South Asia Textiles Partners with HeiQ Materials AG

• Partners with HeiQ Materials AG to use their textile technology HeiQ Viroblock on the knitted jersey fabric the company is producing a face mask program in the US.
• HeiQ Viroblock NPJ03 is among the first textile technologies in the world to be proven effective against SARS-CoV-2 in the laboratory. Tests conducted by Swiss textile innovator  HeiQ with the  Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne, Australia (Doherty Institute) showed that treated fabric achieved 99.99% reduction of the virus in only 30 minutes.

Colombo, Sri Lanka: South Asia Textiles Limited, a leading Sri Lankan textile manufacturer specialized in producing exceptional quality weft knitted fabric for leading brands across the globe and HeiQ Materials AG, a Swiss based global leader in textile innovation creating some of the most effective, durable and high-performance textile technologies currently available across the world, are collaborating to produce a specially treated fabric to be used for masks exported to the US (United States of America). South Asia Textiles’ knitted jersey fabric combined with HeiQ’s recently launched anti-viral and anti-microbial agent, HeiQ Viroblock NPJ03 was commissioned by a high-quality US brand working in close collaboration with partners in the US.

Commenting on the partnership, Mr Prithiv Dorai, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, South Asia Textiles Limited stated, “We are excited about the partnership with HeiQ and are hopeful that we can positively contribute towards the need of the  situation.  Our versatility and the ability to manufacture new technology enabled material within a short span of time is our key strength. The fact that we were nominated and selected for this project is a testament to consistency and superior quality standards that we maintain at South Asia Textiles”.

South Asia Textiles, a subsidiary of Ambeon Holdings PLC, commenced its commercial operations in 2004. The company also specializes in Knitting, Dyeing, Finishing, Printing, Brushing, Sueding and Preshrunk fabric for leading global brands such as Victoria Secret, Next, Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Calvin Klein, Decathlon and Adidas.

“At a time when the world is battling to create a better place amidst current global pandemic, the Ambeon Group is pleased to be able to continue support towards the betterment of the people of  Sri Lanka  and the world,” stated  Mr Murali Prakash, Group Managing Director Ambeon Capital PLC and Ambeon Holdings PLC. “As a member of the Ambeon Group, South Asia Textiles is one of Sri Lanka’s leading manufacturer of textiles supplying to global brands, innovating products to suit various requirements that arise. As such it is with great pleasure that we partner with HeiQ, our trusted innovation partner who created HeiQ Viroblock, for these specialized masks which we believe will make a difference in this global fight against the Coronavirus pandemic,” concluded Mr. Prakash.

HeiQ is the global leader in textile innovation specializes in research, manufacturing and marketing of high-quality, high-performance textile finishing. The Swiss-based material science organization with offices, R&D centers and manufacturing facilities on four continents continues to serve brands and textile mills globally. The company’s latest innovation, HeiQ Viroblock is an antimicrobial / antibacterial / antiviral textile technology specially engineered to work against enveloped viruses, such as influenza viruses and human coronaviruses. HeiQ Viroblock is among the first textile finishing technologies that have been successfully tested against the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease, SARS-CoV-2, in the laboratory, using the Viral Stability and Persistence test method. HeiQ Viroblock treated fabrics showed over 99.99% reduction of SARS-CoV-2 viruses after 30 minutes. In the case of Sendai viruses, over 99.2% viruses are deactivated within two minutes based on modified ISO 20743 method. Compared to untreated face masks, HeiQ Viroblock treated FFP2 face masks showed greatly reduced virus infectivity of key virus types: H1N1, H5N1, H7N9, Coronavirus (229E), and RSV in face mask testing.

Mr. Musa Raibin, VP South Asia Brandforce stated that “The Team at South Asia Textiles is one of most skilled in the region, with the necessary openness and eagerness to pursue innovation at the right time. We had a seamless onboarding process with the finishing team going above and beyond to ensure that every requirement was met perfectly. It has been a pleasure working with the team so far and we hope to continue this smooth collaboration for many more years to come.”

About South Asia Textiles

South Asia Textiles’ strategic location, attention to detail and superior levels of client servicing continues to assure these global giants that it is a credible Sri Lankan source for quality textiles that maintains the highest international standards while, at the same time, supplying products fast via short lead times.  With an experienced management team at the helm, the company continues to bring in new innovations, fabric solutions, value added products and finishes that meet the exacting requirements of leading global designers and brands. Meeting the challenges and demands of the global fashion industry, the company continues to attract new customers, maintaining quality and service parameters and focusing on growth through operational and cost efficiencies that result in sustainable benefits for years to come.

About HeiQ

Founded in 2005 as a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), HeiQ is a leader in textile innovation creating some of the most effective, durable and high-performance textile technologies on the market today. HeiQ’s purpose is to improve the lives of billions of people by perfecting an everyday product: Textiles. Combining three areas of expertise – scientific research, specialty materials manufacturing and consumer ingredient branding – HeiQ is the ideal innovation partner to create differentiating and sustainable textile products and capture the added value at the point of sale. With a total capacity of 35’000 tons per year HeiQ manufactures in the USA, Switzerland and Australia serving its chemical specialties in over 60 countries worldwide.

HeiQ, HeiQ Viroblock and Viroblock are trademark(s) or registered trademarks of HeiQ Materials AG.