Interview with Andreas Martsman

Andreas Martsman
VP - Marketing & Sales
Oxeon AB(Textreme)

For most industries, the development will move towards online business

Textreme, a global leader in the manufacturing of carbon fibre reinforcements, deals with the sports and technology industry which is interlinked on a huge scale. Andreas Martsman, VP - Marketing & Sales of Oxeon AB, the parent company for Textreme, talks about how the products are lighter, help in top performance and give a comfortable feel in an interview with Fibre2Fashion.com

What inspired Textreme to take up the sporting sector as a business area?

Oxeon-the parent company for Textreme-develops, produces and sells patented spread tow carbon fibre reinforcements under the brand name Textreme. Spread tow reinforcements are a fairly new category of composite reinforcements where we are the market leader. Such materials have possibilities of weight savings on about 20-30 per cent as compared to conventional reinforcements. When looking at where there was a need to reduce weight, improve stiffness, impact tolerance, etc, the sporting goods market was a good fit. The optimal fibre structure of Textreme renders weight savings through use of lesser matrix.

Please elaborate on the role of technology in the uplifting of your business.

Textreme is based on technology and novel production methods. The foundation of the company is innovation. Our technology helps sports brands to make better and lighter products, which is also helpful in the communication towards a consumer market, where our technology is a tool to explain how the product is technically better-something successfully implemented, for example, by Bauer Hockey, Prince Tennis, Cobra Golf, Bell Helmets, Felt Bicycles, etc.

What is your contribution to the benefit of the sporting goods industry?

Many products in the sporting goods industry is made of composites. We provide carbon fibre reinforcements to those products. The way composite parts are produced can vary. But regardless of the way, Textreme can be implemented on these processes. We also have a technical support team that works globally and supports brands and their manufacturers in getting the right quality and performance for their products. Athletes benefit from getting better, lighter, safer products. Brands benefit from greater sales through lighter products with a technical story that easily explains why their product is improved.

What will be the future of sports technology by 2020?

The use of composites will increase even more. For example, there will be more carbon fibre reinforced composite products in lower price points. The constant development will benefit manufacturers and brands through more effective production methods. And perhaps, consumers will benefit from new innovations that will give them a good time playing the sport they love.

What is the scope for online businesses?

There is a need to touch and feel many sports products which will not go away. But with online distributors offering trials, test periods, etc, this limitation can be overcome. As for most industries, the development will move towards more online businesses.

What according to you is the best innovation in sporting goods' market?

We would like to believe that it is Textreme. The rest future will tell!

Published on: 25/01/2016

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.