Company Now Has the Capacity to Ship
CRAiLAR Flax Fiber from its Kingstree Facility by March 2011
PORTLAND, OR,
Jan. 20 /PRNewswire/ - Naturally
Advanced Technologies (OTCBB: NADVF, TSXV: NAT) CEO Ken Barker announced yesterday at the Texworld
2011 Conference in New York that
the company is prepared to begin shipping initial orders of
CRAiLAR® Flax Fiber from its Kingstree,
SC, facility as early as March of this year and has
developed the capacity to rapidly increase production thereafter to
meet the demands of its development partners and to respond to
increasing interest from new customers in the denim, workwear, home
furnishings and knitwear markets.
"We are fortunate to have flax fiber harvested from
previous seasons available in our warehouse, which allows us to
begin production immediately," Barker said. "Additionally, our
CRAiLAR technology unlocks the potential of flax straw harvested
from the oilseed industry that can potentially be processed into
yarn suitable for hosiery, denim, knitwear and home furnishings.
Last year's harvest produced an exceptionally high yield, giving us
the ability to increase production very quickly."
NAT announced on Tuesday that it had entered into
growing trials with Hanesbrands and the USDA-ARS, further
developing the company's agronomic know-how and its ability to
produce fiber capable of being spun into finer-gauge yarns suitable
for undergarments, shirting and finer-knit garments. These trials
will enable NAT to move to an unprecedented level of flax-fiber
refinement that is expected to revolutionize the garment and
textile industries.
"The fiber industry is significant in size and
complexity," Barker said. "Developing flax strains capable of
accessing all sectors of the industry is critical for our continued
growth. Our research project has already resulted in 200 acres of
flax being planted in the Kingstree region this past winter, which will
be ready for harvesting this spring, adding to our production
capabilities in the upcoming year."
NAT announced in November of last year that it had
concluded all of its trials with its commercialization partners,
and as a result had received a short-term flax fiber supply
agreement from Hanesbrands. NAT expects to complete
commercialization agreements shortly.
For more information on the patented CRAiLAR®
process and Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc., visit
www.naturallyadvanced.com.
About Naturally Advanced Technologies
Inc.
Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc. is committed
to unlocking the potential of renewable and environmentally
sustainable biomass resources from hemp and other bast fibers. The
Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, CRAiLAR® Fiber
Technologies Inc., is developing proprietary technologies for
production of bast fibers, cellulose pulp, and their resulting
by-products, in collaboration with Canada's National
Research Council and the Alberta Innovates - Technology
Futures (Formerly the Alberta Research Council). CRAiLAR®
technology offers cost-effective and environmentally sustainable
processing and production of natural, bast fibers such as hemp and
flax, 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 and adheres
to a "triple bottom line" philosophy, respecting the human rights
of employees, the environmental impact of the Company's operations
and fiscal responsibility to its shareholders. See
www.naturallyadvanced.com
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forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements or
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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.
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