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That was the key point on nearly every nonwoven producer's mind in this year's Top Company report. How to reduce them, how to pass them on to their customers, how they will trend going forward. With oil prices hitting all-time highs, it's no surprise that most of the nonwovens executives interviewed cited the price of oil-based raw materials as the number one problem facing their businesses moving forward. Most executives have combatted these price hikes by imposing their own price increases on their customers but these measures have only taken nonwovens producers part of the way when it comes to margin erosion. Other measures have included reduced basis weights, streamlined production and alternative raw materials.



Despite these troubles, the nonwovens industry remains a strong and growing market with nearly every producer reporting sales growth and several announcing expansion plans in a number of technologies. On the spunmelt side, Brazilian producers Fitesa and Companhia Providencia have announced plans to enter North America and additional investment is being planned by Pegas in the Czech Republic and PGI in Mexico. Ahlstrom continues to invest heavily in both wipes and filtration and Denmark's Fibertex is focusing on the technical side of its business with new lines in Denmark and the Czech Republic. Meanwhile, Fiberweb and Concert Industries are investing in airlaid technology.

In total, this year's report includes 17 European companies, 14 North American firms, five Japanese producers, two Brazilian manufacturers and an Israeliand a Korean company. Many of these companies are truly global in scope with manufacturing sites located throughout the world.

This year, NONWOVENSINDUSTRY welcomes several newcomers to its top company report. First Quality Nonwovens, a long-time maker of spunmelt nonwovens, enters the top company report for the first time at number 10 this year. First Quality's purchase of Covidien's retail business makes it an integrated producer of spunmelt nonwovens and disposable baby diapers. Also new this year is Fitesa, a Brazilian producer, who appears at number 33.