"We are extremely excited to partner with such an outstanding organization and brand representative," said Kevin McCarthy, president and CEO of Coolcore. "Our award-winning, market leading fabrics and ITOCHU's reach should make for a great partnership."

Under the terms of the agreement, ITOCHU will be the exclusive Japanese distributor for the entire collection of Coolcore cooling fabrics, which are designed for everyday, workwear, and athletic apparel.  Additionally, ITOCHU will distribute the Coolcore instant cooling towel and can manufacture and distribute Coolcore branded apparel.

Innovation and demand

Coolcore recently won the award for Best Innovation – Sports and Outdoor Apparel for its patented line of cooling fabrics, from the ITMA Future Materials Awards. Coolcore fabric formulations have also earned the prestigious Innovative Technology recognition from the Hohenstein Institute, a first for a US company, and the only company globally to be awarded this recognition for Cooling Power.

"Demand is increasing exponentially for performance apparel and accessories, so we're thrilled about the partnership between the global leader in cooling fabrics and Japan's leading textile business," said Brian Hyman, Coolcore Sales and Marketing Manager in Japan. "As the earth heats up, consumers are becoming more demanding of their clothing to assist with temperature regulation."

Patented technology

Coolcore owns US Patent No. 8,440,119 for its cooling material innovation. The patent covers the manufacturing of any chemical-free cooling fabric that transfers moisture away from the skin, while regulating the movement and evaporation of that moisture throughout the fabric as described in the patent.

Coolcore was also issued US Patent No. 9,121,642 for Method of Cooling an Object with a Fabric. The patent covers activation that includes wetting the item, wringing out excess liquid, and snapping or waving the fabric to activate the moisture control through the fabric.

ITOCHU

The history of ITOCHU Corporation dates back to 1858 when the company's founder, Chubei Itoh, commenced linen trading operations. Since then, ITOCHU has evolved and grown over 150 years.

With approximately 120 bases in 63 countries, ITOCHU is engaging in domestic trading, import/export, and overseas trading of various products such as textiles, machinery, metals, minerals, energy, chemicals, food, general products, realty, information and communications technology, and finance, as well as business investment in Japan and overseas.

Coolcore

Coolcore, the leader in chemical-free cooling and moisture transportation fabrics, develops research proven, performance based fabrics for a wide-range of consumer brands and products.

The patented Coolcore fabric formulations have earned the prestigious Innovative Technology recognition from the Hohenstein Institute, a first for a US company, and the only company globally to be awarded this recognition for Cooling Power.  Coolcore was also awarded Best Innovation in 2015 for sportswear and outdoor apparel from the ITMA Future Materials Awards.

www.coolcore.com