Shawmut Corporation Introduces Ground-breaking Upholstery

Online, March 14, 2010 (Newswire.com) - West Bridgewater, MA, March 13, 2010 - Shawmut Corporation, a leading producer of engineered soft materials, has developed printed polyurethane upholstery that blends unlimited design potential with uncompromising stansdards for performance and sustainability. Marketed under the Eco-centric™ brand, this product was recognized in 2008 with a Best of Neocon Award for healthcare fabrics and The Nightingale Award which recognizes excellence and innovation in healthcare product design.

Shawmut's patent pending upholstery technology offers the interior design community an opportunity to specify seating materials with strong visual interest for use in high traffic / high stress environments. The upholstery provides limitless pattern options, and all designs are printed using water-based inks. The performance of this product far exceeds the Association for Contract Textiles durability and light fastness standards for heavy-duty upholstery. And being impervious to fluids, the material will easily standup to the day-to-day rigors of facilities that operate 24/7.
Shawmut's Eco-centric printed polyurethane upholstery can be cleaned using solvent or water-based cleaners, 30% bleach solution, or quaternary disinfectants making it an outstanding solution for healthcare and food service environments. As an optional feature, the material can be manufactured with an EPA-approved permanent silver antimicrobial that guarantees antimicrobial performance throughout the life of the product.
In addition to its design and performance characteristics, 70% of Shawmut's groundbreaking upholstery is made from recycled materials making it a highly environmentally-preferable product. And because Shawmut manufactures this product in the USA using American-made materials, energy costs related to transportation are kept to a minimum.
All materials in this upholstery product are free of PVC, phthalates, formaldehyde, halogens and fluorocarbons. By meeting the requirements of CHPS 01350, the interior design community can be assured that Shawmut's upholstery has no negative impact on indoor air quality and, in
the case of an accidental fire, will have very low toxicity. And because it produces no hazardous gases during incineration, it can be burned as waste to energy at the end of its useful life.
Jane Wicks, Design Director at Designtex, Inc. has so far designed three patterns using Shawmut's upholstery technology. Wicks has this to say about the results: "Shawmut's technology provides a surface that will withstand repeated cleaning, which is so important in today's healthcare market, while also contributing to LEED credits for recycled content. From a design perspective, the product offers a new and refreshing medium to create colorful and distinctive patterns. The products are stylish, sustainable and tough --- an unbeatable combination."

Shawmut's upholstery products are offered through a number of textile distributors. The two patterns shown, Uptown (thirteen colors) and Downtown (seven colors), are available through Designtex. (www.designtex.com)
Shawmut Corporation, headquartered in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts, is a premier provider of engineered soft composite materials. Shawmut is a family owned business in its 90th year of operation.
For additional information,
Contact:
Marilyn Geller
Shawmut Corporation
718 483-2808
marilyngeller@earthlink.net