EANS-News: Lenzing AG Lenzing Group and smartfiber AG Intensify Their
Cooperation
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Joint Ventures/Cooperation/Collaboration
Lenzing (euro adhoc) - Lenzing AG, world market leader for man-made cellulose
fibers and the German company smartfiber AG/Rudolstadt are expanding their
cooperation. In the future Lenzing will exclusively produce the lyocell
specialty fibers smartcel and SeaCell® developed by smartfiber at the Lenzing
site in Upper Austria.
In 2007, Lenzing already granted smartfiber a license for the pilot production
of new types of lyocell specialty fibers. Moreover, smartfiber and Lenzing have
been cooperating for several years to develop fabrics and on various research
projects.
For reasons of profitability, the pilot plant of smartfiber is being relocated
from Rudolstadt to Lenzing in order to be able to rapidly move ahead with the
commercial exploitation of smartcel and SeaCell® fibers in spite of rising
energy and raw material prices. The integration of the facility in Lenzing, the
world´s largest cellulose fiber production site, will enable a significantly
better cost structure. Moreover, the smartfiber pilot plant had recently reached
its capacity limits due to the continually increasing order volume, which no
longer made it possible to optimally coordinate incoming orders and accept large
orders. smartfiber will continue to be responsible for the sales and marketing
of smartcel and SeaCell®.
The smartcel and SeaCell® fibers are primarily used in home textiles as well as
in the fashion and medicine segments. The SeaCell® fibers contain valuable
active substances from seaweed which promotes health, nurtures the skin and
protects against free radicals. smartcel sensitive is the first antibacterial,
natural fiber available on the market to which the essential trace element zinc
is added, thus enabling regenerative skin care and hygiene in textiles.
The management of smartfiber considers the intensified cooperation with Lenzing
to be an important and future-oriented step for the benefit of customers which
comprises a win-win situation for the two companies involved. Thus the high
level of competence on the part of Lenzing with respect to the production and
processing of lyocell fibers under the brand TENCEL® will be combined with the
original and innovative patented technology of the function-oriented fiber
products developed by smartfiber. The objective of smartfiber is to be able to
offer the best possible quality, service-oriented order processing and
intensified sales-driven marketing support to customers in the future.
For Lenzing the launch of pilot production for smartfiber at the Lenzing site is
a consistent continuation of the research and development partnership which
smartfiber and Lenzing have pursued for years.
Further inquiry note:
Lenzing AG
Mag. Angelika Guldt
Tel.: +43 (0) 7672-701-2713
Fax: +43 (0) 7672-918-2713
mailto:a.guldt@lenzing.com
end of announcement euro adhoc
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company: Lenzing AG
A-A-4860 Lenzing
phone: +43 7672-701-0
FAX: +43 7672-96301
mail: a.guldt@lenzing.com
WWW: http://www.lenzing.com
sector: Chemicals
ISIN: AT0000644505
indexes: WBI, ATX, Prime Market
stockmarkets: free trade: Berlin, official market: Wien
language: English