(Yorkville, Illinois, USA, Sept. 5, 2023…) While thousands of US manufacturing companies have closed over the past 40 years, or moved operations overseas, Aurora Specialty Textiles Group (ASTG) has remained in the USA and this year is celebrating 140 years of continuous operation outside Chicago, Illinois. 

Through two world wars, two global pandemics, a major depression, countless recessions and under the terms of 26 different US presidents, Aurora has been a steadfast Chicago region employer and an anchor manufacturing operation for the US textile industry supply chain.

“Today, Aurora is the leading North American textile finishing company with wide width coating capabilities,” said Marcia Ayala, president of the company. “Aurora’s product offerings have expanded greatly from our beginnings in 1883 supplying private label sheeting to Sears & Roebuck. But our core values of supporting both the US textile industry supply chain and the community where we live and work have remained the same.”

ASTG opened in Aurora, Illinois, on the Fox River as the Aurora Cotton Mills 18 years after the Civil War. Over time Aurora’s products and services grew and so did its reputation for innovation and quality. The company’s name also went through a few evolutions  including Aurora Bleachery and Dye Works, Aurora Textiles, Aurora Textile Finishing Company and today, Aurora Specialty Textiles Group.

In 1977 Aurora was purchased by Meridian Industries, a privately owned conglomerate based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  In 2015, Aurora moved to an updated facility in Yorkville, Illinois, not far from its original location, to keep up with changing trends and technologies in the US textile industry. With the new plant a mere 10 miles away from the old plant, Aurora was able to retain all employees while adding new personnel and a new generation of high tech finishing and manufacturing equipment.

That investment in state-of-the-art textile technology made it possible for Aurora’s plant in Yorkville to offer a wide array of products and services used in a range of applications including pressure sensitive tapes, industrial belting, digitally printable textiles, military textiles, healthcare & safety, sanding abrasives, and outdoor protective coverings. Aurora offers fabric preparation, fabric coating and finishing, calendering, fabric dyeing, converting services, contract manufacturing and toll manufacturing.

“We are in the best position we have ever been to create something terrific,” at Aurora, said Bruce Pindyck, Chairman, President, and CEO of Meridian Industries. “We are constantly evolving and that is critical to the company’s success.”

While Aurora’s technologies and products have evolved, the company’s commitment to workforce diversity has remained a core value. Aurora hired women from almost day 1 and today, women make up 23 percent of the company’s workforce and 50% of the company’s leadership, which includes the company’s president.  

Also, in step with changing times, Aurora has been a textile industry leader in the area of sustainability, winning awards for the many steps they’ve taken to reduce energy use, water consumption, residual effluent, air pollution and VOC’s.

In addition, Aurora has won numerous awards from the Valley Industrial Association (VIA) for operational excellence and innovation. The VIA serves manufacturing operations throughout the Chicago region’s corner of the Midwest manufacturing belt.

“Our Midwest roots run deep, and so does our commitment to continuous growth, innovation and evolution in step with the changing demands of today’s global textile industry,” said Ayala. “For us, the key to success is continuous improvement while staying rooted in the community where our employees have lived and worked for 140 years. We are all very proud of our history and our continued place as a trusted US textile industry manufacturer.” 

auroratextile.com

Outdoor and lifestyle apparel brands are turning to PrimaLoft® Active Evolve, an innovative insulating fabric known for breathability, moisture management and stretch, that performs in a wide range of activities, regardless of intensity or season.

PrimaLoft, Inc., a global leader in advanced material technology, is experiencing significant traction and enthusiasm for its Active Evolve insulation. This groundbreaking technology, known for its exceptional breathability, moisture management, and stretch capabilities, has garnered widespread attention and adoption within the outdoor and lifestyle apparel industry. In response to this growing momentum, PrimaLoft is expanding its product offerings by adding four new Active Evolve styles, reaffirming its commitment to providing cutting-edge solutions that meet the evolving needs of consumers.

Originally launched in 2018, PrimaLoft Active Evolve is a line of insulating fabrics that is designed to evolve performance, design, and sustainability. Combining the lightweight warmth of insulation with the breathability of fabric, this technology is developed to perform in a wide range of activities, regardless of intensity or season. From pushing yourself during a cross country ski tour, to working up a sweat hiking to the next peak, PrimaLoft Active Evolve keeps you in your comfort zone – even when you’re pushing yourself out of it.

Several products in the Active Evolve line can be used as a next-to-skin fabric. This enables brands to forego liner fabrics, which means heat and moisture are more efficiently managed, breathability is supported, and user comfort is maintained. In addition to achieving optimal performance during aerobic activity, this yields a wider utility and year-round use, all while allowing brands to use less overall material when designing a garment, reducing footprint and waste.

PrimaLoft Active Evolve offers several advantages to designers. It enables them to utilize the full spectrum of color, incorporate unique patterns, and provides greater flexibility in fabric selection. Additionally, Active Evolve eliminates the need for quilting in the design process. Products within the Active Evolve line are made from up to 100% post-consumer recycled content, including three of the four new styles.

“This product series was designed to evolve with you,” states Tara Maurer-Mackay, senior vice president of product strategy at PrimaLoft. “PrimaLoft Active Evolve’s breathability provides a thermoregulating system that maintains comfort and elevates performance year-round for any activity.”

Last winter, Sitka showcased Active Evolve in their Ambient collection of technical hunting apparel. In developing its three Ambient jacket styles for hunters, including both men and women, Sitka designers were challenged with finding an insulation that was durable, packable, and most importantly, adaptable to changing weather conditions and levels of activity.

“SITKA’s Ambient collection featuring PrimaLoft Active Evolve is a product that functions very well across a range of pursuits,” says John Barklow, SITKA’s Senior Product Line Manager. “These pieces are highly breathable during aerobic activity and provide critical warmth once you have slowed your pace. The Ambient jacket and hoody are made to move with you and provide comfort across a variety of temperature ranges and activity levels.”

The endurance sports specialist LÖFFLER will integrate PrimaLoft® Active Evolve in their cross-country skiing collection this winter season. The Austrian brand is known for its high-quality clothing combining responsibility, quality, and innovation. As official clothing partner of the Austrian Nordic Ski Teams, their garments need to function on the highest level.

“PrimaLoft Active is particularly suitable for high-level sports clothing where versatile insulation is required,” said Stefan Gögele, head of product management at LÖFFLER. “This material offers the perfect combination of breathability, moisture transport and thermal performance. At the same time, it is wonderfully compressible and also sustainable using recycled content. This makes it an ideal partner for our cross-country skiing, biking, and ski touring jackets.”

With more than a dozen brand adoptions thus far, PrimaLoft Active Evolve’s adaptability for the user, range of use across activities, and seasonal timing, is quickly making this one of the most versatile products in the PrimaLoft portfolio. In addition to Sitka and Löffler, key partner brands for Fall/Winter 2023-2024 will include CP Company, Eddie Bauer, Endura, Martini Sportswear, OMM, Quiksilver, Ziener and more.