Posted December 7, 2017
By Devin Steele (DSteele@eTextileCommunications.com)
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Officially under new management for the first time in nearly 20 years, SEAMS, the Association and Voice for the U.S. Sewn Products Industry, held its annual Fall Networking Conference here recently as it continued its 50th anniversary celebration
During the event, Will Duncan of Will Duncan and Associates (WDA), whose group has assumed daily management and operations of the not-for-profit organization, laid out his made-in-America vision and growth agenda for the association. He, along with SEAMS’ new marketing associate, Jerry Inman of Demand Worldwide, NYC, also offered a peek at and value proposition of SEAMS’ newly revamped website and visual brand identity, which was subsequently launched and announced to the trades.
Members also heard a number of compelling, meaningful presentations by industry thought leaders and took advantage of several networking opportunities during the gathering, held under the theme “Empowering the MADE IN AMERICA Movement.”
“But the biggest reason this conference was special to me was that we had the opportunity to celebrate a person that for more than 20 years has been the driving force behind this association,” said Duncan, SEAMS’ executive director.
That would be Sarah Friedman, who announced her retirement as the group’s executive director last year, before WDA was voted by the board to manage the association beginning this fall. To honor her devotion and service, Friedman was presented the newly established SEAMS Lifetime Achievement Award – a surprise to her and many association members until the announcement was made during a dinner presentation. Going forward, SEAMS’ Person of the Year Award will be named in her honor, Duncan announced.
“Sarah has been a special person to me and thousands more as she has worked tirelessly to serve our membership with grace, dignity and integrity,” Duncan said. “Thank you, Sarah!”
Visibly moved, Friedman thanked membership after being feted with the award by SEAMS President Jeremy Wootten, president of HomTex, Inc., Vinemont, Ala.
Under Friedman’s leadership, SEAMS transformed itself from a small, regional apparel manufacturing group into the widely recognized National Association for the Sewn Products Industry. With more than 200 member companies, SEAMS today consists of America’s foremost fashion brands, retailers, manufacturers and textile providers.
In addition to managing more than 30 industry networking events and conferences, Friedman oversaw the development of the Supply Chain USA pavilion that has become a key destination for attendees to the biennial Texprocess Americas trade show. Her business matchmaking efforts brought immeasurable value to SEAMS members and sourcing professionals worldwide, Wootten noted.
During the group’s board meeting, Matt Poovey, president of Champion Thread, Gastonia, N.C., was elected president to succeed Wootten for a two-year term.
“This is a very exciting time for our industry, and it’s a very exciting time for the SEAMS association,” Poovey, who will officially take the reins on January 1, told attendees. “We talked today about building a bridge and we are right at the point of doing that. The global supply chain has changed, and SEAMS is in perfect position to take advantage of all the changes in the supply chain.
“I’m a third-generation in my family in the textile business and the second in my family’s business,” he continued. “When I got into the business, opportunities were pretty bleak, but things have changed so much. I thought things eventually would change, but I didn’t think it would change so fast. Our business today is as good as it’s ever been, and I think a lot of people in here feel that way, as well. I think we can all thrive in it together if we stay together. It’s about getting out of these siloes and getting rid of vendor and customer relationship – you truly collaborate, and that’s how we’ll all succeed.”
Revamped website, visual brand identity
SEAMS’ newly redesigned website offers quick and easy access to essential information for the resurgence and growth of made in America initiatives, according to Inman. The new visual branding and logo “elevate the company’s corporate identity while preserving its rich heritage and supports its unique network of manufacturers, suppliers, vendors and retailers/brands,” according to a SEAMS’ announcement.
As explained during the meeting, the website also delivers stronger brand storytelling for the new digital world with a comprehensive member search, extensive resource section, news and events and industry educational best practices.
“We are excited about the launch of our updated brand, new website and the robust information it provides the industry,” Wootten said. “SEAMS is dedicated to promoting sound economic growth for our members and leading the resurgence of ‘MADE IN AMERICA’ on the world stage. We believe that this new site will allow our visitors to have a very informative experience as we continue to grow and increase our member’s market presence.
“This fresh new look for the association with its mobile-responsiveness and easy-to-navigate design, improved design features and educational resourcefulness, really adds business value for our membership and sewn products industry at large,” he added.
The new site features the industry’s only “Make Something / Source Something Power Search” to quickly find its U.S. member base, Duncan added.
“And the new brand reflects who we are as an association and giving back, the market we serve, and the innovation that comes from the members,” Duncan said.
The new brand identity also came with a new boilerplate, along with a new SEAMS’ tagline: “The Association and Voice for the U.S. Sewn Products Industry.”
“We want to the voice in the MADE IN AMERICA category,” Inman said while giving an overview of the changes. “And we have an opportunity because nobody really owns that term, ‘the voice.’ We’re going to own it.”
Inman further explained the changes, made to help SEAMS be at the forefront of the reshoring movement.
“We’ve made some really progressive changes to conquer the connected customer, who are all of our customers,” he said. “We’re the most well-informed, go-to resource shaping the growth and resurgence of made in America, providing the access, the people, processes and products to move production back to the U.S.”
He continued: “Being a member now is more important than ever. Why? Because you’re at the epicenter of making ‘MADE IN AMERICA a reality. You’re thought leaders, you’re influencers, you’re innovators and you’re really experienced people. And you’re people who want to work together – and hard to come by today, so that’s a huge advantage, having that collaborative, personal touch.”
BIG DREAMS FOR SEAMS
‘New’ sewn products group aims to lead MADE IN AMERICA movement
Inman, who serves as Demand Worldwide’s chief marketing officer, keynoted the second day with his presentation titled “What’s Your Brand’s Digital & Door Index?” In a comprehensive analysis of the changing consumer and the current state of retail, he explained the “Digital & Door Index” and outlined a 12-step program for retail readiness for unified commerce, the connected consumer and the digital-to-physical mix.
“Retail needs to wake up and change the way they’re doing business,” he said. “There is something called unified commerce, and 70 percent of retailers are working on unified commerce initiatives and they’ll all have unified commerce by 2020. It used to be called ‘omnichannel.’ It really is a different world now. The shopper is in charge for the first time ever.”
With deep insights into each initiative, he said, the program includes these steps:
-
Know who is buying your brand;
-
Customer intimacy and customization;
-
Generation Z readiness;
-
Seasonal and seasonless merchandising – power up product assortment for mass personalization;
-
Consumer-driven PLM – deliver product development on demand;
-
Product intimacy – also, PIM (Product Information Management), or knowing your products from concept to consumer;
-
Customer loyalty and engagement – creating two-way customer collaboration;
-
Frictionless commerce – making it easy and entertaining to shop;
-
A digital touch-points platform – creating a digital experience on any device, anywhere, anytime for demanding consumers;
-
Geo-location-enabled experience – know when, where and what instantly and individualized;
-
Geo-location-enabled experience II – reshape retail with artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality; and
-
Organizational structure and internal alignment – manage change through change management.
“We give retailers a score after we do this 12-step program,” Inman said, “and they sometimes panic. But at the end of the day, it’s about being ready. The good news is, this organization can be an important part of the made-in-American movement, if we do it right.”
Retail readiness for unified commerce
Jerry Inman of Demand Worldwide
Chunlian (Lian) Yang of Alston & Bird
Carrie Kitrell of Messe Frankfurt
Ron Houle, president of Pivot Step Consultants
Chunlian (Lian) Yang of Alston & Bird
From trade to trade shows and more
challenges; recapitalizing and modernizing the nuclear enterprise; prioritizing key investments in cyber and space capabilities; focusing on innovation to maintain a technological advantage; sustaining the finest fighting force in the world; and identifying reforms to improve efficiencies and achieve cost savings.
He noted that the Army’s Research, Development and Command is testing a next-generation Iron Man-like suit designed to increase strength and protection and help keep users alive when they engage in combat, he said. The project, formally called Tactical Light Operator Suit, or TALOS, is aimed at providing special forces personnel with enhanced mobility and protection technologies.
“If you really want to be disruptive, figure out how to get some yarns and fibers into those uniforms,” he said.
Chunlian (Lian) Yang of Alston & Bird, NYC, discussed President Trump’s trade policy, as well as related matters such as NAFTA negotiations and ongoing trade cases. The Trump Administration’s international trade agenda will continue to evolve as it pushes for “better deals” with trading partners, she said.
But it isn’t clear whether efforts will achieve the intended goals of reducing U.S. trade deficits and bringing manufacturing jobs back to the U.S., she added.
Carrie Kitrell of Messe Frankfurt, which organizes the biennial Texprocess Americas trade show, provided information on the event, scheduled for May 22-24, 2018 in Atlanta. She reported that 94 percent of “decision makers” will attend, and “we’re trending about 30 percent ahead of where we were in 2016,” she said.
Texprocess Americas and co-located Techtextil North America is expected to draw more than 9,000 visitors, she said. More than 170 exhibitors will participate in Texprocess Americas, with the entire co-located events having more than 500 exhibitors, she added.
West Point grad Ron Houle, president of Pivot Step Consultants and a 24-year military veteran, presented, “Making (Some) Sense of the DoD 2018 Budget.” Goals in the budget, he said, including improving warfighter readiness, addressing evolving national security
Frank Henderson of Henderson Sewing Machine Co.
Rick Vizziello of Lectra
Andy Arkin of NextWave
Frank Henderson of Henderson Sewing Machine Co.
Disruptive technology explored by speakers
With today’s cutting room limitations, Industry 4.0 is an important next step for factories as fashion enters the digital, integrated manufacturing era, he said.
Also during that segment, Andy Arkin, director of Innovation at NextWave, offered insights into “Advancements in Digital Textile Printing –The Microfactory.” He noted that the decorative textile market worldwide $165 billion, but the digital textile segment represents less than 4 percent of that – a number that will increase to 40 percent in the next five years, according to a trend analysis, he said.
“We need to be paying attention because this is the way we’re going to compete and this is the way we’re going to bring it back,” Arkin said.
Particularly with fast fashion becoming the norm, opportunities exist particularly in digital printing, the fastest-growing printing technology being in the textile and apparel industry, he said. He then offered a view of the digital textile printing market, producers, capabilities and costs analyses and pointed out its advantages such as customized, short runs and lead times; market proximity; and more sustainable manufacturing.
As such, the digital textile apparel “microfactory” is a viable solution to produce apparel efficiently and more sustainable and in hours rather than weeks, Arkin said.
During a Technology Forum segment, Frank Henderson, president of Henderson Sewing Machine Co., Andalusia, Ala., presented an eye-opening discussion on “Intelligence Inspires Innovation in Sewing Technology.” He explained that America can compete in the global textile and sewn products industries by innovating, which includes further utilizing robotics and automation.
He provided a number of examples of companies that are using innovative thinking to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. Among them are apparel and footwear brands Under Armour, Nike, Adidas, Reebock and New Balance. He also showed a number of examples of robotics and automation “in action,” autonomous work cells and three-dimensional sewing.
“Innovation brings disruptive technology,” Henderson said.
Disruptive technology, he explained, refers to any enhanced or completely new technology that replaces and disrupts an existing technology, rendering it obsolete. Repetitive motion manufacturing, automated machines and robotics, flexible automation, vision inspection and automated devices are all disruptive.
All things considered, the U.S. already is cost competitive in manufacturing with the rest of the world, Henderson added, especially when considering overhead, energy, labor costs, raw materials and transport costs. “We can compete in America today,” he said.
Meanwhile, Rick Vizziello of Lectra presented “MADE IN AMERICA with Smart Cutting Room 4.0.” Industry 4.0, he explained, places U.S. factories at the heart of the value chain. The concept, which creates a dynamic production line and dynamic reconfiguration, will bring many benefits for manufacturers, including productivity increases, machinery downtime reduction, inventory decreases, improved forecasting, reduced maintenance costs and increased time to market.
Among speakers was keynoter Jimmy Barnhardt, Brand Sales manager of Unifi, Inc./REPREVE®, Greensboro, N.C., who covered “Green Growth and Expansion of Sustainability in the U.S. Apparel Industry.”
“My introduction to sustainability came during the National Outdoor Leadership School in 1988 when I heard the words, ‘leave no trace,’ ” he said in his introduction. “Those words resonated with me, and today I live and die by those words in my household and on a day-to-day basis. Wherever you go, leave it in the same place or better than it was when you got there.”
Barnhardt’s perspective on sustainability, he explained, is one of recycled synthetic materials – specifically, post-consumer waste, water bottles, single-use PET plastics and post-industrial nylon and polyester waste.
He provided an overview of Unifi’s specialty product, REPREVE® yarn, made from recycled materials such as plastic bottles and used in apparel, footwear, automotive, medical accessories, military and many other products. Some of the most recognizable brands using REPREVE® include Nike, Levi’s, Haggar, The North Face, Patagonia and Ford.
But Barnhardt also offered a higher-level view of sustainability, noting that all plastic produced in a lifetime remains on Earth for four or more generations. Plus, he pointed out a poignant statistic: That 68 percent of plastic bottles used in the U.S. are not recycled – which is an average of 122 bottles per year per American, he said.
And what could be made from 122 bottles? He listed the products, including three fleece jackets, 40 to 60 pairs of socks, 10 golf shirts, 20 winter knit hats, six pair of pants or eight pair of running shoe uppers.
“Sustainability starts at home or the office,” he said. “Teach your children, grandchildren, friends and co-workers that first-quality apparel can be made with recycled water bottles. Young adults can teach older generations.”
Barnhardt also showed photos of ocean pollution and listed the types of waste items found in our water bodies. “Unifi’s goal is to educate the consumer to recycle plastic before they end up in the ocean,” he said.
He then explained Unifi’s ideals, responsibility and commitment to “doing good” and its solutions and processes.
“We just eclipsed the 10 billion plastic bottles recycled mark,” Barnhardt said. “That’s enough energy to power 146,000 homes for one year or the energy equivalent to burning 110 million gallons of gas.”
Unifi's Barnhardt: 'Leave no trace'
Jimmy Barnhdardt of Unifi, Inc.
SEAMS officers
Officers for the year 2018
President
Matt Poovey
Champion Thread Co.
Vice President
Jeoff Bodenhorst Jr.
Lebanon Apparel Corp.
Secretary/Treasurer
Patrick Hickey
Minnesota Knitting Mills
Education director
Geoff Senko
MMI Textiles
Supplier directors
Cameron Hamrick
Hamrick Mills
Ron Roach
Contempora Fabrics
Directors for the year 2017
Gloria Barbee
Grand Forest, Inc.
Jackson Burnett
Vapor Apparel
Tim Shirley
Mount Vernon Mills
Wayne Wilson
Prime Medical
Chris Marsh
Hemingway Apparel Mrg.
Dennis Jackson
Venus Group
Ex-Officio officer
Jeremy Wootten, HomTex, Inc.