We had reps from Topman Kogyo visit our company and hold an in-house study session for us a little bit ago.
Even if you haven’t heard of Topman Kogyo, many of you may have seen their Italian color sample book.
In this blog, I would like to introduce what kind of company Topman Kogyo is, as discussed at the study session, what their strengths are, and what products they handle.
Company Intro
Topman Kogyo Co., Ltd. is a long-established materials manufacturer founded in 1973.
It started as a processing manufacturer of apparel materials, and is currently divided into the Material Division, Lifestyle Division, and National Division.
The Material Division, which has been in existence since the company’s founding, is responsible for processing and manufacturing using raw materials and ingredients.
Among them, bias tape is Topman Kogyo’s main product, and they also handle many products that differentiate them from other companies.
(We will introduce this in more detail in the next topic.)
They also opened a factory in Vietnam in 2019 and incorporated it locally in 2023.
They said that they had a tough time right after opening in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, but by incorporating locally, they were recognized as a Vietnamese company, and they started receiving more sales calls, so they are now on a roll.
It seems that Topman Kogyo’s Vietnam Division is the only Japanese company that handles bias tape, and since it can be procured and produced locally, it has the advantage of being able to finish products in a short lead time for apparel companies.
What differentiates Topman Kogyo from other companies
Topman Kogyo is promoting reflective material and neo-rubber products as its main products.
As it keeps raw rolls of reflective material in-house, it can quickly process small lots.
Reflective tape is mainly used for uniforms, and as the uniform industry is stable with few ups and downs, sales of reflective tape are also strong.
Neo-rubber tape is also an original special tape trademarked by Topman Kogyo.
In addition to processing bias tape in-house, the company also has facilities for laminating fabrics.
For example, it seems that they can do special processing that would normally require outsourcing to several places, such as attaching interlining to formal fabric and then bias processing, all in one stop.
Topman Kogyo’s Main and Recommended Products
Let me introduce you to their main and recommended products.
NRT Neo Rubber Tape
As mentioned earlier, Neo Rubber Tape is a proprietary tape that Topman Industries has acquired the trademark for.
It is made by sandwiching Kuraray’s mesh-like thermoplastic elastomer material “Erneston” using a unique technology to create a rubber-like tape.
At first glance, the tape looks like rubber, but its distinctive feature is that it has a firm kickback, but returns slowly after being stretched, so it doesn’t hurt, and it doesn’t harden even when submerged in water. Unlike rubber, it is less likely to deteriorate and is in fact, highly durable, so it doesn’t wear out easily.
It has actually been used in undergarments, and it has been a huge hit.
It is also used in swimsuits by famous sports manufacturers.
This tape is also available as a strap tape that folds on both sides.
We can also provide you with fabric, sandwich the previously mentioned Erneston fabric between them, and process it, so you can create tapes using your own original fabric.
TM-4700-WF
Rolled Silver Double-fold Tape, Industrial Washable Type
They have a large number of signature reflective products, but this is a basic silver double-folded tape. It is an industrial wash-resistant type, so it can withstand washing in a commercial washing machine.
I highly recommend this for garments like uniforms where durability is important.
TM-8600-WF
Eco Roll Shooting Double Fold Tape
This double-fold tape can be used on uniforms, vests, and sportswear.
Its retroreflective properties make it ideal for clothing used outdoors.
The base material is broadcloth (65% polyester/35% cotton), with ECOPET® used for the polyester part. *ECOPET® is a registered trademark of Teijin Frontier.
The wave of eco-friendly materials is also sweeping over reflective materials.
TM-8300-WF
Fluorescent Color Roll Double Fold Tape
This double-sided tape can be used on uniforms, vests, and sportswear.
It has retroreflective properties, making it ideal for outdoor clothing.
It also comes in a wide variety of fluorescent colors; 12 colors available!
Other Notes
Topman Industries mainly deals in bias tape, but recently they have seen a drastic decline in orders for folded bias tape.
One reason for this is that sewing factories are increasingly using double-fold trumpets for piping.
Also, more and more companies are buying piping tape with a core separately as cord and tape.
The reason for this is that it costs less than finished piping tape. With the recent rise in raw material and labor costs, companies may be making efforts to somehow reduce costs.
Conclusion
They carry a wide range of products other than those introduced here, so if you are interested, be sure to check out the Topman Kogyo product page.
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