Archroma and Stony Creek Colors Collaboration

Archroma and Stony Creek Colors Collaboration Archroma and Stony Creek Colors will form a strategic alliance to produce IndigoldTM high-performance plant-based pre-reduced indigo. Stony Creek Colors ("Stony Creek"), a trusted manufacturer of traceable natural indigo dyes, and Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals toward sustainable solutions, announced today that they have formed a strategic partnership to produce and bring Stony Creek's IndiGoldTM high-performance plant-based pre-reduced indigo to market at scale. Stony Creek extracts its dye from proprietary Indigofera plant varieties grown in partnership with family farms as a regenerative rotational crop. Stony Creek Colors created the IndiGoldTM concept as the world's first pre-reduced natural indigo dye, which was then developed in collaboration with Archroma to provide the first plant-based alternative to synthetic pre-reduced indigo. The dyestuff will be sold in a soluble liquid form with a 20 percent concentration that performs similarly to comparable synthetic indigo products on the market. Due to its complete development of an improved agricultural value chain, from seed breeding and production to biomass harvest and extraction, Stony Creek Colors has evolved into an innovative leader in plant-based indigo. Since 2015, the company has been selling indigo grown in the United States to denim mills. [caption id="attachment_138611" align="aligncenter" width="1500"] From the field to the plant: Shrubs of Indigofera US-grown by Stony Creek Colors (photo: Stony Creek Colors)[/caption] The pre-reduced plant-based indigo collaboration began in 2020, when Stony Creek was looking for like-minded partners to help them scale up production of the new dyestuff. Archroma proved to be the ideal partner because of its expertise in indigo manufacturing and application, as well as its commitment to transforming the denim industry into better blue jeans. Archroma continuously introduces eco-advanced indigo innovation such as the first ever aniline-free* synthetic pre-reduced indigo or the Archroma x CleanKore technology for aniline-free* potassium permanganate-free* spray and laser booster for white abrasion. Archroma immediately offered to support the idea of Stony Creek Colors with extensive pilot scale manufacturing trials and engaged with its network of denim machinery manufacturers to test the first samples in industrial conditions. The trials showed excellent coloration and the typical indigo wash down, as with synthetic indigo. Archroma will produce the first batches of IndiGold™ in Salvatierra, Mexico, and has other locations where the product could be made. The company will support Stony Creek Colors through its manufacturing and logistics capabilities, and its expertise in denim dyeing with customers using pre-reduced indigo. [caption id="attachment_138616" align="aligncenter" width="1500"] From the field to the plant: Archroma’s indigo plant in Salvatierra, Mexico (Photo: Archroma)[/caption] While this development was underway, the global innovation platform Fashion for Good selected Stony Creek Colors as an innovator in its global Innovation Program. The program connects brands with innovators to work together to test, validate and ultimately scale disruptive innovations in the fashion industry to drive positive impact. Through the program, Fashion for Good facilitated a collaboration between brand partner Levi Strauss & Co. and Stony Creek Colors which was announced in December 2021. The partners will pilot the use of IndiGold™ in denim mills at scale, with the goal of unlocking key learnings around shade application and other efficiencies of this new dyestuff. “For years our consistent powder and paste products have been able to fill a void in the marketplace for denim mills needing verifiable plant-based indigo. We, along with many in the industry, see IndiGold™ as the holy grail for indigo dyeing and are ecstatic to now be bringing it to life with such a reputable partner as Archroma. The coupling of our two technologies allows us to fulfill the ultimate desire from our customers for an easy-to-use, pre-reduced liquid formulation that stems from a 100% plant-based supply”, said Sarah Bellos, CEO and Founder of Stony Creek Colors “I am very proud that Archroma supports Stony Creek’s project. We shared the same vision that plant-based pre-reduced indigo can be scaled up and color the nature-friendly collections that denim brands & retailers have been dreaming of, and we are pleased to help bring it to the market,” comments Heike van de Kerkhof, CEO of Archroma. * Below limits of detection according to industry standard test methods. IndiGold™ is a trademark of Stony Creek. ® Trademarks of Archroma registered in many countries. © 2022 Archroma and Stony Creek Note: Content may be edited for style and length. Source