Charlotte's Barnhardt
Manufacturing Company to Execute CRAiLAR Process
VICTORIA, BC AND PORTLAND, OR, March 26,
2012 /PRNewswire/ - Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc.
("NAT" or the "Company") (TSXV: NAT) (OTCBB: NADVF), which produces
and markets CRAiLAR®, a natural fiber made from flax and other bast
fibers, announced it has partnered with Barnhardt Manufacturing
Company to further expand its manufacturing capacity. The agreement
calls for Barnhardt to execute the CRAiLAR enzymatic process
exclusively for NAT, and expands upon manufacturing plans announced
earlier this month.
Founded in 1929, Charlotte,
N.C.-based Barnhardt is a global supplier of cotton for
medical, health and beauty aids, and nonwoven fabrics. It currently
supplies processed fiber to companies that demand similar standards
to those of NAT's global brand partners, and this third-party
manufacturing agreement gives NAT to the ability scale to demand
from existing and future partners. Barnhardt will commence
production for NAT in Q2 2012.
"The advances we have made in the CRAiLAR enzymatic process over
the past year, which opened the option of third-party
manufacturing, means we can significantly expand our production
capacity going forward without the infrastructure costs of building
fully executed company-owned facilities," said Ken Barker, CEO of NAT. "With more than 80 years
in the business Barnhardt emerged as an ideal partner to continue
our capacity expansion as we expect demand to rapidly increase
through the balance of 2012."
Announced in March, NAT embarked on a yearlong evaluation and
optimization of its CRAiLAR technology, which led to a 40 percent
reduction in its enzymatic process time. The immediate benefit was
increased production capacity at its own facility. The advancements
also allowed NAT to evaluate third-party manufacturing partners for
that process, further increasing overall production volume and
accelerating the growth of its flagship product, CRAiLAR Flax
fiber. Its initial third-party manufacturing agreement was
announced earlier this month with Tintoria Piana, which has U.S.
operations in Cartersville,
Georgia.
NAT will establish its first full-scale facility in Pamplico, S.C., where flax is grown nearby as
a winter crop. The company today supplies its CRAiLAR Flax to
HanesBrands, Georgia-Pacific, and
Brilliant Global Knitwear for commercial use, and to Levi Strauss
& Co., Cintas, Carhartt, Ashland, Westex, and Target for evaluation and
development.
About Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc.
Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc. develops renewable and
environmentally sustainable biomass resources from flax, hemp and
other bast fibers. The Company, through its wholly owned
subsidiary, CRAiLAR® Fiber Technologies Inc., has developed
proprietary technologies for production of bast fibers, cellulose
pulp, and their resulting by-products in collaboration with
Canada's National Research Council. CRAiLAR technology
offers cost-effective and environmentally sustainable processing
and production of natural, bast fibers resulting in increased
performance characteristics for use in textile, industrial, energy,
medical and composite material applications. The Company was
founded in 1998 as a provider of environmentally friendly, socially
responsible clothing. For more information, visit
www.naturallyadvanced.com.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. nor its Regulation
Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the
TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer
This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed
"forward-looking statements". All statements in this news release,
other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements or information are subject
to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual
events or results to differ from those reflected in the
forward-looking statements or information and including, without
limitation, risks and uncertainties relating to: any market
interruptions that may delay the trading of the Company's shares,
technological and operational challenges, needs for additional
capital, changes in consumer preferences, market acceptance and
technological changes, dependence on manufacturing and material
supplies providers, international operations, competition,
regulatory restrictions and the loss of key employees. In addition,
the Company's business and operations are subject to the risks set
forth in the Company's most recent Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and other
SEC filings which are available through EDGAR at
www.sec.gov. These are among the primary risks we foresee
at the present time. The Company assumes no obligation to update
the forward-looking statements.
SOURCE Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc.