Roland DG (UK) has launched a new online forum, www.rolandforum.co.uk.  It has been designed as a meeting place to post questions, share ideas and exchange information. It is intended to appeal most to Roland customers, dealers and partners, but is open to all to browse, register and post. 

More than 50 products from three of Fujifilm’s Sericol screen printing textile ink ranges have been approved by the Soil Association Certification to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) for use in organic textile processing.

The Co-operative Clothing has announced its arrival as an online retailer with a new website.

Since the acquisition of Banner 12 months ago, the Blue Max Group has implemented a number of changes as part of the integration process. The company has announced  further changes designed to improve the efficiency and standard of service to customers.

Specialist promotional bag supplier Crazy:Bags has announced it will now operate exclusively for UK and Ireland distributors as a trade-only supplier. Effective from September 1, the move comes as a result of extensive research by the company to understand the issues faced by promotional merchandise distributors and gift houses.

The printwear industry is mourning the loss of Mr Ikuo Tajima, 81, advisor of Tokai Industrial Sewing Machine Co Ltd, who passed away on June 13, 2011.

For garment decorators who are faced with the prospect of ever increasing price rises, Blue Max Banner has some welcome news. With immediate effect, Blue Max Banner has reduced the price of its Champion T Shirt range by £0.15p against sizes and £0.10p against children’s sizes.  

 The reduction applies across the whole of the Champion T Shirt range.

Leeds-based tailoring specialist, Skopes, has had fantastic results in the first quarter of 2011. After investing in an extra £1.2 million of stock at the end of 2010, sales have increased across the company by 33% in comparison to the same period last year.

There are three core divisions in the business – Corporatewear, Retail and Wholesale, which have all performed well.

Workwear clothing specialists Williamson-Dickie Europe Limited are sponsoring one of Scotland’s leading motor racing teams – Celtic Speed, which is competing in the 2011 Porsche Carrera Cup GB championship.

‘Dickies’ is supplying the whole team, including drivers and pit crew, with protective clothing and accessories  consisting of coveralls, trousers, shirts, waterproofs, body warmers, boots and belts.

Result, the Essex-based outerwear and corporate clothing specialist, has scooped the Goodies d’Or 2011 award in the Corporate Attitude category at this year’s CTCO exhibition in Lyon, with its R190X Dax Down Feel Gilet.

TheMagicTouch has introduced some new and exciting additions to their already extensive range of MagiCut products for use in plotters and cutters.

GS UK have recently enhanced their supplies and consumables website which can be found at www.gs-ukdirect.com. It offers a complete selection of products for both embroidery and print customers.

Gunold embroidery threads and underthreads are available alongside scissors, needles, grid lock frames and a large range of backings and appliqué fabrics.

Resolute Ink announces AJS Embroidery Services as its sole UK distributor for the R-jet 4 Digital Textile Printer and range of textile inks.

Williamson-Dickie Europe Limited, the UK based subsidiary of the world’s largest privately owned workwear company is expanding its Somerset warehousing and distribution facilities to 100,000 sq ft. The additional space will provide a 50% increase in storage capacity allowing greater stock availability and a faster, 24 hour delivery service to its customers.

Last September, eight Regatta staff took part in a challenge – to scale the four highest peaks in the Lake District – Scafell, Scafell Pike, Helvellyn and Skiddaw – in less than 24 hours. They completed the challenge in 17 hours and – together with Regatta’s generous charity matching scheme – raised £5,450 for charity.

The Workwear and Corporate Clothing Show 2011 brought together leading industry figures, buyers and sellers, to witness the latest innovations and to hear the future is strong for the sector. The two-day event at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, was sponsored by JAL Group and supported by some of the biggest names in the business including Pacific Brands, Incorporatewear and Dimensions.

High Profile, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of standard and bespoke plastic promotional products, has seen its sales figures grow by 23 per cent as it continues to generate new business wins as well as retain and renew existing contracts. 

Since the company’s start in 2006, sales have more than doubled, from £1.2 million to £2.7 million, with margins improving by almost 10 per cent in the last year alone.  

Roland DG (UK) has confirmed that its facilities in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, are unaffected by the effects of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami on March 11. Production, design and administrative offices at the company’s international headquarters are all working as normal, and no disruption is anticipated to manufacturing or delivery schedules.

A major upgrade of the Blue Max Banner website is being planned for September. In response to customer demand, a new online ordering facility was added to the website last year. But the development plans are much more ambitious. The upgrade will integrate the Blue Max and Banner portfolios, as well as the Fashion division.  

ETC Supplies have announced the launch of a new self lubricating backing. Available exclusively through ETC, it is widely used in the Far East for bulk production as it reduces many problems associated with embroidery on technical fabrics.

Six new sector brochures are now available from distributor, Ralawise, each designed to appeal to specific target markets and create new business opportunities for customers.

Sectors covered are: management and hospitality, professional trades and workwear, sports and teamwear, essential schoolwear, outerwear clothing and a collection dedicated to the youth and higher education markets. 

The ‘Best Collection’ brochure includes a choice of garments and the most popular sellers from all sections of the main catalogue.

For more information call 0800 212 180 or email sales@ralawise.com

Andy Steavenson, director and founder of promotional bags stockist and distributor, Crazy:Bags, shares his thoughts on the cotton crisis.

Caterpillar – the world’s largest maker of construction and mining equipment – is set to launch a new range of CAT branded merchandise created by Brand Addition, the merchandise-led marketing communications specialist. Brand Addition has also created a dedicated online shop which will sell the Caterpillar merchandise.

Falk&Ross has announced the promotion of Jacqui Gale as their new Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect. Jacqui, previously Commercial Director with Falk&Ross, takes over from Helmut Wenzel, who will remain with the company as Chief Operating Officer.

The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation has been presented with a cheque for £6,500 from Result Clothing as part of their fundraising effort to help save endangered mammals in the wild. The money was raised through a percentage donation from the sales of Result’s Air Down range. David Shepherd is known internationally as an artist and ambassador for wildlife. In 1960 he become a conservationist overnight when he came across 255 zebra lying dead around a poisoned waterhole in Tanzania. His foundation has given away over £4million in grants to save critically endangered mammals in their habitat and benefit the people who share their environment.

BTC activewear is introducing the new Matrix Codes to give customers instant access to pricing and stock simply using your own phone. This is also supported by some of their stocked brands such as SG, bringing you consistent information with just one click.

Amaya Sales UK are opening an additional training and demonstration centre in Newark, Nottinghamshire. From there they will offer professional training on embroidery machinery and software to existing customers either as a refresher or for those wanting to advance their knowledge in embroidery.

Debbie Eales visits the UKL Trade Show to find out what some of the brands and machinery suppliers are up to for 2011.

Ralawise are introducing 10 new brands for 2011, including B&C Collection, Portwest, Surridge, Just Cool, Rhino, Result Headwear, Ashworth and SDL Trophies.

Anvil Knitwear, a leading manufacturer of socially and environmentally responsible apparel and accessories, has launched Shirt Scan, an iPhone application that allows retailers, brands and consumers to deliver multimedia content via apparel to their target audiences. Through the use of QR (Quick Response) codes applied directly on the shirt, label or hang tag, Shirt Scan can be customised based on brand, customer, retailer or campaign, delivering a unique consumer experience in the form of articles, photos, and videos.

ZSK sole UK agent, Stocks Sewing Machines, is celebrating a milestone having been chosen to supply its ZSK embroidery machines to Harrods of Knightsbridge. The Leeds based firm has installed a ZSK Sprint 5 Industrial Embroidery Machine in Harrods innovative Boot Room.

Embroidery expert Bonnie Neilsen has published a new book titled Punch – Digitizing for Embroidery Design.

News of the Royal wedding has been welcomed by industry body Promota. However, chief executive, Annette Scott, is urging caution over the use of photographic images of the Royals. 

Schoolwear supplier David Luke are doing their bit to save the planet with their new Eco-Uniform school jackets for boys and girls. Hailed as a schoolwear first, the new jackets are made from 100% recycled, non-biodegradable plastic from drinking bottles, which would otherwise go to landfill. Compared to an equal quantity of traditionally manufactured oil-based fabric, the 100% recycled de/repolymerized material used by DavidLuke requires 84% less energy to produce it.

Hatton Textiles International Limited, whose towelling products are woven for some of the worlds leading golf resorts, sports brands and retail labels, has signed an exclusive agreement with German manufacturer MOVE in order to fulfil a growing portfolio of unique and fashionable clients.

BTC activewear will distribute a selection of the four Mantis World brands from January 2011. The partnership means that BTC activewear will become one of the largest UK distributors of the Mantis World collection.Phil Roberts, national sales manager at BTC activewear, comments: “I am delighted that Mantis World has been added to our collection of brands. It offers a fashion-led range that will appeal to our customers and I know it will be very successful. The Humbugz and Babybugz brands are well recognized as the leading kids and babywear ranges in Europe and are known for their quality and trend-led designs.”

On Friday, October 1, 2010, at the Fort Worth Imprinted Sportswear Show (ISS), Luis Omar Viera of New Buffalo Shirt Factory used M&R’s new Challenger III and M&R’s Passport Automatic Unloader to set a new world record of 1909 shirts printed in one hour by a single operator. The Challenger III is distributed in the UK by D.Roper Ltd.

Regatta Professional have announced that their prices will be held until January 2011. The company have recently been through a period of change with a new logo and the introduction of the new technical and innovative X-Pro jacket range, their Workwear collection and a comprehensive offer of bags. 

A team of fundraisers from Regatta have succeeded in climbing the four highest peaks in the Lake District – achieving their goal in just 17 hours and even managing to get back to Keswick for a celebratory drink before the pub closed!

Tesco is introducing a nationwide schoolwear embroidery service following a successful pilot earlier this year. According to Tesco, the service offers parents whose children need a bespoke uniform a “cheaper alternative to specialist suppliers”.

MASCOT Mini gave a family the chance to take a trip down memory lane. Dad, Paul Bennett, got a nice surprise when his sons, Joshua and Brodie, arrived in MASCOT Mini Workwear to help out at the family business Bennett Bros during the school holidays.

Beechfield, the promotional headwear brand, is now sponsoring up and coming golf professional, Tom Jones and as part of the deal, the 20 year-old will sport a variety of the brand’s logoed headgear at tournaments and practice days.

PenCarrie has unveiled its plans for a significantly extended programme of On Tour events to be held this November 2010. Eight locations have been selected covering Ireland, England, Scotland and, for the first time, Wales. Each event provides a privileged preview of all the new products and new brands that PenCarrie will stock for 2011, with brand representatives happy to share their expert knowledge of their merchandise. 

Promotional teddy bear brand Mumbles has launched a new website for 2008, incorporating information about suppliers, distributors and a history of the company.

The new Marketing Association Alliance will make its debut at the Promotional Marketing Exhibition (15 - 17 April, Olympia London).