Liquid Body Armor

We always focus on safety and comfort with our products, especially when it comes to professional workers who need to stay dry.  Our seam sealing tape is the industry’s leading line of protection to keep employees dry and free from contaminants.

But what can you do when professionals will start wearing liquid garments for protection?

That’s what’s changing in the world of body armorfor professional workers, servicemen and soldiers around the world.  There’s a new revolutionary liquid body armor that promises unprecedented protection.

Seam Sealing Tape – When Liquid is OK

This revolutionary new armor relies on a twist:  liquid that hardens almost instantly when it is struck with force.  Not only does this offer improved protection for soldiers and professionals but it provides unrestricted move when compared to bulky, heavy armor.

Protection from garments comes in many forms:  seam sealing tape provides protection in hazmat suits, Kevlar provides protection for soldiers and police, reflective tape provides visibility protection, specially-treated garments provide protection from fire and electric shock.

Protection from bullets and weapons has long meant bulky, heavy armor that greatly reduces maneuverability which can be difficult in environments where the temperature can peak over 110 degrees.

With this new super gel developed by BAE Systems, body armor can now be created with a much lighter weight and Kevlar plates that are far thinner than those previously used.  The liquid would be contained between Kevlar plates using special sealing tape to prevent the shear thickening liquid from dispersing or leaking.  When struck, the liquid armor hardens and absorbs the impact, dispersing it throughout the liquid.

A video shows researchers at BAE Systems’ Advanced Technology Center testing the material by firing bullets from a 9mm handgun into 10 layers of Kevlar combined with the liquid armor and then 31 layers of untreated Kevlar.

It shows the liquid armor being struck by a bullet, and the impact dispersing over a wide area — meaning the chances of a fighter being injured or killed by the force of a bullet is reduced because it is not concentrated on one small area.

Taking Textiles and Professional Safety Clothing to New Heights

While the next phases of development are to create liquid armor that can withstand AK-47 rounds, this type of textile development and liquid armor has uses in industrial and commercial work as well.  When combined with a lot of professional gear that includes reflective tape and seam sealing tape, this liquid armor can help protect workers from low-speed impacts from vehicles and machinery on the work site.  Examples would be cranes and hooks, or automobile incidents where EMS, Fire and Police can remain protected.

We’re looking forward to hearing about how this new technology will develop.

Read more Seam Sealing Tape Blogs here…..

Learn more about Loxy Seam Sealing Tape here…

Loxy continues to beat sales targets

Despite an overall decrease in the textiles industry as a result of cotton costs rising, Loxy continues to beat sales targets from second quarter 2011 to second quarter 2012.  The reports on better-than-expected revenue continue to please us as we strive to refine and deliver the highest quality seam sealing tape and reflective tape.

The results from previous sales quarters for other textile manufacturers has forced some companies to reduce staff and trim budgets but we firmly believe that in order to survive we have to continue to grow.  That means opening in new regions, such as our growth into Germany.  It also means new equipment, new distribution centers and more jobs for the workers that help sustain us.

“in terms of each quarter, we assumed to meet expectations but have been pleasantly surprised by the success so far that has allowed us to expand to the extent we have this last year.”  Said the sales team at Loxy HQ in Norway.

From a company overview, we have seen a dramatic increase in clients including new military interest.  In addition we have clients that continue to return to us year after year for the quality products we deliver.  We have so many thanks to give to those who have helped keep Loxy alive for more than 40 years.

Expectations or targets   for 2012-2013

Our forward plans and forecasting for the last half of 2012 and the first two quarters of 2013 are large.  Loxy expects record global sales as we continue to place and train new representatives and open into new markets around the world.

We see our end goal as a moving targets.  If you step up to that target with little skill in taking the shot you’re likely to miss.  Our continued strategies and expansion as well as refinement of our products is the practice we need to hit that moving target.

New Targets for Expansion

Our expectations for future sales goals are high due mainly to our focused strategy for expansion.  We have several markets that we will be targeting over the next 8 months, and our new representative program will guarantee that we easily expand into these new growth markets.

Read more Reflective Tape Blogs here…..

Learn more about Loxy Reflective Tape here…

Loxy growing rapidly over time

Loxy has faced unprecedented expansion over the last 16 months.  This expansion has been necessary to meet growing consumer and manufacturer demand for our products thanks to our branding campaigns.

Our previous focus on work wear helped us establish a strong position in the professional market, but the quality of our goods created a high demand among consumer products.  We were no longer able to meet the rapidly growing demand for variable products so in order to meet the needs of our clients Loxy has begun moving forward with restructuring our product lines.

Our original products focused primarily on work wear such as reflective vests, safety gear, reflective tape for work wear and sew on reflective tape that our clients could purchase for addition to their existing clothing lines.

We also provided reflective accessories as well as seam sealing tape for variable clothing lines among professional work wear manufacturers – but our growing consumer base needed more.

New Division Focusing on Sports and Recreation Textiles with Seam Sealing Tape to meet the growing consumer demand 

Now, Loxy will be split into two divisions.  Division 1 will focus on sports and outdoors geared toward the seam sealing tape product offering.  This ensures that those who purchase outdoor clothing, equipment and gear (backpacks, tents, shoes, jackets, pants) are getting the highest quality seam sealing and waterproofing available on the current market – and that when we raise the bar and continue to advance seam sealing tape, they will always get the cutting edge on textiles.

Division II Professional Safety Textiles and Garments

The second division will continue to focus on providing the highest quality work wear and textiles to help keep professional workers safe.  Safety and comfort are always our focus, and we continue to refine our reflective tape, garments and application processes to ensure that every product that includes Loxy reflective tape is simply the best on the market.

In the future, we will continue to refine our development and deliver processes as we expand into new markets, and we look forward to working with new brands to bring the highest quality seam sealing tape and reflective tape to you.

Read more Blogs here…..

Learn more about Loxy Reflective Tape here…

Loxy Now open  office in Germany

Some amazing advances in technology and science have come out of Germany.  In fact, over the course of the 20^th Century, Germany had more Nobel Prizes in science (including physics, chemistry, biology and medicine) than any other nation.  The raw output of scientific research from Germany consistently ranks among the world’s best.

It makes perfect sense then for Loxy to expand our reach into the German market.  During the second quarter of 2012, Loxy will be striving to expand and establish a division of Loxy in Germany.  Our current representative in Germany, Tina Gatterman, will be taking on the position of Head of Operations for Loxy in Germany.

Now is the best time for growth into German as the rest of the world begins to take note of  continued advances in German technology.  Especially China.

More than 500 delegates from the growing technical textiles and nonwoven industry in China attended a one-day conference at Jinan on March 5, Hangzhou on March 7 and at Quanzhou on March 9, organized by VDMA Textile Machinery Association and VDMA China Representative Office in co-operation with the China Textile Information Center (CTIC) and China Textile Leader (CTL).

Mr. Fritz P. Mayer, President of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association and Managing Associate of Karl Mayer Textilmaschinenfabrik, emphasized in his opening address on March 5: “Worldwide leading German technology suppliers can play a key role to reach the targets in the transformation process of China’s textile industry”.

More than a dozen companies based in Germany presenced their latest technologies in fabric and textiles at the conference to promote their products.  Loxy will be among the greatest companies based in Germany as we move forward with the future of textiles.

Germany Increasing Textiles Related Export

In 2011, exports of textiles and textile machinery in Germany increased by 23%.  Companies exporting textiles from Germany have become the leading suppliers to Eastern Asia and Chinese production facilities as well as other regions around the world.

Loxy will continue to grow and expand to ensure that when manufacturers and vendors are searching top producing countries like Germany for the best textiles, they find Loxy at the ready.

Read more Reflective Tape Blogs here…..

Learn more about Loxy Reflective Tape here…

Waterproofing with seam sealing tape

One would think that we’re at the peak of success with waterproofing garments and seam sealing tape, but people always seem to find a way to go to the next level with various technological advancements.  Creativity and the human mind never ceases to amaze us.

We take our cues from changes in technology, even in other industries.  There has been a push for smarter textiles and improved quality of waterproofing with seam sealing tape and coating applications.  If we turn our gaze to paper, we might find some new innovations that could provide ideas for moving forward with textiles and seam sealing tape.

It also means that many of us who like to read in the bathtub don’t have to fret as much over getting the pages wet.

Nanotech paper to produce waterproof tapes

High-tech paper created in Italy is paving the way for us, as the new paper is waterproof, magnetic and antimicrobial.  Not content with waterproof paper, they also have nanotech surrounding every fiber.

This nanotech paper was developed and led by Roberto Cingolani, the scientific director of the institute Italiano di Technolagia in Genoa.  The intent behind the development was to essentially give regular paper some super powers.

The first step was to take fiber molecules and mix them with a nanoparticle solution.  That particle mixture was then applied to paper.  This solution completely wraps around the fibers offering complete waterproofing along with some other nano-tech benefits.  The best part?  It can also be done to fabric and textiles.

“The properties of the paper are not changed in any way and the paper is still printable,” Cingolani told Hicks. The Italian scientists say that paper made from their efficient process will feel like normal paper and can be recycled, too.

Different nanoparticles can be used depending on the desired properties.  For example manganese ferrite particles make the paper magnetic, silver nanoparticles make it antibacterial, and fluorescent particles make it glow.  Given that we can use this in textiles for the future of clothing, we can greatly add to the benefits of seam sealing tape and reflective tape to improve performance, waterproofing and visibility for professional workers.

While the scientists are still perfecting this new paper technology, we can already imagine a lot of additional uses for this kind of waterproofing:  Historical documents, increased security for currency, antibacterial print in medical waiting rooms – it also offers some great possibilities and means a lot to the future of textiles.

Here’s looking to the future!

Embed the following video: http://news.discovery.com/videos/tech-nanotech-rewards.html

Read more Reflective Tape Blogs here…..

Learn more about Loxy Reflective Tape here…

Transforming with the Digital Age

Businesses often rush into new technology before taking the time necessary to consider not only the financial implications but the human resource aspect as well as the impact on the business overall.  I’ve seen other businesses that work in similar verticals within the textile industry – some even producing similar products to our reflective tape – experience financial strain because they launch a half-cocked web strategy in an attempt to mimic the competition.

The result can backfire and deal significant damage.  That’s why Loxy took a very careful, strategic approach to growing our web presence and it’s helped our brand presence grow stronger than ever.

Transforming with the Digital Age to Sell Reflective Tape & More

There’s no doubt that the digital age has transformed the way people connect and research products before making a purchase decision.  It’s common for business leaders, executives and decision makers to use multiple devices to connect them to resources on the web.  We knew in order to grow our brand presence, we would need to make our information accessible.

We had to transform what we were – primarily and offline company – to embrace this growing digital age.  People are wired like never before, so we often pass along sage advice to our partners and vendors about making the same transition.

It’s time for organizations to develop a stronger, strategic presence on the web if they want to experience the same explosive growth in brand visibility that we have experienced here at Loxy.

Anything short of a quality strategy will only water down your brand, limit your reach and stifle your communication attempts.  It’s like mugging and kidnapping your own brand, essentially reducing your visibility rather than boosting it.

Brand Power Doesn’t Come from Reflective Tape – Or Any Product

There are a lot of facets to creating a relevant web presence and developing a killer strategy.  Content marketing, blogs, personal contact, videos and more.  Your goal, like ours, should be to deliver value in order to improve the reach of your brand.  If you want to achieve the same success as Loxy:

• Don’t be a strong leader with a terrible blog
• Don’t be a teacher with a lack of resources
• Don’t have a powerful message but fail in the delivery and communication of it
• Don’t pride yourself on your products, but fail to deliver on the benefits

At Loxy, we believe in nothing short of excellence, and that focus on excellence is what helps us thrive.  Because it’s not just in the product – brand power doesn’t come from our reflective tape or our seam sealing tape.  It comes from our focus on delivering value.  Customers and vendors flock to us for information and value, and that’s what has helped us grow our brand exponentially.

What kind of value are you delivering?

Read more Blogs here…..

Learn more about Loxy Reflective Tape here…

Businesses goal for 2012

Small businesses are gaining a positive long-term outlook with their forward thinking on growth and investment as the global economic climate is changing according to the results of the fourth annual FedEx Office Signs of the Times small business survey.

The survey found that optimism is on the rise, with 63 percent of owners declaring confidence in their businesses’ long-term success.

By comparison, slightly more than half (54 percent) of respondents in 2010 were confident in the long-term success of their business. With the rising confidence level, decision makers are considering greater investments in their business to support 2011 growth plans, including expanding product and service offerings (44 percent) and hiring additional full-time and part-time staff (25 percent).

Loxy Looks to Long-Term Success with its Reflective Tape Lines

We at Loxy are experiencing the same kind of optimism that many small businesses and manufacturers around the world are seeing.  It’s because the economic climate is slowly changing for the better.  We’ve seen gradual increases in sales, in interest in our products, and our vendors are talking to us about how inquiries are up – as is spending at the consumer level.

Of course we never target anything in the short term, so when we think about the changing economic climate, we shift our marketing strategies for the long-term to help us grow into the future.  With that, we’ve made a number of strategic moves that have greatly increased our brand exposure.  While helpful, we certainly don’t need the FedEx survey to let us know that spending is up, and that the economy is improving in various regions around the world.

Times like these are an opportunity for savvy companies to grab new business and shore up their marketing.  Despite out setbacks with Oeko-Tex in the past, as well as the recent adjustment of our FR reflective tape to meet the demands of the Norwegian government, we continue to grow and thrive thanks to the loyalty of our customers.

It is you that continues to help our brand get stronger, both online and offline.

Read more Loxy Blogs here…..

Learn more about Loxy Reflective Tape here…

How to grow Brand Power

Businesses often rush into new technology before taking the time necessary to consider not only the financial implications but the human resource aspect as well as the impact on the business overall.  I’ve seen other businesses that work in similar verticals within the textile industry – some even producing similar products to our reflective tape – experience financial strain because they launch a half-cocked web strategy in an attempt to mimic the competition.

The result can backfire and deal significant damage.  That’s why Loxy took a very careful, strategic approach to growing our web presence and it’s helped our brand presence grow stronger than ever.

Transforming with the Digital Age to Sell Reflective Tape & More

There’s no doubt that the digital age has transformed the way people connect and research products before making a purchase decision.  It’s common for business leaders, executives and decision makers to use multiple devices to connect them to resources on the web.  We knew in order to grow our brand presence, we would need to make our information accessible.

We had to transform what we were – primarily and offline company – to embrace this growing digital age.  People are wired like never before, so we often pass along sage advice to our partners and vendors about making the same transition.

It’s time for organizations to develop a stronger, strategic presence on the web if they want to experience the same explosive growth in brand visibility that we have experienced here at Loxy.

Anything short of a quality strategy will only water down your brand, limit your reach and stifle your communication attempts.  It’s like mugging and kidnapping your own brand, essentially reducing your visibility rather than boosting it.

Brand Power Doesn’t Come from Reflective Tape – Or Any Product

There are a lot of facets to creating a relevant web presence and developing a killer strategy.  Content marketing, blogs, personal contact, videos and more.  Your goal, like ours, should be to deliver value in order to improve the reach of your brand.  If you want to achieve the same success as Loxy:

• Don’t be a strong leader with a terrible blog
• Don’t be a teacher with a lack of resources
• Don’t have a powerful message but fail in the delivery and communication of it
• Don’t pride yourself on your products, but fail to deliver on the benefits

At Loxy, we believe in nothing short of excellence, and that focus on excellence is what helps us thrive.  Because it’s not just in the product – brand power doesn’t come from our reflective tape or our seam sealing tape.  It comes from our focus on delivering value.  Customers and vendors flock to us for information and value, and that’s what has helped us grow our brand exponentially.

What kind of value are you delivering?

Read more Loxy Blogs here…..

Learn more about Loxy Reflective Tape here…