Among speakers, Robina Hogan of Hogan Consulting, provided information about the American Associates of Textiles, Chemists and Colorists (AATCC). She offered an overview of the Research Triangle Park, N.C.-based group and noted that its already-strong global presence continues to grow.

 

“AATCC has 2,500 individual members and 230 corporate members from 60 countries,” she said. “International membership is 35 percent of the total.”

 

Hogan dispensed insights into AATCC’s interest groups, webinars, scholarship programs and value, adding that the association is “committed to the textile industry.”

 

Economic updates

 

Bob Merrill, senior analyst at IHS Chemical, opened his presentation by answering a question posed in the title of his talk: “What’s Up With Oil?” His answer: “In a nutshell, I don’t know,” he said. He then asked the audience what they’re paying these days for gas. Americans, of course, have seen price drops of 20 percent to 30 percent in recent weeks.

 

“This dramatic change defies the laws of economies and the laws that govern these things,” he said. "The challenge with oil is it not only plays to supply and demand but it also plays to geo-political concerns. Oil has caused nations to rise and to fall and oil prices will have an influence on numerous economies, one of which is ours. The price drops are huge. It’s going to fuel something – what, I’m not sure.”

 

The impact of lower oil prices on fiber feed stocks is equally significant, Merrill added.

 

Prices collapsed because of supply (an abundance of North American oil) and demand (a weakening world economy), he said. “The stalemate has been broken,” he said. “The abundance of oil supply in North America has a lot to do with what’s called unconventional drilling, where you can go down and drill horizontally.”

 

Related to oil, Merrill went on to discuss global economic trends, geo-political concerns and the impact on polyester and nylon. He said he sees crude oil prices holding their own over the next few months, which will significantly affect consumer-buying patterns.

 

Also on the economic front, Dr. John Connaughton, Babson Capital Professor of Financial Economics at UNC-Charlotte, discussed the current environment and offered his typical deep-dive into the numbers. Connaughton, who has spoken to ISIFM for years, said the current expansion began in July 2009 and, at 64 months, is the sixth longest of 33 total expansions since 1854.

 

“Since the expansion began, we’ve created more than 10 million jobs,” he said. “I know this comes as a surprise.”

 

He explained these numbers later in a segment he called, “Myths and Realities.” During that span, he said, U.S. payroll employment has declined by 8.71 million jobs and increased by 10 million jobs, representing a 115.1 percent recovered figure.

 

“In the last three years, compared to the previous 15 years, we’ve had the second, third and fourth largest job growth,” Connaughton said. “You would never get that if you listen to what’s going on. That’s a pretty good number. There’s no reason to suspect 2015 will be anything less than that.”

 

When challenged by an attendee asking how true that number is, he said, “Before I answer that question, are you sure you want the answer? You think I haven’t thought of that?”

 

He then showed a chart of the 2007-2014 labor force participation rate, which dropped by almost 4 percent. Another chart showed that from 1998-2007, the peak participation rate was 67.1 percent “and it’s been declining ever since,” he said. “It didn’t start declining during the recession. Why? Baby Boomers started retiring.”

 

Population is the largest in the 45-49, 50-54, 55-59 and 60-64 age groups, and as those people retire, “that will put even more pressure on Social Security and Medicare,” he said.

 

Later in conclusion, he said, “2014 turned out to be a much better year than anyone would have bet, given the first quarter (a 2.1 percent decline). I think consumer confidence and gas prices will be growth drivers in 2015. Three percent growth is as good as we can expect, given the shrinking labor force. The underlying data suggests the economy is stronger than people give it credit for. You don’t get a 94 consumer confidence number if it isn’t true. We get clouded in the politics of the economy rather than the reality of the economy. It’s very likely that 2015 will be better than 2014.”

 

Technical presentations

 

Karl Richter of Biogate AG, Nuremberg, Germany, went over his company’s MicroSilver BG product and its antimicrobial applications for textiles, polymers and coatings. The product, he said, is a pure elemental silver powder consisting of highly porous and micro-sized particles of silver that provides lasting antimicrobial and anti-odor protection. He delved into how it’s made, how it works and its advantages.

 

MicroSilver BG is effective as an antimicrobial agent for numerous end uses, he said, including autos, airplanes, furniture, hospital curtains and more. In explaining how it works, Richter said bacteria are killed by silver ions that are released from the MicroSilver BG depot. Moisture causes silver ions to be produced at a continuous and controlled rate, providing constant and long-lasting antimicrobial action on the surface of the treated article, he said.

 

MicroSilver BG is long lasting, does not penetrate skin or mucosa tissues, is free of side effects and is completely safe when used as skin care products, wound care products or implants, he added.

 

Meanwhile, Dr. Srikanth Pilla of Clemson University discussed the lifecycle assessment of textiles in the automotive industry by providing an overview of his research.