09.11.19
Aalborg, Denmark
www.fibertexpersonalcare.com
2019 Nonwovens Sales: $348 million
Key Personnel
Mikael Staal Axelsen, group CEO; Peter Andersen, CEO, Malaysia; Claus Svanberg, group CFO; Mette Due Sogaard, group quality and sustainability director; Peter Reis, group supply chain director; Anders Sogaard, operations director, Denmark; Jesper Pedersen, operations director, Malaysia; Ong Soo Fen, CFO, Malaysia; Albert Steffen, managing director, Germany
Plants
Denmark, Malaysia, North Caorlina
Processes
Spunbond and meltblown
Fibertex Personal Care reported 2019 sales that were largely in line with 2018 company wide. However sales from its Denmark facility increased while nonwovens sales from Malaysia decreased from DKK 306 to DKK 271 due to weaker demand in Malaysia.
Fibertex Personal Care operates five lines in Malaysia. The fifth line was complete in 2017, at a second production site. This line not only added 20,000 tons of capacity to the company’s output, it also gave Fibertex Nonwovens the ability to make supersoft nonwovens, which are in high demand in Asia.
In fact, Fibertex Nonwovens reports that the trend for supersoft and other specialty products is gradually moving toward Europe. In response, the company has stepped up its focus on launching products featuring new functions and visual effects as well as softer and more textile-like materials.
The majority of products sold at Fibertex Personal Care target the baby diaper segment, but the company is reporting strong growth in incontinence and feminine hygiene sales driven by demographic developments. To better serve these markets, Fibertex has focused on improving its technology platform and diversifying its raw material base to product specialty products customized to meet new demands.
One of these services is achieved through the company’s Innowo Print business, which offers direct printing on nonwovens. The company operates printing operations in Germany, Malaysia and Asheboro, NC.
This focus on innovation is expected to help Fibertex Personal Care remain a preferred supplier amidst heavy competition both in Europe and Asia. Rather than focus on capacity investment, which has been heavy throughout the industry in recent years, the company instead is focusing on maximizing the use of its existing assets until it becomes necessary to invest in additional capacity.
Another area of interest to Fibertex Nonwovens is sustainability. This is proven through its receipt of ISCC certification (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification ), which allows the Aalborg site to sell ISCC Plus certified nonwovens.
“We are very excited about this – and we are now ready to meet customer demand for more sustainable nonwovens and to support the development of a more sustainable supply chain for plastics,” Axelsen says.
The new sustainable offering can be applied broadly as a drop-in solution since the nonwoven will maintain all the usual excellent properties. There are no changes to recyclability and other waste management processes.
www.fibertexpersonalcare.com
2019 Nonwovens Sales: $348 million
Key Personnel
Mikael Staal Axelsen, group CEO; Peter Andersen, CEO, Malaysia; Claus Svanberg, group CFO; Mette Due Sogaard, group quality and sustainability director; Peter Reis, group supply chain director; Anders Sogaard, operations director, Denmark; Jesper Pedersen, operations director, Malaysia; Ong Soo Fen, CFO, Malaysia; Albert Steffen, managing director, Germany
Plants
Denmark, Malaysia, North Caorlina
Processes
Spunbond and meltblown
Fibertex Personal Care reported 2019 sales that were largely in line with 2018 company wide. However sales from its Denmark facility increased while nonwovens sales from Malaysia decreased from DKK 306 to DKK 271 due to weaker demand in Malaysia.
Fibertex Personal Care operates five lines in Malaysia. The fifth line was complete in 2017, at a second production site. This line not only added 20,000 tons of capacity to the company’s output, it also gave Fibertex Nonwovens the ability to make supersoft nonwovens, which are in high demand in Asia.
In fact, Fibertex Nonwovens reports that the trend for supersoft and other specialty products is gradually moving toward Europe. In response, the company has stepped up its focus on launching products featuring new functions and visual effects as well as softer and more textile-like materials.
The majority of products sold at Fibertex Personal Care target the baby diaper segment, but the company is reporting strong growth in incontinence and feminine hygiene sales driven by demographic developments. To better serve these markets, Fibertex has focused on improving its technology platform and diversifying its raw material base to product specialty products customized to meet new demands.
One of these services is achieved through the company’s Innowo Print business, which offers direct printing on nonwovens. The company operates printing operations in Germany, Malaysia and Asheboro, NC.
This focus on innovation is expected to help Fibertex Personal Care remain a preferred supplier amidst heavy competition both in Europe and Asia. Rather than focus on capacity investment, which has been heavy throughout the industry in recent years, the company instead is focusing on maximizing the use of its existing assets until it becomes necessary to invest in additional capacity.
Another area of interest to Fibertex Nonwovens is sustainability. This is proven through its receipt of ISCC certification (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification ), which allows the Aalborg site to sell ISCC Plus certified nonwovens.
“We are very excited about this – and we are now ready to meet customer demand for more sustainable nonwovens and to support the development of a more sustainable supply chain for plastics,” Axelsen says.
The new sustainable offering can be applied broadly as a drop-in solution since the nonwoven will maintain all the usual excellent properties. There are no changes to recyclability and other waste management processes.
