Peoria’s hottest startup company announced a significant investment in its manufacturing facilities last month. Natural Fiber Welding, Inc. (NFW) will add 110,000 square feet of space in downtown Peoria for production of their innovative plant-based leather, Mirum. Besides more than doubling their manufacturing footprint, the firm plans to add more than 100 jobs and announce a range of new business partners throughout 2021.

Created through NFW’s patented processes with all natural inputs and zero use of plastic, Mirum is now ready for the global marketplace. “We’ve shown that Mirum can perform like conventional leather in several key segments including fashion, footwear and automotive—but without any plastic resins, glues or coatings other plant-based alternatives rely on,” explains Oihana Elizalde, NFW vice president and head of the Mirum business unit. 

“This manufacturing facility provides NFW with exceptional capabilities and positions Peoria to become a national textile technology hub,” adds Tom Waggoner, chief operating officer. “[It] provides exceptional value for NFW while also supporting the effort to bring employment opportunities to the most challenged areas of our community.” 

Founded in 2015 by Dr. Luke Haverhals, NFW first resided in the Peoria NEXT Innovation Center before graduating to its headquarters on Galena Road three years later. As it ramps up production for its global brand partners, NFW expects to eventually produce tens of millions of square feet of Mirum per year within this new space. By sourcing raw materials from nature rather than synthetic plastics, NFW stands poised to revolutionize a wildly diverse array of industries in the years to come.

“NFW is pioneering an entirely new system that will enable humanity to break our addiction to synthetic plastics in major global industries,” explains Dr. Luke Haverhals, CEO. “Making our clothes, shoes, furniture and automobiles from plants grown by regenerative agriculture is the future.” PM

For more information, visit naturalfiberwelding.com.