01.01.02
Location: Varese, Italy
Sales: $68 million
Description: Key Personnel
Cav. Vittorio Orlandi, CEO; Massimiliano Orlandi, marketing director, Mario Saldarini, commercial director
Plants
Gallarate, Bolgare, Cressa (3), Cassano Magnago
ISO Status
ISO 9002 certified
Processes
Needlepunched and hydroentangled
Brand Names
Akena, Tex Sil 2, Teporland More, Teporland Compact, Dacron II2SB, Flortex, Clax, Flormop, Solex, Alltex, Leitex, Dustex, Suntex, Suntex Plus, Robel-Tevar, Talura Telco, Axxys, Spring, Nortec, Dacron II, Dacron 808, Elastic 808
Major Markets
Medical, hygiene, apparel, home furnishings, interlinings, industrial/ household wipes and synthetic leather
With an increase of $8 million in worldwide nonwovens sales, 2001 was a successful year for Orlandi SpA, Gallarate, Varese, Italy. The company’s fourth spunlace line, which began production in Cressa, Italy in 2001, helped boost Orlandi’s capacity for the industrial and consumer wipes markets. The new spunlace line in Cressa can add cellulose pulp, creating materials that contain three layers of spunlace, with two layers of synthetic fibers containing pulp in the middle. This offers several benefits including softness and a fabric-like touch, while eliminating linting and providing an economic advantage.
With its fourth spunlace line fully operational, Orlandi is already in expansion mode with plans for another spunlace line underway. The fifth line will allow the company to continue to expand its technology when it comes onstream in Fall 2004. “We are preparing to install a fifth spunlace line soon, which will produce medical and hygiene wipes,” said Mario Saldarini, commercial director at Orlandi. “We are continuing to be more productive with newer technologies.”
Although the location of the fifth line has not yet been determined, Mr. Saldarini said it definitely would not be located in Europe. “With 85% of our production now being exported, it is more important for us to be closer to our main markets,” Mr. Saldarini explained.
Three of Orlandi’s production lines operate in Cressa and one is located at its headquarters in Gallarate.
While all of this capacity is coming onstream in the midst of an overcapacity situation in Europe, Orlandi executives are optimistic that it will be able to succeed by focusing on specialty markets. “Overcapacity is a big problem, but we are still going to add lines and focus on specialty markets,” said Mr. Saldarini.
Orlandi’s largest market is still hygiene, which comprised 75% of the company’s total roll goods sales worldwide last year. The company’s second largest end use segment, medical products, represented 18% of its sales. Additionally, 7% of the company’s sales come from the industrial market with synthetic leather being the focal point. Despite this, Mr. Saldarini noted that the company’s sales in synthetic leather have declined in needlepunch as more attention is being paid to spunlace cores in this market. “The synthetic leather market is a changing area right now, with spunlaced products being used more. For us, needlepunch will not be so big in the future,” he said.
The majority of Orlandi’s sales (75%) are conducted in Europe, while 19% are in the U.S. and 6% are in the Middle and Far East regions. In terms of technology, the bulk of Orlandi’s roll goods sales are spunlace, which make up 76% of sales, while 20% is from needlepunch and wadding sales comprises 4%.
Even though spunlace dominates Orlandi’s sales, the company is innovatating its needlepunch technology. “We are adding value to our regular needlepunch products,” said Mr. Saldarini. Some of these new values include products featuring more abrasive substances available with the option of soft or stiff sides. The company is currently producing needlepunched household cleaning cloths, available with different prints and scents added onto them.
As for the future, Orlandi hopes to remain a cost-effective supplier of spunlaced nonwovens while focusing on specialty markets, specifically the household market. Additionally, the company will concentrate more on marketing and research and development. “With our four operating production facilities, we have a total of 38,000 tons of spunlaced nonwovens capacity, which makes Orlandi a worldwide leader,” Mr. Saldarini said. “In the future, we’d like to remain a leading company in the spunlace industry.
Sales: $68 million
Description: Key Personnel
Cav. Vittorio Orlandi, CEO; Massimiliano Orlandi, marketing director, Mario Saldarini, commercial director
Plants
Gallarate, Bolgare, Cressa (3), Cassano Magnago
ISO Status
ISO 9002 certified
Processes
Needlepunched and hydroentangled
Brand Names
Akena, Tex Sil 2, Teporland More, Teporland Compact, Dacron II2SB, Flortex, Clax, Flormop, Solex, Alltex, Leitex, Dustex, Suntex, Suntex Plus, Robel-Tevar, Talura Telco, Axxys, Spring, Nortec, Dacron II, Dacron 808, Elastic 808
Major Markets
Medical, hygiene, apparel, home furnishings, interlinings, industrial/ household wipes and synthetic leather
With an increase of $8 million in worldwide nonwovens sales, 2001 was a successful year for Orlandi SpA, Gallarate, Varese, Italy. The company’s fourth spunlace line, which began production in Cressa, Italy in 2001, helped boost Orlandi’s capacity for the industrial and consumer wipes markets. The new spunlace line in Cressa can add cellulose pulp, creating materials that contain three layers of spunlace, with two layers of synthetic fibers containing pulp in the middle. This offers several benefits including softness and a fabric-like touch, while eliminating linting and providing an economic advantage.
With its fourth spunlace line fully operational, Orlandi is already in expansion mode with plans for another spunlace line underway. The fifth line will allow the company to continue to expand its technology when it comes onstream in Fall 2004. “We are preparing to install a fifth spunlace line soon, which will produce medical and hygiene wipes,” said Mario Saldarini, commercial director at Orlandi. “We are continuing to be more productive with newer technologies.”
Although the location of the fifth line has not yet been determined, Mr. Saldarini said it definitely would not be located in Europe. “With 85% of our production now being exported, it is more important for us to be closer to our main markets,” Mr. Saldarini explained.
Three of Orlandi’s production lines operate in Cressa and one is located at its headquarters in Gallarate.
While all of this capacity is coming onstream in the midst of an overcapacity situation in Europe, Orlandi executives are optimistic that it will be able to succeed by focusing on specialty markets. “Overcapacity is a big problem, but we are still going to add lines and focus on specialty markets,” said Mr. Saldarini.
Orlandi’s largest market is still hygiene, which comprised 75% of the company’s total roll goods sales worldwide last year. The company’s second largest end use segment, medical products, represented 18% of its sales. Additionally, 7% of the company’s sales come from the industrial market with synthetic leather being the focal point. Despite this, Mr. Saldarini noted that the company’s sales in synthetic leather have declined in needlepunch as more attention is being paid to spunlace cores in this market. “The synthetic leather market is a changing area right now, with spunlaced products being used more. For us, needlepunch will not be so big in the future,” he said.
The majority of Orlandi’s sales (75%) are conducted in Europe, while 19% are in the U.S. and 6% are in the Middle and Far East regions. In terms of technology, the bulk of Orlandi’s roll goods sales are spunlace, which make up 76% of sales, while 20% is from needlepunch and wadding sales comprises 4%.
Even though spunlace dominates Orlandi’s sales, the company is innovatating its needlepunch technology. “We are adding value to our regular needlepunch products,” said Mr. Saldarini. Some of these new values include products featuring more abrasive substances available with the option of soft or stiff sides. The company is currently producing needlepunched household cleaning cloths, available with different prints and scents added onto them.
As for the future, Orlandi hopes to remain a cost-effective supplier of spunlaced nonwovens while focusing on specialty markets, specifically the household market. Additionally, the company will concentrate more on marketing and research and development. “With our four operating production facilities, we have a total of 38,000 tons of spunlaced nonwovens capacity, which makes Orlandi a worldwide leader,” Mr. Saldarini said. “In the future, we’d like to remain a leading company in the spunlace industry.
