California Apparel News

The 2025 editions of Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas were held May 6–8 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Every biennium the shows unite to give attendees the chance to see both sides of the show floor. This year’s event focused on innovation in the textile industry.

Nearly 400 exhibitors from 28 countries attended the shows, which were replete with product displays, demonstrations and networking.

The Sewn Products Equipment & Suppliers of the Americas coproduces Texprocess Americas. Maggie McDonald, vice president, communications, for SPESA, said show organizers prioritize information and innovation.

The 2025 editions of Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas were held May 6–8 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Every biennium the shows unite to give attendees the chance to see both sides of the show floor. This year’s event focused on innovation in the textile industry.

Nearly 400 exhibitors from 28 countries attended the shows, which were replete with product displays, demonstrations and networking.

The Sewn Products Equipment & Suppliers of the Americas co-produces Texprocess Americas. Maggie McDonald, vice president, communications, for SPESA, said show organizers prioritize information and innovation.

“Whether that’s less waste, less time that it takes, time is money,” McDonald said. “So, if you’re building a product that takes less time and requires less manpower, it’s an efficient model that a lot of people are seeking right now as they’re trying to lean down their production.”

On the Techtextil side, Olaf Schmidt, vice president of textiles and textile technologies for show producer Messe Frankfurt, said sustainable fabrics are important for the industry.

“The demand and market potential for natural fibers and recycled fabrics is huge,” he said. “It’s important they invest in sustainability because the buyers are looking for it and the total industry is looking for sustainable solutions.”

The SEAMS Supply Chain USA product showcase highlighted approximately 20 sustainable products created by 40-plus SEAMS members. Four awards were given at the Tech Talks area for Innovation Awards hosted by both shows.

The awards were:

• Best New Technology: UniFi—REPREVE Takeback

• Best New Technology & Digitalization: Automatex— Automated Fitted Sheet Sewing and Folding

• Best New Technology: JUKI—JUKI DX-01

• Best New Concept: Aptean—Aptean Shop Floor Control

Exploring fresh tech

Lectra North America hosted a tour of its Innovation Center. One of the company’s highlighted products was Valia Fashion, a digital platform powered by Industry 4.0 technologies, including artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and big-data analytics. The platform connects, automates and streamlines the garment-production process, from order processing to fabric cutting, which in turn boosts efficiency and reduces waste, according to Carlos Jimenez, sales executive for Valia Fashion.

X-Rite showcased its suite of textile color-measurement solutions, said Donna Picarello, North America sales director.

“Our goal is to help manufacturers achieve more-accurate color, shorten time to market and build a more sustainable process,” Picarello said.

Methods Workshop’s ETC is a predetermined time system for setting production rates. This is also the brand’s bestseller, according to Kelly Riley, U.S. sales director.

“It’s an engineering tool that is used to set production standards,” Riley said. “There are international standards already set for every movement that a person can make. So instead of timing them, you film them, watch every movement and then code that into the system. It arrives in time so you can set production rates.”

Daniella Ambrogi, senior global marketing director for Computer Generated Solutions, which offers its BlueCherry suite of solutions, highlighted the company’s manufacturing-execution systems, which allow full visibility of production systems.

“We don’t sell just the technology, we sell the industry expertise,” said Ambrogi.

Another company offering solutions was Aptean, with its ERP system, which essentially keeps everything running.

“It connects everything from sales and finance to your inventory, your warehouse,” said Emily Scales, marketing-programs specialist. “It’s like the heart of the company.”

Eton Systems brought its material-handling system for manufacturing, which is a one-piece operation, said CEO Jan Molin. The material is transported efficiently as it eliminates the need for manual transportation. An included software allows for control and real-time information.

What’s new in fibers and fabrics

One company utilizing smart textiles is Lenzing, according to Jason Elder, who manages business development for the brand’s protective offerings. He said the company makes fibers for a variety of uses, including for firefighters, solderers and welders.

“If you’re in a high-performance or protective application and you need moisture-management capability, we’re a natural-type fiber that inherently doesn’t burn,” said Elder. ”It’s not chemically treated but still has that protective capability. On top of that, we are a sustainable fiber, biodegradable fiber.”

American & Efird sells everything from apparel and non-apparel thread to technical textiles, said Jacob Blackburn, global brand marketing manager.

“We can help them [clients] figure out how to make their things work the way that they want,” said Blackburn. “We have a variety of products that can help do that and also have the technical knowledge to help them. We want to make sure we can help get to a final result that is not only satisfying but also exceeds expectations.”

B2B product supplier Aditya BIRLA Group wants to expand into the U.S. market, so attending the shows helps connect them with fabric manufacturers, according to Prasanna Joshi, global head of technical textiles.

Mike Allen, vice president of sales for Buhler Quality Yarns Corp., said a lot of their customers attend the shows so they get to catch up.

The next edition of Techtextil North America will be located at the Raleigh Convention Center in Raleigh, N.C. Aug. 4–6, 2026. Texprocess Americas will return to Atlanta May 11–13, 2027, again co-located with Techtextil North America at the Georgia World Congress Center.