Fibertex Personal Care
Aalborg, Denmark
www.fibertexpersonalcare.com
2011 Nonwovens Sales: $229 million
Key Personnel: Mikael Staal Axelsen, group CEO; Mette Due Søgaard, CTO, Denmark; Anders Søgaard, COO, Denmark; Kenneth Mynster Dolmer, CCO, Denmark; Claus Svanberg, CFO, Denmark; Peter Andersen, CEO, Malaysia; Peter Bach Sigvardt, COO, Malaysia; Ong Soo Fen, CFO, Malaysia
Plants: Three lines in Denmark, three in Malaysia
Processes: Spunbond/spunmelt
Brands: Comfort, Elite, Dual
Major Markets: Hygiene—applications within baby diapers, feminine care and adult incontinence
In 2011, Fibertex Personal Care began operating independently from Fibertex Nonwovens, which also made the Top Company ranking this year at number 35 (see page 88). With facilities in Denmark and Malaysia, Fibertex Personal Care continues to make strategic investments, priming its operations for future growth.
Recognizing great potential in the developing Asia-Pacific region, the company has been expanding capacity in Malyasia, installing a third line in November of 2011, which will add about 22,000 tons of capacity per year. Mikael Staal Axelsen, group CEO, says he expects the line will be running at full capacity by the end of 2012.
The company also announced a $55 million investment in a fourth state-of-the-art production line in Malaysia that will increase total capacity by 30%, to 70,000 tons per year, over the next two years.
The Malaysia division performed very well in 2011, according to the 2011 annual report from parent company Schow & Co. Capacity utilization was high and production efficiency was satisfactory throughout the year. The challenge moving forward will be to utilize the greater production capacity while manufacturing products of high and uniform quality on a consistent basis.
Overall, Fibertex Personal Care’s revenue increased from DKK 1.24 billion in 2010 to DKK 1.31 billion in 2011, driven by higher selling prices that were triggered by higher raw materials costs, the company says. However, earnings fell, due in part to weaker sales in Europe in the first half of the year.
Volumes declined during the year due in part to “changing buying patters of certain major customers, and certain Middle East markets were affected by political unrest in the region, causing a drop in sales,” the annual report states.
While the company sees limited growth opportunities and strong price pressures in Europe, Asia represents solid opportunities for organic expansion in the coming years. “There is a clear overcapacity of spunmelt right now,” Axelsen says of Europe. However, the company continues to develop value-added products at its Denmark facilities.
“We are looking to make our products more attractive in the market but in principle it’s also important to cope with this overcapacity,” notes Axelsen.
In its annual report, the company says it expects to generate revenue of about DKK 1.5-1.6 billion in 2012, pending changes in raw material costs, which have since stabilized.
As for company achievements to note, Fibertex Personal Care received a Business Partner Excellence Award from Procter & Gamble in 2011, which is given to top suppliers. This was the company’s third such award. Axlesen says the recognition represents the company’s commitment to high quality and service. “This is where we see our key strengths,” he adds.
In April 2012, P&G also issued its environmental sustainability scorecard, which is designed to rate suppliers on key sustainability metrics across their supply chains. Fibertex Personal Care was among 17 companies that received the highest possible score.
This latest recognition from P&G exemplifies the company’s focus on the environment. Fibertex Personal Care has made a significant effort to reduce its energy consumption and to change its processes in order to convert its heating source from electricity to natural gas.
The company’s focus on energy consumption and cost savings has reduced carbon emissions per kilo of finished goods by about 20% over the past 10 years. The company is planning additional energy-saving projects for 2012 at factories in Denmark and Malaysia.
Additionally, as much as 95% of waste from production is reused, and the rest is incinerated for energy recovery purposes. The company intends to continue mapping its environmental footprint, applying lifecycle analysis and other tools to reduce its impact further.
In other company dealings, Fibertex Personal Care’s joint venture (15% ownership) in Germany, Innowo, recently installed a second production line. The nonwoven printing company offers highly specialized, value-added prints that can be applied directly onto nonwovens in various applications via highly advanced technologies, says Axelsen.
www.fibertexpersonalcare.com
2011 Nonwovens Sales: $229 million
Key Personnel: Mikael Staal Axelsen, group CEO; Mette Due Søgaard, CTO, Denmark; Anders Søgaard, COO, Denmark; Kenneth Mynster Dolmer, CCO, Denmark; Claus Svanberg, CFO, Denmark; Peter Andersen, CEO, Malaysia; Peter Bach Sigvardt, COO, Malaysia; Ong Soo Fen, CFO, Malaysia
Plants: Three lines in Denmark, three in Malaysia
Processes: Spunbond/spunmelt
Brands: Comfort, Elite, Dual
Major Markets: Hygiene—applications within baby diapers, feminine care and adult incontinence
In 2011, Fibertex Personal Care began operating independently from Fibertex Nonwovens, which also made the Top Company ranking this year at number 35 (see page 88). With facilities in Denmark and Malaysia, Fibertex Personal Care continues to make strategic investments, priming its operations for future growth.
Recognizing great potential in the developing Asia-Pacific region, the company has been expanding capacity in Malyasia, installing a third line in November of 2011, which will add about 22,000 tons of capacity per year. Mikael Staal Axelsen, group CEO, says he expects the line will be running at full capacity by the end of 2012.
The company also announced a $55 million investment in a fourth state-of-the-art production line in Malaysia that will increase total capacity by 30%, to 70,000 tons per year, over the next two years.
The Malaysia division performed very well in 2011, according to the 2011 annual report from parent company Schow & Co. Capacity utilization was high and production efficiency was satisfactory throughout the year. The challenge moving forward will be to utilize the greater production capacity while manufacturing products of high and uniform quality on a consistent basis.
Overall, Fibertex Personal Care’s revenue increased from DKK 1.24 billion in 2010 to DKK 1.31 billion in 2011, driven by higher selling prices that were triggered by higher raw materials costs, the company says. However, earnings fell, due in part to weaker sales in Europe in the first half of the year.
Volumes declined during the year due in part to “changing buying patters of certain major customers, and certain Middle East markets were affected by political unrest in the region, causing a drop in sales,” the annual report states.
While the company sees limited growth opportunities and strong price pressures in Europe, Asia represents solid opportunities for organic expansion in the coming years. “There is a clear overcapacity of spunmelt right now,” Axelsen says of Europe. However, the company continues to develop value-added products at its Denmark facilities.
“We are looking to make our products more attractive in the market but in principle it’s also important to cope with this overcapacity,” notes Axelsen.
In its annual report, the company says it expects to generate revenue of about DKK 1.5-1.6 billion in 2012, pending changes in raw material costs, which have since stabilized.
As for company achievements to note, Fibertex Personal Care received a Business Partner Excellence Award from Procter & Gamble in 2011, which is given to top suppliers. This was the company’s third such award. Axlesen says the recognition represents the company’s commitment to high quality and service. “This is where we see our key strengths,” he adds.
In April 2012, P&G also issued its environmental sustainability scorecard, which is designed to rate suppliers on key sustainability metrics across their supply chains. Fibertex Personal Care was among 17 companies that received the highest possible score.
This latest recognition from P&G exemplifies the company’s focus on the environment. Fibertex Personal Care has made a significant effort to reduce its energy consumption and to change its processes in order to convert its heating source from electricity to natural gas.
The company’s focus on energy consumption and cost savings has reduced carbon emissions per kilo of finished goods by about 20% over the past 10 years. The company is planning additional energy-saving projects for 2012 at factories in Denmark and Malaysia.
Additionally, as much as 95% of waste from production is reused, and the rest is incinerated for energy recovery purposes. The company intends to continue mapping its environmental footprint, applying lifecycle analysis and other tools to reduce its impact further.
In other company dealings, Fibertex Personal Care’s joint venture (15% ownership) in Germany, Innowo, recently installed a second production line. The nonwoven printing company offers highly specialized, value-added prints that can be applied directly onto nonwovens in various applications via highly advanced technologies, says Axelsen.
Aalborg, Denmark
www.fibertexpersonalcare.com
2012 Nonwovens Sales: $235 million
Key Personnel: Mikael Staal Axelsen, group CEO; Mette Due Sogaard, CTO, Denmark; Anders Sogaard, COO, Denmark; Kenneth Mynster Dolmer, CCO, Denmark; Claus Svanberg, CFO, Denmark; Peter Andersen, CEO, Malaysia; Peter Bach Sigvardt, COO, Malaysia; Ong Soo Fen, CFO, Malaysia
Plants: Three lines in Denmark, three in Malaysia
Processes: Spunbond/spunmelt
Brands: Comfort, Elite, Dual
Major Markets: Hygiene—applications within baby diapers, feminine care and adult incontinence
Expansion in Asia continues to be a focus for Fibertex Personal Care. Not only is the Aalborg, Denmark company increasing its Malaysian capacity by 30%, it has established sales offices in India and Japan to strengthen its presence in these markets. With production sites in Malaysia and Denmark, the company, which split from its technical business in early 2011 to become a company solely focused on hygiene, sells its products all over the world with a main emphasis on Europe and Asia.
A major maker of spunmelt nonwovens primarily for hygiene applications, Fibertex Personal Care operates six production lines, three in Denmark and three in Malaysia. In sync with its production footprint, Fibertex Personal Care reports that the bulk of its sales are to major international producers of diapers and other hygiene products located in Europe and Asia.
In spring 2012, the company announced it would add a fourth line in Malaysia, increasing that site’s capacity by 30% to 70,000 tons by the end of 2013. This $50 million investment comes not long after the completion of a third line, which added 22,000 tons of capacity to the site.
“We have been experiencing great growth in Asia, that is for sure,” says group CEO Mikael Staal Axelsen. “It’s not just in Malaysia. We are seeing success in Japan, Australia, India, the whole region.”
Fibertex Personal Care began production in Malaysia in 2003 and soon added line number two in 2005. These investments have been credited with driving the company’s sales forward in recent years. To date, the company has no plans to add a production facility elsewhere in Asia, saying it is successful enough targeting the entire region for the Malaysian site.
“We have no plan to build elsewhere in Asia,” Axelsen says. “Of course, there is a new line coming in India from Global Nonwovens and everyone is looking there but China is crowded with companies and that is why we are not there.”
Overall, Fibertex Personal Care’s sales increased 11% to reach DKK1.459 billion ($254 million) in 2012 and growth was largely attributed to the full utilization of the third Malaysian line. The company expects sales to continue this upward trajectory in 2013 and receive a significant boost once line number four in Malaysia comes onstream in late 2013, boosting that site’s capacity by 30%.
Fibertex Personal Care began making spunmelt nonwovens in 1997 when it was still known simply as Fibertex and also contained an industrial-centered division. In 2010, Fibertex separated its hygiene-related assets from its industrial side, creating two distinct companies, Fibertex Personal Care and Fibertex Nonwovens. Both companies continue to be owned by Schouw & Co.
Since entering the spunmelt market, Fibertex has attributed its impressive level of growth to maintaining strong professional relationships with its customers and this strategy has resulted in a number of awards and distinctions from key customers. The most recent of these were a Supplier of the Year award from Ontex, the Belgium private label hygiene products maker, which was awarded in June, and the Procter & Gamble External Business Partner award in September 2012.
Looking ahead, Fibertex will continue to focus on maintaining earnings by optimizing production lines, maintaining high operational efficiency and ensuring high capacity utilization.
“The focus will be on growing our sales to sell the new capacity in Malaysia,” Axelsen says. “For sure, we will continue to grow.”
www.fibertexpersonalcare.com
2012 Nonwovens Sales: $235 million
Key Personnel: Mikael Staal Axelsen, group CEO; Mette Due Sogaard, CTO, Denmark; Anders Sogaard, COO, Denmark; Kenneth Mynster Dolmer, CCO, Denmark; Claus Svanberg, CFO, Denmark; Peter Andersen, CEO, Malaysia; Peter Bach Sigvardt, COO, Malaysia; Ong Soo Fen, CFO, Malaysia
Plants: Three lines in Denmark, three in Malaysia
Processes: Spunbond/spunmelt
Brands: Comfort, Elite, Dual
Major Markets: Hygiene—applications within baby diapers, feminine care and adult incontinence
Expansion in Asia continues to be a focus for Fibertex Personal Care. Not only is the Aalborg, Denmark company increasing its Malaysian capacity by 30%, it has established sales offices in India and Japan to strengthen its presence in these markets. With production sites in Malaysia and Denmark, the company, which split from its technical business in early 2011 to become a company solely focused on hygiene, sells its products all over the world with a main emphasis on Europe and Asia.
A major maker of spunmelt nonwovens primarily for hygiene applications, Fibertex Personal Care operates six production lines, three in Denmark and three in Malaysia. In sync with its production footprint, Fibertex Personal Care reports that the bulk of its sales are to major international producers of diapers and other hygiene products located in Europe and Asia.
In spring 2012, the company announced it would add a fourth line in Malaysia, increasing that site’s capacity by 30% to 70,000 tons by the end of 2013. This $50 million investment comes not long after the completion of a third line, which added 22,000 tons of capacity to the site.
“We have been experiencing great growth in Asia, that is for sure,” says group CEO Mikael Staal Axelsen. “It’s not just in Malaysia. We are seeing success in Japan, Australia, India, the whole region.”
Fibertex Personal Care began production in Malaysia in 2003 and soon added line number two in 2005. These investments have been credited with driving the company’s sales forward in recent years. To date, the company has no plans to add a production facility elsewhere in Asia, saying it is successful enough targeting the entire region for the Malaysian site.
“We have no plan to build elsewhere in Asia,” Axelsen says. “Of course, there is a new line coming in India from Global Nonwovens and everyone is looking there but China is crowded with companies and that is why we are not there.”
Overall, Fibertex Personal Care’s sales increased 11% to reach DKK1.459 billion ($254 million) in 2012 and growth was largely attributed to the full utilization of the third Malaysian line. The company expects sales to continue this upward trajectory in 2013 and receive a significant boost once line number four in Malaysia comes onstream in late 2013, boosting that site’s capacity by 30%.
Fibertex Personal Care began making spunmelt nonwovens in 1997 when it was still known simply as Fibertex and also contained an industrial-centered division. In 2010, Fibertex separated its hygiene-related assets from its industrial side, creating two distinct companies, Fibertex Personal Care and Fibertex Nonwovens. Both companies continue to be owned by Schouw & Co.
Since entering the spunmelt market, Fibertex has attributed its impressive level of growth to maintaining strong professional relationships with its customers and this strategy has resulted in a number of awards and distinctions from key customers. The most recent of these were a Supplier of the Year award from Ontex, the Belgium private label hygiene products maker, which was awarded in June, and the Procter & Gamble External Business Partner award in September 2012.
Looking ahead, Fibertex will continue to focus on maintaining earnings by optimizing production lines, maintaining high operational efficiency and ensuring high capacity utilization.
“The focus will be on growing our sales to sell the new capacity in Malaysia,” Axelsen says. “For sure, we will continue to grow.”
Aalborg, Denmark
www.fibertexpersonalcare.com
2013 Nonwovens Sales: $263 million
Key Personnel
Mikael Staal Axelsen, group CEO; Peter Andersen, CEO, Malaysia; Claus Svanberg, group CFO; Mette Due Sogaard, group quality and sustainability director; Kenneth Mynster Dolmer, group supply chain director; Anders Sogaard, operations director, Denmark; Peter Bach Sigvardt, operations director, Malaysia; Ong Soo Fen, CFO, Malaysia
Plants
Three lines in Denmark, four in Malaysia
Processes
Spunbond/spunmelt
Brands
Comfort, Elite, Dual
Major Markets
Hygiene—applications within baby diapers, feminine care and adult incontinence
Sales for Aalborg, Denmark-based Fibertex Personal Care continued to grow last year, increasing 7% to DKK1,554 million, or $263 million, driven largely by the successful introduction of its third Malaysian line but also by increased volumes in Denmark.
This growth is expected to continue, particularly out of Asia, where its fourth line came on stream at its Malaysian facility at the end of 2013. This new line, representing a $50 million investment, increased the company’s Malaysian capacity 30% to 70,000 tons. Coming not long after the completion of the site’s third line, which added 22,000 tons to the site, this ambitious investment is the result of strong growth in the Asian hygiene market, which is growing more than 10% per year, according to group CEO Mikael Staal Axelsen.
“The four major Asian markets are Japan, China, ASEAN and India and they are growing across the board,” he says. “In addition to its Malaysian operation, we have also added country managers for Japan and India.”
According to Axelsen, pricing in Asia has been challenged due to overcapacity brought on by overinvestment in China that was made in anticipation of growth that has not been as fast as expected. Therefore, a lot of Chinese-made nonwovens are being sold in India. For this reason, Fibertex Personal Care has ruled out investing in India for now and will instead serve the market from its Malaysian base, which was established in 2002.
“Investing in Malaysia has been a good decision for us,” Axelsen says. “We have been able to grow our Asian business. We have a good workforce there. It has been good.”
As its Asian business has been in investment mode, its European operation, located in Aalborg, Denmark, continues to be a success. The company has not added to the site, since its third line was started in late 2006, but it reports all three of the lines in Aalborg are full and the European market is performing well.
“Europe is pretty much in balance as long as nobody puts in a new line,” Axelsen says.
A company 100% focused on the hygiene market, Fibertex Personal Care is now focusing its efforts on meeting demand for softness in the personal care market. “It can be hard to down guage and go to lower weights without sacrificing softness but bulky soft materials being developed on our latest line have given us the ability to meet these demands,” Axelsen says. “They are just now starting to take off.”
Fibertex Personal Care began making spunmelt nonwovens in 1997 when it was still known simply as Fibertex and also contained an industrial-centered division.
In 2010, Fibertex separated its hygiene-related assets from its industrial side, creating two distinct companies, Fibertex Personal Care and Fibertex Nonwovens. Both companies continue to be owned by Schouw & Co.
Since entering the spunmelt market, Fibertex Personal Care has attributed its impressive level of growth to maintaining strong professional relationships with its customers and this strategy has resulted in a number of awards and distinctions from key customers including supplier of the year awards from both Procter & Gamble and Ontex in 2013.
“Being 100% involved in hygiene was a choice we made and it has been successful for us to have a narrow focus,” Axelsen says of his company’s progress. “A lot of companies are looking for diversification but that is not our strategy.”
www.fibertexpersonalcare.com
2013 Nonwovens Sales: $263 million
Key Personnel
Mikael Staal Axelsen, group CEO; Peter Andersen, CEO, Malaysia; Claus Svanberg, group CFO; Mette Due Sogaard, group quality and sustainability director; Kenneth Mynster Dolmer, group supply chain director; Anders Sogaard, operations director, Denmark; Peter Bach Sigvardt, operations director, Malaysia; Ong Soo Fen, CFO, Malaysia
Plants
Three lines in Denmark, four in Malaysia
Processes
Spunbond/spunmelt
Brands
Comfort, Elite, Dual
Major Markets
Hygiene—applications within baby diapers, feminine care and adult incontinence
Sales for Aalborg, Denmark-based Fibertex Personal Care continued to grow last year, increasing 7% to DKK1,554 million, or $263 million, driven largely by the successful introduction of its third Malaysian line but also by increased volumes in Denmark.
This growth is expected to continue, particularly out of Asia, where its fourth line came on stream at its Malaysian facility at the end of 2013. This new line, representing a $50 million investment, increased the company’s Malaysian capacity 30% to 70,000 tons. Coming not long after the completion of the site’s third line, which added 22,000 tons to the site, this ambitious investment is the result of strong growth in the Asian hygiene market, which is growing more than 10% per year, according to group CEO Mikael Staal Axelsen.
“The four major Asian markets are Japan, China, ASEAN and India and they are growing across the board,” he says. “In addition to its Malaysian operation, we have also added country managers for Japan and India.”
According to Axelsen, pricing in Asia has been challenged due to overcapacity brought on by overinvestment in China that was made in anticipation of growth that has not been as fast as expected. Therefore, a lot of Chinese-made nonwovens are being sold in India. For this reason, Fibertex Personal Care has ruled out investing in India for now and will instead serve the market from its Malaysian base, which was established in 2002.
“Investing in Malaysia has been a good decision for us,” Axelsen says. “We have been able to grow our Asian business. We have a good workforce there. It has been good.”
As its Asian business has been in investment mode, its European operation, located in Aalborg, Denmark, continues to be a success. The company has not added to the site, since its third line was started in late 2006, but it reports all three of the lines in Aalborg are full and the European market is performing well.
“Europe is pretty much in balance as long as nobody puts in a new line,” Axelsen says.
A company 100% focused on the hygiene market, Fibertex Personal Care is now focusing its efforts on meeting demand for softness in the personal care market. “It can be hard to down guage and go to lower weights without sacrificing softness but bulky soft materials being developed on our latest line have given us the ability to meet these demands,” Axelsen says. “They are just now starting to take off.”
Fibertex Personal Care began making spunmelt nonwovens in 1997 when it was still known simply as Fibertex and also contained an industrial-centered division.
In 2010, Fibertex separated its hygiene-related assets from its industrial side, creating two distinct companies, Fibertex Personal Care and Fibertex Nonwovens. Both companies continue to be owned by Schouw & Co.
Since entering the spunmelt market, Fibertex Personal Care has attributed its impressive level of growth to maintaining strong professional relationships with its customers and this strategy has resulted in a number of awards and distinctions from key customers including supplier of the year awards from both Procter & Gamble and Ontex in 2013.
“Being 100% involved in hygiene was a choice we made and it has been successful for us to have a narrow focus,” Axelsen says of his company’s progress. “A lot of companies are looking for diversification but that is not our strategy.”
Fibertex Personal Care
Aalborg, Denmark
www.fibertexpersonalcare.com
2014 Nonwovens Sales: $293 million
Key Personnel
Mikael Staal Axelsen, group CEO; Peter Andersen, CEO, Malaysia; Claus Svanberg, group CFO; Mette Due Sogaard, group quality and sustainability director; Kenneth Mynster Dolmer, group supply chain director; Anders Sogaard, operations director, Denmark; Peter Bach Sigvardt, operations director, Malaysia; Ong Soo Fen, CFO, Malaysia
Plants
Three lines in Denmark, four in Malaysia
Processes
Spunbond/spunmelt
Brands
Comfort, Elite, Dual
Major Markets
Hygiene—applications within baby diapers, feminine care and adult incontinence
Reporting a strong 2014 was Fibertex Personal Care. The Aalborg, Denmark-based producer of spunmelt nonwovens for the global hygiene market, reported that its sales increased 15% to reach DKK 1.78 billion ($293 million) thanks largely to increased volumes of its Malaysian operation.
That operation’s fourth line came onstream in late 2013, adding 22,000 tons and helping to boost Fibertex Personal Care’s total sales. The company’s Malaysian capacity is now 70,000 tons.
CEO Mikael Staal Axelsen says that this ambitious investment schedule follows strength in the Asian market, which is growing at about 10% per year. “All of the markets are growing across the board,” he says. “We are particularly strong in Southeast Asia. Being in Malaysia has been a good strategy for us.”
In August, the company announced it would establish an Innowo Print facility near its Malaysian operation in response to growing demand for printed nonwovens in Asia. Fibertex Personal Care acquired the remaining 85% shares in Innowo Print, a nonwovens printing operation it helped found in 2007, in October 2014. According to Axelsen, the demand for printed nonwovens continues to grow and this business is targeting both internal and external demand.
“At Fibertex Personal Care, we mostly manufacture standardized products in very large volumes,” Axelsen says. “That makes it important for us to offer a uniformly high quality and provide excellent service to our customers. Direct printing on nonwovens is a field where we can differentiate from our competitors in the rest of the market and provide a service that complements our core product.”
Innowo Print operates two lines in Ilsenburg, Germany generating about DKK50 million ($8 million) in 2014. Although its first customer was Fibertex Peronal Care, it has built an independent customer portfolio and developed a brand recognized in the market. Fibertex Personal Care purchased Innowo only after its other two shareholders decided to sell.
In August, Fibertex Personal Care and Innowo Print received Kimberly-Clark’s Supplier of the Year award.
Back to Fibertex’s spunmelt operation, which also includes a three-line site in Aalborg, process optimization and innovation continue to be the top priority. “Our customers want products that can help them differentiate themselves and we are meeting this need as efficiently as possible,” Axelsen adds.
Aalborg, Denmark
www.fibertexpersonalcare.com
2014 Nonwovens Sales: $293 million
Key Personnel
Mikael Staal Axelsen, group CEO; Peter Andersen, CEO, Malaysia; Claus Svanberg, group CFO; Mette Due Sogaard, group quality and sustainability director; Kenneth Mynster Dolmer, group supply chain director; Anders Sogaard, operations director, Denmark; Peter Bach Sigvardt, operations director, Malaysia; Ong Soo Fen, CFO, Malaysia
Plants
Three lines in Denmark, four in Malaysia
Processes
Spunbond/spunmelt
Brands
Comfort, Elite, Dual
Major Markets
Hygiene—applications within baby diapers, feminine care and adult incontinence
Reporting a strong 2014 was Fibertex Personal Care. The Aalborg, Denmark-based producer of spunmelt nonwovens for the global hygiene market, reported that its sales increased 15% to reach DKK 1.78 billion ($293 million) thanks largely to increased volumes of its Malaysian operation.
That operation’s fourth line came onstream in late 2013, adding 22,000 tons and helping to boost Fibertex Personal Care’s total sales. The company’s Malaysian capacity is now 70,000 tons.
CEO Mikael Staal Axelsen says that this ambitious investment schedule follows strength in the Asian market, which is growing at about 10% per year. “All of the markets are growing across the board,” he says. “We are particularly strong in Southeast Asia. Being in Malaysia has been a good strategy for us.”
In August, the company announced it would establish an Innowo Print facility near its Malaysian operation in response to growing demand for printed nonwovens in Asia. Fibertex Personal Care acquired the remaining 85% shares in Innowo Print, a nonwovens printing operation it helped found in 2007, in October 2014. According to Axelsen, the demand for printed nonwovens continues to grow and this business is targeting both internal and external demand.
“At Fibertex Personal Care, we mostly manufacture standardized products in very large volumes,” Axelsen says. “That makes it important for us to offer a uniformly high quality and provide excellent service to our customers. Direct printing on nonwovens is a field where we can differentiate from our competitors in the rest of the market and provide a service that complements our core product.”
Innowo Print operates two lines in Ilsenburg, Germany generating about DKK50 million ($8 million) in 2014. Although its first customer was Fibertex Peronal Care, it has built an independent customer portfolio and developed a brand recognized in the market. Fibertex Personal Care purchased Innowo only after its other two shareholders decided to sell.
In August, Fibertex Personal Care and Innowo Print received Kimberly-Clark’s Supplier of the Year award.
Back to Fibertex’s spunmelt operation, which also includes a three-line site in Aalborg, process optimization and innovation continue to be the top priority. “Our customers want products that can help them differentiate themselves and we are meeting this need as efficiently as possible,” Axelsen adds.
Aalborg, Denmark
www.fibertexpersonalcare.com
2015 Nonwovens Sales: $268 million
Key Personnel
Mikael Staal Axelsen, group CEO; Peter Andersen, CEO, Malaysia; Claus Svanberg, group CFO; Mette Due Sogaard, group quality and sustainability director; Peter Reis, group supply chain director; Anders Sogaard, operations director, Denmark; Jesper Pedersen, operations director, Malaysia; Ong Soo Fen, CFO, Malaysia
Plants
Denmark, Malaysia, Germany
Processes
Spunbond/spunmelt, Print
Brands
Comfort, Elite, Dual
Major Markets
Hygiene—baby diapers, feminine care, adult incontinence
Asian expansion continues for Denmark-based Fibertex Personal Care. The manufacturer of spunbond and spunmelt nonwovens for hygiene applications announced in January it would add a fifth line to its Malaysian operation to serve the growing Asian hygiene market. The new line will bring the company’s Malaysian capacity to about 90,000 tons. Fibertex Personal Care established this operation in 2002 and is currently the largest non-Japanese supplier of nonwovens to Japan.
According to executives, there are clear signs that the timing of investment is Asia is right. While consumption of hygiene products in the west only shows a moderate increase of 1-2% per year, it is as high as 10% per year in Asia thanks to a growing number of people in China, India and Southeast Asia earning an income that allows them to increase their focus on personal hygiene.
Fibertex’s latest Malaysian line will be housed in a new site about 25 kilometers south of the existing plant. This plant will have room to ultimately accommodate four or five lines, meaning that future expansion is already being considered.
“At the new site we will have even more focus on value-added products and the improvement of existing products,” says CEO Mikael Staal Axelsen. “The consumers and thereby the industry require hygiene products that are lighter, softer and with finer structures, and we have reached an advanced stage in the processing improvement race which becomes more and more predominant in our business.”
The new site is expected to be operational by mid-2017. Fibertex’s most recent Malaysian investment, line number four, came onstream in 2013, adding 22,000 tons to its global output.
Also in Malaysia, Fibertex Personal Care is in the process of adding direct-printing nonwovens capabilities to the site through its Innowo Print subsidiary. Fibertex Personal Care acquired full ownership of Innowo Print, a company it helped found in 2007, in late 2014, and announced its intention to expand its operation into Malaysia last year. While Fibertex Personal Care is one of Innowo’s customers, the company does provide direct printing services for a number of other companies. In addition to the Malaysian investment, Innowo is beefing up its German operation by adding a fourth line to the site.
Back to the nonwovens business, Fibertex Personal Care continues to operate three lines capable of making about 50,000 tons of nonwovens per year at its Aalborg, Denmark headquarters. While the company has chosen not to invest in a new European line, instead focusing on Asian growth, it is in the process of upgrading one of the site’s lines to allow it to make softer products.
www.fibertexpersonalcare.com
2015 Nonwovens Sales: $268 million
Key Personnel
Mikael Staal Axelsen, group CEO; Peter Andersen, CEO, Malaysia; Claus Svanberg, group CFO; Mette Due Sogaard, group quality and sustainability director; Peter Reis, group supply chain director; Anders Sogaard, operations director, Denmark; Jesper Pedersen, operations director, Malaysia; Ong Soo Fen, CFO, Malaysia
Plants
Denmark, Malaysia, Germany
Processes
Spunbond/spunmelt, Print
Brands
Comfort, Elite, Dual
Major Markets
Hygiene—baby diapers, feminine care, adult incontinence
Asian expansion continues for Denmark-based Fibertex Personal Care. The manufacturer of spunbond and spunmelt nonwovens for hygiene applications announced in January it would add a fifth line to its Malaysian operation to serve the growing Asian hygiene market. The new line will bring the company’s Malaysian capacity to about 90,000 tons. Fibertex Personal Care established this operation in 2002 and is currently the largest non-Japanese supplier of nonwovens to Japan.
According to executives, there are clear signs that the timing of investment is Asia is right. While consumption of hygiene products in the west only shows a moderate increase of 1-2% per year, it is as high as 10% per year in Asia thanks to a growing number of people in China, India and Southeast Asia earning an income that allows them to increase their focus on personal hygiene.
Fibertex’s latest Malaysian line will be housed in a new site about 25 kilometers south of the existing plant. This plant will have room to ultimately accommodate four or five lines, meaning that future expansion is already being considered.
“At the new site we will have even more focus on value-added products and the improvement of existing products,” says CEO Mikael Staal Axelsen. “The consumers and thereby the industry require hygiene products that are lighter, softer and with finer structures, and we have reached an advanced stage in the processing improvement race which becomes more and more predominant in our business.”
The new site is expected to be operational by mid-2017. Fibertex’s most recent Malaysian investment, line number four, came onstream in 2013, adding 22,000 tons to its global output.
Also in Malaysia, Fibertex Personal Care is in the process of adding direct-printing nonwovens capabilities to the site through its Innowo Print subsidiary. Fibertex Personal Care acquired full ownership of Innowo Print, a company it helped found in 2007, in late 2014, and announced its intention to expand its operation into Malaysia last year. While Fibertex Personal Care is one of Innowo’s customers, the company does provide direct printing services for a number of other companies. In addition to the Malaysian investment, Innowo is beefing up its German operation by adding a fourth line to the site.
Back to the nonwovens business, Fibertex Personal Care continues to operate three lines capable of making about 50,000 tons of nonwovens per year at its Aalborg, Denmark headquarters. While the company has chosen not to invest in a new European line, instead focusing on Asian growth, it is in the process of upgrading one of the site’s lines to allow it to make softer products.
Aalborg, Denmark
www.fibertexpersonalcare.com
2016 Nonwovens Sales: $283 million
Key Personnel
Mikael Staal Axelsen, group CEO; Peter Andersen, CEO, Malaysia; Claus Svanberg, group CFO; Mette Due Sogaard, group quality and sustainability director; Peter Reis, group supply chain director; Anders Sogaard, operations director, Denmark; Jesper Pedersen, operations director, Malyasia; Ong Soo Fen, CFO, Malaysia, Albert Steffen, managing director, Germany
Plants
Denmark, Malaysia, Germany
Processes
Spunbond/spunmelt
Brands
Comfort, Elite, Dual, Loft
Major Markets
Hygiene
U.S. expansion is on the horizon for Denmark-based nonwovens producer Fibertex Personal Care. The manufacturer of spunmelt nonwovens announced it has purchased a site in Asheboro, NC, in August and will invest $10 million in a new facility. The site will house equipment capable of direct printing on nonwovens. It is the company’s first operation on American soil.
Fibertex Personal Care already has direct printing on nonwovens operations in Germany and Malaysia. The technology was created by Innowo Print, a company Fibertex Personal Care helped found in 2008 and acquired in full in 2014. The process allows colors and images to be printed directly on nonwovens.
“The largest global producers of diapers, sanitary napkins and incontinence products are increasingly demanding print directly on nonwoven materials,” says Mikael Staal Axelsen, group CEO of Fibertex Personal Care. “Today, the majority of products have a design print on a thin film. However, a growing number of our customers have realized the many possibility in having their design printed directly on the nonwoven materials. For instance, print technology gives them the opportunity to enhance the visual expression, which facilitates a range of differentiation possibilities.”
Fibertex Personal Care did not announce any plans to produce nonwovens in the U.S. Instead, the new facility will offer the technology to local nonwovens producers.
Within the company’s nonwovens business, Fibertex Personal Care is currently undergoing an expansion at its Malaysian site, which currently holds four lines.
In January 2016, the company said it would increase capacity in the country by 20% with the construction of a new site, 25 kilometers south of its existing factory in Nilai. The new site will initially house a brand new, state-of-the-art spunmelt line and could ultimately house as many as four lines. The new line should be operational in the second quarter of 2017 and will help sales reach DKK2 billion ($316 million) in 2017.
According to executives, the new line will not only help grow capacity for the company’s current product range, it will also allow Fibertex to make supersoft products, which are in strong demand in the Asian markets.
Fibertex Personal Care is also bringing premium supersoft technology to its Aalborg, Denmark facility, where a new line has not been added in nearly a decade, but in 2016 an existing line was upgraded with super soft technology.
www.fibertexpersonalcare.com
2016 Nonwovens Sales: $283 million
Key Personnel
Mikael Staal Axelsen, group CEO; Peter Andersen, CEO, Malaysia; Claus Svanberg, group CFO; Mette Due Sogaard, group quality and sustainability director; Peter Reis, group supply chain director; Anders Sogaard, operations director, Denmark; Jesper Pedersen, operations director, Malyasia; Ong Soo Fen, CFO, Malaysia, Albert Steffen, managing director, Germany
Plants
Denmark, Malaysia, Germany
Processes
Spunbond/spunmelt
Brands
Comfort, Elite, Dual, Loft
Major Markets
Hygiene
U.S. expansion is on the horizon for Denmark-based nonwovens producer Fibertex Personal Care. The manufacturer of spunmelt nonwovens announced it has purchased a site in Asheboro, NC, in August and will invest $10 million in a new facility. The site will house equipment capable of direct printing on nonwovens. It is the company’s first operation on American soil.
Fibertex Personal Care already has direct printing on nonwovens operations in Germany and Malaysia. The technology was created by Innowo Print, a company Fibertex Personal Care helped found in 2008 and acquired in full in 2014. The process allows colors and images to be printed directly on nonwovens.
“The largest global producers of diapers, sanitary napkins and incontinence products are increasingly demanding print directly on nonwoven materials,” says Mikael Staal Axelsen, group CEO of Fibertex Personal Care. “Today, the majority of products have a design print on a thin film. However, a growing number of our customers have realized the many possibility in having their design printed directly on the nonwoven materials. For instance, print technology gives them the opportunity to enhance the visual expression, which facilitates a range of differentiation possibilities.”
Fibertex Personal Care did not announce any plans to produce nonwovens in the U.S. Instead, the new facility will offer the technology to local nonwovens producers.
Within the company’s nonwovens business, Fibertex Personal Care is currently undergoing an expansion at its Malaysian site, which currently holds four lines.
In January 2016, the company said it would increase capacity in the country by 20% with the construction of a new site, 25 kilometers south of its existing factory in Nilai. The new site will initially house a brand new, state-of-the-art spunmelt line and could ultimately house as many as four lines. The new line should be operational in the second quarter of 2017 and will help sales reach DKK2 billion ($316 million) in 2017.
According to executives, the new line will not only help grow capacity for the company’s current product range, it will also allow Fibertex to make supersoft products, which are in strong demand in the Asian markets.
Fibertex Personal Care is also bringing premium supersoft technology to its Aalborg, Denmark facility, where a new line has not been added in nearly a decade, but in 2016 an existing line was upgraded with super soft technology.
Aalborg, Denmark
www.fibertexpersonalcare.com
2017 Nonwovens Sales: $317 million
Key Personnel
Mikael Staal Axelsen, group CEO; Peter Andersen, CEO, Malaysia; Claus Svanberg, group CFO; Mette Due Sogaard, group quality and sustainability director; Peter Reis, group supply chain director; Anders Sogaard, operations director, Denmark; Jesper Pedersen, operations director, Malaysia; Ong Soo Fen, CFO, Malaysia; Albert Steffen, managing director, Germany
Plants
Denmark, Malaysia, Germany, U.S.
Processes
Spunbond, spunmelt
Brands
Comfort, Elite, Dual, Loft
Major Markets
Hygiene
Sales climbed at Denmark-based Fibertex Personal Care in 2017 thanks largely to increased volumes out of its Malaysian business and the increasing contribution of its of its Innowo Print business. Sales were DKK 2.106 billion ($317 million) compare to DKK 1.892 billion ($297 million) in 2016.
And, sales are expected to continue to climb thanks in part to the completion of the company’s latest production line at a brand new facility in Nilai, Malaysia, in late 2017. The new line, which not only adds 20,000 tons capacity to Fibertex’s Malaysian operation, expands its capabilities to make supersoft products which are in high demand in the Asian markets.
The new line is Fibertex Personal Care’s fifth in Malaysia. Its original plant, near Kuala Lumpur, was established in 2003 and houses four lines, making the company one of the largest manufacturers of spunmelt nonwovens in Asia and the largest foreign supplier to the Japanese diaper market. The new site has enough room to someday house four production lines, meaning that Fibertex Personal Care will be well positioned to capitalize on future growth in the Asian hygiene market.
“Asia is a growth region and Malaysia is centrally good located and a very good production country,” says president Mikael Staal Axelsen.
While Fibertex has not invested in a new line at its facility in Aalborg, Denmark, in more than a decade, the company has focused on making line improvements to its operations, allowing its lines there to offer many of the same attributes available on its newer lines in Malaysia. The site’s latest upgrade in late 2016 added capacity and incorporated high loft and supersoft spunmelt nonwovens.
In other expansion news, Fibertex Personal Care continues to focus on its printing operation, Innowo Print. The producer has established a U.S. operation for its direct-to-print on nonwovens operation, allowing it to better serve its North American customers
The $10 million investment, Fibertex Personal Care’s first in the U.S., includes a new facility in Asheboro, NC, which will be dedicated to direct printing on nonwovens. It is expected to come onstream in the fourth quarter.
Fibertex fully owns Innowo Print, a German-based printing company, with operations in Germany and Malaysia.
“The large global producers of diapers, sanitary napkins and incontinence products are increasingly demanding printing directly on nonwoven materials,” Axelsen says. “Today, the majority of products have a design print on a thin film. However, a growing number of our customers have realized the many possibilities in having their design printed directly on the nonwoven materials. For instance, our print technology gives them the opportunity to enhance the visual expression, which facilitates a range of differentiation possibilities.”
Fibertex Personal Care co-founded Innowo Print in 2008 and assumed full ownership of the subsidiary in 2014. “It is the idea that the print production in Germany and Malaysia is to cover the European and the Asian markets, respectively, while the coming factory in the U.S. is to cover the markets in North and South America.”
www.fibertexpersonalcare.com
2017 Nonwovens Sales: $317 million
Key Personnel
Mikael Staal Axelsen, group CEO; Peter Andersen, CEO, Malaysia; Claus Svanberg, group CFO; Mette Due Sogaard, group quality and sustainability director; Peter Reis, group supply chain director; Anders Sogaard, operations director, Denmark; Jesper Pedersen, operations director, Malaysia; Ong Soo Fen, CFO, Malaysia; Albert Steffen, managing director, Germany
Plants
Denmark, Malaysia, Germany, U.S.
Processes
Spunbond, spunmelt
Brands
Comfort, Elite, Dual, Loft
Major Markets
Hygiene
Sales climbed at Denmark-based Fibertex Personal Care in 2017 thanks largely to increased volumes out of its Malaysian business and the increasing contribution of its of its Innowo Print business. Sales were DKK 2.106 billion ($317 million) compare to DKK 1.892 billion ($297 million) in 2016.
And, sales are expected to continue to climb thanks in part to the completion of the company’s latest production line at a brand new facility in Nilai, Malaysia, in late 2017. The new line, which not only adds 20,000 tons capacity to Fibertex’s Malaysian operation, expands its capabilities to make supersoft products which are in high demand in the Asian markets.
The new line is Fibertex Personal Care’s fifth in Malaysia. Its original plant, near Kuala Lumpur, was established in 2003 and houses four lines, making the company one of the largest manufacturers of spunmelt nonwovens in Asia and the largest foreign supplier to the Japanese diaper market. The new site has enough room to someday house four production lines, meaning that Fibertex Personal Care will be well positioned to capitalize on future growth in the Asian hygiene market.
“Asia is a growth region and Malaysia is centrally good located and a very good production country,” says president Mikael Staal Axelsen.
While Fibertex has not invested in a new line at its facility in Aalborg, Denmark, in more than a decade, the company has focused on making line improvements to its operations, allowing its lines there to offer many of the same attributes available on its newer lines in Malaysia. The site’s latest upgrade in late 2016 added capacity and incorporated high loft and supersoft spunmelt nonwovens.
In other expansion news, Fibertex Personal Care continues to focus on its printing operation, Innowo Print. The producer has established a U.S. operation for its direct-to-print on nonwovens operation, allowing it to better serve its North American customers
The $10 million investment, Fibertex Personal Care’s first in the U.S., includes a new facility in Asheboro, NC, which will be dedicated to direct printing on nonwovens. It is expected to come onstream in the fourth quarter.
Fibertex fully owns Innowo Print, a German-based printing company, with operations in Germany and Malaysia.
“The large global producers of diapers, sanitary napkins and incontinence products are increasingly demanding printing directly on nonwoven materials,” Axelsen says. “Today, the majority of products have a design print on a thin film. However, a growing number of our customers have realized the many possibilities in having their design printed directly on the nonwoven materials. For instance, our print technology gives them the opportunity to enhance the visual expression, which facilitates a range of differentiation possibilities.”
Fibertex Personal Care co-founded Innowo Print in 2008 and assumed full ownership of the subsidiary in 2014. “It is the idea that the print production in Germany and Malaysia is to cover the European and the Asian markets, respectively, while the coming factory in the U.S. is to cover the markets in North and South America.”
Aalborg, Denmark
www.fibertexpersonalcare.com
2018 Nonwovens Sales: $329 million
Key Personnel
Mikael Staal Axelsen, group CEO; Peter Andersen, CEO, Malaysia; Claus Svanberg, group CFO; Mette Due Sogaard, group quality and sustainability director; Peter Reis, group supply chain director; Anders Sogaard, operations director, Denmark; Jesper Pedersen, operations director, Malaysia; Ong Soo Fen, CFO, Malaysia; Albert Steffen, managing director, Germany
Plants
Denmark, Malaysia, Germany, U.S.
Processes
Spunbond, spunmelt
Brands
Comfort, Elite, Dual, Loft
Major Markets
Hygiene
Sales at Fibertex Personal Care increased 8% to reach DKK 2187 million ($329 million) in 2018, driven by higher prices of raw materials and strength in the company’s printing business as well as the addition of a new line in Asia. Volumes were in line with the previous year but increases came out of the company’s Asian operation in Malaysia while sales generated in Denmark decreased.
Despite higher volume sales, increased competition, particularly in Asia, has decreased demand for products supplied from Fibertex Personal Care’s two Malaysian sites. However, its latest investment in Malaysia is focused on specialty nonwovens which is allowing it to step up new product development and offer specialized products.
The latest Asian investment, the fifth in Malaysia, was completed at a second production site in late 2017 adding 20,000 tons of capacity and giving Fibertex Nonwovens the ability to make supersoft nonwovens, which are in high demand in Asian markets.
“The new line is a specialty line, which is key to being successful in Asia,” says Mikael Staal Axelsen, president.
Fibertex Personal Care has been present in Malaysia since 2003 and is one of the largest manufacturers of spunmelt nonwovens in Asia and the largest foreign supplier to the Japanese diaper market. The new site has enough room to somehow house four production lines, meaning that Fibertex Personal Care will be well positioned to capitalize on future growth in the Asian hygiene market.
Staal Axelsen hinted that this expansion may not necessarily involve its core technology, spunmelt. “We had plans for expansion but not necessarily with classic spunbond volume as markets are saturated,” he says.
Meanwhile in Europe, where Fibertex Nonwovens operates two lines in Aalborg, Denmark, the market is gradually moving toward specialty products, and the company has stepped up its focus on innovation and patents in this segment. As a result the company will soon be able to launch products featuring new functions and visual effects.
Beyond nonwovens production, Fibertex Personal Care holds sophisticated knowledge of direct printing on nonwovens through its Innowo Print Business, which it co-founded in 2008 and assumed full ownership of in 2014. The company already operates printing operations in Germany and Malaysia and has recently completed a new factory in Asheboro, NC. The latest investment, estimated at $10 million, came onstream in the fourth quarter of 2018 and represented the company’s first operation in North America.
In 2018, printing activities contributed DKK 376 million ($56 million) to the company’s sales, up from DKK 266 million ($40 million) the year before. “So far we are satisfied with this progress,” he says.
www.fibertexpersonalcare.com
2018 Nonwovens Sales: $329 million
Key Personnel
Mikael Staal Axelsen, group CEO; Peter Andersen, CEO, Malaysia; Claus Svanberg, group CFO; Mette Due Sogaard, group quality and sustainability director; Peter Reis, group supply chain director; Anders Sogaard, operations director, Denmark; Jesper Pedersen, operations director, Malaysia; Ong Soo Fen, CFO, Malaysia; Albert Steffen, managing director, Germany
Plants
Denmark, Malaysia, Germany, U.S.
Processes
Spunbond, spunmelt
Brands
Comfort, Elite, Dual, Loft
Major Markets
Hygiene
Sales at Fibertex Personal Care increased 8% to reach DKK 2187 million ($329 million) in 2018, driven by higher prices of raw materials and strength in the company’s printing business as well as the addition of a new line in Asia. Volumes were in line with the previous year but increases came out of the company’s Asian operation in Malaysia while sales generated in Denmark decreased.
Despite higher volume sales, increased competition, particularly in Asia, has decreased demand for products supplied from Fibertex Personal Care’s two Malaysian sites. However, its latest investment in Malaysia is focused on specialty nonwovens which is allowing it to step up new product development and offer specialized products.
The latest Asian investment, the fifth in Malaysia, was completed at a second production site in late 2017 adding 20,000 tons of capacity and giving Fibertex Nonwovens the ability to make supersoft nonwovens, which are in high demand in Asian markets.
“The new line is a specialty line, which is key to being successful in Asia,” says Mikael Staal Axelsen, president.
Fibertex Personal Care has been present in Malaysia since 2003 and is one of the largest manufacturers of spunmelt nonwovens in Asia and the largest foreign supplier to the Japanese diaper market. The new site has enough room to somehow house four production lines, meaning that Fibertex Personal Care will be well positioned to capitalize on future growth in the Asian hygiene market.
Staal Axelsen hinted that this expansion may not necessarily involve its core technology, spunmelt. “We had plans for expansion but not necessarily with classic spunbond volume as markets are saturated,” he says.
Meanwhile in Europe, where Fibertex Nonwovens operates two lines in Aalborg, Denmark, the market is gradually moving toward specialty products, and the company has stepped up its focus on innovation and patents in this segment. As a result the company will soon be able to launch products featuring new functions and visual effects.
Beyond nonwovens production, Fibertex Personal Care holds sophisticated knowledge of direct printing on nonwovens through its Innowo Print Business, which it co-founded in 2008 and assumed full ownership of in 2014. The company already operates printing operations in Germany and Malaysia and has recently completed a new factory in Asheboro, NC. The latest investment, estimated at $10 million, came onstream in the fourth quarter of 2018 and represented the company’s first operation in North America.
In 2018, printing activities contributed DKK 376 million ($56 million) to the company’s sales, up from DKK 266 million ($40 million) the year before. “So far we are satisfied with this progress,” he says.
Aalborg, Denmark
www.fibertexpersonalcare.com
2019 Nonwovens Sales: $348 million
Key Personnel
Mikael Staal Axelsen, Group CEO; Peter Andersen, CEO, Malaysia; Claus Svanberg, Group CFO; Carsten Pedersen, Print Director.
Plants
Denmark, Germany, Malaysia, USA, North Carolina
Processes
Nonwovens: Spunbond/Spunmelt Print: Flexographic
Fibertex Personal Care reported 2019 sales that were largely in line with 2018 company wide. However sales from its Denmark facility increased while nonwovens sales from Malaysia decreased from DKK 306 to DKK 271 due to weaker demand in Malaysia.
Fibertex Personal Care operates five lines in Malaysia. The fifth line was complete in 2017, at a second production site. This line not only added 20,000 tons of capacity to the company’s output, it also gave the company the ability to make supersoft nonwovens, which are in high demand in Asia.
In fact, Fibertex Personal Care reports that the trend for supersoft and other specialty products is gradually moving toward Europe. In response, the company has stepped up its focus on launching products featuring new functions and visual effects as well as softer and more textile-like materials.
The majority of products sold at Fibertex Personal Care target the baby diaper segment, but the company is reporting strong growth in incontinence and feminine hygiene sales driven by demographic developments. To better serve these markets, the company has focused on improving its technology platform and diversifying its raw material base to product specialty products customized to meet new demands.
One of these services is achieved through the company’s Innowo Print business, which offers direct printing on nonwovens. The company operates printing operations in Germany, Malaysia and US, NC.
This focus on innovation is expected to help Fibertex Personal Care remain a preferred supplier amidst heavy competition both in Europe and Asia. Rather than focus on capacity investment, which has been heavy throughout the industry in recent years, the company instead is focusing on maximizing the use of its existing assets until it becomes necessary to invest in additional capacity.
Another area of interest to Fibertex Nonwovens is sustainability. This is proven through its receipt of ISCC certification (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification ), which allows the Aalborg site to sell ISCC Plus certified nonwovens.
“We are very excited about this – and we are now ready to meet customer demand for more sustainable nonwovens and to support the development of a more sustainable supply chain for plastics,” Axelsen says.
The new sustainable offering can be applied broadly as a drop-in solution since the nonwoven will maintain all the usual excellent properties. There are no changes to recyclability and other waste management processes.
www.fibertexpersonalcare.com
2019 Nonwovens Sales: $348 million
Key Personnel
Mikael Staal Axelsen, Group CEO; Peter Andersen, CEO, Malaysia; Claus Svanberg, Group CFO; Carsten Pedersen, Print Director.
Plants
Denmark, Germany, Malaysia, USA, North Carolina
Processes
Nonwovens: Spunbond/Spunmelt Print: Flexographic
Fibertex Personal Care reported 2019 sales that were largely in line with 2018 company wide. However sales from its Denmark facility increased while nonwovens sales from Malaysia decreased from DKK 306 to DKK 271 due to weaker demand in Malaysia.
Fibertex Personal Care operates five lines in Malaysia. The fifth line was complete in 2017, at a second production site. This line not only added 20,000 tons of capacity to the company’s output, it also gave the company the ability to make supersoft nonwovens, which are in high demand in Asia.
In fact, Fibertex Personal Care reports that the trend for supersoft and other specialty products is gradually moving toward Europe. In response, the company has stepped up its focus on launching products featuring new functions and visual effects as well as softer and more textile-like materials.
The majority of products sold at Fibertex Personal Care target the baby diaper segment, but the company is reporting strong growth in incontinence and feminine hygiene sales driven by demographic developments. To better serve these markets, the company has focused on improving its technology platform and diversifying its raw material base to product specialty products customized to meet new demands.
One of these services is achieved through the company’s Innowo Print business, which offers direct printing on nonwovens. The company operates printing operations in Germany, Malaysia and US, NC.
This focus on innovation is expected to help Fibertex Personal Care remain a preferred supplier amidst heavy competition both in Europe and Asia. Rather than focus on capacity investment, which has been heavy throughout the industry in recent years, the company instead is focusing on maximizing the use of its existing assets until it becomes necessary to invest in additional capacity.
Another area of interest to Fibertex Nonwovens is sustainability. This is proven through its receipt of ISCC certification (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification ), which allows the Aalborg site to sell ISCC Plus certified nonwovens.
“We are very excited about this – and we are now ready to meet customer demand for more sustainable nonwovens and to support the development of a more sustainable supply chain for plastics,” Axelsen says.
The new sustainable offering can be applied broadly as a drop-in solution since the nonwoven will maintain all the usual excellent properties. There are no changes to recyclability and other waste management processes.
Aalborg, Denmark
www.fibertexpersonalcare.com
2020 Nonwovens Sales: $337 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, U.S., North Carolina
Processes
Nonwovens: Spunbond/Spunmelt; Print: Flexographic
Sales and volumes will receive a boost from two major investments at Fibertex Personal Care. The Aalborg, Denmark-based company is investing approximately $40 million to add new lines at its sites in Malaysia and the U.S. The Malaysian site will be expanded with the addition of a specialty nonwovens line while a printing line will be added to the U.S. site in Asheboro, NC. Both lines are expected to begin operations in the second half of 2021.
“Both of our business areas – nonwovens and print on nonwovens – are experiencing an increase in demand for specialty products and services,” says Mikael Staal Axelsen, Group CEO. “We have a strong position in these markets due to our portfolio. Combined with a steady growth in the Asian market, rising demand for print in the American market, and a changed market dynamic caused by Covid-19 makes the timing of the expansions just right.”
Fibertex Personal Care currently operates five lines at two sites in Malaysia, which make about 90,000 tons of capacity, as well as three lines in Denmark. Its most recent line came onstream in Malaysia in mid-2017.
“All reports indicate that the growth rates in Asia will remain strong,” Axelsen says. “Additionally, we continue to see the continuation in demand for soft materials and other products that offer other means of differentiation. Everyone wants their own solutions and you are going to see more new nonwovens products than you did in the past.”
Meanwhile, in the U.S. Fibertex Personal Care introduced print production three years ago and continues to experience increased demand for printing on nonwovens. The company began print production through a joint venture Innowo Print in Germany in 2008. It purchased a full stake in the company in 2014 and currently has operations in Germany, Malaysia and the U.S.
“The introduction of print production in the U.S. three years ago was an important strategic milestone for us, and as expected the market now demands new capacity, “Axelsen says. “This gives us the opportunity to engage in more development projects with our customers. We have the skills and now the capacity.”
In addition to expansion, Fibertex Personal Care continues to focus on sustainability. In late 2020, the company announced a partnership with SABIC, a global leader in the chemicals industry, to create a range of nonwovens using high-purity recycled plastics from Sabic’s Trucircle portfolio and services. They have developed the first reported nonwovens range based on recycled plastics in the hygiene industry. The initiative is seen by the two partners as an exciting step towards a more sustainable supply chain and greater recyclability for nonwovens.
The new material can be used as a drop-in solution while meeting the brand owner’s requirements for purity and consumer safety for the hygiene industry applications, and Fibertex will provide certified circular nonwovens to its customers with its Comfort, Elite, Dual and Loft product range. These certified nonwovens can be adopted in downstream processes, without compromising convertibility, product properties or performance of the final product.
“This is an important step forward in supporting our sustainable strategy and important step in development and expansion of a supply chain for bio-based and circular polymers. SABIC’s Trucircle initiative makes this possible,” Axelsen says. “We are proud to cooperate with SABIC in developing the first circular nonwovens for the hygiene market.”
Fibertex Personal Care has also achieved ISCC PLUS certification which verifies that mass balance accounting follows predefined and transparent rules. In addition, it provides traceability along the supply chain, from the feedstock to the final product.
Looking back to 2020, sales decreased slightly to $337 million (DKK 2118 million), reflecting a slight increase in Malaysia and a small drop in Denmark. While the nonwovens industry continues to see strong demand in personal protective apparel, Fibertex continues to focus on hygiene. “Our investments respond to general market growth. We have been benefitting from a very strong demand for hygiene, particularly in Asia,” Axelsen says. “As our competitors especially in China focused on PPE, it has created new demand for hygiene from us.”
www.fibertexpersonalcare.com
2020 Nonwovens Sales: $337 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, U.S., North Carolina
Processes
Nonwovens: Spunbond/Spunmelt; Print: Flexographic
Sales and volumes will receive a boost from two major investments at Fibertex Personal Care. The Aalborg, Denmark-based company is investing approximately $40 million to add new lines at its sites in Malaysia and the U.S. The Malaysian site will be expanded with the addition of a specialty nonwovens line while a printing line will be added to the U.S. site in Asheboro, NC. Both lines are expected to begin operations in the second half of 2021.
“Both of our business areas – nonwovens and print on nonwovens – are experiencing an increase in demand for specialty products and services,” says Mikael Staal Axelsen, Group CEO. “We have a strong position in these markets due to our portfolio. Combined with a steady growth in the Asian market, rising demand for print in the American market, and a changed market dynamic caused by Covid-19 makes the timing of the expansions just right.”
Fibertex Personal Care currently operates five lines at two sites in Malaysia, which make about 90,000 tons of capacity, as well as three lines in Denmark. Its most recent line came onstream in Malaysia in mid-2017.
“All reports indicate that the growth rates in Asia will remain strong,” Axelsen says. “Additionally, we continue to see the continuation in demand for soft materials and other products that offer other means of differentiation. Everyone wants their own solutions and you are going to see more new nonwovens products than you did in the past.”
Meanwhile, in the U.S. Fibertex Personal Care introduced print production three years ago and continues to experience increased demand for printing on nonwovens. The company began print production through a joint venture Innowo Print in Germany in 2008. It purchased a full stake in the company in 2014 and currently has operations in Germany, Malaysia and the U.S.
“The introduction of print production in the U.S. three years ago was an important strategic milestone for us, and as expected the market now demands new capacity, “Axelsen says. “This gives us the opportunity to engage in more development projects with our customers. We have the skills and now the capacity.”
In addition to expansion, Fibertex Personal Care continues to focus on sustainability. In late 2020, the company announced a partnership with SABIC, a global leader in the chemicals industry, to create a range of nonwovens using high-purity recycled plastics from Sabic’s Trucircle portfolio and services. They have developed the first reported nonwovens range based on recycled plastics in the hygiene industry. The initiative is seen by the two partners as an exciting step towards a more sustainable supply chain and greater recyclability for nonwovens.
The new material can be used as a drop-in solution while meeting the brand owner’s requirements for purity and consumer safety for the hygiene industry applications, and Fibertex will provide certified circular nonwovens to its customers with its Comfort, Elite, Dual and Loft product range. These certified nonwovens can be adopted in downstream processes, without compromising convertibility, product properties or performance of the final product.
“This is an important step forward in supporting our sustainable strategy and important step in development and expansion of a supply chain for bio-based and circular polymers. SABIC’s Trucircle initiative makes this possible,” Axelsen says. “We are proud to cooperate with SABIC in developing the first circular nonwovens for the hygiene market.”
Fibertex Personal Care has also achieved ISCC PLUS certification which verifies that mass balance accounting follows predefined and transparent rules. In addition, it provides traceability along the supply chain, from the feedstock to the final product.
Looking back to 2020, sales decreased slightly to $337 million (DKK 2118 million), reflecting a slight increase in Malaysia and a small drop in Denmark. While the nonwovens industry continues to see strong demand in personal protective apparel, Fibertex continues to focus on hygiene. “Our investments respond to general market growth. We have been benefitting from a very strong demand for hygiene, particularly in Asia,” Axelsen says. “As our competitors especially in China focused on PPE, it has created new demand for hygiene from us.”
Aalborg, Denmark
www.fibertexpersonalcare.com
2021 Nonwovens Sales: $330 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
Sales were up in terms of dollars but down in terms of volume at Fibertex Personal Care. The Denmark-based nonwovens producer reported sales increased 6% to reach DKK2,249 million ($330 million) thanks to higher raw material pricing which triggered higher sales prices. Volumes, however, decreased due to logistical challenges in Asia, where domestically made products, normally sold to Europe and the U.S., were targeted at local markets.
“The (Asian) market is very soft due to lower growth than expected combined with new investments and challenges exporting due to the freight situation,” says Mikael Staal Axelson, group CEO.
With nonwovens production sites in Denmark and Malaysia, Fibertex Personal Care continues to invest. The company 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.
“Our focus on offering the customers a broad selection of specialty products and services continues to be a high priority for our business and, as the leading nonwovens manufacturer in Asia, we will continue to invest in increasing capacity at our Malaysian site,” Axelsen says.
Announced in late 2020, this line was expected to be operational in late 2021, but Covid-related delays have pushed the start-up to the second half of 2022.
Following the completion of the latest line, Fibertex Personal Care will have nine spunmelt lines—six in Malaysia and three in Denmark—each producing very thin, high quality nonwovens. Each line has its own specialty, ranging from manufacturing soft products, products with high-performance leakage barriers and 3D effect products to thin and lightweight products.
In other investment news, Fibertex Personal Care has started up a second printing line at its North Carolina operation, its Innowo Print business. The first to offer print directly on lightweight nonwovens for hygiene, the company now has operations in Germany and Malaysia, in addition to the U.S.
“We do see high interest in this specialty area,” Axelsen says. “It will remain a niche that requires high expertise to produce.”
Additionally, sustainability continues to be a focus for Fibertex Personal Care. In June, the company achieved Gold Medal status from EcoVadis – for its CSR performance with a score of 67/100. Additionally, its facilities in Germany, the U.S. and Malaysia have achieved the prestigious EcoVadis Silver Medals.
This is the first time that Fibertex Personal Care has been assessed by EcoVadis, and the score obtained by Fibertex Personal Care A/S puts it in the Top 7% of the best performing companies out of more than 90,000 companies assessed by EcoVadis.
Additionally, the company has ISCC Plus certifications in both Denmark and Malaysia to offer its customers more sustainable choices when it comes to nonwovens. The system makes it possible to track the amount and sustainability characteristics of circular and/or bio-based content in the value chain and attribute it based on verifiable bookkeeping with predefined and transparent rules.
For Fibertex Personal Care's 2020 top company profile, click here.
www.fibertexpersonalcare.com
2021 Nonwovens Sales: $330 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
Sales were up in terms of dollars but down in terms of volume at Fibertex Personal Care. The Denmark-based nonwovens producer reported sales increased 6% to reach DKK2,249 million ($330 million) thanks to higher raw material pricing which triggered higher sales prices. Volumes, however, decreased due to logistical challenges in Asia, where domestically made products, normally sold to Europe and the U.S., were targeted at local markets.
“The (Asian) market is very soft due to lower growth than expected combined with new investments and challenges exporting due to the freight situation,” says Mikael Staal Axelson, group CEO.
With nonwovens production sites in Denmark and Malaysia, Fibertex Personal Care continues to invest. The company 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.
“Our focus on offering the customers a broad selection of specialty products and services continues to be a high priority for our business and, as the leading nonwovens manufacturer in Asia, we will continue to invest in increasing capacity at our Malaysian site,” Axelsen says.
Announced in late 2020, this line was expected to be operational in late 2021, but Covid-related delays have pushed the start-up to the second half of 2022.
Following the completion of the latest line, Fibertex Personal Care will have nine spunmelt lines—six in Malaysia and three in Denmark—each producing very thin, high quality nonwovens. Each line has its own specialty, ranging from manufacturing soft products, products with high-performance leakage barriers and 3D effect products to thin and lightweight products.
In other investment news, Fibertex Personal Care has started up a second printing line at its North Carolina operation, its Innowo Print business. The first to offer print directly on lightweight nonwovens for hygiene, the company now has operations in Germany and Malaysia, in addition to the U.S.
“We do see high interest in this specialty area,” Axelsen says. “It will remain a niche that requires high expertise to produce.”
Additionally, sustainability continues to be a focus for Fibertex Personal Care. In June, the company achieved Gold Medal status from EcoVadis – for its CSR performance with a score of 67/100. Additionally, its facilities in Germany, the U.S. and Malaysia have achieved the prestigious EcoVadis Silver Medals.
This is the first time that Fibertex Personal Care has been assessed by EcoVadis, and the score obtained by Fibertex Personal Care A/S puts it in the Top 7% of the best performing companies out of more than 90,000 companies assessed by EcoVadis.
Additionally, the company has ISCC Plus certifications in both Denmark and Malaysia to offer its customers more sustainable choices when it comes to nonwovens. The system makes it possible to track the amount and sustainability characteristics of circular and/or bio-based content in the value chain and attribute it based on verifiable bookkeeping with predefined and transparent rules.
For Fibertex Personal Care's 2020 top company profile, click here.
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
