Auburn Manufacturing, Inc. (AMI), a leading developer, manufacturer, and marketer of textile products for extreme temperature industrial applications, announced today that it has been awarded a Seed Grant of $12,500 from the Maine Technology Institute (MTI), a state-funded non-profit organization.

Seed Grants are offered on a competitive basis to support early stage capitalization and commercialization assistance for the research and development of innovative technology-based projects that create new products, processes and services, generating high-quality jobs across Maine. AMI was awarded the grant money for the commercialization of insulation kits for institutional district energy distribution systems (IDEDS).

“The Seed Grant will provide the critical investment needed to successfully commercialize our Ever Green^®
Energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions are major concerns for institutional district energy distribution systems (IDEDS). “When IDEDS managers find out that we’ve developed an insulation kit that is one of the easiest and most economical ways to achieve their energy and cost-saving goals, the response has been highly favorable,” said Leonard. “We’ve been able to demonstrate through our in-house testing that heat loss can be reduced by up to 85% and CO2 emissions by up 2000 pounds/sq.ft./year by using the kits.”

An important point that Leonard makes when speaking with IDEDS managers is the kit’s ease of installation. “It’s what sets the Cut ‘n Wrap insulation kits apart from other insulation blanket systems,” explained Leonard. “Each kit contains a 4 ft. x 8 ft. quilted insulation cover. You simply measure and cut the insulated material to size, wrap the exposed valve or fitting and secure with the supplied self-sealing hook and loop attachment systems.”

Each year, MTI-funded companies are independently surveyed to measure the return on investment of MTI’s awards for the Maine economy. The measures include jobs created, wage levels, attraction of additional financing, new products and services developed and brought to the market, and other important
impacts.

About Maine Technology Institute
MTI is a publicly financed nonprofit organization created by the Legislature in 1999 to stimulate research and development activity leading to the commercialization of new products, processes and services in the state's seven technology-intensive sectors. Programs are designed to enhance the competitive position of those sectors and increase the likelihood that one or more of the sectors will support clusters of industrial activity and create quality jobs across Maine. More about MTI and the Development Award Program at: www.mainetechnology.org.