#Associations

2019-11-06

French Machinery: Christian Guinet, new Secretary General.

At last ITMA in Barcelona, the French Textile Machinery Manufacturers’ Association (UCMTF in French) announced the appointment of Christian Guinet as Secretary General. On September 1, he took over from Evelyne Cholet who had decided to retire.

Bruno Ameline, the president stated “it is a great opportunity for us to welcome Christian. He fits all our requirements: a textile engineer, he joined one of our members in 1982, a great part of his experience has been as export manager in charge of the sales financing and credit insurance. We know each other very well as, within our organization, he has been President of our Promotion Committee. In that position, he organized, with Evelyne Cholet, our road shows, seminars and National pavilions in many fairs and managed our relations with the textile press.

The transition with Evelyne Cholet has been extremely smooth as they had been working together for many years.

The only sad thing, Bruno Ameline adds is that we will miss Evelyne. She joined our association in 1985 to organize ITMA 1987 and then stayed with us for 34 years. All our contacts know and appreciate her. I am quite sure they will welcome Christian who shares the same values than Evelyne. He will be a great asset to our 35 members which are exporting, all over the world, most of their machines and services worth more than a billion dollars annually.

For more information about French Machinery, please visit:

https://www.ucmtf.com

UCMTF Secretary General Christian Guinet (c) 2019 UCMTF

UCMTF members will present latest solutions that address the main trends

ITM 2024 is a great opportunity to meet in person, at the highest level, to find and offer the best solutions. Of course, there are some main trends: sustainability, raw materials, energy and water savings, recycling, digitalization, cloud computing, artificial Intelligence, cost efficiency etc. Another main trend for UCMTF members is act as a local partner wherever the customers are located.

FITA, ABIT and EURATEX underline strategic importance of Mercosur – EU Partnership Agreement for the textile and apparel industry

The Argentine Textile Industry Federation (FITA), the Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association (ABIT), and the European Apparel and Textile Confederation (EURATEX) continue to monitor the process of internalizing the Mercosur-European Union Partnership Agreement. This agreement is essential for the competitiveness of our industries, on both sides of the Atlantic.

European business associations celebrate the signature of the EU-Mercosur FTA

The 17th January marks a historic milestone with the signing of the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement, creating the biggest trading block in the world. European business – represented by more than 28 associations across a wide range of sectors – warmly welcomes this signature. It sends a strong and timely signal that the EU remains open and is committed to rules-based global trade. In a time of global uncertainty, this agreement is a key growth booster.

“Action helps us change what we do!”

DAY 0 takes place deliberately before PERFORMANCE DAYS begins. It is conceived as a space for reflection, dialogue and active engagement — a moment to pause before the fair, rethink established systems and address sustainability not as a trend, but as a fundamental transformation challenge. Under the guiding metaphor “Turn the Tap Off”, DAY 0 focuses on root causes rather than symptoms, systemic change rather than isolated solutions, and collective responsibility rather than individual silos.

Pets in fashion: functional and sustainable textiles find new market at Intertextile Apparel

China’s pet economy is booming, especially amongst younger generations, and pet apparel – from designer outfits to functional garments – was a RMB 3.5 billion (over USD 500 million) market in 2024, growing more than 20% annually¹. To help exhibitors harness this trend, Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition 2026 will launch the Pet Boutique, presenting a range of innovative, sustainable materials that prioritise both functionality and comfort for pets.

VAUDE eliminates PFAS from all products

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are now detectable worldwide – in drinking water, soil and the human body. These so-called “forever chemicals” are considered hazardous to health and potentially carcinogenic, as they do not break down and remain in the environment permanently. Despite these risks, PFAS are still used in a wide range of products. More than 15 years ago, VAUDE made a strategic decision to gradually eliminate PFAS from all product categories.

Lenzing AG to become majority owner of TreeToTextile AB and accelerates industrialization of new fibers

The Lenzing Group is taking another strategic milestone by acquiring a controlling majority in the Swedish innovation company TreeToTextile AB. This step strengthens Lenzing’s position as a leading provider of sustainable, wood‑based specialty fibers and expands its innovation pipeline with a highly scalable, patent‑protected technology platform. The transaction is executed through the issuance of new shares.