The World Nonwovens Industry: Part 1-the Leading Ten Producers, November 2019

In this report, the first in a series of three in which the world s top 40 nonwovens producers are profiled, Karen Bitz provides the latest information and analysis about the activities of the world s leading ten producers of nonwovens. For many of these players, sales have increased, reflecting a number of investments and acquisitions in recent years. Furthermore, more recent acquisitions and planned investments should lead to increases in sales in the future.

Berry Global, for example, has expanded the scope of its business through the acquisition of Clopay Plastic Products Company, and Freudenberg has acquired the start-up company Frictins and launched a bid to acquire the nonwovens producer Low & Bonar. Glatfelter has completed its acquisition of Georgia-Pacific s European nonwovens business, and Fitesa has acquired Pantex--a maker of air-through bonded nonwovens for hygiene products. Fitesa has also added new lines in Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Sweden and the USA, and PFNonwovens has added new lines in the Czech Republic and South Africa. Kimberly-Clark, meanwhile, has invested in its operations in Singapore and in Mississippi and North Carolina in the USA, although it has also undertaken a restructuring programme which will result in the closure of ten sites and the elimination of 5,000-5,500 jobs.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

• The leading ten players
• Companies which joined the leading ten players
• Companies which exited from the leading ten players
• Companies which remained among the leading ten players

1. BERRY GLOBAL, USA

• Products and markets
• Medical
• Hygiene
• Industrial and speciality
• Capacity expansion
• Latin America
• North America
• Europe
• China
• Plant consolidation

2. FREUDENBERG GROUP, GERMANY

• Manufacturing facilities
• Spunlaid operations
• Industrial nonwovens operations
• Interlinings operations
• Filtration operations
• Novolon
• Comfortemp
• Acquisitions, divestments and joint ventures
• International strategy

3. AHLSTROM-MUNKSJÖ, FINLAND

• Product areas
• Filtration & Performance
• Specialties

4. KIMBERLY-CLARK, USA

• Corporate structure
• Personal Care
• Consumer Tissue
• Business-to-Business
• Products and markets
• Filtration
• Delivery systems (including wipes)
• Sorbents
• Building products
• Personal care
• Acoustics
• Other developments

5 DUPONT, USA

• Internationalisation strategy
• Tyvek
• Construction
• Personal protective apparel
• Envelopes and packaging

6. FITESA, BRAZIL

7. PFNONWOVENS, CZECH REPUBLIC

• Pegas Nonwovens operations
• First Quality Nonwovens operations

8. JOHNS MANVILLE, USA

• Corporate structure
• Products and markets
• High Performance Nonwovens
• Roofing Materials
• Manufacturing facilities
• USA
• Germany
• Slovakia
• China

9. GLATFELTER, USA

• Advanced Airlaid Materials
• Composite Fibers

10. LYDALL, USA

• Company structure
• Thermal/Acoustical
• Automotive
• Industrial
• Performance Materials
• Technical Nonwovens
• Manufacturing facilities and geographical markets

List of tables

• Table 1: Sales by the world's top 40 roll goods producers, 2018