A+A 2021: Success During Pandemics

In this newsletter we include a brief report of the A+A 2021 Show in Düsseldorf last week. It includes a profile of major exhibitions of workwear:

  • Uvex
  • Frijstads Kansas
  • HAVEP
  • HYDROWEAR:
  • Engel:
  • Mascot
  • Topaz
  • Lenzing
  • Sympatex:
  • Thermotex
  • Thermopatch

Tradeshow report A+A

A+A 2021: Success During Pandemics

A+A the trade fair for security at workplace came up to 2021being visibly reduced and less in visitors compared to the outstanding year 2019, but 2021 is still an ongoing pandemic year. A+A however started with a broad safety and hygiene concept. Spirits were flying high throughout exhibitors and visitors - regarding the uncertainties before the show, extremely high. The tradeshow was clearly successful. Next A+A will take place in Düsseldorf 2023, from October 24 – 27.

 A+A should be evaluated as a transition-tradeshow during special times. In 2019, there were 2011 exhibitors, in 2021 showed up 1204. In 2019  73,507 visitor entries have been counted, in 2021 only 25,000 visitor entries were published as preliminary numbers. Despite these evidently shrunk participation, A+A 2021/22 is the biggest and most prestigious tradeshow in Europe for occupational safety and especially regarding PPE and workwear. Tradeshow-contacts were described by all participants as above average, down to facts and outcome-oriented. Exhibitor and customer satisfaction was excelling on both sides. 2021 and 2022 product developers and buyers need to supply new solutions to their colleagues in the sales department. Kurt Madsen, Export manager of Mascot, Denmark pointed out: “Whoever came to A+A 2021, was seriously interested in doing business.”

Important German exhibitors in the workwear and PPE segment did not participate like Bierbaum Proenen, CWS, HB Schutzbekleidung, Kübler among others. The gap caused by the German providers couldn’t be filled entirely by the international exhibitors, but clearly some viewed it as a great chance.

Regarding the tradeshow safety concept, it was evident that the halls were planned generously. Broad aisles helped to avoid overcrowding even during high visitor frequency; facemask regulations were respected, German “3-G-rules” – what means “vaccinated, recovered or tested” – were controlled at the entrance. The hall ventilation was fine.

Sustainability: now adopted by the Industry
More than in 2019, sustainability is a subject of grown interest on the providers’ and as well on the visitors’ side. The progress within peoples’ minds and their offered solutions are remarkable, especially by its quantity and broadness. We have not seen a single company that would not care about sustainable products or service solutions. Also the ecological cradle to cradle concept is well received by the industry as a central economical commitment to the future. Compared to former years, the interest of buyers to ecological proposals was much more fact oriented and precise. Implementation pressure by users and end customers towards retail and textile services is growing along with the value changes throughout society. We have visited some exhibitors to achieve an on-the-spot impression of the tradeshow.

Uvex Protecting Planet
The family-run business based in the German city of Fürth covers its ecological production concept “protecting planet“ by a number of products displayed at the tradeshow: the “protecting planet“-collection, throughout the whole of its workwear and PPE. System analyst Günter Wegmann explained that all material components of the textile collection are entirely feasible to be composted and all products hold the quality label “cradle to cradle”. Additional to cotton, a special polyester use needs to be highlighted, with property to disintegrate in almost no time due to its co-polymerical structure. For “cradle to cradle”-wear, non-harmful materials to human health and nature are implemented. Furthermore, the “cradle to cradle” certificate in gold makes sure, no harmful chemicals will be used. After wearing out the garment, its parts can be composted and reach the natural circuit.System analyst Günter Wegmann explains the collection „uvex protecting planet“

System analyst Günter Wegmann explains the collection „uvex protecting planet“

Frijstads Kansas: High Visibility-Collection with Environment-Label
Fristads‘ Green High Visibility-Collection presents a broad variety of protective equipment allowing professionals of roadworks, construction, transport and logistics to dress up from head to foot with highly visible and ecologically strongly improved workwear. The collection is labelled with an EPD (environmental product declaration following ISO 14025), allowing detailed comparison with other products of similar ecological functionality by quantified environmental information of the production. Fristads‘ Green High Visibility-Collection has been qualified and quantified ecologically in the following areas:
- material choice
- material quantity
- dyeing procedures
- water- and energy consumption during production
- packaging
- transport
Thomas Syring, director DACH for Frijstads showing Frijstads‘ Green High Visibility collection

Thomas Syring, director DACH for Frijstads showing Frijstads‘ Green High Visibility collection

HAVEP – Pioneer for Eco-Workwear
HAVEP needs to be regarded as a pioneer for eco-relevant workwear and PPE. In 2012 already, they presented the compostable circular lifecycle-oriented workwear HAVEP – Rework. Their ecological commitment was enhanced through their own “green-choice” label, extended to PPE products. They aim to develop the entire workwear according to guidelines of circular economy features by the year 2025, bordering 90% of their production. During A+A tradeshow, an add-on system called “easy design” was presented, providing possible individual designs of workwear according to a modular assembling system.

Markus Schlüter, HAVEP account manager with ”easy design“ jacket
Markus Schlüter, HAVEP account manager with ”easy design“ jacket

HYDROWEAR: New “sister” company to HAVEP
The HAVEP-owner Van Puijenbroek Tekstiel, has lately taken over the Dutch company Hydrowear, a workwear and PPE production company. Hydrowear’s core area however is waterproof and high visibility protection as seen on the tradeshow. The companies complement  very well within the PPE market.

Hydrowear presented the waterproof collection: Edwin Neef /Hydrowear with Danny Lenselink and Silvio von Czapiewski from HAVEP (left to right)

Hydrowear presented the waterproof collection: Edwin Neef /Hydrowear with Danny Lenselink and Silvio von Czapiewski from HAVEP (left to right)

Engel: Starting a New Leasing-Line
Engel Workwear presents at A+A  for the first time its new workwear collection Proplus+. A great number of ladies’ and gentlemen’ workwear items by three different material qualities, an outstanding range of sizes and soil resistant colours provides more than enough solutions to the requirements of the industrial sector. Stylish jackets and trousers for ladies and gentlemen offer a great range of combination choices and accommodation to environmental conditions and temperatures at stake. All items are available in trendy colours as night blue, black and graffito. Knee and tool pockets are made of Cordura within the mixed fibres collection. Reflecting applications on all items can be easily replaced according to the requirements of textile service. The new Proplus+ collection will be available late spring 2022 for businesses and textile service.
Rikke Svenstrup presents the new Profiplus+ collection for textile service

Rikke Svenstrup presents the new Profiplus+ collection for textile service

Mascot
The Danish family-owned company has been focussed on workwear and PPE for years and their own certified production facilities are situated in Vietnam and Laos. Mascot offers more than ten varied purpose PPE collections. For the first time on A+A 2021, the Mascot Accelerate Multisafe was presented. This collection offers multiple protection features in combination with wearing comfort. The above-average wearing comfort is provided by light materials and their elasticity. Even the reflecting applications are elastic. The collection is labelled by all necessary certifications and identification marks. Moreover, it is easy to combine  with other Mascot PPE items, because of the same general design pattern. Mascot services take benefit as well from their substantial stock of fabrics for manufacturing purposes.

Kurt Madsen, Mascot export manager explains the Mascot Accelerate Multisafe collection
Kurt Madsen, Mascot export manager explains the Mascot Accelerate Multisafe collection

Topaz Reduces Heat Stress
Topaz membrane laminates are made by the Trans-Textil GmbH company, situated in the German city of Freilassing. It is one of the leading European companies regarding lamination, coating, printing and specialised equipment of functional textiles. During A+A 2021, the new product TopazFX was launched: a low-flammability high performance textile, by 60% lighter than traditional fabrics, knitwear or non-woven, moreover highlighted by efficient temperature management due to its 3D-structure. Custom made zones of high and low absorption areas generate a maximum of pull and push effect, thus ensuring sweat to be quickly removed from the body and evaporated. Higher air permeability of the fabric facilitates breathability,  reducing the hazards of heat accumulation and heat stress to its wearers.

Product manager Alexander Gstettner/ Topaz presenting Topaz FX, a risk reducing textile for heat accumulation and heat stress
Product manager Alexander Gstettner/ Topaz presenting Topaz FX, a risk reducing textile for heat accumulation and heat stress

Lenzing Enhances Circular Economy
Lenzing is strong in expertise regarding the development of perfected innovations in the recycling area, having created Refibra and the Eco Cycle technologies. Together with the use of pure fibre pulp, these technologies allow the processing of considerable quantity of recycling material obtained out of cotton cut-out residuals as well as old clothing items. In cooperation with the Swedish company Södra, this procedure is enlarged including the recycling of mixed fabrics. Södra has developed the worldwide first technique of broad recycling for this scope. Using wooden based cellulose and textile waste in the first place, a pure high-end fibre pulp is generated, ready for the making of garments and other textile products. “At this time”, states Alexandra Steger from Lenzing, “we work on many segments of the value-added processes, to enhance the sustainability of our products and their use.” This includes a tool for physical identification of all wooden-based special fibres by Lenzing during different stages of the textile production process, allowing remarkable transparency and control of the value-added chain

Sympatex: Mono-Material Laminate Products
For years, Sympatex has been working on the circularity of its products. At A+A 2021, the German company located in Unterföhring close to München, presented for the first time their new product “Brenta”. Sympatex proves with its newly developed corporate workwear jacket that technology and sustainability may unite to create a new permanent landmark for the industry. The two-coated laminate of the jacket is based on 100% polyester fabric. The mono-material solution is regarded as the most efficient approach regarding the recovery of valuable and scarce feedstock, as well as the desperate need of saving on CO2 emissions and the reduction of water consumption during laminate production.

Thermotex Offers the Basis for all Textile Management
For successful textile management, a professional labelling is crucial. Since more than 30 years, Thermotex offers machinery, utilities and services. They mindmatched all relevant sub-markets with their highly special requirements: identification, finishing, labelling – which have to follow completely different needs, for instance regarding PPE or care institutions. During A+A, a number of brandnew label printers were presented, for instance the TT4-DCT featuring two printing devices in a machine, enabling double side printing of labels on a centred textile band lead.

Giovanni Ferrovia, sales manager international /Thermotex, presenting the newest label printers
Giovanni Ferrovia, sales manager international /Thermotex, presenting the newest label printers

Thermopatch Presenting Flame-Retardant Patchproducts
Similarly Thermopatch is an important partner, considering functional and safe workwear patched with heavy-duty transfers and labels. Starting from photographical pictures up to products with high visibility, from stitched labels up to flame-retardant transfers. During the tradeshow, the renewed Transfer Textra was presented, as well as different flame-retardant (FR) products and state of the art patching machines.
Paula Kristel, sales manager /Thermopatch presenting a new patching machine

Paula Kristel, sales manager /Thermopatch presenting a new patching machine