Wilmington, Del.—Last month, DuPont confirmed it was in negotiations to sell its DuPont Textiles & Interiors (DTI) subsidiary (FC- News, Aug. 4/11). Regardless of whether the sale goes through, the company still plans to spin off the division. As part of that process it announced the subsidiary will now be called Invista. Though it will carry the tag line “Built on DuPont Innovation,” the name change signifies “us stepping forward into our future,” said Steve McCracken, the division’s president. “We are creating a vital new company and identity, but one that has more than 70 years of DuPont innovation and market strength behind us.” “Invista will continue the work we began as part of DuPont,” said Carol Gee, global director of brands who led the corporate identity effort, “partnering with our customers to transform the economics of their businesses, the performance of their products and drive demand through the power of brands.

Alan Wolk, vice president and general manager of Invista’s global flooring business, said the original plan in how the division is to be separated from DuPont remains as well as the company’s day-to-day operations, citing this is simply a name change to allow the subsidiary to create its own corporate identity. “There are not many companies that have been around for more than 200 years,” he said, “so giving up the DuPont name is certainly a hard thing to do but, at the day, we don’t have a choice. We will be a separate company no matter what, and we need to move forward. Basically, this allows us to build our own identity and marketing strategy.” He noted Invista will still have the major brands in the flooring, apparel and interior furnishings industries, not to mention several brands consumers have come to know, including Stainmaster, Antron, Lycra, Coolmax and even some of the best known chemical names, such as Corfree M1 and Terathane.

While the Teflon brand will remain with the parent company, Wolk said it will still be available to Invista as part of the Advanced Teflon Carpet Protection system. “We’re still working on the details in terms of how it will be phrased” as to whether the DuPont name will be incorporated. The Teflon hard surface protector used on a number of Mannington Mills’ products will still come from DuPont, meaning the chemical company will still have its hand in the flooring industry, albeit a minor one. World’s Largest As for Invista, McCracken said it begins “as the world’s largest integrated fibers and intermediates company with more than $6.3 billion in revenue, 18,000 employees and a presence in 86 countries.” It is because of its broad reach that the company conducted an extensive search to come up with the right name.

“We tested 600 names,” Wolk said. “with customers and employees all over the world. We worked with one of the best known branding and corporate identity companies, Enterprise IG during this process. Part of it was also to see how employees, customers, consumers and investors viewed the company and its position in the global marketplace. We needed to find what our personality, strategy and what we want to be. “Invista signifies two things,” he added, “innovation, which is where we come from, and vision or vista which defines both our spirit of looking forward and reaching new heights.” Extensive Search In addition to testing 600 possible corporate names, a worldwide trademark search was done in more than 200 countries and comprehensive linguistic and cultural evaluations were conducted in 47 countries.

And, an extensive search was done to sure up a worldwide Internet presence. A new Web site, www.invista.com will be the gateway into the company’s electronic world. So as to show consumers its heritage and connection with DuPont, Invista will carry a linking line, “Built on DuPont Innovation,” and a tag line, “Stepping forward,” to reflect its promise of the future. These will be maintained for the near future in order to get the general public as well as the industries it serves more familiar and comfortable with using the new identity. Gee said the company plans on building the Invista name, primarily with trade audiences, and will link the consumer brand marketing campaigns to the corporate identity. Invista has noted its intentions to launch a business-to-business campaign to support its corporate identity to global trade media via a variety of communications channels.

Details of the plan will be unveiled in the coming months. Along with this initiative, she said Invista will be updating all external communications materials and signage to reinforce the new name. “We have developed a process and timeline to ensure a smooth transition during the coming months and our marketing team will be working with our partners to help guide the way.” “We have a new name, new vision and new look,” McCracken concluded, “all backed by our unsurpassed R&D capabilities and some of the best consumer brands in the world. We have created a vital new company and identity that is up to the challenge of serving our global customers with renewed determination and clarity.”