Directa Plus Regulatory News (DCTA)

28 September 2017

Directa Plus plc

("Directa Plus" or the "Company")

New contract with Alfredo Grassi to supply G+ graphene for high performance workwear

Directa Plus plc (AIM: DCTA), a producer and supplier of graphene-based products for use in consumer and industrial markets, is pleased to announce that it has signed its first contract to supply high performance technical textiles with Graphene Plus (G+) to Alfredo Grassi S.p.A., a leading manufacturer of customised protective clothing, workwear and uniforms for private and public organisations globally.

This follows the Company signing a Joint Development Agreement ("JDA") with Alfredo Grassi to assess the potential benefits that can be delivered by incorporating Directa Plus' graphene into their extensive range of workwear products. Under this JDA, the Company has been working closely with Alfredo Grassi to produce an initial range of workwear clothing that Alfredo Grassi presented to tender for a contract with a national company.

Alfredo Grassi was successful with this tender and has been awarded a contract by an Italian state-owned company to provide workwear containing Directa Plus' G+ graphene for all of its employees. Accordingly, Alfredo Grassi has signed a supply contract for G+ graphene with Directa Plus that is expected to generate revenues for Directa Plus of approximately €0.6m over the next 18 months, of which €0.2m has been placed (the "Contract").

"Over the past six months we have focused on a fewer number of selected customers where there is the prospect of significant future revenue," said Giulio Cesareo, Chief Executive Officer of Directa Plus. "We are proud to be collaborating with Alfredo Grassi who have a successful track record of producing clothing that leverages their established heritage combined with the technological advances of their partners. The workwear market represents a major opportunity for G+ and we are pleased to have secured our first order with Alfredo Grassi, who are a significant supplier of workwear to public and private enterprises globally. Our partnership is deepening and we look forward to working together to develop and market new product lines, based on our shared commitment to quality, innovation and environmental-sustainability, and to bringing them to the market." 

"As a company who continually look for innovative materials, while paying attention to environmental sustainability, we have found an ideal partner in Directa Plus," added Roberto Grassi, CEO of Alfredo Grassi. "Together, we will seek to improve the level of comfort and protection offered by our products through the use of innovative fabrics made using graphene, and I am sure that we will continue to work on further projects together both in the workwear and the public administration sectors."

Enquiries

About Directa Plus

Directa Plus is one of the largest producers and suppliers of graphene-based products for use in consumer and industrial markets worldwide. By incorporating Directa Plus' unique graphene blends, identified by the G+ brand, its customers can enhance the performance of their end products without significantly increasing their cost. Directa Plus graphene-based products are natural, chemical-free, sustainably produced and tailored to specific customer requirements for commercial applications such as smart textiles, tyres, composite materials and environmental solutions.

Established in 2005, the Company has a patented technology process and a scalable and exportable manufacturing model. It produces graphene-based products at its own factory in Lomazzo, Italy, and can set up additional production at customer locations to reduce transport costs, waste and time-to-utilisation. Directa Plus partners with customers to enable them to offer the high-performance benefits of graphene in their own products.

About Alfredo Grassi

Founded in 1925, Alfredo Grassi S.p.A. has more than 90 years of experience in the manufacture of PPE, protective clothing and uniforms. A leader in Italian and international markets, it encompasses five business units - workwear, military, law enforcement, fire and safety and ballistic protection - offering a range of products from standard workwear to customised technical and protective clothing for private companies as well as for law enforcement and other public organisations.

Whilst headquartered in Italy, Alfredo Grassi has wholly-owned manufacturing facilities, located in Romania, Tunisia and Albania, with more than 1,200 employees, guaranteeing maximum production capacity and flexibility. It is this flexibility that distinguishes Alfredo Grassi from its competitors. It has a vertical production process whereby there is complete control of all the production phases, from weaving through cutting to manufacturing the finished product, in accordance with UNI EN ISO 9001:2015 standards. The close interaction between the production sites enables monitoring of each stage of the production process.

Information on the JDA

The initial focus under the JDA is on garments with linings printed with G+ graphene combined with waterproof, breathable textiles. The presence of G+ graphene, which has been independently certified as non-toxic and non-cytotoxic, produces a technically-advanced fabric with unique properties. In particular, it is highly thermally conductive, allowing a homogeneous distribution of the heat produced by the human body in cold temperatures and a heat dispersion effect in hot temperatures. Similarly, it is able to rapidly dissipate antistatic charges. It also has a bacteriostatic effect whereby bacteria do not proliferate on the fabric. As a result, the garments will be ideally suited for activities where the dissipation of antistatic charges and heat management are required.