World Nonwovens Industry: Ten Smaller Producers: part 3 of 3, 2008/09
Worldwide sales of nonwoven roll goods continued to increase at a mid-single digit growth rate in 2007 the latest year for which comprehensive data are available reaching nearly US$17 bn. Of this total, about 79% of sales, worth around US$13.4 bn, was generated by just 40 producers. Sales achieved by the ten smaller producers profiled in this report which rank from number 31 to number 40 among the world’s leading companies ranged individually from US$861 mn to US$230 mn and together accounted for about 5% of the global total.
These ten smaller producers include some relatively new players as well as long established ones. South Korea’s Toray Saehan, for example, was formed as a joint venture company as recently as 1999. Italy’s Albis was formed in 1995.
Many of these producers have benefited from new market development. Precision Custom Coatings, based in New Jersey, USA, has added three new high loft lines to meet demand for its flame retardant materials in the bedding market while Hof is positioning its spunlaced nonwovens in a number of industrial areas.
Also, many producers have been working to make their products more environmentally friendly. Foss Manufacturing, for example, estimates that 60% of its needlepunched nonwovens are made from regenerated plastic bottles while Suominen Nonwovens is seeing increased success with its Biolace sustainable spunlaced nonwovens.
Other drivers of growth are new technologies and new product markets. SP2C and Easy Care interlining products from Textilgruppe Hof have coatings to enhance performance in fashion fabrics. The same company is offering a new generation of mouldable nonwovens for use in trunk applications and wheel arch covers, as well as a new technology to manufacture multi-axial fabrics for the composites industry. It has also developed non-flammable nonwovens for automotive applications. Precision Custom Coatings has diversified into OmniStretch hydroentangled liners for the automotive market.
These ten smaller producers include some relatively new players as well as long established ones. South Korea’s Toray Saehan, for example, was formed as a joint venture company as recently as 1999. Italy’s Albis was formed in 1995.
Many of these producers have benefited from new market development. Precision Custom Coatings, based in New Jersey, USA, has added three new high loft lines to meet demand for its flame retardant materials in the bedding market while Hof is positioning its spunlaced nonwovens in a number of industrial areas.
Also, many producers have been working to make their products more environmentally friendly. Foss Manufacturing, for example, estimates that 60% of its needlepunched nonwovens are made from regenerated plastic bottles while Suominen Nonwovens is seeing increased success with its Biolace sustainable spunlaced nonwovens.
Other drivers of growth are new technologies and new product markets. SP2C and Easy Care interlining products from Textilgruppe Hof have coatings to enhance performance in fashion fabrics. The same company is offering a new generation of mouldable nonwovens for use in trunk applications and wheel arch covers, as well as a new technology to manufacture multi-axial fabrics for the composites industry. It has also developed non-flammable nonwovens for automotive applications. Precision Custom Coatings has diversified into OmniStretch hydroentangled liners for the automotive market.
SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
The global nonwovens market
Ten smaller producers
Companies which have joined the ten smaller players
Companies which have left the ten smaller players
Companies which have remained among the ten smaller players
31 TORAY SAEHAN, SOUTH KOREA
Facilities
Products and markets
32 FOSS MANUFACTURING, USA
Products and markets
33 SUOMINEN NONWOVENS, FINLAND
Company structure
Products and markets
Nonwovens
Polypropylene fibre
Production facilities
34 FITESA, BRAZIL
Production facilities
Markets
Joint venture
35 TENCATE GEOSYNTHETICS, AUSTRIA
Production facilities, products and markets
European operations
Australasian operations
Asian operations
New products
Future growth
36 ALBIS, ITALY
37 TEXTILGRUPPE HOF, GERMANY
Products and markets
Interlinings
Industrial end uses
Production facilities
New products
38 UNITIKA, JAPAN
Products and markets
Spunbonded
Spunlaced
Product development
Expansion
39 PRECISION CUSTOM COATINGS, USA
Expansion
40 REXCELL TISSUE & AIRLAID, SWEDEN
Production facilities
Markets
INTRODUCTION
The global nonwovens market
Ten smaller producers
Companies which have joined the ten smaller players
Companies which have left the ten smaller players
Companies which have remained among the ten smaller players
31 TORAY SAEHAN, SOUTH KOREA
Facilities
Products and markets
32 FOSS MANUFACTURING, USA
Products and markets
33 SUOMINEN NONWOVENS, FINLAND
Company structure
Products and markets
Nonwovens
Polypropylene fibre
Production facilities
34 FITESA, BRAZIL
Production facilities
Markets
Joint venture
35 TENCATE GEOSYNTHETICS, AUSTRIA
Production facilities, products and markets
European operations
Australasian operations
Asian operations
New products
Future growth
36 ALBIS, ITALY
37 TEXTILGRUPPE HOF, GERMANY
Products and markets
Interlinings
Industrial end uses
Production facilities
New products
38 UNITIKA, JAPAN
Products and markets
Spunbonded
Spunlaced
Product development
Expansion
39 PRECISION CUSTOM COATINGS, USA
Expansion
40 REXCELL TISSUE & AIRLAID, SWEDEN
Production facilities
Markets
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Sales by the world's top 40 roll goods producers, 2007
Table 1: Sales by the world's top 40 roll goods producers, 2007
