Eve Ichim, business development manager, Kozane, discusses the company’s innovative foundation and the ‘outstanding’ levels of cut resistance achieved by its fabrics.
Can you start by providing a brief background on Kozane?
Kozane was created by the multi-award-winning Norwegian company Granberg AS, founded over 50 years ago, a well-established company with a worldwide client base and a continued focus on product design and product development. The result of over half a century of experience in protecting workers in challenging conditions, Kozane fabrics achieve outstanding levels of cut, tear, puncture and abrasion resistance, delivering flexible, lightweight, and breathable protection.
Where are your products designed and manufactured?
Our talented and passionate research and development team is based in Kaunas, Lithuania, where Kozane fabrics are manufactured in our own, ISO 9001:2015 quality standard controlled, manufacturing facility, also conforming to the Environmental Management System standard ISO 14001:2015.
What new developments are you making or seeing in the protective textiles sector?
We are focused on achieving the highest levels of cut, tear, abrasion and puncture resistance, according to EN388:2016 and ANSI ASTM standards, while offering lightweight and comfortable fabrics suitable for garments. Our fabrics have other applications as well – footwear, upholstery or luggage, but garments remain the main use, especially in the industry and security sectors where the risk of cuts and lacerations is prevalent, but also in mental health facilities, prisons and correctional facilities as anti-tear and anti-cut clothing and bedding, as well as cut-resistant apparel in extreme sports (such as ice hockey) or cut and abrasion-resistant motorcycling apparel. One of our superstar fabrics, Kozane Extreme, has already achieved outstanding levels of cut resistance – ANSI ASTM F2992-15 Cut Level A8 with a score of 5,215 gr, making it the most cut-resistant fabric in Europe, and among the top two in the US.
How has Kozane’s exhibit at Innovate Textile & Apparel gone so far and what discussions have you had?
It’s been going very well; we have had interesting conversations with luggage manufacturers, sports apparel manufacturers and very well-known footwear manufacturers. Over the two-week duration of the event, we have been able to forge new relationships and explore future collaborations.
Why did your company decide to participate in Innovate Textile & Apparel, and what does it hope to gain from the event?
While Granberg is a well-established name, Kozane is quite new on the market, so we wanted to introduce our fabrics and concept, network with potential partners, and identify additional applications for our high-performance fabrics.
What are Kozane’s plans for the next year or two in terms of further innovation, product development and potential partnerships?
Our R&D team never rests, and they are currently working on new projects in the background. In terms of collaborations, we would like to continue finding strategic partners for our garment range and expand our distribution network, focusing on PPE suppliers for the industry, healthcare and security sectors, as well as exploring new, alternative applications for our fabric range, Kozane High Performance Fabrics.
Is there anything you’d like to add about your company or services?
I have been working in this field for over five years, and I have never worked with a better team than the Granberg team. Together I feel we will achieve great things; they are very customer-focused and constantly striving towards innovation and progress. As a global business development manager, I proudly represent the Kozane brand and we have already formed great partnerships with well-known companies with a global presence, and I am very optimistic about what next year will bring.
To learn more about Kozane by Granberg, visit its booth at Innovate Textile & Apparel or go to https://www.kozaneprotection.com/
