Germany-based Bayer CropScience AG and New York City-based textile and apparel company Olah Inc.
have signed a 10-year licensing agreement under which Olah has received an exclusive license to
develop and market Bayer CropScience’s cotton FiberMax® and Stoneville® brand names for apparel and
home furnishings. The agreement initially applies to North America, Mexico and Japan, but it may be
extended to additional countries. Olah also has the right to sublicense the brand names to other
manufacturers.
FiberMax high-quality, long-staple upland cotton is grown mainly in the United States and is
suitable for finished goods made with fine yarns – such as T-shirts, chinos, towels and bedsheets.
Shorter-staple Stoneville cotton is strong and especially suitable for use in heavyweight fabrics
and apparel such as rugged outdoor workwear, and sports- and casualwear such as jeans. Both
FiberMax and Stoneville goods include certification that identifies the fiber’s point of origin.
“Together, Olah Inc. and Bayer CropScience will create a unique connection between cotton
producers, spinners, merchants, textile manufacturers, retailers and consumers,” said Joachim
Schneider, head of the BioScience business group, Bayer CropScience. “And Bayer CropScience will
continue to invest heavily in growing its cotton business, including new research and development
innovations targeted at improving fiber quality, yields and stress tolerance.”
“This agreement provides us with the means to develop new products for today’s consumers
using best-in-class technology, production techniques and style,” said Andrew Olah, CEO, Olah Inc.
“At the same time it grants us the ability to document the origin of the cotton used in our apparel
and home furnishing products on a mass scale, thus providing consumers with transparency that is
revolutionary in today’s apparel business.”
February 8, 2011
