| INDUSRTY INTERVIEW
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Corking
Idea
Meet Nuno Nascimento of The Cork Tree, a Portugalbased firm that is hoping to revolutionize the golf manufacturing industry with their environmentallyfriendly and versatile products. Interview by Alex Jenkins. Your family has been involved in the cork business for a long time. But how do you go from producing cork stoppers for wine bottles to producing golf bags, headcovers and putter grips made of it?
Courtesy of The Cork Tree
I’m a golf enthusiast. I started playing in 2001 and am now a six-handicapper, one who has his ups and downs. I try to conciliate my passion for cork production with golf, and every break I have from work I spend on the golf course. This idea of combining cork with golf came in 2011 when the cork industry in general grew in terms of technology. A few modest studios started to use cork leather – or as I call it, ‘green’ leather – as a fabric for bags and accessories. Cork leather is not a new concept; it has existed for almost 20 years, but was very limited because of the production process. With the new technology it has become possible to apply different cork patterns and different backings onto the cork leather to create more or less resistance and protection in the manufacturing process. Because I play regularly and have come 40
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to know many people in the golf industry, including some professionals, I thought why not make some headcovers out of cork leather? At least they’d be different from all the other head covers and also ecological. Cork is a renewable source and in this case, a 100 per cent Portuguese raw material. What are the advantages of using cork over the more traditional fabrics for these golf products? Cork is a material that is 100 per cent natural, biodegradable and eco-friendly. Due to its elastic, waterproof and fire resistant properties, cork is a material with immense potential. Cork products will contribute more and more to a cleaner and sustainable world; it’s a very green solution. What else is made using cork? Everything! Only now is the world discovering cork leather. Until now cork has, as you say, been used for wine bottle stoppers but it is much more than that. It is now used for flooring, insulation, construction material and also in design. It’s an awesome product. HKGOLFER.COM
Nuno Nascimento says his products were met with amazement by those at the PGA Golf Show in Orlando, Florida
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If the cork is harvested by hand, does that mean the cost of the products will be comparatively high? Yes and no. Yes, it is not plastic or polyester. But because the different products made require different levels of resistance and protection it can become somewhat expensive, but still cheaper when compared to animal leather. If you consider all the processes that are required to produce the final product then it can be considered relatively inexpensive. You took your products to the 2013 PGA Golf Show in Orlando, the biggest merchandise exhibition in the sport. What was the reaction from industry retailers? Amazement! Everybody whanted to feel the smoothness of the material and everybody asked if it was waterproof. When you present something that is truly innovative it can be hard – there is always someone who thinks we’re nuts! But the acceptance was huge and it was an intense week, with discussions with several potential partners. Where are your products sold? We are starting to expand beyond Europe. Our strategy was to begin with Portugal with an online store and then enter markets in northern Europe, especially those which are more conscious of environmental issues and which have a great appetite for everything that represents design and difference. Now, the next stage is Asia and the Middle East, were we believe there is a need for something different from the mainstream. 42
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What have been your most popular products? Golf bags and golf headcovers. We also do other products that not golf related – wine bags for example – by request. What’s next for you? We are in the final stage of producing golf putter grips made out of genuine cork leather. We have some tour players testing the grips and we are receiving and working upon their feedback. After that we will adjust our offering to meet the needs of each player. We are going to introduce different shapes and sizes. I can’t tell you yet who these players are but all of them support the product. The feeling of cork leather is really good, which is why they’re endorsing it. Having an Asian Tour player using our products is another goal of ours. Having golfers in Asia playing with eco-friendly and fashionable cork products would be great. It will make a difference. The Cork Tree’s products are available for purchase through the HK Golfer Online Store. Visit hkgolfer.com for more information. HKGOLFER.COM