01.01.07
Location: Emsdetten, Germany
Sales: $200 million
Description: Key Personnel
Michael Haddon, managing director
Plants
Emsdetten, Germany; Dierdorf, Germany; Bocholt, Germany; Hangzhou, China
Processes
Drylaid, chemical bonded, thermal bonded, needlepunched, airthroughbonded
Applications
Hygiene, household, automotives, geotextiles, building, filtration
Sales increased 10% to reach $200 million for the TWE Group, the German nonwovens producer that includes the business formerly known as Lohmann, Kahnes and Hildener Filz. TWE Group, which merged with Lohmann in 2001, had retained separate identities for its acquired business until recently when it began working harder on establishing a stronger corporate identity and began approaching the market as one group. Since then Lohmann has been renamed TWE Dierdorf and the Tangerding site is now known as TWE Bocholt. Additionally, Hildener Filz, a nonwovens producer purchased in 2003, is currently being integrated into the group’s Dierdorf and Emsdetten, Germany manufacturing sites and its existing facility in Hilden, Germany will be closed early next year, according to company spokesman Michael Lohmann.
The key challenge for the TWE Group has been raw material and energy price increases. “We have obviously worked hard at synergy effects in order to offset this in some form or other but it is very difficult to be satisfied with the results given the pressures we are facing from the markets and above all the actions of some of our competitors,” Mr. Haddon explained.
Despite these challenges, TWE has invested heavily in the last 18 months in four new lines plus substantial upgrades to existing lines to provide state-of-the-art technology to remain competitive.
As a stand-alone company, Lohmann had a decent focus on hygiene and it continues to be important to the group but the company has been very careful to avoid an “all the eggs in one basket” syndrome and has reduced its exposure there. Currently, the group’s total turnover is split evenly between four main markets—hygiene, household, filtration and automotive, according to Mr. Haddon. “Beyond that, we still serve some very interesting niche markets, which I am not prepared to divulge,” he said.
In expansion news, geographically, China has become an important area for TWE, which is currently building a wholly-owned manufacturing facility there. This represents the company’s first non-German operation. “The first line should be up and running by the end of 2007 and will be serving the Asian market and at least one further line will be added in 2008,” Mr. Haddon said. “This reflects our vision for the future. We are aware that we need to become more global to service our customers and move away from being simply a German manufacturing outfit.”
Other global growth areas include Eastern Europe, where TWE is assessing the possibility of also adding a plant. “We are keen that these “global” sites should be for supplying local emerging markets as well as supporting our current customer base not at the expense of our current business,” Mr. Haddon concluded.
Sales: $200 million
Description: Key Personnel
Michael Haddon, managing director
Plants
Emsdetten, Germany; Dierdorf, Germany; Bocholt, Germany; Hangzhou, China
Processes
Drylaid, chemical bonded, thermal bonded, needlepunched, airthroughbonded
Applications
Hygiene, household, automotives, geotextiles, building, filtration
Sales increased 10% to reach $200 million for the TWE Group, the German nonwovens producer that includes the business formerly known as Lohmann, Kahnes and Hildener Filz. TWE Group, which merged with Lohmann in 2001, had retained separate identities for its acquired business until recently when it began working harder on establishing a stronger corporate identity and began approaching the market as one group. Since then Lohmann has been renamed TWE Dierdorf and the Tangerding site is now known as TWE Bocholt. Additionally, Hildener Filz, a nonwovens producer purchased in 2003, is currently being integrated into the group’s Dierdorf and Emsdetten, Germany manufacturing sites and its existing facility in Hilden, Germany will be closed early next year, according to company spokesman Michael Lohmann.
The key challenge for the TWE Group has been raw material and energy price increases. “We have obviously worked hard at synergy effects in order to offset this in some form or other but it is very difficult to be satisfied with the results given the pressures we are facing from the markets and above all the actions of some of our competitors,” Mr. Haddon explained.
Despite these challenges, TWE has invested heavily in the last 18 months in four new lines plus substantial upgrades to existing lines to provide state-of-the-art technology to remain competitive.
As a stand-alone company, Lohmann had a decent focus on hygiene and it continues to be important to the group but the company has been very careful to avoid an “all the eggs in one basket” syndrome and has reduced its exposure there. Currently, the group’s total turnover is split evenly between four main markets—hygiene, household, filtration and automotive, according to Mr. Haddon. “Beyond that, we still serve some very interesting niche markets, which I am not prepared to divulge,” he said.
In expansion news, geographically, China has become an important area for TWE, which is currently building a wholly-owned manufacturing facility there. This represents the company’s first non-German operation. “The first line should be up and running by the end of 2007 and will be serving the Asian market and at least one further line will be added in 2008,” Mr. Haddon said. “This reflects our vision for the future. We are aware that we need to become more global to service our customers and move away from being simply a German manufacturing outfit.”
Other global growth areas include Eastern Europe, where TWE is assessing the possibility of also adding a plant. “We are keen that these “global” sites should be for supplying local emerging markets as well as supporting our current customer base not at the expense of our current business,” Mr. Haddon concluded.