01.01.02
Location: Osaka, Japan
Sales: $167 million
Description: Key Personnel
Munenori Isoda, general manager, nonwoven fabric division; Yoshikazu Ban, general manager, spunbonded fabric sales; Mitsuharu takahashi, general manager, Bemliese/Coldon sales; Yukihisa Ilirano, general manager, new nonwovens business promotion
Plants
Moriyama and Nobeoka
Processes
Spunbonded, spunlaced, melt blown
Brand Names
Eltas, Bemliese, Microweb, Ellush, Coldon, Shaleria
Major Markets
Coverstock, wipes, gauze, packings, white blood corpuscle removing filters
The big news from roll goods supplier Asahi Kasei, Osaka, Japan, was the completion of a 420 cm wide SMMS production line, capable of producing 13,000 tons of material per year in Nobeoka, Japan. The new line is currently operating at about 30% capacity but company executives expect 80% of the capacity to be utilized by the end of the year. SMMS’ continued immunity from pricing pressures as well as the continued ramp-up of this material is expected to contribute to increased sales and earnings for Asahi Kasei in the future.
In terms of other capacity, Asahi Kasei currently produces 12,000 tons of polypropylene spunbond, 6000 tons of polyester spunbond and 4000 tons of nylon spunbonded materials per year. Additionally, the company produces 4000 tons of its cupra spunbonded nonwovens, 500 tons of spunlaced materials and 200 tons of melt blown materials. End use markets include coverstock, wipes, gauze, packaging and white blood corpuscle removing filters.
Asahi Kasei has been busy shifting its production capabilities to meet the demands of the market. This year, a company plan to convert one of its polypropylene spunbond lines (representing 2000 tons of capacity) to polyester was postponed to 2003 because demand for polyester spunbond had decreased.
In June 2002, Asahi Kasei began to produce household cleaning wipes made from its cupra spunbonded nonwovens at a new facility in Malaysia. Representing the company’s first converting operations outside of Japan, the new plant is expected to produce 12,000 cases of wipes per year. Until the new plant was constructed, Asahi had been shipping a portion of the 80,000 cases of wiping products it manufactures in Japan into Southeast Asia. The roll goods in the wipes are made in Japan and converted and packaged in Malaysia.
Sales: $167 million
Description: Key Personnel
Munenori Isoda, general manager, nonwoven fabric division; Yoshikazu Ban, general manager, spunbonded fabric sales; Mitsuharu takahashi, general manager, Bemliese/Coldon sales; Yukihisa Ilirano, general manager, new nonwovens business promotion
Plants
Moriyama and Nobeoka
Processes
Spunbonded, spunlaced, melt blown
Brand Names
Eltas, Bemliese, Microweb, Ellush, Coldon, Shaleria
Major Markets
Coverstock, wipes, gauze, packings, white blood corpuscle removing filters
The big news from roll goods supplier Asahi Kasei, Osaka, Japan, was the completion of a 420 cm wide SMMS production line, capable of producing 13,000 tons of material per year in Nobeoka, Japan. The new line is currently operating at about 30% capacity but company executives expect 80% of the capacity to be utilized by the end of the year. SMMS’ continued immunity from pricing pressures as well as the continued ramp-up of this material is expected to contribute to increased sales and earnings for Asahi Kasei in the future.
In terms of other capacity, Asahi Kasei currently produces 12,000 tons of polypropylene spunbond, 6000 tons of polyester spunbond and 4000 tons of nylon spunbonded materials per year. Additionally, the company produces 4000 tons of its cupra spunbonded nonwovens, 500 tons of spunlaced materials and 200 tons of melt blown materials. End use markets include coverstock, wipes, gauze, packaging and white blood corpuscle removing filters.
Asahi Kasei has been busy shifting its production capabilities to meet the demands of the market. This year, a company plan to convert one of its polypropylene spunbond lines (representing 2000 tons of capacity) to polyester was postponed to 2003 because demand for polyester spunbond had decreased.
In June 2002, Asahi Kasei began to produce household cleaning wipes made from its cupra spunbonded nonwovens at a new facility in Malaysia. Representing the company’s first converting operations outside of Japan, the new plant is expected to produce 12,000 cases of wipes per year. Until the new plant was constructed, Asahi had been shipping a portion of the 80,000 cases of wiping products it manufactures in Japan into Southeast Asia. The roll goods in the wipes are made in Japan and converted and packaged in Malaysia.