Consumers’ increasing desire for organic products has opened the door wide for Lenzing, which markets Tencel fiber to the home-textiles and mattress markets.
This year, the company has introduced a promotion called The Botanic Bed, in which it has made available mattresses, sheeting, mattress pads, bed pillows and fills all made with Tencel fiber and its recently introduced Tencel powder. Nina Nadash, who heads merchandising for Lenzing’s home textiles Americas unit, said, “With this, the retailer can supply an entire bed ensemble from the outside to the inside.”
The company is ramping up its market presence through partnerships with other manufacturers. Tencel powder, which was debuted at the International Sleep Products Association’s ISPA Expo in March, is now being used as an ingredient in cellpur, a new foam developed through an alliance between Lenzing and Eurofoam, an Austrian manufacturer.
Another partnership, with Valley Forge Fabrics, has taken Lenzing into the hospitality market. Valley Forge Fabrics, a long-time producer of textiles for hospitality uses, has included both cotton and polyester Tencel fabrics in sheeting, basic bedding, duvet covers, upholstery and other decorative fabrics.
In yet another partnership, Tencel is a key ingredient in a blend with Supima cotton in the Eileen West bedding collection now offered by AQ Textiles. This program includes sheets and bed ensembles.
Looking ahead, Lenzing is looking to expand the uses of Tencel beyond the bedroom. “We’re constantly building our marketplace and expanding our brand,” Nadash said. “We’re developing product in carpets, upholstery and decorative fabrics. In the hospitality area, Tencel has begun to appear in bath products.”
The fact that Lenzing has begun to find applications for Tencel in other areas of the home created the opportunity of marketing “The Botanic Home.” “It’s possible down the road,” Nadash said. “It would be the next chapter after The Botanic Fiber and The Botanic Bed.”—David Gill
