01.01.05
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Sales: $197 million
Description: Key Personnel
Yutaka Tanaka, president; Kazunori Imamura, managing director; Yoshiaki Mizutani, director; Mitsuo Kanno, managing director
Plants
Shiga and Tokyo, Japan
Processes
Resin bonded, needlepunched, thermal bonded, wetlaid, spunlaced, meltblown, tackspun
Major Markets
Apparel interlinings, apparel insulations, air filters, plaster bases, automotive mats, automotive headliners, battery electrode separators
For Japan’s largest roll goods producer Japan Vilene, 2004 was marked by significant sales growth outside of its core domestic market. Domestic and overseas sales represented ¥49.4 billion of the company’s consolidated sales in 2004. Sales within Japan decreased 5.0% to ¥36.6 billion, while sales outside of Japan increased 26.1% to ¥12.8 billion. According to the company, the ratio of foreign sales to total sales increased 20.8% in 2003 and 26.1% in 2004.
Although corporate sales were down slightly, 0.2%, compared to the previous year, consolidated sales including group enterprises increased 1.5% compared to 2003 sales. As would be expected, Japan Vilene’s performance varied by segment, with apparel materials bringing in ¥6.0 billion (an 11.1% decrease compared to the year before). Meanwhile, the company’s automotive business saw an increase of 2.4%, totaling ¥16.1 billion; air filtration materials earned ¥8.8 billion (a 1.9% increase); sales for industrial materials were ¥5.6 billion (a 4.1% drop); electrical materials jumped a significant 27.7% to ¥5.2 billion; medical and consumer materials earned ¥6.4 billion (up 2.5%) and sales for the rest of Japan Vilene’s businesses amounted to ¥1.2 billion, a 21.7% increase.
Geographically speaking, Japan Vilene achieved solid sales in both North America and Asia last year. At ¥6.7 billion, sales in North America increased 13.9% over 2003 while sales in Asia totaled ¥5.5 billion, a jump of 50.8%. Sales in the rest of the world amounted to ¥0.6 billion, a 4.5% decrease. In contrast to the company’s sales gains in the North American and Asian markets, Japan Vilene’s domestic sales were disappointing, dropping to ¥36.6 billion in 2004 from ¥46.4 billion in 2000-a dramatic ¥10 billion decline in four years.
On the positive side, Japan Vilene enjoyed strong gains in the electrical materials segment, where sales jumped from ¥3.2 billion in 2001 to ¥5.2 billion in 2004. The company’s major product line in this segment continues to be battery electrode separators. Demand for nickel-hydrogen batteries, used for hybrid gas/electrical vehicles, is expected to increase rapidly in the future, a boon for Japan Vilene since it holds an overwhelming share of the nonwoven battery electrode separator market worldwide.
In terms of its global strategy, Japan Vilene has focused recent efforts on the expansion of its overseas business and is especially enthusiastic about progress in China. Established in April 2004, its FVFC joint venture with partner Freudenberg Nonwovens has been producing automotive air filters since January 2005. With operations beginning in March 2005, Japan Vilene’s wholly owned subsidiary TVA Co. manufactures and sells automotive floor mats. In May 2005, Japan Vilene acquired interlinings manufacturer NHC Co., an operation that just came onstream in July under the new name FVN Co. The company’s new enterprises in China are expected to increase in 2005 from this year’s sales level of ¥5.5 billion.
Sales: $197 million
Description: Key Personnel
Yutaka Tanaka, president; Kazunori Imamura, managing director; Yoshiaki Mizutani, director; Mitsuo Kanno, managing director
Plants
Shiga and Tokyo, Japan
Processes
Resin bonded, needlepunched, thermal bonded, wetlaid, spunlaced, meltblown, tackspun
Major Markets
Apparel interlinings, apparel insulations, air filters, plaster bases, automotive mats, automotive headliners, battery electrode separators
For Japan’s largest roll goods producer Japan Vilene, 2004 was marked by significant sales growth outside of its core domestic market. Domestic and overseas sales represented ¥49.4 billion of the company’s consolidated sales in 2004. Sales within Japan decreased 5.0% to ¥36.6 billion, while sales outside of Japan increased 26.1% to ¥12.8 billion. According to the company, the ratio of foreign sales to total sales increased 20.8% in 2003 and 26.1% in 2004.
Although corporate sales were down slightly, 0.2%, compared to the previous year, consolidated sales including group enterprises increased 1.5% compared to 2003 sales. As would be expected, Japan Vilene’s performance varied by segment, with apparel materials bringing in ¥6.0 billion (an 11.1% decrease compared to the year before). Meanwhile, the company’s automotive business saw an increase of 2.4%, totaling ¥16.1 billion; air filtration materials earned ¥8.8 billion (a 1.9% increase); sales for industrial materials were ¥5.6 billion (a 4.1% drop); electrical materials jumped a significant 27.7% to ¥5.2 billion; medical and consumer materials earned ¥6.4 billion (up 2.5%) and sales for the rest of Japan Vilene’s businesses amounted to ¥1.2 billion, a 21.7% increase.
Geographically speaking, Japan Vilene achieved solid sales in both North America and Asia last year. At ¥6.7 billion, sales in North America increased 13.9% over 2003 while sales in Asia totaled ¥5.5 billion, a jump of 50.8%. Sales in the rest of the world amounted to ¥0.6 billion, a 4.5% decrease. In contrast to the company’s sales gains in the North American and Asian markets, Japan Vilene’s domestic sales were disappointing, dropping to ¥36.6 billion in 2004 from ¥46.4 billion in 2000-a dramatic ¥10 billion decline in four years.
On the positive side, Japan Vilene enjoyed strong gains in the electrical materials segment, where sales jumped from ¥3.2 billion in 2001 to ¥5.2 billion in 2004. The company’s major product line in this segment continues to be battery electrode separators. Demand for nickel-hydrogen batteries, used for hybrid gas/electrical vehicles, is expected to increase rapidly in the future, a boon for Japan Vilene since it holds an overwhelming share of the nonwoven battery electrode separator market worldwide.
In terms of its global strategy, Japan Vilene has focused recent efforts on the expansion of its overseas business and is especially enthusiastic about progress in China. Established in April 2004, its FVFC joint venture with partner Freudenberg Nonwovens has been producing automotive air filters since January 2005. With operations beginning in March 2005, Japan Vilene’s wholly owned subsidiary TVA Co. manufactures and sells automotive floor mats. In May 2005, Japan Vilene acquired interlinings manufacturer NHC Co., an operation that just came onstream in July under the new name FVN Co. The company’s new enterprises in China are expected to increase in 2005 from this year’s sales level of ¥5.5 billion.