Huntsman TPU is Sole Choice for Panter

Spanish safety footwear manufacturer picks polyurethanes from Huntsman

The polyurethanes team at Huntsman today announced that its footwear experts have been working closely with one of the largest producers of safety shoes and boots in Iberia – Panter (Industrial Zapatera). The two companies have been collaborating on a series of soling projects that have helped to improve productivity on Panter’s production lines and enhance the performance of its technical workwear.

Panter has the capacity to produce thousands of pairs of safety shoes every day. The company’s manufacturing facility in Alicante, Spain is operational 24 hours a day, six days a week, and employs only the very best footwear materials.

With help from Huntsman, Panter has switched to using thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) to create soles for a range of its professional safety boots, which are used in meat processing and butchery environments. Panter uses the TPU in question to form a blue transparent outsole with a white mid sole. Performance-wise, the material offers Panter higher cycle times and good abrasion and slip resistance – a winning combination over conventional soling options.

As well as sourcing its TPU from Huntsman, Panter has been working with the company’s footwear specialists to improve the design of a wellington boot that it manufactures for a leading Spanish supermarket chain. Employees who work in the supermarket’s fish and seafood department and distribution depots used to wear boots made from another material. However, high levels of humidity and the fact that the boots were heavy and uncomfortable to wear, meant employees’ feet were prone to sweat.

Together, Panter and Huntsman developed a solution that would perform well in harsh environments for a long period of time. Lightweight and offering good anti-slip resistance, excellent hydrolysis resistance and decent cold temperature protection for the wearer – this has been a major step forward in terms of the safety, comfort and wellbeing of the supermarket’s workers.

Ramon Pajares, CEO of Panter, said: “The footwear team at Huntsman places huge emphasis on innovation and technical service support – which makes collaborating with them on projects extremely easy. We now employ Huntsman’s polyurethane materials in a number of our safety shoes and boots, across a variety of different sectors.”

Santiago Anguera, Sales Manager ACE, Footwear and TPU Iberia at Huntsman, said: “When it comes to looking after the comfort and safety of employees at work, particularly those that spend all day on their feet, it’s imperative to make the correct footwear decisions. It is a pleasure to work with Panter and see our polyurethane footwear technologies put to such great effect.”

Footwear manufactured by Panter is used across the food and beverage sector; by individuals working on construction sites; at automotive and chemical plants; and by personnel in the emergency services and army.

For more information: www.panter.es or http://www.huntsman.com/polyurethanes/a/Products/Footwear

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About Huntsman:
Huntsman Corporation is a publicly traded global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated chemicals with 2014 revenues of approximately $13 billion including the acquisition of Rockwood’s performance additives and TiO2 businesses. Our chemical products number in the thousands and are sold worldwide to manufacturers serving a broad and diverse range of consumer and industrial end markets.  We operate more than 100 manufacturing and R&D facilities in more than 30 countries and employ approximately 16,000 associates within our 5 distinct business divisions.  For more information about Huntsman, please visit the company's website at www.huntsman.com.

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Forward Looking Statements:
Statements in this release that are not historical are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management’s current beliefs and expectations. The forward-looking statements in this release are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances and involve risks and uncertainties that may affect the company’s operations, markets, products, services, prices and other factors as discussed in the Huntsman companies’ filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Significant risks and uncertainties may relate to, but are not limited to, financial, economic, competitive, environmental, political, legal, regulatory and technological factors.  In addition, the completion of any transactions described in this release is subject to a number of uncertainties and closing will be subject to approvals and other customary conditions. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that such transactions will be completed or that the company’s expectations will be realized. The company assumes no obligation to provide revisions to any forward-looking statements should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by applicable laws.

CONTACT:
Ilse Vanden Brande
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