The textile industry in Ghana is sinking under loads of imported Chinese fabrics that mimic the designs of Ghanaian cloth and sell for substantially less. Two well-known Ghanaian companies, Ghana Textile Print and Printex, have shut down spinning and weaving operations that can’t compete with Chinese imports. Instead, according to The Stitch Times, retailers “have [...]

The Asia-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) will tighten competition within Indonesia’s already struggling textile industry and, according to a survey conducted by Bank Indonesia, will make securing bank loans difficult for domestic textile operations. The Indonesian government has called upon banks to lower lending rates to the textile sector for updating equipment and adapting to [...]

The Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act, passed in 2006 and extended in 2008, boosted the Haitian apparel industry by allowing duty-free exports to the United States. Haiti has been the 17th largest supplier by volume of apparel products to the U.S., with exports up 22 percent between 2008 and 2009. In addition, [...]

The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth, South Africa, will host the 2010 Federation Internationale de Football Association World Cup in June 2010, and sports fans will enjoy the action under a tensioned membrane roofing system with a skeleton made of 2,400 metric tons of steel girders. Birdair Inc., Buffalo, N.Y., designed, engineered and constructed [...]

Material ConneXion, a leading global materials consultancy and innovative materials library, has awarded Concrete Canvas’ Concrete Cloth their first Medium Award for Material of the Year. The award recognizes materials entered into their materials library within the past year that demonstrate outstanding technological innovation and the potential to make a significant contribution to the advancement [...]

Anne-Marie Harte assumes a new post as general manager of STANMECH Technologies Inc., Burlington, Ontario, Canada, running day-to-day operations for the company, which provides heat-sealing solutions for the plastics, packaging, joining and other industries. Her professional experience and education, as well as exposure to business development and engineering, make her “an ideal combination,” says Paul [...]

Neschen Americas has announced the promotion of Ernest Brodbeck Jr. to the position of Chief Executive Officer of Neschen Corp. and Neschen Americas. Brodbeck served as the president and COO for Neschen Americas prior to his promotion, and has a strong background in operations, finance and distribution. Neschen Americas serves the needs of the sign [...]

Susan North joined F. Schumacher & Co., Newark, Del., in 1997 as director of design for one of the company’s fabric and wallcovering product lines. She has been named senior vice-president/creative director of Schumacher, leading creative aspects of fabric, wallcover, furnishing design and new product development, as well as branding and visual merchandising. North earned [...]

Lectra, an integrated technology company producing software for the textile, leather, industrial fabric and composite sectors, has named Philippe Ribera marketing director of group software at the company’s Paris, France, headquarters. He will define and implement software marketing plans for all industries, with special emphasis on the Lectra Fashion PLM (product lifecycle management) strategy. Ribera [...]

Howard B. Ausema, owner of Chesterfield Awning Co. in South Holland, Ill., passed away Jan. 22 at the age of 73. He was a longtime member of the Advanced Textiles Association and the Midwest Fabric Products Association. Ausema is survived by his wife Tekla, son David, daughter Susan, and six grandchildren.