Interview with Mr Paul C Ford

Dedication to customer success is one of Agion’s core values. The Company is passionate about making our customers successful; we do that by providing first class products, creative solution and responsive customer service. This award affirms what I already know about our team.

Agion currently provides environmentally-friendly solutions for antimicrobial protection and odor control to the apparel, footwear, sporting goods, consumer goods and textile sectors including non-wovens, carpeting and upholstery. Some of our clients include the following: Adidas, CF Stinson, Columbia, Foss, Lands’ End, and Timberland

Agion sees great growth potential in the industry as new technologies to combat odor emerge to set a new bar of performance particularly in apparel. Penetration of antimicrobials in particular for all market segments is still relatively small – for example, the technologies have only been adopted by higher end performance wear – and have not yet penetrated into mainstream casual apparel. We do expect this penetration to occur in the near future. In addition we are seeing growth opportunities in areas related to healthcare, ranging from uniforms to environmental design.

Market sizing is tied to vertical application and penetration within those segments. For example, performance finishes – whether antimicrobial, wicking, stain resistance, anti-wrinkle etc. – continue to be adopted as standard features for apparel. As far as antimicrobial fibers or finishes go, many segments are just beginning to adopt these features. In footwear, for example, Agion enjoys major market share – already there have been more than 100 million shoes with the Agion feature for odor protection. This is specifically in performance footwear such as running shoes, hiking boots, and ski/snow boots and this feature is quickly becoming adopted by mainstream retail brands including Walmart and Kohls.