This report is 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 the top ten players, sales remained more or less flat in 2022, reflecting, primarily, minimal investment in new production lines after many players had invested heavily in new lines in the previous two years. Having said that, many of the top ten players announced investments in 2023.
Freudenberg completed work on a new needlepunching line in Slovenia and an EnkaMat production line in China, and it is adding a line in Germany for producing gas diffusion layers for fuel cell technology. Ahlstrom added calendering capabilities to its filtration media plant in South Korea and is adding a laminator line in Brazil, and Fitesa installed a Reifenhäuser Reicofil 5 (RF5) spunmelt nonwovens line at its site in South Carolina, USA.
Meanwhile, Hollingsworth & Vose doubled the capacity at its battery separator facility in India and is adding floor space to its facility in Virginia, USA, in order to accommodate new production equipment. However, Alkegen agreed to sell its Thermal Acoustical Solutions (TAS) unit and Berry Global initiated a formal process to evaluate strategic alternatives for its health, hygiene and specialties division.