01.01.04
(formerly Colbond)
Location: Arnhem, The Netherlands
Sales: $250 MILLION
Description: Colbond Inc.
Sand Hill Road
P.O. Box 1057
Enka, NC 28728
Telephone: 828-665-5060
Key Personnel
Jan van Boldrik, president; Axel Poscher, vice president marketing and R&D; Bart Austin, president Colbond Inc.; Harry Verbakel, director sales and marketing automotive; Rob Noppen, director sales and marketing construction industry; Joe Luna, director sales and marketing building and industrial applications; Blair Rawes, director sales and marketing civil engineering
Plants
Emmen and Arnhem, The Netherlands; Obernburg, Germany; Asheville, NC
ISO Status
All plants ISO 9001 certified; U.S. Plant QS 9000 certified; European plants ISO 9001/2000 certified; QS 9000 in preparation; Obernburg plant, ISO 14001 certified; remaining European plants ISO 14001 in preparation.
Processes
Chemical bonded, thermal bonded and specialties
Brand Names
Colback, Coltron, Colfors, Enkamat, Enkadrain, Colbonddrain, Enkagrid, Armater
Major Markets
Flooring, automotive, construction, civil engineering and building products and various industrial applications
The big news at Arnhem, The Netherlands-based Colbond is its new-found autonomy. The company was separated from former parent, the Acordis Group, effective January 2004. The spin-off is reportedly in sync with an Acordis plan, announced in 2001, to shift its focus from a central management holding group to a structure of independent businesses.
Colbond’s new legal structure allows an autonomous business and financing policy to further strengthen the company’s market position and responsiveness. Because Colbond is no longer a part of a business conglomerate, its policy and strategy are no longer linked to the group and/or the interests of the group but are directly focused only on Colbond’s business. The result is shorter decision times and greater flexibility.
After plateauing for much of 2002 and 2003, Colbond’s business has improved in 2004. For many years, it has pursued a consistent global strategy of focusing on adding value to customer products and activities throughout all of its markets. This global orientation is reflected in the company’s single, global management structure, which has responsibilities across the entire organization.
“We focus on safeguarding and expanding our business,” explained president Jan van Boldrik, “by targeted product development, a search for new applications, by optimally utilizing our core competencies and by worldwide coverage and improvement of our efficiency in order to increase our competitiveness.”
With facilities in Emmen and Arnhem, The Netherlands, Obernburg, Germany and Asheville, NC, Colbond’s restructuring has led to the definition of five markets which allow the company to focus more clearly on its global business activities. These segments coincide with Colbond’s core markets, including flooring, automotives, construction, building and industrial products and civil engineering.
These restructuring efforts, along with recent sales growth, have created a heightened sense of optimism at Colbond. Executives believe additional opportunities can be achieved in the niches of building and construction markets with products including Enka Vent, a three-dimensional Enkamat core bonded to a breathable waterproofing membrane that can be used under any type of metal roof, and Enkasonic, a sound-control matting.
Still, challenges remain, and Colbond is dealing with them. Chief among these is the strong Euro, which is affecting many EU-based companies doing business in U.S.-dollar-based markets. Despite this, in 2003, the company generally maintained its position. Colbond did this by initiating major projects in the European civil engineering segment where it explored further differentiation and opportunities in the penetration of adjacent markets with established products including its core technologies.
These include Colback thermal bonded polyester products and Enkamat, a line of three-dimensional erosion-control mattings.
During the past few years, the flooring business faced a decline in market demand, mainly caused by stagnant building activities. While Colbond was able to hold its position in this market, it did feel the effects of the worldwide setback. In civil engineering, Colbond was able to hold its position on the performance of its Enkagrid family of engineered, high-performance soil reinforcement products. Originally announced in 1999, this line is comprised of products made from a unique, patented laser-welding technique developed by Colbond. The company’s current capacity in this area is between six and 10 million square meters.
While investment is certainly important to Colbond’s business so is product and process improvement. This is clearly reflected through its development and application center in Arnhem. The center is reportedly playing an important role in developing products in house.
“Our proprietary technologies provide an excellent balance between the constant factor of the highest quality and the flexibility in product characteristics,” Mr. van Boldrik explained. “This allows for supplying tailor-made materials with specifically enhanced properties for specific technical requirements.”
One significant technological achievement for Colbond has been its Colback thermal bonded polyester product. This product primarily serves higher end markets, particularly in flooring where it is widely used as a primary backing in high-grade (print and tuft construction) patterned broadloom carpeting, carpet tiles and walk-off mats. In automotives, Colback finds application as backing material for molded car carpets and option mats or as support medium for cabin air filters.
Colbond’s efforts in developing new products, improving technologies and optimizing its commercial and technical service to customers is closely linked with its strategy of taking a stand on environmental issues in its core markets. To achieve this,
Colbond is constantly reviewing its processes and products to ensure minimum impact to the environment and it places an emphasis on energy, emission and waste reduction, the recycling of internal waste streams and raw material reduction through use of non-virgin materials. “Actively exploring the options of increasing sustainable value is one of the key activities of our environmental policy,” said Mr. van Boldrik.
Colbond has not strayed from its belief that the nonwovens industry is still relatively young with unlimited growth potential. Company executives said that exploiting this potential to its fullest extent is a matter of providing the right products at the right time at the right price-to-performance ratio. “Customer focus, added value, creativity, high-level service and sustainable product development are not buzz words,” claimed Mr. van Boldrik, “but vehicles for the years to come. Growth will not occur by itself.”
Location: Arnhem, The Netherlands
Sales: $250 MILLION
Description: Colbond Inc.
Sand Hill Road
P.O. Box 1057
Enka, NC 28728
Telephone: 828-665-5060
Key Personnel
Jan van Boldrik, president; Axel Poscher, vice president marketing and R&D; Bart Austin, president Colbond Inc.; Harry Verbakel, director sales and marketing automotive; Rob Noppen, director sales and marketing construction industry; Joe Luna, director sales and marketing building and industrial applications; Blair Rawes, director sales and marketing civil engineering
Plants
Emmen and Arnhem, The Netherlands; Obernburg, Germany; Asheville, NC
ISO Status
All plants ISO 9001 certified; U.S. Plant QS 9000 certified; European plants ISO 9001/2000 certified; QS 9000 in preparation; Obernburg plant, ISO 14001 certified; remaining European plants ISO 14001 in preparation.
Processes
Chemical bonded, thermal bonded and specialties
Brand Names
Colback, Coltron, Colfors, Enkamat, Enkadrain, Colbonddrain, Enkagrid, Armater
Major Markets
Flooring, automotive, construction, civil engineering and building products and various industrial applications
The big news at Arnhem, The Netherlands-based Colbond is its new-found autonomy. The company was separated from former parent, the Acordis Group, effective January 2004. The spin-off is reportedly in sync with an Acordis plan, announced in 2001, to shift its focus from a central management holding group to a structure of independent businesses.
Colbond’s new legal structure allows an autonomous business and financing policy to further strengthen the company’s market position and responsiveness. Because Colbond is no longer a part of a business conglomerate, its policy and strategy are no longer linked to the group and/or the interests of the group but are directly focused only on Colbond’s business. The result is shorter decision times and greater flexibility.
After plateauing for much of 2002 and 2003, Colbond’s business has improved in 2004. For many years, it has pursued a consistent global strategy of focusing on adding value to customer products and activities throughout all of its markets. This global orientation is reflected in the company’s single, global management structure, which has responsibilities across the entire organization.
“We focus on safeguarding and expanding our business,” explained president Jan van Boldrik, “by targeted product development, a search for new applications, by optimally utilizing our core competencies and by worldwide coverage and improvement of our efficiency in order to increase our competitiveness.”
With facilities in Emmen and Arnhem, The Netherlands, Obernburg, Germany and Asheville, NC, Colbond’s restructuring has led to the definition of five markets which allow the company to focus more clearly on its global business activities. These segments coincide with Colbond’s core markets, including flooring, automotives, construction, building and industrial products and civil engineering.
These restructuring efforts, along with recent sales growth, have created a heightened sense of optimism at Colbond. Executives believe additional opportunities can be achieved in the niches of building and construction markets with products including Enka Vent, a three-dimensional Enkamat core bonded to a breathable waterproofing membrane that can be used under any type of metal roof, and Enkasonic, a sound-control matting.
Still, challenges remain, and Colbond is dealing with them. Chief among these is the strong Euro, which is affecting many EU-based companies doing business in U.S.-dollar-based markets. Despite this, in 2003, the company generally maintained its position. Colbond did this by initiating major projects in the European civil engineering segment where it explored further differentiation and opportunities in the penetration of adjacent markets with established products including its core technologies.
These include Colback thermal bonded polyester products and Enkamat, a line of three-dimensional erosion-control mattings.
During the past few years, the flooring business faced a decline in market demand, mainly caused by stagnant building activities. While Colbond was able to hold its position in this market, it did feel the effects of the worldwide setback. In civil engineering, Colbond was able to hold its position on the performance of its Enkagrid family of engineered, high-performance soil reinforcement products. Originally announced in 1999, this line is comprised of products made from a unique, patented laser-welding technique developed by Colbond. The company’s current capacity in this area is between six and 10 million square meters.
While investment is certainly important to Colbond’s business so is product and process improvement. This is clearly reflected through its development and application center in Arnhem. The center is reportedly playing an important role in developing products in house.
“Our proprietary technologies provide an excellent balance between the constant factor of the highest quality and the flexibility in product characteristics,” Mr. van Boldrik explained. “This allows for supplying tailor-made materials with specifically enhanced properties for specific technical requirements.”
One significant technological achievement for Colbond has been its Colback thermal bonded polyester product. This product primarily serves higher end markets, particularly in flooring where it is widely used as a primary backing in high-grade (print and tuft construction) patterned broadloom carpeting, carpet tiles and walk-off mats. In automotives, Colback finds application as backing material for molded car carpets and option mats or as support medium for cabin air filters.
Colbond’s efforts in developing new products, improving technologies and optimizing its commercial and technical service to customers is closely linked with its strategy of taking a stand on environmental issues in its core markets. To achieve this,
Colbond is constantly reviewing its processes and products to ensure minimum impact to the environment and it places an emphasis on energy, emission and waste reduction, the recycling of internal waste streams and raw material reduction through use of non-virgin materials. “Actively exploring the options of increasing sustainable value is one of the key activities of our environmental policy,” said Mr. van Boldrik.
Colbond has not strayed from its belief that the nonwovens industry is still relatively young with unlimited growth potential. Company executives said that exploiting this potential to its fullest extent is a matter of providing the right products at the right time at the right price-to-performance ratio. “Customer focus, added value, creativity, high-level service and sustainable product development are not buzz words,” claimed Mr. van Boldrik, “but vehicles for the years to come. Growth will not occur by itself.”