09.08.22
A Company of Hoftex Group AG
Hof/Saale, Germany
www.tenowo.com; www.hoftexgroup.com
2021 Nonwovens Sales: $130 million
Key Personnel
Salvatore Musso, CEO Tenowo group, Dr. Elmar Wind, COO Tenowo Group, Detlev Käppel, global sales director technical nonwovens and managing director at Tenowo Huzhou; Fred Stephenson, president, Tenowo Inc. NC/USA
Plants
Hof/Saale, Reichenbach, Mittweida, Germany; Fizzonasco die Pieve, Italy; Lincolnton, NC/USA; Huzhou City, PRC
Processes
Drylaid, thermal bonded, needlepunched, saturate bonded, stitchbonded, spunlace, highloft
Brand Names
Variopoint, Unipoint, Unisoft, Zetafelt, Zetastitch, Zetafil, Zetawatt, Zetaloft, Florbond, Zetabond, Zetajet, Zetatherm, Zetamold, Zetacomp, Zetacoustic, Zetabolt, Zetaknit, Maliwatt, Malivlies, Kunit, Multiknit, Eswegee, Bassopoint
Major Markets
Acoustics, automotive, filtration, roofing, industrial, composites, interlinings, medical, healthcare, consumer goods
Tenowo’s sales in 2021 were still influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing supply chain interruptions. Especially in the first quarter 2021, the company reports a nice upturn in sales and production for all locations. The worldwide shortage of semiconductors, which began later in the year, slowed down orders in the automotive market.
Additional challenges included difficulties in the procurement of fibers and chemicals, inflation in all raw material groups and supply chain issues. “Our entire team worked hard to deal with all these challenges to minimize supply interruptions for our customers,” says COO Detlev Käppel. “We are very proud for all the achievements we reached together to guide Tenowo through this difficult environment.”
These challenges also led to a slight delay in the group’s new high loft product-group, Zetaloft+, which has been very successful and attracted a lot of new customers. Käppel says he expects to run this line at full capacity soon with a number of new sustainable products targeting different market segments like automotive (exterior and interior), apparel, furniture and the composite industry.
“The products show similar behavior to foams, save costs and are the perfect choice for customers which follow sustainability ideas,” he adds.
Tenowo operates three plants in Germany—in Hof, Rechenbach and Mittweida. In Hof, Tenowo was affected by a flooding event in June 2021 when several machines were damaged. The team was able to fully restore delivery and performance in the weeks and months following the flood and was able to minimize the impact on customers. Meanwhile, Reichenbach ran satisfactorily 2021, despite the influence on its orders because of the semiconductor shortage. Sales in other market segments such as roofing, industrial filtration or others helped it to compensate. In Mittweida, where Tenowo houses its European stitchbond business, capacity was fully utilized throughout most of the year with some variations due to the automotive crisis. The sustainable product group for car seats and other industrial applications, called “Multiknit and Climaknit,” gained considerable interest from both its existing and new customers. The fully recyclable nonwovens can replace foam and other “bulky” materials with the advantages of no VOC, good air permeability and much more, according to Käppel.
Elsewhere in Europe, Tenowo operates a facility in Milan, Italy, which was acquired in 2019 as a way to expand its role in the medical market. “We repositioned our activities with a clear focus on medical devices developed and manufactured in-house and marketed both domestically and on an international level,” says CEO Salvatore Musso. “Our portfolio covers wound care applications, absorbent mats, tracheostomy pads, undercast paddings, just to name a few.”
For Tenowo's 2020 top company profile, click here.
Hof/Saale, Germany
www.tenowo.com; www.hoftexgroup.com
2021 Nonwovens Sales: $130 million
Key Personnel
Salvatore Musso, CEO Tenowo group, Dr. Elmar Wind, COO Tenowo Group, Detlev Käppel, global sales director technical nonwovens and managing director at Tenowo Huzhou; Fred Stephenson, president, Tenowo Inc. NC/USA
Plants
Hof/Saale, Reichenbach, Mittweida, Germany; Fizzonasco die Pieve, Italy; Lincolnton, NC/USA; Huzhou City, PRC
Processes
Drylaid, thermal bonded, needlepunched, saturate bonded, stitchbonded, spunlace, highloft
Brand Names
Variopoint, Unipoint, Unisoft, Zetafelt, Zetastitch, Zetafil, Zetawatt, Zetaloft, Florbond, Zetabond, Zetajet, Zetatherm, Zetamold, Zetacomp, Zetacoustic, Zetabolt, Zetaknit, Maliwatt, Malivlies, Kunit, Multiknit, Eswegee, Bassopoint
Major Markets
Acoustics, automotive, filtration, roofing, industrial, composites, interlinings, medical, healthcare, consumer goods
Tenowo’s sales in 2021 were still influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing supply chain interruptions. Especially in the first quarter 2021, the company reports a nice upturn in sales and production for all locations. The worldwide shortage of semiconductors, which began later in the year, slowed down orders in the automotive market.
Additional challenges included difficulties in the procurement of fibers and chemicals, inflation in all raw material groups and supply chain issues. “Our entire team worked hard to deal with all these challenges to minimize supply interruptions for our customers,” says COO Detlev Käppel. “We are very proud for all the achievements we reached together to guide Tenowo through this difficult environment.”
These challenges also led to a slight delay in the group’s new high loft product-group, Zetaloft+, which has been very successful and attracted a lot of new customers. Käppel says he expects to run this line at full capacity soon with a number of new sustainable products targeting different market segments like automotive (exterior and interior), apparel, furniture and the composite industry.
“The products show similar behavior to foams, save costs and are the perfect choice for customers which follow sustainability ideas,” he adds.
Tenowo operates three plants in Germany—in Hof, Rechenbach and Mittweida. In Hof, Tenowo was affected by a flooding event in June 2021 when several machines were damaged. The team was able to fully restore delivery and performance in the weeks and months following the flood and was able to minimize the impact on customers. Meanwhile, Reichenbach ran satisfactorily 2021, despite the influence on its orders because of the semiconductor shortage. Sales in other market segments such as roofing, industrial filtration or others helped it to compensate. In Mittweida, where Tenowo houses its European stitchbond business, capacity was fully utilized throughout most of the year with some variations due to the automotive crisis. The sustainable product group for car seats and other industrial applications, called “Multiknit and Climaknit,” gained considerable interest from both its existing and new customers. The fully recyclable nonwovens can replace foam and other “bulky” materials with the advantages of no VOC, good air permeability and much more, according to Käppel.
Elsewhere in Europe, Tenowo operates a facility in Milan, Italy, which was acquired in 2019 as a way to expand its role in the medical market. “We repositioned our activities with a clear focus on medical devices developed and manufactured in-house and marketed both domestically and on an international level,” says CEO Salvatore Musso. “Our portfolio covers wound care applications, absorbent mats, tracheostomy pads, undercast paddings, just to name a few.”
For Tenowo's 2020 top company profile, click here.