01.01.04
Location: Memphis, TN
Sales: $217 MILLION
Description: Key Personnel
Doug Dowdell, vice president, nonwovens; Chip Aiken, senior vice president, manufacturing; Susan Crenshaw, vice president of nonwovens product development; Hank Hall, sales manager of nonwovens sales—Americas and Far East; Marko Rajamaa, vice president of nonwovens sales—Europe and the Middle East; Laurence Li, nonwovens division technology manager
Plants
Delta, British Columbia, Canada; Steinfurt, Germany; Gaston, NC
Processes
Latex bonded, thermal bonded and multibonded airlaid
Brand Names
Vicell, Vizorb, Unicore, Duocore, Walkisoft, Airspun
Major Markets
Feminine hygiene, baby diapers, adult incontinence, premoistened wipes, moist tissue, medical, tabletop, wipers, filtration, food packaging, household cleaning products
Despite speculation that airlaid is losing business to spunlaced nonwovens in the North American wipes business, Buckeye Technologies, the world’s largest airlaid producer, is reporting sales in the wipes segment at an all-time high. Particularly in the personal care segment, business is booming for the Memphis-based company.
“Growth is being driven by our next-generation wipe substrates,” said Hank Hall, sales manager for the Americas and Far East. “It’s a different wipe than what we have offered in the past. It’s strong, softer and bulkier.”
While some branded wipes have been converted to spunlaced, Buckeye is confident that airlaid will remain the preferred substrate in North America. In fact, business is significantly better than it was a year ago and while the North American airlaid market is still experiencing overcapacity issues, Buckeye is starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
“In the wipes market, our ability to use improved raw materials in our substrates gives us a competitive advantage,” said Michael Brown, manager of North American nonwovens sales. “Our customers are finding that these products provide the strength, bulk, and feel that give them an advantage in the marketplace.”
In March, Buckeye announced it would close its Cork, Ireland facility in July. All production at the site will be shifted to other Buckeye facilities in Canada, the U.S. and Germany.
Buckeye opened the Cork site in 1998 to increase its European presence. In 2001, the company scrapped plans to add a second line to the facility, blaming the decision on global overcapacity. The benefits of closing the site, which employed 83 people, will be realized in the October-December quarter and full-scale savings will be achieved by the end of 2005.
Buckeye operates two lines each at its Steinfurt, Germany; Delta, British Columbia and Gaston NC facilities. The Gaston facility, which includes Buckeye’s newest line, is continuing to fill capacity. “Tonnage is increasing regularly in Gaston,” said Mr. Brown. “It’s still not operating at full capacity, but the machinery utilization is improving. That machine is really the future of our business.”
As the market leader in airlaid nonwovens,—capable of producing 104,000 tons of airlaid material per year—Buckeye is well aware of how important new market development will be to the health of its industry in the future.
To achieve this, Buckeye recently chartered a business development team dedicated to exploring new markets for airlaid nonwovens. Non-traditional applications and markets will be investigated using its state-of-art airlaid pilot line.
And, other efforts like these have allowed Buckeye’s airlaid business to record growth in recent years. As growth continues, the health of the airlaid industry should improve."
Sales: $217 MILLION
Description: Key Personnel
Doug Dowdell, vice president, nonwovens; Chip Aiken, senior vice president, manufacturing; Susan Crenshaw, vice president of nonwovens product development; Hank Hall, sales manager of nonwovens sales—Americas and Far East; Marko Rajamaa, vice president of nonwovens sales—Europe and the Middle East; Laurence Li, nonwovens division technology manager
Plants
Delta, British Columbia, Canada; Steinfurt, Germany; Gaston, NC
Processes
Latex bonded, thermal bonded and multibonded airlaid
Brand Names
Vicell, Vizorb, Unicore, Duocore, Walkisoft, Airspun
Major Markets
Feminine hygiene, baby diapers, adult incontinence, premoistened wipes, moist tissue, medical, tabletop, wipers, filtration, food packaging, household cleaning products
Despite speculation that airlaid is losing business to spunlaced nonwovens in the North American wipes business, Buckeye Technologies, the world’s largest airlaid producer, is reporting sales in the wipes segment at an all-time high. Particularly in the personal care segment, business is booming for the Memphis-based company.
“Growth is being driven by our next-generation wipe substrates,” said Hank Hall, sales manager for the Americas and Far East. “It’s a different wipe than what we have offered in the past. It’s strong, softer and bulkier.”
While some branded wipes have been converted to spunlaced, Buckeye is confident that airlaid will remain the preferred substrate in North America. In fact, business is significantly better than it was a year ago and while the North American airlaid market is still experiencing overcapacity issues, Buckeye is starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
“In the wipes market, our ability to use improved raw materials in our substrates gives us a competitive advantage,” said Michael Brown, manager of North American nonwovens sales. “Our customers are finding that these products provide the strength, bulk, and feel that give them an advantage in the marketplace.”
In March, Buckeye announced it would close its Cork, Ireland facility in July. All production at the site will be shifted to other Buckeye facilities in Canada, the U.S. and Germany.
Buckeye opened the Cork site in 1998 to increase its European presence. In 2001, the company scrapped plans to add a second line to the facility, blaming the decision on global overcapacity. The benefits of closing the site, which employed 83 people, will be realized in the October-December quarter and full-scale savings will be achieved by the end of 2005.
Buckeye operates two lines each at its Steinfurt, Germany; Delta, British Columbia and Gaston NC facilities. The Gaston facility, which includes Buckeye’s newest line, is continuing to fill capacity. “Tonnage is increasing regularly in Gaston,” said Mr. Brown. “It’s still not operating at full capacity, but the machinery utilization is improving. That machine is really the future of our business.”
As the market leader in airlaid nonwovens,—capable of producing 104,000 tons of airlaid material per year—Buckeye is well aware of how important new market development will be to the health of its industry in the future.
To achieve this, Buckeye recently chartered a business development team dedicated to exploring new markets for airlaid nonwovens. Non-traditional applications and markets will be investigated using its state-of-art airlaid pilot line.
And, other efforts like these have allowed Buckeye’s airlaid business to record growth in recent years. As growth continues, the health of the airlaid industry should improve."