2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bast Fibre Technologies (BFT)
a manufacturer of specialty natural fibres for the global nonwoven industry
announces the acquisition of Faser Veredlung Tönisvorst (FVT)
an ISO 9001 certified textile processing facility located in Tönisvorst Germany
This purchase enables BFT to immediately increase capacity to meet customer demand for its sustainable bast fibres and provides a firm platform for expansion and continued growth
With over twenty years of fibre processing experience
FVT is located within close proximity to major European centres for bast crop cultivation and nonwoven fabric construction
This transaction follows BFT’s strategy of establishing low carbon
The facility is currently being expanded with the installation of specialty refining equipment specifically designed to optimize natural bast fibres for use in a variety of nonwoven applications
“We are excited to have FVT as a part of our company,” says BFT President
“FVT has a long history of working with natural fibres and this acquisition has accelerated our transition towards becoming a fully integrated manufacturing company
FVT has consistently produced the highest quality bast fibres for BFT
so it was a logical step to bring this capability in house
Europe is leading the way on single-use plastic reduction strategies and the ability to produce these fibres in Europe will become increasingly important for the production of truly sustainable nonwovens in wipes
The Tönisvorst operation is positioned in the heart of the EU nonwoven belt in an historic textile complex established over 140 years ago
this campus has been renewed and modernized in recent years and now hosts a mix of manufacturing and service-based industries
In the coming months the facility will be upgraded to optimize the production of cost effective
high performance natural bast fibres for customers looking to accelerate their sustainability goals with BFT’s tree-free
The facility is also ideally equipped for rapid prototyping and product development of novel fibre modifications to develop natural fibre solutions that meet customers’ specific requirements
“We are very pleased to be joining the BFT team of companies,” announces Managing Director and former owner
“At the core of both our businesses are the shared values of environmental protection and quality
We are strong advocates for natural hemp and linen fibres and we value the opportunity to strengthen these offerings
BFT is an industry leader in the production of these fibres for the high-end nonwoven marketplace and we look forward to playing an important role in the industry’s growing transition away from plastic fibre.”
BFT’s fibre products will be on display in Booth 1157 of the upcoming Index show taking place October 19-22nd Palexpo in Geneva
- www.bastfibretech.com Bast Fibre Technologies Inc
(BFT) is a triple-bottom line cleantech fibre engineering firm manufacturing specialty natural fibres for applications throughout the nonwovens industry
Using advanced fibre processing technology
BFT transforms raw bast fibres from hemp and flax plants to meet the exacting standards required by nonwoven customers
Bast crops are a high-biomass annual crop that can alleviate the growing pressure on global forest resources while absorbing carbon
ABOUT FASER VEREDLUNG TÖNISVORSTFaser Veredlung Tönisvorst (FVT GmbH) FVT is an experienced and quality supplier of fibre dyeing
and blending using environmentally friendly input materials
A focus on sustainability in production and product designs has allowed FVT to successfully position itself in the market and forms an important basis for success at FVT
PLEASE CONTACT: Larisa Harrison Corporate Administration & Sustainability Manager Bast Fibre Technologies larisa.harrison@bastfibretech.com Direct: +1 (778) 600-1501
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has commissioned a first-of-its-kind dry fibre processing line at the plant of Faser Veredlung Tönisvorst (FVT) which it acquired in October
is enabling BFT to immediately increase capacity to meet customer demand for its sustainable bast fibres from the nonwovens industry
The facility is also ideally equipped for rapid prototyping – from 100g to 1,000kg – and product development of novel fibre modifications to develop natural fibre solutions that meet customers’ specific requirements
FVT is located within close proximity to both major European centres for bast crop cultivation and nonwoven fabric producers
Its acquisition follows BFT’s strategy of establishing low carbon
BFT currently has two brands – Sero multi-purpose hemp and Noval linen
Hemp is supplied in slightly thicker micron for a more abrasive hand feel
for a cloth-like feel in nonwoven wipes with moisture management properties
originally scheduled to take place in Amsterdam but reverting to online on December 13 and 14th
observed that there is a move towards cellulosics for nonwoven disposables
but suggested this may eventually just be replacing one problem with another
resulting in issues such as a loss of biodiversity
soil erosion and increased greenhouse gas emissions – especially since wood-based fibres are also being widely adopted in textiles for apparel and the packaging industry
“Bast crops are a high biomass annual crop that can alleviate the growing pressure on global forest resources while absorbing carbon
revitalising soils and preserving biodiversity,” he said
“They are easy to grow and will grow in any climate where soy and corn grows
The lead time is 100 days from the planting to the fibre and these are both summer and winter crops
An acre of land will yield around 1,000 kg of dry fibre
BFT operates in the space between bast fibre decorticators and nonwovens manufacturers
to provide the industry with carefully individualised and standardised fibres that meet the specific needs of nonwovens producers
with well over 100 critical control points in its processes
“We are routinely contacted by brands looking for fibre solutions to specific end-product requirements
and in a perfect position to funnel these developments through the nonwovens supply chain,” Finnis said
The company has been filing patents since 2018 and in 2020 licensed far-reaching global patents from Georgia-Pacific related to incorporating any bast fibre produced
The company’s fibres have been successfully qualified on the spunlace systems of both Trützschler and Andritz
and proven to be ‘plug and play’ and bale-for-bale substitutes for viscose
“Recycling is not an option for nonwoven single-use plastics and our fibres offer soil-to-soil circularity instead,” Finnis said. “We are just finalising an LCA and confident our fibres can sustainably outperform all others for nonwovens on the market
We will also shortly be announcing a further acquisition that will bring commercial production capacity to the USA.”
www.bastfibretech.com
Impeccable credentials for bio-based denims
Germany - Kasey Keller speeds home along the autobahn after practice each day
then winds down country roads until the two turrets appear through the trees
the black metal gates swing open and he pulls into the driveway
He may very well be the only player preparing for the World Cup who makes his home in a castle
Next to a cattle farm in a small town in northwest Germany
His renovated four-floor kingdom is complete with two towers
wind up spending nights in a brick-and-stone tower
It began in a most modern way: His wife spotted the castle on the Internet after he left London's Tottenham Hotspur in January 2005 and signed with a team that has perhaps the longest name in professional sports: Borussia Moenchengladbach
It's about a 20-minute drive north from the team's stadium and practice fields
but we couldn't find the house we were looking for," he said on a cold March afternoon with forbidding
Kristin and the kids came over and had a look at it
get to play princess and prince from their tower-top bedroom
a statue sits in the muskrat-infested garden
Decayed gargoyles keep vigil over the castle wall
contemporary furniture fills a living room with a black and white checkerboard floor and fireplace
A blue and green painting of a soccer goal by British artist Mackenzie Thorpe hangs prominently
and I think another major construction was in the 1200s," he said "Then in the mid-1800s it burned out and sat derelict for 150 years
Because it's one of the oldest castles in Germany
the historic society gave some grants if somebody would rebuild it
The current owner built it after the remodeling but then extended it
put in the deck and the conservatory and added onto the kitchen and then built the spa in the basement."
between Duesseldorf and the Dutch border city Venlo
He won't put a price on what it costs to live in the castle - he has a one-year lease with a one-year option - but says "it's not cheap."
"There's always something that needs to be done
That's the only real drawback: You're living in a 1,000-year old property."
It's far different from the Victorian row house they owned in the Muswell Hill section of north London
Keller says the castle is what's known as a Haus Donk
built on a mound created from the dirt dug out for the moat
the house isn't convenient for guests because of the layout
"When your bedroom is two stories up a tight spiral staircase with no bathroom up there
Keller was among the earliest American soccer players to heard to Europe
where top stars make millions of dollars more than they could earn in the United States
The twins learned Spanish and are now taking German lessons
"We've also been fortunate that we've lived in such great cities
that we weren't stuck in places where you just felt isolated
If you can't enjoy yourself in London or Madrid or Duesseldorf
then you're not trying very hard," he said
echoing Samuel Johnson's line that "when a man is tired of London
Keller has had one of the longest careers in the history of the U.S
A backup on the 1990 roster and the starter in 1998
and his 91 international appearances are second among American goalkeepers behind Tony Meola's 100
In a few years it will be time to head home to the States
perhaps to finish his career with Major League Soccer
They're looking forward to having some stability," he said of the kids
"We'd like to be able to go home and then at least stay there and let the kids finish school
Disappointed when he lost out to Brad Friedel for the starting job four years ago
Keller stayed with the national team into his mid-30s while Friedel choose to limit himself to club soccer
Ever since the United States finished last at the 1998 tournament in France
Keller has been waiting for another chance
"I'm not sure he's been real patient," U.S
Keller has sparked the team with his play and fire
He made three spectacular saves in a five-second span in a World Cup qualifier at Panama last June
defenders speak of the added confidence they have because they know that Keller is there to make stops if they mess up
he's had to discipline himself to keeping alert in games during what was the coldest winter in three or four decades
He has become a favorite with his club - at one game fans raised a banner with his caricature and the words "Crazy Keller."
Germany — Marion Stützle places a large cardboard box on her dining room table
It says “TIM” on one side and it’s stuffed with mementos from her son’s earliest days in hockey
Dozens of keepsakes from a minor hockey career that helped lay the groundwork for NHL stardom
Wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt, Tim Stützle settles into a dining room chair and sorts through the clutter
“It’s been a long time since we’ve looked at this stuff,” he says
eagerly turning the pages of his U10 yearbook and flashing the same smile that is evident in many of the childhood photos that spill out of the box and begin to cover the large wooden table
cool May morning in Stützle’s childhood home
Staring at a picture of his 8-year-old self
“I don’t think we lost a single game until I was 10 or 11 years old,” Tim says
recalling the double-digit margins of victories that were commonplace
is not stored alongside the other keepsakes in the box
It’s tucked away neatly inside her own memory
she also has the moment captured on her phone
It’s a video of her 4-year-old son skating around pylons dressed in jeans and a grey sweater
Tim was adamant he would join the local hockey team
Marion wanted her only child to be assertive
“I tried to teach him at a young age to be independent
They need to take responsibility,” says Marion
Go ahead.’ And he marched down with his skates and he told him
Tim Stützle is on the precipice of superstardom in the National Hockey League
he’s one of the next generation of young stars in a league that is constantly seeking gifted
has plenty of hockey skills (39 goals and 51 assists last season attest to that) and an engaging personality
“He had to be convinced that he needed to start with the skating school,” his first coach
recalls of the 4-year-old he met that day at the rink
I’ll go to inline hockey where you can play right away.”
Kaczmarek remembers the first time he showed up to the rink and started putting on his full equipment
“He asked me if he could train in jeans because he believed he could move better in them,” says Kaczmarek
the youngster ditched the denim for the traditional undergarments worn by hockey players
Stützle developed an insatiable appetite for the sport
to return from work so they could play spirited games of ball hockey on the driveway
errant pucks would sometimes bounce off the white camper trailer that sits in the front yard
often staying late to practice with the next team hitting the ice — even if they were older kids
“So I would just sit there in the restaurant
Those extra practices helped fast track his development
he was regularly skating with players who were up to five years older
“And they were drinking beers afterwards in the dressing room and I was just 14,” Stützle says
Tim Stützle exudes confidence in virtually every area of his life
Stützle is being ultra cautious because he doesn’t want to scrape the rims on the Mercedes convertible he’s borrowed from a friend for the three-hour drive from Mannheim
After a failed first attempt left him too far from the curb
he neatly tucks the car into a tight spot in the heart of downtown Krefeld
the city that borders his childhood hometown and is only a 30-minute drive to Germany’s western border with the Netherlands
Tim and Marion have selected one of their favorite Italian restaurants as the backdrop for a conversation about the delicate balance between hockey and education
Over an appetizer of beef tartare and chilled glasses of Chardonnay
her language skills aided by her stint as a flight attendant for Lufthansa when she was younger
She’s outlining the one simple rule Tim had while growing up
“I was always scared about not being able to practice,” Tim says
“If they told me ‘You’re not allowed to play video games for a week,’ it would not have bothered me at all
Stützle says he was a “class clown,” often sitting in the back row and cracking jokes with his friends
He says he was never reprimanded or suspended
but he did accidentally break a teacher’s glasses with a tennis ball during a game of baseball in gym class
And I didn’t really think I needed school,” Stützle says
they always wanted me to have an education
“We had a lot of discussions about that,” Marion interjects
And then Stützle left home to pursue hockey as a 15-year-old
Numerous junior programs aggressively tried to secure his rights
bombarding the family with recruiting pitches via e-mail and phone calls
But we knew this would happen at some point,” Marion says
But Mannheim was the only team that respected our privacy
They were the only team that left us alone.”
Stützle’s game matured and he grew into a bona fide NHL prospect
But even as the 2020 NHL Draft drew closer
Marion and Martin wanted to make sure their son had fallback options
“My parents did not care if I was good at hockey
All they cared about was school,” Stützle says
“And what if I got hurt in my entry-level deal
And so the family was ecstatic when Tim decided to commit to attend the University of New Hampshire to play college hockey
As eager as Marion and Martin were for this turn of events
their excitement paled in comparison to that of UNH head coach Mike Souza
“We thought we had someone who was an automatic program changer. Like Cale Makar when he went to UMass,” Souza says of the current Avalanche star defenseman
“He was going to come in here and catapult our program to a place where we wanted it to be.”
Stützle instantly fell in love with the UNH campus during a tour of NCAA schools in the northeastern part of the United States
He knew what he wanted — and just as importantly
he did not like how crowded the campus Starbucks was
Souza knew that after Stützle watched a pair of hockey games at the UNH’s home rink
he could convince the youngster to commit. “UNH has a true campus feel,” Souza says
Stützle accepted the school’s athletic scholarship offer in January 2018
“And we thought this would be a great option for Tim.”
Stützle realized he could get to the NHL by simply staying in Mannheim
he backed out of his commitment to UNH and signed a professional contract with Mannheim
‘Can you call Mike Souza for me and tell him I don’t want to go there,'” Stützle recalls
But when his parents caught wind of his plan
Just as Marion had made her 4-year-old march up to his first hockey coach
she wanted her son to take ownership of this situation as well
“We told him he had to make that call himself,” Marion says
And so while they were on a family vacation on the German island of Sylt
cousins and parents downstairs and went up to a private room to call Souza
“I know that call isn’t easy to make when you’re 16 or 17 years old,” Souza says
“I was respectful and wished him nothing but the best.”
Stützle spent his draft-eligible 2019-20 season with Mannheim
scored 34 points in 41 games against adult competition
He drew rave reviews from teammates and displayed maturity off the ice that made him one of the favorites inside Mannheim’s locker room
As evidenced by a call Marion got partway through that season
“They said Tim is always staying out late to pick up the pucks after practice,” she recalls
“And they told me Tim is helping carry bags to the bus
And Tim always makes sure to say hello to the cleaning staff and that he’s so polite
Tim also impressed opponents in the German Elite League
who were shocked by his game-breaking talent
One of those opponents was Munich forward Chris Bourque — who also happens to be Souza’s brother-in-law
I think he would have won the Hobey Baker for you in his freshman year.”
Chris,” Souza recalls telling his brother-in-law
The top of the dresser in Tim Stützle’s bedroom inside his parents’ home is lined with memorabilia documenting his meteoric rise in the hockey world
There is the trophy he captured as the best forward at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships in Edmonton
The three pucks from his first NHL hat trick in Winnipeg are neatly encased in glass
It was placed on top of the dresser by Marion
It’s a framed 8×10 piece of paper with a message she hopes her son adheres to as he enters a new stratosphere of superstardom in North America
It’s a mantra that should come in handy this fall
as Stützle plays the first season of his new eight-year contract that will pay him $66.8 million
‘Be respectful and be humble,'” Marion says
Marion wants to ensure her son remains grounded because she knows all too well the impulsive decisions that young adults often make
She vividly recalls sitting on the sofa with her husband
They were fascinated by a magazine advertisement for a luxury camper
They fell in love with it and purchased it the following day
They needed a sizeable loan from the bank and their families refused to help
Marion and Martin had to take on extra jobs to pay off the debt over the next 18 months
The stress of trying to pay off the camper seemed to outweigh the pleasure they received from using it
“We didn’t feel good about it,” Marion says
But that cautionary family tale about spending beyond your means has been passed down a generation
And for his part, Stützle is adamant that the richest contract in Ottawa Senators history won’t change him
And then he adds: “My only goal is to win a Stanley Cup ring.”
Tim says that a team-first mindset went into his contract negotiations with the Senators last fall
He signed last September and then proceeded to have a breakout 2022-23 season
Stützle exploded for 90 points and established himself as one of the most skilled and dynamic young centers in the game
he certainly would have had enough leverage to warrant a much richer contract
I think if someone is making $10 or $11 million it makes it hard to win with the salary cap,” he says
“But with everybody making under $9 million in our young core
I think we have a really good chance to win
And the only goal I really have is to win a Stanley Cup with this group of guys.”
He knew he could have joined the league’s salaried elite and made north of $10 million with this new contract
it wasn’t important if I made $9 million or $10 million
Making $8.35 million is still a lot of money,” Stützle says
“I just think it’s a really fair deal for both sides
Stützle says he heard the whispers of people who were critical about his decision
“People will say, ‘Why did he sign that early?’ But in the end, I think the fans are happy that I’m committed long term,” he says. “And I wanted to show commitment to everybody — the younger guys, too, like Sandy (Jake Sanderson)
I could have easily signed for three or four years and said
‘Let’s see what happens.’ But I’m just so confident that we’re going to be a good team.”
his mother offered some important perspective as he contemplated the deal
what more do you want than having a good team and lots of fans?'” she remembers telling him
“You’re going to have more money than you can ever spend in your whole life
(Illustration: Samuel Richardson / The Athletic
Photos: Matt Zambonin / Freestyle Photography/Getty Images; Steph Chambers / Getty Images; Ian Mendes / The Athletic)
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