center of hypersonic development in the United States, and Auburn is investing where it matters,” said Steve Starner, CEO of Continuous Composites. “The addition of a CF3D Enterprise cell gives Auburn and its partners a modern composite manufacturing capability and a toolset to explore structural concepts that were previously out of reach.”

The installation enables Auburn researchers to work directly with the surrounding defense community, accelerating prototyping workflows and applied materials research. Students and faculty also gain hands-on experience with digital composite manufacturing, a growing requirement across aerospace and defense programs.

“Auburn’s presence in Huntsville places us in the center of national-priority programs,” said Luke Boyer, Ph.D., Lead Principal Research Engineer and Advanced Manufacturing Team Lead. “Integrating CF3D into our capabilities expands our support for hypersonic development and gives partners the ability to study structural concepts grounded in real manufacturing data.”

Continuous Composites will host a CF3D Tech Tour at Auburn University’s Huntsville Research and Innovation Center on March 11, 2026. The event will operate at a Distro C classification level and will bring together aerospace OEMs, defense primes, research institutions, and government stakeholders for technical discussions, demonstrations, and a firsthand look at the CF3D Enterprise Cell.If you would like to receive an invitation, please fill out this form at: https://continuouscomposites.com/cf3d-tech-tour/ to be added to the invitation list. Additional details will be shared soon.

U.S. Cotton Is A Natural Fit When Moving Away From Synthetics

2025-12-18T10:00:00+00:00

As the textile industry has evolved, the understanding of its environmental and social footprint has increased as has the acceptance of responsibility for limiting any negative impact and increasing any positive impact. Over the past 15 to 20 years, much of the textile industry’s focus has been on environmentally sustainable and socially ethical initiatives. Most of these initiatives are about how products are made.

Increasingly, however, the newest initiatives are more intently focused on the products’ environmental impacts during and after use. Of course, a product’s impact during these two phases of its life cycle is greatly influenced by its components. As part of this new and justified focus, the global textile industry, especially brands and retailers, will be looking for better fiber solutions to mitigate challenges like microfiber pollution and end of life disposal.

Cotton, and specifically cotton grown in the United States, offers brands and retailers and their customers a compelling fiber solution because the product is a responsibly produced, natural, renewable, biodegradable fiber with supply chain transparency that includes traceability and key environmental metrics.

While cotton, and especially U.S-grown cotton, plausibly has a lesser environmental footprint than synthetic fibers in the production phase, fiber production is not the emphasis of this article. Rather, the focus is on how U.S. cotton is positioned to help the textile and apparel value chain address the huge global microplastics disaster that is unfolding and growing land fill challenge. The microplastics crisis is not a textile-specific issue — 12 percent of all the plastic leakage into the environment from unmanaged or unmanageable waste comes from the polyester value chain, and the textile waste that is managed is estimated to occupy 7 percent of landfill space.

Undoubtedly, plastic has made life easier, and it is difficult to imagine a world that is completely void of plastic, but there are environmental and human health costs to that convenience. Plastic poses significant problems because it is not biodegradable. Rather, it breaks down into micro-plastics and nanoplastics that taint the earth’s sea, freshwater supply, soil and air.

Consumers are increasingly aware of the issue with plastics, and they are slowly but surely starting to make the connection that polyester is plastic and that their clothing choices can have a huge impact on the environment and human health, including their own. Because clothing, sheets and towels shed the fibers of which they are made when worn and laundered, they are constantly releasing microfibers into the air and water. Cotton products shed more microfibers than polyester; but when those cellulosic cotton fibers enter the environment, they break down through the process of biodegradation just as nature intended. Conversely, the microfibers of polyester and other synthetics are not targeted by the microbes responsible for biodegradation because they don’t recognize them as natural food sources. Those microfibers contribute to the microplastics crisis facing our environment and human health. Human inhalation or ingestion of microplastics that accumulate over time — including from our food supply; think shrimp and vegetables whose oceans and soil are polluted with microplastics and microfibers — can lead to organ damage, endocrine system dis-orders with negative reproductive and metabolic repercussions, and may even increase the risk of cancer.

Graphic courtesy of National Cotton Council

Considering the growing number of microplastics studies and major concerns for the global ecosystem, there is renewed interest in natural components. Likewise, natural fibers are highlighting just what it means to be natural. Two such campaigns are the “Plant Not Plastic” — plantnot plastic.org — and “Make the Label Count” — makethelabelcount.org. The “Plant Not Plastic” campaign, launched by the National Cotton Council of America in response to the findings from its “Microplastics

Corporate Strategy & Insights Consumer Survey,” is a public awareness campaign with a goal of educating consumers on the positive contributions they can make to the environment and human health by choosing clothing and home textiles made from natural fibers. The campaign has taglines like: “Plant, Not Plastic,” “What You Wear Matters,” “Choose Cotton — the natural choice to protect your family and y(our) home.”

While consumers have increasingly moved away from checking labels and have shown less interest in fabric content, the highlighted risk posed by choosing synthetic textile goods is likely to cause a significant change in behavior.

Speaking of labels, the “Make the Label Count” coalition’s work is aimed less at consumers and more at European Commission regulators who are responsible for establishing a standardized life cycle assessment method for measuring and communicating the products and services Product Environmental Footprint (PEF). Under EU regulations, products must be assigned a PEF to enable fair comparisons to be drawn between products when comparing their holistic environmental impacts. The international coalition, made up of natural fiber organizations and environmental groups, has been successful in convincing the European Commission that its preliminary PEF methodology for apparel and footwear has several omissions including microplastic release. Further, the coalition argues plastic waste generation, and the circularity of materials should be accounted for in the PEF.

Cotton wins when it comes to microplastics. It is that simple. Cotton is a naturally occurring plant that grew on earth’s trees, fell onto its soil, and was disposed of by natural biodegradation long before it clothed its inhabitants. In its natural life cycle, carbon dioxide simply moves back and forth from the atmosphere to the plant and then back into the atmosphere.

Some in industry and science want to make the argument that dyed and treated cotton fibers are no longer biodegradable. The dyes and treatments might not be biodegradable, but that’s a small fraction of the fiber’s weight. Comparatively speaking, neither the synthetic microfiber nor the dyes and chemicals in it are biodegradable. But, for cotton to be a viable replacement for brands, retailers, and consumers looking to reduce their microplastic risk, it cannot check only that box, other boxes also matter.

Graphic courtesy of Staplcotn

End of product life is another critical factor for our industry to consider. Cotton fiber is already more circular than polyester and has great potential to become even more so thanks to the research and innovations occurring within many public and private organizations including Cotton Incorporated, the Cary, N.C.-based not-for-profit research and promotion company for U.S. upland cotton which is funded by U.S. cotton growers and importers. The U.S. cotton industry is incessantly working on ways to keep the carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere by the growing cotton plant and stored in its cellulose out of the atmosphere permanently, or at least temporarily, to help lower the textile industry’s carbon footprint.

Examples include compost, biochar, and mechanical and non-toxic chemical recycling and repurposing. Products labeled as “recycled polyester,” are not a polyester-to-polyester product, and it still contributes, perhaps even disproportionately, to the microplastic and land fill problems. If the two fibers are incinerated, cotton simply releases the carbon dioxide it absorbed during photosynthesis while polyester releases multiple toxic gases that are ultimately a source of new, man-made carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

And, of course, trust in the fiber production system is especially important to brands and retailers. U.S. cotton farmers use advanced, responsible production practices and many are choosing to take the extra step to document what they are doing using practice verification programs like Better Cotton, Regenagri, and the U.S. national sustainability program the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol (Trust Protocol). These programs are not only third-party practice verification programs, but are also a source of transparency, production metrics, and, perhaps most importantly, traceability back to country of origin. Just like cotton farmers, these programs are constantly evolving and increasing the value they offer to the supply chain.

Once such example of evolving program offerings is the Field Partner Program pilot launched by the Trust Protocol. This program allows merchandiser organizations with proprietary regenerative practices programs to partner with the Trust Protocol to provide brands and retailers with regenerative cotton via the program’s existing infrastructure. The standard Trust Protocol verification process is augmented with advanced satellite imagery analysis to validate regenerative practices.

The Trust Protocol has identified minimum requirements for the Field Partner Program based on regenerative agriculture frameworks from leading organizations. The practices observed and measured impact soil health, water use, synthetic inputs, water quality and biodiversity. The Field Partner Program is just one example of what the U.S. cotton industry is doing to make sure cot-ton fiber is a viable, desirable, and safe choice for brands, retailers and consumers.

Increasingly, brands and retailers are going to be looking for natural fiber alternatives as they respond to regulatory and consumer concerns over synthetic fibers. The U.S. cotton industry’s number one legislative priority right now is a federal tax incentive that would provide a financial incentive to make that transition to U.S. cotton easier. The Buying American Cotton Act (BACA), introduced in May 2025 by Mississippi Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, would allow entities selling finished products in the U.S. retail market to claim transferable tax credits if they are able to demonstrate proof of the use of U.S. cotton in those products. The tax credit that may be taken depends on the price of cotton as established by the U.S. Treasury, the weight and type of U.S. cotton contained in the finished good — raw cotton, yarn, or fabric —and where the finished product was manufactured. U.S. manufactured yarns and fabrics’ raw cotton weight multipliers of 1.6 and 6.5, respectively, are applied in the case of U.S. cotton value added products. The final tax credit calculated for the product is determined by multiplying by a location factor of 24 percent if the good was made in the United States, or a country with which the United States has a free-trade agreement; otherwise, the location factor is 18 percent. For example, a product made in Pakistan imported for sale in the U.S. retail market that contains a pound of U.S. cotton valued at $0.85 per pound (lb). would be accompanied by a transferable tax credit of $0.15 when the applicable cotton price is $0.85/lb — $0.85 x 1 lb x 0.18 = 0.15. This credit will go a long, long way to increasing U.S. cotton’s competitiveness at U.S. retail compared to other non-U.S. cotton fiber choices.

Given all that is happening with the microplastic crisis in the world and textile waste, it is time for the global textile value chain to revisit its reliance on man-made fibers and move to a responsible natural solution. Sourcing professionals will do well to give U.S. cotton and all it has to offer a closer look.

Editor’s Note: Hank Reichle is president and CEO of Staplcotn, the oldest and largest cotton cooperative in the United States headquartered in Greenwood, Miss. He also serves as an officer of the National Cotton Council and as a director for the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.

2025 Quarterly Issue IV

The Composites Institute® (IACMI) Launches ‘Make It In America’ National Outreach Campaign

2025-12-18T10:00:00+00:00

As part of the “Make It In America” initiative, IACMI will establish an annual award spotlighting rising stars shaping the future of America’s manufacturing workforce. The award will be open to any business that wants to recognize an employee who embodies a modern manufacturing mindset and a willingness to learn new skills. Winners of the award will be announced in the summer of 2026.

IACMI Workforce Development

Established in 2015 by the Department of Energy, IACMI today leads advanced composites innovation and novel workforce solutions through public and private partnerships to strengthen American manufacturing and national defense. IACMI, through an agreement with the Department of War, and funding through its Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) program, launched the ACE workforce development program in December 2020, focusing on educating students about the machine tool industry, specifically computer numerical control (CNC). Since then, the program has expanded to include training about composites, metrology, cybersecurity, and smart manufacturing.

Following the success of ACE, METAL was launched in 2023 to support growth in the casting and forging industries. METAL provides internships, apprenticeship opportunities and direct training for quick on-ramps into the industry. Both programs are designed to directly address the urgent need to fill millions of open manufacturing jobs today and in the years to come. ACE and METAL are intended to help rebuild America’s manufacturing workforce and strengthen the supply chains critical to our nation’s competitiveness.

ACE and METAL are free and offer an online learning platform plus an in-person, hands-on bootcamp. Since 2020, more than 5,000 have graduated from the programs. More than 50 universities, colleges, and training partners have joined this effort.

To learn more about IACMI and the ‘Make It In America’ outreach campaign, visit makeit.org.

Swedish Innovation Behind New TexChroma™ Spray Dyeing

2025-12-18T10:00:00+00:00

The TexCoat® G4 Legacy

The introduction of TexChroma follows the runaway success of BW Converting’s Texcoat G4 finishing system in the past few years.

Rick Stanford, VP global business development at Baldwin

“TexCoat G4 spray technology was developed in Sweden from our off-set printing business, and we initially focused on installing units in Europe and the USA,” explains Vice President of Global Business Development for Textiles Rick Stanford.

“In the past two years, however, we have been very active in Asia, with 35 units sold — and many of these customers have been asking for a similar technology for the dyeing process.”

The first TexChroma will be installed at the plant of a very well-known Italy-based continuous dyer which is part of a larger textile manufacturing group, in order for it to be fully industrially tested before going into series production.

“Our first customer is close by our facility in Sweden, has the practical dyehouse skills we can learn from, and is a satisfied TexCoat G4 customer,” Stanford said. “We believe a major benefit of TexChroma will be in eliminating much rework which is common in dyehouses, but we’ve been very cautious about providing details on TexChroma too early. The dyeing process is unforgiving, and we must get it right the first time. The market has been ready for quite some time. And now, so are we.”

BW Converting is at stand B201 in Hall 8 at ITMA Asia + CITME 2025.

TMAS members in Singapore

Eltex (Hall 2, stand C203) has made an important breakthrough on its EyETM tension monitoring system for the heat setting, tufting, warping and winding sectors, with the addition of electromagnetic brakes in combination with the latest advanced sensors. These enable tension variation to not only be detected, but automatically adjusted in real time during operation, rather than manually changed as previously.

The company’s ACT-R unit can further significantly reduce the selvedge yarn waste from the weft insertion systems of rapier weaving machines, while at the same time maintaining equal and steady tension across all pre-winders.

Advanced weaving control is also the bedrock of business for Vandewiele Sweden AB (Hall 2, stand D301e), which supplies weft yarn feeding and tension control units for weaving looms to the majority of the leading weaving machine manufacturers, as well as for retrofitting in working mills around the world The company will present its latest X4 yarn feeders with integrated accessory displays and has recently further strengthened its product portfolio with IRO Gaugepart modules. These are applied to tufting looms to determine the appearance of a carpet in terms of feel and structure.

Finally, the colarette machines of Svegea (Hall 6, stand D109) set the standard throughout Asia for the high speed production of tubular apparel components such as cuffs, collars and neck tapes and in Singapore the company will demonstrate its EC 50 and EC 200 with E-Drive II models, in addition to linked cutting systems.

September 2025 ISM® Manufacturing PMI® 49.1 Percent: Textile Mill Sector Reports Growth

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citing soft demand due to tariffs and uncertain U.S. economic policy,” says Spence.

Of the 18 manufacturing industries, none reported growth in new export orders in September. The 10 industries that reported a decrease in new export orders in September — in the following order — are: Plastics & Rubber Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Paper Products; Primary Metals; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Chemical Products; Transportation Equipment; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Computer & Electronic Products; and Machinery. Seven industries reported no change in new export orders in September.

New Export

Orders%

Reporting%Higher%Same%Lower Net Index Sep 2025 71 7.2 71.5 21.3-14.1 43.0 Aug 2025 71 11.3 72.6 16.1-4.8 47.6 Jul 2025 71 7.5 77.2 15.3-7.8 46.1 Jun 2025 75 12.1 68.3 19.6-7.5 46.3

Imports†

ISM’s Imports Index remained in contraction for the sixth month in September after expanding for three straight months. The September figure of 44.7 percent is a decrease of 1.3 percentage points compared to the reading of 46 percent reported in August. “Imports are contracting at a faster rate, indicating lower levels of demand due to tariff pricing,” says Spence.

No industry reported an increase in import volumes in September. The 10 industries that reported lower volumes of imports in September— in the following order — are: Wood Products; Furniture & Related Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Transportation Equipment; Machinery; Chemical Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Computer & Electronic Products; and Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products. Eight industries reported no change in imports.

Imports%

Reporting%Higher%Same%Lower Net Index Sep 2025 84 9.9 69.6 20.5-10.6 44.7 Aug 2025 84 9.8 72.4 17.8-8.0 46.0 Jul 2025 86 13.3 68.5 18.2-4.9 47.6 Jun 2025 86 15.3 64.2 20.5-5.2 47.4

†The Supplier Deliveries, Customers’ Inventories, Prices, Backlog of Orders, New Export Orders, and Imports indexes do not meet the accepted criteria for seasonal adjustments.

Buying Policy

The average commitment lead time for Capital Expenditures in September was 170 days, a decrease of 3 days since August. The average lead time in September for Production Materials was 81 days, a decrease of three days compared to August. The average lead time for Maintenance, Repair and Operating (MRO) Supplies was 49 days, an increase of one day compared to August.

Percent Reporting Capital

Expenditures Hand-to-

Mouth 30 Days 60 Days 90 Days 6 Months 1 Year+Average

Days Sep 2025 16 5 8 15 29 27 170 Aug 2025 18 3 7 14 30 28 173 Jul 2025 16 4 10 15 26 29 173 Jun 2025 17 3 9 13 29 29 175

Percent Reporting Production

Materials Hand-to-

Mouth 30 Days 60 Days 90 Days 6 Months 1 Year+Average

Days Sep 2025 9 25 23 30 8 5 81 Aug 2025 9 25 26 25 9 6 84 Jul 2025 9 28 22 26 8 7 85 Jun 2025 9 22 28 26 9 6 85

Percent Reporting MRO Supplies Hand-to-

Mouth 30 Days 60 Days 90 Days 6 Months 1 Year+Average

Days Sep 2025 28 35 18 11 7 1 49 Aug 2025 32 31 18 11 7 1 48 Jul 2025 31 35 17 12 4 1 44 Jun 2025 32 33 17 11 5 2 48

Redefining How Clothes Are Made: CreateMe Unveils Technology Platform

2025-12-18T10:00:00+00:00

CreateMe recently announced the launch of its robotic apparel manufacturing platform as well as the first commercial grade products made using the technology — women’s intimates. The Modular-engineering Robotic Assembly (MeRA™) paired with a proprietary microadhesive technology named Pixel™ provides “a scalable, high-precision platform that replaces traditional sewing for longevity, shortens production timelines, and enables sustainable, on-demand manufacturing in the U.S.,” according to the company.

CreateMe notes that the apparel industry generates 92 million tons of textile waste and loses more than $180 billion to inefficiencies tied to speculative production.

“CreateMe enables a new business model for the industry — responsive, localized, on-demand manufacturing that replaces forecast-driven production with data-driven precision,” said Cam Myers, CreateMe’s founder and CEO. “Our value lies in transforming how apparel is made and how manufacturing works, making it faster, cleaner, and closer to demand.”

Textile World recently had the chance to speak with CreateMe’s Myers to learn more about this apparel manufacturing platform — with more than 200 prototypes, more than 1,000 process tests and almost 100 issued patents — and its potential to bring manufacturing closer to the consumer.

CreateMe’s Modular-engineering Robotic Assembly (MeRA™) unites robotics, computer vision technologies and the company’s Physical AI software.

TW: What led to the development of MeRA and the Pixel microadhesive technology?

Myers: The development of MeRA and Pixel grew directly from CreateMe’s mission to redefine how apparel is made. Traditional sewing and offshore production had reached their limits — too slow, too labor-intensive, and too resource-heavy to support the future of on-demand, sustainable manufacturing. Rather than improving legacy processes, our team chose to rebuild them entirely.

By uniting robotics, computer vision, and adhesive science, our engineers and materials scientists developed MeRA, a modular robotic assembly platform, and Pixel, a precision microadhesive technology that bonds fabrics without thread. Designed in tandem, they form a single integrated system that enables faster, cleaner, and more flexible production, laying the foundation for truly scalable, on-demand apparel manufacturing.

TW: Automation in soft goods is notoriously difficult, especially when handling soft, drapey fabrics. How does the CreateMe technology handle those issues?

Myers: Soft-goods automation has long been constrained by the nature of fabric; it stretches, drapes, and shifts unpredictably, making precision control extremely difficult. CreateMe tackles this from the ground up through advanced material-handling and assembly algorithms. Our systems use specialized end-of-arm tools and vacuum fixtures to maintain fabric tension and alignment, effectively transforming a deformable textile into a stable, robot-readable surface.

The MeRA platform is designed to assemble as much of each garment as possible in 2D, where accuracy and throughput are highest, before transitioning into controlled 3D operations for forming or joining. Traditional sewing is especially hard to automate because it demands two-sided access, continuous feeding and dynamic thread control. Our Pixel microadhesive bonding process removes those constraints, enabling static, single-sided assembly with precise edge alignment and integration into 3D molds or shaping tools.

Building on this foundation, CreateMe’s Physical AI software extends our machine-learning and computer-vision algorithms into a unified control layer that adapts in real time to different fabrics and garment types. It’s what allows our systems to achieve fine-dexterity manipulation and industrial-grade repeatability across one of manufacturing’s most variable and complex materials.

TW: Can you talk about how the adhesives work and if there are any limitations compared to sewing?

Myers: Unlike traditional sewing, which mechanically stitches fabric together with thread, CreateMe’s process uses precision robotics and Pixel microadhesive technology to bond materials at the fiber level. This approach eliminates puncture holes, reduces bulk, and creates seamless, flexible joins that enhance comfort, durability and design freedom. The adhesives are engineered to be lightweight, washable, and compatible with a broad range of fabrics, and in some cases thermoreversible, allowing garments to be reheated and separated for recycling.

Integrated within CreateMe’s MeRA robotic platform, the process is faster, more consistent, and easily automated, enabling scalable, on-demand production that minimizes waste and inventory risk. While certain niche applications or highly textured materials may still favor traditional stitching, CreateMe’s bonded construction meets or exceeds sewn performance across strength, comfort and sustainability metrics.

TW: How durable and sustainable are the bonded garments? What’s the potential for recycling?

Myers: CreateMe’s bonded garments are engineered for both durability and sustainability. The Pixel microadhesive forms strong, flexible bonds that often exceed sewn seams in tensile strength and wash performance, maintaining integrity through repeated wear and laundering.

On the sustainability side, the process eliminates thread, minimizes material damage from needle punctures, and supports on-demand, localized production — reducing excess inventory, transport and waste. A major advantage of CreateMe’s adhesive platform is its recyclability potential: certain formulations, known as Thermo(re)set™, are thermoreversible, allowing bonds to be safely released under controlled heat so fabrics can be separated and recycled by material type.

This capability creates a pathway toward circular manufacturing — where garments can be disassembled, reclaimed, and reintroduced into production rather than discarded.

CreateMe’s Pixel™ microadhesive technology bonds materials at the fiber level.

TW: Is the technology proprietary and only to be used in CreateMe facilities, or is it something you foresee licensing to other producers?

Myers: Our technology is proprietary by design, forming the foundation for both our own manufacturing operations and select licensing partnerships. Within apparel, we’re already engaging with partners on a license-to-operate model while continuing to scale production within CreateMe-operated facilities. Longer term, the versatility of our underlying platform also opens opportunities in adjacent industries that rely on the assembly of technical textiles, such as automotive, aerospace, home goods and medical, where we expect to extend licensing as well.

TW: What’s the potential for reshoring and nearshoring in the United States?

Myers: The potential for reshoring and nearshoring in the United States is both significant and accelerating. Over the past decade, fragile global sourcing models have buckled under freight disruptions, tariffs, and geopolitical shocks, costing retailers tens of billions and exposing the limits of offshore dependency. What once promised cost efficiency now drives overproduction, poor demand matching and mounting risk.

Over the next five years, we expect a more balanced, matrixed supply chain to emerge. Today, more than 95 percent of apparel manufacturing remains offshore; that mix should evolve toward roughly 70 percent offshore, 15 to 20 percent nearshore, and 10 to 15 percent onshore. The goal isn’t full reshoring; it’s diversification and resilience. By producing closer to demand, brands can reduce lead times, cut waste, and respond dynamically to market shifts.

Technology is the unlock. Digital tools are reshaping design, planning, and product intake to align production with real-time demand, while robotics and Physical AI will enable automated, cost-competitive manufacturing closer to the point of sale. This convergence will give rise to a new generation of responsive supply networks that are faster, leaner

and more transparent.

TW: What are some of the biggest challenges facing wide-scale re/nearshoring especially in cut-and-sew operations?

Myers: In the United States, the challenge extends far beyond labor costs. Decades of offshoring have eroded the physical and technical infrastructure that once supported domestic manufacturing. Mills, dye houses, trim suppliers, and equipment manufacturers have largely disappeared, creating critical gaps in the upstream supply chain. Even with mounting pressure from tariffs, sustainability mandates, and consumer demand for transparency, most brands face a hard truth: there simply isn’t enough local capacity or expertise to bring production back at scale.

True reshoring requires more than intent; it requires rebuilding capability from the ground up. That means new tools, new infrastructure, and new forms of collaboration to reconnect the entire value chain. Without dependable access to raw materials, finishing, and components, even the best-equipped cut-and-sew operations struggle to scale. This is where automation and robotics become essential. By digitizing and linking every stage of production, from design to assembly, technologies like CreateMe’s MeRA and Pixel platforms make onshore manufacturing not just viable, but economically competitive.

The most forward-looking brands are proving the model first, then scaling it. Pilots and automated microfactory programs demonstrate that onshore production can compete on cost, quality, and speed; each success signals confidence that draws in capital and accelerates capacity investment. As those deployments grow, they directly expand domestic cut-and-sew, or bonded-assembly, capacity, rebuilding the foundation of a modern, technology-enabled manufacturing base. These compounding wins form the blueprint for a resilient, regionally balanced supply network that replaces fragile, far-flung chains with intelligent, localized production systems.

TW: Do you think there are things the government could do to further incentivize companies to reshore operations?

Myers: Absolutely. Reshoring depends on creating the right economic and innovation conditions for apparel manufacturing to thrive locally. That means aligning tax incentives, procurement policy, and workforce development to make domestic production both viable and competitive, and the current administration deserves real credit for bringing greater focus to this effort.

In recent years, we’ve seen a policy shift toward rebuilding American manufacturing through legislation such as the CHIPS and Science Act (2022) and, most recently, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (2025), which provides immediate expensing for qualified manufacturing investments, including machinery, automation and other production equipment. For companies like CreateMe, these measures accelerate ROI on new manufacturing lines, bonded-assembly systems and AI-enabled production technologies, directly improving the economics of onshore production.

The proposed FABRIC Act could be even more transformative for apparel and textiles. It represents the first comprehensive, bipartisan effort to reestablish a competitive U.S. apparel base, pairing strong worker protections with meaningful incentives for domestic production, supply-chain rebuilding and facility investment. If enacted, it would directly support the kind of infrastructure renewal, workforce development and technological advancement required to make U.S. apparel production globally competitive and environmentally sustainable.

Government procurement is another powerful lever. The U.S. remains one of the world’s largest purchasers of apparel — uniforms, workwear and protective gear among them — but smaller, technology-driven manufacturers often face barriers to participation. Stream-lining qualification and contracting processes, or piloting procurement programs that prioritize innovative and automated facilities, would open this channel to next-generation domestic producers.

Finally, workforce development must advance in parallel. Programs modeled on those in semiconductor and advanced-manufacturing sectors, focused on digital design, robotics and systems integration, would ensure reshoring creates future-ready jobs.

TW: How do you position the company as both disruptive and compatible with the current apparel supply chain?

Myers: Our platform, anchored by a deep IP portfolio, operates on a made-for-demand model that transforms the speed and economics of apparel manufacturing. Instead of the 30- to 120-day offshore cycle, brands can design, sell, produce, and ship in 5 to 30 days. That 10-fold acceleration lets companies respond to real-time demand, reduce inventory exposure, and minimize waste. Automation stabilizes costs, reduces labor dependency, and breaks reliance on fragile offshore supply chains; brands gain faster speed to market, and consumers get better products.

The core disruption lies in efficiency and circularity. Traditional offshore models depend on long lead times and overproduction, creating both financial and environmental inefficiency. By eliminating those inefficiencies, CreateMe improves unit economics while setting new sustainability standards. Our fully automated bonded assembly, powered by proprietary thermoreversible adhesives, allows garments to be both assembled and disassembled at scale, making true circular fashion viable. Unlike stitching or permanent adhesives that block recycling, our process allows trims, zippers, and fabric layers to be separated easily for reuse.

At the same time, CreateMe is built for compatibility. The platform integrates directly with existing digital design and production workflows, connecting to standard CAD files and automated cutting systems, to extend today’s CAD/CAM automation into the assembly phase. Where traditional manufacturing hands off to manual sewing, CreateMe continues the digital thread, using bonding and robotics to maintain precision, consistency, and efficiency through final construction. This plug-in compatibility gives brands and manufacturers a practical on-ramp to automation while accelerating the shift toward scalable, onshore production.

And because any technology in apparel must scale to matter, we’ve engineered CreateMe for high-volume categories first, starting with T-shirts and underwear, where throughput, waste, and impact are greatest.

TW: What is your long-term vision for the CreateMe platform?

Myers: CreateMe’s mission is to redefine how all apparel is made. We’re building toward a future where digital bonding, robotics, and Physical AI form the foundation of how clothing is designed, produced, and experienced. Over the next decade, we see a systemic shift in apparel manufacturing that mirrors the transition from internal combustion to electric vehicles, driven by consumer demand for performance, sustainability, and speed. Digital bonding will replace sewing as the dominant method of garment construction, delivering products that are more comfortable, longer lasting, and cleaner to produce.

This transformation begins by uniting digital design and manufacturing, allowing brands to move from static, labor-dependent models to intelligent, data-driven systems that produce exactly what’s needed, when and where it’s needed. By connecting design software, material science, and automated production, CreateMe enables true mass customization at scale, closing the loop between creativity, commerce and circularity.

While apparel is our starting point, the same tools and software that power digital bonding and robotic assembly can extend to footwear, accessories, furniture, automotive interiors, and other consumer products. The convergence of digital design, advanced materials, and intelligent automation will redefine how products are made across industries — faster, cleaner, and closer to demand.

TW: What are the company’s greatest strengths and how do you differentiate from competitors?

Myers: While others are optimizing legacy systems, CreateMe is building the next industrial platform — one that enables cost-competitive, onshore manufacturing at scale and positions brands to thrive in a market defined by speed, sustainability and resilience.

We’ve reimagined how apparel is made from the ground up. CreateMe achieved a world-first with the commercial launch of two integrated technologies that replace sewing and manual handling with robotics, AI, and precision bonding: MeRA and Pixel microadhesive technology. Together, they form a unified platform that delivers a step change in precision, efficiency, and circularity. MeRA is an intelligent robotics and AI platform that automates garment assembly end-to-end, enabling fully digital production lines that remove the need for sewing entirely. At its core, Pixel forms precision-bonded seams less than one millimeter wide, stronger, lighter, and more consistent than traditional stitching. Its Thermo(re)set formulation allows garments to be disassembled cleanly at end of life, unlocking true circularity and large-scale textile recycling. Pixel™ also brings new functionality to apparel, from thermal regulation and moisture management to enhanced comfort and design flexibility.

With nearly 100 patents granted, CreateMe’s technology establishes the foundation for a new model of manufacturing, faster, cleaner, and more adaptable than anything before it. Our first commercial deployment in women’s intimates validated both technical and economic viability, and we’re now expanding into high-volume categories such as T-shirts and everyday apparel. Each MeRA line is designed to produce over one million units per year, delivering garments up to twenty times faster and with double the precision of manual methods.

TW: Why do you do what you do? What motivates you?

Myers: We’re motivated by the ingenuity and grit of the people determined to transform this industry— the engineers, scientists, designers and entrepreneurs who refuse to accept “business as usual.” Every day, we’re inspired by forward-thinking partners who are building new models and proving that apparel can be made better, smarter, and closer to home.

At the same time, we’re driven by the industry’s inertia. Despite years of conversation around sustainability and innovation, real change has been slow. The technology to make apparel more responsibly already exists; it takes conviction to move beyond entrenched, volume-driven systems.

At CreateMe, we’re turning that conviction into action. Our work is about proving that a different future for apparel isn’t theoretical — it’s within reach, and we’re building it.

2025 Quarterly Issue IV

PLASTICS Releases Global Trends Report, U.S. Plastics Remains Driver Of Global Economic Growth

2025-12-18T10:00:00+00:00

The Global Trends Report and its accompanying dataset provide a uniquely comprehensive account of U.S. plastics exports and imports worldwide in each of the four categories of the plastics industry — resin, products, machinery, and molds. The report is also the only plastics trade report that includes trade analysis outlining the movement of resins and plastics that are embedded in goods that the U.S. both exports and imports.

An executive summary and the full PLASTICS’ Global Trends Report are available to Plastics Industry Association members online at: https://www.plasticsindustry.org/data-analysis-reports/global-trends/