Profile of Bemis: a leader in bonded seam technology for stitch-free apparel

10 pages, published in Issue 16, 1st Quarter 2006   Report price: Euro 275.00; US$ 365.00

USA-based Bemis specialises in thermoplastic adhesives, coatings, tapes and speciality film products which are designed to bond various materials together. The company is small—but well known—and has remained privately owned since it was founded. Its sales are growing, and are now approaching US$100 mn.

Bemis’s products are found in a wide range of items, including bras, ski jackets, car headrests and ready-to-assemble furniture. The company makes products for a variety of industries but those designed for use in apparel with a seamless appearance have the greatest market prominence.

Bemis was originally founded in 1910 to make an adhesive base for chewing gum. But soon afterwards it turned its attention to fabric coatings and footwear adhesives. In 2002 it launched Sewfree film, which was made of elastic polyurethane and designed specifically for stitch-free bonded garments. Sewfree is capable of bonding almost any combination of fabrics and utilisation of the product eliminates the need for sewing in garment construction. Originally, it was aimed at the intimate apparel sector. But it also soon found favour in technical outerwear.

Exponential growth in Asia holds further opportunities for Bemis, but the company can also expect more competition from this region. Bemis’s response is to diversify and look for alternative markets in which to apply its knowledge of adhesives.

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• Seamless knitting and stitch-free seaming technologies in performance apparel, (1st Quarter 2006)

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