The world nonwovens industry: part 3 - ten smaller producers, 1st quarter 2010

25 pages, published in Issue 80, 1st quarter 2010   Report price: Euro 395.00; US$ 520.00

Worldwide sales of nonwoven roll goods continued to increase at a mid-single digit growth rate to reach more than US$18 bn in 2008?the latest year for which comprehensive data are available. About 76% of this total, worth around US$13.6 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$80 mn to US$107 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. Israel?s Spuntech was formed in 1996 while Rexcell became the first European maker of commercial air-laid nonwovens in 1982.

Many of these producers have benefited from new market development. Precision Custom Coatings, based in New Jersey, USA, added three new high-loft lines to meet demand for its flame retardant materials in the bedding market but has been having more success recently in the filtration market. 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. As noted, Precision Custom Coatings is continuing to diversify, and industrial markets will represent 70% of its business before long. Meanwhile, Foss Manufacturing is continuing to expand its role in the automotive market.

The World Nonwovens Industry: Part 3?Ten Smaller Producers

• Summary
• Introduction
• Suominen Nonwovens, Finland
• Fitesa, Brazil
• TenCate Geosynthetics, Austria
• Precision Custom Coatings, USA
• Textilgruppe Hof, Germany
• Unitika, Japan
• Spuntech Industries, Israel
• Rexcell Tissue & Airlaid, Sweden
• Kuraray, Japan
• Foss Manufacturing, USA

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• The world nonwovens industry: part 3 -- 20 medium sized producers, 1st quarter 2010, (4th quarter 2009)
• The world nonwovens industry: part 1 -- the leading ten producers, 3rd quarter 2009, (3rd quarter 2009)

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.
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