Orlando Startup Chosen to Display Innovation at NPE2015 Starter Garage

Orlando-based Garmor Inc. announced it is one of the startup companies chosen to display their latest technologies at the NPE2015 Starter Garage - part of the International Plastics Showcase - on March 23-27 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.   Select startup companies have the opportunity to display their innovations at prominently located exhibit areas throughout the show, which is expected to attract more than 60,000 industry professionals from 120 countries. 

Garmor, a partner and spin-off of the University of Central Florida (UCF), will be showcasing their low-cost graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide as well as select applications for which it can be used. Garmor’s innovative and proprietary manufacturing process produces graphene at commodity-type pricing, thus facilitating the use of graphene as a bulk additive.

According to Sean Christiansen, vice president of engineering for Garmor Inc., the company’s partnership with UCF played an integral role in perfecting a method to optimize the incorporation of graphene into various polymers, coatings, and composite materials. Polymers enhanced with Garmor’s graphene have shown a dramatic increase in mechanical and electrical performance and are used for a variety of applications, including the aerospace, military, and medical industries.

“Garmor has been focused on testing and evaluating the use of graphene in downstream products to facilitate product acceptance,” explains Garmor Inc. CEO Anastasia Canavan. “We’re basically developing simple ‘recipes’ that customers can use to produce advanced graphene-based materials.” 

NPE2015 Startup Garage, hosted by Startup.Directory, is designed to provide startups like Garmor Inc. with a special opportunity to spotlight their products and services at the event.

“We’re thrilled that Garmor Inc. will be showcasing its newest and best offerings at NPE2015,” said Brad Williams, director of NPE2015 sales and marketing. “NPE2015 is shaping up to be the largest in the past decade,” he added. “Practically every company in the plastics business is planning to attend, along with powerhouse consumer brands looking for innovative solutions and new suppliers.”

The method of producing graphene in large volume and at lower cost was developed at UCF by Richard Blair, a researcher in the College of Sciences and the Center for Advanced Turbine and Energy Research.  This technique was then licensed by UCF’s Office of Technology Transfer to Garmor Inc. 

“Participating in the NPE2015 Startup Garage is a big step toward industry acceptance of Garmor’s product,” explains Blair. “I am looking forward to seeing the material implemented in a wide range of industrial and consumer products.”

Garmor Inc. will be presenting at NPE2015 Starter Garage in Room W203A (West Hall) of the Orange County Convention Center on March 23-27.  For more information about NPE2015, please visit npe.org.