HTFx, a world-leading developer of thermal control products announces new factory in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

FORT WAYNE, INDIANA:   HTFx, Inc. has announced its plans to open a new 18,000 square foot factory 1222 Progress Road in Fort Wayne, IN. The company, which manufactures a variety of thermal management products for medical, sports and military applications plans to employ between 50 and 60 people at the new facility, beginning in the spring of 2011, with expansion to as many as 300 employees in the following year.
“We found ourselves in a position where we needed to quickly ramp up our manufacturing capability,” said company president Brian Doherty. “Over the past year we have focused on exciting new applications for our unique heat transfer material, HTF Exotherm®. This has resulted in the launch and promotion of the RiteTemp MedicalTM, RiteTemp AthleticsTM, CoolZone DogTM and 50d TacticalTM product lines which have all been met with positive reactions by their respective market segments. We have seen the writing on the wall, and are taking action now before demand outpaces the capacity of our Florida manufacturing plant.”

Fort Wayne has proven to be an ideal location for the new factory, with affordable real estate, a ready and able workforce, and management staff that was ready to go. HTFx. is dedicated to keeping Americans employed in the manufacture of its products, seeing “Made In America” manufacturing as one of its core business values.

The company’s existing FDA Class II compliant manufacturing facility in Melbourne, Florida will become devoted to the construction of prototypes and special-order military products while the new factory in Fort Wayne focuses on large scale production of FDA compliant products.

“Our main offices will also remain in Florida,” says Doherty, “although we are relocating them to a historic building across town. This will free up space for our engineering team as well as give us more room for marketing and management staff.”

HTFx is a leading developer of green thermal management solutions. For contact information please visit www.HTFx-inc.com.

UMPIRES TO USE HIGH-TECH COOLING TECHNLOGY THIS SEASON

SCOTTSDALE, AZ.  Representatives from RiteTemp Athletic Products™ attended the Umpire Retreat last week to instruct the 68 professional umpires on the use of their new cooling products.

RTA Officially Cool products were chosen for use in all non-domed stadiums for the 2011 season after being field tested in the 2010 season by select umpires including; Ed Rapuano, Joe West, and Gary Cederstrom.
“I started using OFFICIALLY COOL under my chest protector in the 2010 season and it is amazing. I don’t feel as tired and can better concentrate on the game”, says Rapuano.

The umpires will be using two kinds of cooling products for relief from heat stress. The first is a cooling pad designed for use in the field or underneath a plate umpire’s gear during games.  Its unique heat absorbing material (HTF Exotherm®) keeps the umpire’s core temperature in a safe range while improving his mental acuity.  The pad lasts about 2 hours (4-5 innings) and can be easily swapped out via a side zipper in the newly redesigned uniform shirt. Spent pads are quickly recharged in a cool environment such as an air-conditioned room or a refrigerator.

The second is a “Heat Stress Recovery Kit”. Several times per year umpires end a game with a trip to the hospital, suffering from the physical effects of heat stress. The Kit, which consists of a cooling seat, cap and vest, will be used post-game in an effort to eliminate these occurrences. It helps the body regain a stable core temperature, normal heart rate, blood pressure and other vital signs in about five minutes.

For more information: www.htfx-inc.com or www.ritetempathletics.com

VETERINARIAN DONATES COOLING VESTS FOLLOWING DEATH OF SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT K-9.

Following the loss of a Blount County, Tennessee Sheriff’s department K-9 to heat exhaustion,  veterinarian Ed Lehmen donates K-9 cooling vests produced by HTFx in Melbourne, Florida.

Melbourne, FL – For Immediate Release –  On August 4th, 2010, K-9 officer Hansen collapsed due to heat stress in the line of duty. In response, Ed Lehmen, a veterinarian donated 6 K-9 cooling vests to provide additional protection for the other dogs working to protect his community.
Working, playing or undergoing any type of exertion in hot weather takes its toll on the body. While both human and canine bodies have mechanisms for maintaining thermal homeostasis, increased temperatures combined with increased metabolic heat production create rising levels of heat stress.
On August 4th, 2010 the Blount County, Tennessee Sheriff’s department was in pursuit of a suspect in the middle of Summer, with a heat index between 103 and 110 degrees.  Between the high temperature, humidity and physical exertion of the chase, Blount County Sheriff’s K-9 officers Hansen and Bruno suffered serious heat exhaustion, as did one of their human counterparts, Deputy Nathan Payne. Both Payne and Bruno recovered after hospitalization, but unfortunately Hansen’s condition was fatal.

“They are members of our team and they are members of our family,” Blount County Sheriff told local newspaper, The Daily Times.
In the wake of the Sheriff’s department’s loss, Ed Lehmen, the veterinarian who treated both Hansen and Bruno donated two HTF Exotherm® equipped canine cooling vests to the Blount County Sheriff’s department where they have been well received.

The canine cooling vests are manufactured by Melbourne, Florida based HTFx, Inc. Sold under the 50d Tactical brand for police and military working dogs, as well as the CoolZone Dog brand for show dogs and pet owners, each vest holds a pair of HTF Exotherm heat absorbing UniPaks against the dogs abdomen.

Dogs lack the ability to effectively control their body heat by sweating, and especially when focused on a task, may show few signs of heat stress until it is serious enough to become life threatening. HTF Exotherm helps keep the dog’s body temperature in check by absorbing excess body heat, and creating a micro-climate temperature region around the chest at approximately 55 degrees. This temperature has proven to be ideal for cooling both canines and people, as the colder temperatures produced by ice and gel packs can cause the body to constrict its blood vessels, counter-acting the cooling effect and compounding heat stress. After providing  two or more hours of continuous cooling, the vests are quickly re-charged for use by submerging their UniPak’s in ice water for a few minutes.

The donated canine cool vests have been quickly put to use protecting the department’s Blount County Sheriff Department’s K-9 officers, and have been positively received. Sgt. Chuck Garner, the leader of the department’s K-9 unit told news station WATE,  “[The dogs wearing the vests] don’t fatigue as quickly. They can work longer. “

HTFx is a leading developer of  thermal management solutions. For contact information please visit www.HTFx-inc.com Learn more about the RiteTemp Medical Product line at www.RiteTempMedical.com.

HTFx OPENS NEW FDA CLASS II COMPLIANT PRODUCTION FACILITY IN MELBOURNE, FL.

HTFx, a world-leading developer of thermal control products has expanded its operations to include a new clean-room production facility to meet the needs of OEM clients in the medical products industry.

Melbourne, FL – Aug 23, 2010 - HTFx, Inc. is proud to announce the opening of a new FDA Class II compliant clean-room manufacturing facility for its wholly owned subsidiary, 50d Medical. Located at 420 Stan Drive in Melbourne, Florida, the 4500 square foot facility serves as the company’s new primary manufacturing location for medical thermal management products.

“Over the last year, we have built 50d Medical and developed the company’s line of RiteTempTM Medical Products. These products are are unique in the way they provide cold therapy that is both mobile through a full range of patient motion and self-regulating, allowing cold treatment over longer periods than ice or gel without the risk of frostbite. The entire product line makes use of HTF Exotherm® and its ability to provide efficient, cooling or warming to exact temperatures,” says HTFx Vice President of Operations John McMorris. “Our body-cooling products designed to reduce heat stress among operating theater staff drew the attention of one of North America’s largest medical suppliers, and we have constructed the new facility to meet their requirements as an OEM supplier. We are pleased to announce that it has passed their on-site inspection and we are moving forward into production.”

While HTFx has relocated its manufacturing and corporate contacts to the new facility, research and development as well as production of its long-standing line of 50d SafetyTM and 50d TacticalTM products remain at its original 315 Stan Drive location.

“In addition to meeting medical manufacturing requirements, the expansion also is helping us keep up with this year’s increased production demand,” says McMorris. “Our gulf-coast distributors had an unexpected surge in orders for our industrial safety body cooling vests due to the oil spill clean-up efforts, and giving medical manufacturing its own facility has dramatically increased our production capacity.”

HTFx has expanded its staff over the last several months, and plans to bring more jobs to the Spacecoast this Fall, following scheduled production increases in OEM medical products.

HTFx is a leading developer of green thermal management solutions. For contact information please visit www.HTFx-inc.com Learn more about the RiteTemp Medical Product line at www.RiteTempMedical.com.

WEST VEST RITETEMP TAKES TO THE DIAMOND ON OPENING DAY.

Major League Baseball umpire “Cowboy Joe” West to wear the all new West Vest RiteTemp umpire vest for improved protection from impacts and heat stress during the opening day face-off between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees on April 4th  at Fenway Park.

Melbourne, FL March 23, 2010 – When the top hitters of the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees take on The Green Monster for their 30th opening day game since 1904, MLB umpire Joe West will be behind the plate wearing the new West Vest RiteTemp.

The current president of the World Umpires Association, West began his career as a National League umpire in 1976 and has officiated over four World Series. Currently the crew chief of MLB umpire crew H, West is the designer of the patented West Vest, a chest and shoulder protection system utilized by all Major League Baseball umpires and extremely popular world-wide among amateur and international professional league umpires.

“I designed the original West Vest to meet umpire’s needs for both protection and comfort, and it has done exactly that” says West. “While I was working on the next generation West Vest, World Series MVP Bucky Dent introduced me to the RiteTemp Performance ProductsTM he’s been using during training at his baseball school. I went to the manufacturer and they had the technology I was looking for.”

The new West Vest RiteTemp utilizes an inner layer of HTF Exotherm®, a proprietary heat transfer and storage material from HTFx, Inc. Easily charged in just a few minutes, the vest’s HTFx UniPakTM insert provides over two hours of thermally regulated cooling to umpires on the diamond which helps increase umpire comfort during hot summer days and nights.
“The self-regulating nature of HTF Exotherm® is the key to its ability cool efficiently,” says HTFx Vice President of Operations John McMorris. “It absorbs heat from the body only as fast as is necessary to reach a comfortably cool temperature.” As an added bonus, the layer of HTF Exotherm® helps dissipate blunt force trauma, providing umpires with improved physical protection.

Advances in protective foam technology are also found in the new vest, in the form of Zorbium® from Ohio-based Team Wendy. Patented Zorbium® foam is a revolutionary visco elastic material that provides unmatched energy absorption and impact protection. The characteristics of Zorbium® are so profound that it is the only material authorized for use in ground combat helmets to protect against non-ballistic impacts.

West has already seen the benefits of the West Vest RiteTemp during Spring Training games at Joe Merchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida. “It really beats the heat,” said West. “With one less stress on the body, it lets us keep our mind focused where it should be – on the game. The impact protection is better than ever. We wear protective gear for one reason, and sometimes you just have to ask yourself, ‘do you want more protection or less?’”

Game officials are not the only people in the stadium to benefit from Exotherm® cooling technology. West also intends to distribute a stadium seat pad with an integrated Exotherm® UniPakTM. The West Vest design team has finalized the West Vest RiteTemp and is gearing up production to deliver pad and cooling upgrades for the West Vest Gold and West Vest Platinum umpire vests in time for late Spring and Summer games in 2010.
Joe West serves as the crew chief of Major League Baseball’s umpire crew H, and is the designer of the patented West Vest used by major league and amateur baseball umpires around the world. For more information or to purchase umpire supplies, please visit www.UmpireJoeWest.com.

Team Wendy is the developer of Zorbium® foam and the only approved manufacturer of helmet pad inserts for members of the US Army and Marine Corps. For more information, please visit www.TeamWendy.com.

HTFx is a leading developer of green thermal management solutions. For contact information please visit www.HTFx-inc.com.

HTF Exotherm, UniPak and RiteTemp Performance Products are trademarks or registered trademarks of HTFx, Inc. Zorbium® is a registered trademark of Team Wendy. WestVest, West Vest Gold, West Vest Platinum and West Vest RiteTemp are trademarks of Joe West.