Posted May 18, 2016

 

By John McCurry

 

ATLANTA – Dave Gardner, managing director of SPESA and a long-time observer of the apparel industry, said he believes the recent resurgence of textile and apparel manufacturing in the U.S. is a bona fide trend.

 

Among the factors he cited are textile firms from India and China investing in U.S. facilities. Commenting to a group of journalists as the recent Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas exhibition and symposium was about to begin here, Gardner said, “Technology is critical to our industry. The biggest, newest thing for our show is automation and robotics.”

 

These industry-changing technologies were clearly evident during the three-day Atlanta event, both in the exhibit hall and the symposium rooms.

 

One of the Texprocess Americas Symposium sessions focused on robotics and other forms of automation. One of the presentations came from K.P. Reddy, CEO of Atlanta-based SoftWear Automation, a robotics and computing firm that specializes in technologies targeting apparel manufacturing and the sewn products industries.

 

“There is a huge need for automation in the apparel sector,” said Reddy. “Outside of the obvious ethical reasons around eliminating sweatshop labor, the biggest force driving manufacturers to automate their processes is the lack of skilled labor. Globally, it has become increasingly difficult to find, train and retain skilled seamstresses. As the more skilled workers begin to retire there is no talent pool to replace them whether you are in the U.S. or Bangladesh. Millennials the world over are moving to city centers and are generally uninterested in factory work making robots the next logical step to fill this skills gap.”

 

Reddy said symposium attendees were surprised to learn that many robotic solutions to apparel manufacturing needs are available now, not research projects that are five to 10 years away.

 

“The feedback at our booth mirrored this same thinking,” Reddy said. “Attendees were shocked to see that flexible, lightweight robotics are available now for multiple sewing operations.”

 

Henderson Sewing Machine Co., an Andalusia, Ala.-based supplier of industrial sewing machines, may have had the most robotic stand in Atlanta. The company displayed several examples of the use of robotics in various types of sewing. Frank Henderson, the company’s CEO, was also a symposium panelist. He said he believes the evolving apparel industry is ripe for robotics.

 

“Robotics are more affordable than ever,” Henderson said. “Repetitive motion manufacturing jobs are jobs that can be automated today.”

 

Edward Gribbin, president of apparel industry consultancy Alvanon, participated in a symposium session on how technology is implemented to increase productivity in apparel manufacturing. There is a great need for speed to market and technology is the answer. He said he takes a holistic approach to automation.

 

“Technology is helping retailers not only produce more effectively, but also buy the right products, even to understand what the consumer wants almost before they want it. There are tons of analytic programs out there that help companies make smarter buying decisions and produce smaller quantities. In some cases, RFID technology is helping people manage inventories over multiple locations.”

 

Gribbin noted that the developing technology of 3D virtual product development is speeding products to market much faster, even to half or a quarter of the normal 12-to-18-month development process.

 

Prefence for made in the USA products?

 

One of the continuing themes at on the exhibition floor at Texprocess Americas was the affect of the preference for made in the USA products. It’s somewhat anecdotal and not everyone is benefitting, but clearly some companies are. They include Hickory Brands, a North Carolina firm that specializes in shoelaces and braiding.

 

Tucked away in a small booth at the end of an aisle, Hickory Brands was one of 38 firms housed in the Supply Chain USA pavilion, and may have had one of the busier booths. Hickory Brands supplies the major sporting goods chains as well as shoe manufacturers.

 

“We’ve been busier than the previous two shows,” said Richard Schaftlein, Hickory Brands’ vice president. “A lot of it has to do with Made in America.”

 

Schaftlein said U.S. firms have the advantages of proximity and efficiency. He held up a piece of braiding and said, “See this piece of braid? I am going to ship 700,000 yards of it this week. That’s probably 600,000 more than I usually ship and this company used to by it from China.”

 

The apparel industry now has a new consultancy, or at least venerable consulting services under a new name. Will Duncan & Associates formed about six months ago when long-time TC[2] consultants, Will Duncan and Douglas Adams, bought the consulting business from TC[2]. Adams, the company’s chief operating officer, said the move has been successful. He was also pleased with the level of attendance at Texprocess Americas. The new consultancy advises apparel manufacturers on how to take costs out of their businesses through lean manufacturing

 

“We show them how to take lost to capacity out of their operation,” Adams said. “Through this process, no one is every idle on the shop floor. Companies have been coming to us specifically here (at Texprocess) to help them reduce costs. It’s a matter of changing the culture of how they have been operating.”

 

Adams said Will Duncan Associates typically sets up one pilot line at a factory by teaching employees of clients their process. The consultancy now has clients across the U.S. and in Mexico, Central America and South America.