The Sewn Products Equipment and Suppliers of the Americas (SPESA) hosted its ninth Advancements in Manufacturing Technologies Conference on February 27, 2019 bringing together a group of leaders on the frontline of manufacturing to discuss the current and future state of innovations in the sewn products industry. Held in conjunction with Techtextil North America, the event attracted more than 90 attendees from 18 states (including the district of Columbia) and five countries.
SPESA started the Advancements Conference nearly a decade ago in response to continual changes in manufacturing technologies, including advancements in sewn products equipment. This year’s event focused specifically on issues and opportunities related to microfactories, on-demand manufacturing, software connectivity and automation, touching on the role robotics now play in the industry.
The conference featured Mike Fralix of [TC]2 as moderator, who was joined by a leading group of panelists, including Michael Rabin, president at Morgan Tecnica America; Leonard Marano, vice president at Gerber Technology; Yoram Burg, President at EFI Optitex; Kirby Best, President & Chairman at PAAT International; Toni Lublin, Communications and Partnership Manager at Lectra North America; Roberto Mangual, CEO at Exenta; Mariano Amezcua, President at DAP America; Rick Frye, Director of Engineering at Brother International; and Henderson.
