01.01.04
Location: Brentwood, TN
Sales: $900 MILLION
Description: BBA Fiberweb–Americas
Headquarters: Nashville, TN
Telephone: 615-847-7507
Web: www.bbafiberweb.com
Plants
Bethune, SC; Green Bay, WI; Gray Court, SC; Griswoldville, MA; Queretaro, Mexico; Old Hickory, TN; Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil; Simpsonville, SC; Toronto, OT, Canada; Washougal, WA
Processes
Airlaid, chemical bonded, caustic entanglement, thermal bonding, hydroentanglement, meltblown, sorbent composites, spunbond PP, PET bicomponent
Brand Names
Reemay, Korma, Starweb, AQF, Securon, Terram, Typar, Softex, Sofspan, Webril, Novonette, Biobarrier, Bidim, Linopor, UltraFlo
Major Markets
Construction and ground contact, consumer care, filtration, hygiene, medical and protective markets, industrial specialties, sorbent materials
BBA Fiberweb - Asia-Pacific
Headquarters: Kowloon, Hong Kong
Telephone: 852-2620-5677
Web: www.bbafiberweb.com
Plants
Tianjin, China; Rayong, Thailand
Processes
Airlaid, chemical bonded, caustic entanglement, thermal bonding, hydroentanglement, meltblown, sorbent composites, spunbond PP, PET bicomponent
Brand Names
Reemay, Korma, Starweb, AQF, Securon, Terram, Typar, Softex, Sofspan, Webril, Novonette, Biobarrier, Bidim, Linopor, UltraFlo
Major Markets
Construction and ground contact, consumer care, filtration, hygiene, medical and protective markets, industrial specialties, sorbent materials
BBA Fiberweb—Europe
Headquarters: Via Bologna 7
Trezzano Rosa 20060 Italy
Telephone: 39-02090-999-1; Fax: 39-02090-999-400
Web: www.bbafiberweb.com
Plants
Biesheim, France; Aschersleben, Germany; Berlin, Germany; Trezzano Rosa, Italy; Carbonate, Italy; Pontypool, U.K.; Norrköping, Sweden; Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia (JV); Port Elizabeth, South Africa (JV)
Processes
Airlaid, chemical bonded, caustic entanglement, thermal bonding, hydroentanglement, meltblown, sorbent composites, spunbond PP, PET bicomponent
Brand Names
Reemay, Korma, Starweb, AQF, Securon, Terram, Typar, Softex, Sofspan, Webril, Novonette, Biobarrier, Bidim, Linopor, UltraFlo
Major Markets
Construction and ground contact, consumer care, filtration, hygiene, medical and protective markets, industrial specialties, sorbent materials
BBA Materials Group—Sorbent Division
Headquarters: Peregallo di Lesmo Italy
Telephone: 39-039-62847-1
Web: www.bbafiberweb.com
Plants
Peregallo di Lesmo, Italy; Charlotte, NC; Simpsonville, SC; Tianjin, China
Processes
Airlaid, chemical bonded, caustic entanglement, thermal bonding, hydroentanglement, meltblown, sorbent composites, spunbond PP, PET bicomponent
Brand Names
Reemay, Korma, Starweb, AQF, Securon, Terram, Typar, Softex, Sofspan, Webril, Novonette, Biobarrier, Bidim, Linopor, UltraFlo
Major Markets
Construction and ground contact, consumer care, filtration, hygiene, medical and protective markets, industrial specialties, sorbent materials
BBA Fiberweb has continued to perform well thanks to a three-tiered success strategy which includes: productivity and capital control; growth in top line management through business wins, marketshare gains and acquisitions and through cash flow maximization. While the company’s nonwovens division has been impacted by rising raw material costs and lower margins, it was able to grow sales 5% last year to £527.5 million (nearly $900 million) on 4% volume growth.
The Nashville, TN-based division of London-based BBA Group, BBA Fiberweb operates through strategic regional and global markets in the Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific. Additionally, BBA contains a Sorbent Materials division which includes the company’s large diaper and feminine hygiene businesses as well as the smaller food packaging, liquid management, odor control and waste management areas.
BBA Fiberweb operates facilities throughout North America, South America, Europe and Asia and has its hand in virtually every technology and market in nonwovens. The streamlining of the company into these new divisions, which were established in spring 2003, was designed to help it make better sense of these businesses and better handle the challenges of running a global business.
By end use market, one area experiencing considerable success for BBA is construction. Sales in this area soared 20% last year thanks largely to advances in Typar Housewrap, which offers exceptional water holdout that is more than twice the minimum U.S. code requirement. Significant tear resistance allows Typar HouseWrap to survive environmental and construction stress. This product beat out others from 3M and CUNO to win an Achievement Award in the long-life category at this spring’s IDEA04 International engineered Fabrics Conference and Exposition.
In filtration, another core area for BBA, new products include Reemay Advantage. Launched in early 2003, this product combines the uniformity and strength of Reemay polyester with Microban antimicrobial product protection to create unique pool and spa filtration media. Also new is Reemay X-Treme fabric, a pleatable, multidenier polyester spunbond media offering excellent dust holding capabilities and low pressure drop for liquid and air filtration.
Also reporting positive sales growth was the Consumer Care division, which includes BBA’s baby wipe and other wipes businesses. Reporting sales of £81 million, a 6% increase, this area benefited from a new baby wipes line in Bethune, SC, which began operation in March 2003 and is currently running at planned levels. Boosting Consumer Care is the E33 million acquisition of Tecnofibra, a Milan, Italy-based company that is one of Europe’s largest suppliers of wipes and other consumer care products. Executives expect that this acquisition will help BBA grow the business outside of the U.S.
Meanwhile, healthcare sales, which include BBA’s sizable hygiene and disposable products business, grew 5%. The largest of BBA’s divisions, this market has sales of £235 million sales annually. One interesting activity seen in this area is BBA’s recently announced partnership with Procter & Gamble to help establish the U.S.’s first minority-owned nonwovens producer. BBA will provide product for this venture, Amantea Nonwovens, until the Cincinnati-based company builds its own plant. This three-way partnership was reportedly the result of BBA’s strong partnership with Procter & Gamble.
Making advances in the field of elastic nonwovens is Advanced Design Concepts, BBA’s joint venture agreement with The Dow Chemical Company. ADC introduced its first commercialized product, an economically attractive elastic nonwovens that can substitute film/net laminate structures, at IDEA 2004. The new products are made from bicomponent spunbond materials which will initially be available in basis weights ranging from 25 to 150 gsm. These materials, which are produced in a single step without lamination, will target personal hygiene, disposable medical and apparel applications. They offer unique properties in terms of breathability, drape and hand, not currently available with elastic films, nets, monofilaments or foams laminated to traditional nonwovens.
On the expansion front, BBA continues to reevaluate its machinery portfolio and make investments where suitable. In addition to the Bethune, SC line, BBA added a spunmelt line in Peine, Germany last year as well as one in Rayong, Thailand through its joint venture partner, CP Group. Additionally, Finotech, BBA’s joint venture company in Aschersleben, Germany, added new online printing capabilities to expand its offerings in the film lamination areas.
In Asia, BBA’s airlaid line, located in Tianjin, China, has improved its operation by better using its capacity. The new line came onstream in 2001, marking BBA’s first efforts into airlaid technology.
In other acquisition news, BBA purchased Superior Nonwovens, Gray Court, SC, a spunmelt provider, in 2002. The continued integration of Superior into its existing business, has helped reinforce BBA’s position as a leading supplier of spunbond polyester and increased its foothold in South Carolina, an important U.S. region for nonwovens production.
Looking ahead, BBA expects its growth will be largely occur in specialty wipes, household and industrial products and filtration markets. While its many other markets remain extremely important to the company, market research is indicated that these are the fast growing areas. "
Sales: $900 MILLION
Description: BBA Fiberweb–Americas
Headquarters: Nashville, TN
Telephone: 615-847-7507
Web: www.bbafiberweb.com
Plants
Bethune, SC; Green Bay, WI; Gray Court, SC; Griswoldville, MA; Queretaro, Mexico; Old Hickory, TN; Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil; Simpsonville, SC; Toronto, OT, Canada; Washougal, WA
Processes
Airlaid, chemical bonded, caustic entanglement, thermal bonding, hydroentanglement, meltblown, sorbent composites, spunbond PP, PET bicomponent
Brand Names
Reemay, Korma, Starweb, AQF, Securon, Terram, Typar, Softex, Sofspan, Webril, Novonette, Biobarrier, Bidim, Linopor, UltraFlo
Major Markets
Construction and ground contact, consumer care, filtration, hygiene, medical and protective markets, industrial specialties, sorbent materials
BBA Fiberweb - Asia-Pacific
Headquarters: Kowloon, Hong Kong
Telephone: 852-2620-5677
Web: www.bbafiberweb.com
Plants
Tianjin, China; Rayong, Thailand
Processes
Airlaid, chemical bonded, caustic entanglement, thermal bonding, hydroentanglement, meltblown, sorbent composites, spunbond PP, PET bicomponent
Brand Names
Reemay, Korma, Starweb, AQF, Securon, Terram, Typar, Softex, Sofspan, Webril, Novonette, Biobarrier, Bidim, Linopor, UltraFlo
Major Markets
Construction and ground contact, consumer care, filtration, hygiene, medical and protective markets, industrial specialties, sorbent materials
BBA Fiberweb—Europe
Headquarters: Via Bologna 7
Trezzano Rosa 20060 Italy
Telephone: 39-02090-999-1; Fax: 39-02090-999-400
Web: www.bbafiberweb.com
Plants
Biesheim, France; Aschersleben, Germany; Berlin, Germany; Trezzano Rosa, Italy; Carbonate, Italy; Pontypool, U.K.; Norrköping, Sweden; Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia (JV); Port Elizabeth, South Africa (JV)
Processes
Airlaid, chemical bonded, caustic entanglement, thermal bonding, hydroentanglement, meltblown, sorbent composites, spunbond PP, PET bicomponent
Brand Names
Reemay, Korma, Starweb, AQF, Securon, Terram, Typar, Softex, Sofspan, Webril, Novonette, Biobarrier, Bidim, Linopor, UltraFlo
Major Markets
Construction and ground contact, consumer care, filtration, hygiene, medical and protective markets, industrial specialties, sorbent materials
BBA Materials Group—Sorbent Division
Headquarters: Peregallo di Lesmo Italy
Telephone: 39-039-62847-1
Web: www.bbafiberweb.com
Plants
Peregallo di Lesmo, Italy; Charlotte, NC; Simpsonville, SC; Tianjin, China
Processes
Airlaid, chemical bonded, caustic entanglement, thermal bonding, hydroentanglement, meltblown, sorbent composites, spunbond PP, PET bicomponent
Brand Names
Reemay, Korma, Starweb, AQF, Securon, Terram, Typar, Softex, Sofspan, Webril, Novonette, Biobarrier, Bidim, Linopor, UltraFlo
Major Markets
Construction and ground contact, consumer care, filtration, hygiene, medical and protective markets, industrial specialties, sorbent materials
BBA Fiberweb has continued to perform well thanks to a three-tiered success strategy which includes: productivity and capital control; growth in top line management through business wins, marketshare gains and acquisitions and through cash flow maximization. While the company’s nonwovens division has been impacted by rising raw material costs and lower margins, it was able to grow sales 5% last year to £527.5 million (nearly $900 million) on 4% volume growth.
The Nashville, TN-based division of London-based BBA Group, BBA Fiberweb operates through strategic regional and global markets in the Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific. Additionally, BBA contains a Sorbent Materials division which includes the company’s large diaper and feminine hygiene businesses as well as the smaller food packaging, liquid management, odor control and waste management areas.
BBA Fiberweb operates facilities throughout North America, South America, Europe and Asia and has its hand in virtually every technology and market in nonwovens. The streamlining of the company into these new divisions, which were established in spring 2003, was designed to help it make better sense of these businesses and better handle the challenges of running a global business.
By end use market, one area experiencing considerable success for BBA is construction. Sales in this area soared 20% last year thanks largely to advances in Typar Housewrap, which offers exceptional water holdout that is more than twice the minimum U.S. code requirement. Significant tear resistance allows Typar HouseWrap to survive environmental and construction stress. This product beat out others from 3M and CUNO to win an Achievement Award in the long-life category at this spring’s IDEA04 International engineered Fabrics Conference and Exposition.
In filtration, another core area for BBA, new products include Reemay Advantage. Launched in early 2003, this product combines the uniformity and strength of Reemay polyester with Microban antimicrobial product protection to create unique pool and spa filtration media. Also new is Reemay X-Treme fabric, a pleatable, multidenier polyester spunbond media offering excellent dust holding capabilities and low pressure drop for liquid and air filtration.
Also reporting positive sales growth was the Consumer Care division, which includes BBA’s baby wipe and other wipes businesses. Reporting sales of £81 million, a 6% increase, this area benefited from a new baby wipes line in Bethune, SC, which began operation in March 2003 and is currently running at planned levels. Boosting Consumer Care is the E33 million acquisition of Tecnofibra, a Milan, Italy-based company that is one of Europe’s largest suppliers of wipes and other consumer care products. Executives expect that this acquisition will help BBA grow the business outside of the U.S.
Meanwhile, healthcare sales, which include BBA’s sizable hygiene and disposable products business, grew 5%. The largest of BBA’s divisions, this market has sales of £235 million sales annually. One interesting activity seen in this area is BBA’s recently announced partnership with Procter & Gamble to help establish the U.S.’s first minority-owned nonwovens producer. BBA will provide product for this venture, Amantea Nonwovens, until the Cincinnati-based company builds its own plant. This three-way partnership was reportedly the result of BBA’s strong partnership with Procter & Gamble.
Making advances in the field of elastic nonwovens is Advanced Design Concepts, BBA’s joint venture agreement with The Dow Chemical Company. ADC introduced its first commercialized product, an economically attractive elastic nonwovens that can substitute film/net laminate structures, at IDEA 2004. The new products are made from bicomponent spunbond materials which will initially be available in basis weights ranging from 25 to 150 gsm. These materials, which are produced in a single step without lamination, will target personal hygiene, disposable medical and apparel applications. They offer unique properties in terms of breathability, drape and hand, not currently available with elastic films, nets, monofilaments or foams laminated to traditional nonwovens.
On the expansion front, BBA continues to reevaluate its machinery portfolio and make investments where suitable. In addition to the Bethune, SC line, BBA added a spunmelt line in Peine, Germany last year as well as one in Rayong, Thailand through its joint venture partner, CP Group. Additionally, Finotech, BBA’s joint venture company in Aschersleben, Germany, added new online printing capabilities to expand its offerings in the film lamination areas.
In Asia, BBA’s airlaid line, located in Tianjin, China, has improved its operation by better using its capacity. The new line came onstream in 2001, marking BBA’s first efforts into airlaid technology.
In other acquisition news, BBA purchased Superior Nonwovens, Gray Court, SC, a spunmelt provider, in 2002. The continued integration of Superior into its existing business, has helped reinforce BBA’s position as a leading supplier of spunbond polyester and increased its foothold in South Carolina, an important U.S. region for nonwovens production.
Looking ahead, BBA expects its growth will be largely occur in specialty wipes, household and industrial products and filtration markets. While its many other markets remain extremely important to the company, market research is indicated that these are the fast growing areas. "
