#Yarn & Fiber

2024-04-18

NILIT announces strategic expansions, including a joint venture with Shenma in China

NILIT, the global leader in high-performance Nylon 6.6 fibers for the apparel industry and leader in sustainability, that owns the broadest line of sustainable Nylon 6.6 products, is announcing a new joint venture with Shenma Industry Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Shenma), a subsidiary of China Pingmei Shenma Group, a global leader in the industrial Nylon 6.6 market and a leading supplier to the automotive industry around the world.

This new partnership represents a significant expansion of production capacity within China, also demonstrating NILIT’s ongoing commitment to support the growth of global customers and brands. This expansion is highlighted by multiple investments and cooperation designed to enhance production capabilities and deliver more innovative solutions to the textile industry.

“We are pleased to unveil this new greenfield joint venture in China with Shenma to introduce differentiated state-of-the-art technologies to support the local market,” says Ilan Melamed, NILIT Global General Manager. “This collaboration is set to produce premium specialized products in Fully Drawn Yarns (FDY), known for their outstanding strength and smoothness, and Air Textured Yarns (ATY), known for providing unparalleled softness for the textile market, providing quality and performance, all within a highly competitive cost structure. This partnership will open new opportunities in end uses such as home textiles and the automotive industry where strength, smoothness, and durability are essential.” The joint venture will include a new production site in Pingdingshan, the China Nylon City. The facility will be constructed to meet NILIT’s exacting Total Product Sustainability (TPS) standards for environmentally responsible production and is expected to yield a production capacity of 20,000 tons in the next few years.

This strategic partnership brings together the expertise, resources, and networks of NILIT and Shenma, both renowned enterprises in their respective fields. This joint venture combines NILIT's 50 years of global experience in the production and marketing of high-quality Nylon 6.6 yarns for apparel, and Shenma’s leadership excellence in the Chinese market. “With a shared commitment to excellence and innovation, we are poised to leverage our collective strengths to penetrate new markets and amplify our capabilities across China,” continues Ilan Melamed. The joint venture agreement was signed in a ceremony in Shanghai on April 18th attended by leaders from both parties including Mr. Li Mao, Chairman of China Pingmei Shenma Group, and Mr. Michael Levi, Chairman of NILIT Group.

This model of collaboration showcases the mutual benefits of such alliances, including market access, regulatory navigation, and competitive advantage, emphasizing the market leadership of the NILIT team in China led by Shay Kastoriano, NILIT Asia GM, and Shenma as a strong local partner in China.

Furthermore, in response to the increasing demand for NILIT's high-end products and the commitment to innovation and sustainability, NILIT is also accelerating its plans to double the production capacity at NILIT’s existing production site located in Suzhou SIP, where Shenma Industrials will be a minority shareholder. This strategic move is aimed at supporting the growing global market demand for NILIT's products, ensuring customers’ needs for advanced and innovative and sustainable materials are met.

NILIT goes circular with SENSIL® Flow

NILIT, the global market leader, and a producer of high quality Nylon 6.6 for apparel and owner of the SENSIL® brand, introduces SENSIL® Flow, a new approach to Nylon 6.6 circularity that enables yarn, fabric, and, ultimately, apparel recycling to eliminate waste and further reduce apparel’s environmental impact. SENSIL® Flow is more than just a sustainable performance product. It is an innovative approach that engages the entire supply chain to truly attain circularity through product design and partnership.

NILIT raises the sustainability bar with durable SENSIL® Toughtex

NILIT introduces SENSIL® Toughtex, the innovative premium Nylon 6.6 yarn for protective apparel that is substantially more resilient and abrasion resistant than conventional nylon with less environmental impact, too. SENSIL® Toughtex is manufactured according to NILIT’s Total Product Sustainability Program and can be enhanced with other SENSIL® technologies such as WaterCare color-embedded Nylon 6.6 for water savings, EcoCare recycled Nylon 6.6, and ByNature for lower CO2 emissions.

Durak Tekstil to showcase its innovations for mattress industry at ISPA EXPO 2026

Durak Tekstil threads that meet the standards required for high-quality, long-lasting and comfortable products demanded by the mattress industry, while also offering new possibilities, will be exhibited at ISPA EXPO 2026. The fact that the fair is being held in the U.S.—one of Durak Tekstil’s key target markets—also carries great significance.

B.I.G. Yarns achieves EcoVadis Platinum Rating, ranking among top 1% of companies worldwide

B.I.G. Yarns, the carpet yarn brand of B.I.G. and a leading manufacturer of polyamide (PA), polypropylene (PP) and polyester (PET) yarns for contract, automotive, and high-end residential applications, has been awarded the EcoVadis Platinum Medal, placing the company among the top 1% of more than 130.000 companies assessed globally.

Stability in volatile markets: Heimtextil 2026 launches with 3,000 exhibitors and design expertise from Patricia Urquiola

Heimtextil opens the new season with 3,000 exhibitors from 66 countries – maintaining stability while becoming even more international. The new hall layout increases visibility and connects supply and demand even more efficiently. At the opening, architect and designer Patricia Urquiola and Rosa Bertoli, Global Design Director of Wallpaper magazine, talk about AI, innovative materials and future-oriented design for modern living environments.

Driving WARP KNIT Inspiration

KARL MAYER sees performance fabrics and next-level textile solutions in particular as potential growth drivers for its customers, as a motor for business development and as real game changers for the entire textile industry. Innovation does not happen by chance. It is the result of close exchange with customers & brands, textile expertise and competence in textile machine engineering. This is why KARL MAYER is investing in progress and collaborative development and opening its TEXTILE INNOVATION CEN-TER (TIC) – a place to be for the entire textile world.

Knowledge that drives progress: Techtextil and Texprocess forums strengthen the global textile industry with a future-oriented programme

From AI-supported production optimisation and digital manufacturing solutions to circular technologies and bio-based high-performance materials: the Techtextil and Texprocess forums provide answers to the key challenges of the global textile industry with a curated content programme. As hubs for innovation and knowledge, they enhance competitiveness and offer orientation in changing markets. From 21 to 24 April 2026, Frankfurt is once again the global meeting point for thought leaders from industry, research and business.

Enhanced protection without added weight: Innovative technology for flame-retardant textiles doubles reaction time and ensures high wearing comfort

Flame-retardant textiles have long faced the same dilemma: the higher the level of protection, the greater the compromise in comfort, weight and breathability. This is especially important for workwear and protective clothing worn for long hours, where comfort is crucial to wearer acceptance and satisfaction. At Techtextil 2026 in Frankfurt, Swiss company Textilcolor AG will unveil pyroshell™, an innovative flame-retardant technology designed to tackle this challenge. Protection is provided by a graphite-based functional layer integrated into the textile structure, which doubles the reaction time before burns occur while significantly enhancing comfort. The material does not release any toxic fumes and offers textile manufacturers entirely new opportunities to design and produce protective and functional garments. It is also durable enough to withstand up to 50 industrial washes.