• Login
    • Join
  • Subscribe Free
    • Magazine
    • eNewsletter
    Checkout
    • Magazine
    • News
    • Exclusives
    • Applications
    • Technology
    • Market
    • Other
    • Top 40
    • Buyers Guide
    • Hygiene Directory
    • More
  • Magazine
  • News
  • Exclusives
  • Applications
  • Technology
  • Market
  • Other
  • Top 40
  • Buyers Guide
  • Hygiene Directory
  • Current / Back Issues
    Features
    Editorial
    Columns
    Digital Edition
    Southeast Asia Edition
    eNewsletter Archive
    Editorial Guidelines
    Subscribe Now
    Advertise Now
    eBook
    Top Features
    Fibers Report

    Household Wipes Market

    Sustainable Hygiene Products Gain Ground

    Moist Toilet Wipes Lead 2024 Growth, Baby Wipes Decline, and General-Purpose Wipes Bounce Back

    Dissolvable Wipes. Will They Be the Industry’s Next Big Thing?
    Company Cameo
    Financial News
    Machinery Equipment
    New Products
    Nonwovens News
    Patent Review
    People in the News
    Supplier News
    Top News
    Live From Shows
    Top News
    EDANA Urges Policy Makers to Protect Fluff Pulp from Tariffs

    Turkuvaz Upgrades Diaper Line

    Essity Reports Q2 Sales

    General Nonwovens to Install A.Celli E-Wind Machinery

    Freudenberg Shows Evolon Packaging Solutions
    Nonwovens Insights
    Online Exclusives
    Adult Incontinence
    Absorbent Core
    Antimicrobials
    Apparel
    Automotive and Transportation
    Face Masks
    Chemicals / Adhesives
    Construction
    Contract Services
    Diaper, Baby
    Electronics
    Feminine Hygiene
    Fibers
    Filtration
    Flame Retardance
    Geotextile / Agrotextile
    Home Products
    Hygiene Film/Components
    Industrial / Institutional
    Inspection / Quality Control
    Machinery and Equipment
    Medical
    Wipes

    General Nonwovens to Install A.Celli E-Wind Machinery

    Freudenberg Shows Evolon Packaging Solutions

    Autoneum Introduces Flexi-Light PET

    Vivos Holdings, Nice-Pak to Combine Operations

    Honest Unveils Redesigned Diapers
    Air Through Bonding
    Airlaid
    Carded/Carding
    Chemical Bonded
    Composite
    Meltblown
    Needlepunch
    Nanotechnology
    Spunbond
    Spunbond/Spunmelt
    Spunlace
    Thermal Bonded
    Wetlaid

    Alma Installs Needling Line

    SGN Offers Next Generation Nonwoven Material

    Softbond, A.Celli Collaborate on Spunbond Line

    Freudenberg to Showcase Advanced Foam Replacement at FOAM Expo

    Reifenhauser Reicofil GmbH & Co.
    China
    Eastern Europe/Russia
    India
    Middle East/North Africa
    North America
    Pacific Rim
    South/Central America
    Turkey
    Western Europe

    Premier Care Industries Expands Manufacturing Operations

    A Look At Megasoft—Asia's Vertically Integrated Hygiene Producer

    CIDPEX Middle East to be Held in September

    Pelsan Tekstil to Add Films Production in North Carolina

    Citadel J – From Round Wipes Roll to Revenue
    Associations
    Contracts / Awards
    Education
    Facilities / Capacity
    Green / Sustainability
    Legal / Regulatory
    Market Data
    Flushability
    Mergers and Acquisitions
    Product Improvement / Innovation
    R&D/Basic Research
    Shows / Events

    EDANA Urges Policy Makers to Protect Fluff Pulp from Tariffs

    General Nonwovens to Install A.Celli E-Wind Machinery

    Vivos Holdings, Nice-Pak to Combine Operations

    Alma Installs Needling Line

    Premier Care Industries Expands Manufacturing Operations
    Chart
    Companies
    All Companies
    Categories
    Company Profiles
    Add New Company
    International Buyers Guide Companies
    Alliance Machine and Engraving

    ELSNER

    Herrmann Ultrasonics, Inc.

    Dukane Center of Excellence for Personal Care, Nonwovens and Packaging

    Valco Melton
    Brands
    Brand Owners
    • Magazine
      • Current / Back Issues
      • Features
      • Editorial
      • Columns
      • Digital Edition
      • Southeast Asia Edition
      • eNewsletter Archive
      • Editorial Guidelines
      • Subscribe Now
      • Advertise Now
    • Breaking News
    • Buyers Guide
      • All Companies
      • Categories
      • Company Profiles
      • Add Your Company
    • Applications
      • Absorbent Core
      • Adult Incontinence
      • Antimicrobials
      • Apparel
      • Automotive and Transportation
      • Chemicals / Adhesives
      • Construction
      • Contract Services
      • Diaper, Baby
      • Electronics
      • Feminine Hygiene
      • Fibers
      • Filtration
      • Flame Retardance
      • Geotextile / Agrotextile
      • Home Products
      • Hygiene Film/Components
      • Industrial / Institutional
      • Inspection / Quality Control
      • Machinery and Equipment
      • Medical
      • Wipes
      • Face Masks
    • Technology
      • Air Through Bonding
      • Airlaid
      • Carded/Carding
      • Chemical Bonded
      • Composite
      • Meltblown
      • Needlepunch
      • Nanotechnology
      • Spunbond
      • Spunlace
      • Thermal Bonded
      • Wetlaid
      • Spunbond/Spunmelt
    • Market
      • China
      • Eastern Europe/Russia
      • India
      • Middle East/North Africa
      • North America
      • Pacific Rim
      • South/Central America
      • Turkey
      • Western Europe
    • Other
      • Associations
      • Contracts / Awards
      • Education
      • Facilities / Capacity
      • Green / Sustainability
      • Legal / Regulatory
      • Market Data
      • Mergers and Acquisitions
      • Product Improvement / Innovation
      • R&D/Basic Research
      • Shows / Events
      • Flushability
    • Top 40 Companies
      • Chart
      • Companies
    • Online Exclusives
    • Slideshows
    • Hygiene Directory
      • Brands
      • Brand Owners
    • Experts Opinions
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Infographics
    • eBook
    • Whitepapers
    • Events
      • Industry Events
      • Live From Show Events
      • Webinars
      • Live From Asian Connections
    • Jobs
    • Resources
      • Suppliers Gallery
      • Literature Showcase
      • Web Showcase
      • Home Page Showcase
    • About Us
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of Use
    Editorial

    Separation of hygiene and industrial: Reshaping the nonwovens industry?

    ...

    Karen McIntyre, Editor12.02.11
    Fiberweb's announcement it was selling most of its hygiene business to FitesaFiberweb is the latest in a series of moves by nonwovens makers to narrow their focus on either hygiene or industrial applications instead doing business on both sides of the industry. After spending much of the 1990s and early 2000s purchasing all sorts of nonwovens technologies targeting far reaching markets, Fiberweb has spent the last couple of years narrowing its focus on its core strategic markets. Last month's announcement that it has sold its hygiene business shows without a doubt that hygiene is not one of these strategic markets.

    Fiberweb is not the only company intent on streamlining its focus. Ahlstrom recently exited wipes because that business no longer fit with its strategic plan and Fibertex split its company in half, separating its personal care business from its industrial concerns.

    In announcing these moves, companies like Fiberweb or Ahlstromhave chosen to use words like "strategic fit" and "growth areas" when explaining their decision but the fact of the matter is that it is extremely difficult to do business on both sides of the business from a reporting point of view. The businesses are simply too different.

    During the great recession of 2008-2009, the hygiene market was largely unaffected, people still had to diaper their children so sales remained stable. There was a period of limited investment in spunmelt but that actually gave makers more leverage when it came to pricing. Meanwhile, industrial markets for nonwovens like construction and automotives, suffered and even continue to recover. However, as they recover, they offer opportunities for higher profits than the hygiene market although volumes here are significantly lower so it can be difficult to achieve the high sales levels found in the hygiene market.

    Therefore, as some companies have chosen to exit disposables, there are still many intent on expanding their scope into it. Suominen is clearly taking a big bet on wipes through its acquisition of Ahlstrom's spunlace business in South and North America and in Europe and there are dozens of companies still bullish enough about hygiene to be investing millions of dollars in new capacity around the globe.

    What these moves—and others like them—mean, is that both sides of the industry are thriving, just more separately than ever before. It will certainly be interesting to see what this separation will mean for research and development and new markets moving forward.

    On an unrelated note, after 11 years, I am giving up my spot as the editor of Nonwovens Industry. Effective with our January issue, I will be handing over the reigns to our new editor Steve Katz, who has served as our managing editor since July and worked at one of our sister publications for the last three years. I will continue to be active on the NWI staff as a contributing editor.

    Karen McIntyre
    Editor
    karenb@rodpub.com
    Related Searches
    • nonwovens
    • Wipes
    • Fiberweb
    • Hygiene
    Related Knowledge Center
    • Spunlace
    • Construction
    • Wipes
      Loading, Please Wait..
      Breaking News
      • Daio Sells Chinese Subsidiary
      • EDANA Urges Policy Makers to Protect Fluff Pulp from Tariffs
      • Turkuvaz Upgrades Diaper Line
      • Essity Reports Q2 Sales
      • General Nonwovens to Install A.Celli E-Wind Machinery
      View Breaking News >
      CURRENT ISSUE

      July 2025

      • The 56th Annual International Buyers’ Guide
      • View More >