09.01.11
Great Neck, NY
www.firstquality.com
2011 Nonwovens Sales: $250 million
Plants: Hazleton, PA; McElhattan, PA; Wuxi, China (planned)
Processes: Spunmelt, spunlace
Applications: Hygiene, medical
Recent news for forward integrated nonwovens supplier First Quality includes a Chinese investment plan. The company is moving forward with an ambitious expansion plan—a two-line facility in Wuxi, China, which will be the company’s first operation outside the U.S.
According to executives at the tight-lipped nonwovens producer—which also makes diapers, feminine hygiene items and other consumer goods for the private label market—the company’s investment in China is a clear demonstration of its commitment to the global nonwovens industry and its dedication to satisfying the needs of the domestic Chinese market by providing innovative and high quality products.
The first line is scheduled to be operational next year. It will be a multi-beam Reifenhauser machine incorporating the latest technology and enabling First Quality to provide premium nonwoven material to the hygiene and medical markets throughout Asia. Details on the second line will be announced in 2012.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., the Great Neck, NY-based company is said to make about 100,000 tons of spunmelt nonwovens at two plants in Pennsylvania and is rumored to have recently added two spunlace lines to its operation to fuel growth in the private label wipes segment. Much of this output supplies First Quality’s massive private label business, which includes the former Covidien/Tyco diaper business purchased by the company in 2008, as well as its own interests in the private label feminine hygiene and adult incontinence market.
As First Quality continues to vie for a top spot in the disposable diaper market, it is unclear how much of its new Chinese investment will feed an expansion of its consumer products into Asia.
In other news, First Quality began making spunlaced nonwovens last year on a 3.6-meter-wide Rieter hydroentanglement line, which will reportedly feed its private label baby wipes business. The company is said to be adding a second line to this operation already. First Quality had previously concentrated its nonwovens business only on spunmelt technology. The company’s eighth spunmelt line was added in late 2008. Beyond nonwovens, in August 2010, the company’s baby care arm, First Quality Baby Products, LLC, said it would modernize its absorbent hygiene manufacturing facilities in Macon, GA, which was acquired with the Covidien deal.
www.firstquality.com
2011 Nonwovens Sales: $250 million
Plants: Hazleton, PA; McElhattan, PA; Wuxi, China (planned)
Processes: Spunmelt, spunlace
Applications: Hygiene, medical
Recent news for forward integrated nonwovens supplier First Quality includes a Chinese investment plan. The company is moving forward with an ambitious expansion plan—a two-line facility in Wuxi, China, which will be the company’s first operation outside the U.S.
According to executives at the tight-lipped nonwovens producer—which also makes diapers, feminine hygiene items and other consumer goods for the private label market—the company’s investment in China is a clear demonstration of its commitment to the global nonwovens industry and its dedication to satisfying the needs of the domestic Chinese market by providing innovative and high quality products.
The first line is scheduled to be operational next year. It will be a multi-beam Reifenhauser machine incorporating the latest technology and enabling First Quality to provide premium nonwoven material to the hygiene and medical markets throughout Asia. Details on the second line will be announced in 2012.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., the Great Neck, NY-based company is said to make about 100,000 tons of spunmelt nonwovens at two plants in Pennsylvania and is rumored to have recently added two spunlace lines to its operation to fuel growth in the private label wipes segment. Much of this output supplies First Quality’s massive private label business, which includes the former Covidien/Tyco diaper business purchased by the company in 2008, as well as its own interests in the private label feminine hygiene and adult incontinence market.
As First Quality continues to vie for a top spot in the disposable diaper market, it is unclear how much of its new Chinese investment will feed an expansion of its consumer products into Asia.
In other news, First Quality began making spunlaced nonwovens last year on a 3.6-meter-wide Rieter hydroentanglement line, which will reportedly feed its private label baby wipes business. The company is said to be adding a second line to this operation already. First Quality had previously concentrated its nonwovens business only on spunmelt technology. The company’s eighth spunmelt line was added in late 2008. Beyond nonwovens, in August 2010, the company’s baby care arm, First Quality Baby Products, LLC, said it would modernize its absorbent hygiene manufacturing facilities in Macon, GA, which was acquired with the Covidien deal.