Interview with Shawn Neville

Shawn Neville
President
Avery Dennison RBIS

Almost ten years ago, embellishments were done at a local level.

Shawn Neville from Avery Dennison discusses the embellishments and RFID solutions industry with Mary Christine Joy. Synopsis: Avery Dennison RBIS (Retail Branding and Information Solutions) help retailers, manufacturers, and logistic service providers. It is spread across 50 countries and 115 global locations all over the world. Their services include branding, labeling, packaging, embellishments, and RFID solutions. Shawn Neville is the president of Retail Branding and Information Solutions in Avery Dennison and has held this position since 2009. He has served 15 years in the global apparel and footwear industry. He has done Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Denver. Before Avery Dennison, he has worked as a president for Keds Corporation, CEO for Footaction USA Retail Chain, and in several senior positions in Reebok International. Excerpts:

The joint venture between Avery Dennison RBIS and Ningbo Shenzhou Knitting Co. Ltd. is a first of its kind in the global apparel industry. What was your inspiration behind this joint venture?

Avery Dennison's RBIS business continues to focus on an important vision: to elevate brands and accelerate performance throughout the global supply chain. Having worked for many years with the Ningbo Shenzhou Knitting Co. Ltd., we saw the opportunity to create a first of its kind joint venture in the apparel manufacturing industry that will facilitate innovation in garment embellishments and better serve the world's leading apparel brands with fast response delivery and exciting design. Through our partnership with Ningbo Shenzhou Knitting Co. Ltd., we look forward to developing more of these products to help transform the industry.

Why are embellishments such as heat transfers particularly important for performance wear companies?

Embellishments are important for performance wear companies because it elevates the design without compromising overall garment function. Garment embellishments also drive brand consistency and recognition. Today more and more brands are adopting the heat transfer technology for fabrics, especially polyester.

Can you explain a bit about your products and how is it helping the apparel and retail industry?

Avery Dennison RBIS is a global leader in apparel and footwear industry branding, labeling, packaging, embellishments, and RFID solutions. We operate in over 50 countries with 100 facilities and 20,000 employees serving the industry - from design and product development to manufacturing, supply chain and retail. Our market leading insights and innovation in embellishments, digital printing and consumer enabling technology elevate brands and accelerate their performance throughout the global supply chain. Essentially, we're a material science and branding company. Our combined expertise and know-how in both sectors is helping to modernize the industry.

How do you see the global market for embellishments? How do they help in elevating a brand?

Currently worth more than 4 billion USD, the global embellishment is robust and growing. Designers are using latest embellishment technology like screen printing, roll printing, digital printing, and sublimation to create high-impact brand graphics and distinctive finishing touches as part of a garment's design. This helps to elevate the brand and increase overall consumer appeal.

What are the latest technological innovations taking place in the field of embellishments?

The latest technological innovations in the field of embellishments include the use of high definition and reflective heat transfer technology that enables products to retain its original property despite multiple washes. These products are just gaining traction in the market and will be a real game changer over the next few years.

What are the changes noticed in the market for embellishments nowadays as compared to the earlier times for your textile products?

Almost ten years ago, embellishments were done at a local level. There was minimal consistency and technology to achieve the desired results. Screen printing was messy. Sublimation was expensive. With the advanced technological innovations currently taking place in the industry, the opportunities are endless.

The importance of research and innovation in this industry cannot be ignored. How can companies ensure that they are up-to-date with the latest technologies?

To meet the ever-changing consumer demand, there is an increasing need for companies to develop innovative and technologically-sound products to maintain their competitive advantage. We have been fortunate to partner with an incredible roster of the world's most leading brands to develop forward-leaning solutions to better the industry.

How can RFID make retail operations easy? Can you explain in detail in a layman's tongue?

Simply put, RFID is the evolution of the barcode. RFID scans products a 100 times faster than barcodes with nearly 100 percent accuracy. This makes the entire inventory management process easier and more efficient for retailers.

Is the future for RFIDs and embellishments market bright?

Our core packaging, labeling, price management, global compliance and brand protection solutions remain very important foundational businesses with solid growth expectations. As we look ahead, new key growth drivers will be RFID and embellishments, which will significantly augment our integrated solutions for both branding and information systems.

Published on: 21/08/2014

DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.