007 CE2 N I S na s at ai, Chi 7 u t i Vis hangh 4, 200 S -2 . 22 #1E05 t c O th Boo
ACQUA. THE WATERBLADE WINDER.
Acqua is the brand new master roll winder designed by A.Celli Nonwovens to serve large scale and high speed nonwovens production lines (up to 1000 m/min). It features an innovative patented waterblade cross cutting system, allowing the most accurate doffing without web path variation. Acqua is capable of continuous control of tension, nip and torque parameters throughout the master roll build up and is equipped with a state - of - the - art 3D interactive HMI. The result is higher production throughput, drastically reduced waste during doffing, superior winding quality and an easier operator’s life.
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THE WORLD OF WINDING
email: nonwovens@acelli.com
Cover design by Michael Del Purgatorio.
INDUSTRY
SEPTEMBER 2007 • VOLUME 38 • NUMBER 9
www.nonwovens-industry.com
International Top 40 page 28
features
24 INDA REACHES OUT TO INDIA U.S. association paves the way for the nonwovens industry to become part of this emerging market
28 INTERNATIONAL TOP 40 a look at the leading nonwovens producers in the world Rank/Company Page No. 1. Freudenberg 29 2. DuPont 32 3. Kimberly-Clark 34 4. Fiberweb 38 5. Polymer Group, Inc. 40 6. Ahlstrom 43 7. Johns Manville 46 8. Buckeye Technologies 48 9. Propex Fabrics 50 10. Companhia Providencia 51 11. Avgol 52 12. Fibertex A/S 54 13. Hollingsworth & Vose 56 14. TWE Group 58 15. Colbond 58 16. Japan Vilene 60 17. Asahi Kasei 60 18. British Vita 62 19. Pegas A/S 63 20. Georgia-Pacific 64
Rank/Company Page No. 21. Western Nonwovens 66 22. Toyobo 67 23. Sandler 67 24. Lydall 68 25. Concert Industries 71 26. Mitsui 72 27. Toray Saehan 72 28. Andrew Industries 75 29. Jacob Holm Industries 76 30. Foss Manufacturing 77 30. TenCate Geosynthetics 78 32. Textilgruppe Hof 80 32. Union Industries 80 34. Albis 82 35. Suominen Nonwovens 83 36. Precision Custom Coatings 84 37. Unitika 86 38. Rexcell 86 39. Kuraray 88 40. KNH Enterprises 89
90 COMPANIES TO WATCH profiles of other important nonwovens producers Business Publications Audit of Circulation, Inc. Authorization to photocopy items in NONWOVENS INDUSTRY for internal or personal use, or for the internal or personal use of specific clients, is granted by Rodman Publishing, provided a base fee of U.S.$1 per page is paid directly to: Copyright Clearance Center, 27 Congress St., Salem, MA 01970 U.S.A.
(ISSN 0163-4429) is published monthly on the 10th by Rodman Publications, Inc., 70 Hilltop Road, Third Floor, Ramsey, NJ 07446 USA; 201-825-2552; Fax: 201-825-0553; E-mail: nonwovens@rodpub.com; Website: www.nonwovens-industry.com. Periodical Postage Paid at Ramsey, NJ 07446 and additional mailing offices. Canada Post International Publications Mail Product (Canada Distribution) Sales Agreement No. 1034243. SUBSCRIPTION RATES for the United States: one year, $55; two years, $85. Canada and Mexico: one year, $75; two years, $120. GST required on Canadian orders (GST#131559148). Overseas Surface: one year, $75; two years, $120. Overseas Air Mail: one year, $175. Single Issue: $10. POSTMASTER: Send address change to NONWOVENS INDUSTRY, 70 Hilltop Road, Third Floor, Ramsey, NJ 07446. Missing issues: Claims for missing issues must be made within three months of the date of issue. Change of address should include both old and new address. Also publishers of HOUSEHOLD AND PERSONAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRY, INK WORLD, LABEL & NARROW WEB INDUSTRY, COATINGS WORLD, NUTRACEUTICALS WORLD AND MEDICAL PRODUCTS OUTSOURCING. Printed in the U.S.A. NONWOVENS INDUSTRY
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columns & departments
INDUSTRY
SEPTEMBER 2007 • VOLUME 38 • NUMBER 9
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104
CALENDAR OF EVENTS A Guide To Industry Happenings
20
CAPITOL COMMENTS U.S. Proposes Global Change In Customs Classification
106
COMPANY CAMEO Spotlight on DS Technical Nonwoven
94
EARNINGS Sales and Earnings Figures From Key Companies
8
EDITOR’S PAGE Investment Continues In Global Nonwovens Industry
10
INDEX TO COMPANIES Listing Of Companies Mentioned In This Issue
14
NONWOVENS NEWS Ahlstrom To Keep Thermal Bond Business Active
100
PEOPLE IN THE NEWS Find Out Who’s Who And Who’s Moving Where
98
PATENT REVIEW A Look At Recently Issued Industry Patents
96
SUPPLIERS’ CORNER The Latest Products And Services From Suppliers
12
TOP OF THE NEWS PGI To Expand In North America, Argentina
101 103 105
SERVICES/PRODUCTS DIRECTORY CLASSIFIEDS ADVERTISING INDEX
Editor Karen Bitz McIntyre, karenb@rodpub.com
Associate Editor Ellen Wuagneux, ellenw@rodpub.com
Investment Continues In The Global Nonwovens Industry
Vice President/Editorial Director Tom Branna, tomb@rodpub.com
Art Department Michael Del Purgatorio, michaeldp@rodpub.com
espite concerns over market maturity and pricing pressures in many key markets for nonwovens, this year’s annual Top Company report proves that this market remains in growth mode. Most of the 40 companies profiled in this special edition reported growth—in both sales and earnings—in 2006 compared to the prior year. And, this growth is not only being felt in sales figures but also in new market penetration, new technologies and new investment. New advancements such as PGI’s introduction of new Spinlace technology geared at the wipes market, DuPont’s new Hybrid Membrane Technology, initially targeting filtration applications, as well as acquisitions like Ahlstrom’s purchase of Fiberweb’s wipes business prove, once again, that the nonwovens industry is moving forward. Adding momentum are investments such as new spunmelt lines from Avgol, Companhia Providencia and others and proprietary technology being constructed by nonwovens producers such as Albis, Precision Custom Coatings and Freudenberg. On a major growth spurt is Avgol Nonwovens. The Israeli producer is ranked 11 this year, compared to 18 last year and 29 five years ago. This chart climbing can be entirely attributed to Avgol’s aggressive spunmelt expansion initiatives including three lines in North America, a joint venture in China and, most recently, a new line in Russia. In five years, the company’s sales have exploded from $75 million to more than $229 million. Another spunmelt specialist making gains is Danish Fibertex, who has seen its rank climb from 27 in 2002 to 12 this year, thanks to sales growth from $78 million five years ago to $222 million. Fibertex has new lines in Malaysia and Denmark as well as Eastern European investment to thank for this impressive growth pattern. It won’t be long before one of these ambitious companies cracks the Top 10 largest nonwovens producers in the world! Every year, we like to stress that the International Top 40 is a ranking of companies based on sales figures often provided by the company and other times estimated based on industry statistics. Therefore, NONWOVENS INDUSTRY maintains that the company ranking is more of an industry guideline than an audited report. The report should instead be valued for the information contained within the profiles, including comments and observations from some of the most important executives within the nonwovens industry. If you have any comments regarding this report, we welcome them. Please email the editor at karenb@rodpub.com. And, if you think your company should be included in next year’s report—based on your 2007 nonwovens sales—please contact us as well. And, don’t forget to visit our newly redesigned website, www.nonwovensindustry.com, for regular updates to this report.
D
Contributing Editors Gabriele Bertocchi, David Harrison, Thomas Holliday, Peter Mayberry, Kin Ohmura
Editorial Advisory Board Richard Chapas, Edward Homonoff, Behnam Pourdeyhimi, David Rigby, Robert Johnson, Susan Stansbury, John Starr, Edward Vaughn
President Rodman Zilenziger, Jr., rod@rodpub.com
Executive Vice President Matthew Montgomery, mmontgomery@rodpub.com
Publisher Matt Carey, mcarey@rodpub.com
National Sales Managers Kathleen Scully, kathleen@rodpub.com Brian Barnes, bbarnes@rodpub.com
Production Manager Cheryl Coviello, cheryl@rodpub.com
Circulation Manager Richard DeVoto, rdevoto@rodpub.com
European Sales Representative Baudry Boisseau Associates Rue J. Lebeau, 27, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium Tel: 32-2-513-06-47; Fax: 32-2-514-17-38; E-mail: baudry@baudryboisseau.com To renew/subscribe/update subscription information, please visit www.nonwovens-industry.com and click on subscription services. Or contact: circulation@rodpub.com, 201-825-2552 ext. 356; Fax: 201-825-6582.
INDUSTRY
A Rodman Publication 70 Hilltop Road, 3rd Floor Ramsey, NJ 07446 USA Tel: (201) 825-2552 Fax: (201) 825-0553 E-mail: nonwovens@rodpub.com Website: www. nonwovens-industry.com
Karen Bitz McIntyre Editor karenb@rodpub.com
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NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
Our innovations.
Š 2007 Ahlstrom Corporation
Your advantage.
At Ahlstrom, innovative thinking and commercial pragmatism go hand in hand. Whatever your requirements, Ahlstrom has the resources, knowledge and technologies to develop bespoke solutions that will give you the competitive edge. Our innovations have made us leaders in our markets and they can help make you leaders in yours.
Small fibers. Big difference.
Contact: ASIA Tel: + 81 3 3442 1611 EUROPE Tel: + 44 1890 818303 U.S.A. Tel: + 1 860 654 8300 Web: www.ahlstrom.com Email: nonwovens@ahlstrom.com
A Listing Of Companies In This Issue • This index gives the starting page for a department or feature with a significant reference to a company. Subsidiaries are indexed under their own names. Companies found in listings, Suppliers’ Corner, Patent Review and show information are not included in this index.
Ahlstrom . . . . . . . . .14, 43, 94 Albis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 Andrew Industries . . . . . . .75 Andritz Küsters . . . . . . . . .96 Asahi Kasei . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Atex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 Avgol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Barry-Wehmiller . . . . . . .100 Bosch Rexroth . . . . . . . . . .96 BST Pro Mark . . . . . . . . . .96 Buckeye . . . . . . . . . . . . .48, 95 Colbond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Companhia Providencia . .51 Concert Industries . . . . . . .71 Cormatex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 DelStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Dounor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 Dow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 Dow Reichhold . . . . . . . . .100 DS Technical . . . . . . . . . . .106 DuPont . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16,32 EDANA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Fiberweb . . . . . . . . . . .38, 100 Fibertex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Foss Manufacturing . . . . . .77 Freudenberg . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Fuji Seal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 Fujibo-Ehime . . . . . . . . . . .18 Georgia-Pacific . . . . . . . . . .64 Hollingsworth & Vose . . . .56 Hygienic Products . . . . .98
FOSTER NEEDLE CO., INC. 4343 Expo Drive, PO Box 1027 Manitowoc WI, USA 54221-1027 Phone: 920-682-6314 | Fax: 920-682-5331 E-mail: sales@fosterneedleusa.com
INDA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Jacob Holm . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 Japan Vilene . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Johns Manville . . . . . . . . . .46 Kimberly-Clark . . . . . . . . .34 KNH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 Kobe Steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 Kuraray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 Lantor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90 Lydall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Magna Interior Systems . .98 Martin Automatic . . . . . .100 Maxcess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 Mesh Engineering . . . . . . .18 Mitsui Chemicals . . . . . . . .72 Mogul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 Monadnock . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Neat Solutions . . . . . . . . . .98 Parker Hannifin . . . . . . . . .96
Pegas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 PGI . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12, 40, 94 Precision Custom Coatings84 Propex Fabrics . . . . . . . . . .50 Rayonier . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 Rexcell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 Sandler AG . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Standberg . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 Suominen Nonwovens 83, 95 TenCate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 Texel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Textilgruppe Hof . . . . . . . .80 Toray Saehan . . . . . . . .16, 72 Toyobo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 TWE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Union Industries . . . . . . . .80 Unitika . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 Vita Nonwovens . . . . . . . . .62 Western Nonwovens . . . . .66
FOSTER NEEDLE LIMITED P.O. Box 7246, Wigston Leicestershire LE18 4WW England Phone: 0116 2581570 | Fax: 0116 258 1579 E-mail: sales@fosterneedle.co.uk
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UNIQUE. FLEXIBLE. RESPONSIVE. SPUNBOND & NONWOVENS . ARE US. ATEX offers a variety of Polypropylene nonwovens and solutions to a wide range of converters and manufacturers. With the development of new and often unexplored nonwoven solutions, we are committed to keep innovation as a strategic mission.
Atex Srl - Via C. Colombo 2 - 20090 SETTALA (MI) ITALY Phone +39 02 95242.1 - Fax +39 02 95242010 info@atex-spun.com - www.atex-spun.com Atex Inc. - 2600 West Park Drive - GAINESVILLE, GA 30504 USA Phone + 1 770 5367272 - Fax +1 770 5367246 info@atex-usa.com - www.atex-spun.com
PGI To Expand In North America, Argentina Polymer Group, Inc. will install a state-of-the-art spunbond line in North America to serve hygiene and other customers in the U.S. and Mexico. The new line will increase capacity by approximately 15,000 metric tons for this segment to meet ongoing strong demand for the company’s nonwovens materials used in diapers and other personal hygiene products. The company expects that commercial production will begin in late 2008. The line will feature the latest technology and produce high-quality, lightweight, strong fabrics that are used in fine denier topsheet and other materials in diapers. In another move, PGI is currently installing a new spunbond line near Buenos Aires, Argentina that will more than double the capacity of its joint venture facility to meet growing demand for its products in the Mercosur trading region. This line is on schedule to be fully installed by year- end.
NONWOVENS INDUSTRY Launches New Website NONWOVENS INDUSTRY has launched a new website at www.nonwovensindustry.com. The new site offers a strong visual redesign and several important new services. In the new layout, all current and future editions of the print magazine will be available in digital format, which means that all the magazine’s articles are viewable online in the original printed format, complete with graphic images and advertisements. "In the past, we were able to upload a few features from each issue as text-only articles, but now the entire issue is available to subscribers in a convenient, lively and fully searchable format," explained Matt Carey, publisher. The new digital format provides additional useful tools such as its "Send to a Friend" capability, which allows articles to be clipped and forwarded easily from one computer to another. The new digital format will also be integrated with the archive search function, so site visitors will be able to access the new digital articles along with other articles that are posted in the site. Another exciting new feature is the Market and Process Portals service. Portals will contain up-to-the-minute news and feature stories within the site on any one of 20 or more nonwovens market segments. "Visitors can quickly drill down to areas of interest, while advertisers can present their products and services in a meaningful way," said Mr. Carey. Additionally, there are several important upgrades to the Buyers Guide that visitors will find useful. The Buyers Guide profiles now contain a complete editorial archive on each listed company, as well as a parametric search dropdown for roll goods companies (searchable by web width, plant location, etc.). The NONWOVENS INDUSTRY website serves more than 15,000 unique visitors monthly, and is an excellent source of immediate and compelling information on the industry. To view the new site, go to www.nonwovens-industry.com.
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Another use for your old air hoses since our new e-Knifeholder is all electronic. e-Knifeholder auto-calibrates, sets the side force and controls overlap. No other knifeholder does this. Progress means that sometimes you just have to leave old technology behind–like your knifeholder air hoses–or think of some new uses. However, the big upside of our new e-Knifeholder is that you get much longer blade life. Since the e-Knifeholder calibrates itself, overlap and side force is set automatically. Which all translates to less
downtime, reduced operating costs and a better product. Plus, since all the knifeholder functions can be controlled through your graphical interface, less training and physical handling is needed, decreasing the chances of operator injury. So it’s up to you to decide what to do with those old air hoses. Because once you experience the benefits of electronic design and auto-calibration, all other product claims will seem like so much hot air. Call (800) 426-1000, or visit www.tidland.com/electronic.
A Look at What’s Going On In The Industry Ahlstrom To Keep Thermal Bond Business Active Ahlstrom has decided to continue production of thermal bonded Novonette nonwovens, which it acquired during its purchase of Fiberweb’s spunlace business in May 2007. The thermal bonded nonwovens are made in Bethune, SC, where spunlace, caustic entangled cotton and sonic laminate products for wipes are also made. Through various previous ownerships, the production lines in Bethune have supplied Novonette nonwoven fabric
for more than 40 years. There has been large customer support for this technology, which has allowed Ahlstrom to continue to supply customers from these production lines.
DelStar Launches New Film DelStar Technologies has begun manufacturing Delnet apertured films from TPX, a 4-methylpentene-1 based polyolefin, which displays a unique combination of physical properties and characteristics that will benefit their existing markets. The TPX
Delnet films will provide safe and nontoxic advantages in medical, foodgrade and other applications requiring high heat resistance, transparency, light weight, good release, or good chemical and hydrolysis resistance. DelStar Technologies can produce new TPX Delnet apertured films in a multitude of configurations. Further, this new product will have improved processing characteristics over traditional polypropylene and polyethylene Delnet products due to the inherent properties of the TPX copolymer.
EDANA Releases 2006 Sales Statistics According to figures released by EDANA, the international association serving the nonwovens and related products industries, production of nonwovens in Europe grew 6.5% in 2006 to reach nearly 1.5 million tons. This compares with 1.4 tons in 2005 when the annual growth rate was 5%. According to an estimate based on the same sample of companies in 2005 and 2006, the average price of nonwovens appears to have increased by almost 3% from €3.33 to €3.43 per kg. As a result, the total turnover of the European nonwovens industry is estimated at around €5.1 billion. Diverging trends are affecting the various bonding processes of drylaid nonwovens. Pierre Wiertz, general manager of EDANA said, “Growth in the hydroentanglement process has still been substantial this year at more than 6%, but it is actually the needling process that has recorded the highest apparent growth at 13.8%.” Polymer-based (spunmelt) nonwovens, on the other hand, witnessed an impressive growth—a more than 10% increase in 2006. Airlaid production, compared to figures of 2005, has recorded a slight growth, mostly due to increase in deliveries to the hygiene sector. The main end use for nonwovens remains the hygiene market with a 33% share of deliveries, amounting to 497,900 tons. This grew 5.4% in 2006. The most significant growth areas for nonwovens in 2006 were garments (14.4%)—mostly protective clothing—and wipes for personal care (13.8%), followed by liquid filtration (12.2%) and geotextiles (11.4%), a diversity that perfectly illustrates the on-going growth and innovative uses—both industrial and daily-life—of nonwovens, even in a maturing market such as Europe. Polypropylene, either in fiber or granule form, continues to be the most important polymer used in the European nonwovens industry, accounting for 766,200 tons or 48.4% of the total fiber and polymer chip consumption, but wood pulp has retained the highest growth at 12.1%. In 2006 the positive EU balance of exports and imports of nonwoven roll goods has increased. Together, the 27 Member States altogether exported 215,554 tons of nonwovens (compared to 193,716 tons in 2005) at a value of almost €928 million, which represents a 11.3% increase in volume and 14.4% in value compared to the previous year. Moreover the positive balance of trade in nonwovens (almost €0.4 billion) contributed, by more than 30%, to the trade surplus of the EU textiles sector. 14
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DuPont Technology Helps Allergy Sufferers DuPont has introduced a new use for its Hybrid Membrane Technology (HMT) that will allow pillow and mattress covers to deliver unsurpassed protection from a range of harmful allergens without sacrificing personal comfort. "For allergy sufferers, getting a full night of uninterrupted sleep can be a real challenge. Mattress and pillow protectors made with DuPont HMT will help allergy sufferers sleep better by providing an effective barrier that has been scientifically proven to seal off even the most microscopic allergens," said vice president and general manager of DuPont Advanced Fiber Systems Thomas Powell. "Vinyl and films provide a high level of protection, but these materials are noisy and trap body heat and moisture near the skin. Alternatively, materials such as cotton are more comfortable but do not provide an effective barrier against microscopic allergens. With DuPont HMT, consumers benefit from the optimal combination of protection and comfort." The first retailer to offer sleep products with DuPont HMT is firstStreet. "We pride ourselves on bringing innovative, breakthrough products to the market, and we feel that the new allergen barrier pillow and mattress covers made with DuPont HMT fit perfectly with our approach," said Dave Modena, vice president of merchandising for the retailer. "There are a number of sleep products that provide barrier protection, but most of these suffer from a lack of comfort. We view sleep products with DuPont HMT as being a step ahead of the market, in that they deliver the same or better levels of barrier protection while providing the added benefit of a softer feel and improved comfort." DuPont HMT is incorporated onto commonly available fabrics during the manufacture of the pillow or mattress cover, resulting in a material that provides protection against dust mites, pet dander, pollen, mold and fungal spores; rivals the performance of films and vinyl but, unlike these products, has a comfortable and "breathable" fabric-like feel; delivers a higher level of protection compared to traditional materials such as cotton or polyester fabrics with 95% filtration efficiency of particles as small as one micron and demonstrates excellent durability and performance, even after repeated washings. DuPont HMT was launched by DuPont two years ago after it acquired the technology from a Korean firm. It is currently being produced on a commercial line in Korea and key markets to date have included filtration and energy storage. In April, DuPont HMT received an IDEA Achievement Award at IDEA 2007 recognizing innovation in the nonwoven roll goods area.
TSI Will Expand In China Plans are underway at Korean spunbond specialist Toray Saehan, Inc. (TSI) to expand from its Korean base into China. The company plans to focus on the growing Chinese hygiene market as a new investment target. In line with this strategy, the company has established a new subsidiary called TPN, Toray Polytech Nantong, and is building a $60 million SMMS plant in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, near Shanghai, which is expected to reach commercial production levels by February 2008. The move represents its first foray 16
outside of Korea. Heading up the new operation are J.N. Kim, president of TPN and W.C Hwang, director of TPN. While Mr. Kim specializes in new plant construction and operations, Mr. Hwang has more than 15 years of technical experience in the production of nonwovens. “Mr. Kim and Mr. Hwang will play an important role in the startup of our TPN operation in China,” said company spokesperson H.B. Lee. The state-of-the-art line will be capable of meeting strict requirements in the hygiene, medical and protective apparel sectors. “The facility will provide multiple solutions to Chinese and WWW.NONWOVENS-INDUSTRY.COM
other Asian clients,” he said. “The Asian region’s economic growth, along with growing demand for hygiene products, will be a positive factor for this new capacity.” The plant is forecast to grow to four lines in the future. According to Mr. Lee, China had a market penetration ratio of approximately 10-12% in the baby diaper sector and 65% in the feminine hygiene market in 2006. “China's per capita GDP grew to $2000 in 2006,” said Mr. Lee. “As living standards improve, the marketshare of nonwovens is increasing in areas such as hygiene, medical, household, apparel and shoes. NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
TSI operates five polypropylenebased spunbond nonwovens lines and a single polyester spunbond line in Korea, which, according to TSI, represents the largest single plant capacity in Asia at 54,000 tons.
JV To Focus On Absorbent Manufacturing Mesh Engineering and Manufacturing, Cumming, GA, and Engineering & Trade Co, Nara, Japan, has formed a joint venture dedicated to absorbent product manufacturing. The venture will combine the two companies’ strengths in absorbent product process and equipment, specifically regarding the manufacturing of training pants and adult pants-style products. In announcing the joint venture, Mitch Larson, president of MESH, said that manufacturers now have an alternative, proven and experienced source for solutions to their retooling or machine improvement projects.
Monadnock Develops Composite Meltblown After five years in development, Monadnock Non-Wovens has developed a unique bonded composite of meltblown Halar and polypropylene. It combines the unique characteristics of polypropylene and Halar in one intimately bonded composite. “It will have filter applications worldwide, featuring the combination of high dirt-holding, relatively low cost and extreme inertness for use where chemical or radioactive attack is expected,” said Monadnock’s technical director Rowland Griffin. “Although primarily developed to meet demand in the liquid filtration market and the chloro-alkalis chemical, electronic and pharmaceutical industries, it has other potential uses in Homeland Security as personal barrier protection or other replacement for expensive membranes such as PTFE.”
Halar E-CTFE is a fluoropolymer that has chemical resistance properties similar to PTFE in that it is highly unreactive to acids, alkalis, ozone, heat and radiation. Its ability to resist permeation by aqueous solutions is unmatched versus other commonly used surface webs (i.e. carbon, polyester and glass). It also has exceptional electro-negativity and offers a very smooth structure that discourages biofilm formation. For several applications Halar`s properties, including its tolerance to pH 1-14, makes it more suitable than both PVDF and PTFE. The polypropylene layer extends the service life under particle challenge saving time at the filter fabricator and ensures a constant bond between the media. This breakthrough overcomes some of the challenges of forming layers with Halar with its “non-stick” behavior without addition of glues or other extractables. “This could lead to other possible uses including backwashable filter bags or elements or even water impervious structures that allow air to pass in battlefield equipment,” said Mr. Griffin. Monadnock Non-Wovens, a supplier of roll goods to the filtration industry, plans to supply the unique composite in rolls up to 42 inches wide, with roll diameters up to 40 inches, and nominally rated to filter between 1-20 microns.
Government Forum Available Members of INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, can now communicate directly with other members on government and legislative issues through the Government Affairs Forum on the Association’s website. The Government Affairs Forum is a unique business tool designed to facilitate electronic networking among INDA members in the U.S. and throughout the world. Launched late last year, the forum allows members to
ask and answer questions, participate in discussion groups, read and share company and industry news, and receive government alerts regarding international and U.S. laws and regulations, exports/imports, and tariff and trade barrier issues. The Forum is monitored by Peter Mayberry, director of government affairs, and Jessica Franken, associate director of government affairs at INDA’s suburban Washington, D.C. offices. “We are working to create a network of INDA members who are interested in staying on top of government decisions that impact their businesses,” said Ms. Franken. “We all share common concerns and problems—this forum allows members and individuals to communicate on these issues with one another.” At the site, questions are posted and available to everyone subscribed to the Government Affairs Forum. Community members respond from around the world with answers/suggestions to the question. Participants can even choose to have the answers emailed directly to them. In addition, community members can log on at any time to participate in the chats.
Fujibo-Ehime Gets High Yields For Abrasives Fujibo-Ehime has seen increasing demand for its abrasive nonwovens. These abrasives are polishing pads made of nonwovens impregnated with polyurethane and are used for the abrasion of silicon wafers or hard disks. Fujibo-Ehime performs from the production of nonwovens, urethane im pregnation and molding processing and finishes up to discoidal final products and sells them. The result are high value added products that require extensive manufacturing technology, and this has propelled sales of the business beyond ¥8 billion, despite the small production scale.
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NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
U.S. Proposes Global Change In Customs Classification For Hygiene Products new designation reflects greater use of nonwovens By Peter Mayberry INDA Director of Government Affairs and Jessica Franken Associate Director of INDA Government Affairs
n a project that has been in the works for more than a year, it now appears that INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, has scored an initial success regarding a proposal to revise the global customs classification for hygiene absorbent products. And even though this project will likely take several more years to complete, we can report a significant step forward. Indeed, after meeting with INDA’s government affairs staff earlier this summer, the Bush Administration agreed to forward to the World Customs Organization (WCO) a proposal to change the current system of classifying baby diapers, feminine hygiene products, adult incontinence garments and the like so they will be identified on the basis of their function and not their composition. With U.S. trade in absorbent hygiene products reaching nearly $1.5 billion in 2006, this is likely to be a matter of great interest to the nonwoven fabrics industry.
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Background INDA began working to revise the internationally recognized customs classification of hygiene absorbent products after being approached by 20
one of our member companies in 2006. INDA was approached because, presently, the international coding system used to identify traded products—the WCO’s Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS)—classifies baby diapers, feminine sanitary napkins, adult incontinence products and similar items under several different HS “chapters” on the basis of the material of which they are composed. A baby diaper, for instance, may be classified as paper or cellulose under Chapter 48, or as textile wadding under Chapter 56, or as “articles of apparel” under HS chapters 61 or 62 depending on its composition. This method was adequate for many years because absorbent hygiene products were made with fairly simple constructions that incorporated knit, woven or cellulosic-wood-pulp-based products. But there have been technological leaps and bounds in these products over the past decade or so such that the old descriptions often no longer apply. Advances in materials science have lent themselves to new, highend products that incorporate nonWWW.NONWOVENS-INDUSTRY.COM
wovens, polyethylene film, and superabsorbent polymers (SAP) that are designed to increase absorption while dramatically reducing weight. Moreover, technology is continuing to evolve rapidly, with cutting-edge polymer science and extrusion technology continually redefining how thin nonwovens and films can become without sacrificing performance. These advancements mean a far superior product for the consumer in terms of design, comfort and efficacy. But they also mean that converted goods are going to vary greatly from product to product in terms of nonwovens, polymers and cellulose and other inputs they contain. This raises the likelihood that these products will be targeted by Customs authorities all over the world who question whether the appropriate identification has been used. Such questioning can delay shipments and otherwise hamper trade.
Creating A “Functional” Heading One way around this problem is to approach the World Customs Organization (WCO)—one of whose NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
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main competencies it is to interpret and apply the Harmonized System Nomenclature—and request a new consolidated, “functional” classification for these products in Chapter 96 of the HS, the catch-all chapter reserved for “miscellaneous manufactured articles.” Before moving forward with this plan, however, INDA engaged various key stakeholders to gauge their level of interest. After learning they would not oppose such a move, INDA vetted the idea to a much larger group of interested parties during IDEA 2007 in April in Miami. After again receiving positive feedback, INDA began the process of working with U.S. officials who would need to act as the conduit for communicating the proposal to the World Customs Organization. As noted at the beginning of this article, INDA met with officials from the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in late June, who, after hearing INDA’s case for making the change, agreed to draft a proposal for submission to the WCO this fall. The WCO updates and amends the HS every five years. The changes from the most recent review cycle were implemented this January, and a new cycle in already underway. The U.S. has said it will forward its proposal to the WCO’s so-called Review Sub-Committee (RSC) this September, and the Review Subcommittee will consider proposals until 2008. But because the overall amendment process requires engaging each of the 171-member countries, it is a lengthy process and INDA members should not expect to see any changes until 2012 at the earliest. Until then, INDA will be sure to keep its members informed about the status of this proposal as it advances, ever so slowly.
Peter Mayberry’s column appears monthly in NONWOVENS INDUSTRY.
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INDA Reaches Out To India U.S. association paves the way for nonwovens industry to enter emerging market
he world is undeniably getting smaller but, at the same time, the reach of INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, is getting larger. With international partnerships already in place in every corner of the globe where nonwovens and engineered fabrics are made and sold, INDA is now actively expanding its members’ interests into one of this century’s hottest, most promising markets—India. With one successful event held already in India—a Nonwovens Training Course in January 2007 in Mumbai—INDA is organizing a second event, called “The Link With India,” for October 16-18 in Mumbai. At the same time, INDA is establishing an office in India with the express goal of facilitating the growth of the nonwovens business in that country for its member companies. “India offers our members and the industry the next big opportunity for growth and profitability,” observed INDA president Rory Holmes, who personally spent three weeks in India earlier this year meeting with the key players and laying the groundwork for this global expansion of the association’s reach. But why is a U.S.-based trade association working so hard to build up business in a foreign market, even one with the potential of India? According to Mr. Holmes, the answer is simple economics and opportunity.
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“INDA activities in India are intended to build the awareness of the nonwovens industry to the established textile industry in that country. The goal,” he added, “is to create more business volume and profits for companies worldwide.”
in the next several years as the retail channels of distribution are established. Roads are being built at an astronomical rate, leading to a big business for geotextiles.
The Potential For Nonwovens In India
Mr. Holmes acknowledged that U.S. companies have legitimate concerns about doing business in a country still establishing its business practices. Having seen first-hand or heard anecdotally about the trials and tribulations of establishing businesses in China and other developing countries, domestic companies are understandably a bit hesitant to jump into business in India with both feet, even with an association leading the way. Mr. Holmes said forward-thinking companies must at least be willing to take that first step. “Business has become global and the companies that are doing business globally are making profits. To isolate yourself from the rest of the world can be company suicide,” he said. “One of my responsibilities as the president of INDA is to encourage people to think globally.” To that end, Mr. Holmes pointed out that India currently exports virtually no fabric and for the next several years will continue to import most of its needs while its internal industry gets started. Perhaps most promising for U.S. businesses concerned with Intellectual Property (IP) rights, Mr. Holmes explained that the Indian government
There’s no denying the growth potential in India is huge, with many observers comparing the country to the opening of China late in the 20th century. The Indian middle class is now 400 million people and growing and, of course, nonwoven consumption rises as disposable income increases. “Size of the middle class and the spending capabilities are important to our industry,” Mr. Holmes pointed out. “We have seen examples of this in Brazil and China and virtually every developing market. India, today, is where China was in 1989. India has the potential to grow even faster than China did.” In addition, the retail industry is estimated at $350 billion and is growing 20-30% annually. Wal-Mart and Reliance Industries have announced plans to build 5000 retail outlets, each. India already boasts a strong durable nonwovens market. Automotive products, geotextiles and filtration needs are currently being met with imports. Baby diapers, fem care and wipes sales will grow dramatically WWW.NONWOVENS-INDUSTRY.COM
Doing Business On The Subcontinent
NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
Nonwovens In India
and laws are based on English law and IP protection is a strong tenet of those laws. “I believe that India will do a much better job of respecting patents, trademarks and trade dress than China has done,” he commented. “It seems that the Indian government is trying to learn from the mistakes of other emerging markets.” Tariffs do remain a concern, but they have been reduced dramatically during the last several years and currently stand at around 14%. India is looking to join the WTO and as such would have to drop its tariffs significantly to qualify. Also making business in India simpler—although by no means simple—is that it is an English-speaking country and is foreign investor friendly. While the bureaucracy installed in all government ministries as well as the Royal
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Bank of India does tend to slow down progress, local help can greatly improve on results, Mr. Holmes stressed. India is also blessed with an infrastructure that is a holdover from the British Empire. There is a substantial railway system and the government is investing heavily in highways, with many changes to be in place by 2011. Among them is a new crisscrossing national highway system being built to connect north to south and east to west, as well as several Special Economic Zones being constructed that will streamline manufacturing as well as imports and exports.
The Opportunity For U.S. Companies An emerging market needs partners and cooperative ventures with established companies worldwide in order to take
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the next step in its economic advancement. That’s where INDA’s efforts are focused and where the opportunities are for domestic companies to get in on the ground floor of a truly emerging market. “Indian companies are looking for guidance, joint ventures and partnerships,” said Mr. Holmes. “I returned to the United States from my three-week trip in January with more than 100 requests and I forwarded many to INDA members. These requests include new equipment, sources of fabrics and contacts in the United States.” INDA expects more than 600 people will attend “The Link with India” conference in October. “We expect that this event will introduce the established textile industry representatives to the opportunities currently found in the developed markets,” Mr. Holmes said.
NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
International Top 40 Company
Alphabetical Listing (company—ranking/ last year’s ranking) Ahlstrom—6/6 Albis—34/36 Andrew Industries—28/* Asahi Kasei—17/16 Avgol—11/18 Fiberweb (BBA)—4/4 British Vita—18/17 Buckeye—8/8 Colbond—15/15 Companhia Providencia—10/9 Concert Industries—25/26 DuPont—2/2 Fibertex—12/13 Foss Manufacturing—30/27 Freudenberg—1/1 Georgia-Pacific—20/21 Hollingsworth & Vose—13/14 Jacob Holm—29/31 Japan Vilene—16/11 Johns Manville—7/7 Kimberly-Clark—3/3 KNH—40/39 Kuraray—39/38 Lydall—24/25 Mitsui Chemicals—26/24 Pegas—19/19 PGI—5/5 Precision Custom Coatings—36/37 Propex Fabrics—9/11 Rexcell—38/* Royal Tencate (Polyfelt) 31/30 Sandler AG—23/21 Suominen Nonwovens—35/33 Textilgruppe Hof—32/31 Toray Saehan—27/29 Toyobo—22/21 TWE—14/* Union Industries—32/35 Unitika—37/34 Western Nonwovens—21/19 *new to this year’s survey
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2006 Global Nonwovens Sales
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Freudenberg DuPont Kimberly-Clark Fiberweb Polymer Group, Inc.
$1.4 $1.35 $1.25 $1.08 $1.02
6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
Ahlstrom Johns Manville Buckeye Technologies Propex Fabrics Avgol Companhia Providencia Fibertex A/S Hollingsworth & Vose TWE Group Colbond
$1.01 billion $583 million $259 million $231 million $229 million $225 million $222 million $210 million $200 million $195 million
16. 17. 18. 19. 20.
Japan Vilene Asahi Kasei British Vita Pegas A/S Georgia-Pacific
$191 $170 $162 $152 $150
million million million million million
21. 22. 23. 24. 25.
Western Nonwovens Toyobo Sandler Lydall Concert Industries
$145 $141 $140 $136 $132
million million million million million
26. 27. 28. 29. 30.
Mitsui Toray Saehan Andrew Industries Jacob Holm Industries Foss Manufacturing
$130 $115 $110 $104 $100
million million million million million
30. 32. 32. 34. 35.
Royal TenCate Geosynthetics Textilgruppe Hof Union Industries Albis Suominen Nonwovens
$100 $90 $90 $87 $84.5
million million million million million
36. 37. 38. 39. 40.
Precision Custom Coatings Unitika Rexcell Kuraray KNH Enterprises
$82 $81 $78.5 $73 $71
million million million million million
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billion billion billion billion billion
NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
International Top 40
ONE
FREUDENBERG NONWOVENS Weinheim, Germany www.freudenberg-nw.com 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $1.4 billion Key Personnel Management Board: Bruce Olson, president and CEO, Dr. René Wollert, CFO; Georg Brasch, managing director; Worldwide Divisions: Dr. Heino Freudenberg and Gerhard Schaut, general managers of interlinings; Bill Casey, general manager of tuft, Dr. Jörg Sievert and Dr. Andreas Kreuter, general managers of filter, Christian Marx, general manager Nonwovens Europe, Juan Charlos Borchardt, general manager Latin America Plants Weinheim, Germany; Neuenburg, Germany; Kaiserslautern, Germany; Greetland, U.K.; Swindon U.K.; Colmar, France; Barcelona, Spain; St. Omero, Italy; Cape Town, South Africa; San Martin/Buenos Aires, Argentina; Jacarei, Brazil; Suzhou, China; Changchun, China; Nantong, China; Yang Mei TaoYuan, Taiwan; Tayuan, Taiwan; Durham, NC; Hopkinsville, KY and Pyungtaek, South Korea (Korea Vilene Company); Mumbai, India; Chennai, India Processes Drylaid staple fiber, wetlaid, spunbonded, meltblown, electrostatic spun microfiber, needlepunched, thermal bonded, chemical bonded, water entanglement ISO Status All locations are ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified; locations serving the automotive industry are QS 9000 certified; 25% of the plants are OSHAS 18001 certified Brand Names Vilene, Viledon, Vilmed, Pellon, MicronAir, Vlieseline, Vildona, Fliselina, Lutradur, Lutrasil, Evolon, Comfortemp, Vitech, Celestia, Soundtex Major Markets Apparel interlinings, filtration, medical, protective clothing, automotive interior trim, electrical insulation, electrical specialties, home furnishings, industrial wipes, hygiene, shoe components, coating substrates, carpet backings, landscape fabrics, geotextiles, agriculture, furniture and bedding and industrial nonwoven specialties Sales increased slightly for the world’s largest nonwovens producer Freudenberg, Weinheim, Germany as the company continued to streamline its business and prepare it for the future under the direction of new chairman Bruce Olson. A former senior vice president at chemical manufacturer Rockwood Specialties, Mr. Olson replaces Stephan Tanda, who left the company in March to join Dutch chemical company DSM. At the center of Freudenberg’s growth efforts is a restructuring program, announced in October 2005, affecting its German operations as well as a plan to streamline its North American businesses.
NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
In Germany, Freudenberg reduced its workforce throughout its facilities in Weinheim, Kaiserslautern and Bochum in a move that will save an estimated €30 million annually. Meanwhile, in North America, Freudenberg has reduced the number of corporate layers within its business to speed the decision-making processes within its specific market areas. Instead of looking at its business through different technologies, Freudenberg North America is now grouping together its tuft businesses by the industries they serve. The result has been the formation of two groups—Automotive Business and Building Products Systems. “As we add new capacity, we think this structure is a better way to go to market,” said global general manager of Freudenberg’s tufts business, William Casey. “It allows us to take all of our technologies to market in one group.” Mr. Casey took over responsibility for North America, in addition to his role at the helm of Freudenberg’s spunbond polyester tufts business, when North America president and CEO Walter Schwarz left the company in January. Additional factors positively impacting Freudenberg’s business include €7 million upgrade to its wetlaid nonwovens line in Neuenburg, Germany and continuing growth in Asia, where it operates a number of joint venture and stand-alone enterprises. Negative influences include continuing raw material concerns and pressure on the North America automotives market. Freudenberg continues to focus on five global segments—tufts, filtration, interlinings, hygiene and medical and technical. Freudenberg’s tuft division is set to benefit from the addition of a new fine denier line in Kaiserslautern, Germany that will allow it to make products with a number of polymers and shapes and essentially target a range of new market areas. Additionally, Freudenberg opened a new spunbond polyester line in Taiwan in March, which will allow it to expand capacity of its existing products. With 12,000 tons of capacity, the new line is Freudenberg’s largest of this technology and will mainly serve the Asian markets, according to executives. Freudenberg’s filter division has benefited from the introduction of several new products, all based on in-house nonwovens technology, such as full synthetic media for oil and fuel filtration, new dust removal cartridges for air pollution control, new rigid filters and new pocket filters for the HVAC markets and new micronAir cabin air filters for the collection of fine dust. “All of these new products fall into Freudenberg’s core strategy to strengthen its market position in the global filtration market,” said company spokesman Christof Schroeder. MicronAir cabin filtration systems for automotive interiors continue to be a bright spot for Freudenberg as their usage continues to grow throughout the world, activity that has been fueled
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International Top 40 by the establishment of new converting centers in Mexico, India and Slovakia, bringing it closer to customers. Still, this segment is not without its problems. “The pricing pressure in the cabin air filter segment is extremely strong due to the strong requests from the automotive industry,” Mr. Schroeder explained. Freudenberg has responded to this pressure by offering a great variety of cabin air filters, which differ in price and quality and offer the customers the most suitable solutions.” Meanwhile, in Asia Freudenberg’s filter business continues to benefit from its joint venture, formed in 2004 with Chinese partners, called Freudenberg & Vilene Filters, which acquired the filtration business of Changchun Autofilter Company. This venture is supplying motor and cabin air filter housings as well as filter elements to leading automotive manufacturers in Northern and Eastern China and is helping fuel Freudenberg’s position in the Chinese automotives market. Another segment experiencing Chinese growth is interlinings, which has followed the apparel industry’s migration to Asia. While the sharp declines of this business in developed regions has slowed down, the shift to Asia is still ongoing and Freudenberg has responded to this through the acquisition of Nantong Hymo Co., a market-leading manufacturer of interlinings in China. Since its acquisition in May 2005, Nantong Hymo has allowed Freudenberg’s Asian interlinings business to include more than 1000 employees throughout Asia where it operates five factories— in China (two), Korea, Taiwan and India. In hygiene and medical, Freudenberg continues to avoid mass production in commodity segments and instead has targeted niche applications such as topsheets, barrier leg cuffs, acquisition layers and textile backsheets as well as products for incontinence and feminine hygiene and nonwovens for woundcare applications. The fifth segment, technical, includes a wide range of smaller niche and specialty segments. One of these areas, battery separators, has benefited from the acquisition of SciMat, Ltd., Swindon, U.K., a world leader in finishing of battery separators. Another strong market for Freudenberg is bedding and mattress, an area that has appeared on the radars of many nonwovens producers since antiflammability legislation was passed in the U.S. last year and enacted earlier this summer. For its part, Freudenberg offers a full range of tops, sides and bottoms of mattresses that allows bedding manufacturers to achieve the antiflammability standards issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission that mattress materials not combust when subjected to heat for a set amount of time. “We provide services that our customers would not be able to achieve certification without,” explained Mr. Casey, calling flame blocker mattresses a large market for nonwovens with high margins. “It’s really a challenge to do business in this marketplace because it’s taken so long for these regulations to come to light.” Beyond, Freudenberg’s five key divisions is its Evolon business, which was first established in 1999 when the company began making the continuous filament spunlace nonwovens on a line in Colmar, France. Since then, the company has been quietly focusing on reducing the weight of this material, which features attractive drape and easy launderability, and
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promoting its benefits in markets that may not typically use nonwovens. Now, the company is finally looking realistically at plans for a second Evolon production line, probably in 2010, although the size and location of this new line has not been finalized. “We are seeing Evolon as a great replacement for printable PVC,” Christof Schroeder said. “It is cost competitive and can take a lot of printing.” Additionally, the acoustical benefits of Evolon have made it popular in the automotives market. Freudenberg’s Novolon technology, which can transform a twodimensional woven or nonwoven substrate into a three-dimensional product to improve performance in a number of applications, is now being used by sister company Freudenberg Household Products, Augsburg, Germany, to produce household wipes. Meanwhile, on the global front, Freudenberg continues its aggressive growth strategy throughout the world. In addition to investment in its Asian interlinings, filtration and tufts businesses, the company has recently taken steps to beef up its Latin American presence through a new joint venture with Ted Rad Cuyo (TRC), an Argentinean fiber supplier, called Bicomfiber S.A. Established in June, the new company will produce different types of bicomponent fibers for multiple purposes and applications. TRC, the main shareholder of the new company, is one of the most important producers of polypropylene fiber for the hygiene market in Latin America. “We are proud of the new venture, which enlarges our involvement within the market in Latin America,” said Guillermo Kraves, president of TRC. Freudenberg Nonwovens Latin America is the nonwovens regional market leader in non-commodity businesses. “We will continue to deliver different types of added value products to our customer. The raw material sourcing is a key part of our growth strategy,” said Juan Carlos Borchardt, president of Freudenberg Nonwovens Latin America. "With this new joint venture we will be able to offer a complete package of different materials for the markets where we are presently active, being better prepared for the new challenges to come.” Bicomfiber will be headquartered near Buenos Aires, Argentina, with an annual capacity exceeding 10,000 tons. And, in a move to help it expand in Eastern Europe, Freudenberg Politex, its roofing and construction unit, opened the group’s first Russian plant in the Zavolzhie, Nizhniy Novgorod region in late 2006. The plant produces nonwoven backing for roofing membranes that have better insulation properties and a service life two to three times longer than that of the roofing boards used to date. This is the world’s largest and most modern production facility of its kind, according to the company. The new plant belongs to the Freudenberg Politex Business Group headquartered in Novedrate, Italy. Some €15 million has been invested in the project, which was completed in the space of two years and has brought 40 jobs. When announcing the new plant, Freudenberg executives referred to the region as a great growth area for a number of Freudenberg businesses and while further plans have not been announced for the region, executives have hinted that these are imminent.
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NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
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International Top 40 TWO
DUPONT NONWOVENS Wilmington, DE www.dupont.com 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $1.35 billion Key Personnel Matt Trerotola, vice president and general manager DuPont Nonwovens; Mahesh Mansukhani, global business directorTyvek/Typar and Nigel Budden, global business director-Sontara, Sandy van Wormer, president, HMT Venture Plants Richmond, VA (Tyvek); Old Hickory, TN (Sontara, Suprel, Softesse); Luxembourg (Tyvek, Typar); Asturias, Spain (Sontara) and Shenzhen, China (Tyvek and Sontara converting facility) ISO Status All plants ISO 9002 certified; Luxembourg facility also 9001 certified Processes Flash spun (Tyvek), spunbond (Typar), spunlaced (Sontara), Advanced Composite Technology, Hybrid Membrane Technology Brand Names Tyvek, Tychem, Sontara, Suprel, Softesse, ComforMax, Typar (worldwide except North, Central and South America) Major Markets Construction, health care, protective apparel, industrial, filtration, absorbents, home furnishings, envelopes, geotextiles, graphics, packaging, footwear, automotive A slowdown in the North American construction market kept DuPont’s growth in the 6-7% range in 2006, but company executives are optimistic that new products and other initiatives will enable the company to achieve its goal of double-digit growth in the near future. “North America has a number of markets that are a little slower than we had been used to historically,” said Matthew Trerotola, general manager of DuPont Nonwovens. “However, we still have a goal of stretching growth into the double-digit range. It’s unlikely we will make it in 2007, but we are continuing to drive for it.” Despite constant raw material pressures, DuPont continues to achieve solid earnings growth, an admittedly difficult task for a company that prides itself on value and innovation. “We are still committed to innovation. We continue to invest significantly and are confident that we are the innovation and technological leader in the nonwovens industry and in selective barrier technology. We are working on opportunities where our customers and their customers see value. “It’s always a challenge to strengthen our value proposition,” Mr. Trerotola added. “There have been a number of tough calls we have made in specific segments.” As economic pressures have softened some of North America’s key markets, DuPont has enjoyed considerable growth in Western Europe as well as in a number of key developing markets such as South America, Eastern Europe and Asia. Other than a line centered on the proprietary DuPont
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Hybrid Membrane Technology that came onstream in Korea two years ago, DuPont to date has not made significant capital investment in emerging markets; instead the company has focused on beefing up sales and technical support infrastructures to accelerate growth. “We are committed to and excited about growth in Asia and are definitely increasing our resources there to drive that growth,” Mr. Trerotola said. “We will continue to look over time—as we have the need for additional assets—for the best locations for them based on a whole set of factors. Surely Asia would be up for consideration.” Currently DuPont operates a technical center in India and an automotive center in Japan. “We are being proactive about participating in those areas and having resources close to our customers with capabilities to expand our reach.” Beyond geographical growth, a number of key markets will add to DuPont Nonwovens’ growth in coming years including construction, protective apparel, medical packaging and graphics. “We have seen significant growth across all of the key DuPont Tyvek segments, and we expect ongoing future growth if we focus on the right customers and opportunities.” Other new markets for DuPont include automotives, agriculture and electronics. One offering showing great potential for DuPont is its new Hybrid Membrane Technology, acquired from a Korean company in 2005 and commercialized on a new line in Korea last year. The material bridges the gap between a membrane and a traditional nonwoven and plays right into the company’s strategy of focusing on selective barrier technology. Executives expect the material to help DuPont target the filtration and energy storage markets. Already, the technology received an IDEA 2007 Achievement Award from INDA in April 2007 and has received significant interest throughout the industry. “We are on track and making very positive progress,” Mr. Trerotola said. “We have already begun demonstrating the material’s core value proposition—the combination of submicron filtration with high flux. We are really excited about what HMT can do in terms of cleaner environments, better protection of processes and less energy consumption.” Hybrid Membrane Technology also offers non-diminishing filtration efficiency, giving users the ability to achieve the performance they need without electrostatic charges. Barrier technology has been an important part of DuPont Nonwovens since the beginning. Describing Tyvek flashspun nonwovens—which is marking its 40th anniversary this year—as the ultimate selective barrier, Mr. Trerotola said new investments in this technology revolve around enhancing the material’s functionality to provide added value for customers.
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For example, DuPont is finalizing new technology at its Luxembourg facility that will allow it to produce Tyvek with a high-tech metallization as well as apply other coatings to the Tyvek fiber structure. In other investment news, DuPont has expanded and improved secondary processing capabilities for construction applications at its Richmond, VA plant. While construction continues to be the largest market for Tyvek, DuPont officials are noting growth across its other core markets—medical packaging, protective apparel, envelopes and graphics—as well. “We have seen a rejuvenation of our envelopes and graphics markets by focusing on specific areas that help our customers maintain their competitive edge,” Mr. Trerotola said. “We continue to have strong growth in medical packaging and continue to help end users and regulators understand the benefits of using Tyvek.” Tyvek is also benefiting from a corporate-wide commitment to the personal protection market through the DuPont Personal Protection (DPP) division, which includes all of the company’s assets targeting personal protection applications. The division maintains a database containing more than 2500 combinations of chemical hazards. “If a customer needs protection from a specific hazard, we can download information to help determine the best protective solution,” Mr. Trerotola explained. Beyond the five traditional focus areas for Tyvek, DuPont Nonwovens has been making inroads into other areas where the company has had success, such as automotives, electronics and agriculture. “We have seen exciting opportunities in taking Tyvek into markets that have been strongholds for DuPont but not necessarily for Tyvek.” Meanwhile, the DuPont spunlace business—Sontara—is split into two divisions, medical and performance fabrics. Last year was reportedly a strong growth year for medical fabrics as well as some of the key applications with diversified fabrics. “We have been reducing our emphasis on some of the more commoditized and lower value segments within diversified fabrics.” For example, DuPont has limited its participation in the consumer wipes market, recognizing that there are many other spunlace manufacturers who are stronger in that area. “There are definitely niche areas within wipes or specialty wipes where we are a leader or positioned to be a leader, such as printing, car cleaning or aerospace,” Mr. Trerotola said. “It’s really about the quality of the wipes we create, which our customers value.” In the medical arena, the DuPont spunlace product— Softesse—has been a leader in gowns and drapes for many years. “We and our customers have created the single-use gown and drape category, and through the years we have been a pioneer here along with our customers.” While spunlace has seen its share of competition in the medical apparel market, it continues to be the leading choice for medical personnel. And, with many world regions still using reusables, growth opportunities continue for spunlaced nonwovens.
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International Top 40 Beyond spunlace, DuPont offers a number of products that offer more barrier protection than Softesse, including its Suprel product, featuring the company’s Advanced Composite Technology—a combination of polypropylene and polyethylene—as well as a film product, Acturel. However, DuPont has stayed away from the SMS market— which has seen significant penetration in medical applications—considering the technology to be largely commoditized. “Suprel is having success with customers who appreciate the higher value proposition, higher comfort than SMS and better protection.” In other new product news, DuPont in April introduced DuPont Engineered Elastic Nonwovens, stretch fabrics designed to fit a range of industry needs. They have been produced on a large-scale pilot line since late 2006. Fabrics produced through this new technology can be high stretch or high stretch with varying degrees of elastic recovery power, depending on end user needs. The proprietary fabrics offer 100% stretch and 80% recovery; between 200%
and 500% extensibility is possible with some recovery power. Engineered Elastic Nonwovens fabrics are latex-free, use no elastomeric polymers and are based on spunlaced technology. Targeting both converters and end users, the soft and high stretch materials provide unique elastic functionality and deliver soft-stretch comfort and ease of use. Potential applications include ear-loop facemasks, softstretch hoods, knit-like stretchable gown sleeves and cuffs in protective and cleanroom apparel, hygiene side panels, wound dressing, elastic bandages and low-power wound care sleeves, elastic protective covers, elastic interlinings and elastic composites. It is through technologies like HMT and Engineered Elastic Nonwovens that DuPont will continue its role as an innovation leader in the nonwovens industry, despite day-to-day challenges. “We have a vision of where we want to be, and that allows us to create new products and target new areas for growth,” Mr. Trerotola said.
THREE
KIMBERLY-CLARK Dallas, TX www.kimberly-clark.com 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $1.25 billion Key Personnel Thomas Falk, chairman and CEO; Bob Stargel, vice president, Nonwovens Operations and Technology; Mark Foreste, vice president, Partnership Products Plants Corinth, MS; Balfour, NC; Lexington, NC; LaGrange, GA; Neenah, WI ISO Status Certification achieved in Lexington, NC and LaGrange, GA; other facilities in progress Processes Spunbond, meltblown, SMS, BCW, hydroentangled and Coform Brand Names Blockit protective fabric, Cyclean filtration media, Dustop protective fabric, Evolution 4 protective fabric, Intrepid filtration media, Noah protective fabric, Powerloft filtration media and QuieTech acoustic media Major Markets Filtration, acoustics, hygiene, industrial, medical, packaging, protective, sorbents, textile linings and wet wipes Kimberly-Clark, the world’s third leading nonwoven roll goods producer, reported continued growth in its Partnership Products’ converted and nonwoven roll goods external businesses. Partnership Products, which focuses on Business to Business needs met or exceeded its goals in its targeted segments in 2006, attributing its success to two key factors—organic growth and new product launches. “We had a good year,” reported J.C. Sneyd, director of marketing and sales for K-C’s Partnership Products business. “2006 was
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quite satisfactory with our focused sectors growing at or above the industry growth rate. We are fortunate to have an excellent customer base that continues to grow and promote our growth.” At the corporate level, K-C saw steady sales growth of more than 5% in 2006, with sales reaching $16.7 billion as a result of a 2% rise in sales volumes. Meanwhile, operating profit hit $2.1 billion. The benefits of top-line growth, along with cost savings of about $265 million offset inflation in key cost components, totaling approximately $385 million. The percentage of K-C’s total nonwoven capacity targeting external markets remains at about 15% while 85% is used internally to supply the company’s huge consumer and medical products businesses and leading brands such as Huggies disposable diapers and training pants, Depend adult incontinence products and Kotex sanitary protection items. The ratio of KC’s nonwovens usage to internal/external business areas has been fairly steady for quite a few years in spite of capacity increases and the fact that its machines are kept evergreen. Commenting on the state of the global nonwovens industry, Mr. Sneyd observed that the market is somewhat in a state of flux due to recent merger and acquisition activity. “We have seen several instances where older or obsolete capacity is being retired by other companies.” He added that K-C’s strategy continues to be a strong focus on unique products, an area where the company is still seeing significant activity. “We tend to shy away from commodity products,” he said. Another advantage for K-C is its technology portfolio. “For instance,” explained Mr. Sneyd, “while meltblowing technology has been around for many years, our meltblown assets, which are
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International Top 40 not your typical, off-the-shelf process, have led to the incorporation of roll goods into unique converted product solutions in our Partnership Products business.” K-C’s nonwovens business unit—formerly known as the Nonwoven Fabrics business—changed its name last year to Kimberly Clark Partnership Products. The new name is a reflection of the company’s capabilities outside of the roll goods arena. “We not only supply roll goods, we are also active in providing converted solutions for our customers.” Mr. Sneyd explained that K-C converts some of its own products and outsources some converting projects as well. As for K-C’s diaper business, in 2006 the company launched two new products, Huggies Supreme Gentle Care and Huggies Supreme Natural Fit diapers. These innovative products, launched simultaneously in North America and Europe in the third quarter of last year, increased volume and marketshare for K-
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C's diaper business in both geographies. Beyond new product launches, K-C intends to further improve its competitive position through a previously announced cost reduction plan, which is part of a comprehensive, multi-year effort announced in July 2005. The plan calls for streamlining manufacturing and administrative operations primarily in North America and Europe, with expected annual savings of at least $350 million by 2009. With this savings, the company plans to reinvest in targeted growth opportunities, improve key capabilities as well as support margin improvement. Part of this strategy was the phasing out of half the remaining production at its Lakeview diaper plant in Menasha, WI by the end of August. The final closure is slated for the middle of December. About 280 people still work at the Lakeview plant, which once employed as many as 500. K-C announced in March 2006 that it would
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close the plant, which manufactures Huggies diapers, by the end of 2007 as part of a consolidation of its American baby and childcare operations into three facilities in Beach Island, SC; Paris, TX; and Ogden, UT. Another key development this year at K-C is the creation of a new Global Marketing organization, which stems from ongoing efforts to extend its brandbuilding capabilities, accelerate growth and product innovation and improve the effectiveness of its marketing resources. As part of the new structure, three senior executives with extensive consumer products and marketing experience have joined K-C in new roles. Similar to other nonwovens producers, K-C is keeping a close eye on environmental concerns and in 2006 launched Vision 2010, the third, five-year phase of a 15-year sustainability effort that has yielded significant reductions in energy consumption, fresh water usage, manufacturing waste landfilled and air emissions benefiting the environment while reducing the company's operating costs. Among key achievements over the past year, K-C reduced its energy use by 2%, increased efficiency by approximately 3%, decreased greenhouse gas emissions per ton of production at its manufacturing operations by 2% and increased the use of certified fiber in its products for the fourth consecutive year. Additionally, K-C updated its fiber procurement policy to maximize the use of environmentally responsible wood fiber and provide that K-C will not knowingly use fiber from forest areas requiring protection. “The environmental and social challenges society will face in the coming decades—from climate change and tighter regulations to growth in developing markets—are real issues that will require changes in behavior, new ways of operating and broader cooperation among individuals, companies and governments,” said Thomas Falk, chairman and CEO. “We are prepared to do our part to meet these challenges.” Looking toward 2008 and beyond, K-C plans to continue to follow the path that has brought the company success so far. “We continue to keep our assets evergreen,” stated Mr. Sneyd. “We also continue to meet the growing demands of our organic businesses and at the same time support our exploration into new products.”
NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
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International Top 40 FOUR
FIBERWEB PLC London, U.K. www.fiberweb.com 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $1.08 billion Fiberweb Americas Old Hickory, TN americas@fiberweb.com Plants Green Bay, WI; Queretaro, Mexico; Old Hickory, TN; Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil; Simpsonville, SC; Washougal, WA Processes Chemical bonded, thermal bonding, meltblown, sorbent composites, spunbond PP, PE and PET, bicomponent spunbond PP, PE, PET, and PLA Brand Names Celestra, Excell, Reemay, Korma, Liberty, Qualiflo, Starweb, AQF, Securon, Terram, Typar, Softex, Sofspan, Webril, Biobarrier, Bidim, Linopor, UltraFlo Major Markets Construction and ground contact, consumer care, filtration, hygiene, medical and protective markets, industrial specialties, sorbent materials Fiberweb Asia Kowloon, Hong Kong asia@fiberweb.com Plant Tianjin, China Processes (including imports) Airlaid, chemical bonded, thermal bonding, meltblown, sorbent composites, spunbond PP, PE and PET, bicomponent spunbond PP, PE, PET, and PLA Brand Names (including imports) Celestra, Excell, Reemay, Korma, Starweb, AQF, Securon, Terram, Typar, Softex, Sofspan, Webril, Novonette, Biobarrier, Bidim, Linopor, UltraFlo Major Markets Construction and ground contact, consumer care, filtration, hygiene, medical and protective markets, industrial specialties, sorbent materials Fiberweb Europe Trezzano Rosa, Italy europe@fiberweb.com Plants Biesheim, France; Aschersleben, Germany; Berlin, Germany; Trezzano Rosa, Italy; Pontypool, U.K.; Norrköping, Sweden; AlKhobar, Saudi Arabia (JV); Port Elizabeth, South Africa (JV), Peine, Germany; Peregallo di Lesmo, Italy, Terno d’Isola, Italy Processes Airlaid, chemical bonded, through air bonded, thermal bonding, meltblown, sorbent composites, spunbond PP, PE and PET,
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bicomponent spunbond PP, PE, PET, and PLA Brand Names Celestra, Excell, Reemay, Korma, Starweb, AQF, Securon, Terram, Typar, Softex, Sofspan, Webril, Novonette, Biobarrier, Bidim, Linopor, UltraFlo Major Markets Construction and ground contact, consumer care, filtration, hygiene, medical and protective markets, industrial specialties, sorbent materials
It’s been a busy 12 months for Fiberweb (formerly BBA Fiberweb). Not only did the global nonwovens producer separate itself from parent company BBA Group in November 2006, it has spent much of 2007 streamlining its global business including the sale of some businesses and expansions in other areas. In 2006, the company reported a 3.1% sales decline to £584.7 million due largely to a North American restructuring program, announced in mid-2006. This plan called for the closure of older production lines as well as the consolidation of Fiberweb’s Simpsonville, SC site into a smaller area. In June 2007, Fiberweb shut down two production lines—a narrow SMS line and a narrow spunbond line—in Washougal, WA and in June closed an SMMMS barrier line, a spunbond line and a portion of a pilot line in Simpsonville. These closures followed the shutdown of Fiberweb’s Toronto facility, which included the transfer of one line to Mexico and one to Berlin, Germany, which fit more strategically with the company’s manufacturing infrastructure. Additionally, in December Fiberweb sold its remaining stake in CNC, a manufacturer of spunbonded nonwovens, to its joint venture partner CPPC, a Bangkok, Thailand-based diversified plastics company with annual sales exceeding $13 billion. Based in Rayong, Thailand, CNC has been producing nonwovens since 1996. More recently, Fiberweb announced in June it would close its Gray Court, SC plant, which contains a spunbond polyester production line, after efforts to improve the performance of this machine proved unsuccessful. Business on this line will be transitioned to other spunbond polyester lines at Fiberweb’s Old Hickory, TN facility. And, in a further streamlining of its business, in March the company sold its hygiene wipes business to Ahlstrom for a reported €65 million. The sale included assets in Bethune, SC, Spain and Italy, including lines acquired in recent years from Tenotex and Technofibra and representing about £83 million in annual sales for the company.
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International Top 40 “In 2006, a strategic analysis of the global wipes business revealed overcapacity in spunlace capacity in Europe and the U.S. as well as a large number of small competitors,” said director of marketing and business development Raymond Dunleavy. “Subsequently, Fiberweb announced its intention to address the poor performance of its hygiene wipes business which includes spunlace operations around the world. The options available included a rationalization of the existing business, acquisitions of small competitors to consolidate industry or the sale to another who would be consolidated. Management felt that the sale of the business to Ahlstrom was the best course for our shareholders and employees in the affected units.” Amidst these closures and divestments, however, Fiberweb continues to invest in its business for future growth. According to Mr. Dunleavy, investment reached £51.4 million in 2006 and included a new 5.2 meter Reicofil spunbond line in Sweden, which is now onstream and running at full production, an airlaid line in Italy, a polyester recycling facility in Old Hickory, TN and investments in industrial sites in Brazil, the U.K. and Germany. Additionally, Fiberweb is underway with a new airlaid line in Tianjin, China, this plant’s second to serve feminine hygiene and adult incontinence customers. “Our global airlaid business is robust,” Mr. Dunleavy explained. “We have completed the installation and startup of a new state-of-theart line in Italy and are now installing a second line in our plant in China. This capacity is targeted to the needs of our global hygiene customers that we already serve with spunmelt fabrics. A significant portion of this new capacity is now contracted.” Fiberweb continues to focus the nonwovens division on two key areas—hygiene and industrial. In 2006, Fiberweb’s hygiene business declined in the U.S. due to the Simpsonville and Washougal closures during 2006 while in Europe the company continued to enjoy a market leading position, which is being enhanced by the new Swedish line. And, according to reports, additional investment in spunmelt will be made in the near term to support future growth in hygiene globally. “Fiberweb is one of the few nonwovens manufacturers with a global presence in the hygiene business, which we consider a competitive advantage in meeting the needs of global diaper and feminine hygiene marketers,” Mr. Dunleavy added. Also set to boost Fiberweb’s hygiene business is a new technology platform, currently under development, which will use low cost, sustainable raw materials. This technology will target both hygiene and industrial applications. “There is a growing awareness among consumers in the U.S. and Europe of our relationship with the planet and growing willingness to change habits and practices to be more environmentally responsible,” Mr. Dunleavy explained. Already, in April Fiberweb launched EcoFabrics, a line of nonwovens made from at least 50% renewable materials. The line features Ingeo fibers made from NatureWorks PLA resin and includes carded thermal and resin bonded nonwovens
NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
manufactured in Europe as well as unique bicomponent PP/PLA spunbond fabrics made in the U.S. Executives expect key applications for EcoFabrics to include food packaging and hygiene as well as a number of other traditional nonwovens markets. Meanwhile, the other leg of Fiberweb’s business, Industrial, grew 5% in 2006. Moving forward, executives expect to see growth continue in filtration applications but level off in construction due to weakness in the U.S. housing market. “Fiberweb enjoys strong technical, brand and marketshare positions in important segments of the large and growing market for industrial nonwoven fabrics, particularly filtration and the specialty construction segments. Our best prospects lie in these segments where technical differentiation, close customer contact, branding and innovation are valued,” Mr. Dunleavy said. “In addition, we continue to gain marketshare with the superior performance properties of our product line, even in the declining housing market.” In the weather protection market—an area considered prime for growth—Fiberweb has developed two new products. Typar MetroWrap is Fiberweb’s first introduction to the commercial market for Weather Resistant Barriers and Weather Protection Systems. MetroWrap is specifically designed for the needs of the commercial market with 12 months resistance to UV exposure and extra durability for high wind applications. Typar StormWrap is designed to withstand extreme weather conditions and protect building occupants from flying debris in high wind conditions such as those experienced during hurricanes. “Fiberweb continues to find other new applications for the Typar product line in areas where its tensile strength and rigidity add value,” Mr. Dunleavy said. “New products range from earth-filled, quick deployment barriers for military and emergency response markets to long-lasting can separator pads for the beverage industry.” In geotextiles, Fiberweb’s Terram operation in Pontypool, U.K. has developed new applications for traditional geotextile fabrics in civil and military defense programs. This development program began with highly engineered applications for road building and slope stablilization and has also found applications in novel, rapidly deployed geotextile barriers, used to create a safer work environment for fuel depots, fleet support and various other military field applications. Moving forward, Fiberweb will continue to examine its business for strengths as well as the nonwovens industry for its needs to plan for future growth. In fact, quicker response to the demands of the global nonwovens industry has been one of the key benefits of being separated from the BBA Group, according to Mr. Dunleavy. “The pace of decision making at Fiberweb has increased since our separation from the BBA Group in November 2006,” he said. “Fiberweb’s strategic intent is to create and sustain value by exploiting and developing our strengths in nonwovens and aggressively addressing our weaknesses,” he added. “An example of this is the divestiture of the wipes business earlier this year.”
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International Top 40
FIVE
POLYMER GROUP, INC. Charlotte, NC www.polymergroupinc.com 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $1.02 billion Key Personnel Veronica Hagen, chief executive officer; Willis (Billy) Moore, III, chief financial officer; Mike Hale, chief operating officer; Bob Dale, vice president of research and development; Fernando Espinosa, senior vice president and general manager, Europe; Rolando Dominguez, vice president, general manager, Latin America; Bill Spencer, vice president, general manager, Canada; Greg Crawford, vice president, general manager, U.S.; Rick Ferencz, vice president, engineering; Dennis Norman, vice president, strategic planning and communication Plants Landisville, NJ; Benson, NC; North Little Rock, AR; Mooresville, NC; Waynesboro, VA; Clackamas, Oregan; Clearfield, Utah; Guntown, Mississippi; Kingman, Kansas; Magog, Quebec; North Bay, Ontario; Cuijk, The Netherlands; San Luis Potosi, Mexico; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Bailleul, France; Nanhai, China; Suzhou, China; Cali, Colombia ISO Status Landisville, NJ; Benson, NC; North Little Rock, AR; Mooresville, NC; Waynesboro, VA; Nanhai, China; Buenos Aires, Argentina; San Luis Potosi, Mexico; and Cuijk, The Netherlands are ISO 9002 certified Processes Spunbonded, meltblown, SMS, composites, through air bonded, adhesive bonded, resin bonded, thermal bonded, spunlaced, airlaid, apertured film, film laminates, sonic laminated, extruded polyolefins, thermal laminated, Apex, Spinlace, other proprietary fabric forming, surfacing and binding systems Brand Names Apex, Agriban, Agribon, Amira, Aquapex, Bonlinn, Bonsec, Chicopee, Chicopee Cares, Chix, Chux, Comfortlace, Comfortsilk, Duralace, Durapex, Dura-Tex, Freeswell, Isolite, Keybak, Kiara, Masslin, Matline, Medisoft, Medisoft Ultra, Multi-Strike, PolyBreathe, Poly-Safe, Quat-Safe, Provira, Reticulon, Reforel, Softlin, Soft-Touch, SuperSoft, TopSwell, Thermoform, Thermospost Ultra Dryloft, Titan, Ultra-Ply, Xiora Sales topped the $1 billion mark for the first time for Polymer Group Inc. in 2006 as the company felt the benefits of several new capacity expansions throughout the world. Key highlights of the year include the start up of new spunbond lines in Cali, Colombia; Mooresville, NC; and Suzhou, China, as well as a new chemical bonding line in Nanhai, China; the relocation of corporate headquarters from North Charleston, SC to Charlotte, NC; and the finalization of plans to add a new spunbond line in Argentina. And, PGI has continued strong into 2007 with new CEO Veronica Hagen firmly in place, a North American restructuring plan underway and a brand new nonwovens technology set
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to increase its role in the wipes market. “PGI is a growth corporation with a global footprint,” said Ms. Hagen. “The company is already culturally innovative in itself so there is a really good platform on which to grow. PGI is doing an extremely good job of being in the right places with the right technologies.” Ms. Hagen joined PGI in April, six months after former CEO James Schaeffer was asked to resign as a result of an internal investigation by the company’s audit committee. Since 2004, Ms. Hagen had held the position of president and chief executive officer of Sappi Fine Paper North America, a $1.4 billion division of the South African-based global leader in the pulp and paper industry, Sappi Limited. “As the nominating committee began its search for a new CEO, our primary goal was to identify candidates with a high level of stature and leadership. Flowing from that criterion was the desire for someone with a record of success, strong industrial experience in a global marketplace and a strong focus on the customer,” said William Hewitt, PGI’s chairman who served as interim CEO during the search process. “Ronee Hagen meets all of those qualifications and joins PGI with an outstanding record of performance and expertise in capital-intensive industrial markets. She has demonstrated the ability to grow profitability in some very tough businesses and has done so with a customer-centric focus. We are confident these characteristics make her the perfect person to lead PGI into its next phase of growth, profitability and success,” Mr. Hewitt continued. Ms. Hagen’s chief goal is to keep PGI on the same path of growth and innovation it has been on for the past five years. “We will optimize our current footprint and look at new areas to move into,” she said. In other organizational changes, PGI named two veteran executives to the newly created global positions of chief operating officer and vice president of research and development in July. Mike Hale, who has been with the company for 35 years, has been named COO, managing operations for all of PGI's regional businesses in the U.S., Europe, Latin America, Canada and Asia. He most recently was vice president and general manager for U.S. and Europe. Bob Dale, with PGI for 16 years, has been tapped as vice president of research and development and is leading the company's R&D activities and customer-focused innovation strategies taking place around the world. He previously was vice president of sales and marketing for U.S. Nonwovens. The company also established a new position of vice president of global marketing, with responsibility for global coordination of the company's marketing initiatives, and PGI is actively in the process of filling this
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International Top 40 executive leadership role. Additionally, PGI named company veteran Fernando Espinosa to the position of senior vice president and general manager, Europe reporting to the COO. The new organizational structure is expected to help prepare PGI for future growth. Part of this growth is expected to occur through the introduction of its new Spinlace nonwovens, launching a new category of fabrics that deliver high performance at best value pricing and represent the first in a new generation of nonwovens technologies that will be the cornerstone for future product development, according to executives. Spinlace is made on an efficient manufacturing process that incorporates continuous filament technology with hydroentanglement to eliminate the carding step necessary in traditional spunlace production, according to executives. Spinlace also uses PGI’s proprietary Apex imaging technology to impart unique three-dimensional images directly on the fabric. In announcing the new technology at the IDEA07 trade exhibition, Mr. Hale called Spinlace a first step in developing a more efficient and dynamic method of incorporating continuous filament materials to achieve a variety of product attributes by looking to change the way nonwovens are made. “We consider our current commercial initiatives to produce Spinlace materials as only the beginning of our efforts to develop a more efficient and dynamic method of incorporating continuous filament materials to achieve a variety of product attributes including softness, strength, elasticity, bulk and more.” During phase one of Spinlace’s commercialization, PGI will mainly target the North American wipes market where it will compete against standard spunlace installations. Phase two will focus on commercialization in the global wipes market as well as into new market areas. Beyond that, attention will be paid to new raw materials. Spinlace fabrics, and the process used to make them, can result in stronger, more absorbent materials than comparable materials at lower weights and with a better value proposition than traditional manufacturing methods. PGI has invested in the upgrade of a commercial line, as well as a pilot line, for continuous research and development efforts. The first line will be located in Benson, NC and is expected to be commercial during the second half of 2007. Amidst this major launch, PGI continues to remain committed to traditional nonwovens technologies, particularly spunmelt nonwovens. In fact, the company secured its place as a major global supplier of the material last month when it said it would add a 15,000-ton spunmelt line in North America to serve hygiene customers in the U.S. and Mexico. Also under construction is a new Reifenhauser Reicofil line at its DNS facility near Buenos Aires, Argentina. This wide-width, multi-beam line will more than double the capacity of the Argentina location responding to customers’ needs for PGI’s products in the South American region. The new line is expected to come onstream in late 2007. These lines are the latest in a string of several new spunmelt lines added by PGI since 2005. Other installations include a fourth spunmelt line in Mooresville, NC, which came onstream in early 2006 to help meet demand for products in North America. Also new to PGI’s business is a new spunmelt line in Suzhou, China, which began contributing to the topline growth during the fourth quarter of 2006. Located near Shanghai, this new line targets medical and hygiene applica-
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tions as well as a finishing line capable of making related medical fabrics. And, in the fourth quarter of 2005, PGI added a second spunmelt line to its facility in Cali, Colombia, more than doubling this plant’s output. According to Dennis Norman, vice president, strategic planning and communication, these new lines contributed to 2006’s growth and are expected to help continue this growth pattern for 2007. These gains were able to recoup softness felt in PGI’s Canadian division during 2006 caused by foreign competition in the housewrap business, brought on largely by increased polyethylene prices following Hurricane Katrina in late 2005. However, the company feels this market is now back on track to grow—albeit from a smaller base—on the heels of new product introductions. New product introductions are also boosting PGI’s involvement in the automotive market. This spring, the company introduced new substrates for moldable automotive components made from recyclable materials that improve acoustics in vehicles. Used in trunk and wheel well liners, the substrates made from recyclable polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate provide a barrier to absorb sound and reduce noise in the interior compartment of a vehicle by 25-30%. PGI developed a unique one-step manufacturing process that combines the recycled materials with a top virgin-facing material, integrating both through layering and needlepunching. This onestep process, combined with the use of recyclable materials, produces a more cost-effective product. Also new to PGI’s product lineup is MediSoft Ultra, an advanced high-performance fabric for medical garments and other single-use apparel. New capabilities at PGI’s recently opened state-of-the-art plant in Suzhou, China and proprietary advances in PGI’s spunmelt manufacturing process enable the company to achieve the higher barrier protection, greater comfort and enhanced softness that the market is seeking. Also expected to boost PGI’s business is the new Consumer Product Safety Commission mattress flammability standards, which went into effect July 1. PGI has developed a high-performance, antiflammable fabric and has partnered with Hanes Industries, a leading distributor to the home furnishings industry, to distribute this fabric as a facing material on the bottom of no-flip mattresses under Hanes’ brand name, Stratus. Stratus fabric acts as a FR facing material so an additional fabric layer is not needed in the mattress construction. It is made with PGI’s proprietary Apex technology that produces stronger and heavier fabrics with enhanced tear and abrasion resistance when compared to traditional alternative materials. This technology also allows three-dimensional images to be imparted directly into the fabric for improved performance. “With more than 22 million mattresses sold nationwide, the new federal bed safety standards have created a tremendous opportunity for the nonwovens industry unlike any other we’ve seen in the past,” said Rick Pearce, senior director of PGI. “We are offering a high-performance FR product that assures quality and helps mattress manufacturers of all sizes meet the new regulations. Through our supply chain partnership with Hanes, we are able to deliver FR fabrics to the market in the quickest and most efficient manner, meeting this real-time need.”
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NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
International Top 40
SIX
AHLSTROM Helsinki, Finland www.ahlstrom.com 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $1.01 billion Personnel Jukka Moisio, president and CEO; Randal Davis, senior vice president, filtration; Claudio Ermondi, senior vice president, nonwovens; Tommi Bjormann, senior vice president, glass nonwovens; Paul Marold, VP/GM medical nonwovens; Jean-Marie Becker, VP/GM industrial nonwovens; Martin Davis, VP/GM wipes nonwovens; Michael Black, VP/GM food nonwovens; Francesca Camerano, communications director, nonwovens; Jerome Barrillon, director of marketing, filtration Processes Needlepunch, resin bonded, spunlaced, nanofiber, spunmelt/spunbond, wetlaid, wetlaid/Hydraspun, wetlaid/spunlace composite, composite nonwovens, wetlaid/Trinitex, process enhancements, SPC Plant Locations Turin, Italy; Milan, Italy; Malmedy, Belgium; Brignoud, France; Stalldallen Sweden; Alicante, Spain; Green Bay, WI; Windsor Locks, CT; Bethune, SC; Louveira, Brazil; Seoul, Korea Continuing its aggressive growth strategy is Ahlstrom, a nonwovens producer who has spent the last half decade making capital investments and acquisitions to pose itself among the top three nonwovens producers in the world in the near term. And, all of this effort is paying off. In 2006, the company reported sales of €808 million, making it number six of the world’s leading nonwovens producers and its ranking is expected to climb higher once new acquisitions, notably Fiberweb’s consumer wipes business and Orlandi’s spunlace operation, are rolled into its corporate sales. “Ahlstrom has made several investments in the nonwovens market, more specifically in the wipes market,” said Claudio Ermondi, senior vice president and general manager of nonwovens. “These include acquisitions and investments in new production assets. We have not made these investments randomly but based on both current and future strategic needs for the wipes market and the other market segments where we are active. This, together with innovation, helped the growth.” Ahlstrom has made its commitment to growing its consumer wipes business during the past 12 months through both acquisition and capital investment. With two large spunlace lines already in operation in Green Bay, WI as well as a large spunlace composite machine running in Windsor Locks, CT, Ahlstrom announced in October it would add a new wiping production line using spunlace technology in Brazil, making it that country’s first maker of wipe substrates and increasing its presence in Latin America. Then, in February, Ahlstrom demonstrated its commitment
NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
to Europe’s wipe market through the acquisition of Orlandi’s Italian spunlace operation, adding two plants with four production lines in Cressa and Gallarate, Italy and an estimated €65 million in annualized net sales to its business. In addition to increasing Ahlstrom’s spunlace capacity and its presence in Europe, the Orlandi acquisition will allow it to make pulp-containing wiping fabrics. One month later, in March, Ahlstrom announced the acquisition of the consumer wipes business of Fiberweb plc. The purchase includes two plants in Italy, one in Spain and one in Bethune, SC and will add €110 million in sales and 400 employees to Ahlstrom’s existing business. Fiberweb’s consumer wipes business mainly targets personal care, baby care and household applications. Mr. Ermondi said the acquired businesses will not only increase Ahlstrom’s output in the wipes market, it will broaden its product offerings, allowing it to create more options for its customers. “Differentiation has become a key for consumer and private label companies who want to offer a value-added product. Therefore, in order to compete in the wipes market in the future, nonwoven material manufacturers must provide differentiated products. Ahlstrom is positioned well to compete, as we have developed new equipment and processes that allow us to deliver innovative and exciting materials.” In addition to wipes, filtration has been the focus of a great deal of activity for Ahlstrom in recent months including acquisitions and new line announcements, intended to broaden the company’s role in a number of filtration segments. A long-time leader in the supply of wetlaid media for the automotive filtration markets, Ahlstrom has more recently been eyeing growth in a number of sophisticated filtration markets across wet and dry applications, according to Jerome Barillon, marketing director, filtration. “We have been adding pieces of the puzzle by acquiring businesses and adding them to existing businesses in a number of markets,” he said. “Ahlstrom has made it clear it wants to be a leader in the filtration market and with the assets we have in place we are definitely positioned to achieve this.” Ahlstrom’s ambition in filtration first surfaced in 2004 with a number of acquisitions including Hollinee LLC, which provided access to the $500 million HVAC market; Lantor, adding needlepunching capabilities for the air and automotive filtration markets as well as high temperature dust filtration media; and FiberMark’s absorbent materials business and HRS Textiles to enhance its place in air filtration. More recently, in February 2007, Ahlstrom acquired Sassoferrato, Italy-based Fabriano Filter Media, a maker of microglass filter media, increasing its exposure to the high efficiency air filtration markets. “This was really a great acquisition for us,” Mr.
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International Top 40 Barrillon said. “It gives us access to the high efficiency air filtration markets and allows us to compete in new areas.” Acquisition hasn’t been Ahlstrom’s only strategy for growth in filtration. The company has announced a string of new investments designed to enhance current offerings. In May Ahlstrom said it would invest €8 million in a new needlepunch line in Darlington, SC. The new line will help expand Ahlstrom’s role in the North American dust filtration market. The targeted completion date is slated for early 2008, and the new line will manufacture a full range of needlepunched fabrics, mainly for the high-temperature dust filtration industry. The investment follows one announced in February when Ahlstrom said it would invest €5 million in a new drylaid nonwoven line to serve the North American air filtration market. The new line, located at Ahlstrom's Groesbeck, TX facility, is expected to start at the beginning of 2008. The Groesbeck site currently operates six drylaid and needlepunch nonwovens lines dedicated to producing filter media. The new line will incorporate the latest advances in drylaid nonwovens equipment and provide Ahlstrom with an additional fast and modern asset to better serve the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) filter media market in North America, according to executives. The line will be particularly well-suited to manufacture products for the medium efficiency range and offer solutions to the growing demand for unsupported filter media. And, in October, Ahlstrom said it would add a new needlepunch line to its Wuxi facility located close to Shanghai, China to serve the growing dust filtration market in Asia. The investment, valued at approximately $5 million (€4 million), will be completed in the third quarter of 2007. The new line will manufacture a variety of needlepunch nonwoven media targeted mainly at high temperature applications for the dust filtration market. By adding these capabilities, Ahlstrom will increase its participation in this very dynamic segment of the filtration industry. The line will more than double the capacity of Ahlstrom's Wuxi facility in China, acquired less than two years ago, where it currently operates one line serving this market segment. Amidst all of this investment has come some restructuring as well for Ahlstrom. In June, the company announced plans to close its Bellingham, MA facility—acquired in 2005 from Lantor—and consolidate these operations in Darlington, SC. This move was mainly driven by the need to be more cost competitive, and it will also allow Ahlstrom to locate its dust filtration business closer to many of its customers. The relocation will affect approximately 80 jobs in Bellingham and the transition will take up to one year to complete. Ahlstrom estimates that the cost related to the closure and the consolidation of assets will be approximately €2 million. Also benefiting Ahlstrom’s place in filtration is an exclusive licensing agreement with the Argonide Corporation to manufacture and commercialize their patented electropositive nano fiber filter media. The new Ahlstrom product—called Disruptor—is based on Argonide technology developed through basic research over the last five years. The development was partially funded by NASA, aimed at purifying recycled water in advanced space vehicles, used on the moon and beyond. Disruptor is a wetlaid technology that is designed to be used in pleated, spiral wound, disc or flat sheet media formats. The key to the effectiveness of Disruptor is
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the grafting of alumina nanofibers onto microglass fiber. The microglass fiber acts as a platform for the nanoalumina while also enhancing flow rates through the creation of pore space and providing mechanical retention for large or uncharged particles. According to Ahlstrom, Disruptor is an excellent choice as an alternative filter media to membranes for many applications. These include: Point Of Entry and Point Of Use potable water, pharmaceutical make up water, boiler feed water, chiller water, metals removal from waste water; filtration of gelatin, inks, starch, carbon, paint pigments and many other industrial and pharmaceutical processes. Another key market for Ahlstrom, medical nonwovens continues to benefit from a strong technology base, namely a large-scale spunbond composite line in Windsor Locks, CT. “Growth is really being driven by regulations and customer demand,” said Paul Marold, vice president and general manager of medical. “Globally we are seeing a conversion to disposables move west to east.” Interestingly, however, developing areas such as the Asia-Pacific region are leapfrogging less sophisticated disposable products as they make this conversion and moving right into sophisticated, barrier protective products, according to executives. Meanwhile, Ahlstrom’s industrial business, spanning a number of end use segments, continues to perform well. “Our strength here is that we have access to a lot of technologies and the ability to use a lot of different fibers,” said Jean-Marie Becker, vice president and general manager of industrial nonwovens. “This helps us be involved in a lot of different businesses. One segment of growth is Wall coverings where Ahlstrom’s wetlaid materials offer great printing capabilities. To help it grow in these markets, a new needlepunch line will begin operation in Brignoud at the end of 2007. Executives said the beauty of industrial segments—including agriculture, construction protective apparel and automotives—is there are so many different areas that there is always a potential for growth in a number of new and exciting areas. For instance, Ahlstrom’s food products market is set to receive a boost from a €27 million investment, announced in December 2006, to add a new spunmelt nonwovens line in Chirnside, Scotland. The new line utilizing spunmelt technology will primarily serve the growing infusion products market with next generation spunmelt products. The infusion products market in general is anticipated to grow at 5% annually and is becoming a strong market for spunmelt nonwovens, according to Mr. Ermondi. It is market areas like this that Ahlstrom will look to for future growth when determining its future investment strategy. “Nonwovens market as a whole is growing at a quite significant rate globally,” Mr. Ermondi said. “Ahlstrom has been active in some segments for many years and then decided to play a bigger role in the business. Our strong position in the papermaking technology and know-how was a good starting point to enter nonwovens, then we approached other technologies to broaden our offerings to customers. Growth will be in all our core business: wipes, wallcover, infusion, filtration and medical. Innovation and a strong manufacturing platform will support our expansion even in the future.”
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NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
F I B E R T E X
N O N W O V E N S
Automotive Filtration
Composites
Personal Care
Geotextiles Furniture
Bedding
Making the perfect match Fibertex is a diversified roll goods supplier of nonwovens designed for the industrial, technical and personal care industry.
www.fibertex.com
International Top 40 SEVEN
JOHNS MANVILLE Denver, CO www.jm.com 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $583 million industry as “very good” despite continuing cost pressures. Key Personnel Dion Persson, senior vice president, engineered products “Customers are seeing value in nonwoven products and are group; Zain Mahmood, vice president, sales, marketing and willing to pay more for value.” In a recent restructuring at the company, JM has merged innovation, engineered products group; Ken Forden, NA nonwhat were formerly three global segments—reinforcement wovens and Enno Henze, EU nonwovens fibers, construction materials and systems and high perPlants Waterville, OH; Defiance, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; formance nonwovens—and formed four regional segments, Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein and European Union fibers and fabrics and North American fibers and fabrics groups. Despite this change, the company Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, China; Trnava, Slovakia continues to operate through its two strategic business ISO Status Spartanburg, SC and Defiance, OH ISO 9002 certified; units—Engineered Products and Building Materials. Topping recent news at JM is a new glass mat line in Bobingen and Berlin, Germany ISO 9001 certified; Waterville, Etowah, TN, which will come onstream during the third quarOH ISO 9002 certified; Etowah, TN ISO 9002 certified Processes Airlaid (glass and synthetic), wetlaid, calendered, melt blown, spunbonded, needlepunched, JM Targets Geotextiles Market With DuraSpun Polyester Spunbond thermal bonded Johns Manville’s DuraSpun polyester spunbond geotextiles are used in Brand Names a variety of applications including road construction, railroad conMicrolith, DuraGlass, Delta-Aire, DynaWick, struction, shore reinforcement and hydraulic engineering. Other end DynaWeb, DynaTech, Micro-Aire, MicroLith, uses are industrial and residential engineering landscape and hortiEcomat, Duraglass, DuraSpun, and Combimat, culture landfill covering and sport facilities. DuraBase and Gorilla Wrap By supplementing traditional construction materials and processes, Major Markets DuraSpun is designed to offer a safe, effective, economical and longRoofing substrates, air and liquid filtration, sorlasting solution to construction problems. DuraSpun geotextiles feabents, battery separators, geotextiles, flooring ture superior characteristics in building physics and display excellent substrates and facers for building products heat and light resistance. Even at brief exposures of approximately 200°C, its properties are not significantly changed. Tests on polyester Expansion is the name of the game for Johns spunbond in service prove its long-term resistance to all substances Manville (JM), a leading manufacturer of buildoccurring naturally in soil and water and to microorganisms. The filaing and engineered materials headquartered in ment intersection points of DuraSpun are not fixed and provide ideal Denver, CO. elongation properties up to 60%. According to JM, thermally and A Berkshire Hathaway company, JM has chemically bonded nonwovens typically fall short of this value. been in business since 1858 and boasts corpoDuraSpun also protects against perforation and punctual stress rate-wide sales in excess of $2.5 billion. With an with its high penetration force and its exceptional elongation properemployee base of approximately 8500 people, JM ties. Another important advantage of DuraSpun is the high specific operates 42 manufacturing facilities in North gravity of polyester, which facilitates underwater installations. America, Europe and Asia. The company’s Nonwovens made from other polymers require complicated weightEngineered Products Group produces nonwoing. In addition, polyester spunbond is much more resistant to ultraviovens and fibers, glass fabrics and air filtration let radiation and its creep tendency is only marginal. products at 14 manufacturing locations worldDuraSpun geotextiles are also capable of performing several funcwide. tions simultaneously. Soil layers of different compositions and proper“Our sales grew in 2006 and 2007 in nonwoties are separated by DuraSpun and permanently prevented from mixvens due to the new assets we have brought ing. Thus DuraSpun ensures frost resistance and the load-bearing online in Europe, North America and Asia as capacity required by construction. Water can pass through in every well as the new products we have introduced,” direction without pressure build-up. At the same time, DuraSpun retains stated JM’s vice president and general manager, soil matter, which is important for stability and erosion prevention. construction materials, Zain Mahmood. He characterized the state of the global nonwovens
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International Top 40 ter of this year. “It’s a beautiful line,” said Mr. Mahmood, adding that the expansion will make the facility an extremely cost-efficient operation with two large furnaces and 70% of its customers nearby. “This new glass mat line has some significant new capabilities to reduce the total cost of ownership of our key customers and partners,” he said. “The market is looking for these new capabilities and JM is pleased to respond to these customer/market needs. These new capabilities will allow our partners continued success for the long term.” JM operates two similar lines in Ohio and has a significant presence in Europe. Beyond roofing systems, glass mat nonwovens have been boosted by the material’s replacement of paper in wallboards, which is a response to concerns about mold from customers. Meanwhile, in Europe, a low area weight polyester spunbond line targeting the roofing market is up and running in Bobingen, Germany. This line expands JM’s product capabilities while making the facility more cost efficient. JM’s Bobingen facility as well as its operation in Berlin, Germany serve customers throughout Europe, including Eastern and Central Europe where construction and roofing markets have been growing significantly. While no nonwovens operation is in place, for now, JM, which currently produces fiberglass in Slovakia, has indicated an interest in expanding its nonwovens operation into this area. “We have multiple nonwovens capability enhancements on our investment drawing boards and will continue to pursue the right market timing to bring them onstream,” he stated. “JM is a leader in the CEE market and will continue to serve our customers with adequate investments.” Moving toward Asia, especially China, JM expanded its Chinese operations based in Shanghai through the acquisition of a spunbond line in the Henan state, which doubles the company’s footprint in that country. “The line will serve some of our key customers in China in core JM markets. We are also bolstering our technology capabilities in China, allowing us to focus on one of the fastest growing markets in the world.” JM currently operates a line in Quingpu, near Shanghai.
NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
In addition to regional expansion, new product development has been an important growth strategy for JM (see accompanying sidebars). According to Mr. Mahmood, the company’s efforts in
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product development mainly center on helping its customers reduce total costs while providing means to enter new areas. “We are optimistic about the increased need for enhanced durable non-
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International Top 40 wovens capabilities in every market we are involved in. JM is investing heavily in this segment to ensure that we meet our customers’ needs, both for today and tomorrow.” To help achieve this, JM has formed a global nonwoven technical center with a presence in North America, Europe and Asia. Product specialists working in this center are working on the next generation of technologies to help benefit customers. “We will continue to extend our technology edge in durable nonwovens,” Mr. Mahmood concluded. “With multiple product/technology capabilities and a global presence, our customers expect us to lead the way in durable nonwovens and we look forward to meeting their expectations.”
Among JM’s newest offerings is DuraSpun XTR, a spunbond composite waterproofing carrier, which was recently introduced in Europe. The company has also launched DuraGlass HST (high shingle tear), a composite glass mat for roofing shingles in North America that allows customers to use less asphalt with a more robust glass mat. Moving forward, Mr. Mahmood said JM is taking an aggressive stance toward future growth. “For the short term, we want to meet our commitments by delivering on our new nonwovens projects. Long term, we are looking to build more nonwovens assets as demand dictates.” The company continues to consider capital investment a “very important” part of its growth strategy.
EIGHT
BUCKEYE TECHNOLOGIES Memphis, TN www.bkitech.com 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $259 million Key Personnel Marko Rajamaa, senior vice president, nonwovens; Chip Aiken, senior vice president, manufacturing; Mike Brown, nonwovens sales manager—Americas and Far East; Norbert Busch, nonwovens sales manager—Europe and the Middle East; Laurence Li, nonwovens division technology manager Plants Delta, British Columbia, Canada; Steinfurt, Germany; Gaston, NC Processes Latex bonded, thermal bonded and multibonded airlaid Brand Names Vicell, Vizorb, Unicore, Duocore, Walkisoft, Airspun Major Markets Feminine hygiene, baby diapers, adult incontinence, premoistened wipes, moist tissue, medical, tabletop, wipers, filtration, food packaging, household cleaning products Continuing its turnaround is airlaid producer Buckeye Technologies, a company that has steadily been fighting back from a severe overcapacity situation that rocked the entire airlaid segment in 2001. The Memphis, TN-based company has been able to steadily increase its sales and earnings thanks to both organic growth as well as new market development, according to sales manager Michael Brown. “The trend has been improving for Buckeye and for airlaid in general,” he said. During the year ended June 30, Buckeye’s nonwovens sales, increased to nearly $259 million compared to $241 million the prior year. At the same time, operating income in the segment increased from $16 million to $21 million. While Buckeye is doing better at filling up the excess capacity, the company maintains that there is still some available, especially in North America. “We are full but we have capacity remaining because we only staff our sites to fill our market
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needs,” Marko Rajamaa, senior vice president of nonwovens, said. “Even in Europe, we have some capacity remaining, although it’s a tighter situation than in the U.S.” Buckeye executives credit a couple of factors for this turnaround. For one, timing played a role and it has been a natural market evolution to absorb the capacity. This was helped of course by Buckeye’s decision three years ago to shutter its Cork, Ireland facility—as well as similar moves by Buckeye competitors. Wipes continue to be a strong market for Buckeye. In fact, the company’s role in the market has only grown as airlaid has become more competitive with spunlace amidst raw material increases and other pressures facing spunlace manufacturers. And, while the baby wipes market has been characterized by razor thin margins forcing Buckeye to really step up its efficiency, there are still pockets of this segment—as well as other wipes areas—where value and innovation are rewarded. “In the businesses we are in, we are actually making money,” said Mr. Rajamaa. “It wasn’t always that way.” Meanwhile, the diaper core market—once considered the holy grail for airlaid producers—is not on Buckeye’s radar except for some smaller, niche applications such as premature and swim style diapers. In investment news, Buckeye recently made significant improvements to its older line in Gastonia, NC to make it more market capable, according to executives. This meant adding new fiber capacity, modernizing the equipment, and improving the quality of the line, which came onstream in 1993. One advantage Buckeye has had over competing technologies is that pulp has escaped some of the price increases found in other raw materials such as viscose or polypropylene, the key ingredients in spunlace and spunbond nonwovens. “As a renewable material, pulp is not subject to the same fluctuations as viscose and other oil-based raw materials,” Mr. Rajamaa said.
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NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
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International Top 40 NINE
PROPEX FABRICS Ringgold, GA www.propexinc.com 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $231 million Key Personnel Joe Dana, president and CEO; W. Michael Coffin, executive vice president and COO; Lee McCarter, executive vice president and CFO; Mac Bridger, executive vice president worldwide sales and marketing Nonwovens Plants Ringgold GA; Hazlehurst GA; Seneca SC; ISO Status ISO 9002 Certified ISO 14001 Certified Process Needlepunch Brand Names Geotex, Petromat, Proguard, Petrotac, Duon, Synfab, Actionbac, Polybac, Earthscape, Matrix, RFX, Xtinguish Major Nonwovens Markets Geosynthetics, flooring, furniture and bedding, automotive, agriculture, laminates, vinyl substrates, sorbents
As for its U.S.-based production sites, last year, Propex transferred its manufacturing assets to Ringgold, GA from its Seneca, SC site. The consolidation, now complete, makes the Ringgold site the largest needlepunch operation in North America. “Much of our efforts have been centered on ensuring a smooth transition from Seneca to Ringgold,” commented Dr. Tlumak. “We are continuing to invest in quality improvements and converting equipment such as printing and coating.” Although Propex operates a total of four business reporting segments—Geosynthetics, Furnishings, Industrial Products and Concrete Systems—nonwovens use is primarily in Geosynthetics and Furnishings (flooring, furniture, bedding and automotive). “There is still overcapacity and stiff competition. We are always working on products offering better value for our customers,” he said. “Demand growth for nonwovens is primarily in the geotextiles and bedding markets.” Commenting on Propex’s growth strategy, Dr. Tlumak had this to say: “We plan to continue to be leaders in the areas that we participate in. Our focus on continuous improvement through LEAN manufacturing and Six Sigma sets us apart. We continuously work to improve performance across the organization and to eliminate waste in all areas of operations. Meeting or exceeding customer expectations is our primary concern. Our Advantage Creators corporate tag-line is a rally cry for all Propex teammates to focus on delivering value to the marketplace and make our customers more successful.” He added that Propex measures DPMU (Defects Parts Per Million Sold) to evaluate how well its processes meet customer expectations.
With worldwide sales up 13% in 2006, another solid year was had by Propex Inc. The company produces polypropylenebased fabrics and fibers for geosynthetics, furniture and bedding, automotive, concrete reinforcement, carpet backing and a variety of other industrial end uses. Propex’s varied capabilities range from weaving, embossing and fiber spinning to film coating and laminating. These processes can be combined with needlepunched fabrics to offer an innovative range of products including Matrix carpet backing, a proprietary differentiated system designed for artificial turf requiring high tuft bind and made from a woven/nonwoven composite structure. Overall, nonwovens sales—which continue to represent about 20% of Propex’s overall business—were sigPropex’s Company-wide 2006 Sales Up nificantly improved with the acquisition of SI Total net revenue for Propex increased $87 million to $743 Corporation in January 2006. Following Propex’s purmillion in 2006 from $655 million in 2005. The increase is prichase of SI Concrete Systems and SI Geosolutions, all marily due to a jump in North American geosynthetics net operations went live on the company’s SAP system in revenue of $64 million and an increase of $63 million in revJuly and a full integration has been achieved. enues of the concrete fiber segment, which was a market “Nonwovens continue to be a major factor in most of Propex did not previously participate in. Sales in the North the markets Propex participates in,” commented Bob American industrial segment increased approximately $30 Tlumak, director of marketing. million from 2005 to 2006 and net revenue for Europe He reported that demand is strong in all areas increased $6 million compared to the prior year. These except furniture, where production is still migrating to increases were partially offset by a decrease in the North the Far East, attracted by low labor costs and capital American furnishings segment net revenue of $74 million availability. “The new highway funding bill supports and a decrease in sales in Brazil of just under $3 million growth in geotextiles and the bedding industry seems compared to the prior year. solid. Automotive is sluggish, but it looks like things are improving.”
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International Top 40
TEN
AVGOL NONWOVENS Tel-Aviv, Israel www.avgol.com 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $229 million Key Personnel Shuki Goldwasser, chairman; Nir Peleg, CEO; Achai Bonneh, director of technology Plants Tel Aviv, Israel; Mocksville, NC; Jingmen City, Hubei Province, China; Uzlovaya, Russia ISO Status ISO 9002 Certified Processes Spunbonded, meltblown Brand Name Zebra Major Markets Hygiene, medical, construction, agriculture, furniture, upholstery One company growing by leaps and bounds is Tel Aviv, Israelbased Avgol Nonwoven Industries, which doubled its profits last year and bumped its 2006 sales up a substantial 40% to reach the $229 million mark. Gross profit rose to $55 million, representing nearly 24% of turnover last year. Meanwhile, operating profit rose 105% and net profit doubled to $15 million, which increased the company’s cash to just under $25 million. As much as 75% of Avgol’s revenue comes from two main customers—Tyco International and Procter & Gamble. Based on its standing orders for these two companies, Avgol’s orders backlog for 2007-2008 totals $340 million (the annual average is similar to revenue from the two companies in 2006). Avgol attributes its 23% year-to-year internal growth to an overall strategy announced in the mid-90s to make a solid commitment to the hygiene market. “When everyone else was trying to get out of hygiene, we sat down in it,” explained company spokesperson Dennis Durkin. “We decided to make it our focus and to do it better than anybody else. We’ve been able to answer the call for lower basis weights and we’ve made investments and added equipment to make this happen.” He added that the company’s existing lines have been fully utilized since 2005. “We’ve been sold out for five years. However, we are keeping our promises. When customers grow, they expect you to grow with them. And we plan to do just that.” A recent example of this growth initiative is Avgol’s plan to expand its Mocksville, NC manufacturing facility by adding a fourth Reicofil spunmelt machine. Scheduled for start-up during the second quarter of 2008, the fourth line follows the company’s second line, which was added in October 2004, and its third line, which was added in September 2005. Avgol acquired the North American factory in June 2001. Currently, the Mocksville, NC site operates three Reicofil SSMMS production lines. The factory has been running at full
NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
capacity for the last five years. The total additional investment for the fourth line is approximately $30 million for the spunmelt machine and all related auxiliary and finishing equipment. Clearly Avgol’s investment plans extend beyond the North American region, with the company unveiling the location of a new Russian spunmelt facility that will start production in the fourth quarter of 2007. Based in Uzlovaya, which is in the Tulia region of Russia and 200 km south of Moscow, the new line will boast a capacity of 10,000 metric tons of SMMS material. The breakdown of the machine’s output will be 80% hygiene and 20% industrial applications, which will supply local markets. Additionally, Avgol operates five spunmelt lines in Israel as well as another at a joint venture operation (with Hubei Goldkinglong Investment Stock Co. Ltd.) 300 miles southwest of Shanghai, China. According to Mr. Durkin, the Chinese facility continues to grow with more local business being added. All of this expansion continues to widen Avgol’s geographical base, with 60% of its overall output (including China) coming from outside of Israel. Meanwhile, the remaining 40% of products are manufactured in Israel, with half of that amount supplying the U.S. market. Only a minimal amount of nonwovens produced within Israel serve the domestic market while the rest is used to supply European customers. “We now have more capacity on the ground in North America than in Israel,” pointed out Mr. Durkin. “And in Europe, we are garnering more business than ever before.” Wrapping up, Mr. Durkin described Avgol as a great competitor with top-of-the-line standards and assets. “What we do, we do first class. We may be plain vanilla but we are HäagenDazs vanilla. From a technology standpoint, we are very strong and we’ve worked hard to solve problems in a market that a lot of people wanted nothing to do with.” Moving forward, the company plans to continue to grow its base market where it can exploit technological possibilities such as elastomerics. Avgol will focus on the production of increasingly sophisticated products at lower basis weights to meet customer requirements. “This is who we are and who we will continue to be. We’re taking it around the world now. It’s a small idea that grew big.”
If your company should be featured in next year’s Top Company report, contact the editor at 201-825-2552 or nonwovens@rodpub.com.
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International Top 40 ELEVEN
COMPANHIA PROVIDENCIA Parana, Brazil www.providencia.com.br 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $225 million Plant Location São Jose Pinhais-Paraná, Brazil Key Personnel Herminio Freitas, CEO; Rubens Sardenberg, CFO; Cleber dos Santos, sales and marketing director, Romeo Bregant, industrial director Processes Spunbonded, SMS, meltblown, laminated nonwovens, printed nonwovens Brand Names Kami Major Markets Hospital, agriculture, bedding, towel and coverlet, table mat, hygiene, baby diapers
Under new ownership is Companhia Providencia, Parana, Brazil. In February, the maker of spunmelt nonwovens was purchased by a group of four equity funds led by AIG Capital Partners, Inc., a member company of AIG Global Investment Group. The purchase price was reportedly $433 million (R$930 million) Other investors included Governança e Gestão (“GG Investimentos”), Banco Espírito Santo (“BES”) and the Constantino Family. “Providência is a first-rate company with state-of-the-art technology and superior product quality. We recognized the opportunity to partner with a successful organization that is on the forefront of expanding internationally by increasing its exports to several markets in the U.S. and Latin America,” said Fernando Borges, CEO of AIG Capital Investments do Brazil. “AIG Capital Partners believes that with the expected industry growth and Providência’s dominant market position and share of the market, the company will be able to achieve strategic vision, bringing it to an even higher competitive level.” Following the ownership change, Herminio Reitas was named CEO of the company, replacing a member of the Starostik family who previously owned Companhia Providencia. Other than that, according to executives, few changes have been implemented at the company, which is anticipating the start up of its ninth line in December 2007. The new line, based on Reicofil 4 technology, will add 15,00020,000 tons of new capacity to the operation, bringing its total output to 70,000 tons, according to sales director Cleber dos Santos. Like Providencia’s eighth line, which came onstream in mid-2005, the new line will mainly target the hygiene market but its flexibility will enable it to also expand the company’s
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role in other technical markets such as medical, filtration and automotive. In addition to this new construction, Providencia is also expanding through the purchase of Brazilian competitor Isofilme in June for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition included Isofilme’s 3.4-meter Reifehauser Reicofil 4 SSMS line, which is located in Pouso Alegre, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The line was started by Isofilme in May 2006. During the past decade, Providencia has been growing its sales enough to add a new line every two years and currently has its entire base of operation at its Parana, Brazil headquarters. Currently, Providencia’s sales are split equally between its local Brazilian market and the remainder of the Americas and the majority of its business is conducted in the hygiene segment. Despite problems facing hygiene such as competition, pricing problems and raw material increases, the company has been able to maintain sales growth by focusing on value-added products. For example, the company operates lamination and printing lines to offer diversified products to its customers that they are willing to pay a premium for. “Product development is very important to us,” Mr. dos Santos said. “We are trying to stay away from the commodity markets.” Additionally, Providencia finds success by forging strong relationships with its customers. “We have long-term relationships with a big base of customers to keep our share in the business,” Mr. dos Santos said. “We make sure we don’t do anything wrong. We are very selective when it comes to new product development and we work hard to keep our costs down.” With about 70% of its sales in hygiene, Providencia also takes advantage of Reifenhauser technology’s attributes for industrial, medical and agricultural applications. Here the company is also able to apply value-added features to its products. Recently, Providencia has been taking these efforts a step further by focusing on new product development, not only based on customer demands. “Our latest initiative is to develop specific new products to follow market trends instead of just responding to the needs of our customers,” Mr. dos Santos said. “We want to provide products before our customers realize they need them, this is a process that will take time, a new way of thinking inside the company.” And for now, Providencia’s number one mission is to transition itself from a family-owned company to a professional one. “The new owners saw us as a strong company, a leader in the region, a good investment, and that is what they are getting,” Mr. dos Santos concluded.
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International Top 40
TWELVE
FIBERTEX A/S Aalborg, Denmark www.fibertex.com 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $222 million Key Personnel Michael Meulengracht, managing director; Mikael Staal Axelsen, general manager, Personal Care Division; Jorgen Bech Madsen, general manager, Technical Division; Kenneth Mynster Dolmer, purchasing director; Ole Houmann, Finance Director
Plants Two in Aalborg; one in Malaysia, two in the Czech Republic
ISO Status DS/EN ISO 9001 Quality management 1991:2000; DS/ISO 14001 Environmental management 2001; DS 2403 Energy management
Processes Drylaid, carded, needlepunched, thermalbonded, spunbond/ meltblown
Brand Names Fibertex, Flexback, Formtex, Compoflex, Multigeo, Superflor, Weedseal, Fiberforce, Fibergreen, Fibertex patio, Fibertex universal, Fiberacoustic, Two-in-One, Comfortback, Matchback, Woodback, Q-match, Making the perfect match
Major Markets Industrial textiles-primary and secondary carpet backings, automotive, furniture and bedding, filtration; technical textiles—building and construction, composites, do-it-yourself, horticulture; hygiene; protective clothing; packaging Describing the year as challenging was Danish nonwovens producer Fibertex, who reported 16% sales growth but admitted that earnings did not follow this growth trend, due largely to external problems, namely raw material increases. According to the company, sales were $222 million compared to $195 million in 2005 while earnings declined to $5.5 million. In addition to raw material price increases, Fibertex’s earnings were negatively impacted by complications associated with bringing a six-meter, state-of-the-art NSC needleloom onstream at its Czech Republic facility. While this problem has been fixed, it did lead to a delay in transferring two older lines from the Czech site, which Fibertex acquired from Vigona in 2004. “We did face problems in our Czech operation with manufacturing efficiency on an existing line. That has been fixed,” said Michael Meulengracht, who replaced retired Knud Waede Hansen as Fibertex managing director in January. The Czech operation, acquired from Vigona in 2004, currently includes thermal bonding, drylaid and needlepunching
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machines. Fibertex is reconfiguring an older drylaid line at the site to offer a new technology and will then decide if it’s wise to add news lines there as well. Fibertex purchased the Czech operation in 2004, partly to better target Central and Eastern Europe and partly to increase its role in technical markets. Currently, a big portion of the output in the Czech Republic serves the automotives market, where there is always pressure to keep costs down. However, Fibertex is benefiting from the location of this operation as many of the Tier One automotive suppliers have operations in the Eastern Block countries. Other markets being served by Fibertex’s technical division include furniture and bedding, filtration and geotextiles. In addition to the Vigona site, Fibertex runs a needlepunch operation from its Aalborg, Denmark facility to target technical markets. As a whole, Fibertex’s technical division increased its sales 9% in 2006 to reach $90 million. Meanwhile, Fibertex’s hygiene business—which grew sales 20% to $135.5 million last year—continues to benefit from new investment, the latest of which, a new Reifenhauser line, began operating at Fibertex’s Aalborg headquarters in January. The new line, the facility’s third spunmelt machine, increased capacity there by 50% and is already contributing to the bottom line, according to Mr. Meulengracht. “Hygiene still performs well for us,” he said. “It’s all about providing a solid package there, running at an acceptable capacity utilization.” In addition to three lines in Aalborg, Fibertex operates two Reifenhauser spunmelt lines serving the hygiene market at its Malaysian facility near Kaula Lumpur. These lines serve the Asia-Pacific regions as well as Europe. “Asia-Pacific is growing significantly because the developing countries are full of people who are improving their lifestyles,” Mr. Meulengracht said. “There are 100 million people in China who have enough money for hygiene products.” Also benefiting Fibertex’s Asian-Pacific business is lack of local competition. Products being made by Asian companies continue to be sub-quality compared to Western competitors. During the past decade, much of Fibertex’s growth has come from new investments, including the construction of lines as well as investment of new businesses. Currently, no new capacity is planned but executives insist the company is still in growth mode. “There are a lot of ways to achieve growth,” said Mr. Meulengracht. “It can be joint ventures, capacity expansions, acquisitions, etc.”
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International Top 40
THIRTEEN
HOLLINGSWORTH & VOSE Walpole, MA www.hovo.com 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $210 million Key Personnel Val Hollingsworth, president and CEO; David von Loesecke, vice president and general manager, engine and industrial filtration; Bob Schiller, vice president and general manager, high efficiency and specialty filtration; Tom White, vice president and general manager battery products; Randall Rogers, vice president and general manager, industrial specialties and engineered composite materials; Justin Harkiewicz, vice president and general manager, Asia-Pacific; Jeff Sherer, vice president and CFO; John Fitzgerald, vice president, technology; Mike Paddock, vice president, human resources
Plants Apizaco, Mexico; Corvallis, OR; East Walpole, MA; Easton, NY; Floyd, VA ; Greenwich, NY; Hatzfeld, Germany; Hawkinsville, GA; Kentmere, U.K.; Suzhou, China; West Groton, MA; Winchombe, U.K.
Processes Wetlaid, meltblown, carded thermal bonded (point and flat calendered), latex bonded, thru-air bonded, needlepunched, thermal and chemical lamination, aqueous and solvent-based saturation, nanofiber coating, composites, webs incorporating functional particles
Brand Names AFM, AFN, AlphaPerm, AquaSure, BGO, Duo-Phase, DynaSeal, EnergyGuard, Fastock, HELP, HiPerm, HollTek, HovoFuse, Hovoglas, Hovoliner, Hovolon, Hovomat, Hovopulse, Hovosorb, Hovotex, Hovotherm, Hovotrim, Hovowipe, Magnaseal, Nanoweb, PurePerm, Saf ‘N’ Shielded, Soft ‘N Stable, Stitchbackers, Technostat, The Cat, Tufguard, Unisorb, ValPac, WallTek
Major Markets Engine & Industrial Filtration; High Efficiency & Specialty Filtration; Battery Products; Industrial Specialties Boasting $210 million in global nonwovens sales in 2006, Hollingsworth & Vose (H&V) saw an impressive 12% jump in revenue in 2006. H&V’s Engine and High Efficiency filtration businesses contributed significantly to this growth, despite continued high raw material prices, while Industrial Specialties has exhibited moderate growth. The company attributes its sales and earnings results to two key factors—one positive and one negative. On one hand, H&V has continued to make strides in the development of new wetlaid synthetic materials, nanofiber media, next generation microfiberglass media and mechanically efficient meltblown composites. However, the company’s success has been tempered by ongoing high raw material prices for fibers, binders
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and chemicals as well as the continued high cost of energy. In response to such trends, H&V’s strategy is to differentiate itself through new product innovation, market focus and key customer relationships characterized by a high level of technical and logistical support. In its High Efficiency and Specialty Filtration business, solid performance in 2006 was due to a combination of successful new and existing products. New products include nextgeneration microfiberglass HEPA/ULPA media, offering superior pleatability and dramatically improved pressure drop performance. H&V expanded the PurePerm family of products to address the growing needs of the flat panel display industry and introduced nanofiber alternatives to electrospun products. Carded nonwoven and meltblown composites were also expanded for HVAC applications (MERV 12+). In addition, H&V’s facemask business benefited in 2006 from continued fears about the Avian Flu. Also enjoying continuing growth are the pleatable synthetics and pool /spa product lines introduced during the past two years. Pleatable synthetic media for the MERV 6-12 segment of the HVAC market continues to grow with increasing demands for better filtration performance in the residential, commercial and industrial HVAC markets. “H&V is uniquely positioned via these composites to meet and exceed market requirements and more stringent industry standards for mechanical efficiency,” commented Angelika Mayman, director, business development for H&V. “Our pool and spa media just received NSF 50 certification, which is designed to evaluate circulation systems and components for swimming pools, spas and hot tubs. This certification saves H&V customers time and money when obtaining cartridge approval.” In the wallcovering area, H&V remains focused on products that exhibit unique characteristics such as easy strippability and permeability, which have driven demand in Europe and the U.S. Meanwhile, the Engineered Composite Materials (ECM) product segment has grown in two segments—parts for automotive applications and adsorbent products. The adsorbent products remove gases, water or hydrocarbons from air streams. In H&V’s Advanced Fiber Nonwovens (AFN) business, new specialty carbon fiber surfacing veils are targeting various high performance composite applications. The veils provide conductivity, anti-static and anti-spark properties. Located in Hawkinsville, GA, the AFN manufacturing line maintains AS 9100 Rev B, QS 9000:1998 and ISO 9001:2000 quality certifications. H&V’s Battery Products business offers separator materials and other products for VRLA (valve regulated lead acid) and HEV (hybrid electric vehicle) battery types. “The telecommunications sector was constant versus
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International Top 40 2005,” Ms. Mayman noted, “while other sectors such as transportation SLI (starting/lighting/ignition) were more dynamic.” New products include laminated cellophane battery separator materials. Also performing well in 2006 was the Engine and Industrial Group, including both cellulose and synthetic media. Nonwovens areas of the business, including gas turbine, dust collection and hydraulic media, are also meeting expectations. “Our media offerings, which include wetlaid synthetics, submicron fiber media and composites, are well received in the market,” Ms. Mayman said. “Our two decades of expertise in glass and laminated glass grades for hydraulic applications has positioned us well to address increasing demand for elimination of static dissipation and improvement in beta stability in cyclic flow applications.” When it comes to new products, H&V has kept busy rolling out a variety of offerings. One recent innovation is its Advanced Cure Resin (ACR) engine filter media, which is performing well in Europe, a market traditionally favoring solvent-based media. H&V continues to innovate in the window treatment market, offering substrates for cellular shade, roller shade, blackout shade and pleated shade applications.
Uncoated fuel cell GDL layer material is available on a sheet basis; in addition, coated sheets can be requested. Also new are high temperature wetlaid and meltblown materials with specified CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion), which are available via the AFN group. These materials find application in printed circuit board substrate applications and emphasize the use of p-aramid materials. Other recent innovations include laminated cellophane materials for battery applications as well as water-dispersible materials for use in a variety of applications including wipes, labels and environmentally friendly products. On the European front, H&V reports that synthetic filter media continues to be demanded by the European HVAC and HEPA/ULPA market. In Asia, H&V is up and running with a new wetlaid manufacturing facility in Suzhou, China. The plant’s first machine, which came onstream in 2007, will provide products to the engine filter and industrial products markets. Regarding the second machine, “We expect our wetlaid microglass manufacturing line to be operational in 2008 in our Suzhou mill, offering filter media and battery products at the quality standards industry leaders expect,” she reported.
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International Top 40 FOURTEEN
TWE GROUP Emsdetten, Germany www.twe.de 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $200 million Key Personnel Michael Haddon, managing director
Plants Emsdetten, Germany; Dierdorf, Germany; Bocholt, Germany; Hangzhou, China
Processes Drylaid, chemical bonded, thermal bonded, needlepunched, airthroughbonded
Applications Hygiene, household, automotives, geotextiles, building, filtration Sales increased 10% to reach $200 million for the TWE Group, the German nonwovens producer that includes the business formerly known as Lohmann, Kahnes and Hildener Filz. TWE Group, which merged with Lohmann in 2001, had retained separate identities for its acquired business until recently when it began working harder on establishing a stronger corporate identity and began approaching the market as one group. Since then Lohmann has been renamed TWE Dierdorf and the Tangerding site is now known as TWE Bocholt. Additionally, Hildener Filz, a nonwovens producer purchased in 2003, is currently being integrated into the group’s Dierdorf and Emsdetten, Germany manufacturing sites and its existing facility in Hilden, Germany will be closed early next year, according to company spokesman Michael Lohmann. The key challenge for the TWE Group has been raw material and energy price increases. “We have obviously worked hard at synergy effects in order to offset this in some form or other but it is very difficult to be satisfied with the results given the pressures we are facing from the markets and above
all the actions of some of our competitors,” Mr. Haddon explained. Despite these challenges, TWE has invested heavily in the last 18 months in four new lines plus substantial upgrades to existing lines to provide state-of-the-art technology to remain competitive. As a stand-alone company, Lohmann had a decent focus on hygiene and it continues to be important to the group but the company has been very careful to avoid an “all the eggs in one basket” syndrome and has reduced its exposure there. Currently, the group’s total turnover is split evenly between four main markets—hygiene, household, filtration and automotive, according to Mr. Haddon. “Beyond that, we still serve some very interesting niche markets, which I am not prepared to divulge,” he said. In expansion news, geographically, China has become an important area for TWE, which is currently building a whollyowned manufacturing facility there. This represents the company’s first non-German operation. “The first line should be up and running by the end of 2007 and will be serving the Asian market and at least one further line will be added in 2008,” Mr. Haddon said. “This reflects our vision for the future. We are aware that we need to become more global to service our customers and move away from being simply a German manufacturing outfit.” Other global growth areas include Eastern Europe, where TWE is assessing the possibility of also adding a plant. “We are keen that these “global” sites should be for supplying local emerging markets as well as supporting our current customer base not at the expense of our current business,” Mr. Haddon concluded.
FIFTEEN
COLBOND Arnhem, The Netherlands www.colbond.com 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $195 million Key Personnel Jan van Boldrik, CEO; Axel Poscher, vice president; Bart Austin, president Colbond Inc.; Randy Cook, director sales and marketing flooring; Harry Verbakel, director sales and marketing automotive; Rob Noppen, director sales and marketing construction industry; Blair Rawes, director sales and marketing civil engineering; Joe Luna, director 58
sales and marketing building and industrial applications Plants Emmen and Arnhem, The Netherlands; Obernburg, Germany; Asheville, NC ISO Status All plants ISO 9001:2000 certified Processes
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International Top 40 Chemical bonded, thermal bonded and specialties Brand Names Colback, Colfors, Enkamat, Enkadrain, Colbonddrain, Enkagrid, Enka-Spacer, Enka-Vent Major Markets Flooring, automotive, construction industry, civil engineering, building and various industrial applications Acquired by London, U.K.-based specialty materials group Low & Bonar (L&B) last year, Colbond drove sales of nonwoven roll goods above market growth in 2006. While the company achieved a double-digit growth rate in North America, sales increases in Europe and the rest of the world exceeded market growth levels. The company also improved its product mix and is satisfied with last year’s positive results, which it attributes to the added value provided to its customers. Commenting on its new status as part of L&B, Colbond CEO Jan van Boldrik indicated that the company plays a key role in L&B’s mid- and long-term strategy. “Being owned by an industrial company widens the basis for long-term investment and secures the resources needed for sustainable growth,” he said. “Approval of a substantial investment into the expansion of our production capacity for monofilament mats in North America is an example underlining the commitment of L&B in Colbond.” Mr. van Boldrik went on to describe the first full year after the acquisition as successful, proving, he said, that a joint approach is beneficial for all members of the group. “On the sales side, much focus is on advantages arising from the possibility of offering a comprehensive product package for a wide range of different applications.” As is the case for roll goods producers across the board, raw material costs continue to be hard to predict and represent a certain risk factor for Colbond. Heightened polymer prices forced the company to increase sales prices by year-end 2006 to partially offset this effect. Colbond also realized further efficiency improvements to compensate for increasing raw material costs. “Raw material costs didn’t decrease to the extent foreseen for the first quarter of 2007 and even increased during the second quarter,” he stated. “We are therefore careful in expecting a more favorable situation within the next 18 months.” On the positive side, 2006 has been a successful year for Colbond’s flooring activities in the U.S.; in particular Colback has done well in the carpet tile sector. Main growth drivers include the positive development of the U.S. economy with continued double-digit growth in the commercial carpet tile segments as well as in artificial turf. “Colbond products perfectly comply with the demand for high performance backings in these market segments,” observed Mr. van Boldrik. In the automotive sector, a price-competitive environment for nonwovens in the U.S. and Europe placed OEMs under pressure. Similar price issues have taken their toll in NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
the market for waterproof bituminous membranes, where Colbond’s nonwoven products serve as a reinforcement. Outside of nonwovens, Colbond is pleased with substantial growth in building and industrial applications and is satisfied with the increase in turnover in civil engineering. Although growth in the markets for high-quality durable nonwovens has been positive but somewhat limited in past years, the company foresees this trend changing in the medium-term. “Thanks to the unique bicomponent composition of Colback nonwovens and the flexibility of our processes, we are able to serve market segments with high demands on backing materials and reinforcements,” he said. “We differentiate ourselves from other nonwoven manufacturers by means of highgrade specialty products meeting these demands.” Additionally, the company can tailor features such as basis weight, strength, elongation and color and offers products in custom widths. “We offer varying degrees of post-consumer recycled content nonwovens and are working on other functionalities delivered through our bicomponent technologies.” By way of capital improvements, Colbond has stayed on track with plans to initiate several projects in 2006 and into 2007 at its nonwovens operations at Arnhem and Emmen, The Netherlands and Asheville, NC. These plans targeted further optimization of Colback quality and the de-bottlenecking of existing production capacities. In preparation for the commercial launch of Colback SMR in January 2007, major investments were made during 2006 to fine-tune the technology and modify machines to handle recycled raw material generated from postconsumer bottle scrap. Also, to comply with increasing demand for geogrids in infrastructure projects that call for soil stabilization, Colbond has increased its production capacity for Enkagrid, which is manufactured at Arnhem. This increase is based on the further optimization of its manufacturing process. From a geographical standpoint, current key regions are Western Europe and North America, with Eastern Europe gaining importance for Colbond. In Asia the company is increasing its activities, partly with the support of its new sister company Bonar Yihua as a local key contact and company base. A Chinese manufacturer of wovens and artificial grass yarn, Bonar Yihua has taken Colback on board, a step that is expected to substantially increase the share of Colbond in the Asian market for high performance nonwoven backings Colbond is keeping busy on the Eastern European front as well, where it is benefiting from L&B company locations that form strategically important bases for entering new markets and growing in certain regions. Looking toward the horizon, Colbond’s short- and longterm growth strategy is clear, according to Mr. van Boldrik. “Within L&B, Colbond continues its strategy of targeted organic growth focusing on new products and innovative applications as well as on geographic expansion supported by L&B acquisitions where appropriate.”
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International Top 40
SIXTEEN
JAPAN VILENE Tokyo, Japan www.vilene.co.jp 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $191 million Personnel Mitsuo Kanno, president; Minoro Tanaka, managing director; Yoshiaki Mizutani, director; Kazuo Hamada, managing director
Plants Shiga, Tokyo, Japan
Processes Resin bonded, needlepunched, thermal bonded, wetlaid, spunlaced, meltblown, tackspun
Major Markets Apparel interlinings, apparel insulations, air filters, plaster bases, automotive mats, automotive headliners, batter electrode separators The gross sales of Japanese nonwovens producer Japan Vilene were ¥56.3 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007, reflecting an increase of 8.6% compared to the year before. By sector, apparel material sales decreased 8.9% to ¥4.7 billion; automotive materials increased 25.3% to ¥23.9 billion; automotive materials increased 25.3% to ¥23.9 billion; air filtration media gained 2.1% to reach ¥8.7 billion; medical and consumer materials decreased slightly (0.2%) to ¥7 billion and industrial material sales—which now include conventional electrical materials—decreased 3% to ¥1.6 billion.
Of the company’s gross sales of ¥56.3 billion in 2006, ¥36.8 billion were domestic sales and ¥19.5 were international. Domestic sales decreased 1.8% to ¥38.6 billion wile international sales increased 35.8% to ¥19.5 billion. Leading international growth was North America, where Japan Vilene was able to grow its business 58% to ¥13.4 billion, led largely by supply to the North American automotives market. Additionally, Asian sales increased 2.6% to ¥5.7 billion. In terms of new technology, Japan Vilene has developed a component of proton-exchange membrane cell (PEFC) and it is currently applying this technology to a number of application areas. One area is electrode battery separators where the technology is applied to mulled carbon particle and resin. The carbon fibers typically used for the electrodes have a number of drawbacks including higher costs and fragility but the technology being offered by Japan Vilene is flexible and lower cost. Another component being developed by Japan Vilene was an intake filter for the PEFC that fully uses the technology of Japan Vilene. In terms of PEFC as a next generation energy source, may enterprises are concerned and involved with the worldwide development competition. Japane Vilene expects nonwovens with PEC to be among its key products of the future.
SEVENTEEN
ASAHI KASEI Osaka, Japan www.asahi-kasei.co.jp 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $170 million Key Personnel Toshio Takanashi, general manager, nonwoven fabrics division; Katsuhiko Hinamoto, general manager, spunbonded fabric sales; Akira Enami, general manager Bemliese sales
Plants Moriyama and Nobeoka, Japan
Processes Spunbonded, meltblown
Major Markets Coverstock, wipes, gauze, packings, white blood corpuscle removing filters
Sales are on the rise for Asahi Kasei but despite this profits
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have continued to fall due to increased raw material costs. To combat this, the company has gradually been increasing its nonwovens prices in many areas. This strategy, however, has not been effective in the diaper market, which has been characterized as severe and unprofitable and represents more than half of the company’s spunbond nonwovens sales, so the company has had to focus its price hikes on value-added spunbonded nonwovens areas such as polyester and nylon that offer higher strengths and other attributes. Additionally, the company is reportedly reviewing a plan to produce its nonwovens for the diaper market outside of Japan to save costs. The production capacity of Asahi Kasei is: 13,000 tons per year of SMMS; 13,000 tons per year of polypropylene spun-
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International Top 40 bonded nonwovens; 5500 tons per year of polyester spunbonded nonwovens; 3500 tons per year of nylon spunbonded nonwovens; 4500 tons per year of cupra spunbonded nonwovens and 200 tons of meltblown nonwovens. Additionally, the Osaka, Japan-based company is scheduled to open a new plant this month that will make 2000 tons per year of a new compound spunbond nonwovens, which will be sold under the brand name Precise. In other upgrades, Asahi Kasei is currently reconfiguring its polypropylene spunbond lines to be able to handle polyester, nylon and a number of other polymers to increase its flexibility. In terms of specialty products, Asahi Kasei’s Precise nonwovens comprise a three layer laminate structure of
PET and the thickness of each layer can be altered depending on the application. This nonwovens is manufactured through a one-process manufacturing method and is a three-layer structure with 1.2-2.0 microdiameters of a fiber diameter in the middle layer and 14-15 micrometers of both outer layers, which allow them to collect dust while maintaining high breathability and soakage potential. These characteristics are ideal for applications such as filters and masks. And, if a liquid of any viscosity is applied to the surface of a nonwoven, the middle layer would prevent the liquid from infiltrating into the rear face. This special quality makes Precise ideal for use as a base material for adhesive tapes and binders..
EIGHTEEN
VITA NONWOVENS Manchester, U.K. www.thevitagroup.com 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $162 million Key Personnel John Oliver, Vita Group CEO; Wim Warnier, Vita Nonwovens CEO
Plants Belgium, France, Sweden, U.S.
ISO Status ISO 9001:2000; ISO / TS 16949
Processes Drylaid, chemical bonded, drylaid thermally bonded, needlefelt, through air bonded, impregnation
Sales decreased from $170 million to $162 million for Vita Nonwovens due to the closure of the company’s U.K. subsidiaries. However, without these closures, the company reported growth of 5.6% of continuing operations due largely to healthcare, automotive, filtration and industrial application gains and despite a slowdown in the Western European furniture and bedding markets. With plants remaining in Belgium, France, Sweden and the U.S., Vita Nonwovens targets a number of markets with its proprietary technology. Its largest nonwovens division, Libeltex, continues to grow, driven by healthcare and industrial specialties market. The strong growth prospects of this division led the company’s executive board to abandon plans to sell Libeltex, saying it could add greater value to the company as a division rather than being sold as a separate entity. As part of this retention strategy, a program of investing in the people and production capability of the company is being formulated to ensure the company maintains its position at the forefront of European nonwovens technology, according to execu-
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tives. Libeltex operates five plants, one in Belgium, two in France and one in Sweden. Meanwhile, the group’s U.S. subsidiary, Vita Nonwovens, has continued a turnaround phase in 2006, allowing it to end the temporary closure of its Fort Wayne, IN site. The site was opened during an aggressive North American investment period for the company earlier this decade. This included the acquisition of Prelude Nonwovens, High Point, NC, and the addition of four new production lines there as well as the creation of greenfield facilities in San Antonio, TX and Fort Wayne. Both of the greenfield sites contain proprietary drylaid technology and have allowed Vita Nonwovens to be closer to their North American companies. In recent years, the Vita Group has been transformed from a public to a private company. Fort Worth, TX-based Texas Pacific Group purchased the group (then British Vita) in June 2005, and it was subsequently delisted from the London Stock Exchange. According to executives, this change in ownership brought with it a vision that included the goal of becoming a more efficient and preferred supplier in the field of specialty nonwovens. Moving forward, Vita Nonwovens sees hygiene, automotive, filtration and other technical industrial applications as the clear focus for growth. The company is also carefully considering the development of new products and services to meet the future needs of its customers, which may include looking at new market sectors and new geographies. “We are exploiting the available technology with breakthrough products for acoustical and thermal insulation,” said CEO Wim Warnier. “And we are studying the relocation to geographical markets, where we believe that demand for highloft nonwovens is likely to grow.”
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NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
International Top 40
NINETEEN
PEGAS A/S Znojmo, Czech Republic www.pegas.cz 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $152 million Key Personnel Milos Bogdan, managing director, Frantisek Klaska, technical director; Frantisek Rezac, commercial director
Plants Znojmo, Bucovice, Czech Republic
ISO Status ISO-9001: 2000, ISO-14001: 1996
Nonwovens Processes Spunbond, meltblown, SMS, BiCo
Major Markets Hygiene, agriculture, healthcare, ecology, furniture, building, protective apparel Nonwovens sales increased 10.5% to reach €121 million for the Czech Republic’s largest nonwovens producer Pegas Nonwovens, thanks to a 6% increase in output, a larger reliance on specialty products and the passage of higher raw material prices to consumers. And, earnings growth has continued into 2007, with first quarter results up 6.1% compared to the prior year, thanks to higher sales volumes. “Pegas is operating in a highly competitive market and therefore is constantly facing pressure from competition,” said Frantisek Klaska. technical director. “At the same time, Pegas is one of few producers in Europe of added-value specialty products using the most modern technology. Through its technological innovation, Pegas is maintaining its market position.” In 2006, the bulk of Pegas’ nonwovens sales were conducted in the hygiene commodity market; however the percentage of sales in this market decreased from 72.3% in 2005 to 65.2% last
year. Meanwhile, sales to hygiene specialty segments increased from 16.3% to 23.6% and non-hygiene sales remained essentially flat, according to Mr. Klaska. “These results confirm the company's focus on specialty production and sales,” he said. Pegas currently produces 55,000 tons of spunmelt nonwovens on seven lines at two plants in the Czech Republic. Plans for an eighth line, which will add 15,000 tons of material per year to the company’s output, are already underway with a commercial launch expected for the fourth quarter of 2007. Like other Pegas lines, the new line will be based on Reicofil technology. “The European personal hygiene industry will remain the company's key target market. In addition, the company is further aiming to penetrate other markets, such as the medical market,” Mr. Klaska explained. During the past five years, Pegas has benefited from growth in the European market for spunbond nonwovens aimed at hygiene, particularly on the specialty end. While this market is expected to remain most important to Pegas, executives have indicated that the company would like to benefit from growth in emerging markets such as Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and Turkey. In fact, Pegas has even hinted that it would, under the right circumstances, consider expanding its operations beyond the Czech Republic into other areas such as Russia. Product diversification is another possibility for Pegas’ future growth strategy. “However, it is not so easy to start with new, different technology from point zero, we are investigating more combining two or more technologies together, but there are not concrete plans at the moment,” said Mr. Klaska.
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International Top 40 TWENTY
GEORGIA-PACIFIC Atlanta, GA www.gp.com 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $150 million Plants Green Bay, WI (two facilities); Glen, France; Avigliano, Italy
Processes Airlaid, carded
Brand Names Airtex, Dritex
Major Markets Baby wipes, industrial and food service wipes, feminine hygiene, absorbent core, tabletop, medical, moist toilet tissue, meat packaging Under new ownership is Georgia-Pacific. In November 2005, the company was purchased by Koch Industries, a multina-
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tional conglomerate that had already owned G-P’s cellulose business as well as fiber producer Invista, among other things. Meanwhile, G-P’s nonwovens business, which centers on airlaid technology, has continued to perform well by focusing on improving its production and reducing costs despite challenging raw material prices. Benefiting G-P were existing contracts, put in place before raw material prices escalated, which kept their impact to G-P under check. Additionally, G-P has been successful in unearthing new market segments for its airlaid technology that had been using other materials. These markets were typically using technology that was more expensive than airlaid but G-P was able to show how pulp can perform just as well at a lower cost, according to executives.
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NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
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International Top 40
TWENTY ONE
WESTERN NONWOVENS INC. Carson, CA www.westernnonwovens.com 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $145 million Personnel Ken Hardin, president and CEO; Mike Wood, CFO; Dan Dobbins, vice president and general manager—Industrial Nonwovens division; Matt Schrantz, vice president and general manager—Performance Insulation division; Nancy Haas, vice president—Human Resources
Plants Carson, CA; Los Angeles, CA; City of Commerce, CA; St. Louis, MO; Oakland, CA; Sauget, IL; Orlando, FL; Clearfield, UT; Clinton, TN
Processes Carded, drylaid, airlaid, thermal bonded, needlepunched, chemical bonded, foam bonded, densification, calendered and continuous filament batting
Brand Names Esyntial Safe; ClimaShield; SandMat; Bouncebackability
Major Markets Furniture, consumer insulation, bedding, filtration, medical, craft, aerospace, automotive, home furnishings, mattress barriers, turf products Despite the divestment this year of its Cerex Advanced Fabrics business, Western Nonwovens, Inc. (WNI) expects sales in 2007 to hold steady, thanks largely to growing demand for flame retardant (FR) barrier products sold through its Industrial Nonwovens (INW) division. Formerly a wholly owned subsidiary of WNI, Cerex is a Florida-based supplier of high performance spunbond nylon nonwoven fabrics. The business was sold in March to a group of private investors—led by Jon Vesely, a Chicago-based private equity investor—and certain members of Cerex management. “The transaction positions Cerex with a new ownership structure that intends to continue to invest in the long-term growth of the business,” commented Ken Hardin, president and CEO of WNI. “This transaction is part of WNI’s overall strategy to position each of its operating divisions for longterm growth and investment opportunities.” With a focus on durable nonwovens applications in North America, WNI has enjoyed recent growth trends led by new FR legislation in the North American mattress industry. However, demand for other major durable goods such as furniture, filtration and home furnishings remains basically flat. Such conditions, coupled with raw material pricing challenges, have encouraged nonwovens producers to place even more emphasis on internal cost reduction efforts. Outside of its North American base, WNI has continued initiatives to expand its continuous filament insulation manufacturing capacity into the Asian region. Building up to this goal,
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late in 2006, WNI opened its newest Climashield site in Clinton, TN, which is dedicated to the manufacture of consumer insulation products. A second line came onstream in Clinton in June and a third line will be relocated from Oakland, CA to either an existing site in the Los Angeles area or to Asia for supplying outdoor retail markets. “The Oakland site will be shut down by mid-2008,” predicted Mr. Hardin. WNI sees itself as well positioned for growth in 2007 driven by the completion of its three-year capital plan and the successful launch of its Esyntial Safe, Climashield and SandMat branded products. Esyntial Safe FR barrier product is now commercial in more than 20 different product types specifically tailored to customers’ applications and fire safety specifications. In July, national FR legislation became law for all mattress manufacturers in the U.S. “WNI has been supplying our mattress customers with FR barrier products in California and nationwide since late 2004,” stated Dan Dobbins, senior vice president—INW division. “With the company’s national manufacturing footprint, commitment to R&D and quality processes, we are positioned to remain a leader in FR barrier products and service for the foreseeable future.” On the insulation end, WNI offers Climashield, a unique technology entering its first full commercial production year with high expectations. “After successfully developing a completely new Climashield product line to replace the older and limited application range of Polarguard products, Climashield can now be offered to the consumer insulation industry in new and compressible outdoor sleep systems, apparel insulation, gloves and footwear,” stated Matt Schrantz, vice president and general manager—Performance Insulation division. “New fiber structures with proprietary lightweight manufacturing techniques have significantly expanded the application range of continuous filament technology.” Climashield Green, made with recycled materials, is the first recipient of the Sprout Award for the brand’s efforts to promote “seeds of change” in a world with many environmental problems. Unlike cut staple, which requires a chemical treatment to keep it together, Climashield Green recycled continuous filament is naturally durable, stretchable and will not separate. Several new Climashield insulation products have been developed over the last year. The products have higher thermal efficiency and deploy a new technology to give the insulation functionality. For example, the Climashield Combat and Climashield Prism products absorb no moisture and repel water, which allows the insulation to retain its thermal efficiency even when it is wet. In the area of erosion control, SandMat nonwoven turf
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NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
International Top 40 products are now being used as golf course bunker liners both in the U.S. and abroad. Sales for SandMat products increased 45% in 2006 versus the prior year and are continuing to grow in 2007. “We expect SandMat to grow at least another 50% in 2007 as we continue our international growth and expand its introduction from new course con-
struction to remediation of established golf courses,” remarked Mr. Dobbins. “In addition, we are on target to roll out our new TurfMat product to the general erosion control industry later in 2007. TurfMat offers a unique combination of early stage soil fertilization with permanent erosion control,” he continued.
TWENTY TWO
TOYOBO Tokyo, Japan www.toyobo.co.jp 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $141 million Key Personnel Kazumasa Kayama, general manager, spunbond division of Toyobo; Yukio Kawasaki, president of Kureha
Plants Tsuruga, Iwakuni and Shiga
Processes Spunbond, needlepunch, resin bonded, spunlaced, thermal bonded, stitchbonded
Brand Names Volans, Ecule, Bonden, Kurelock, Kurehalock, Dynac
Major Markets Geotextiles, roofing sheets, carpet backings, automotive interiors, automotive filters, needlepunched carpets, hot melt bonding sheets, plaster bases Toyobo produces 14,000 tons of polyester-based spunbonded nonwovens on four lines, two in Iwakuni and two in Tsuruga, Japan. Toyobo is currently streamlining its operation in Iwakuni, which is expected to increase its capacity by 2000 tons by April 2008. The company also produces spunbond nonwo-
vens from polybutylene terephthalate and polyphenylene sulfide. Nonwovens with PBT have moderate stretch properties and the PPS-based materials feature excellent heat resistance. Kureha, an associated company, makes nonwovens via resin bonding, needlepunching, thermal bonding and spunbonding with a capacity of about 7000 tons per year. There are five thermal and resin bonding lines, eight needlepunch lines and four spunbond lines. The spunbond nonwovens made by Kureha are hotmelt sheets used as adhesives in specialty nonwovens, unlike normal spunbond nonwovens, they are thin and lightweight with low density and are used as an adhesive to laminate nonwovens, textile fabrics and knits. Kureha also operates subsidiaries in Taiwan, Thailand and the U.S., where each company makes and sells nonwovens. The American subsidiary produces air filters for mobile engines by making nonwovens and molding the filters. These filters are supplied to American Toyota. Subsidiaries in Taiwan and Thailand produce and sell nonwovens for automotive interiors. Yuho, another associated company of Toyobo, makes needlepunched, spunlaced and stitchbonded nonwovens with a capacity of 3000 tons per year.
TWENTY THREE
SANDLER AG Schwarzenbach/Saale, Germany www.sandler.de 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $140 million
Plant
Carded, waddings and drylaid nonwovens, thermal bonded, mechanically bonded, meltblown, thermofused, needlepunched, air through bonded, spunlaced, hot melt lamination, flexo-printing and coating
Schwarzenbach/Saale, Germany
Brand Names
ISO Status
sawafill, sawabond, sawaloom, sawavlies, sawaloft, sawaflor, sawatex, sawascreen, sawagrow, sandler sports, sawacomp, sawaflock, sawaform, sawalux, sawaflex, sawasoft, sawasorb, sandler-fibercomfort, sandler-fiberskin, sandler-unico, sawadur, sawadry
Key Personnel Dipl. Kfm. Christian Heinrich Sandler, Dr. Christian Heinrich Sandler, Dieter Magiera, members of the management board
ISO 9001:2000, ISO 14001 certified, Ökotex Standard 100, OHRIS
Processes
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International Top 40 Major Markets Fashion, home furnishing, technical nonwovens (civil engineering, automotive, filtration, horticulture), hygiene, medical, wipes (baby, cosmetic, technical, oil) At €112 million, sales were right on target for Sandler, Schwarzenbach/Saale, Germany, a leading producer of carded, needlepunch and spunlace nonwovens. “We are satisfied with our results as we were very close to achieving the sales figure we expected,” commented Ulrich Hornfeck, sales director. He reported that the company has several new projects underway in a range of markets outside of the wipes arena. After deciding last year against expanding its production base outside of Germany, Sandler attributes its current success to its flexibility and fast reaction time from its Schwarzenbach headquarters. This advantage continues to dissuade Sandler from opening a manufacturing plant elsewhere, although Dr. Hornfeck said the company is keeping its options open. “If the market drives us there, we will follow. We always pay close attention to what our customers are doing.” He added that, regardless of changes in the market, Sandler plans to remain a family-owned company. In a move set to expand its role in the wipes market, Sandler will invest €20 million to add a second high performance spunlace nonwovens line. According to the company, the new line—its second for the wipes market—will be run under the same stringent hygienic conditions as its existing spunlace line, which was added in 2003. Since entering the spunlace market, Sandler has made great strides to offer differentiated products for the wipes markets by using special fiber blends and finishing techniques such as embossing, structuring and printing. One example is sawatex TriLace, a wipe with good dust and dirt absorption rates that dries quickly and is ideal for a number of household cleaning applications. Baby wipes remains a key market for Sandler despite challenges in the export market stemming from the state of the Euro. Another obvious challenge here is the cost of raw mate-
rials, which continue to climb, impacting suppliers, competitors and end users, according to executives. The additional line will keep Sandler focused on the spunlace market in Europe where the company reports slight growth. “The market is not growing rapidly, but we are seeing demand for a variety of interesting applications involving a lot of differentiation,” he observed. To date, Sandler has predominantly supplied standard spunlace and is looking forward to exploring its options for innovative new product variations. Dr. Hornfeck described the company’s new carded needlepunch line as highly innovative as well. Targeting filtration and automotive products, the €10 million investment is part of a larger €25 million investment centering on special technologies for the development of new products and markets for the future. “We have large lines that offer the productivity required in the market,” he said. Both of Sandler’s recent investments are intended to produce reasonably priced high quality products to meet customer-specific needs. “These investments position us well across a variety of markets,” Dr. Hornfeck remarked. In the area of upholstery, Sandler is continuing to witness a shift to Eastern Europe, a trend that is expected to stabilize. “There will always be plenty of customers in Central Europe. Those seeking high quality will stay put,” he predicted. Meanwhile, Sandler is seeing strong growth in technical areas such as filtration and automotive applications. Needlepunched fabrics for automotive sound absorption are performing well as are filtration products. “Other new technical applications are currently in development. They will synergize well with our existing portfolio,” he said. In closing, Dr. Hornfeck referred to the company’s past years’ impressive achievement of generating half of its turnover from the sale of products fewer than five years old. “This is a major push for us and we are very satisfied with our ability to continue to meet this target in the future. We attribute this to the important partnerships we have with customers and suppliers.”
TWENTY FOUR
LYDALL Manchester, CT www.lydall.com 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $136 million Key Personnel
Major Markets
W. Leslie Duffy, chairman of the board, David Freeman, president and CEO; Thomas Smith, vice president, chief financial officer, and treasurer; Mona Estey, vice president—human resources; Mary Tremblay, vice president, general counsel and secretary
Thermal and acoustical shields and insulation, high-efficiency air and liquid filtration media, bioprocessing and specialty blood and cell therapy products
Plants Rochester, NH; Saint Rivalain, France; Winston-Salem, NC; Hamptonville, NC; St. Johnsbury, VT; Green Island, NY; Ossipee, NH; Meinerzhagen, Germany; Saint-Nazaire, France
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Major Brand Names Lytherm, Manniglas, Manniweb, Affinity, ZeroClearance, dBLyte, LydAir, LydAir ElementsMG, Actipure, AcuPore, AMS, CRS Wrap, Cryotherm, dBCore, LyPore, LyPoreMG, LyPore Unity, BioPak
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W ov e ns f o r Nonwov e ns
International Top 40 For Lydall Inc., Manchester, CT, worldwide 2006 nonwoven sales topped the $136.7 million mark, representing a slight drop from last year’s $137.8 million total and 42% of Lydall’s company-wide 2006 sales, which reached $326.4 million. “This improvement in large part reflects the cumulative benefits being realized from our Lydall Lean Six Sigma (LLSS) program,” commented David Freeman, president and CEO. “LLSS gained traction during 2006, our first full year under the program. More than 100 employees were trained during 2006 and well over that number have received training during the first half of 2007.” At the same time, Lydall is increasing focus on product development. New product sales exceeded 20% of its total in 2006 and this percentage is expected to rise to 25% during the next couple of years. Thermal/Acoustical segment sales accounted for approximately 67% of Lydall’s business last year, with the majority of this segment being comprised of automotive sales, while the Filtration/Separation segment accounted for approximately 24% of total 2006 sales. The majority of Lydall’s nonwovens sales target high-efficiency air and liquid filtration applications. Lydall’s nonwoven thermal/ acoustical products serve demanding building, cryogenic and high-end appliance applications. Lydall also manufactures nonwoven products employed in certain medical devices and as acoustical insulation in high-performance automotive applications. Geographically speaking, Lydall’s business covers both Western and Eastern markets with foreign and export sales representing 43% of the company’s net sales in 2006. Export sales are primarily to Europe, Asia, Mexico and Canada. In the U.S., Lydall has operations in North Carolina, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York and Virginia; it also operates manufacturing facilities in Germany and France as well as sales offices in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Patrick Apfeld, vice president of marketing and business development for Lydall Filtration/Separation, described the filtration/separation market for nonwovens as healthy and growing faster than baseline GDP. “Some segments, particularly those related to consumer products, have become commoditized, and there has been some capacity rationalization and consolidations as a consequence,” he explained. “Lydall generally participates in a fairly narrow market space. We provide highly technical products to demanding niche business-tobusiness markets.” Lydall Filtration’s strategy is to increase focus and development toward markets that require joint application development (with customers) and technical innovation. “Lydall Filtration has differentiated itself through world-class customer service, the customization of products for specific needs and by broadening the offerings beyond wetlaid microglass to include high-end, filtration-quality meltblown products and a range of composite materials.” Speaking of wetlaid nonwovens, according to Reid Anthony, director of Lydall’s engineered nonwoven/technical paper business serving thermal and acoustical applications,
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suppliers have expanded their asset bases rather than decommission legacy assets and, in turn, have reassigned equipment to wetlaid products for building and cryogenic end uses. “The success of these ‘specialty businesses’ and the relative margin differential has subsequently attracted additional investment,” he said. “Specialty businesses, originally created for asset utilization, have become growth engines. From a competitive standpoint, we are seeing new entrants from Asia as well as vertical integration and consolidation of existing players. Lydall’s breadth of technology—meltblown, airlaid, wetlaid, composite and needling capabilities—distinguishes us in this growth industry.” By way of capital improvements, Lydall is in the second year of a multi-year capital improvement plan at both its Rochester, NH and St. Rivalain, France filtration/separation facilities. These improvements include a series of proprietary process improvements aimed toward achieving unsurpassed filtration properties in microglass products and state-of-theart wet-forming hardware and process control upgrades to support product uniformity. Additionally, Lydall recently installed a new advanced laminating line at its Rochester, NH operation, expanding its technical capabilities and providing sufficient capacity to cover current composites demands and future growth for several years. The laminating line is a key process in the manufacture of the LydAir SC, LyPore SC as well as a growing portfolio of customized composite product lines, which are utilized in high performance filtration challenges including industrial and residential HVAC, gas-turbine, cabin air, drinking water and a variety of industrial fluid applications. The Lydall Automotive Group is also investing in additional nonwovens capacity at its Hamptonville, NC facility to support substantial growth in acoustic products. Installation is scheduled for the second half of 2007 and will accommodate new business. It is scheduled to come onstream in early 2008. “Continuing investment in proprietary process improvements for all our businesses will allow us to solidify marketshare in core markets and support expansion into demanding new applications,” Mr. Freeman said. Lydall is also committed to expanding geographically and is establishing a commercial presence in China, where the company has leased warehouse space for filtration products. “Our goal is to set up a sales and service company with the capability of performing finishing operations in addition to acting as the central distribution and service facility for filtration products for Asia. We also intend to expand our presence for thermal/acoustical products in this important market,” Mr. Freeman said. Wrapping up, Mr. Freeman said that Lydall plans to continue to concentrate on strategic sales growth and margin improvement. “We will remain focused on operating efficiencies, resource allocation and new product development. Our vision is to grow at a double-digit compound annual rate. With an expected organic growth rate in the single digits, acquisitions will be key to achieving our goal.”
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International Top 40 TWENTY FIVE
CONCERT INDUSTRIES Gatineau, Quebec, Canada www.concert.ca 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $132 million Key Personnel Corporate: Pierre McNeil, acting president and chief executive officer; Rolf Hövelmann, senior vice president and COO;Don Habbick, chief financial officer. European Operations: Rolf Hövelmann, managing director of Concert Europe GmbH and AAT Systems GmbH ; Jorg Schlautmann, managing director, sales, R&D and quality; Torsten Gartner, managing director, manufacturing & business systems. Canadian Operations: Barry Downing, vice president and general manager; Ken Squires, director of sales; Alain Mercier, director of operations
Canadian Operations Gatineau, QC Processes Airlaid capability for thermal, latex, multi- and hydrogenbonded. Festooner capacity for finishing and packaging.
Products Feminine hygiene, home care, food pads and premium wipes.
European Operations Falkenhagen, Germany Processes Airlaid capability for thermal, latex, multi and hydrogen-bonded. Festooner capacity for finishing and packaging
Products Feminine hygiene, premium wipes, food pads, home care, table top, adult incontinence and cosmetic towels. Nearly three years after its purchase by Brascan Asset Management’s Tricap Partners Ltd., Gatineau, Quebec, Canadabased Concert Industries is continuing its evolution into a leader in the global specialty airlaid market. Thanks to a successful turnaround of its Gatineau operations and consistent top performance from its German facility in Falkenhagen, Concert has mastered operational excellence and is well positioned for growth opportunities, according to executives. In 2006, the company’s sales were approximately CDN150 million and this figure is set to increase further as Concert’s Gatineau operation continues to increase its capacity. The bulk of Concert’s airlaid output targets the feminine hygiene market but other applications include specialty wipe products, food pads, adult incontinence, tabletop and a number of other niche areas, according to the director of sales of the Canadian operations, Ken Squires. “Concert is putting more emphasis on new niche markets that we think could represent significant value,” he said. As it increases its focus on new markets, Concert has also made the strategic decision to exit markets—such as commodity
NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
consumer wipes—that have proven unprofitable, instead putting more resources behind markets where it has a proven track record such as feminine hygiene. “The feminine hygiene segment is our largest end use market. We will maintain and strengthen our preferred supplier status to the largest global airlaid customers by continuing to offer the industry’s highest level of technical expertise,” said acting president and CEO Pierre McNeil. Mr. McNeil, a Tricap veteran, was named acting CEO earlier this year following the sudden death of CEO Tony Molluso, the man credited with much of Concert’s turnaround. “(The impact of Tony’s death) was hard but we did not lose any momentum because the team under him was so strong,” Mr. McNeil said. “Though this facilitated my transition into the CEO role, Tony’s presence and positive attitude is still missed. He had a very good network in the industry and a really good sense of how to grow the business.” Since taking over Concert, TriCap has focused on returning the company, which had been severely hit by overcapacity issues affecting the global airlaid market, to profitability. Efforts included the shutdown of a smaller operation in Thurso, Canada as well as a turnaround at Concert’s Gatineau facility where two large airlaid lines were added in 2001. According to Mr. McNeil, at one point one of these lines was barely operational as the company shifted its production cycle to meet market demand. Recently, however, production has been increasing steadily at the facility as Concert enjoys gains in its existing market and taps new areas for growth. “In Gatineau, our challenge in the last two years has been to make the operation viable for the future,” Mr. McNeil said. “These changes have meant a significant reduction in the workforce and running machines more efficiently and effectively. Under these circumstances the team has done a great job to improve quality, drive costs down, properly define the product segments, increase capacity utilization, reduce waste and rebuild credibility with key customers. Today, we are pleased to announce that Gatineau is increasing employment levels and we have the lines running at high levels of capacity utilization.” Recent investments in Gatineau include a newly upgraded festooner, which is delivering strong results, running at high levels of utilization. Concert is reportedly considering additional festooner improvements to drive further sales from existing and future customers interested in our leading-edge finishing and packaging technology. Meanwhile, Concert’s European facility, located in Falkenhagen, Germany, has been operating at full capacity thanks to strong demand from the company’s European customers.
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International Top 40 “Few companies can rival Germany’s reliable and complementary team,” said Mr. McNeil. “They are in control of the key operational processes and are always looking ahead in terms of improving the process and the products to match the needs of our customers. Specialty airlaid is a technically demanding market area due to the complex qualification process and the need for close product development relationships with our customers. Falkenhagen is at the forefront in this market. With such strengths we consider the Germany operations well-positioned for further rapid growth.” In fact, the Falkenhagen operation is performing so well that Concert executives have admitted that expansion is definitely a possibility in the near term. “Concert’s primary focus is to maximize the capacity of our current operations and consider expansion where we see market growth, including
Europe, Asia, the U.S. and the Middle East,” Mr. McNeil said. “We are also considering other regions such as South America where Brookfield has a strong presence.” Moving forward, Mr. McNeil’s main goal is to continue the momentum started by Mr. Molluso and maintain the success Concert has seen since its acquisition by TriCap. “With the turnaround of Concert complete, my assignment to the role of acting CEO is in essence to keep the momentum and to continue growing the company. My focus has been on the future strategic direction of the business—how we grow this business from its current base—and I am very pleased with the way it’s turning out,” he said. “The results I have seen so far are very much in line with the goals we set for the company: to focus on product development, to meet our key customers’ needs and to reassure them that Concert is here for the long term.”
TWENTY SIX
MITSUI CHEMICALS Tokyo, Japan www.mitsui.co.jp 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $130 million Key Personnel Motoyuki Ezaki, general manager, life and energy materials division
Plants Yokkaichi and Iwakuni
Processes Spunbonded, needlepunched, meltblown, thermal bonded
Brand Names Tafnel, Syntex
Major Markets Coverstock, geotextiles, oil absorbing materials, air filters, wipes, agricultural materials, household materials Mitsui Chemicals can produce 25,000 tons of polypropylene spunbonded nonwovens on four production lines. Among these, one can make 3000 tons; one can make 3500 tons, one can make 12,500 tons and one can make 6000 tons per year of spunbond materials. Additionally, a fifth line can make 9000
tons of SMS materials. Of this capacity, 18,500 tons of spunbond and all 9000 tons of SMS material are targeting the diaper market. Additionally, MHM, Mitsui Chemicals’ wholly-owned subsidiary in Thailand, has been making 14,000 tons of SMMS per year since 2003 and a second line, capable of producing 16,000 tons of SMMS, is scheduled to start operation in January 2008. Most of this capacity is exported to Japan, but diaper manufacturers in Southeast Asia and China are also customers. Mitsui Chemicals is the top maker of polypropylene spunbond and spunmelt nonwovens for the Japanese diaper market with a reported marketshare of 41%. The sales of imported SMMS from MHM has increased considerably due to the low cost of this material compared to products made in Japan. Contrary to original expectations of production expansion into China, the company said it will not build a site there but will instead focus expansion initiatives on its MHM site to serve the Asian market.
TWENTY SEVEN
TORAY SAEHAN INC. Seoul, Korea www.toraysaehan.com 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $115 million Plant Locations
ISO Status
Gumi, Kyungsang-Bukdo, South Korea; Nantong, JIangsu Province, China (February 2008)
ISO-9001: 1999; ISO-14001 (environmental certification): 1999; ISO-18001 (operational certification): 1993
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NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
International Top 40 Key Personnel Y.K. Lee, president and CEO; Y.K. Kim, senior vice president; Shigeto Fukuda, senior vice president; J.N. Kim, president of TPN; W.C. Hwang, director of TPN
Processes Spunbond PP (SS, SSS, SMS, SMMS), PET
Brand Names Jesbon (PP), Techbon (PET), Airbon (protective apparel)
Major Markets Hygiene, medical and protective markets, industrial specialties, agricultural, upholstery, filtration, PP/PE bicomponents, geotextiles A joint venture company of Toray Industries of Japan and Saehan of Korea, spunbond specialist Toray Saehan, Inc. (TSI) saw a 16% jump in sales in 2006 to $115 million, representing 16% of the company’s total turnover. TSI’s dollar-based turnover figure compares favorably to an
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increase of only 6% in Korean currency due to the weakness of the dollar versus the Korean won. In 2006 the won appreciated 8%. Overall, the company was disappointed in its earnings performance in 2006 due not only to the sharp appreciation of the Korean won against the U.S. dollar but also elevated raw material prices for polypropylene resin. In response to these conditions, TSI increased its Korean domestic marketshare and shifted away from less attractive export markets. “Producers of polypropylene-based nonwovens experienced the highest-ever resin prices last year due to oil price hikes,” commented company spokesperson H.B. Lee. “This hurt most manufacturers in 2006 and we are very concerned about a repeat of this trend in the second half of this year.” At 54,000 tons, annual capacity levels remained steady this year for TSI. The company continues to operate five polypropylene-based spunbond nonwovens lines and
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a single polyester spunbond line in Korea, which, according to TSI, represents the largest single plant capacity in Asia. Through its state-of-the-art technology, the company fabricates top-quality spunbond materials including multiple layers for lightweight nonwovens with SMS, SSMMS and bicomponent layers. For backsheet applications featuring enhanced softness, TSI offers SSS products while the company’s SMS products target medical end uses such as gauze, surgical drapes and gowns. Currently, TSI’s geographic sales regions span the globe, with 47% of business generated in Korea, 24% coming from Japan and other markets representing 29%. With exports representing more than half (53%) of its total business, major export regions include Japan, China, Taiwan and the ASEAN countries. In Japan, TSI now holds a 15-20% marketshare in the hygiene market where it supplies quality-oriented services. Of TSI’s total business, hygiene continues to represent about two-thirds. Beyond its Korean base, TSI plans to focus on the growing Chinese hygiene market as a new investment target. In line with this strategy, the company has established a new subsidiary called TPN, Toray Polytech Nantong, and is building a $60 million SMMS plant in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, near Shanghai, which is expected to reach commercial production levels by February 2008. Heading up the new operation are J.N. Kim, president, and W.C Hwang, director. While Mr. Kim specializes in new plant construction and operations, Mr. Hwang has more than 15 years of technical experience in the production of nonwovens. “Mr. Kim and Mr. Hwang will play an important role in the start-up of our TPN operation in China,” said Mr. Lee. (For more on TSI’s Chinese expansion, see Nonwovens News, page 16.) According to Mr. Lee, China had a market penetration ratio of approximately 10-12% in the baby diaper sector and 65% in the feminine hygiene market in 2006. “China's per capita GDP grew to $2000 in 2006,” he said. “As living standards improve, the marketshare of nonwovens is increasing in areas such as hygiene, medical, household, apparel and shoes. Outside of hygiene and medical segments, uses of TSI’s spunbonds in agri-
NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
International Top 40 cultural applications are becoming more diverse as farming technologies evolve. “As a supplier of quality agricultural materials, TSI helps farmers increase crop yields and boost productivity. We provide fabrics for curtains, thermal covers, rice seedbed and red pepper mulching, tunnel mulching and alpine vegetable mulching,” said Mr. Lee. TSI’s spunbond fabrics are also finding varied uses in commodity-type applications. Toray Saehan’s major polypropylene
spunbond products include meltblown spunbond, SMS, SMMS, SSMMS as well as polyester spunbond including embossed and needlepunched spunbond. Wrapping up, Mr. Lee said that TSI enjoys the largest share of the Southeast Asian spunbond market. “As we steadily expand our capabilities, reducing the weight of spunbonds and increasing our production capacity, we aim to achieve the top position in the global spunbonded nonwovens market.”
TWENTY EIGHT
ANDREW INDUSTRIES GROUP Manchester, U.K. www.andrewindustries.com 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $110 million Plants South Carolina, Missouri, China, U.K.
Processes Needlepunch, thermal bonded and chemical finishes
Brand names Fiberlox, Microfelt, Checkstatic and Pleatlox
Major Markets Filtration, business machine parts and laundry products The Andrew Group’s total roll goods sales increased from $96 million to $110 million in 2006 as the company increased its marketshare and participated in new filtration projects around the world. Executives expect this growth to continue as more of its needlepunched nonwovens target filtration media for the power industry and as its sister company BMP (Building Manufacturing Partnerships) moves into new markets for needlepunched nonwovens. “We feel the main reason we have been so successful in the filtration market is our concentration and devotion to supplying our long-term customers with the best quality and service available in today’s market,” said Danny Grover, president of subsidiary Southern Felt. We have built this reputation over many years and with our recent expansions and capital investment in state-of-theart filtration equipment, we will continue this devotion and commitment to the market for years to come.” Andrew Industries, through its subsidiaries in the U.S., China and the U.K., specializes in needlepunch felt largely targeted at the baghouse filter market. Andrew was founded 113 years ago and its U.S. subsidiary, Southern Felt, was established in 1987. Three years ago the company expanded into Asia with the establishment of Andrew Industrial Textile Manufacturing Company (Shanghai) Ltd., its felt manufacturing facility in Shanghai, China. A big portion of the company’s nonwovens output comprises special needlepunch felts converted to filter bags used for various filtration applications around the world. In response to growth in this market, Southern Felt recently completed a $6 million capital improvement project, which added both square footage to its South Carolina headquarters and a new high speed felt line equipped with special technology to produce high temperature filtration media, particularly the type of needled
NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
felts that are going to be needed for the surge of new power plants and other high temperature applications for filtration. The new line is Southern Felt’s seventh, adding an additional 375,000 linear yards of needlepunched felt for the filtration market monthly, and Mr. Grover said that additional capital investment plans would be announced in 2008. In addition to Southern Felt, Andrew Industries also operates a U.K. subsidiary, Andrew Webron Industries, which was formed last year through the consolidation of two divisions—Andrew Textile Industries and Webron Marling. These two needlepunch producers operate as one corporate entity but continue to maintain separate manufacturing sites in the greater Manchester area. Also included in the company is Slater Felt, the Missouri-based operation purchased from Tex Tech Industries five years ago, this operation recently benefited from the addition of a new heatsetting calender. This new line allows Slater Felt to process with better uniform heat transfer and produce wider widths to ultimately make higher quality felt, according to Mr. Grover. Three years ago, Andrew expanded into China to chase baghouse filter applications in this region’s growing power plant market, as well as other filtration applications in this part of the world. The original high speed needlefelt line located at Quinpu, Shanghai is already running around the clock at full capacity and a second line is set to be installed in early 2008. Executives attribute this success to increased demand for bag house filters in China, driven by a surge for various filtration applications in the region. To meet the varied needs of its customers, Andrew manufactures needlepunch nonwovens from a range of synthetic fibers including polyester, polypropylene, PPS, P84, nylon, PTFE, acrylic and aramid. Unlike other filtration suppliers who choose to play in a variety of application areas, Andrew Industries has been successful by keeping its focus strong and narrow. This focus, along with its abilities to make highly sophisticated needlepunched felts, has made Andrew Industries a leader in this chosen field and, while filtration is the strongest focus, representing the bulk of its business, Andrew Industries also supplies felts for industrial laundry applications as well as the business machine market with felts. Additionally Andrew Industries supplies thermally bonded webs to the business machine industry and other niche markets from its subsidiary Bondex Inc., which is the only Andrew subsidiary diversified beyond needlepunched nonwovens with specialized thermal bonding capabilities
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International Top 40
TWENTY NINE
JACOB HOLM Allschwil, Switzerland www.jacob-holm.com 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $104 million Key Personnel Poul Mikkelsen, chairman; Stephen Landon, president and COO; Michael Norboge, vice president sales & business development; Finn Schoning, group controller; Jack Richardson, vice president USA operations; Alain Herberle, France operations; Francois Wurffel, global production
Plants Asheville, NC; Soultz, France.
Processes Hydroentangling (including standard & specialty applications)
Brand names Rn’S, Lidro, TAU
Major Markets Wipes, hygiene, packaging, automotive, industrial (various) Jacob Holm’s large scale dry carded spunlace line continues to ramp up in Asheville, NC, allowing the Switzerland-based company to continue its growth pattern with sales climbing from $91 million in 2005 to $104 million in 2006. Jacob Holm’s U.S. line, which was added in 2005, is being called the widest and fastest dry carded spunlace line in the world by executives who report that the line is already oversold. Growth is continuing into 2007, thanks to major new agreements with leading global and U.S. marketers for personal hygiene and disinfectant wipe applications covering 2007 and 2008. “Presently 2007, has seen exceptional growth and demand for spunlace in the U.S.,” said company president Stephen Landon. Additional growth can be attributed to optimization of the company’s two French lines. Volume growth occurred in both existing and new markets. Meanwhile, earnings growth was described as “satisfactory but below budget” with U.S. volumes increasing significantly from start up and European margins under pressure due to excess market capacity. However, significant operational improvements increased both capacity and capabilities in France and fixed costs were reduced, according to Mr. Landon. “These successes helped to partly offset the margin squeeze from unprecedented and ongoing raw material cost rises.
These cost increases together with global supply constraints on cellulosic fibers could impact our short-term progress and put marginal product platforms at risk” he said. With three spunlace lines, the bulk of Jacob Holm’s output serves the wipes market, which has shown exceptional strength since early 2007, according to the company. New and interesting wipes applications continue to be introduced in Europe, North America, Asia and the Near East as more established wipes programs are holding or gaining volumes, Mr. Landon said. Also benefiting the spunlace market in general is recent consolidation in both North America and Europe, which Mr. Landon said should provide improved stability in general. “Until recently, there have been a large number of individual spunlace producers especially in Western Europe, all roughly the same size and scale and all seeking sustainable volumes and pricing from a finite marketplace,” he said. “The marketplace will likely see increased emphasis on product and segment development from the lower number of spunlace producers, which will be a good development for all concerned.” In March 2007, Jacob Holm sold off its Norafin / STA unit after establishing it as a separate company in July 2006. The unit was spun off to perform under the Norafin name and will focus on four specialized segments. Jacob Holm, meanwhile, will continue to retain and expand its business development and research resources supported by its operations in the U.S. and Europe. The focus will remain on diversifying its business beyond consumer wipes through new technology and innovation. Among its proven competencies already are layered products, the inclusion of scrims and nettings, heavy and lightweight specialties, thermal and hydroembossing and the ability to produce higher caliber products at low basis weights, according to Mr. Landon. “The surface has only been scratched on the full range of applications in which spunlace can perform technically and economically and Jacob Holm is working diligently on finding and developing these new applications.” Areas being examined by Jacob Holm include commercial construction, disease prevention and specialty packaging and closures, he added.
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International Top 40 THIRTY
FOSS MANUFACTURING Hampton, NH www.fossmfg.com 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $100 million Plants Hampton, NH
ISO Status All businesses are both QS 9000 and ISO 9001 certified and are close to ISO 14,000 (environmental registration based on efforts to reduce emissions, solid waste and waste water)
Processes Polyester, polypropylene and specialty fiber spinning; needlepunch, extrusion; flame lamination, calendering, latex coating, saturation, die cutting, embossing
Brand Names Fosshield, Ecospun, FossFibre, Ozite, TopGuard, Kunin Felt, Kreative Kanvas, Fosscloth.
Major Markets Specialty synthetic fiber (solution dyed PET, bicomponent
NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
fibers, antimicrobial fibers, fire-retardant fibers, acrylic fiber); automotive (headliners, package trays, floor carpets, interior trim fabrics); Ozite decorative (wall coverings, marine, RV, speaker coverings); retail (Kunin craft felt, auto-aftermarket, indoor/outdoor carpeting, construction); technical (vinyl substrate, filtration, footwear, healthcare and car wash.) Foss has ambitious plans to double its sales in the next three to five years. While the company saw increases in the specialty fibers and indoor/outdoor carpeting areas, the automotive sector slowed as a result of a substantial drop in the auto industry. Although companies such as Toyota and Honda are faring well, GM and Chrysler have seen a 20% loss in sales, which, as a result, has impacted Foss’ OEM automotive division. Even with this decline, Foss’ new owners, Alinian Capital Group, still see automotive as a major area of growth, explained David Rowell,
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International Top 40 executive vice president of sales and marketing. On the topic of the company’s shift in ownership—as well as its recovery from Chapter 11 bankruptcy—Mr. Rowell confirmed that Foss has regained both profitability and productivity. He reported that Foss has improved raw material procurement, hired 150 employees since a year ago and bumped up efficiency 10% in recent months. Additionally, the company is cutting back on its number of SKUs and extending run-times. “These strides are a result of more focused, refined business plans,” he said. “The transition is complete and behind us. We have spent the last nine months making customers aware of our new direction and mission.”
Foss’ new mission involves cost metrics that are designed to keep the company’s management team on track and in the black. “Every day we review how we are doing against this new plan of metrics. It’s a very intense effort,” stated Mr. Rowell. “This plan is well in place and we are sharply focused on cost and controls.” In the area of capital expenditures, Foss has acquired a new ERP software package and is reportedly close to procuring certain pieces of equipment. The company is also considering the addition of new opening and needlepunch machinery. “This is still being discussed, but the commitment is there,” he said. On the fiber end, capital improvements are being aimed at adding fiber technology.
THIRTY
TENCATE GEOSYNTHETICS EUROPE Linz, Austria www.tencate.com 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $100 million Key Personnel Andreas Matje, CEO; Michel Haudrechy, VP marketing and sales; Frank ten Oever, VP human resources
Plants Linz, Austria; Bezons, France; Almelo, The Netherlands
ISO Status ISO 9001:2000
Processes Spunbond, needlepunch and hydroentanglement
Brand Names TenCate Polyfelt, TenCate Bidim (geotextiles and geocomposites), TenCate Geolon, TenCate Nicolon, TenCate Geotube Systems
Major Market Geosynthetics Formerly known as Polyfelt until its sale in 2005 to Netherlands-based Royal TenCate, TenCate Geosynthetics Europe checks in this year at number 30, boasting ongoing growth in both sales and profit margins. “We are proud that sales in 2006 were significantly higher than in past years,” reported Andreas Matje, managing director. “All the regions we serve—Europe, the Near and Middle East, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Africa—contributed to this positive development. This trend is ongoing in 2007 as well.” The Austrian company continues to hold tight to its leading position in European civil engineering and construction markets despite high levels of competition in Europe and constantly increasing raw material prices. The good news is that a positive trend in the construction industry in general supported the company’s growth. “We were able to manage to increase sales and profit figures in 2006 and this trend will remain valid for 2007 as well,” Mr. Matje predicted. With currently installed spunbond capacity in Europe
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amounting to 30,000 tons, just under one-third (30%) of this is hydroentangled while the rest is needlepunched. Leading export markets are within the European Union, including the new EU candidates. Regions such as CIS, the Near and Middle East as well as other Eastern European countries are gaining importance for the company. “This is based on the fact that their economies are improving and many important infrastructure projects are either under construction or in the decision phase,” said Mr. Matje. “Our export ratio is, therefore, still growing.” In terms of strategy, profitable growth is the overall target of TenCate Geosynthetics Europe. This growth is expected to come from export activities in combination with market development and penetration in European core countries. The company expects strong sales growth to result from additional products and a focus on other geosynthetic products. “In this respect,” Mr. Matje added, “capital investments will be needed to both provide the demanded quantities and improve production capabilities to meet market- and customer- specific requirements.” Under its new ownership, a key goal for the company continues to be offering not only products but solutions and services to differentiate itself from the competition. “The synergies within our textile-based group strengthen our ability to further improve our position and our offerings,” Mr. Matje explained. Looking forward, the company predicts that consolidation in the industry will continue. “This trend is predominantly driven by the fact that bigger companies such as TenCate Geosynthetics Europe are able to offer better service and product quality on a constant basis compared to smaller competitors,” he opined. The company’s primary strategy for the future is to strengthen its competitive situation by improving its product portfolio. TenCate Geosynthetics Europe sees innovation and expansion as the means to that end. “To grow our business, the main focus will be on interesting geographical opportunities and on products offering additional benefits to the market such as our Geodetect monitoring system.”
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NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
International Top 40 THIRTY TWO
TEXTILGRUPPE HOF AG Hof/Saale, Germany www.textilgruppehof.com 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $90 million Key Personnel Harald Stini, managing director; Rudolf Schlotter, managing director; Detlev Käppel, managing director—Techtex and Global sales director eswegee, technical nonwovens; Lothar Hackler, president—Hof Textiles, Inc.
Plants Hof/Saale, Germany; Mittweida, Germany; Lincolnton, NC
ISO Status ISO 9001, ISO 14001, VDA 6.1
Processes Drylaid, thermal bonded, needlepunched, saturate bonded, stitchbonded, spunlace
Brand Names Variopoint, Unipoint, Unisoft, Zetafelt, Zetastitch, Zetafil, Zetawatt, Florbond, Zetabond, Zetajet, Zetatherm, Zetamold, Maliwatt, Malivlies, Kunit, Multiknit eswegee 2000 series, Bassopoint Launching a brand new nonwovens technology, unveiling a joint venture in India and building a new production facility has kept eswegee Vliesstoff Group, Hof/Saale, Germany, quite busy this year. The company’s initial foray in the spunlace market brings the debut of a new brand of spunlace nonwovens, Zetajet, which will be produced on a new line in Reichenbach, Germany. Located between the company's Hof/Saale and Mittweida plants in the state of Saxony, the 12,000 square meter greenfield plant, which came onstream in January, is part of the company's eswegee business and employs about 30 people. The new facility represents an investment of €25 million and capacity on the new line will be several thousand tons. The company describes the spunlace configuration as a new set-up for this technology. “Our understanding is this kind of machinery is totally new,” said managing director Harald Stini, who has taken over the company’s reigns following the retirement of Manfred Knieling. “We will use our expertise in technical markets to further expand our product range," he said. Materials made on the
new spunlace line will target automotive, filtration and other specialty end uses. As the plant itself uses only one-quarter of the available land, there is plenty of room for expansion, an issue eswegee plans to address as the need arises. The company expects the new line, which has not yet reached full utilization levels, to be running full-swing by mid-2007. “We want to move forward in a synchronized fashion and are in the process of setting up three shifts,“ explained Techtex managing director Detlev Käppel. He referred to the highly flexible new line as a multifunctional system that can achieve a variety of different technical properties in terms of tensile strengths, elongations and additional finishing/coating treatments. For eswegee, sales outside of the shrinking apparel/interlinings market remain the driving force for the company. Currently, non-apparel sales generate more than half compared to the total revenue of Hof ’s nonwoven group. Stemming from its intensified focus on technical nonwovens, another strategic initiative underway at eswegee is building an Asian platform. “Suppliers need strategic platforms all around the world, particularly in the automotive market. That’s why we must have production in Asia,” opined Mr. Käppel. “Automotive production is increasingly shifting to Asia. Last year China produced 7.2 million cars but over the next two years, China’s goal is 14 million cars. Compare that with Germany, which manufactured 5.8 million cars in 2006. Every major car company is setting up production in Asia,” he said. As a result of this strategy, in June 2006 eswegee teamed up with Indian nonwovens manufacturer Supreme Nonwovens in a joint venture to supply both interlinings and industrial products in Asia. The Mumbai-based company runs a plethora of nonwovens facilities throughout India and has reportedly enjoyed double-digit growth every year. “Supreme Nonwovens is a family-owned company, so we have a similar way of thinking,” commented Mr. Stini. “They have their specific market and culture and we would like to leverage that. If we can gain from it, we will,” he said.
THIRTY TWO
UNION INDUSTRIES Masserano, Italy 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $90 million Key Personnel
Plant
Matteo Moltrasio, vice president; Luigi Cassano, managing director; Alessandro Taramasso, commercial director
ISO Status
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Masserano, Biella, Italy ISO 9001:2000 since 1997; renewed in 2006
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NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
International Top 40 Processes Spunbond, spunbond-meltblown, carded thermal bond
Brand Name Spundouce
Major Markets Hygiene, wipes, medical, agriculture, industrial
Sales in 2006 increased from €65 million to €72 million for Union Industries. The company attributes the increase to larger manufacturing volumes, partially adjusted prices and increased raw material costs. Thanks to increased production volumes, Union was able to rationalize and control certain costs. Despite this, however, no profit growth was reported in 2006. The latest line installed, a Reicofil 4 SSS system that came onstream at the end of 2006, brings the company’s total capacity to 60,000 tons per year, which mainly targets the global hygiene market. According to the company, the start-up of the line met expectations and production volume grew remarkably
in the first months of 2007. This new line widens Union’s existing production capacity of spunbond (Reicofil.3 and Reicofil.4), spunbond-meltblown and carded thermal bond nonwovens. “Union’s specialty is lightweight nonwovens, which are valued by the hygiene market,” explained vice president Matteo Moltrasio. “We are always concentrating on market needs and serving customers with the latest technologies, consistently granting very high standards in terms of quality and service. These are considered the key factors for a demanding market such as hygiene.” Mr. Moltrasio went on to say that the future is linked to development. “Therefore we are focusing on a constant commitment to improve our products and search for new ones, including specialties,” he said. “We are always watching and are attentive to signs from different world markets, including those outside of Europe.” Currently, about 90% of Union Industries’ 60,000-ton capacity is exported outside of Italy with main markets lying within Europe. Other areas of interest include the Middle East and the Far East.
Investkonsult Sweden AB We are currently searching actively for companies who are looking to evaluate and/or sell their current equipment, especially in the medical/hygiene (including diapers, adult incontinence, underpads, etc.) and nonwovens sector. We have a vast contact net around the world for these types of machines and have supplied many plants to our customers through the years. The name Investkonsult Sweden AB has become very well recognized and well reputed. Do not hesitate to contact us in this regard, we will always be at your best services. A SELECTION OF OUR CURRENT AVAILABILITIES: 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Hergeth WRZ roller-cleaners Hergeth MTO micro-tuft opener Hergeth complete opening line for non-woven, capacity 1200 kgs/hr Hergeth complete opening line for non-woven capacity 600 kgs/hr Laroche CR500 waste cutter Ilapak Delta G Flow Pack B4 automatic production line for wet-wipes Ilapak Delta G-E horizontal flow pack machine for wet wipes Cavana flow pack machine for wet wipes Schubert F44 complete packing line into cartons/cases Delta baby-diaper line, yoc: 2002, 350-400 ppm GDM baby-diaper line, yoc: 1996, 270-330 ppm
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Nuova Red baby-diaper line, yoc: 1986, 280-300 ppm, excellent for the beginner !!! Tekma baby-diaper line, yoc: 1993, 270-330 ppm FCM/Modo baby-diaper line, yoc: 1989, comlete upgraded in 1996, 250 ppm Gevas StarFill Premium bag filling and sealing machine for baby-diapers, yoc: 2004. Like new !!! Tekma adult-diaper line, yoc: 1992, 120-150 ppm Nuova Red sanitary pads line, yoc: 1984, 170-220 ppm, excellent for low budget !!! Nuova Red sanitary pads line, yoc: 1989, 300-350 ppm, excellent condition !!! Zuico sanitary pads line, yoc: 1989, completely upgraded in 2006, for both fluff and airlaid. Fameccanica sanitary pads line, yoc: 1998, 600 ppm Nowo complete vacuum filling plant for pillows, etc∑ State of the Art machinery !!! complete spunbond line, ww: 3600 mm complete needling line; ww: 2200 mm complete needling line; ww: 3600 mm, yoc: 1999-2004 complete meltblown line, ww: 1600 mm, yoc: 1994-2004 complete meltblown line, ww: 635 mm, yoc: 2002, pilot/sample line !!! complete pilot/sample line for print-bond products, complete with opening and carding equipment.
If you have any machines you would like to market or sell, please contact us and we will happily make a free valuation and inspection of your machines / plants.
NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
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PHONE: +46 11 106075
www.ik.se investk@ik.se 81
International Top 40
THIRTY FOUR
ALBIS SPA Roasio, Italy www.albisnw.com 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $87 million Key Personnel Gianni Boscolo, president; Carlo Soave, CEO; Pietro Landone, commercial director
Plants Roasio, Italy; Aschersleben, Germany; Cincinnati, OH
Processes Carded thermal bonded, spunmelt, carded resinbonded, carded ATB, multilayer Spun-Pulp-Carded composites.
Major Market Hygiene Investment continues for Italian nonwovens maker Albis SpA as it re-engineers its role from a carded producer to encompass a whole range of other technologies. The company has recently added a large-scale spunbond/pulp/carding line at its Aschersleben, Germany facility, continuing its tradition of offering unique and proprietary technology to the hygiene market. “It’s a new spunlace generation,” said commercial director Pietro Landone. “In fact, we have a lot of flexibility in playing with the different components of this line.” Unlike traditional spunlace products, which are weak in the cross direction, leading to breakage, this technology makes a substrate that is much stronger. The new technology will allow Albis, whose business is 95% centered on hygiene, to target new markets—particularly wipes. “Wipes is definitely big because it is so large for applications like baby or personal care,” Mr. Landone said. “The flexibility of this new line will help us target a number of different products including wet and dry wipes. We are in the phase where we are running all the possible product combinations to see what advantages we have.” Albis is unphased by strong competition in the wipes market, which has attracted considerable investment in recent years. “Our vision is to arrive in the market offering something completely unique. Unique in how it’s made, in terms of performance, even in terms of looks. In fact we can pattern material with hydroembossing with dedicated drawings tailor made for each customer. Colored material and heat embossing of the nonwoven is also possible. We can customize as much as we want.” Next year, Albis will start up another line, which is being referred to as the world’s largest line, at its German site. Seven meters wide, this SMS line will be based on Neumag/Albis technology and will make products with very low basis weights, below 15 gpsm to respond to the current demands of the hygiene market. “Here in Italy, we already
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make products 15 gpsm, 13, gpsm, even 12 and 10 and we are aiming to do even better in Germany targeting basis weights as low as 5 gpsm,” Mr. Landone said. “We want to specialize in fine denier, very low basis weights. The trick is to maintain the same performance as in higher basis weights.” These two new investments join one resin bonded-Air Thru bonded line and an SMS line (also based on Ason Neumag technology) in Italy, two carded thermal bonded lines and a staple fiber long spinning line in Germany and one resin bonded line in Ohio. In 2003, Albis was the largest worldwide producer of carded thermal bonded nonwovens with an estimated 30,000 tons of capability, but as the global hygiene market has lessened its demand for thermal bonded nonwovens and become more reliant on spunbond, Albis has also expanded its technology portfolio. This process began in 2004 when it made the strategic decision to reconfigure one of its Italian lines to make air through bonded and resin bonded material and add Ason Neumag AST bicomponent spunbond technology on another line to make spunbond nonwovens. According to Mr. Landone, the company’s expansion will continue when it converts one of the carders in Germany to a through-air bonded line. “The carded technology is shrinking but we still have a good position in this market because we have the two lines in Germany producing full capacity. Still, we want to be ready to introduce new products.” Just in case, the converted line will be a convertible and still have the ability to convert back to regular calender bonded technology. “You have to be proactive, fast and try to anticipate future events as much as possible. If you just react, it will take a long time to respond. Investments take a long time. You will lose not only time but also money.” To be resilient to the ever-changing demands of the market, Albis is creating a diversified technology base that is flexible enough to respond quickly as new needs arise. “What we are trying to do is spread out over all of the technologies,” Mr. Landone said. “We are trying be different and worth it, wherever our customers want us to be located.” And, while success is certainly the goal, executives are aware that industry troubles will prevent too large of a windfall from coming their way. “I am not aware of too many people making a lot of money in our business. Our goal is to grow steadily and in a healthy way. This is a family company with a stated aim to grow sustainably. We believe the best way to achieve this is primarily through innovation—innovation in technology, products and commercial approaches. We are not about short-term profit maximization”
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International Top 40
THIRTY FIVE
SUOMINEN NONWOVENS Nakkila, Finland www.suominen.fi 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $84.5 million Key Personnel Suominen Corporation: Kalle Tanhuanpää, president and CEO, Suominen; Nonwovens: Sakari Santa-Paavola, vice president and general manager Margareta Huldén, product and process development director, Henri Laitervo, sales director
Plant Nakkila, Finland
ISO Status ISO 9001, 14001 environmental certification
Processes Hydroentangled, thermal bonded
Brand Names Fibrella, Biolace, Novelin Sales remained flat at €67.3 million for Finnish nonwovens manufacturer Suominen Nonwovens in 2006. The maker of spunlaced and thermal bonded nonwovens reported sluggish sales during the first half of the year followed by increased demand during the third and fourth quarters. This trend has continued into 2007 with first quarter sales clocking in 6% higher than the first quarter of 2006, according to Sakari Santa-Paavola, vice president and general manager. “We have made a lot of efforts to be successful and grow our sales and we have been successful,” he said. While Suominen’s spunlace business has been growing steadily on wipes demand, the other portion of its business, thermal bonded has been marked by slow growth and slackened demand in recent years but this situation is changing, said Mr. Santa-Paavola. “It seems that there is a demand for thermal bond in the higher end of the feminine hygiene market, and it has been easy for us to create a product that meets the denier requirements and other demands of this market.” Suominen is constantly making improvements on the quality and production levels of its equipment to make sure that it gives customers the ability to differentiate products. Meanwhile, Suominen’s spunlace business continues to grow thanks to increased wipes demand. In this technology area, Suominen operates four lines, all in Nakkila, giving it the flexibility to manufacture a variety of different products using a number of finishing techniques and raw material types. This year, Suominen will add the ability to hydroentangle cotton
through the addition of a more sophisticated water filtration and recycling system. This move responds to increased interest among marketers and consumers of wipes in cotton. Flexibility with raw materials has also helped ease the burden of volatile raw material costs for Suominen. While industry watchdogs predict that viscose pricing levels have plateaued, at least for the time being, few expect costs will drop, meaning that companies throughout the spunlace supply chain have had to accept new pricing structures. “Pricing has become more accepted,” Mr. Santa-Paavola said. “Customers are now valuing things like strong research and development and service and not considering price as the first thing.” Raw material innovation, in fact, has led to the creation of a new wipe substrate—called Biolace —made from natural or renewable fibers such has viscose, cotton, pulp and PLA, which is produced from corn starch during a fermentation process. Biolace represents a first step toward a new single-use and disposability mentality, according to the company. By combining raw materials from renewable resources with Suominen’s unique energy-saving production processes and providing nonwovens able to biodegrade 100% in available municipal compost facilities, Suominen is offering a new alternative to the wipes market. Biolace is just one part of Suominen’s corporate-wide environmental consciousness. In its Flexible Packaging division, a stylish matte film that includes lime as filler and enables users to write on the surface with a normal ballpoint pen is available, while in the Wipes division, a wet wipe lotion using more environmentally friendly ingredients is offered. Speaking of Wet Wipes, this portion of its business— acquired from Codi International in 2003—continues to perform well despite severe price competition in the European wet wipes market. Suominen Nonwovens’ contribution to this business continues to grow as well and collaboration between the two divisions has enhanced the company’s ability to meet its customers’ demands. “Our company structure is different from that of our competitors,” Mr. Santa-Paavola said. “We are a one-stop shop to our customers with our Flexible Packaging division and our wipes converting business. This gives us a benefit in the speed we can complete all of the steps because everything is coming from one place.”
Look for regular updates to the Top Company report at www.nonwovens-industry.com NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
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International Top 40 THIRTY SIX
PRECISION CUSTOM COATINGS Totowa, NJ www.pcc-usa.com 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $82 million Key Personnel Peter Longo, chairman and COO, Scott Tesser, president and CEO; Rich Noble, CFO and treasurer; Dan Kamat, vice president, Industrial Textile Division; Shaile Dusaj, director industrial marketing and sales; Keith Martin, industrial business manager
Plant Location Totowa, NJ; North East, MD
Processes Needlepunch, thermal bonded, chemical bonded, heat activated adhesive coatings, specialty finishes
ISO Status ISO 9001: 2000 (March 2001)
Major Markets Apparel interlinings, automotive fabrics, medical, fabric softener substrates, furniture and bedding, filtration, vinyl substrates, home furnishings, wipes, hygiene, footwear, roofing and construction Continuing its growth trend was Totowa, NJ-based Precision Custom Coatings. The company reported sales of $82 million in 2006, up from $75 million the year before, thanks to increases in sales to Asian-based apparel manufacturers. “Our growth was 99% apparel related,” explained president and CEO Scott Tesser. “A lot of our customers have converted from knits to nonwovens to save money.” In June 2006, PCC established a joint venture agreement with Ningbo Yigua Textile Factory, an Asian textile manufacturer, to expand its apparel interlining production capabilities, enhance its product line and augment its ability to offer localized agreements with Asian companies. While this venture has upped PCC’s manufacturing footprint in China, a good deal of this business continues to be fueled by nonwovens made at the company’s New Jersey headquarters. And, while sales of apparel interlinings, although nearly
completely migrated to Asia, have been strong for PCC, industrial applications continue to increase in importance every year. In 2006, sales in this division comprised 35% of the company’s total business compared to 17% in 2004 and 6% in 2002, thanks to new technologies and new markets for the company. Executives expect the company’s sales to eventually be split evenly between apparel and industrial applications. Currently, the largest industrial application for PCC is automotives where the company relies on a mix of commodity and value-added products. “During the past several years, there have been more and more nonwovens and engineered fabrics used by automotive makers,” Mr. Tesser said. “These materials allow manufacturers to reduce weights and can provide acoustical functions, keeping the car quieter.” PCC’s success in industrial markets has been bolstered by the addition of two composite lines—one added in 2005 and one currently coming onstream—that combine thermal bonded, highloft and chemical bonding capabilities to make heavyweight crosslapped substrates. The addition of this heavyweight material will help PCC respond to growth in the bedding markets where PCC is making flame retardant materials that comply with U.S. legislation regulating the flammability of mattress materials. PCC’s fiberinherent systems reportedly perform well at price points that are appealing to the market and sales in this segment are expected to reach as high as $10 million per year, according to executives. “The price of this product is as high as $2.50 per yard,” Mr. Tesser said. “So, it can potentially be a huge area as the market expands.” The initial legislation covers mattress covers but industry insiders expect upcoming measures to impact top-of-the-bed applications as well as other types of upholstered furniture. Also on PCC’s radar is the roofing and construction market, which it is targeting with a three-layer composite material that offers high strength and better anti-skid capabilities than competing materials.
Turn to page 94 for the latest sales and earings figures from the nonwovens industry’s key players 84
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NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
International Top 40 THIRTY SEVEN
UNITIKA Osaka, Japan www.unitika.co.jp 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $81 million Key Personnel Masaru Tsugawa, general manager, spunbonded fabrics division; Hiroshi Kawasaki, general manager, spunbonded fabric sales
Plants Okazaki and Tarui, Japan
Processes Spunbond, spunlaced
Brand Names Matrix, Eleves, Nyace, Wiwi, Alcima, Terramac, Cottoace
Major Markets Agriculture materials, carpet backings, geotextiles, cable wraps, wipes, storage bags, coverstock, roofing sheets Unitika’s nonwovens production capacity is 22,000 tons per year of polyester spunbonded nonwovens and 5000 tons per year of spunlaced nonwovens. Additionally, its Tusco joint venture agreement with Teijin Films in Thailand produces 4000 tons of polyester-based spunbonded nonwovens. Unitika is the largest producer of polyester spunbonded
nonwovens in Asia with 26,000 tons of capacity. Currently, Tusco is operating at full capacity but Unitika still has some capacity remaining in its spunlace nonwovens business. In terms of capacity upgrades, Unitika intends to improve its Japanese lines by adding 2000 tons of polyester spunbond capacity by 2008 and will eventually bring on a new line with 5000-ton capabilities either in Japan or Thailand. Much of Unitika’s current business exists in the carpet backing and roofing sheet business but the company has been making significant strides in targeting new fields of application. Unitika’s spunbonded nonwovens are superior in molding abilities and the company has added stretch properties to further enhance the materials. Another goal is to expand its export ratio from 10-15% to 20%. Unitika also produces spunbonded and spunlaced nonwovens using polylactic acid (PLA), a polymer derived from plants and crude materials. While this business is currently a small one because of PLA supply shortages, the company expects these materials to represent the future of nonwovens.
THIRTY EIGHT
REXCELL Bengtsfors, Sweden www.rexcell.se 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $78.5 million Key Personnel Anders Uttersav, vice president of sales and marketing
Plant Locations Sweden—Skåpafors and Dals Långe
Applications Tabletop, wipes, feminine hygiene, adult incontinence
Processes Airlaid Rexcell Tissue & Airlaid AB—known until December 2004 as Duni Papermills— shares a long history with the Duni Group but is working hard to establish its own identity as an airlaid manufacturer. While Rexcell is currently owned by tabletop company Duni AB, a member of private equity firm EQT, there has been speculation for
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some time that Rexcell would be spun off in an initial public offering but to date no such decision has been finalized, said vice president of marketing and sales Anders Uttersav. “Duni has been very supportive of airlaid, particularly when it comes to the tabletop area because that is its business,” he said. “When it comes to hygiene, things are a little different because Duni has nothing to do with hygiene. What to do with this business has been a subject of discussion for years in the group, but the strategy right now is to continue to grow Rexcell within Duni.” Rexcell became the first European maker of commercialized airlaid nonwovens in 1982 when it launched a small line in Sweden. This line was followed with a 1.6 meter line featuring flexibility in bonding choices, which came onstream in 1986, and a 2.6 meter airlaid line in 1996. The
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International Top 40 original pilot line was closed at the introduction of the “TM2.” Rexcell’s current airlaid capacity is currently about 30,000+ tons, which executives said is under great demand, a situation that will likely force the company to make an investment decision in the near term. “In Europe, the airlaid market is completely overbooked,” Mr. Uttersav said. “So the capacity at the moment is not in line with the need. That goes for all types of airlaid—tabletop, hygiene, everything. Everyone seems to be screaming for airlaid. It is good for us but at the same time we are unhappy about not being able to supply the amount we could be.” Currently, about 98% of Rexcell’s airlaid business exists in Europe, where it has a reported 20% marketshare, and while other airlaid producers have already implemented and finalized plans for expansion, Rexcell feels caution is the best course of action when investing because of the threat of overcapacity concerns. “When you look at the situation with some of the companies in North America a few years ago—and some are even still struggling—you realize you have to be careful about these things,” Mr. Uttersav explained. Rexcell’s overall business is split evenly between tissue and airlaid. Key airlaid markets include tabletop, which is partially fueled by supply to its parent company, as well as wipes, feminine hygiene and adult incontinence. All of its airlaid output is based on natural fibers and, unlike some of its competitors, Rexcell has no capabilities in the synthetic realm. “We haven’t seen a great need for synthetic,” Mr. Uttersav said. “There is a lot of speculation in the marketplace—if it will develop or not. On one hand, it is better to be more flexible but we are quite comfortable with focusing on what we are good at and we don’t feel we need the combination in this stage.” Looking forward, Mr. Uttersav said he sees new product development defining the airlaid market in the future with important markets ranging from wipes to automotives to building products to filtration. These new markets will largely be the result of overcapacity in existing markets as new lines come onstream
NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
throughout Europe and North America. Rexcell will respond to this with faster speeds, performance improvements and product development efforts. “We always put effort into understanding not only
general trends but also the final customer’s needs and behavior. Together with the partnerships we have, we will get a pretty good guideline for our product development efforts.” Texel, a division of ADS inc., is one of North America’s leading manufacturers of needlepunched nonwoven fabrics for technical use. Their specialized products have been employed by American and European markets since 1967. Located in St-Elzéar de Beauce (only 30 minutes away from the bridges).
We are currently looking for a Industrial Sales Representative USA (Automotive Market) Under the supervision of the Industrial business unit manager, your main duties will include the following: • Promote Texel’s Industrial product line and capabilities within the NorthAmerican marketplace;
Requirements: • 10 years experience related to sales in Industrial nonwovens products, with a minimum of 3 years in the Automotive Market; • Leadership;
• Spending at least 60% of your time on prospecting for new accounts; • Representing the company at major trade shows and seminars; • Establish and maintain a strong relationship with all customers;
• Results oriented; • High achievement; • Autonomy. • Facility to travel through the States, Canada and Mexico
• Technical expertise; • Elaboration on the budget; • Assist the business unit manager in development of marketing and sales strategies to meet company objectives;
If this challenge is of interest to you, send us your resume by September 30th, 2007 to resources.humaines@texel.ca or apply online.
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THIRTY NINE
KURARAY Osaka, Japan www.kuraray.co.jp 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $73 million
Key Personnel Mikihiro Hama, president, Kuraray Kuraflex
Plants Okayama, Saijo and Ibaragi
Processes Resin bonded, thermal bonded, spunlaced, meltblown steam jet
Brand Names Kuraflex, Microflex
Major Markets Coverstock, wipes, medical and household materials
Kuraray Kuraflex, Kuraray Saijio and Kuraflex Ibaragi are among the companies manufacturing nonwovens within Kuraray. Kuraray Kuraflex produces thermal bonded, spunlaced and resin bonded nonwovens with a total capacity of 10,400 tons per year. Kuraray Saijio produces meltblown nonwovens with a capacity of 1800 tons per year and Kuraflex Ibaragi makes 3500 tons of spunlaced nonwovens per year. Additionally, a facility that makes steam jet nonwovens with 1000 tons per year in Kuraray Kuraflex Okayama plant has been operating since October 2006. Spunlaced nonwovens made by Kuraflex Ibaragi have been supplied by Pigeon Co., which manufactures and sells goods for babies, particularly baby wipes. Among the two major manufactures of baby wipes, Unicharm and Pigeon, Unicharm uses its own nonwovens and Pigeon uses nonwovens made by Kuraflex Ibaragi. Steam jet nonwovens are a new type of nonwovens developed by Kuraray in cooperation with Mitsubishi Rayon Engineering. Since it began production in October 2006, this technology has been applied in a number of application areas including bandages, cushioning and materials for walls. To help expand this business, Kuraray will add another line featuring this technology next year. The first line will make thin and soft nonwovens using the technology while the second line will use thicker, finer nonwovens using the technology for wall materials. Looking ahead, Kuraray has been focusing on adding higher valued-added products, such as steam jet nonwovens, to its repertoire to lessen its reliance on diapers, san pro items and baby wipes, which are markets characterized by severe competition.
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International Top 40 FORTY
KNH ENTERPRISES Taipei, Taiwan www.knh.com.tw 2006 Nonwovens Sales: $71 million Key Personnel J.C. Tai, chairman and owner; Dr. Kirk Hwang, president; George Wang, general manager China operations; Alvin Hu, wastewater business unit officer; Dr. Y. S. Chiu, technical vice president
Plants Taipei, Taiwan; Shanghai, China
Processes Air through bonding, thermal bonding, meltblown, airlaid, needlepunch, spunlace
Brand Names Carnation brand for hygiene; Co-Fiber for industrial specialty products
Major Markets Hygiene, industrial, agriculture, geotextiles
Sales in 2006 remained steady for Taiwanese roll goods producer KNH Enterprises. While filter markets saw a decrease in demand, sales in both disposable wipes and feminine hygiene markets continued to climb. The company’s investment last year in a spunlace line in China— which will be followed by a second spunlace line this year— is expected to positively impact the company’s sales going forward. KNH expects the two new spunlace lines to boost annual spunlace production as much as 10,000 tons. “As this new capacity comes onstream, sales will certainly grow,” predicted Kirk Hwang, president. He added that KNH’s total nonwovens and composite production prior to the recent line additions was 16,000 tons, a figure that will expand to 26,000 tons this year. Another recent capacity boost for KNH was its addition of a meltblown line in Taiwan at the end of 2006. The line was installed in anticipation of increased demand for the material in facemask and room air cleaning filtration media markets as well as in the water treatment industry, which is being targeted with a meltblown composite product. In its core wipes business, where sales are on the rise, the company is vertically integrated. Thanks to its in-house converting capabilities, KNH sells 70% of its wipes to the skincare market, with the remaining 30% targeting medical and hygiene applications. Geographically speaking, KNH’s main focus continues to be Asia, and the company is increasing its focus on the expanding
NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
Chinese market. “In China, customers become more sophisticated and demanding. We expect sales to grow in this region,” commented Dr. Hwang. He added that China currently represents one-third of KNH’s business with two-thirds of sales coming from other areas of Asia. “China’s share is increasing in our business,” he added. In response to high raw material costs, KNH continues to rely on innovation as a means of overcoming pricing challenges. The company’s strategy is to create thinner fabrics while simultaneously adding value in the form of specialty attributes such as antimicrobial or odor removal features. “The key is to lower basis weights without compromising performance,” explained Dr. Hwang. “This is one way we protect product value.” In the hygiene sector, this strategy means combining film and nonwoven capabilities on one production line. The company has added two extrusion systems to its nonwovens lines in order to cut out the lamination step and consequently save costs on adhesive. KNH brought a film/nonwovens line onstream in 2004 to produce polyethylene/nonwoven laminates for hygiene applications. One continuing area of interest for KNH is wastewater treatment. The company has filed several patent applications for its biological reaction bed, which includes both meltblown and carded fabrics. The product, which targets the food processing and textile (printing and dyeing) industries, is used to grow bacteria in a process similar to fermentation. Wastewater treatment is becoming more important to Asian countries as they look toward modernization and try to clean up heavily polluted areas. KNH has been supplying a meltblown/needlepunch/spunbond composite membrane for these applications. The material forms the filtration media in products that use bacteria to convert debris in wastewater to carbon dioxide and water. In the airlaid sector, the company continues to operate two facilities, one of which offers film coating capabilities. Although they originally targeted fem care applications, products from the airlaid/film line are currently being supplied to the adult incontinence market. Looking forward, KNH expects its new capacity to expand possibilities in the medical and personal care areas. “Because we expect raw material costs to continue to rise, we will continue to focus on ultra fine fibers in an effort to cut basis weights.” Moving forward, Dr. Hwang said that KNH plans to increase the percentages of wood pulp in the composition of spunlace and airlaid nonwovens.
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Companies To Watch
LANTOR The Netherlands www.lantor.nl
Key Personnel Nicolaas Boot, managing director; Paul Verwoerd, commercial director; Albert Feyts, finance director
ISO Status ISO 9001:2000; ISO 14001:1996
Processes Drylaid web forming, chemical and thermal bonding, lamination, coating, impregnation, calendaring, slitting, spooling
Brand Names CondenStop, Coremat, Finishmat, Soric, ResonStop
Major Markets Cable, fiber reinforced plastics/composites, construction/building, packaging, automotives, label systems
Describing 2006 as a successful year was Lantor BV. “Increased demand, new products and new markets have boosted sales to a record high, with healthy earnings. Also the outlook for 2007 is positive,” said Paul Verwoerd, commercial director for the Dutch nonwovens producer. Key markets for Lantor include cable, fiber reinforced plastics/composites, construction/building, packaging, automotive and label systems. To keep up with and support further growth, Lantor has added a new chemical bonding line and slitting machines in its Veenendaal, The Netherlands headquarters. “This capacity expansion has (also) led to greater flexibility and cost savings,” Mr. Verwoerd explained. “These cost savings are welcomed, since raw material, energy and transportation costs have continued to rise. Although we have been able to convince a significant number of our customers to accept higher prices, there is (always) a time-lag that needs to be coped with.” Lantor Cable Products continued to increase sales of cable tapes. “Market conditions have improved and consequently demand has grown, both in developed and developing regions.
In addition, we have been successful with the introduction of new products. This situation has enabled us to implement price increases necessary to compensate for increased costs,” Mr. Verwoerd commented. Lantor Composites offers a comprehensive range of nonwoven products to the composites industry, including its brands Coremat, Finishmat and Soric. In this segment, Lantor benefited from increased penetration of its products. “For the marketing of our products, we used to depend quite heavily on our distribution network,” Mr. Verwoerd said. “Over the last few years, we have taken more control over the marketing ourselves. Also, we have moved to more customer specific solutions, targeted new applications and replaced old products by new ones with greater value and/or better prices. All these initiatives have contributed to greater sales.” Lantor Construction’s main product CondenStop has benefited from improved market conditions and increased use. “Customers appreciate our approach based on a concept rather than a product, which includes extensive technical and commercial support, training and pull-through promotion. We will continue to invest in the construction market by adding staff and introducing new products”, Mr. Verwoerd explained. Subsidiary Lantor GmbH located in Haibach, Germany concentrates on Labels Systems, Automotives and Building. “The label systems business did reasonably well, given the shrinking garment industry in Europe. Lantor Automotives continued to face difficult market conditions and we do not expect this situation to improve in the short term. At the same time, sales in the Building segment strongly increased thanks to good market conditions and new products. We expect this trend to continue in 2007,” Mr. Verwoerd said. Lantor BV focuses on the development, manufacturing and global marketing of high added-value nonwovens for industrial markets. The company’s direction and strategy is driven by “leadership though innovation,” Mr. Verwoerd concluded.
Contact NONWOVENS INDUSTRY at 201-825-2552 or nonwovens@rodpub.com if you would like your company included in our Companies To Watch section. 90
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NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
Companies To Watch
TEXEL St. Elzeac, Quebec, Canada www.texel.ca
NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
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designed for northern climates. In geotextiles, the company turned in an outstanding performance for the year in this market. Record-time implementation of more efficient equipment enabled the sales force to increase marketshare in Canada and land a large international contract in Qatar. This win has made Texel a respected and recognized international geotextile player. Additionally, joint venture company Solmax-Texel Geosynthetics Inc. posted a banner year with sales up more than 35% compared the previous year, thanks to its full line of products and services designed to meet the special needs of the civil engineering and landfill markets.
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Texel, Saint-Elzeac, Quebec, Canada, has reported sales increases in the wipes, filtration and geotextiles markets as well as in niche markets. Texel has been in business for 38 years and operates six needlepunched lines in two plants in Quebec. The company is divided into six platforms—wipes, absorbents, industrial, geotextiles, agrotextiles and sportswear—and serves the medical, civil engineering, horticulture, farming, personal care, home care and footwear markets. In recent years, Texel has become more market-oriented instead of doing development one-onone with customers. Geographical markets include Canada, the U.S., Europe and China. According to company documents, wipes growth continued to grow on new product development. For the year ended January 2006, the company’s wipes sales grew nearly 30%. The company will continue to penetrate these personal care wipes markets with continued innovation in needlepunch technology. Meanwhile, the filtration business is benefiting from its Tribo product line, although development of this innovative concept was more time-consuming than anticipated. Other successes in filtration include the Tribo-R liquid biofiltration media and the Hydro Switch capillary water mat. Texel has also been recognized as a root control specialist for green roofs, a concept under development in the U.S. Texel’s industrial platform grew nicely in the last quarter of the fiscal year following the development of new products in niche markets. These efforts, combined with an increase in sales force, will make industrial a growth platform in the near term. Meanwhile, in footwear, the migration of winter boot and thermal insulation component production to Asia intensified over the year, leading certain longtime Quebec customers to move manufacturing to Asia. The company will carefully monitor this production trend, and if all goes as planned, it will follow suit. At the same time, the company will redouble its efforts to stimulate innovation in this sector. During the next year, it will emphasize the development of attractive products
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Companies To Watch
DOUNOR Neuville, France www.dounor.fr A 20-year veteran in the nonwovens industry, Dounor, Neuville En Ferrain, France, got its start with carded technologies and later expanded into spunbond and then spunmelt production as the hygiene market’s demands shifted. Now with approximately 20,000 tons of spunbond/spunmelt capacity compared to its 4000 ton carded output, Dounor is currently to expanding its business further with the addition of a new line—its fourth multibeam spunmelt line—in its sole facility located in Northern France. The Reicofil 4 line, which is ramping up currently, will add 12,000 tons of lightweight spunmelt nonwo-
vens to Dounor’s current capacity. Its output will target hygiene and medical applications. Currently about 80% of Dounor’s business revolves around the hygiene business. This business is largely served through its three existing Reicofil 3 spunmelt lines as well as its carded lines, whose higher weight output is sold in feminine hygiene and wiping products. Dounor’s single beam Reicofil 1 spunbond line, erected in 1992, typically targets industrial applications such as bedding, furniture, filtration, insulation, agricultural products and packaging.
MOGUL Gaziantep, Turkey www.mogulsb.com Recent news from Mogul Nonwovens, a Turkish roll goods producer, includes plans for a new facility located three kilometers away from its existing plant in Gaziantep, Turkey. The facility will house a number of new machines including two new meltblown lines, a welding machine, a coater and a laminator, which will enhance Mogul’s existing business and allow its entry into new markets. “By adding value to existing products, we want to develop
new products and markets and try to keep a competitive edge in the industry. We plan to strengthen our position in the market by being a one-stop shop for various nonwovens needs,” explained Serkan Gogus, commercial director. Beyond the planned investment, Mogul produces polypropylene spunbond, polyester spunbond and polypropylene meltblown as well as composite materials for a number of applications. The company was founded in 1995.
ATEX Settala, Italy www.atex-spun.com With plants in Gainesville, GA and Settala and Borgo Ticino, Italy, Atex (Advanced Technological Extrusions) produces spunbond and meltblown nonwovens for a number of markets. In the wipes market, Atex is continuously innovating to offer competitive and modern solutions. Atex has reduced the
weight of its nonwoven wipes by nearly 30% to reduce waste and increase cost. Atex has been involved in the nonwovens business since 1993. Beyond wipes, Atex also serves hygiene as well as a number of other markets in the U.S., Europe and Mexico.
Coming Up.... The October issue of NONWOVENS INDUSTRY will include the latest on the Airlaid and Coating & Laminating Markets 92
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NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
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Facts and Figures From Key Industry Players PGI Hits Record Q2 Sales PGI, Charlotte, NC, has reported second quarter sales and earnings results. Sales reached record levels during the quarter, up 9% to $271 million over the second quarter of 2006 and up 5.7% for the first six months compared to the same period of the prior year. At $44.3 million, profitability improved with a 21.5% increase in second quarter profit and a 13.4% increase in gross profit for the first six months compared to the same periods of 2006. Additionally, the gross profit margin increased to 16.3% in the second quarter compared to 14.7% the prior year and 16.8% for the first six months versus 15.7% for the first six months of 2006. For the six months ended June 30, 2007, sales were $538 million, up $28.9 million, or 5.7%, from the same period in 2006. Higher sales volumes in Asia at the new Suzhou plant was the largest contributor to sales growth for the first six months accompanied by higher year-over-year hygiene volumes in the U.S. and stronger sales in Europe that were aided by stronger foreign currency translations. Operating income for the second quarter of 2007 was $12.9 million compared to a loss of $5.8 million in the second quarter of 2006. PGI reported net income for the second quarter of $1.2 million compared to a net loss of $12.6 million in the second quarter of 2006. Net income for the first six months of 2007 amounted to $1.5 million compared to a loss of $14.2 million for the first six months of 2006. PGI attributes sales growth primarily to higher volumes in the nonwovens segment, due to contributions from capacity installations, primarily in the U.S. and Asia. Additionally, the company began to see the benefit of new product sales, which included new acoustic material for the automotive sector and flame retardant materials being sold into the mattress segment as the new national flame test regulations took effect July 1, 2007. In Europe, cable and converted wipes demand have remained strong, offsetting lower hygiene volumes compared to the previous year. According to PGI, significant contrib-
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utors to its ability to improve profitability were improved manufacturing efficiencies, improved sales volumes and lower start-up costs compared to the same period in 2006. These improvements were partially offset by higher raw material costs relative to changes in price and mix of the company's net sales compared to the prior year. PGI’s CEO Veronica (Ronee) Hagen stated, “PGI delivered another quarter of strong performance driven by increased customer demand and positive results from our new programs. The company's key initiatives to achieving our targets for the year include the continued ramp up of our new facility in China, the installation of our new Spinlace product capacity in the third quarter, the successful execution of the plant consolidation plans and continued success of new product platforms, such as our new automotive moldable substrates and flame-retardant products for mattress components.” Ms. Hagen said that all of these initiatives are progressing and are expected to contribute to a strong finish to the year as well as provide momentum into 2008.
Ahlstrom Completes Acquisitions Quarterly sales and earnings results have been released by roll goods producer Ahlstrom, a leader in high performance fiber-based materials. While second quarter net sales reached €437 million (up 8.7% from €410 million during last year’s second quarter), operating profit for the quarter amounted to €21 million, down slightly from €29 million in Q2 2006. Profit before taxes was €16 million, a decline from €25 million in the year-earlier period, and earnings per share amounted to €0.26. Operating profit improved by 7.4% from the first quarter of 2007 due to increased sales volumes. For the first six months of 2007, net sales amounted to €853 million versus €824 million during the comparable period last year. The group's operating profit in the first half of 2007 was €44.4 million compared to €58.5 million in the first half of 2006. During the second quarter, Ahl strom began the integration of the WWW.NONWOVENS-INDUSTRY.COM
three acquisitions in the Fiber Composites segment and completed the rebuild of its release base paper machine in France at the end of June. The investment standstill impacted the operating profit negatively by approximately €3.5 million. Commenting on Ahlstrom's second quarter, Jukka Moisio, president and CEO, said that the company worked intensively on several growth actions. “We completed three acquisitions and started the integration work to consolidate them with our operations. We expect to finalize the integration process by the end of 2007.” He added that Ahlstrom continued to ramp up several new manufacturing lines to be able to develop new products and deliver new volumes for its customers. “At the end of the quarter, we completed our European capacity expansion program in release base papers through an investment at the La Gère plant in France,” he said. “This new capability as well as our announced joint venture in Brazil will strengthen our ability to serve growing labeling markets globally. I am satisfied with the progress of the growth actions so far and look forward to an active second half of 2007.” Mr. Moisio described demand for Ahlstrom's products as good in most geographic areas. Growth in demand in Asia and Latin America improved from last year and the markets in Europe continued to show solid development. Overall, the North American market was stable, however the housing markets continued to slow, which affected the market for air filtration products. Prices for raw materials and energy, especially pulp, remained very high. The three acquisitions (Fabriano, Orlandi and Fiberweb's consumer wipes business) added sales of €22.3 million in the second quarter. Comparable net sales—adjusted for the acquisitions, the La Gère investment standstill and the currency effect— grew 4.6%. Sales volumes increased by 5.4% compared with the corresponding period of 2006. Growth was mainly driven by acquisitions and organic growth investments as well as good demand in most business areas.
NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
Buckeye Sees Sales Increase In Final Quarter Buckeye Technologies Inc. an nounced that it earned $15.9 million after tax in the quarter ended June 30, 2007. During the same quarter of the prior year, the company earned $1.2 million after tax, which included expenses primarily associated with equipment sales at the closed operations in Lumberton, NC and Glueckstadt, Germany. Net sales for the April-June quarter were $200 million, 3.5% above the $193 million achieved in the same quarter of the prior year. Net sales for fiscal year 2007 were $769 million, 5.6% above the $728 million achieved in 2006. During the 2007 fiscal year, the company earned $30.1 million after tax, which compares to fiscal year 2006 earnings of $2.0 million after tax. Chairman and CEO John Crowe said, “We are pleased with the improved results, both for the quarter and fiscal year. We credit the improved earnings to strong demand across all of our businesses and to the combination of higher prices, better mix and cost reductions.” He added that reduced costs and higher volumes at its Americana plant also contributed to improved earnings, both for the quarter and total year. Buckeye’s Nonwoven Materials Segment sales and earnings were strong for the total year, according to Mr. Crowe, but even though sales
were higher, operating income for the quarter was down compared to the January–March quarter due to higher corporate SRA allocations and special maintenance items. “We continue to generate strong cash flow and we lowered our debt during the year by $76 million (from $521 million to $445 million), which includes the cancellation of the $5 million Stac-Pac note.”
Sales Up For Suominen Suominen Corporation's net sales for the second quarter totaled €51.2 million, up 7% from €47.7 during the corresponding period in 2006. The volume of sales grew in all units. Operating profit hit €0.5 million. Net sales for the first two quarters totaled €105 million, an increase of 9% over €97 million in the first half of the previous year. Operating profit was €1.7 million. Prices for raw materials continued to rise during the first half of the year and were above those of the same period in 2006. According to the company, the positive impact of increased volumes in the Wipes and Nonwovens business area could not be fully exploited due to unsatisfactory production. During the period under review, net sales of the Wipes and Nonwovens business area totaled €67 million, an increase of 12% over the corresponding period in 2006. Sales of Nonwovens increased substantially thanks to strong demand, while internal deliveries were reduced. The Wipes and
Nonwovens business segment recorded an operating loss of €-0.1 million versus €-0.8 million during the same period a year ago. Net sales of Wet Wipes totaled €33.5 million and were on the level of 2006. Sales volumes increased, while sales prices fell slightly. Suominen expects growth in the European wet wipes market to continue. Deliveries to brand owners increased, while sales to retailers fell short of expectations. Net sales of Nonwovens increased by 15% to €37 million, thanks to increased sales of hydroentangled material. Deliveries to the U.S. market increased, while sales to Europe decreased. Sales of thermally bonded nonwovens remained at the same level as 2006. Sales prices were at the same level as the corresponding year-earlier period. The rising price of viscose raw material at the beginning of the year had an adverse effect on financial performance. Production efficiency suffered in particular due to high waste and temporary raw material shortages. For the future, net sales for 2007 are expected to improve compared with those of last year. Operating profit is expected to increase on the previous year and profit for the financial year is expected to be positive. In the Wipes and Nonwovens business area, net sales of Wet Wipes during the second part of the year is expected to rise, contributing to a visibly better result for the whole segment during the remaining six months.
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The Latest From Suppliers Calendering-Grade TPU The Dow Chemical Company has introduced a new calendering-grade of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) elastomers to be commercialized under the Pellethane brand. The new elastomer can offer performance and processing advantages for an array of demanding applications including fabrics, nonwovens and industrial products such as conveyor belts and sewer liners. A method often used for coatings applications, calendering allows resin to be placed directly onto fabrics. Specifically engineered for this technique, the new TPU elastomer is easily processed and produces excellent adhesion and chemical resistance. With a combination of clarity, abrasion resistance, tensile strength, chemical resistance and excellent processability, Dow’s Pellethane TPU elastomers are a material of choice for a range of demanding applications. In addition to calendering, these TPU products can be fabricated by a variety of methods including injection molding, extrusion and blow molding. 800-441-4369 www.dow.com/challengeus
Impregnating Padder In addition to high performance calenders with Hot S-Roll technology, Andritz Küsters now also provides innovative technologies for the wet finishing of nonwovens. A highlight in this field is the impregnating padder neXchem with SRoll technology, variable line force, which is designed for a speed of 200 m/min. and higher. Andritz Küsters is committed to custom-tailored solutions for the wetlaid nonwoven industry, together with the exclusive cooperation partner Pill Nassvliestechnik since early 2007. 49 2151 34 www.andritz.com
AC Drives Parker Hannifin SSD Drives Division has introduced a brand new approach to drive construction, the AC890PX family of modular AC drives. Serving the global market within a single power frame, the AC890PX is available in ratings through 600HP, (400KW) and voltage ranges from 380VAC to 690VAC. A unique drive
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concept features pluggable power modules for quick replacement, virtually eliminating downtime. Each easy-to-handle, plug-in power module slides into the AC890PX power frame, making installation and servicing a snap. Parker SSD AC890PX modules weigh less than 50 pounds and can be shipped around the globe and installed in minutes by local technicians. 1-800-CPARKER www.parker.com
Rewinder/Inspection System BST Pro Mark and Mark Andy have continued an 18-year tradition of cooperation and partnership by further enhancing their working relationship. BST Pro Mark’s demo center in Elmhurst, IL now includes a Mark Andy VSR100 rewinder and is used to demonstrate both companies’ equipment. BST Pro Mark has mounted a Shark 100% inspection system with both black and white and color cameras on the Mark Andy VSR rewinder, and the combination is used to demonstrate the full capabilities of both the rewinder and the 100% inspection system. According to the companies, these two products are a winning combination for converters worldwide. They help mutual customers meet the ever-increasing quality requirement of today’s print buyers. 636-532-4433 www.bstpromark.com
Airlay Technology Cormatex’s latest development in nonwovens technology is a new Airlay System where the aerodynamic formation of the web allows replacing the traditional mechanical processes that use card and crosslapper, in most existing nonwovens applications. Thanks to an innovative Pressure Control System, this new machine is able to form a fiber web that is ready for needlepunching or thermal bonding processes, with an extremely accurate evenness both longitudinally and across the whole width of the machine. The extreme flexibility of its technology guarantees the production of new nonwoven products by using different kinds of raw materials (traditional nonwoven fibers as well as non conventional WWW.NONWOVENS-INDUSTRY.COM
materials such as flax, jute, sugar cane, coconut fiber, regenerated cotton, foam polyurethane and glass fiber) with a wide weight range for the final product (from around 150 grams up to three kilos per square meter). 39-0574-650922 www.cormatex.it
Moisture Meter Standberg Engineering Laboratories has developed a new portable moisture meter that works on textile fabric, nonwovens, carpet, yarn and raw stock including seed cotton and ginned lint, over the full spectrum, from bone dry to soaking wet. The ranges are unbroken, continuous and linear. The new portable moisture monitor, model M-2000, and its safe, low-energy, reflectance-type microwave transceiver are housed in an ABS plastic case. Noninvasive, momentary contact with the textile material automatically locks in the correct moisture percentage based solely on the density of the material. Unlike infrared moisture sensors, which reflect surface moisture only, the M-2000 penetrates deeply into the textile materials and is immune to fiber, color and temperature. 336-274-3775 www.standberg.com
High Flow Valve With a width of only 17 or 21 millimeters, the universally applicable TC08 and TC15 valves from Bosch Rexroth provide a high flow rate of 0.8Cv in the TC08 and up to 1.5Cv in the TC15. A combination of in-line and manifoldable valves offer the user flexibility. The polymer valve body results in a lightweight package. The single valves can be flange-mounted to any flat surface and the modular manifold system has room for up to 12 valve positions. The TC series is universally applicable, thanks to its electric connection options and size choices. A user-friendly, modular design with compact dimensions permits use in tight spaces. The valve manifold has an especially low height because it does not need subbases. Other features include easy exchange of valves without disassembling the manifold and the ability to have pressure zones via additional supply plates. 859-269-3852 www.boschrexroth-us.com
NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
NWI
A Look At Recently Issued Patents Sanitary, Portable and Disposable Toilet Seat Cover, With Attached Wipe: No. 7,247,360; Beth Besner and James Beaty, assignors to Neat Solutions, Cornelius, NC. Filed 7/15/03. Issued 7/24/07. Patented is a disposable sanitary toilet seat cover for a toilet comprising an annulus having a polygonal perimeter and an opening that has a continuous oval inner edge with an apex. The annulus has a completely quilted patterned multilayer sheet comprised of a water-impervious layer and an upper absorbent layer. The absorbent layer is printed and the water-impervious layer comprises a coating layer or a filmic layer or both of a water-resistant flexible polymer. An inner oval section comprises a completely quilted patterned multilayer sheet having a water impervious lower layer and an absorbent upper layer attached to the lower layer. The inner oval section is detachably attached to the inner edge of the annulus by perforations extending along the entire inner edge of the annulus. The quilt pattern with raised areas on the water impervious layer provides thermal insulation and cushioning. Inter vening recessed regions on the absorbent layer provide conformability to the toilet seat cover. An adhesive fastening means temporarily secures the disposable cover to the toilet seat and the adhesive fastening means is attached to the water impervious layer of the annulus. Decorative Automotive Interior Trim Articles With Cast Integral Light Stable Covering and Process For Making The Same: No. 7,247,382; John Gardner, assignor to Magna Interior Systems Inc., Aurora, Canada. Filed 7/12/05. Issued 7/24/07. A panel structure mountable in a vehicle to form a part of a vehicle interior was issued a patent. The panel structure has an exterior surface, at least a portion of which is exposed to the vehicle interior, and an interior surface. The panel structure comprises a reinforcing substrate, a layered composite structure
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with an outer layer making up at least a portion of the exterior surface of the panel structure and an inner layer. The layered composite structure is united to a surface of the reinforcing substrate. The outer layer includes at least one light-stable aliphatic thermoplastic polyurethane and at least one heat-activated crosslinking agent. The inner layer is adjacent to the outer layer such that the inner layer has an outer surface adjacent an inner surface of the outer layer. The inner layer comprises a polyvinyl chloride and a plasticizer. An interfacial chemical bond is formed between at least one of a pendent functional group of the at least one light-stable aliphatic thermoplastic polyurethane and an unreacted functional group of the at least one heat-activated crosslinking agent of the outer layer and at least one pendent functional group of the plasticizer of the inner layer.
backsheet and a pair of end strips. Each end strip is fixed, along a longitudinal direction, at a position intermediate the core and one of the end edges and extending between the side edges. The end strip includes at least three sections, each of which has an elasticity from the other sections and a position different from the other sections. A first section has generally elastic properties and laterally ex tends in generally parallel relation with the end edges. A second section is immediately subjacent the first section and extends in generally parallel relation with the first section and with the end edges. The second section is substantially less elastic than the first section. A third section is positioned immediately subjacent the second section and has an inward portion spaced away from the topsheet and the absorbent core.
Heat-Shrinkable Films: No. 7,247,389; Hideaki Umeda, assignor to Fuji Seal International Inc., Osaka, Japan. Filed 3/17/06. Issued 7/24/07. A heat-shrinkable film was patented. It includes outer layers made of a polyester resin and at least one inner layer arranged between the outer layers comprising an olefinic resin containing 45% by weight or more of at least one ethylene-propylene-butene terpolymer based on the total weight of the inner layer. The film has an interlayer bonding strength between the inner layer and the outer layer of 3.0 N/15-mm or more.
Multilayered Film Having Excellent Wear Resistance, Heat Resistance And Adhesion To Substrate And Method For Producing the Same: No. 7,241,492; Toshimitsu Kohara, Hiroshi Tamagaki and Kenji Yamamoto, assignors to Kobe Steel, Ltd., Kobe, Japan. Filed 9/3/04. Issued 7/10/07. Patented is a multilayered film on a substrate with excellent wear resistance, excellent heat resistance and excellent adhesion to the substrate. The multilayered film comprises a hard film comprising a compound of metal components essentially including Al and Ti. An intermediate layer is formed between the substrate and the hard film. The intermediate layer comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a metal, an alloy and a compound of the metal or the alloy. It has an oxidation temperature lower than that of the hard film. An oxide-containing layer is formed by oxidizing the hard film so that the oxide-containing layer is disposed on the surface of the hard film remote from the intermediate layer. An alumina film is formed on the surface of the oxide-containing layer remote from the hard film.
Disposable Absorbent Article With Containment Structure: No. 7,247,152; Walter Klemp, Paul Ducker, Daniel Gardner, Jr. and Scott Sneed, assignors to Associated Hygienic Products LLC, Duluth, GA. Filed 10/15/99. Issued 7/24/07. Patented is a disposable absorbent article with a pair of longitudinally extending side edges and a pair of end edges extending between the side edges. The article features a topsheet layer, a backsheet layer, an absorbent core between the topsheet and the WWW.NONWOVENS-INDUSTRY.COM
NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
Fiberweb Names New Vice Presidents Fiberweb Americas has named John Juric vice president of Finance, Americas and David Keough vice president of Consumer Care. Mr. Juric brings more than 20 years of financial experience to
Dow Reichhold as a research associate. Ms. Case has a strong track record in researching and helping commercialize new adhesives formulations used across a range of industries. Ms. Case joins Dow
Top row, left to right: Fiberweb’s Juric and Keough; Soares of NSC Nonwoven and Martin Automatic’s Thomson. Bottom row, left to right: Wellinghoff of Barry-Wehmiller and Maxcess International’s Wiese.
Fiberweb, including 15 years in the chemical and specialty products industries. He has represented industry leaders such as Arco Chemical, Nova Chemicals, Ciba Specialty Chemicals and most recently, Hercules Incorporated, where he was director of Finance, Business Analysis for the Pulp and Paper division. Mr. Keough, who joined Fiberweb in July 2007, is responsible for Fiberweb’s Hygiene and Dryer Sheet business. He has more than 20 years experience in the packaging, automotive and hygiene industries. Mr. Keough comes to Fiberweb from Aplix Inc., where his last assignment was vice president Global Marketing and Sales for Hygiene Products. “Fiberweb is delighted to attract these two individuals to key positions in our restructured North American operations. They will lead critical areas, and their experience and skills are well-suited to the challenges,” stated Dave Rousse, president, Fiberweb Americas. Dow Reichhold Specialty Latex, Research Triangle Park, NC, recently bolstered the company’s research capabilities in adhesives through a new team addition, Sandra Case, who has joined
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Reichhold from Lord Corporation, where she worked as a research scientist in structural adhesive product development. “Ms. Case is a strong strategic addition to the product development team at Dow Reichhold,” explained Galen Hatfield, vice president of development for the company. “Her experience and strong knowledge of the chemistry behind different adhesive solutions will allow us to explore new latex-based product solutions, as well as new application areas for our products.” Rayonier, Jacksonville, FL, has appointed V. Larkin Martin to its board of directors effective last month. Since 1990, Ms. Martin has been the managing partner of Martin Farm and vice president of The Albemarle Corporation. Both are family businesses with interests in agriculture and timberland. She is chairman of the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and is a director and officer of Servico, Inc. and Cottonseed, LLC, business operations that are involved in cotton ginning, warehousing and whole cottonseed sales. In addition, Ms. Martin is on the boards of directors of The Cotton Board and the Business Council of Alabama and is a member of the President’s Advisory Council of the University of Alabama in Birmingham. WWW.NONWOVENS-INDUSTRY.COM
Bérangère Amestoy left the NSC group in July. Cristina Soares is the company’s new contact for all NSC Nonwoven communications and marketing matters, effective last month. Allen Trent, Southeastern U.S. sales consultant for Martin Automatic, Rockford, IL, has retired. Mr. Trent’s career with Martin spanned nearly 24 years, starting as a midwestern regional salesperson in 1983. In the mid-1980s, building on his experience with the Bobst group, he was instrumental in helping move Martin further into gravure, flexo and converting markets. Following Mr. Trent’s retirement, Craig Thomson takes on responsibilities as Southern U.S. regional manager. Mr. Thomson has been with Martin since 1989 in inside sales, regional sales and marketing roles, and he has been a regional manager for more than 12 years. Barry-Wehmiller Companies has announced the promotion of Brian Wellinghoff to director, L3 Journey. In this role, Mr. Wellinghoff will collaborate with Barry-Wehmiller chairman & CEO Bob Chapman and Lean specialist Dick Ryan (formerly of The Wiremold Company), as well as thought leaders outside the organization, to remain on the pulse of Lean practices that share the company’s commitment to bringing a “people focus” to traditional Lean philosophies. “I’ve been very pleased to see how our initial conversations about this journey have become a true vision for us and how that vision is beginning to become a reality for our organization,” Mr. Wellinghoff said. Scott Wiese has joined Maxcess International, Oklahoma City, OK, to provide local expertise for Fife, MAGPOWR and Tidland products in Minnesota, Western Wisconsin, Iowa, North and South Dakota and Nebraska. Mr. Scott has extensive experience in general manufacturing and web handling, and has built an impressive track record in providing outstanding customer service and support. He has just completed extensive factory training on all aspects of web guiding, winding, slitting, inspection or tension control processes in order to better assist customers in his territory.
NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
THERMALBOND ROLL REPAIR Converting Specialists 920-680-2273 Most repairs completed within 24 hr. from phone call. Repairs are done right in your machine. Reduce expensive roll changes and downtime. Call Dan at Converting Specilalists today.
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ATMORE INDUSTRIES INC.
Lymtech Scientific®
Supplier of Nonwovens Fabrics with End Uses Ranging from Filtration to Industrial and Supplier of Agricultural Nonwovens
Slitting • Rewinding • Sheeting Hot Knife Slitting Custom Converter of non-woven rolled goods and flat wipes. Perforated Rolls. Perforated Center Feed Logs.
LEADER OF ULTRASONIC LAMINATION AND QUALITY CONVERTING FOR OVER 25 YEARS • Ultrasonic composite lamination of woven and nonwoven fabric used in filtration, industrial medical and furniture / bedding markets. • Ultrasonic machine direction overlap and butt seaming to increase web widths. • Agricultural fabrics up to 50 foot widths. • Precision slitting and rewinding up to 200 inches and 50 inch diameters.
spintecinc@aol.com Ph/Fax (864) 268-7795
For more information: 1-800-628-8606 1-413-592-4111 • Fax 1-413-592-4112 www.lymtech.com • info@lymtech.com
For information contact Billy Farr: P.O. Box 1177 Atmore, AL 36504 Tel: 251-368-2194 • Fax: 251-368-4764
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N ONWOVENS I NDUSTRY will be read by thousands of decision makers around the world in the industry. To reserve space in our next issue call or fax us today for a price quote. Phone: 201-825-2552 • Fax: 201-825-0553
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NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
Maier Rotary Joints – Solutions for safe transfer of fluids for many industries
Visit us at ITMA (13.–20.09.2007)!
LATEX/COATINGS CHEMIST
Christian Maier GmbH & Co. KG 89520 Heidenheim, Germany Tel. +49 7321 317-0 Fax +49 7321 317-139 vkd@maier-heidenheim.de www.maier-heidenheim.de
GODSHALL & GODSHALL CONSULTANTS
Textile Industry Specialists Since 1968 Fee Paid Positions
Hickory, NC Area Phila, PA Area
COATING, SATURATION, DRYING, LAMINATING OF TEXTILES, NONWOVENS, PAPER Must have experience in: CHEMICAL COMPOUNDING LATEX POLYMERS WEB HANDLING & COATING Excellent Pay + Benefit Package Send your resume to: TSG Incorporated Attn: Personnel Mgr. PO Box 1400 North Wales PA 19454 Or e-mail to: personnel@tsgfinishing.com www.tsgfinishing.com
Phone 864/242-3491 Fax: 864/232-5658 P.O. Box 1984, Greenville, SC 29602 Email recruiter@godshall.com Visit our website for additional Positions: www.godshall.com Call Richard Heard Engineer/ R&D Manager, $80K Process Improvement Manager, $80K Nonwovens Operation Manager, $90K Filtration Development Engineer, $75K Nonwovens R&D Engineer, $80K Coating Process Engineer, $60K Nonwoven Chemist, $70K Call Robert Graham Nonwovens Sales Representative, $75K Disposables Packaging Supervisor, $60K Nonwovens Plant Manager, $85K Filtration Media Sales, $75K Nonwovens Filtration General Manager, $100K Nonwovens Plant Supervisor, $45K
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Nonwovens Industry will be read by thousands of decision makers around the worldin the industry. To reserve space in our next issue call or fax ustoday for a price quote. Phone: 201 -825-2552 • FAX: 201-825-0553
mamata@rodpub.com NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
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Chemical Company in Northern New Jersey is looking for a Salesperson for the North East Area. It's a great opportunity for someone who is friendly and outgoing, as we are a friendly company who would like to meet you. We offer excellent salary and good company benefits. Nonwovens Industry 70 Hilltop Road, Ramsey, NJ 07446 Box NI 178
A well established woven textile manufacturing company wishes to enter the field of non-wovens in India under collaboration with a renown manufacturer overseas. Investment limit is U.S. $1 million. If interested, do get in touch with us at velcord@vsnl.com
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A Look At Upcoming Industry Events SEPTEMBER
quarters, Brussels, Belgium: 32-2-734-93-10; www.edana.org
Sept. 5-6: The Future of Wipes China, Holiday Inn Pudong,
Nov. 13-15: Filtration 2007 International Conference & Expo,
Shanghai, China: Intertech-Pira, Chandra Leister, 207-781-9602; chandra.leister@pira-international.com Sept. 9-11: Nonwovens Training Course, EDANA Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium; 32-2-734-93-10; Fax: 32-2-733-35-18; veronique.verboekhoven@edana.org; www.edana.org Sept. 13-14: The Future of Industrial and Medical Nonwovens, Doubletree Guest Suites, Charleston, SC: Intertech-Pira, Chandra Leister, 207-781-9602; chandra.leister@pira-international.com Sept. 13-20: ITMA 2007—International Exhibition of Textile Machinery, New Munich Trade Fair Center, Munich, Germany: www.itma-munich.com Sept. 24-27: International Nonwovens Technical Conference, Renaissance Waverly Hotel, Atlanta, GA: INDA, 919-233-1210; Fax: 919-233-1282; jchristiano@inda.org; www.inda.org Sept. 24-27: SINCE 2007, Intex Shanghai, Shanghai, China: CMP Asia, Avina Kwok, 415-947-6608; akwok@cmp.com; www.since07.com Sept. 26-28: Outook 2007, Hotel Cascais Miragem, Lisbon, Portugal: EDANA, 32-2-734-93-10; Fax: 32-2-733-35-18; natacha.defeche@edana.org; www.edana.org
Navy Pier, Chicago, IL: INDA, 919-233-1210; Fax: 919-2331282; info@inda.org; www.inda.org Nov. 28-29: Elementary Nonwovens Training Cource, INDA Headquarters, Cary, NC: INDA, 919-233-1210; Fax: 919-2331282; info@inda.org; www.inda.org Nov. 30-Dec. 2: Hightex 2007, Technical Textiles and Nonwovens Trade Fair, Istanbul Expo Center, Istanbul, Turkey; www.hightex2007.com DECEMBER
Dec. 3-6: Nonwoven Composites, Converting & Laminating, College of Textiles, Centennial Campus, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 919-513-7401; Fax: 919-515-6621; Email: sandra_broome@ncsu.edu Dec. 5-7: The Future of Wipes U.S., Atlanta, GA: IntertechPira, Chandra Leister, 207-781-9602; chandra.leister@pirainternational.com Dec. 13-14: The Future of Biodegradable Hygiene Products, London, U.K.: Pira International, Natalie King, 44 (0) 1372 802164; Fax: 44 (0) 1372 802243; natalie.king@pira-international.com; www.intertechpira.com
OCTOBER
2008
Oct. 8-11: Fundamentals of Nonwovens Staple Processing, College of Textiles, Centennial Campus, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC: 919-513-7401; Fax: 919-515-6621; sandra_broome@ncsu.edu Oct. 10-12: Techtextil India, Bombay Exhibition Center, Mumbai, India: MesseFrankfurt, 49-69-7575-6179; techtextil@messefrankfurt.com; www.techtextil.com Oct. 16-18: Link with India International Conference, Renaissance Mumbai Hotel and Convention Center, Mumbai, India: INDA, 919-233-1210; Fax: 919-233-1282; info@inda.org; www.inda.org Oct. 21-25: INSIGHT 2007, Amelia Island Plantation, Amelia Island, FL; Marketing Technology Service, 269-375-1236; admin@marketingtechnologyservice.com; www.marketingtechnologyservice.com Oct. 16-18: Nonwovens Training Course, INDA Offices, Cary, NC: INDA, 919-233-1210; Fax: 919-233-1282; jchristiano@i nda.org; www.inda.org Oct. 22-24: International Nonwovens Technical Conference (INTC), Renaissance Waverly Hotel, Atlanta, GA: INDA, 919-233-1210; Fax: 919-233-1282; info@inda.org; www.inda.org
FEBRUARY
Feb. 5-7: Nonwovens Training Cource, INDA Headquarters, Cary, NC: INDA, 919-233-1210; Fax: 919-233-1282; info@inda.org; www.inda.org Feb. 11-14: Vision Consumer Products Conference, Renaissance Worthington Hotel, Ft. Worth, TX: INDA, 919-233-1210; Fax: 919233-1282; info@inda.org; www.inda.org Feb. 24-26: INDA Annual Meeting, Hyatt Regency Grand, Cypress, Orlando, FL: INDA, 919-233-1210; Fax: 919-233-1282; info@inda.org; www.inda.org APRIL
April 8-10: Nonwovens Training Cource, INDA Headquarters, Cary, NC: INDA, 919-233-1210; Fax: 919-233-1282; info@inda.org; www.inda.org April 14-18: 10th World Filtration Congress, International Conference and Exhibition, Leipzig, Germany: Suzanne Abetz, info@wtf10.com; www.wfc10.com April 15-18: INDEX 2008, World’s Largest Nonwovens Exhibition, Palexpo, Geneva, Switzerland: EDANA, 32-2-734-9310; Web: www.edana.org
NOVEMBER
Nov. 5-6: The Future of Wipes, U.S., Atlanta, GA: Pira
MAY
International, John Buss, 207-781-9610; Fax: 207-781-2510; john.buss@pira-international.com; www.intertechpira.com Nov. 6-8: Absorbent Product Training Class, EDANA Head-
May 13-14: Elementary Nonwovens Training Cource, INDA
104
Headquarters, Cary, NC: INDA, 919-233-1210; Fax: 919-2331282; info@inda.org; www.inda.org
WWW.NONWOVENS-INDUSTRY.COM
NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
Company Name
Page No.
Phone
Fax
Website
AccuSentry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 . . . . . . . .770-850-1700 . . . . . . . . . .770-850-1705 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.accusentry.com Advanced Fabrics (SAAF) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 . . . . . . . .966 3 532 4000 . . . . . . . . .966 3 532 4004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.saafnw.com Ahlstrom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 . . . . . . . . .860-654-8300 . . . . . . . . . .860-654-8301 . . . . . .www.ahlstrom.com/fibercomposites Americhem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 . . . . . . . .800-331-8412 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.americhem.com Anqing Heng Chang Machinery Co. Ltd. . . . . . . .19 . . . . . . .86 556 535 7442 . . . . . . . .86 556 535 7893 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.aqhch.com.cn Aplix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 . . . . . . .33(0) 228220000 . . . . . . .33(0) 228220004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.aplix.com Asselin/Thibeau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 . . . . . .33(0) 2 32 96 4242 . . . . . .33(0) 2 32 96 4243 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.nsc.fr AstenJohnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 . . . . . . . .514-933-7316 . . . . . . . . . .514-933-8716 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.astenjohnson.com Atex Srl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 . . . . . . . .39 02 95242 1 . . . . . . . . .39 02 95242010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.atex-spun.com Avgol Ltd./Cleaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 . . . . . . . .972-3-906 1500 . . . . . . . .972-3-936 4376 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.avgol.com BASF Aktiengesellschaft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 . . . . . . . .800-227-66257 . . . . . . . . .800-227-66253 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.basf.de/dispersionen Celli, A. SpA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 . . . . . . . .39 0583 21171 . . . . . . . . .39 0583 299340 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.acelli.com Cellulose Converting Equipments . . . . . . . . . . .Cov. 3 . . . . . .39 085 97 56 21 . . . . . . .39 085 97 56 200 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.cce.it Chase Machine & Engineering Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . .74 . . . . . . . .401-821-8879 . . . . . . . . . .401-823-5543 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.chasemachine.com Cognex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 . . . . . . . .508-650-4141 . . . . . . . . . .508-650-3344 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.cognex.com Cotton Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 . . . . . . . .919-678-2330 . . . . . . . . . .919-678-2231 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.cottoninc.com Enercon Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 . . . . . . . .262-255-6070 . . . . . . . . . .262-255-7784 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.enerconind.com ExxonMobil Chemical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 . . . . . . . .800 231 6633 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.exxonmobilchemical.com Falu Maschinenbau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 . . . . . . .41 55 225 51 51 . . . . . . . .41 55 225 51 59 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.falu.com FarĂŠ SpA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 . . . . . . .39 0331 617155 . . . . . . . .39 0331 617546 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.farespa.com Fibertex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 . . . . . . . .45 96 35 3535 . . . . . . . . . .45 98 15 8555 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.fibertex.com Fleissner Nonwovens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 . . . . . . .49 981 971 21-0 . . . . . . .49 981 971 21-55 . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.fleissner-ansback.de Foster Needle Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 . . . . . . . .920-682-6314 . . . . . . . . . .920-682-5331 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.fosterneedleusa.com Hangzhou New Yuhong Machinery Co. . . . . . . . . .26 . . . . . .0086-571-88546558 . . . . .0086-571-88543365 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hyosung Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 . . . . . . . .212 736 7100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.creora.com INDEX08 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.index08.org Investkonsult Sweden AB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 . . . . . . . .46 11 106075 . . . . . . . . . .46 11 124026 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ik.se ISRA Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 . . . . . . . .49 6151 948 0 . . . . . . . . .49 6151 948 140 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.isravision.com Joa, Curt G. Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 . . . . . . . .920-467-6136 . . . . . . . . . .920-467-2924 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.joa.com KNH Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 . . . . . . .886-2-2345-9909 . . . . . . .886-2-2345-6299 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.knh.com.tw Koester GmbH & Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 . . . . . . . .49(0) 9545-48 0 . . . . . . .49(0) 9545-481 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.koester.de Lenzing Fibers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 . . . . . . . .43 7672 701-0 . . . . . . . . .43 7672 96856 . . . . . . . . . . .www.lenzing-nonwovens.com Libeltex NV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 . . . . . . . .32 5142 6800 . . . . . . . . . .35 5142 6806 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.libeltex.com Nordson Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 . . . . . . . . .800-727-7224 . . . . . . . . . .706-216-2981 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.nordson.com Paksis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cov. 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.paksis.com RadiciSpandex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 . . . . . . . .508-674-3585 . . . . . . . . . .508-674-3580 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.radicispandex.com Rexcell Tissue & Airlaid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 . . . . . . . . .46 53172800 . . . . . . . . . .46 53161569 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.rexcell.se RKW AG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 . . . . .49(0) 62 41 30 01 36 . . . .49(0) 62 41 30 01 77 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.rkw-ag.com Sanming PNV Machinery Co., Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . .25 . . . . . . .86 598 8365199 . . . . . . . .86 598 8365689 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.pnv-david.com SINCE 07 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 . . . . . . . .32 2 6443356 . . . . . . . . . .32 2 6468326 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.since2007.com TechAdhesion Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 . . . . . .86-755-2782-3573 . . . . . .86-755-2782-3240 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.techadhesion.com Texel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 . . . . . . . .800-463-8929 . . . . . . . . . .418-387-4326 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.texel.ca Tidland Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 . . . . . . . .360-834-2345 . . . . . . . . . .360-834-5865 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.maxcessintl.com Tredegar Film Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 . . . . . . .88-TREDEGAR . . . . . . . . .840-330-1201 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.tredegarfilm.com Union SpA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 . . . . . . . .39 015 951 5411 . . . . . . . .39 015 927 240 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W.E.Phillips, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 . . . . . . . .877-451-1598 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wake County Economic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.raleigh-wake.org/textiles Zuiko Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cov. 4 . . . . . .81 66340 7117 . . . . . . . . .81 66340 4182 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.zuiko.co.jp
NONWOVENS INDUSTRY/SEPTEMBER 2007
WWW.NONWOVENS-INDUSTRY.COM
105
Back To Nature DS Technical Nonwoven Hoogveld 90 9200 Dendermonde Phone: 32 (0) 52 25 83 51 Fax: 32 (0) 52 25 83 66 Email: info@dstextileplatform.com Web: www.dstextileplatform.com
ased in Belgium and founded in 1898, DS Technical Nonwoven is part of DS Textile Platform, a global group of fiber, yarn and nonwoven textile companies. With an annual turnover of €15 million, DS Technical Nonwoven has a staff of more than 30 highly skilled employees. The company operates three needlepunch production lines with a total capacity of 30 million square meters per year. At the corporate level, DS Textile’s overall sales amount to approximately €82 million per year. As part of a vertically integrated group, the DS Nonwoven division produces mechanically bonded needlepunched nonwovens made of DS staple fiber. In addition to being ISO 9001:2000 approved, DS Textiles has also obtained the CEmark for its standard GeoTex and GeoFelt range. The company’s primary geographical focus is on European regions such France, the U.K., Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg. “Our differentiated production lines enable us to produce various types of nonwoven textiles and even—in a second stage—to impregnate, coat or structure them,” offered Dirk De Saedeleir, R&D director. The company’s nonwoven products target a variety of end uses including agriculture, geotextiles, building and construction, industrial, packaging, flooring, filtration and automotive. In the geosynthetics sector, DS Technical Nonwoven supplies commodity as well as customized geotextile solutions ranging from lightweight 110 gpsm to heavy weight 1800 gpsm needlepunched nonwovens in polypropylene and/or polyester for filtration, drainage, separation and protection. In the agricultural area, one interesting recent innovation from DS Technical Nonwoven is Hortaflex, an ecofleece made of Ingeo fiber. The new product is the result of a long cooperation between DS and NatureWorks LLC to
B
develop a range of articles shown for the first time at Techtextil 2007 in June. Hortaflex is an alternative to the oil-based materials normally used in weed control that can be returned to the soil when composted under certain moisture and temperature conditions found in industrial composting facilities. Typical target applications for Hortaflex include groundcover, landscaping, erosion and weed control. The Ingeo fiber used in making Hortaflex fleece is the first man-made fiber made from a 100% annually renewable resource, not oil. Conventional mulch and barrier fleeces use the world’s finite oil reserves as their source material. Ingeo is a nature-based fiber derived from agricultural resources and is made from NatureWorks polymer, which demonstrates a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. “This, in the long term, closes the product’s production cycle and provides an added environmental benefit, especially when gardeners or horticulturists are faced with the task of removing the barrier fabric after a few years when changing over a garden or landscape,” Mr. De Saedeleir said. While developing the production process for the Hortaflex range, initial tests show that with the addition of grass seeds, better germination and growth results were observed when compared to conventional cellulose carpetbased structures. “This, combined with the added benefit of lighter weight structures, means Hortaflex can offer a positive alternative for the existing mulch-mats for the growing trend of green roof applications, enhancing the eco-options for architecture as well as contemporary landscaping.” Mr. De Saedeleir added that the company is also setting up a range of protective nonwovens made on the basis of regenerated flakes of polyester bottles.