09.01.11
Simpsonville, SC
www.fitesa.com
2011 Nonwovens Sales: $670 million
Key Personnel: Silverio Baranzano, CEO, Hal Singley, CFO
Plants: Gravatai, Brazil; Lima, Peru; Queretaro, Mexico; Simpsonville, SC; Green Bay, WI; Washougal, WA; Norrkoping, Sweden; Peine, Germany; Trezzano Rosa, Italy; Tianjin, China
Processes: Spunbond, SMS, bicomponent spunbond and SMS, meltblown, carded (chemical bonded, thermal bonded, air through bonded), airlaid, laminates
Major Markets: Hygiene, medical and industrial specialties (filtration, agricultural, sorbent)
Back in the fold this year is Fitesa, as a result of Petropar’s acquisition of Fiberweb’s hygiene-related assets in late 2011 in a reported $286 million deal. The investment should propel the Petropar-owned company’s sales to about $700 million up from about $160 million before the acquisition (Petropar’s share of the FitesaFiberweb joint ventures revenues).
Fitesa’s partnership with Fiberweb in the North and South American hygiene markets, which was formed in 2009, helped prepare it for this rapid expansion to become the second largest global spunmelt supplier. “The FitesaFiberweb exercise was a valuable template for the integration of this acquisition, which is proceeding in line with expectations,” says Ray Dunleavy, director of marketing.
Prior to the acquisition, FitesaFiberweb had spunmelt operations in Brazil, South Carolina, Washington and Mexico. The purchase included these assets as well as Fiberweb-owned spunmelt lines in Sweden, Germany and Italy, carding lines in Green Bay, WI, and Simpsonville, SC, as well as airlaid lines in Tianjin, China. The nonwovens research center in Peine, Germany, was also included in the acquisition.
The FitesaFiberweb joint venture had already announced plans to install a spunmelt line in Lima, Peru, as well as a carded line in Brazil. Both of these investments are on track to start contributing to results in the second half of 2012, Dunleavy says. “The spunmelt line in Lima will serve the growing demand from Fitesa’s hygiene customers on the Pacific coast of South America,” he adds. Meanwhile, the new carded line in Gravatai, Brazil—which will be both resin bond and air-through bond capable—will enable Fitesa to meet its customers’ demand for acquisition and distribution layers and other carded applications, including topsheets and backsheets.
In addition, FitesaFiberweb announced it would add two lines in North America when it was first formed in 2009: an SMS bicomponent spunmelt line, which started in 2011; and a second line in 2013-14. That plan has not changed.
As for Asia, this region continues to be on Fitesa’s radar. “It cannot be denied that Asia is an important and rapidly growing market for hygiene products. Fitesa already participates there with its airlaid business in China. We are staying alert for growth opportunities in the region,” Dunleavy says.
As it explores expansion in developing regions, Fitesa expects to see little growth in the next few years in developed regions like the U.S. and Western Europe, where increasing demand for adult incontinence products is being offset by declines in the demand for baby diapers, driven by declining birth rates and lower diaper usage.
www.fitesa.com
2011 Nonwovens Sales: $670 million
Key Personnel: Silverio Baranzano, CEO, Hal Singley, CFO
Plants: Gravatai, Brazil; Lima, Peru; Queretaro, Mexico; Simpsonville, SC; Green Bay, WI; Washougal, WA; Norrkoping, Sweden; Peine, Germany; Trezzano Rosa, Italy; Tianjin, China
Processes: Spunbond, SMS, bicomponent spunbond and SMS, meltblown, carded (chemical bonded, thermal bonded, air through bonded), airlaid, laminates
Major Markets: Hygiene, medical and industrial specialties (filtration, agricultural, sorbent)
Back in the fold this year is Fitesa, as a result of Petropar’s acquisition of Fiberweb’s hygiene-related assets in late 2011 in a reported $286 million deal. The investment should propel the Petropar-owned company’s sales to about $700 million up from about $160 million before the acquisition (Petropar’s share of the FitesaFiberweb joint ventures revenues).
Fitesa’s partnership with Fiberweb in the North and South American hygiene markets, which was formed in 2009, helped prepare it for this rapid expansion to become the second largest global spunmelt supplier. “The FitesaFiberweb exercise was a valuable template for the integration of this acquisition, which is proceeding in line with expectations,” says Ray Dunleavy, director of marketing.
Prior to the acquisition, FitesaFiberweb had spunmelt operations in Brazil, South Carolina, Washington and Mexico. The purchase included these assets as well as Fiberweb-owned spunmelt lines in Sweden, Germany and Italy, carding lines in Green Bay, WI, and Simpsonville, SC, as well as airlaid lines in Tianjin, China. The nonwovens research center in Peine, Germany, was also included in the acquisition.
The FitesaFiberweb joint venture had already announced plans to install a spunmelt line in Lima, Peru, as well as a carded line in Brazil. Both of these investments are on track to start contributing to results in the second half of 2012, Dunleavy says. “The spunmelt line in Lima will serve the growing demand from Fitesa’s hygiene customers on the Pacific coast of South America,” he adds. Meanwhile, the new carded line in Gravatai, Brazil—which will be both resin bond and air-through bond capable—will enable Fitesa to meet its customers’ demand for acquisition and distribution layers and other carded applications, including topsheets and backsheets.
In addition, FitesaFiberweb announced it would add two lines in North America when it was first formed in 2009: an SMS bicomponent spunmelt line, which started in 2011; and a second line in 2013-14. That plan has not changed.
As for Asia, this region continues to be on Fitesa’s radar. “It cannot be denied that Asia is an important and rapidly growing market for hygiene products. Fitesa already participates there with its airlaid business in China. We are staying alert for growth opportunities in the region,” Dunleavy says.
As it explores expansion in developing regions, Fitesa expects to see little growth in the next few years in developed regions like the U.S. and Western Europe, where increasing demand for adult incontinence products is being offset by declines in the demand for baby diapers, driven by declining birth rates and lower diaper usage.