The world nonwovens industry: part 1 -- the leading ten producers, 3rd quarter 2007

67 pages, published in Issue 70, 3rd quarter 2007   Report price: Euro 690.00; US$ 910.00

Worldwide sales of nonwoven roll goods continued to grow at midsingle digit rates in 2006 to exceed US$16 bn. Sales of the world?s leading ten companies in 2006 ranged from US$229 mn to US$1.4 bn and totalled about US$8.3 bn. Nine of the ten increased their sales.

The exception was Fiberweb, whose sales decreased after the company had closed some plants in North America but the company continues to invest for the future. Freudenberg remained the number one player, helped by double digit growth in Latin America and success with MicronAir automotive interior filters. DuPont Nonwovens? sales held up thanks to a focus on brands, technology and added value?especially in Eastern and Central Europe, Latin America and Asia. A new Hybrid Membrane Technology (HMT) line in South Korea should also pay off. Kimberly-Clark will benefit from an improvement plan and a focus on high growth emerging markets in BRICIT (Brazil, Russia, India, China, Indonesia and Turkey) countries.

Sales and earnings at Polymer Group Inc (PGI) were boosted by investment in spunmelt facilities in North America, Latin America and China. New technologies should also result in growth in the future. Ahlstrom continues to grow through acquisition and expansion. Most recently, investment has centred on filtration and wipes applications. Johns Manville has benefited from a boom in global construction and expansion in Central and Eastern Europe. New products should help future growth. Buckeye Technologies has maintained its position through innovation and a focus on low cost operations. Sales in the wipes segment are at an all-time high. Propex Fabrics, a newcomer in the top ten, continues to sell its needlepunched nonwovens in a number of key segments. Avgol Nonwovens, another newcomer, is investing in spunmelt nonwovens and has new lines planned for North Carolina, USA, and Russia.

The World Nonwovens Industry: Part 1?The Leading Ten Producers

• Summary
• Introduction
• Freudenberg, Germany
• DuPont Nonwovens, USA
• Kimberly-Clark, USA
• Fiberweb, UK
• Polymer Group Inc (PGI), USA
• Ahlstrom, Finland
• Johns Manville, USA
• Buckeye Technologies, USA
• Propex Fabrics, USA
• Avgol, Israel

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• Huntsman Textile Effects: Prospects Under New Ownership, (2nd quarter 2007)
• Profiles of Five Fast Growing Nonwovens Producers, (2nd quarter 2007)
• The world nonwovens industry: part 3 -- ten smaller producers, 1st quarter 2007, (1st quarter 2007)
• The world nonwovens industry: part 3 -- 20 medium sized producers, 1st quarter 2007, (4th quarter 2006)
• The world nonwovens industry: part 1 -- the leading ten producers, 3rd quarter 2006, (3rd quarter 2006)

Four times a year, Technical Textile Markets provides an overview of the global man-made fibre, nonwoven and technical textile industries. It provides market data and analysis of new and established markets for technical textiles, and is essential reading for senior executives in (or supplying) the man-made fibre, nonwoven and technical textile sectors ? as well as for those who are not involved in the industry on a day-to-day basis, but who need an authoritative source which helps them to quickly gain an understanding of the key issues facing the companies which are actively involved in this fast-growing sector.
Reports in Technical Textile Markets include:
	company and country profiles ? giving you the opportunity to learn from strategies employed by others, in terms of production, sourcing, import/export, infrastructure and development, and plans for the future.
	profiles of the world's top 40 producers of nonwovens ? updated each year with details of developments from each of the leading producers, including acquisitions, investments and divestments, and analyses of trends which the "rising stars" are using to their advantage.
	statistical reports ? including consumption data, by fibre and end-use applications. Regular updates are published for fibre consumption in Japan, the rest of Asia, the USA, and Western Europe.
	market sector information ? analyses of important commercial end-user applications, and profiles of both established and emerging markets which take into account such innovations and developments as nanotechnology and intelligent textiles.
	regular updates on innovations in fibres, technical textiles, apparel and machinery ? including developments in the following categories: fibres and yarns; technical textile fabrics for industrial applications; machinery; technical textiles for apparel; composites; other technical textile products; and technical textile treatments and finishes.
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So whether you are involved in man-made fibres, nonwovens or technical textiles ? in manufacturing, converting, import/export, or end use ? or if you are in education or consultancy or investment or finance ? a subscription to Technical Textile Markets will tell you what you need to know about the key trends in the industry.
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