Industrialization of the textile industry and use of a large variety of chemical treatments and dyes has resulted in a public health threat created by pollution. 17 -20% of industrial freshwater pollution is caused by textile dyeing and treatment. Estimations state that 10-15% of total dyestuffs (equivalent to 280,000 tonnes of dyestuffs) used during the manufacturing of textile products is released into the environment worldwide annually.

Our Spring 2013 show is now behind us, and we are busy with the planning and preparations for our upcoming Washington DC International Textile Expo. Leading up to our spring show we had the distinct pleasure of sponsoring fabric for King 5′s Evening Magazine finale episode of The Look. With the generous support of suppliers like Elliott Berman Textiles, and Rimmon Fabrics the contestants created beautiful garments as part of this local designer competition.

On a damp November morning a group of local, independent fashion designers converged on the Upper Queen Anne neighborhood in Seattle. Why you ask? To begin a nearly four month journey to see who has the skills, and the vision to impress local fashion experts, and create The Look!

How to Grow Your Business 101

The U.S. Small Business Administration offers a variety of services to help small businesses run, start and grow.  A panel of savvy business experts will share their advice and expertise on various stages of business ownership.  Whether you’re just starting your business or been in business awhile – there’s something for you.  Find out about technical assistance resources, training opportunities and financing options.

• Date: March 4, 2013
• Time: 2:30 PM
• Where: The Northwest Rooms next to Key Arena

Exporting can be a lucrative way to grow your business, but knowing how to get started can be a daunting task. This spring the U.S. Commercial Services office is pleased to present regional experts on financing your exporting efforts at Seattle International Textile Expo,

Date: March 4th (Monday) 10:30-11:30 a.m.

SBA International Trade Finance Programs

A brief overview of the Small Business Administration’s Three Finance Programs (loan guarantees) for Exporters:

1. Export Working Capital Program
2. International Trade Loan Program
3. Export Express Program

Pru Balatero, SBA Regional Manager

Mr. Balatero is responsible for the implementation of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s International Trade Finance Programs in Alaska, Northern Idaho and Washington States. He has over twenty years experience in the private sector in R&D, product design and manufacturing. He was general manager of an 85 employee manufacturing firm that exported products worldwide. Pru has a Masters Degree in Business Administration and a Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering.

Export Finance Assistance Center of Washington

The Export Finance Assistance Center of Washington (EFACW) was created by the Washington State legislature in 1983 to provide export finance counseling assistance to small- and medium-sized exporters or prospective Washington-based exporters.

EFACW provides ongoing consulting services on every aspect of Export Finance for Washington State exporters including helping to negotiate the contract with your Buyer, payment terms, structuring the transaction and dealing with foreign exchange issues.

Doug Kemper is the President and CEO of the Export Finance Assistance Center of Washington

Doug has forty years of commercial banking and trade finance experience with regional and community banks based in Seattle, Portland and Los Angeles including Rainier/Security Pacific Bank, KeyBank, Washington Mutual Bank and Commerce Bank of Washington. He commenced his financial services career as a US Treasury Department/OCC National Bank Examiner based in Seattle and London.

He has served on the board of directors of several international business and educational organizations including as the Chairman of the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle and the World Trade Center Tacoma.

Doug is a graduate of Oregon State University with a BS degree in International Business and the Pacific Coast Banking School.

U.S. Commercial Service

The U.S. Commercial Service is the trade promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. Located across the United States and in U.S. Embassies and Consulates in nearly 80 countries, our global network of trade professionals connects U.S. companies with international buyers, providing them with market intelligence, trade counseling, business matchmaking, and advocacy/commercial diplomacy support.

Whether you are a U.S. company looking to make your first export sale or expand to additional markets, or an international company looking to purchase products/services from the United States or find additional U.S. suppliers, we offer the expertise you need to connect with lucrative opportunities.

Young Oh’s Brief Bio: Ms. Young Oh, Senior International Trade Specialist of the U.S. Commercial Service Seattle is an export promotion officer for the U.S. Department of Commerce. Her current portfolio includes Service export – Education/Training, Travel/Tourism, and Consumer Goods (Apparel, Sporting Goods and Pet Products). Ms. Oh has over fifteen years experience in the private sector in economic development, global logistics and medical food manufacturing.

Ms. Oh has a Masters of Business Administration and Bachelors Degree in Business Administration and Education.

We all know that Pantone’s® color of the year is Emerald, but what happens when Emerald isn’t the best color for you?

Color impacts us on an emotional level, and when it comes to fashion wearing your colors is critical to looking and feeling your best.

Stylyze’s patent pending Color Harmony system and design platform was created to help people find and coordinate their colors. Stylyze’s unique set of tools will equip you to work directly with your clients to help them find the colors that make them look and feel amazing. We will also provide you with tools to coordinate colors in your collections, and focus on selecting colors for your collections that evoke specific emotions.

Learn how to be a trendsetter by taking the most current color trends and adapting them to best support your client or collection Tuesday, March 5th at 12:30 P.M. in the Orcas Room at Seattle International Textile Expo.

Jessica Victoria Piha, Principal of JVP Media and Public Relations moderates a panel of marketing, branding, social media and public relations experts in the Seattle area to help you position your brand for growth.