Interview

'Ultra-Fresh technology is based on the power of silver to fight bacteria'

Canada-based Thomson Research Associates (TRA) specialising in the development of anti-microbial treatments for textiles and polymers, is the technology partner of the Bangalore based Resil Chemical, a leading silicones and finishes company. In an exclusive interview with R Baby Manoj, Mr Barrie Clemo looking after global sales operations, TRA, discusses the potential of anti-microbials for the textile industry.

Could you tell us briefly about Thomson Research Associates?

Our company is based in Toronto, specializing in anti-microbial, anti-fungal and anti-dust-mite treatments. In the case of garments, there are certain advantages in controlling bacteria. When you sweat, what smells is not sweat, it is water; what smells is the gases given out by bacterial activity. By controlling them, we can control perspiration odours and thus ensure, cleanliness, freshness, hygiene, and give comfort to customers. With our advanced technology-based products, that is what precisely we are doing.

In order to make consumers aware of the benefits of anti-microbial treated cloths, considerable amount of education is required, especially, in a developing country like India. How do you tackle this problem?

The way we do it is obviously through articles, talking to the media etc. We also use trade-advertising, and we closely work with our customers. We are first selling the concept, all the way along the customer chain. Our anti-fungal products are useful for outdoor clothes like that used for making tents. We have recently developed a product (launched in Bangalore)-‘Silpure’ using our ‘Ultra-Fresh’ technology popular the world over. Our third product category fights dust-mites, which cause severe itching, asthma, sneezing etc, mainly live in mattresses, doormats, curtains, carpets and other such places. Our anti-dust-mite product plays a very important role here. The idea is to create an environment inhospitable to dust-mites; especially in the bed. ‘Sleepwell’ mattresses popular in India, use our Ultra-Fresh anti-microbial technology. The foam inside the mattresses is treated with Ultra-Fresh.

Could you tell us about your presence in other countries? Apart from ‘Sleepwell’, are you associated with any other popular Indian brand?

Our brands are international. We sell in around 40 countries across the globe. Ultra-Fresh is truly an international brand. Like Sleepwell, we work with Bombay Dyeing, which has a line of sheeting products treated with Ultra-Fresh.

Could you explain the technology involved in ‘Silpure’? Is the technology cost-effective?

‘Ultra-Fresh Silpure’ uses proprietary nano-technology to produce the ultra-fine silver particles essential to ease of application and long-term protection. The technology is based on the power of silver to fight bacteria. It, thus fights contamination and maintain freshness. With our technology, silver can be reduced to small particle size necessary for optimum performance. This has considerably reduced the cost and mass application is now possible.

How many washes will it survive, if treated on a garment?

The excellent adhesion of the silver to fibres means that anti-microbial performance remains strong through repeated washes. In real-life in-plant tests on 100 per cent polyester and on cotton polyester blends protection remained high even after 50 washes. Because Ultra-Fresh Silpure can be applied by the padding process, every fibre in the fabric is treated, maximising protection through the life of the garment.

What is the increase in cost due to this value addition?

The total cost would be less than 5 per cent.

Who are your distributors in India? What is the nature of your association with Resil Chemicals? Could you elaborate on your Indian activities? Do you endorse your products using brand ambassadors?

Resil Chemicals is our sole distributor in India. We have been working together for more than two years. We have some obvious successes. Apart from supplying to brands like Bombay Dyeing and Sleepwell mattresses, we deal with non-branded cloth makers. We are providing this technology to a Tirupur based company who are exporting knit shirts to Canada. It is sold in general department stores aiming at golfers. (In Canada, the champion golfer is the brand ambassador for the Silpure T-shirts). There are three levels of these knit shirts. Even after they perspire a lot, they feel comfortable in these shirts. The golf season in Canada is in April. There will be marketing efforts coinciding with this.

What are the reasons behind choosing Resil as your business partner? How many distributors do you have globally?

Resil is a very strong technical company. It has a research lab here in Bangalore. We have our own laboratory in Canada where we can test the efficacy of our products. Resil, also can test at its laboratory. The company can also do textile application testing. It has good coverage through offices all over India. Wherever, somebody needs our product, we can provide that product through them. We have 19 distributors around the world.

What is the size of the anti-microbial market globally? What is the size of the Indian anti-microbial market? Could you tell us about the trends in this segment the world over?

The total anti-microbial market including those meant for swimming pools etc, will be half a billion to one billion US dollars. Textiles and polymers would account for USD$100 to 200 million. Indian business is five per cent of our global business. We are seeing the shift in growth in India, Pakistan, China and all these places. Our share varies country by country. We are dominant players in some markets like Canada, Australia, New Zealand and United States. In developing countries, the market is quite small. In India, the total anti-microbial market is a few million dollars. I would expect a business of 20-30 per cent of the business for us, because customer interest in us is so strong. And we are adding newer applications. Our goal is to sell the concept and then take the market. Our products have a very long life in the market. Last of our products has been selling in the market for the past 20 years. Every year, we are developing new products.

How does India fare vis-a-vis China in textile chemical segment as a business destination? Which are the other countries you are interested in?

India is a very easy place to do business. In China, bureaucratic hurdles are more. It can take 6 weeks to get your goods cleared. When we come to India, we are treated like any other business. A foreign business in China is treated differently. They want more money from foreign businesses. Indian business environment is not much different from that in North America. I think the middle class is much farther along here. In China there are a few pockets of very rich people in places like Shanghai and the coastal belt. But the middle class is not so formidable as is in India.

One of our strongest marketing presences will be in India, Australia and New Zealand. These countries have tremendous allergy problems like asthma due to dust-mites and other micro-organisms. The climate in these countries is very much conducive to it. The captain of the Australian women water polo team, a national heroine, who is also an asthmatic, is our brand-ambassador for our product.

Don’t you think that aerosol sprays would be a better option than industry application in the case of anti-microbials, as a business proposition, owing to the potential for B to C marketing?

There is a technical problem with aerosol sprays. People do not put enough on so as to get it effective. It is awkward too. Imagine every time you spray your Polo shirt with anti-microbial!

Instead, when we add it at the manufacturing stage, it is permanent; it will last for 40-50 washes. The safety aspect also has to be taken care of while introducing a consumer product like a spray as there is a chance that the chemical may go into the body, whereas, industrial applications like Silpure get rid of that risk.