Next Generation FR Moisture Wicking Performance Wear
The development of the patented fiber blend by which our DRIFIRE garments are produced represents a new era of fabric design. For centuries, clothing form, fit and function were defined by the known and limited natural attributes of commodity substances like cotton, wool and leather, to name a few.
In the early to mid twentieth century an array of lab experiments, and some fortuitous engineering discoveries, produced the first man-made materials. To a great extent, uses of these materials were determined after the often serendipitous arrival of the new substance. In this century the whole process has been inverted. Today, fabric engineers, technologists and lab scientists start with a set of desired fiber, blend and fabric qualities they are seeking. Then they literally architect a solution using what they know about natural and man-made substances; what they know about chemistry.
On December 2, 1996, on behalf of Optimer Performance Fibers, Manfred Katz applied for patent protection involving a breakthrough formula involving a specific blend of fibers to a novel proportion to provide the optimal combination of moisture wicking and fast drying.
On March 30, 1999, The United States Patent Office granted patent #5,888,914 to protect the idea behind Optimer’s concept, as best explained by the following abstract from the patent application process:
Yarns consisting essentially of about 85 to 90 weight % hydrophobic fiber and about 10 to 15 weight % hydrophilic fiber can be made into fabrics that exhibit a combination of properties that make them strongly preferred by wearers, as compared even to fabrics made from yarns containing only 5% more, or 5% less, of the hydrophilic fiber. More particularly, these novel yarns yield fabrics capable of quickly absorbing perspiration from a wearer's skin and yet capable of quickly releasing that moisture, resulting in surprising levels of wearer comfort and wearer preference.
In September, 2004, DRIFIRE received the financial backing and management consulting support of private equity firm Sterling Capital Partners with more than $4 billion of capital under management.. At this time, a rapid phase of advanced research and development began with an eye towards a Flame Resistant (FR) variant of the patented high performance fabric blend.
From 2005 to 2006, the Company successfully developed a first-generation product, principally aimed for the military market, combining optimal performance characteristics with leading FR protection.
In March 2007, In this period, DRIFIRE was incorporated and capitalized as a unique entity. The organization completed its planned expansion of an experienced senior management team, including the appointment of CEO L. Gene Cone, as well as finance, product development, manufacturing, distribution, sales, and strategy executive veterans with direct and proven experience in the global textile industry. With the successful development of a second generation product offering, the Company has also significantly expanded its market targets and is extensively broadening its product offerings through the development of a comprehensive layering system of multiple fabric weights and multiple other future products it believes will gain significant market share for the Company.
