Just when we wondered if Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) had abandoned hemp, he’s proven he’s still in the game, despite what he calls the “speed bumps”, that are declining hemp prices.  McConnell toured the EcoFibre facility in Georgetown, Kentucky yesterday.  The 50,000 ft² LEED certified building opened in July at a cost of $16 million and employs 75 people.  The Australia based company is involved in every segment of the hemp industry, with separate divisions for each segment.

Ananda Hemp is their cannabinoid division, selling hemp derived extracts to the US market, with a separate wholesale division, Ananda Professional, catering to independent pharmacy chains in the US.  Ananda Foods is the hempseed-based division, targeting the nutraceutical market, incorporating hemp derived protein, fatty acids, and other components for a medical market.  Hemp Black is the company’s fiber division, focused on product development with hemp fiber.

This was highlighted in McConnell’s visit, as he wore the company’s hemp-based mask with copper incorporated into the weave. Hemp Fiber has proven through research to demonstrate antimicrobial properties, making it an ideal candidate for masks and other uses in our COVID world.  EcoFibre is aligned with Jefferson University for R&D, where a number of patents for hemp textiles have emerged.  Hemp masks were a prudent pivot for Ecofibre, who recently received a 1.2 million loan from PPP dollars, arising from the CARES Act funding.  The company has invested $100 million developing their US interests.

Ecofibre recently acquired a key manufacturing partner, TexInnovate, a North Carolina company with a portfolio that includes 5 high-performance textile companies.  Ecofibre CEO Eric Wang states, “This is an incredibly important strategic move for Ecofibre as we accelerate the transition of Hemp Black from R and D to commercialisation[sic]. For the past two years we have worked with Thomas Jefferson University, led by Hemp Black Chief Innovation Officer Mark Sunderland, to develop a platform of intellectual property that allows us to sustainably deliver the natural anti-microbial and conductive properties of hemp into existing manufacturing supply chains for textiles, composites, coatings, paints and other industries.”

Wang also offered the following about Ecofibre: “Our couches are made with vegan leather and a hemp top-coating that kills 99.9 percent of staph,” he said. “We supply antimicrobial artificial turf for sports stadiums, paint, outdoor and indoor seating. Our wallpaper uses hemp ink to prevent mold and kills E-coli. This business is not all about CBD, we are about industrial uses.”

The Georgetown, Kentucky facility is a test case, with the above appointments.  Ecofibre is well ahead of the pack in terms of R&D, or at least announcing it, and seems to be in the catbird seat with their prescient move to feature antimicrobial characteristics.  Other companies are involved in hemp fiber R&D but have yet to reveal their moves.  We reported on 9Fibre in a previous Hemp Bulletin, a company that is using post-extraction biomass to produce hemp fiber products.  They have since launched their line of 100% hemp and hemp/silver masks.

Developing products that have the potential to be mass marketed is a bold step towards developing a hemp fiber value chain, which in turn will drive demand.   The acquisition of TexInnovate is a clear message to hemp fiber markets, that Ecofibre has viable products developed for today’s market, and is laying the foundation for significant growth in hemp-based performance textiles.