Burlington Expands Tech Fabric Line
Burlington WorldWide Apparel will offer a new line of activewear fabrics designed to dry quickly, resist odor and protect the body from ultraviolet rays.
Burlington has aligned with Longmont, Colo.–based TrapTek LLC to use the company’s Natural Technology, a finish derived from carbon in coconuts that helps wick moisture and resist odor. Coconuts have long been known to have properties that kill bacteria, fungi and yeast though they’ve never been applied in a textile environment.
Burlington plans to develop a number of products, starting with wovens for the activewear market. The company will also engineer products that will provide additional ultraviolet protection properties with sheer constructions using the technology.
“We look at this new breakthrough technology as sustainable in the sense of both being derived from coconuts and also offering multiple functionalities to sustain the marketing of our fabrics,” said Nelson Bebo, vice president of activewear for Burlington. “We look at TrapTek as the first of several new innovations we will be launching through our new business unit, Burlington Labs. The versatility of their intellectual property around activated particles will allow our company to introduce new offerings, benefits and attributes to meet the current industry demand for new products every year.”
TrapTek has placed its products in the apparel, automotive and Homeland Defense applications. It has helped Cannondale Bicycles develop its LE Carbon line of cycling jerseys due for release in spring.
Burlington is a division of the Greensboro, N.C.–based International Textile Group, formed in 2004 by Wilbur L. Ross following the merger of Cone Mills and Burlington Industries. For more information, visit burlington.com or traptek.com. —Robert McAllister
