Show draws near-record attendance, record exhibitors
Posted November 1, 2016
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – IFAI Expo 2016 attracted a near-record attendance with 5,023 participants to the Charlotte Convention Center here from October 18-21.
Attendance at this year's expo was rivaled only by IFAI's 100th anniversary event in Boston in 2012. IFAI Expo is the largest display of specialty fabrics and technical textiles in the Americas. Attendees were treated to four days of product demonstrations, education, networking, exhibits and awards recognizing industry achievement.
"We couldn't be happier with this year's expo," IFAI President & CEO Mary Hennessy said. "Interest in the event has rarely been higher and that's proven by a record-setting number of exhibitors and huge interest in the event from the industry at large."
Several exhibitors said they were pleased with the way expo unfolded.
"It gave us an opportunity to, in a more concentrated way, listen to the customer," said Leib Oehmig, president & COO of Glen Raven, Inc., Glen Raven, N.C. "It's something we really look forward to. For us, it's a slam dunk."
Attendees had the chance to meet with a record number of exhibitors.
"It's a good opportunity to mix with our suppliers, a good time to rub shoulders with others in the industry," said Monte Sharp, president of Sharp's Tarps, Grant's Pass, Ore., who attended his 32nd consecutive IFAI Expo. "Expo helps us to stay on top of technology. It was a very good show overall."
Expo highlights included a revamped ShowStopper program, which highlighted new products, three times the number of Campfire Session educational opportunities over 2015's show and excellent participation in both the International Achievement Awards (IAA) and Industrial Fabrics Foundation (IFF) events. Attendees also had the chance to earn Textile Testing Certificates from North Carolina State University after completing a special testing course.
GeoCharlotte, a single-day geosynthetics program, also drew engineers and exhibitors to Charlotte for a day of education and networking ahead of March 2017's Geotechnical Frontiers event, which will be co-hosted by IFAI.
Attendees also heard from a stable of keynote speakers, including business ethics expert Chuck Gallagher, author and marketing executive Linda Kaplan Thaler and former Walt Disney World customer service guru Dennis Snow.
IFAI Expo 2017 will take place in New Orleans from September 26-29.
Following are exhibitor previews based on responses from exhibitors from an eTC questionnaire.
Source: IFAI
PA Group USA
Chattanooga, Tenn.-based PA Group USA, a Microsoft Dynamics Gold Certified ERP Partner and Silver Certified CRM Partner, continued to be highly engaged in the textile and apparel industry with its presence at the IFAI Expo.
And this year’s edition – its first as an IFAI exhibitor – did not disappoint, according to Josh Davis, marketing director.
“IFAI 2016 was a great experience and Charlotte was an amazing host city,” he said. “We had great visitors on all three days of the show, and as always, we had a great time networking with all the other vendors. The number of attendees seemed to be up a bit this year, and, overall, it has been consistently good.”
The most engaging conversations centered around PA Group’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, Davis reported.
“It seems that textile companies and other types of manufacturers and suppliers are beginning to take a much closer look at how they can boost the effectiveness of their sales and marketing,” he said. “That’s exactly what CRM is for. PA Group has a long track record of helping companies implement and use Microsoft Dynamics CRM, which can be used directly from Outlook email. With CRM, companies can do a much better job of automating every process involved in advancing leads to cash.
“Of course,” he added, “we also had plenty of conversations about our Machine Monitoring software and our work integrating the shop floor to the ERP.”
Barry Carpenter (L) and Josh Davis are on hand in the PA Group USA booth, also manned during the show by Tom Wengler.
Jason Mills of Milltown, N.J., has exhibited at the IFAI Expo for nearly a decade, and this year’s version did not disappoint, according to Brenda Stamboulian, director of Sales & Marketing.
“While the show got off to a bit of a slow start, my overall impression was good,” she said. “This being our first year displaying in the Advanced Textile area, we found that the inquiries were more intricate and detailed. There was more of an interest in a technical fabric as opposed to ‘show me a laundry bag fabric.’
“The quality of visitors was good,” she added. “It’s always great to have a large company such as ShurTape stop by our booth.”
Highlight products included its Style 413 ‘no-see-um’ fabric – a 100-percent polyester, soft, fire-resistant fabric that also is repels water and is UV treated. This fabric protects against the penetration of baby ticks (nymphs), ticks and mosquitoes while offering ventilation and breathability, Stamboulian said. This fabric is intended for tent windows/doors and sleeping bags and is also used in the apiary (beekeeping) industry as part of its protective clothing.”
Also showcased was its Style 280LPAM fabric, a unique, multi-layer material with liquid management capabilities, she said. Made with Unifi’s AMY (antimicrobial yarn), the fabric has ultra-high load-bearing qualities. It is used in the medical field in patient lift systems and many other medical applications.
Jason Mills
Jason Mills' reps (L-R) Michael Lavroff, Art Goldberg, Bob Neuschaefer and Brenda Stamboulian
Jason Mills' Brenda Stamboulian with the mascot of the Charlotte Hounds, a Major League Lacrosse team.
Jason Mills' reps (L-R) Michael Lavroff, Art Goldberg, Bob Neuschaefer and Brenda Stamboulian
Kevin Ahlstrom, president of McCoy Machinery Co., Inc., Monroe, N.C., broke exclusive news to eTextileCommunications.com (eTC) at the IFAI Expo.
“We’re announcing a changing of the guard, if you will, but a continuation of the McCoy-Ellison and McCoy Machinery name,” Ahlstrom, who rejoined the company nearly four years ago after serving as international sales director of the firm more than 20 years ago, told eTC. “We have entered into an agreement to purchase the company from Dan McCoy. But nothing has really changed. Dan McCoy has moved on to focus on his knitting company (MMC Textiles, LLC), which he’s owned for many years, and I was privileged when asked to take over the company.”
“We want all of our customers and textile family to know that the legacy will continue,” he added. “We have no intention of changing anything.”
Ahlstrom called the show good overall.
“We met some new customers as well as saw our existing customers,” he said. “We set up several appointments for technical discussions, so all in all it was a good show for us. There seemed to be the right people stopping by to discuss current or future needs.”
Exhibiting at the IFAI for the first time, McCoy Machinery saw a particular focus on its tricot knitting warpers, Ahlstrom reported.
“These have been our best-selling units, by far, and we expect this to continue into 2017, with orders in hand, as well as budget proposals being approved in January,” he said.
McCoy Machinery
McCoy Machinery and MMC Textiles staffers (L-R) Kevin Ahlstrom, Davis Ahlstrom and Dan McCoy
At the IFAI Expo, Gerber Technology, Tolland, Conn., launched its new AutoMatch system for furniture manufacturers that is sold in conjunction with its Z1 Cutter. The system is a stripe, plaid and five-star pattern-matching solution that aligns patterns across cut parts with unsurpassed accuracy, according to Leonard “Lenny” Marano, director of Product Marketing.
“Unlike other solutions that rely on the operator to manually make these adjustments, our AutoMatch system uses vision technology to make the adjustments to bows, skews and repeat variations automatically, improving throughput up to 75 percent,” he said.
Because Charlotte is at the heart of furniture manufacturing in North America, the company saw more customers from this segment than it had at previous events,” Marano said.
“Since we were debuting a product geared toward furniture manufacturers, we were able to generate good, quality leads from what was a consistent flow of traffic,” he said.
Outside the Gerber booth, Marano said he was generally impressed with what he said.
“In walking the floor, it's amazing how quickly companies in the industrial textile space are rapidly advancing technology,” he said. “This is both from a material standpoint and a process standpoint. There were many more new innovations exhibited that stood out compared to prior years.”
Compared to previous IFAI shows, there was “definitely a larger ratio of ‘new’ things to see at the show,” he added. “It appeared that several companies used the show as an opportunity to debut their new materials or solutions.”
Gerber Technology
Gerber Technology
Gerber Technology
Gerber Technology
Gerber Technology
Well aware of the made-in-the-USA trend, Monroe Township-based Shima Seiki USA, Inc. demoed its knitting machine technology and accompanying software systems at the IFAI Expo.
“We believe Shima’s WHOLEGARMENT machines can be a part of this trend,” said Senna Nakaya, president of Shima Seiki USA. “So it was another great event for Shima to accelerate our sales activities and continue promoting our cutting-edge knitting technology to the market.”
Nakaya called Charlotte – located in the region of many of its customers – a “great location.”
“It was very fruitful to be able to see many of our great customers in North Carolina and the area,” he said. “Also, many new customers who we have been discussing business with showed up.
“Throughout the event,” he added, “we were able to accelerate business discussions about ongoing projects. There were not so many new sales leads, I would say. But maybe we should consider knitting more attractive samples rather than arm sleeves in order to grab visitors’ attention in the future.”
Nakaya reported many visitors to its booth during the first two days of the expo. He called the 11 a.m. starting time a “minor issue” and recommended an earlier opening time going forward.
Shima Seiki USA
The Shima Seiki USA booth is staffed by (L-R) Senna Nakaya, Sam Ming, Emily Hung, Ford Bowden and Carter Jones.
Most visitors to the Henderson Sewing Machine Co., Inc. were interested in automation opportunities and training for mechanics and skilled staff personnel, reported President & CEO Fran Henderson of the Andalusia, Ala.-based company.
Henderson Sewing Machine is a global supplier of industrial sewing machines, sewing machine parts and custom automated sewing machines for the sewing products industry. Its engineering team designs custom automated systems to fill customer needs.
Company personnel stayed fairly busy on Wednesday and Thursday but not on Friday, Henderson said.
“People told us the days for the expo were not good for most attendees,” he said. “It would be better to set up on Monday, with the expo running Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. And start times were not desirable. The show hours should be 9 a.m. or 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. Starting any show at 11 a.m. is NOT desirable.”
The total number of visitors and quality of leads at the booth was ‘average’ – not heavy or too light on Wednesday and Thursday, he added.
But the expo was better than those on the West Coast or Midwest, but not as good as Orlando in 2013, Henderson said.
Henderson Sewing Machine
Tyler Uselman (L) of Coastal Patio Services visits the Henderson Sewing Machine Co. booth, staffed by Marty Wacaster (M) and Cory Carter.
In one word, the IFAI Expo was “refreshing” and showed great promise for the U.S. textile industry.
So said Brian A. Rosenstein, CCO of Hickory, N.C.-based TSG Finishing.
“It was a very successful show,” he said. “Based on this show, it looks like textiles in the U.S. are alive and well. Compared to lots of other textiles shows we attend – Filtration, IDEA, Techtextil, etc. – IFAI was comprised mostly of U.S. manufacturing companies. This was refreshing.”
The show was well attended and the quality of traffic was better compared to last year’s version in Anaheim, probably due to its location in the Southeast, he added.
“It was very easy for additional textile experts to take a day and drive to the show,” Rosenstein said. “TSG had additional chemists and engineers attend just because it was in Charlotte. I think we ended up with a greater number of high-quality leads compared to last year. I’m not sure if this was due to foot traffic or just our exhibiting for a second year in a row and starting to develop ‘relationships’ with the companies around us on the floor.
“I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that the number of leads collected as an exhibitor far exceeds what we’ve collected in the past as an attendee,” he added.
TSG Finishing decided this year to have actual demonstrations at its booth, he added. One was its Defend® display demonstrating its DWR (durable water repellent) and moisture barrier system.
“My goal was to imitate the gutter guard displays seen at Costco, BJ’s, etc., except we replaced the roof shingles and gutters with treated fabric,” Rosenstein said. “It worked beautifully and we received many comments on our ‘creative design.’ We added a digital clock so everyone could see how long the water test would run.
TSG Finishing
TSG Finishing reps include (L-R) Brian Rosenstein, Greg Herring, Benjamin Harris, Michael Goldman, Larry Kieffer, Kevin Moser and Bud Styles.
Kevin Moser (R) of TSG Finishing with a visitor
TSG's Defend® display demonstrated its DWR (durable water repellent) and moisture barrier system.
TSG Finishing reps include (L-R) Brian Rosenstein, Greg Herring, Benjamin Harris, Michael Goldman, Larry Kieffer, Kevin Moser and Bud Styles.
"Not knowing how long the treated fabric would last, we brought extra samples as backups," he continued. "It turns out that the fabric that we started the show with was the same as what we ended with. Our demo ran for 6-plus hours without having to be touched! This exceeded our expectations by a factor of 10.”
The second display was its embossing machine on the other corner of its booth
“The display was so realistic that people were afraid to touch the machine because they thought it was heated and actually embossing,” he said. “There are very few companies that perform both the engraving and the embossing services. Because of this, we can push the limits of the technology further. We are also able to advise quickly as to which types of patterns/fabrics will or will not work with this technology.”
Atlanta-based Hailide America reported that visitors were interested in its high-tenacity polyester products, including low shrink, standard high tenacity, flame retardant and solution-dyed colors.
“There was also a lot of discussion on our business model,” said Torry Losch, sales director. “It fits well within the North American market and meets the high expectations of the customers in our industry.”
Hailide’s key industrial markets were also well represented, he added.
“There was a good cross section of narrow fabric, broad fabric and industrial customers,” he said. “Leads take time to pan out but our initial impression was very strong.”
Losch said the show was well attended and “worth the investment” in exhibiting.
“Traffic was heavy and the quality of the discussions was very high,” he said. “Charlotte is always a big draw because of its close proximity to the customer base. This was an excellent location to hold the IFAI. We feel it should be held in Charlotte with greater frequency."
Hailide America
Scott Burbridge (L) and Torry Losch of Hailide America
Exhibiting at its first IFAI Expo, SDL Atlas of Rock Hill, S.C., said the show in nearby Charlotte was worthwhile.
“Overall, it was a good show – not the typical textile clients, several doing some interesting work,” said John Crocker, Business Development. “It helps us in the testing industry grow.”
“We were happy with the interest in our products and the overall quality of the leads,” he added.
Getting the most interest was SDL Atlas’ Vortex M6 washer, gaining attention particularly from industrial fire products representatives. This is the first time the machine was exhibited at a trade show.
The Vortex M6 is the only commercial grade washer that is specifically designed to address the most recent revisions of the monograph developed by the AATCC Research Committee RA88, Home Laundering Technology in 2013, according to the company.
The company also highlighted its MMT, FTT, Tinius Olsen ST, Martindale, PnuBurst, PowerTear, AirPerm and HydroPro.
SDL Atlas
SDL Atlas personnel includes (L-R) Susan Miller, Mark Graham and John Crocker.
Minnesota Knitting Mills, Inc., based in Mendota Heights, Minn., reported that special interest by visitors was on its high-tech fabrics.
“Interestingly, our products that drew most attention centered in the FR (flame-retardant) and Kevlar areas, followed by fabrics with specific attributes,” said Patrick Hickey, president.
The company is a custom manufacturer of circular and tubular knit, flat knit, jacquard knit, jersey knit, fleece knit, trim knit, knit hats, braid and filters. Its products are made in the USA and shipped to customers worldwide for military, athletic, safety, outerwear and medical industries.
“Overall, the IFAI show was another source from which we were introduced to new customers,” Hickey said. “As anticipated, there were a number of attendees from the Southeast. While the traffic was lighter at our booth than past years, the quality of visitors and leads was strong.”
Minnesota Knitting
National Spinning Co. and Comtrade International reps stop by the Minnesota Knitting Mills' (MKM) booth. (L-R) Jim Booterbaugh of National Spinning; Wade Kytola of MKM; Mike Carter of National Spinning; Robert Lineburg of Comtrade; Pat Hickey of MKM; and Mitch Hensley of National Spinning.
Brad Pack, sales manager of Specialty Products for George C. Moore Co., Westerly, R.I., said the number of exhibitors and attendees at this year’s IFAI Expo were larger than last year’s event in Anaheim.
“This one was bigger and I believe better attended than Anaheim,” he said. “Part of that could have been being located in traditional ‘textile country.’ There was a much greater regional attendance. I ran into several acquaintances who said they would not have attended the show if it were outside the Carolinas.”
The second day, in particular, brought in “excellent” visitors, he said.
“Some were from different divisions of former or existing customers but with whom we had no contact prior to the show. Also, we were able to make contact with a couple of other exhibitors that have innovative products to offer us.”
On the first day of the show, a system outage at the registration desks delayed entrance for numerous visitors, which Pack called “quite annoying.”
The biggest interest George C. Moore had was in its hook compatible narrow elastics, along with some of its flat elastics for braces and body armor, Pack said.
George C. Moore
(L-R) Jason Marks, Andy Dreher and Brad Pack are on hand in the George C. Moore booth.
At the IFAI Expo in Charlotte, eTextileCommunications.com launched eTC TV, sponsored by PA Group. Through that new medium, we' conducted video interviews with exhibitors booked in advance on the show floor and post updates throughout the day. Look for similar videos on the website in the future.
