American Manufacturing and American Innovation Come Together to Support Some of the World's Most High-Profile Sustainability Initiatives And The Economy

PAWTUCKET, R.I., and LANCASTER, S.C., May 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cooley Group, a global leader in developing and manufacturing high-performance, sustainable membranes, announced today it will join select strategic business partners, as well as South Carolina Governor, Nikki Haley; Mayor of the City of Lancaster, Joe M. Shaw; and other key economic development representatives on Monday, May 7, in Lancaster, South Carolina, to celebrate a number of sustainable, manufacturing initiatives based on American innovation that will support some of the world's most high-profile projects, as well as help stimulate the U.S. economy. Reporters are invited for a first-look at the production of key sustainability initiatives that will include Cooley's newest innovation, Enviroflex™ – a lightweight, 100% recyclable, lower carbon footprint, non-PVC print media. 

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"Cooley Group has an 85-year history and reputation built on sustainable chemistry, first-to-market innovation, and high-performance products, as well as world-class R&D," said Dan Dwight, CEO, Cooley Group. "Over the past year, the market demand for Cooley's sustainable, engineered membrane solutions has increased tremendously. As a result, we are planning to double our manufacturing capacity."

Cooley Group has been involved in a number of diverse membrane-based sustainability intiatives including containing the Gulf Oil Spill, producing fuel tank liners built into the seats of Formula 1 racecars, developing solar-powered tent covers for the U.S. Department of Defense, and manufacturing chemical storage tanks for maximum environmental protection (and cost savings) during the challenging natural gas fracking process.  Specific Cooley membrane solutions that will be highlighted on Monday, May 7, include:  

• Enviroflex™ Blockout Banner and BillBoard Print Media
  • Designed to replace PVC as the primary substrate in the multi-billion dollar outdoor advertising market. 
  • A 100% recyclable print media material that is a more sustainable membrane with a lower carbon footprint than traditional materials.
• Jumbo Rolls of print media 3 kilometers in length and in widths of up to 5 meters - designed to dramatically improve the operating efficiency of outdoor media printers and lower fuel consumption (carbon footprint) by increasing the capacity of material shipped per truckload.
• Industry-first 5-meter wide reservoir liner and cover for export to Israel – designed to conserve and protect scarce water supplies.
• C3™ roofing membrane for export to Turkey – designed to be the most proven performing roofing membrane available globally and to now have a significantly lower carbon footprint. 
• Reinforced and unreinforced waterproofing solutions – designed for high performance tunnel and other below-grade waterproofing initiatives.

The announcement comes on the heels of the recently launched "We Are Lancaster, SC" movement, a coalition voicing residents' outrage that Lancaster had been nationally misrepresented as a "dying town", and the community's promise to show an active, progressive city on the up-swing.

"As a South Carolina native, and the newest member of the Cooley Group leadership team, I am amazed and very proud of the Lancaster team's skill and effort to make these important projects a reality. It represents the innovation and hard work coming from Lancaster that is making a huge impact across the world," said Cooley Plant Manager, Tem McInville.

"The examples we will highlight on May 7^th are just a few where Cooley is working with our portfolio of strategic partners to innovate sustainable solutions that help protect the world's environment," said Dwight.  "In an undoubtedly tough economy where sustainability is critical and jobs are paramount, I'm delighted that Cooley is part of both solutions."

About Cooley Group

Founded in 1926, Cooley Group designs, develops, and manufactures high-performance flexible, sustainable membranes used in applications that include water, fuel, and chemical containment; military equipment; commercial roofing initiatives; and some of the world's most notable outdoor advertising. Headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and with multiple manufacturing facilities across the United States, Cooley Group markets and distributes its products in more than 20 countries and also works with multi-national partners to develop proprietary products and solutions. Cooley has committed globally to use its industry leading R&D personnel, state-of-the-art technical center and manufacturing operations to lower the carbon footprint on every product the company manufacturers. More information about Cooley Group can be found at www.cooleygroup.com.

SOURCE The Cooley Group