09.03.21
Denver, CO
www.jm.com
2020 Nonwovens Sales: $725 million
Key Personnel
John Vasuta, president, engineered products; Tom Balkom, business director, global nonwovens; Souvik Nandi, research and development director, global nonwovens
Plants
Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands
Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire; Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, DuraCore, MicroStrand (fibers brands)
Throughout 2020, Johns Manville worked diligently on its Covid-19 response and mitigation while keeping all of its plants operational and meeting customer orders during the most crucial months of the pandemic. While business slowed down in some markets, the company was able to gain new business in the field of disposable medical gowns with its Evalith PET spunbond nonwovens and face mask material with Evalith PP meltblown materials, which helped to support the communities and medical staff on the front lines of the pandemic.
“We were successful in keeping our plants operational and flexible, despite the obvious challenges of running production lines in times of a global pandemic. In the second quarter of 2020, we had to adjust our production output for stock control. We could meet customer demand even though the pandemic continually evolved, which made forecasting and planning difficult,” says Martin Kleinbrecht, global marketing communications leader, Engineered Fabrics.
Among its efforts were the production of meltblown filtration media in Richland, MS. The output on this new line is verified by an FDA-registered U.S. laboratory to meet or exceed Level 1 BFEW 95% (bacterial filtration efficiency) requirements for face masks. Meanwhile, in Spartanburg, SC, the company launched a coated PET spunbond that can be used for the production of disposable medical gowns.
“We accepted the challenges and quickly launched new Evalith PET spunbond and Evalith PP meltblown products from our assets in Spartanburg, OH, and Richland, MS,” Kleinbrecht says. “This happened thanks to the excellent cooperation with our industry partners and certainly thanks to our own product management, technology, sales, and production teammates, who put a lot of demanding work and passion into the two projects. Launching these products so rapidly required ‘all-hands-on-deck’ initiatives. “
But in the third quarter of 2020, most of the market areas served by JM had begun to normalize, and by the fourth quarter an upswing in demand was seen. However, soon after the blockage of the Suez Canal and the Texas deep freeze negatively impacted the U.S. petrochemical industry as well as the entire global supply chain. This disrupted operations and resulted in hefty market price increases for energy and raw materials.
“We had to immediately look for alternative suppliers, qualify their materials for our Evalith nonwoven production and work on qualifications with our global nonwoven customers,” Kleinbrecht says. “We also had to find ways to ensure the maximum possible supplies our customers were requiring from us. We could implement new systems and procedures that will help us with any future disruptions.”
By business areas, JM’s largest market, construction, continues to recover well in both Europe and the Americas with some segments faring better than others. “Our role as a strategic supplier has become even more important as our customers seek solutions,” he adds. “We are uniquely positioned to provide the JM Experience, which may require us to go the extra mile, but we do it with a smile knowing that we are delivering positive and powerful experiences to our partners. “
JM’s latest major line investment is a bicomponent spunbond line featuring proprietary spinning technology located in Berlin, Germany.
This technology has allowed JM to expand its offerings into complete filter media. The product made on the line features a spunbond back topped with a spin glass layer, requiring no electrostatic charge. It has achieved considerable success in the HVAC market and helped the company grow in the filtration market in general. Meanwhile, in Wertheim, Germany, JM upgraded a glass nonwovens mat line in 2017 allowing it to produce products with smoother surfaces.
The company has also demonstrated its commitment to environmental responsibility through a €10 million investment in a state-of-the-art thermal recycling unit for waste glass fibers in its Trnava, Slovakia, plant—a site that also supplies glass fibers to JM’s wetlaid glass fiber nonwoven lines in Europe. The Trnava recycling unit is a part of its response to the European Commission’s zero waste program and contributes to the company’s overall efforts toward sustainable management of the planet’s resources.
“At Johns Manville, sustainability means Building a Better Tomorrow,” Kleinbrecht explains. “We are reducing our impact on the planet. We are expanding our support of our global workforce and communities. We are innovating new products, technologies, and processes to benefit our customers. We understand that sustainability is a journey — one that requires a simultaneous focus on people, planet, and profit.
“The third leg of our framework is innovation. Long-term and continual innovation will lead to the sustainable future we dream about for ourselves, our communities, and our customers. Today, we are well positioned. A substantial proportion of JM’s current product lines will be used for 15 to more than 30 years, however our products will need to be designed with the circular economy in mind. We will also explore technologies to help us prepare for a reduced carbon/decarbonized future.”
www.jm.com
2020 Nonwovens Sales: $725 million
Key Personnel
John Vasuta, president, engineered products; Tom Balkom, business director, global nonwovens; Souvik Nandi, research and development director, global nonwovens
Plants
Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands
Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire; Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, DuraCore, MicroStrand (fibers brands)
Throughout 2020, Johns Manville worked diligently on its Covid-19 response and mitigation while keeping all of its plants operational and meeting customer orders during the most crucial months of the pandemic. While business slowed down in some markets, the company was able to gain new business in the field of disposable medical gowns with its Evalith PET spunbond nonwovens and face mask material with Evalith PP meltblown materials, which helped to support the communities and medical staff on the front lines of the pandemic.
“We were successful in keeping our plants operational and flexible, despite the obvious challenges of running production lines in times of a global pandemic. In the second quarter of 2020, we had to adjust our production output for stock control. We could meet customer demand even though the pandemic continually evolved, which made forecasting and planning difficult,” says Martin Kleinbrecht, global marketing communications leader, Engineered Fabrics.
Among its efforts were the production of meltblown filtration media in Richland, MS. The output on this new line is verified by an FDA-registered U.S. laboratory to meet or exceed Level 1 BFEW 95% (bacterial filtration efficiency) requirements for face masks. Meanwhile, in Spartanburg, SC, the company launched a coated PET spunbond that can be used for the production of disposable medical gowns.
“We accepted the challenges and quickly launched new Evalith PET spunbond and Evalith PP meltblown products from our assets in Spartanburg, OH, and Richland, MS,” Kleinbrecht says. “This happened thanks to the excellent cooperation with our industry partners and certainly thanks to our own product management, technology, sales, and production teammates, who put a lot of demanding work and passion into the two projects. Launching these products so rapidly required ‘all-hands-on-deck’ initiatives. “
But in the third quarter of 2020, most of the market areas served by JM had begun to normalize, and by the fourth quarter an upswing in demand was seen. However, soon after the blockage of the Suez Canal and the Texas deep freeze negatively impacted the U.S. petrochemical industry as well as the entire global supply chain. This disrupted operations and resulted in hefty market price increases for energy and raw materials.
“We had to immediately look for alternative suppliers, qualify their materials for our Evalith nonwoven production and work on qualifications with our global nonwoven customers,” Kleinbrecht says. “We also had to find ways to ensure the maximum possible supplies our customers were requiring from us. We could implement new systems and procedures that will help us with any future disruptions.”
By business areas, JM’s largest market, construction, continues to recover well in both Europe and the Americas with some segments faring better than others. “Our role as a strategic supplier has become even more important as our customers seek solutions,” he adds. “We are uniquely positioned to provide the JM Experience, which may require us to go the extra mile, but we do it with a smile knowing that we are delivering positive and powerful experiences to our partners. “
JM’s latest major line investment is a bicomponent spunbond line featuring proprietary spinning technology located in Berlin, Germany.
This technology has allowed JM to expand its offerings into complete filter media. The product made on the line features a spunbond back topped with a spin glass layer, requiring no electrostatic charge. It has achieved considerable success in the HVAC market and helped the company grow in the filtration market in general. Meanwhile, in Wertheim, Germany, JM upgraded a glass nonwovens mat line in 2017 allowing it to produce products with smoother surfaces.
The company has also demonstrated its commitment to environmental responsibility through a €10 million investment in a state-of-the-art thermal recycling unit for waste glass fibers in its Trnava, Slovakia, plant—a site that also supplies glass fibers to JM’s wetlaid glass fiber nonwoven lines in Europe. The Trnava recycling unit is a part of its response to the European Commission’s zero waste program and contributes to the company’s overall efforts toward sustainable management of the planet’s resources.
“At Johns Manville, sustainability means Building a Better Tomorrow,” Kleinbrecht explains. “We are reducing our impact on the planet. We are expanding our support of our global workforce and communities. We are innovating new products, technologies, and processes to benefit our customers. We understand that sustainability is a journey — one that requires a simultaneous focus on people, planet, and profit.
“The third leg of our framework is innovation. Long-term and continual innovation will lead to the sustainable future we dream about for ourselves, our communities, and our customers. Today, we are well positioned. A substantial proportion of JM’s current product lines will be used for 15 to more than 30 years, however our products will need to be designed with the circular economy in mind. We will also explore technologies to help us prepare for a reduced carbon/decarbonized future.”