Maxime Shen is founder and CEO of Kingmax.
The company has a booth at the Inspired Home Show held in Chicago.
Q: Describe your company / organization.
A: Kingmax is a professional supplier of Microfiber cleaning products and has been in the cleaning industry since 2005. We are a strong team consisting of smart and hardworking members who have earned their reputation among customers.
Q: Which is the hottest trend within your industry?
A: Sustainability. Customers now have a clear focus on sustainable production standards and alternative fibers. This trend has also been picked up by retailers. We expect to see more of them at our stand Saturday at The Inspired Home Show, the trade event organized by the International Housewares Association. Consumer awareness will lead to better habits and change over the years, thanks to both retail buyers as well as consumers.
Q: Are you planning to conduct in-depth research and development on products this year?
A: Yes. We plan to increase our investment in renewable fabrics. We have been producing recycled microfiber since as early as 2008. This year, we will be adding new product categories to provide customers with more environmentally friendly and technologically advanced products.
Q: Can you briefly introduce recycled PET?
A: Sure. rPET products can make plastics circulate. In the past, the fate of an old polyester fiber clothing or a plastic bottle thrown into a trash can was likely to be centralized landfill or incineration, sleeping in the soil for hundreds of years, slowly decomposing and returning to nature. However, at Kingmax, these recyclables have a better future. Common plastic products such as packaging bags, fresh-keeping film, water buckets, mineral water bottles, and polyester fiber clothing fabrics can all become raw materials for our production of recycled fibers after recycling and processing.
Q: Are recycled PET products cheaper than traditional products?
A: rPET products are not a low-priced substitute for native fibers, but a more expensive production option. Because before entering the chemical fiber production process, recyclables need to go through tedious steps such as cleaning, screening, melting, and refining before they can be processed into raw material slices. Its cost is actually twice as high as the cost of extracting native materials from petroleum. However, with the help of recycled fibers manufacturing, a part of waste in life enters the recycling channel, which can reduce the burden of plastic waste on the environment and reduce dependence on non-renewable resources.
Q: What will your main challenges be in the following year?
A: Our main challenge comes from the consumer's recognition of recycled polyethylene terephthalate. Most of the raw materials for recycled polyethylene terephthalate come from plastic bottles or waste clothing. Although it seems to use low-cost raw materials, the cost is not significantly reduced. Recycled materials are relatively expensive compared to native materials, and the price of woven fabrics made from them is naturally high. Therefore, the price of the final product is also high. However, due to the impact of the pandemic, the economic situation in various countries is not good, and the acceptable price is limited, which is the main challenge for Kingmax.
Q: Can you introduce your other products?
A: Our microfiber products include towels and mops. They are suitable for commercial and professional cleaning, such as hotels, hospitals, and salons. Our cleaning production lines can guarantee the highest quality and meet all clients' needs. Kingmax continues to invest in R&D and continue to produce new concepts and rPET microfiber products.