Knitting Trade Journal highlights of 2017

Enjoy the read, and also enjoy your holiday season!
The MCL Team
 
Gildan completes American Apparel purchase Gildan, one of the world's largest producers of activewear, casualwear and socks raised a few eyebrows when it swooped for troubled retailer American Apparel and relaunched it as an online only business.
 
Stoll widens flat knitting options for sports applications Stoll continued to expand the application areas for its flat knitting technology throughout 2017 including the launch of a new version of one of its latest machine developments for the sportswear sector.
 
Nylon and merino blends for luxury sportswear The Athleisure trend continued to make inroads into the entire knit supply chain in 2017 with Nilit developing a new yarn for performance fashion and footwear offering a range of aesthetic and performance capabilities.
 
Shima Seiki demonstrates its 'Industrial Renaissance' at anniversary celebrations Shima Seiki's successful year culminated in a lavish celebration at its Wakayama headquarters as the computerized knitting machine manufacturer celebrated its 55th Anniversary.
 
Everest to open new knitwear plants Vertically integrated textile manufacturer Everest Textile, which is renowned for its strict adherence to environmentally friendly knitwear production, invested heavily in 2017 with two new facilities in Ethiopia and the US.
 
Chinese warp knitter opts for Lace.Express Karl Mayer's latest lace technology took very little time to make its stamp on the market with one of China's largest lace knitters investing significantly in the new machines.
 
Chinese textile giant to acquire Invista's apparel business Following speculation dating back to 2016, Invista finally sold off its Apparel & Advanced Textiles business with China's Shandong Ruyi Investment Holding finally securing the renowned, global Lycra brand.
 
Mayer & Cie celebrates 30 years of Relanit knitting technology 2017 saw a great deal of activity at Mayer & Cie with the company celebrating the 30th anniversary of Relanit, the one of the circular knitting machine builder's most important and most successful machine types.
 
Unifi expands manufacturing base to Vietnam Textured yarn supplier Unifi identified Vietnam as a key market for growth in 2018 and beyond with the US-firm striking an important partnership with Century Synthetic Fiber Corp.
 
Luxury sector to drive intimate wear growth The luxury market was identified in early 2017 as a key growth area for the intimate apparel market.