By Rachael S. Davis, Managing Editor
The last Synthetic Yarn and “Fiber” Association (SYFA) Fall Conference took place September 29-30, 2016, at the Sheraton Charlotte Airport Hotel in Charlotte, N.C. During the meeting, association President Roger Crossfield announced that the SYFA board voted to change the name of the organization to the Synthetic Yarn and “Fabrics” Association. According to SYFA, “The new name reflects the expanded supply chain and broadens the reach of the membership base to appeal to a wider audience beyond fibers and yarns.” Additionally, the simple, but meaningful, name change allows the association to continue to be known by the same SYFA acronym.
The organization was previously known as the Textured Yarn Association of America until 2006 when it changed its name to the Synthetic Yarn and Fiber Association. Core members of the SYFA include fiber producers, texturizers, staple yarn manufacturers and fabric producers. Raw material suppliers, equipment manufacturers and textile industry service providers also play a significant role in the SYFA and make valuable contributions to the organization.
The recent fall conference was titled, “Diverse Elements Of The U.S. Supply Chain … Leaders In Action.” Attendees heard from 10 speakers covering a variety of topics of interest to the industry. The keynote presentation was delivered by Randi Kronthal-Sacco, chief marketing officer, Pure Renewables LLC. Other topics covered at the conference included: “The Death of Research in the Chemical and Fiber Industry: What We Can Do About It;” “Revolutionary Fibers and Textiles Manufacturing Innovation Institute;” “Where Do We Go From Here? The Customer’s Request;” and “The Economics of North American Shale Oil and Gas.”
Sponsors for the fall conference included Gold Sponsor Premiere Fibers Inc.; Silver Sponsor Pulcra Chemicals LLC; Bronze Sponsors Burlington, DAK Americas LLC, PolySpinTex Inc. and Techtextil North America; and Patrons and Exhibitors sponsors 4M Plants S.r.l., American Fiber Manufacturers Association, DuBose Strapping Inc., Goulston Technologies Inc., Industrial Fabrics Association International, Milliken & Company, National Council of Textile Organizations, O’Mara Inc., Unifi Manufacturing Inc. and William Barnet & Son LLC.
The next SYFA Conference will take place April 27-28, 2017.
View the conference photo gallery here.
November/December 2016
