diff --git a/lib/cldr_collation/nif.ex b/lib/cldr_collation/nif.ex
index 332695a..cabe647 100644
--- a/lib/cldr_collation/nif.ex
+++ b/lib/cldr_collation/nif.ex
@@ -3,4 +3,6 @@ defmodule Cldr.Collation.Nif do
     otp_app: :ex_cldr_collation
 
   def sort(_locale, _list, _opts), do: :erlang.nif_error(:nif_not_loaded)
+  def sort_using_collator(_collator, _list), do: :erlang.nif_error(:nif_not_loaded)
+  def create_collator(_locale, _opts), do: :erlang.nif_error(:nif_not_loaded)
 end
diff --git a/native/ex_cldr_collation/Cargo.lock b/native/ex_cldr_collation/Cargo.lock
index 80daead..601ffce 100644
--- a/native/ex_cldr_collation/Cargo.lock
+++ b/native/ex_cldr_collation/Cargo.lock
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
  "icu_collator",
  "icu_locid",
+ "icu_provider",
  "icu_testdata",
  "rustler",
 ]
diff --git a/native/ex_cldr_collation/Cargo.toml b/native/ex_cldr_collation/Cargo.toml
index 06f3c3b..b0f9233 100644
--- a/native/ex_cldr_collation/Cargo.toml
+++ b/native/ex_cldr_collation/Cargo.toml
@@ -11,5 +11,6 @@ crate-type = ["cdylib"]
 [dependencies]
 icu_collator = "1.2.0"
 icu_locid = "1.2.0"
+icu_provider = { version = "1.2.0", features = ["sync"] }
 icu_testdata = "1.2.0"
 rustler = "0.28.0"
diff --git a/native/ex_cldr_collation/src/collator.rs b/native/ex_cldr_collation/src/collator.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a9dda55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/native/ex_cldr_collation/src/collator.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+use icu_collator::Collator;
+use icu_locid::Locale;
+use rustler::NifResult;
+
+fn parse_locale(locale_tag: &str) -> NifResult<Locale> {
+    locale_tag.parse().map_err(|_| rustler::Error::BadArg)
+}
+
+pub fn new(
+    locale_tag: &str,
+    opts: impl Into<icu_collator::CollatorOptions>,
+) -> NifResult<Collator> {
+    let locale: Locale = parse_locale(locale_tag)?;
+    let collator =
+        Collator::try_new_unstable(&icu_testdata::unstable(), &locale.into(), opts.into()).unwrap();
+    Ok(collator)
+}
diff --git a/native/ex_cldr_collation/src/collator_opts.rs b/native/ex_cldr_collation/src/collator_opts.rs
index fde6017..bb7cef7 100644
--- a/native/ex_cldr_collation/src/collator_opts.rs
+++ b/native/ex_cldr_collation/src/collator_opts.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 /// on its fields being stable.
 /// Thus we need to create our own version of CollatorOptions that we can use in our NIF API, and can be easily converted to icu_collator::ComparisonOptions.
 /// This also allows us the flexibily to adjust the NIF API if we so choose, while still being compatible with icu_collator.
-
 use rustler::{NifMap, NifUnitEnum};
 
 #[derive(NifUnitEnum)]
@@ -149,4 +148,3 @@ impl From<CollatorOptions> for icu_collator::CollatorOptions {
         collator_options
     }
 }
-
diff --git a/native/ex_cldr_collation/src/lib.rs b/native/ex_cldr_collation/src/lib.rs
index 023348b..6eceb39 100644
--- a/native/ex_cldr_collation/src/lib.rs
+++ b/native/ex_cldr_collation/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,16 @@
+mod collator;
 mod collator_opts;
+mod resource;
 
-use icu_collator::*;
-use icu_locid::Locale;
 use collator_opts::CollatorOptions;
-use rustler::NifResult;
+use resource::{CollatorResource, CollatorResourceArc};
+use rustler::{Env, NifResult};
+
+#[rustler::nif]
+fn create_collator(locale_tag: &str, opts: CollatorOptions) -> NifResult<CollatorResourceArc> {
+    let collator = collator::new(locale_tag, opts)?;
+    Ok(CollatorResource::new_arc(collator))
+}
 
 #[rustler::nif]
 fn sort<'a>(
@@ -11,13 +18,28 @@ fn sort<'a>(
     list: Vec<&'a str>,
     opts: CollatorOptions,
 ) -> NifResult<Vec<&'a str>> {
-    let locale: Locale = locale_tag.parse().map_err(|_| rustler::Error::BadArg)?;
-    let collator =
-        Collator::try_new_unstable(&icu_testdata::unstable(), &locale.into(), opts.into()).unwrap();
+    let collator = collator::new(locale_tag, opts)?;
 
     let mut list = list;
     list.sort_by(|first, second| collator.compare(first, second));
     Ok(list)
 }
 
-rustler::init!("Elixir.Cldr.Collation.Nif", [sort]);
+#[rustler::nif]
+fn sort_using_collator(collator_arc: CollatorResourceArc, list: Vec<&str>) -> Vec<&str> {
+    let collator = collator_arc.collator().lock().unwrap();
+    let mut list = list;
+    list.sort_by(|first, second| collator.compare(first, second));
+    list
+}
+
+fn load(env: Env, _info: rustler::Term) -> bool {
+    rustler::resource!(CollatorResource, env);
+    true
+}
+
+rustler::init!(
+    "Elixir.Cldr.Collation.Nif",
+    [sort, create_collator, sort_using_collator],
+    load = load
+);
diff --git a/native/ex_cldr_collation/src/resource.rs b/native/ex_cldr_collation/src/resource.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..569cfea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/native/ex_cldr_collation/src/resource.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+use icu_collator::Collator;
+use rustler::ResourceArc;
+use std::sync::Mutex;
+
+pub struct CollatorResource {
+    collator: Mutex<Collator>,
+}
+
+impl CollatorResource {
+    pub fn new(collator: Collator) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            collator: Mutex::new(collator),
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn new_arc(collator: Collator) -> ResourceArc<Self> {
+        ResourceArc::new(Self::new(collator))
+    }
+
+    pub fn collator(&self) -> &Mutex<Collator> {
+        &self.collator
+    }
+}
+
+pub type CollatorResourceArc = ResourceArc<CollatorResource>;