Alcantara To Double Production Capacity To Meet Demand In U.S. And China

DETROIT, March 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Alcantara S.p.A. will double production of its Italian-made luxury material in the next five years to meet growing demand from the auto, fashion and consumer electronics industries.

Alcantara Chairman and CEO Andrea Boragno, speaking at a Detroit press conference, said the company plans to develop and offer totally bio-based products by 2020.

"Alcantara became the first Italian company to be certified as 'Carbon Neutral' nine years ago," Boragno noted. "We have maintained our commitment to sustainability by pursuing responsible procurement activities."

Alcantara recently launched a five-year, 300-million-euro expansion program to double the company's overall production capacity primarily to meet American and Chinese demand for its luxury materials. The company's brand value also is expected to triple from 100 million euros to 300 million euros over the same period.

Alcantara's net sales have tripled from 64.3 million euros in 2009 to 187.2 million euros last year. The U.S. currently accounts for 10 percent of Alcantara's global sales. Europe's share stands at more than 60 percent, while the Asia Pacific region along with other emerging markets accounts for nearly 30 percent.

The company's trademarked material is up to 50-percent lighter and more environmentally friendly than leather, according to Boragno, who noted that other benefits include the material's durability, grip and breathability.

"Alcantara's use within the auto industry has grown by 15 percent or more in each of the past seven years, compared to a growth rate of just two percent for leather," Boragno said. "Popular among automotive designers in Europe for years, design communities in North America and Asia clearly have started to appreciate our strong commitment to sustainability and our material's unique combination of sensory, aesthetic and functional qualities."

Alcantara has been featured on a variety of new-car introductions at major U.S. auto shows in the past year, as well as shows in Geneva and Frankfurt. Audi, Peugeot, Bugatti, McLaren and Lamborghini all showcased new models with Alcantara interior treatments at the 2018 Geneva show. In Detroit, Alfa Romeo, Audi, BMW, Dodge, Lexus and Subaru had vehicles that featured Alcantara, and two months earlier in Los Angeles, Acura, Audi, BMW, Dodge, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Maserati, Nissan and Porsche were among the car makers that gave Alcantara center-stage treatment.

Although the auto industry today accounts for about 80 percent of Alcantara's business, Boragno sees a growing presence for the company within a variety of other sectors, including the fashion industry, home-interior design and especially in the field of consumer electronics.

"Adidas, Cappellini, Ligne Roset, Max-Mara, Microsoft, Sennheiser and Swarovski are among the many brands that have incorporated Alcantara into their product lines," Boragno pointed out. "Alcantara today is a global, lifestyle brand that has strong appeal for environmentally conscious consumers."

He noted that the company's fourth-annual international sustainability symposium on "Coping with Change: Global Warming and Decarbonization" recently took place in Venice. The program attracted scientists, academics, corporate leaders and journalists from around the world, as well as representatives from a number of governmental and public-interest organizations.

Alcantara-organized-and-promoted symposiums in 2014 and 2015, also held in Venice, were titled, respectively, "Sustainability and the Automotive Value Chain" and "The Automotive Ecosystem on the Global Road to Sustainability ? the Asian Perspective." A third symposium, held in Tokyo in 2016, was titled "Sustainability and Corporate Value."

Alcantara S.p.A. ? www.alcantara.com 

Founded in 1972, Alcantara^® is a prime example of Italian-produced quality. As a registered trademark of Alcantara S.p.A. and the result of a unique and proprietary technology, Alcantara is a highly innovative material, offering an unrivalled combination of sensory, aesthetic and functional qualities. Thanks to its extraordinary versatility, Alcantara is the choice of leading brands in a number of application fields, including fashion and accessories, automotive, interior design and home décor, and consumer electronics. A certified commitment to sustainability makes Alcantara a true icon of the contemporary lifestyle: the lifestyle of those who want to fully enjoy their everyday life, while respecting the environment.

Since 2009 Alcantara has been certified "Carbon Neutral," having defined, reduced and offset all of the CO2 emissions derived from its activities. Every year Alcantara draws up and publishes its own Sustainability Report, certified by BDO and available on the corporate website. Headquartered in Milan, Alcantara's production site and R&D department are located in Nera Montoro, in the heart of the Umbria Region (Terni).

SOURCE Alcantara S.p.A.