09.11.23
Aalborg, Denmark
www.fibertexpersonalcare.com
2022 Nonwovens Sales: $361 million
Key Personnel
Mikael Staal Axelsen, Group CEO; Peter Andersen, CEO, Malaysia; Claus Svanberg, Group CFO; Carsten Pedersen, Group Print Director.
Plants
Denmark, Germany, Malaysia, North Carolina, U.S.
Processes
Nonwovens: Spunbond/Spunmelt; Print: Flexographic
Full year sales increased 9% to DKK2454 million ($361 million) thanks to higher raw material prices, which led to higher selling prices. Meanwhile earnings were approximately 15%. Sales were up in terms of dollars but down in terms of volume at Fibertex Personal Care.
While raw material pricing helped drive up sales, lower demand for nonwovens and printing services at the company’s Malaysian sites decreased amidst tougher competition in the region.
Fibertex Personal Care is currently adding its sixth production line in Malaysia, where it has two plants. The line, a state-of-the-art Reicofil line, will not only expand the company’s manufacturing capacity, it also will enable it to offer some specialty products, to its hygiene customers. Technical challenges have delayed start-up of the new line but executives expect it should be up and running by the end of the year.
Output from all Fibertex Personal Care lines, which also includes a Denmark operation, produce very thin, high quality nonwovens. As part of the company’s sustainability initiatives, researchers continue to focus on thinner and lighter materials that don’t sacrifice performance or quality. Earlier this year, the company introduced an extremely thin, 5gsm spunmelt nonwoven. With this Elite Strength material, Fibertex Personal Care has managed to significantly increase tensile performance versus basis weight compared to traditional low basis-weight nonwovens. Originally targeting core applications, the material is also applicable for other hygiene applications such as chassis and leg cuffs.
In addition to lessening material impact, the nonwovens reduces CO2 footprint as well as freight and handling costs. “The biggest impact our material can do toward sustainability is to reduce the material usages, support bio sources and increase recycling and we are actively working on all fronts,” says group CEO Mikael Staal Axelsen.
The company’s Denmark factory achieved ISCC Plus certification in 2020, making it the world’s first producer of nonwovens for hygiene and medical applications. Shortly after, the Malaysian factory obtained same certification. In June 2022, Fibertex Personal Care announced it had started supplying large quantities of ISCC Plus certified nonwovens for diapers. These bio-based nonwoven solutions supports the ambitious goals for CO2 reductions. “Since we first launched – and were certified to supply—nonwovens solutions fulfilling these demands two years ago, the market has experienced an increased awareness of environmentally friendly products influencing the demand for sustainable nonwoven solutions positively,” says Axelsen CEO.
Beyond nonwovens production, Fibertex Personal Care also operates nonwovens printing business known as Innowo Print. Last year, the company started up a second printing line at its North Carolina site; other operations are up and running in Germany and Malaysia. Due to current demand trends, Innowo Print is likely allocating less capacity to Asia and more to the U.S. market where print services are in demand for more applications beyond hygiene such as absorbent pads for pets, according to executives
www.fibertexpersonalcare.com
2022 Nonwovens Sales: $361 million
Key Personnel
Mikael Staal Axelsen, Group CEO; Peter Andersen, CEO, Malaysia; Claus Svanberg, Group CFO; Carsten Pedersen, Group Print Director.
Plants
Denmark, Germany, Malaysia, North Carolina, U.S.
Processes
Nonwovens: Spunbond/Spunmelt; Print: Flexographic
Full year sales increased 9% to DKK2454 million ($361 million) thanks to higher raw material prices, which led to higher selling prices. Meanwhile earnings were approximately 15%. Sales were up in terms of dollars but down in terms of volume at Fibertex Personal Care.
While raw material pricing helped drive up sales, lower demand for nonwovens and printing services at the company’s Malaysian sites decreased amidst tougher competition in the region.
Fibertex Personal Care is currently adding its sixth production line in Malaysia, where it has two plants. The line, a state-of-the-art Reicofil line, will not only expand the company’s manufacturing capacity, it also will enable it to offer some specialty products, to its hygiene customers. Technical challenges have delayed start-up of the new line but executives expect it should be up and running by the end of the year.
Output from all Fibertex Personal Care lines, which also includes a Denmark operation, produce very thin, high quality nonwovens. As part of the company’s sustainability initiatives, researchers continue to focus on thinner and lighter materials that don’t sacrifice performance or quality. Earlier this year, the company introduced an extremely thin, 5gsm spunmelt nonwoven. With this Elite Strength material, Fibertex Personal Care has managed to significantly increase tensile performance versus basis weight compared to traditional low basis-weight nonwovens. Originally targeting core applications, the material is also applicable for other hygiene applications such as chassis and leg cuffs.
In addition to lessening material impact, the nonwovens reduces CO2 footprint as well as freight and handling costs. “The biggest impact our material can do toward sustainability is to reduce the material usages, support bio sources and increase recycling and we are actively working on all fronts,” says group CEO Mikael Staal Axelsen.
The company’s Denmark factory achieved ISCC Plus certification in 2020, making it the world’s first producer of nonwovens for hygiene and medical applications. Shortly after, the Malaysian factory obtained same certification. In June 2022, Fibertex Personal Care announced it had started supplying large quantities of ISCC Plus certified nonwovens for diapers. These bio-based nonwoven solutions supports the ambitious goals for CO2 reductions. “Since we first launched – and were certified to supply—nonwovens solutions fulfilling these demands two years ago, the market has experienced an increased awareness of environmentally friendly products influencing the demand for sustainable nonwoven solutions positively,” says Axelsen CEO.
Beyond nonwovens production, Fibertex Personal Care also operates nonwovens printing business known as Innowo Print. Last year, the company started up a second printing line at its North Carolina site; other operations are up and running in Germany and Malaysia. Due to current demand trends, Innowo Print is likely allocating less capacity to Asia and more to the U.S. market where print services are in demand for more applications beyond hygiene such as absorbent pads for pets, according to executives