Significant growth in Asia, strong demand within EU
When the pandemic hit the world, US based Sciessant, a leading provider of customised antimicrobial, odour control and water repellent solutions, joined a cooperative consortium of major apparel manufacturers with a dedicated production line capacity to meet the US' need for masks. Director of Marketing Steve Cunningham spoke to Paulami Chatterjee how Sciessant continues to develop new generations of safe, sustainable solutions through creative and continuous innovation.
How was production and supply hit at Sciessent due to the pandemic? What steps did you take and continue even now considering the overall changed scenario the world over?
When the pandemic hit, our Agion antimicrobial technology was in high demand, so we immediately looked for ways to make it more broadly available. In April 2020, we joined a cooperative consortium of major apparel manufacturers with a dedicated production line capacity to meet the US need for masks during the Covid-19 outbreak. Leading manufacturers within this consortium incorporated Agion into masks designed for use in healthcare facilities. Hundreds of millions of face masks incorporating the Agion treatment produced by this consortium have been distributed worldwide to help meet the needs of the pandemic.
We also sought out new distribution channels to get our technology to the brands that needed it. Recently we entered into a partnership with Huntsman Textile Effects to expand our distribution further. With operations in more than 90 countries, Huntsman is a leading supplier of high-quality textile dyes, chemicals and digital inks to iconic brands and retailers around the world. Working together, we are developing customised solutions that meet market demand for high-performing, durable and environmentally sustainable products.
How do you differentiate your textile products from your competitors?
Our technologies are designed for sustainability and extreme durability. We deliver technologies that not only perform better than competitor products, but also provide cost-savings versus those same competitive technologies.
One of our other major differentiators is our technical support. We work with mills and brands to make the transition to our technologies seamless, while taking a very hands-on approach. We have Sciessent technical teams all over the world ready to work with any vendors that needs our technical support.
We also provide unmatched support from a quality assurance standpoint working with brands/retailers and their manufacturing partners to ensure our technology is being applied properly on the production floor to save time in the quality process.
Which are your major markets application-wise and geographically for each of your textile products? Which markets hold potential for future?
All of our technologies are used through textile markets - apparel, home textiles, medical textiles etc. Our Lava odour absorption products are very popular in Europe where they prefer functionality over a traditional antimicrobial. We've seen significant growth in Asia and we are also seeing strong growing demand within the EU, where typically our competitors are based. Our homebase of the US has continued to perform very well over the past year and we are anticipating further growth across the globe as a result of our partnership with Huntsman over the coming five years.
How different are your antimicrobial solutions from the others in the market?
Our Agion antimicrobial technology is very different from other methods in the market, mostly because of our unique controlled-delivery system. Essentially Agion works like a thermostat in your house. When the environment is ideal for bacteria growth, Agion releases just enough of the active ingredient to resist the growth of bacteria. Once it is done, it stops releasing, much like a thermostat turns off when your home reaches the desired temperature. This leads to extreme durability compared to other antimicrobials in the market that dissolve into moisture at higher-than-needed levels.
What new innovations have you come up with and what new on the anvil to meet the demands of a Covid-hit world?
We are always looking to innovate our technologies. After the first SARS outbreak in 2004, our technology was incorporated into the Nexera Medical SpectraShield 9500 mask, which received FDA-approval on bacteria and virus claims. In 2015, the mask received an updated 510(k) from the FDA with approved claims to inactivate viruses by 99.99 per cent in 5 minutes and kill 99.99 per cent of bacteria in one hour. This work positioned our Agion technology well to address the Covid-19 pandemic from the outset. By March 31, 2020, over 3 million SpectraShield 9500 masks incorporating Agion were delivered to healthcare facilities worldwide.
How do you see the market of your textile products growing in the next 5-10 years both locally and internationally?
We have always had high performance technologies backed by superior customer support. We are now seeing our brand awareness grow significantly, with leading brands seeking partnerships with us. Our new partnership with Huntsman has set the stage for tremendous growth over the next 5-10 years.
With all that said, we can only grow as our customers grow. We are very focused on making sure we are developing innovative technologies that are economical to implement and provide real performance and benefits to the end user. We back that up with unmatched support to our customers. We believe this will create growth for our partners and for Sciessent.
What percentage of sustainability and circularity do your textile products promise?
Sustainability is at the heart of Sciessent science. We have garnered industry recognition for our commitment to sustainability, including Bluesign approval for all of our technologies - Agion, ActiveXL, Lava, Lava XL and Curb, listing of these products on the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Foundation ZDHC Gateway, and Level 3 compliance from the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Foundation.
Earlier this year we purchased 400 metric tonnes of verified carbon offsets from Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) to balance greenhouse gas emissions produced by our operations. Through this investment, we are mitigating our impact on the environment by supporting green initiatives aligned with the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement. Sciessent is committed to responsible sustainability and we believe that smarter technology means superior service.
What is the story behind founding of the brand?
When we launched our business 20+ years ago, we did it with the mission of developing technologies that make a difference in the world. Not many people know this, but the idea around the name Sciessent is a combination of "essential science". Our brand is best captured in our mission statement: The Sciessent team provides environmentally responsible products that benefit and enhance people's lives and the world we share. We develop new generations of safe, sustainable solutions through creative and continuous innovation.
What has been your growth story in the last 3 years? What have been the major achievements?
The past three years have been an exciting time at Sciessent. We have entered into a partnership with top 5 global apparel brands, expanded our technical support and distribution to better serve our customers, and are working with brands in apparel, medical textiles, home textiles and other markets worldwide.
What is your R&D team like? How much do you spend on R&D on a yearly basis? By what percent has it gone up this year?
Innovation is a key part of our offering and promise to our partners. Our R&D team is a critical part of our business and delivers on this promise. They have been hard at work developing several new technologies that are on the horizon. While we can't reveal our spend on R&D, I can tell you that we invest heavily in it and that investment continues to grow.
What are your future plans related to growth and expansion?
Our new partnership with Huntsman provides a significant opportunity for distribution expansion of our products. Furthermore, our product line is set to expand later this year as we have some new developments close to commercialisation. We believe in delivering a customer experience that consistently exceeds our clients' expectations. We have the best employees in the industry and continue to expand our team to support our customers worldwide. Whether you need antimicrobial, anti-odour or water repellent solutions, Sciessent has customisable solutions that will protect and enhance your products. (PC)
Which brands and retailers are you currently associated with?
We work with many major brands and retailers, including REI, Academy Sports, Brooks Running and Cabela's. However, not all our brand partners allow us to mention their names due to confidentiality agreements, but we supply our technology to several other major global brands.
Where are your production centres?
We have production in the US and also in Asia. Our distribution spans the globe where all major textile production is taking place.
Published on: 24/03/2021
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.
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