ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, November 19, 1996 TAG: 9611190084
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: GREG EDWARDS STAFF WRITER
Bontex Inc. of Buena Vista said Monday it has formed a partnership with a British company, Totectors Ltd., to develop a new fiber insole material for use in the manufacture of anti-static athletic shoes.
The partnership should mean an additional $2million yearly in sales for Bontex, formerly known as Georgia Bonded Fibers, according to CEO James Kostelni. It will also help provide job security for the plant's 99-person work force, he said.
Totectors is a leading maker of Strobel Stitched safety footwear, a process in which the upper portion of a shoe is stitched to the insole, which is then cemented to the outer sole.
The new material is basically an existing Bontex product that has been improved to give it anti-shock characteristics, Kostelni said.
Besides Totectors' own shoes, the market for the new product includes major makers of athletic footwear, he said.
The anti-static shoes, he said, are important to people who work in such places as computer centers or hospital operating rooms.
The Bontex innersoles, which are made from both recycled and virgin wood fiber, are light, flexible, durable, tough and comfortable, Bontex said.
The insole material, the company said, offers high abrasion characteristics and is treated to resist mold growth related to bacteria and fungi, which can cause foot odor and discomfort.
LENGTH: Short : 35 linesby CNB