Following a multimillion dollar investment to upgrade its oldest production line, Saudi German Nonwovens Co. has announced it will enter the medical market with a range of materials marketed under the Ultramed brand name. The line upgrade has allowed SGN to create softer products, more bonding patterns and a higher barrier protection while increasing the total output of the new line.

"It was time for us to diversify," says marketing and sales manager Nigel Gautry. "There is a growing aging population which means more requirements for materials in medical and healthcare."

Currently, the majority of SGN's output, which includes materials made on four lines at two facilities in Saudi Arabia, targets the hygiene market.