Interview with Jeff Bowman

Jeff Bowman
CEO
Cocona / 37.5 Technology

37.5 technology increases human performance

Cocona provides customers with innovative, branded and proprietary technologies that increase the performance, comfort, and value of their products. CEO Jeff Bowman tells Fibre2Fashion about the company's cutting edge 37.5 technology that claims to improve human performance.

What is the significance and relevance of 37.5 as number? The comfort level of the body differs depending upon the climate, doesn't it?

Number 37.5 represents both optimum human comfort and human performance. Human comfort is tied to relative humidity next to your skin, relative humidity (RH) between 25 per cent and 50 per cent is an expression that your body is in thermal balance and 37.5 per cent represents the midpoint of this range. Human performance is tied to your core temperature; your optimum performance happens when your core temperature is at 37.5°C.

What is the USP of Cocona technology?

Cocona's patented 37.5 technology is the only comfort technology that has been scientifically proven to increase human performance. It is the only technology that adds value to all layers of clothing, bedding and footwear.

How does Cocona contribute to sustainability and environment protection?

Our particles are all naturally derived from either volcanic sands or activated carbon that comes from recycled coconut shells. Our technology reduces (30 per cent) energy and time required to launder and dry products, including towels and bedding. Otherwise, we have a limited impact on sustainability and environmental protection because of how our technology is used and the fact that we don't actually manufacture products ourselves. We are actively involved on a political level in the protection of public lands here in the States.

There is great emphasis on technology and its characteristics and application; there is plenty of information on your website. What about your reach, communication & marketing strategy?

Our overall marketing strategy is to identify and attempt to partner with category and thought leaders across a broad range of products and markets, trading some level of exclusivity for broad incorporation of the technology into their product assortments and a commitment to tell the 37.5 story in all of their marketing communications. Cocona also invests substantially to tell the 37.5 story, first to the trade and now to consumers. Most of the marketing investments till date have been focused on the US market as it is typically the most influential world market with respect to new technologies.

Where are the solutions manufactured? Do you have factories in US or outside? How is your presence in Asia?

Although we are intimately involved in every aspect of production, Cocona manufactures nothing. We license the technology to manufacturers and enforce strict quality requirements and testing protocols to ensure compliance throughout the supply chain, from particle production to finished garments. Cocona has the base technology produced in the States in order to control quality and protect our IP. We have no plans to move base technology manufacturing out of US, and this technology is tightly held even within the company. The base technology is then shipped to fibre and yarn manufacturers around the world including the US, China, Taiwan, Pakistan, Turkey, El Salvador, India and South Korea. Cocona employees two people in Asia, about 10 per cent of our workforce.

Which are the major markets for your products? What is the share of exports in overall sales?

In descending order: the US, Western Europe, China, Japan and South Korea. Over 80 per cent of our products are exported to suppliers in the US, China, Taiwan, Pakistan, Turkey, El Salvador, India and South Korea. A significant percentage of those products then find their way back into US when those suppliers manufacture fabrics for American brands, but I don't have visibility to those numbers as they are controlled by the brands we license to.

Does 37.5 use nanotechnology to infuse micro particles into the yarns of the fabrics? If not please share details about the technology used.

Cocona does not use nanotechnology. We infuse active particles directly into the master batch that is the precursor to polyester and nylon fibre and yarn production. We also print the active particles on fabrics, and infuse them into foam and synthetic leather applications.

How many washes can the Cocona technology last? Does the effect deteriorate with every wash?

The vast majority (over 95 per cent) of 37.5 technology is applied through filament and spun yarns. The particles never wash out of the yarns; we have garments that are over 8 years old (> 500 washes) that are as effective as when they were new. If anything, the performance increases with continued washing. Particles printed on fabrics will eventually begin to wash off at around 50 washes. Cocona currently uses this approach only with fabrics that are rarely washed (outerwear laminates).

Besides, bedding and apparel, what are the new applications for your products?

It includes footwear linings and inserts, insulation, foams, synthetic leather and towels. Grips for racket sports are currently in testing with pro tennis players and receiving rave reviews. Additional opportunities, some of which are extremely large, are confidential at this time. 37.5 technology reduces the energy cost and time to launder towels in the hospitality industry by 30 per cent, and over 80 per cent of the cost of a towel over its lifetime is the energy required to launder it. Further, the reduction in time to dry the towels increases their life from 100 wash cycles up to 200 wash cycles.

What will be the next latest innovation at 37.5 after moisture management?

We are focused on improving human comfort and performance. 37.5 technology is a reactive technology that both warms and cools on demand to maximise comfort and performance, moisture management is just one part of the equation. One of our missions is to increase response times and capacity of our materials. Further, we are also focused on delivering the technology in new carriers and new end products.

Considering your product's major customer segment is youth, how important is it to reach out to end customers through social media and digital marketing tools?

It is critically important and a major focus of our marketing investments moving forward. We have a number of initiatives in the works that I am not at liberty to discuss at this time as doing so will jeopardise their value. One thing I can mention is that we have hired the agency WIP to manage our entire consumer facing marketing investments. They have provided us with a number of excellent ideas, including sending Donald Trump 37.5 bedding with a note from me encouraging him to sleep better so that he isn't compelled to tweet in the middle of the night.

Published on: 26/06/2017

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.