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October 17, 2008 - Koni Corporation and KOJO
Worldwide, leading suppliers of
soft goods to the hospitality
industry, have established a
partnership with
Lenzing Fibers,
Inc. to develop eco-friendly
bedding, drapery, bath and spa
products for hotel and resort
properties. Koni Corporation and KOJO Worldwide have offered
products made from organic
cotton, bamboo, recycled and
recyclable polyester for some
time, but will now make
available items made from
Lenzing’s Modal® and TENCEL®
fibers, which are 100% natural
and biodegradable. Both TENCEL®
and Lenzing Modal® are derived
from wood pulp cellulose
extracted from trees harvested
from sustainable forests. The
Lenzing partnership demonstrates
Koni Corporation and KOJO
Worldwide’s commitment to
address global warming, and
encourages brands, management
and ownership groups to
transition to “green” soft
goods.
Initial Koni-brand products
using Lenzing Modal® and TENCEL®
will debut at the International
Hotel/Motel & Restaurant
(IH/M&RS) tradeshow taking place
in New York City November 8-11,
2008. The highlighted products
will include top-of-bed,
sheeting, inserts and decorative
items made from TENCEL®, as well
as towels, robes and other
Lenzing Modal®-based bath
products.
Remarking on the partnership
with Austria-based Lenzing
Fibers, Koni Corporation’s CEO,
Koni Kim, said: “We are thrilled
to be working in tandem with
Lenzing to make their amazing
fibers available to the
hospitality industry. The
synergy between our companies
and shared desire to lessen our
environmental impact will
benefit not only our clients,
but future generations. We look
forward to the great results
this partnership will bring.”
In addition to the fibers being
produced via a “closed loop”
process to minimize waste and
conserve resources, Lenzing’s
innovative eco fibers possess
unique attributes and are
engineered to optimize
functionality, which benefits
the bottom line. For instance,
TENCEL® is as soft as silk,
strong as polyester, cool as
linen, warm as wool and is much
more absorbent than any cotton.
“We are pleased that Koni
Corporation and KOJO Worldwide
will be a vehicle to make our
fibers available to the
hospitality industry,” said
Susanne Jary, Ph.D., Lenzing’s
Head of Home Textiles Business
Development and Innovation.
“Their clients will be pleased
to find that the fibers can be
used in all guest room soft
goods, from sheeting and drapery
to bath products.”
Koni Corporation is working with
major brands to develop an
eco-friendly alternative for
specified bedding and drapery
programs and will announce these
products in the coming months.
For more information about
the Koni Eco product line and
its Lenzing Modal® and TENCEL®
based products, please contact
Jennifer Morrissey at Koni
Corporation: (619) 205-5752.
Koni Corporation
Koni Corporation is led by
legendary fabric and soft goods
designer Koni Kim. The company’s
focus is fabric and soft goods
design and development, sales
and marketing. Koni brand
products include bedding,
drapery, linens, bath and spa
products. Headquartered in San
Diego, Koni Corporation has
worked alongside many
international brands to create
branded bedding and drapery
programs. Koni is pleased to
offer “green” solutions to its
customers through the Koni Eco
product line, which utilizes
fabrics that are biodegradable
or recyclable.
KOJO Worldwide
For more than 30 years, KOJO
Worldwide’s CEO, Joe E.
Robertson, has manufactured soft
goods for the hospitality
industry. Headquartered in San
Diego, California, KOJO is the
exclusive manufacturer of Koni
brand products, fabricated at
one of KOJO’s four Mexican
factories or its Canadian
facility. In addition, KOJO has
global manufacturing partners in
China and India to serve all of
their clients’ needs. KOJO
Worldwide has an in-house
measure and installation team,
and an Import/Export Department
to streamline the production
process.
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