Johns Manville
Location: Denver, CO
Sales: $500 million
Description: Personnel
Steve Hochhauser, senior vice president, Engineered Products Group; Marvin Mitchell, vice president of Engineered Products Division; John Robertson, interim general manager of Filtration Division; Luc Mechelaere, vice president of Johns Manville Europe; Dick LeBoeuf, senior director global manufacturing; Emiel Dons, managing director of Chinese Nonwovens
Plants
Waterville, OH; Defiance, OH; Parkersburg, WV; Richland, MS, Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wetheim, Karlstein and Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, China; Trnava, Slovakia
ISO Status
Parkersburg, WV, Spartanburg, SC and Defiance, OH ISO 9002 certified; Bobingen and Berlin, Germany ISO 9001 certified; Waterville, OH ISO 9002 certified; Etowah, TN ISO 9002 certified
Processes
Airlaid (glass and synthetic), wetlaid, calendered, melt blown, spunbonded, needlepunched, thermal bonded
Brand Names
Delta-Aire, DynaWick, DynaWeb, DynaTech, Micro-Aire, Duragrid
Major Markets
Roofing substrates, air and liquid filtration, sorbents, battery separators, geotextiles, flooring and moldables (heterofil)
Eighteen months after being purchased by Berkshire Hathaway, roll goods producer and construction specialist Johns Manville, Denver, CO, has a lot to crow about. New capacity in Europe, an important acquisition in Eastern Europe and a host of new products in the pipeline have meant good things for JM. Berkshire Hathaway purchased JM in early 2001 in a $1.96 billion deal, and the company is enjoying the strength and financial stability that comes with having a huge conglomerate behind it. For instance, the ownership has enabled JM executives to focus on running the company instead of worrying about finding a new owner.
“The financial backing has allowed us more freedom,” said Marvin Mitchell, vice president and general manager of JM’s Engineered Products Division. “It also opens up a lot of opportunities. For example, a great management team has been attracted by the benefits of working for such a strong company.”
While the company’s status as a Berkshire Hathaway company has kept it from publicizing its exact sales figures, company executives did say that filtration sales were flat while sales in the remainder of its nonwovens-related businesses were boosted, to some degree, by new capacity and other market conditions.
JM is comprised of three operating groups—Engineered Products, Insulation and Roofing systems. All three business units continue to be leaders in their respective fields despite the ongoing economic slowdown around the world.
JM’s nonwovens business falls under its Engineered Products division and targets four key segments: roofing substrates, reinforcements, filtration and specialty markets. Activity in the roofing segment has varied from region to region. While construction in Europe, particularly in Germany, has been experiencing a slowdown, sales of the company’s glass nonwoven mats have increased in North America all year. This has been brought on by a boom in the North American housing market that has offset the weaker commercial side of the business.
On the filtration side of the business, customer preferences tend to vary from region to region, but overall the segment has withstood recessionary conditions around the world. Only the high efficiency ultrafiltration segment for the semiconductor and cleanroom industries has slowed down. Regionally, the European market is driven by quality and performance issues while the U.S. market is characterized by cost reductions.
“Filtration is somewhat resistant to economic dips,” said interim general manager of JM’s filtration division, John Roberts. “Only in the high efficiency ultrafiltration segments have we seen the effects of recession. These fell off a little before September 11 but are slowly making their way back.”
In terms of the nonwovens industry in general, JM executives still predict growth, which will come on the heels of innovation and development in the future. “The global nonwovens industry has tremendous opportunities to grow as we have seen it do in the past several years,” remarked Luc Mechelaere, vice president and general manager of Johns Manville, Europe, Bad Homburg, Germany. “The challenge is to create a solution and bring value to customers as well as to replace wovens with nonwovens in many key areas. This can contribute to the overall profitability of a customer.”
In terms of global operations, JM currently produces nonwovens in Ohio, West Virginia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee in the U.S., in Berlin, Wertheim, Karlestein and Steinach, Germany and Trnava, Slovakia in Europe and in Shanghai, China in Asia.
JM’s European operations are benefiting from a number of new investments. The company completed construction on a new spunbond line in Berlin, Germany at the end of 2002, doubling JM’s capacity in this area. Representing a $15-20 million investment, the new line produces high end materials targeting the service filtration, high end roofing and specialty end use markets. Also in Berlin, JM had planned to add two melt blown lines this year, but these plans, announced in September 2001, have been put on hold. JM is reportedly examining some other options in the area.
In other expansion news, a new fine fiber glass line was inaugurated in Wertheim, Germany early this year. This new line has reportedly shortened customer lead time and made it easier for JM to work locally.
Of major significance to JM’s global business is its recent entry into the Eastern European market, which was precipitated by its purchase of Skloplast, a fiberglass manufacturing company located in Trnava, Slovakia in January 2001. This investment not only complemented JM’s existing fiberglass operations, it gave the company a strong foothold in Eastern Europe, which is being viewed as an important growth market, particularly in the roofing and construction markets. JM further proved this market’s importance when it bolstered the acquisition with the addition of a second fiberglass furnace at the Skloplast site soon after purchasing it. While company executives would not be specific about plans for this market, they did hint that additional expansion plans will be unveiled later this year.
“A big advantage we gained through the purchase of Skloplast is knowledge of the market in Eastern Europe,” Mr. Mechelaere said. “Internal knowledge is important if you want to move into a new area.”
In Asia, JM is reporting an upsurge of nonwovens usage in China, particularly in the roofing and construction market. The company has operated a spunbond plant in Shanghai since 1999 which is currently running at full capacity. One of the key factors shaping growth in the Chinese market is preparation for the Olympics, which will be held there in 2008. Additionally, huge river projects and other environmental efforts have boosted the geotextiles market. Executives would not comment on future expansion plans in this region.
In terms of new product development, JM recently introduced Dynaweb PBT polyester melt blown media for liquid filtration applications. This product can be coated with different materials to conform to various customer specifications. Executives said it is just one example of JM’s commitment to providing custom-tailored solutions to its customers’ needs.
In the future, JM plans to focus on the market from a global perspective. “We have become a real global company in everything we do—from a location standpoint,” Mr. Mitchell said. “With our global teams now in place, we are seeing our ability to respond globally move from months to weeks.”"ral manager of JM's Engineered Products Division. 'It also opens up a lot of opportunities. For example, a great management team has been attracted by the benefits of working for such a strong company.î While the company's status as a Berkshire Hathaway company has kept it from publicizing its exact sales figures, company executives did say that filtration sales were flat while sales in the remainder of its nonwovens-related businesses were boosted, to some degree, by new capacity and other market conditions. JM is comprised of three operating groupsóEngineered Products, Insulation and Roofing systems. All three business units continue to be leaders in their respective fields despite the ongoing economic slowdown around the world. JM's nonwovens business falls under its Engineered Products division and targets four key segments: roofing substrates, reinforcements, filtration and specialty markets. Activity in the roofing segment has varied from region to region. While construction in Europe, particularly in Germany, has been experiencing a slowdown, sales of the company's glass nonwoven mats have increased in North America all year. This has been brought on by a boom in the North American housing market that has offset the weaker commercial side of the business. On the filtration side of the business, customer preferences tend to vary from region to region, but overall the segment has withstood recessionary conditions around the world. Only the high efficiency ultrafiltration segment for the semiconductor and cleanroom industries has slowed down. Regionally, the European market is driven by quality and performance issues while the U.S. market is characterized by cost reductions. 'Filtration is somewhat resistant to economic dips,î said interim general manager of JM's filtration division, John Roberts. 'Only in the high efficiency ultrafiltration segments have we seen the effects of recession. These fell off a little before September 11 but are slowly making their way back.î In terms of the nonwovens industry in general, JM executives still predict growth, which will come on the heels of innovation and development in the future. 'The global nonwovens industry has tremendous opportunities to grow as we have seen it do in the past several years,î remarked Luc Mechelaere, vice president and general manager of Johns Manville, Europe, Bad Homburg, Germany. 'The challenge is to create a solution and bring value to customers as well as to replace wovens with nonwovens in many key areas. This can contribute to the overall profitability of a customer.î In terms of global operations, JM currently produces nonwovens in Ohio, West Virginia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee in the U.S., in Berlin, Wertheim, Karlestein and Steinach, Germany and Trnava, Slovakia in Europe and in Shanghai, China in Asia. JM's European operations are benefiting from a number of new investments. The company completed construction on a new spunbond line in Berlin, Germany at the end of 2002, doubling JM's capacity in this area. Repre≠senting a $15-20 million investment, the new line produces high end materials targeting the service filtration, high end roofing and specialty end use markets. Also in Berlin, JM had planned to add two melt blown lines this year, but these plans, announced in Sept≠ember 2001, have been put on hold. JM is reportedly examining some other options in the area. In other expansion news, a new fine fiber glass line was inaugurated in Wertheim, Germany early this year. This new line has reportedly shortened customer lead time and made it easier for JM to work locally. Of major significance to JM's global business is its recent entry into the Eastern European market, which was precipitated by its purchase of Skloplast, a fiberglass manufacturing company located in Trnava, Slovakia in January 2001. This investment not only complemented JM's existing fiberglass operations, it gave the company a strong foothold in Eastern Europe, which is being viewed as an important growth market, particularly in the roofing and construction markets. JM further proved this market's importance when it bolstered the acquisition with the addition of a second fiberglass furnace at the Skloplast site soon after purchasing it. While company executives would not be specific about plans for this market, they did hint that additional expansion plans will be unveiled later this year. 'A big advantage we gained through the purchase of Skloplast is knowledge of the market in Eastern Europe,î Mr. Mechelaere said. 'Internal knowledge is important if you want to move into a new area.î In Asia, JM is reporting an upsurge of nonwovens usage in China, particularly in the roofing and construction market. The company has operated a spunbond plant in Shanghai since 1999 which is currently running at full capacity. One of the key factors shaping growth in the Chinese market is preparation for the Olympics, which will be held there in 2008. Additionally, huge river projects and other environmental efforts have boosted the geotextiles market. Executives would not comment on future expansion plans in this region. In terms of new product development, JM recently introduced Dynaweb PBT polyester melt blown media for liquid filtration applications. This product can be coated with different materials to conform to various customer specifications. Executives said it is just one example of JM's commitment to providing custom-tailored solutions to its customers' needs. In the future, JM plans to focus on the market from a global perspective. 'We have become a real global company in everything we doófrom a location standpoint,î Mr. Mitchell said. 'With our global teams now in place, we are seeing our ability to respond globally move from months to weeks.î
Sales: $500 million
Description: Personnel
Steve Hochhauser, senior vice president, Engineered Products Group; Marvin Mitchell, vice president of Engineered Products Division; John Robertson, interim general manager of Filtration Division; Luc Mechelaere, vice president of Johns Manville Europe; Dick LeBoeuf, senior director global manufacturing; Emiel Dons, managing director of Chinese Nonwovens
Plants
Waterville, OH; Defiance, OH; Parkersburg, WV; Richland, MS, Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wetheim, Karlstein and Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, China; Trnava, Slovakia
ISO Status
Parkersburg, WV, Spartanburg, SC and Defiance, OH ISO 9002 certified; Bobingen and Berlin, Germany ISO 9001 certified; Waterville, OH ISO 9002 certified; Etowah, TN ISO 9002 certified
Processes
Airlaid (glass and synthetic), wetlaid, calendered, melt blown, spunbonded, needlepunched, thermal bonded
Brand Names
Delta-Aire, DynaWick, DynaWeb, DynaTech, Micro-Aire, Duragrid
Major Markets
Roofing substrates, air and liquid filtration, sorbents, battery separators, geotextiles, flooring and moldables (heterofil)
Eighteen months after being purchased by Berkshire Hathaway, roll goods producer and construction specialist Johns Manville, Denver, CO, has a lot to crow about. New capacity in Europe, an important acquisition in Eastern Europe and a host of new products in the pipeline have meant good things for JM. Berkshire Hathaway purchased JM in early 2001 in a $1.96 billion deal, and the company is enjoying the strength and financial stability that comes with having a huge conglomerate behind it. For instance, the ownership has enabled JM executives to focus on running the company instead of worrying about finding a new owner.
“The financial backing has allowed us more freedom,” said Marvin Mitchell, vice president and general manager of JM’s Engineered Products Division. “It also opens up a lot of opportunities. For example, a great management team has been attracted by the benefits of working for such a strong company.”
While the company’s status as a Berkshire Hathaway company has kept it from publicizing its exact sales figures, company executives did say that filtration sales were flat while sales in the remainder of its nonwovens-related businesses were boosted, to some degree, by new capacity and other market conditions.
JM is comprised of three operating groups—Engineered Products, Insulation and Roofing systems. All three business units continue to be leaders in their respective fields despite the ongoing economic slowdown around the world.
JM’s nonwovens business falls under its Engineered Products division and targets four key segments: roofing substrates, reinforcements, filtration and specialty markets. Activity in the roofing segment has varied from region to region. While construction in Europe, particularly in Germany, has been experiencing a slowdown, sales of the company’s glass nonwoven mats have increased in North America all year. This has been brought on by a boom in the North American housing market that has offset the weaker commercial side of the business.
On the filtration side of the business, customer preferences tend to vary from region to region, but overall the segment has withstood recessionary conditions around the world. Only the high efficiency ultrafiltration segment for the semiconductor and cleanroom industries has slowed down. Regionally, the European market is driven by quality and performance issues while the U.S. market is characterized by cost reductions.
“Filtration is somewhat resistant to economic dips,” said interim general manager of JM’s filtration division, John Roberts. “Only in the high efficiency ultrafiltration segments have we seen the effects of recession. These fell off a little before September 11 but are slowly making their way back.”
In terms of the nonwovens industry in general, JM executives still predict growth, which will come on the heels of innovation and development in the future. “The global nonwovens industry has tremendous opportunities to grow as we have seen it do in the past several years,” remarked Luc Mechelaere, vice president and general manager of Johns Manville, Europe, Bad Homburg, Germany. “The challenge is to create a solution and bring value to customers as well as to replace wovens with nonwovens in many key areas. This can contribute to the overall profitability of a customer.”
In terms of global operations, JM currently produces nonwovens in Ohio, West Virginia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee in the U.S., in Berlin, Wertheim, Karlestein and Steinach, Germany and Trnava, Slovakia in Europe and in Shanghai, China in Asia.
JM’s European operations are benefiting from a number of new investments. The company completed construction on a new spunbond line in Berlin, Germany at the end of 2002, doubling JM’s capacity in this area. Representing a $15-20 million investment, the new line produces high end materials targeting the service filtration, high end roofing and specialty end use markets. Also in Berlin, JM had planned to add two melt blown lines this year, but these plans, announced in September 2001, have been put on hold. JM is reportedly examining some other options in the area.
In other expansion news, a new fine fiber glass line was inaugurated in Wertheim, Germany early this year. This new line has reportedly shortened customer lead time and made it easier for JM to work locally.
Of major significance to JM’s global business is its recent entry into the Eastern European market, which was precipitated by its purchase of Skloplast, a fiberglass manufacturing company located in Trnava, Slovakia in January 2001. This investment not only complemented JM’s existing fiberglass operations, it gave the company a strong foothold in Eastern Europe, which is being viewed as an important growth market, particularly in the roofing and construction markets. JM further proved this market’s importance when it bolstered the acquisition with the addition of a second fiberglass furnace at the Skloplast site soon after purchasing it. While company executives would not be specific about plans for this market, they did hint that additional expansion plans will be unveiled later this year.
“A big advantage we gained through the purchase of Skloplast is knowledge of the market in Eastern Europe,” Mr. Mechelaere said. “Internal knowledge is important if you want to move into a new area.”
In Asia, JM is reporting an upsurge of nonwovens usage in China, particularly in the roofing and construction market. The company has operated a spunbond plant in Shanghai since 1999 which is currently running at full capacity. One of the key factors shaping growth in the Chinese market is preparation for the Olympics, which will be held there in 2008. Additionally, huge river projects and other environmental efforts have boosted the geotextiles market. Executives would not comment on future expansion plans in this region.
In terms of new product development, JM recently introduced Dynaweb PBT polyester melt blown media for liquid filtration applications. This product can be coated with different materials to conform to various customer specifications. Executives said it is just one example of JM’s commitment to providing custom-tailored solutions to its customers’ needs.
In the future, JM plans to focus on the market from a global perspective. “We have become a real global company in everything we do—from a location standpoint,” Mr. Mitchell said. “With our global teams now in place, we are seeing our ability to respond globally move from months to weeks.”"ral manager of JM's Engineered Products Division. 'It also opens up a lot of opportunities. For example, a great management team has been attracted by the benefits of working for such a strong company.î While the company's status as a Berkshire Hathaway company has kept it from publicizing its exact sales figures, company executives did say that filtration sales were flat while sales in the remainder of its nonwovens-related businesses were boosted, to some degree, by new capacity and other market conditions. JM is comprised of three operating groupsóEngineered Products, Insulation and Roofing systems. All three business units continue to be leaders in their respective fields despite the ongoing economic slowdown around the world. JM's nonwovens business falls under its Engineered Products division and targets four key segments: roofing substrates, reinforcements, filtration and specialty markets. Activity in the roofing segment has varied from region to region. While construction in Europe, particularly in Germany, has been experiencing a slowdown, sales of the company's glass nonwoven mats have increased in North America all year. This has been brought on by a boom in the North American housing market that has offset the weaker commercial side of the business. On the filtration side of the business, customer preferences tend to vary from region to region, but overall the segment has withstood recessionary conditions around the world. Only the high efficiency ultrafiltration segment for the semiconductor and cleanroom industries has slowed down. Regionally, the European market is driven by quality and performance issues while the U.S. market is characterized by cost reductions. 'Filtration is somewhat resistant to economic dips,î said interim general manager of JM's filtration division, John Roberts. 'Only in the high efficiency ultrafiltration segments have we seen the effects of recession. These fell off a little before September 11 but are slowly making their way back.î In terms of the nonwovens industry in general, JM executives still predict growth, which will come on the heels of innovation and development in the future. 'The global nonwovens industry has tremendous opportunities to grow as we have seen it do in the past several years,î remarked Luc Mechelaere, vice president and general manager of Johns Manville, Europe, Bad Homburg, Germany. 'The challenge is to create a solution and bring value to customers as well as to replace wovens with nonwovens in many key areas. This can contribute to the overall profitability of a customer.î In terms of global operations, JM currently produces nonwovens in Ohio, West Virginia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee in the U.S., in Berlin, Wertheim, Karlestein and Steinach, Germany and Trnava, Slovakia in Europe and in Shanghai, China in Asia. JM's European operations are benefiting from a number of new investments. The company completed construction on a new spunbond line in Berlin, Germany at the end of 2002, doubling JM's capacity in this area. Repre≠senting a $15-20 million investment, the new line produces high end materials targeting the service filtration, high end roofing and specialty end use markets. Also in Berlin, JM had planned to add two melt blown lines this year, but these plans, announced in Sept≠ember 2001, have been put on hold. JM is reportedly examining some other options in the area. In other expansion news, a new fine fiber glass line was inaugurated in Wertheim, Germany early this year. This new line has reportedly shortened customer lead time and made it easier for JM to work locally. Of major significance to JM's global business is its recent entry into the Eastern European market, which was precipitated by its purchase of Skloplast, a fiberglass manufacturing company located in Trnava, Slovakia in January 2001. This investment not only complemented JM's existing fiberglass operations, it gave the company a strong foothold in Eastern Europe, which is being viewed as an important growth market, particularly in the roofing and construction markets. JM further proved this market's importance when it bolstered the acquisition with the addition of a second fiberglass furnace at the Skloplast site soon after purchasing it. While company executives would not be specific about plans for this market, they did hint that additional expansion plans will be unveiled later this year. 'A big advantage we gained through the purchase of Skloplast is knowledge of the market in Eastern Europe,î Mr. Mechelaere said. 'Internal knowledge is important if you want to move into a new area.î In Asia, JM is reporting an upsurge of nonwovens usage in China, particularly in the roofing and construction market. The company has operated a spunbond plant in Shanghai since 1999 which is currently running at full capacity. One of the key factors shaping growth in the Chinese market is preparation for the Olympics, which will be held there in 2008. Additionally, huge river projects and other environmental efforts have boosted the geotextiles market. Executives would not comment on future expansion plans in this region. In terms of new product development, JM recently introduced Dynaweb PBT polyester melt blown media for liquid filtration applications. This product can be coated with different materials to conform to various customer specifications. Executives said it is just one example of JM's commitment to providing custom-tailored solutions to its customers' needs. In the future, JM plans to focus on the market from a global perspective. 'We have become a real global company in everything we doófrom a location standpoint,î Mr. Mitchell said. 'With our global teams now in place, we are seeing our ability to respond globally move from months to weeks.î
Location: Denver, CO
Sales: $525 million
Description: Key Personnel
Chuck Griffith, senior vice president, engineered products Group; Marvin Mitchell, global leader for high performance nonwovens; Zain Mahmood, global leader for roofing materials; Luc Mechelaere, vice president of Johns Manville Europe; Dick LeBoeuf, senior director global manufacturing
Plants
Waterville, OH; Defiance, OH; Richland, MS, Spartanburg, SC, Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein and Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, China; Trnava, Slovakia
ISO Status
Spartanburg, SC and Defiance, OH ISO 9002 certified; Bobingen and Berlin, Germany ISO 9001 certified; Waterville, OH ISO 9002 certified; Etowah, TN ISO 9002 certified
Processes
Airlaid (glass and synthetic), wetlaid, calendered, melt blown, spunbonded, needlepunched, thermal bonded
Brand Names
Delta-Aire, DynaWick, DynaWeb, DynaTech, Micro-Aire
Major Markets
Roofing substrates, air and liquid filtration, sorbents, battery separators, geotextiles, flooring and moldables (heterofil)
Undergoing reorganization this year was roofing and construction specialist Johns Manville, Denver, CO, which is owned by Berkshire Hathaway. JM is comprised of three operating groups—Engineered Products, Insulation and Roofing systems. The Engineered Products group, which houses JM’s nonwovens business, has recently been divided into three global segments—reinforcement fibers, roofing materials and high-performance nonwovens, which is a combination of the former specialty mats and filtration segments. These divisions are now managed by global teams, allowing the company to react globally to market trends.
The two subdivisions relating to JM’s nonwovens business, high performance nonwovens and roofing, are led by business leaders Marvin Mitchell and Zain Mahmood, respectively.
Mr. Mitchell said the reorganization reflects the nature of JM’s global operations. “We were seeing that we had the same customers in both regions and to serve them locally, we had to operate globally,” he said.
Additionally, this business structure has allowed JM to look at capacities and products from a global standpoint, something the company hadn’t done before. Therefore capacity can be adjusted to meet the needs of JM’s global business rather than only adapting to regional shifts. “Looking at capacity and products from a global standpoint is completely new to us,” Mr. Mahmood explained. “We have not leveraged our business, to this degree, from a global standpoint before.”
Still, operating from a global perspective can be difficult, as codes in many of the markets in which JM participates tend to vary. Currently, about 25% of the products manufactured by JM are offered in the same form throughout the world. While the world is getting smaller in terms of preferences, JM executives do not expect harmonization to occur in the next five years due to the high number of countries in which it does business. Even within Europe, codes vary across regions. “Maybe in the next five to seven years, we’ll see some larger European codes,” Mr. Mahmood explained. “But, even that is going to be difficult because there are so many codes.”
In terms of global penetration, the performance nonwovens business, which includes air and liquid filtration, sorbents, battery separators and geotextiles, is split between North America and Europe. On the roofing substrate side of the business, North America comprises nearly 65% of sales while Europe represents almost 35%. JM’s Asian sales represent less than 5% of the company’s total business.
Globally, Eastern Europe continues to be of strong importance to JM, a fact that is clearly evident in recent investment initiatives made in the region. In January 2001, JM purchased Skloplast, a fiberglass manufacturing company located in Trnava, Slovakia. Soon after purchasing the site, JM added a second fiberglass furnace to the operation, and, in April 2003, announced its intent to invest $85 million in a greenfield glass fiber operation there. This new capacity will mainly support JM’s reinforcements business but some of the capacity will be earmarked for roofing applications.
Executives say that the reasons for interest in Eastern Europe are three-fold. For one, the region is in a recovery phase, meaning there are a lot of growth opportunities in JM’s core markets. Additionally, a strong network of prominent colleges and universities has created a highly skilled labor base. Finally, these laborers work for lower wages than workers in Western Europe.
While no nonwovens are currently being produced in Eastern Europe by JM, executives said that it won’t be long before some type of glass mat or spunbond operation is established there. This capacity would help fuel the building boom currently going on in Eastern and Central Europe while providing added capacity to Western European and North American markets, according to executives.
Turning toward Western Europe, JM has facilities in Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein and Steinach, Germany. The most recent investment in this region was the construction of a new spunbond line in Berlin at the end of 2001, doubling JM’s capacity in the region. Capable of producing high-end materials targeting the service filtration, high-end roofing and specialty end use markets, the new line is already operating at full capacity. To increase its production, JM is currently debottlenecking the line, a move that should boost capacity by about 25% when complete during the first quarter of next year.
Meanwhile the company’s Wertheim, Germany site recently became the home of two glass air media lines, which were formerly housed in Parkersburg, WV. Executives said that this move made logistical sense because the bulk of the affected lines’ output was being shipped to European customers.
In North America, JM produces nonwovens in Ohio, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee. While no new capacity has been added at these sites recently—nor is any planned in the near-term—executives are considering adding the ability to coat polyester glass mats to one of its North American operations. This portion of JM’s business has achieved considerable success in Europe in gypsum and flooring and executives feel it has a place in North America.
The high-performance nonwovens side of the business has recorded growth in the double-digit range in 2002 and into 2003. This was caused by success in the gypsum wallboard market where JM provides glass mats for exterior sheeting as well as in duct liners. In Europe, JM has recorded significant growth in battery separators and in flooring markets, which have benefited from the emergence of vinyl flooring styles that are backed by glass mat reinforcements. This flooring style has become particularly popular in Eastern Europe, according to executives, and JM has been working on various new product designs to meet customer preferences.
Meanwhile, roofing substrates has been boosted by the refinancing craze that has taken hold of North America in recent months. Currently this segment is seeing 8-9% annual growth, mainly in residential markets. European roofing is flat despite significant growth in Eastern Europe.
Also boosting JM’s roofing business is the recently introduced Duragrid glass scrim reinforced polyester product. This material allows roofing companies to run their manufacturing processes at faster speeds, giving them room for additional capacity.
In geotextiles, JM’s polyester-based products continue to find their place in Europe, unlike the U.S., where polypropylene-based products are preferred over JM’s polyester nonwovens. In Asia, demand for geotextiles has been boosted by construction efforts, particularly those surrounding preparation for the Winter Olympics, which will be held in Beijing in 2008.
Looking ahead, JM hopes in the next two years, that GDP growth will return to levels characteristic of the 1990s. “The slowdown in 2000-2003 has allowed us to basically serve our markets with existing capacity,” Mr. Mitchell explained. “Hopefully all of that is coming to an end and we will need new capacity in all areas to meet demands.”
Also high on JM’s list is acquisition, something there will be a lot of in construction as the industry grapples with asbestos issues and growth opportunities. “We are well positioned to move ahead,” Mr. Mahmood explained. “All we need now is to find the right partners and look for strategic fits.”
Sales: $525 million
Description: Key Personnel
Chuck Griffith, senior vice president, engineered products Group; Marvin Mitchell, global leader for high performance nonwovens; Zain Mahmood, global leader for roofing materials; Luc Mechelaere, vice president of Johns Manville Europe; Dick LeBoeuf, senior director global manufacturing
Plants
Waterville, OH; Defiance, OH; Richland, MS, Spartanburg, SC, Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein and Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, China; Trnava, Slovakia
ISO Status
Spartanburg, SC and Defiance, OH ISO 9002 certified; Bobingen and Berlin, Germany ISO 9001 certified; Waterville, OH ISO 9002 certified; Etowah, TN ISO 9002 certified
Processes
Airlaid (glass and synthetic), wetlaid, calendered, melt blown, spunbonded, needlepunched, thermal bonded
Brand Names
Delta-Aire, DynaWick, DynaWeb, DynaTech, Micro-Aire
Major Markets
Roofing substrates, air and liquid filtration, sorbents, battery separators, geotextiles, flooring and moldables (heterofil)
Undergoing reorganization this year was roofing and construction specialist Johns Manville, Denver, CO, which is owned by Berkshire Hathaway. JM is comprised of three operating groups—Engineered Products, Insulation and Roofing systems. The Engineered Products group, which houses JM’s nonwovens business, has recently been divided into three global segments—reinforcement fibers, roofing materials and high-performance nonwovens, which is a combination of the former specialty mats and filtration segments. These divisions are now managed by global teams, allowing the company to react globally to market trends.
The two subdivisions relating to JM’s nonwovens business, high performance nonwovens and roofing, are led by business leaders Marvin Mitchell and Zain Mahmood, respectively.
Mr. Mitchell said the reorganization reflects the nature of JM’s global operations. “We were seeing that we had the same customers in both regions and to serve them locally, we had to operate globally,” he said.
Additionally, this business structure has allowed JM to look at capacities and products from a global standpoint, something the company hadn’t done before. Therefore capacity can be adjusted to meet the needs of JM’s global business rather than only adapting to regional shifts. “Looking at capacity and products from a global standpoint is completely new to us,” Mr. Mahmood explained. “We have not leveraged our business, to this degree, from a global standpoint before.”
Still, operating from a global perspective can be difficult, as codes in many of the markets in which JM participates tend to vary. Currently, about 25% of the products manufactured by JM are offered in the same form throughout the world. While the world is getting smaller in terms of preferences, JM executives do not expect harmonization to occur in the next five years due to the high number of countries in which it does business. Even within Europe, codes vary across regions. “Maybe in the next five to seven years, we’ll see some larger European codes,” Mr. Mahmood explained. “But, even that is going to be difficult because there are so many codes.”
In terms of global penetration, the performance nonwovens business, which includes air and liquid filtration, sorbents, battery separators and geotextiles, is split between North America and Europe. On the roofing substrate side of the business, North America comprises nearly 65% of sales while Europe represents almost 35%. JM’s Asian sales represent less than 5% of the company’s total business.
Globally, Eastern Europe continues to be of strong importance to JM, a fact that is clearly evident in recent investment initiatives made in the region. In January 2001, JM purchased Skloplast, a fiberglass manufacturing company located in Trnava, Slovakia. Soon after purchasing the site, JM added a second fiberglass furnace to the operation, and, in April 2003, announced its intent to invest $85 million in a greenfield glass fiber operation there. This new capacity will mainly support JM’s reinforcements business but some of the capacity will be earmarked for roofing applications.
Executives say that the reasons for interest in Eastern Europe are three-fold. For one, the region is in a recovery phase, meaning there are a lot of growth opportunities in JM’s core markets. Additionally, a strong network of prominent colleges and universities has created a highly skilled labor base. Finally, these laborers work for lower wages than workers in Western Europe.
While no nonwovens are currently being produced in Eastern Europe by JM, executives said that it won’t be long before some type of glass mat or spunbond operation is established there. This capacity would help fuel the building boom currently going on in Eastern and Central Europe while providing added capacity to Western European and North American markets, according to executives.
Turning toward Western Europe, JM has facilities in Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein and Steinach, Germany. The most recent investment in this region was the construction of a new spunbond line in Berlin at the end of 2001, doubling JM’s capacity in the region. Capable of producing high-end materials targeting the service filtration, high-end roofing and specialty end use markets, the new line is already operating at full capacity. To increase its production, JM is currently debottlenecking the line, a move that should boost capacity by about 25% when complete during the first quarter of next year.
Meanwhile the company’s Wertheim, Germany site recently became the home of two glass air media lines, which were formerly housed in Parkersburg, WV. Executives said that this move made logistical sense because the bulk of the affected lines’ output was being shipped to European customers.
In North America, JM produces nonwovens in Ohio, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee. While no new capacity has been added at these sites recently—nor is any planned in the near-term—executives are considering adding the ability to coat polyester glass mats to one of its North American operations. This portion of JM’s business has achieved considerable success in Europe in gypsum and flooring and executives feel it has a place in North America.
The high-performance nonwovens side of the business has recorded growth in the double-digit range in 2002 and into 2003. This was caused by success in the gypsum wallboard market where JM provides glass mats for exterior sheeting as well as in duct liners. In Europe, JM has recorded significant growth in battery separators and in flooring markets, which have benefited from the emergence of vinyl flooring styles that are backed by glass mat reinforcements. This flooring style has become particularly popular in Eastern Europe, according to executives, and JM has been working on various new product designs to meet customer preferences.
Meanwhile, roofing substrates has been boosted by the refinancing craze that has taken hold of North America in recent months. Currently this segment is seeing 8-9% annual growth, mainly in residential markets. European roofing is flat despite significant growth in Eastern Europe.
Also boosting JM’s roofing business is the recently introduced Duragrid glass scrim reinforced polyester product. This material allows roofing companies to run their manufacturing processes at faster speeds, giving them room for additional capacity.
In geotextiles, JM’s polyester-based products continue to find their place in Europe, unlike the U.S., where polypropylene-based products are preferred over JM’s polyester nonwovens. In Asia, demand for geotextiles has been boosted by construction efforts, particularly those surrounding preparation for the Winter Olympics, which will be held in Beijing in 2008.
Looking ahead, JM hopes in the next two years, that GDP growth will return to levels characteristic of the 1990s. “The slowdown in 2000-2003 has allowed us to basically serve our markets with existing capacity,” Mr. Mitchell explained. “Hopefully all of that is coming to an end and we will need new capacity in all areas to meet demands.”
Also high on JM’s list is acquisition, something there will be a lot of in construction as the industry grapples with asbestos issues and growth opportunities. “We are well positioned to move ahead,” Mr. Mahmood explained. “All we need now is to find the right partners and look for strategic fits.”
Location: Denver, CO
Sales: $500 MILLION
Description: Key Personnel
Dion Persson, senior vice president, Engineered Products Group; Marvin Mitchell, VP for High Performance Nonwovens; Zain Mahmood, VP for Roofing Materials; Luc Mechelaere, VP of Johns Manville Europe; Jack Leunig, VP for Operations
Plants
Waterville, OH; Defiance, OH; Richland, MS, Spartanburg, SC, Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein and Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, China; Trnava, Slovakia
ISO Status
Spartanburg, SC and Defiance, OH ISO 9002 certified; Bobingen and Berlin, Germany ISO 9001 certified; Waterville, OH ISO 9002 certified; Etowah, TN ISO 9002 certified
Processes
Airlaid (glass and synthetic), wetlaid, calendered, melt blown, spunbonded, needlepunched, thermal bonded
Brand Names
Microlith, DuraGlass, Delta-Aire, DynaWick, DynaWeb, DynaTech, Micro-Aire, MicroLith, Ecomat, Duraglass, and Combimat
Major Markets
Roofing substrates, air and liquid filtration, sorbents, battery separators, geotextiles, flooring substrates and facers for building products
Despite a continued downturn in many of its core markets, building materials specialist Johns Manville was able to report double-digit sales growth in 2003 for nonwovens products. Much of this success can be attributed to an ambitious global expansion strategy, particularly in central and eastern Europe, as well as the development of new products and market areas.
The Denver-based company operates through three groups—Engineered Products, Insulation and Roofing Systems. The Engineered Products business, which contains JM’s nonwovens operations, is divided into three global segments—Reinforcement Fibers, Roofing Materials and High Performance Nonwovens (a combination of glass and synthetic mats and filtration media). Each division is managed by global teams, allowing the company to respond to global trends.
High Performance Nonwovens and Roofing Materials, the two areas related to nonwovens, are led by Marvin Mitchell and Zain Mahmood, respectively. Operating the business through comprehensive global teams allows the company to serve its customers regionally while responding to their needs locally. This structure has also allowed JM to look at capacities and products from a global standpoint, allowing capacity adjustment and other modifications to meet the company’s global needs. This has resulted in a continued translation of capacity between Europe and North America.
In North America, JM produces nonwovens in Ohio, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee. The Richland, MS-based meltblown operation has seen significant improvements in the past year. Now executives are focused on getting all of its capacity used before expanding further, either in the U.S. or Europe.
Still, capacity is tight in Europe where JM has four facilities in Germany, all centering on glass mat, spunbond and air media technology, as well as a large fiberglass operation in Slovakia. The Slovakian site, acquired from Skloplast in early 2001, has been at the heart of JM’s investment strategy. A new glass fiber furnace representing an $85 million investment is set to start in October. “We will continue to invest in Central European markets,” said Mr. Mitchell. “This area continues to grow and as it does, it will translate into great opportunities.”
And, chances are it won’t be long before a nonwovens operation is put in place in the region as JM is in the final stages of determining where to locate the next spunbond line to support demand. This interest in Central and Eastern Europe is the result of the region’s strong growth prospects. As these countries gain EU status and as their economies improve, they will experience growth in many of the markets JM serves. Additionally, the area boasts a solid infrastructure and a highly skilled workforce.
Included in High Performance Nonwovens are air and liquid filtration, sorbents, battery separators and geotextiles. To the filtration market, JM offers both glass-based and synthetic media using four different technologies. Growth in synthetic media is in the double-digit range thanks to increased awareness over the importance of air and water quality on a global level. Particularly in Asia, where the threat of highly contagious diseases is prompting increased use of high efficiency air media.
One subset seeing significant gains is the cleanroom market where low boron, microfiber-based media was introduced to boost JM’s presence. “We are currently evaluating new market areas that look very attractive,” Mr. Mitchell said. “We are trying to determine where high value products make the most sense.”
Another area showing promise is battery separators with sales more or less split between North America and Europe. In geotextiles, demand is growing significantly in Asia and Europe but in the U.S.; JM has been hurt by the cost advantage of polypropylene over polyester.
Still first and foremost, Johns Manville is a building products producer and much of its efforts are focused on expanding its depth in this market. In April, the company introduced the DuraGlass 8200 series, a new glass fiber nonwoven with a unique, formaldehyde-free binder for architectural panels and facings. Product benefits of this flame resistant nonwoven include resiliency, durability, sag resistance, and an ability to laminate to multiple aesthetic cover materials.
Meanwhile, on the roofing side of the business, JM’s Duragrid glass scrim-reinforced polyester product continues to be successful. Combining the benefits of both glass and polyester in one product allows roofing companies to run their manufacturing processes at faster speeds, thus upping their capacity.
In short, JM has been able to grow its nonwoven product lives and sales through a number of strategies, with new product development and globalization chief among them. But outside factors, such as economic conditions, can greatly impact sales. On the commercial side, improvements in sales have come as companies, entering recovery mode, have begun allotting discretionary spending on capital projects. Meanwhile, JM’s residential business has benefited from record numbers in housing starts as well as increased home improvement projects spurred by lower interest rates. As interest rates climb, as they are predicted to do in coming months, JM does not think it would influence the business too badly. “We are not that sensitive to interest rates,” Mr. Mahmood said. “We are only susceptible if they affect the entire economy.”
Sales: $500 MILLION
Description: Key Personnel
Dion Persson, senior vice president, Engineered Products Group; Marvin Mitchell, VP for High Performance Nonwovens; Zain Mahmood, VP for Roofing Materials; Luc Mechelaere, VP of Johns Manville Europe; Jack Leunig, VP for Operations
Plants
Waterville, OH; Defiance, OH; Richland, MS, Spartanburg, SC, Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein and Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, China; Trnava, Slovakia
ISO Status
Spartanburg, SC and Defiance, OH ISO 9002 certified; Bobingen and Berlin, Germany ISO 9001 certified; Waterville, OH ISO 9002 certified; Etowah, TN ISO 9002 certified
Processes
Airlaid (glass and synthetic), wetlaid, calendered, melt blown, spunbonded, needlepunched, thermal bonded
Brand Names
Microlith, DuraGlass, Delta-Aire, DynaWick, DynaWeb, DynaTech, Micro-Aire, MicroLith, Ecomat, Duraglass, and Combimat
Major Markets
Roofing substrates, air and liquid filtration, sorbents, battery separators, geotextiles, flooring substrates and facers for building products
Despite a continued downturn in many of its core markets, building materials specialist Johns Manville was able to report double-digit sales growth in 2003 for nonwovens products. Much of this success can be attributed to an ambitious global expansion strategy, particularly in central and eastern Europe, as well as the development of new products and market areas.
The Denver-based company operates through three groups—Engineered Products, Insulation and Roofing Systems. The Engineered Products business, which contains JM’s nonwovens operations, is divided into three global segments—Reinforcement Fibers, Roofing Materials and High Performance Nonwovens (a combination of glass and synthetic mats and filtration media). Each division is managed by global teams, allowing the company to respond to global trends.
High Performance Nonwovens and Roofing Materials, the two areas related to nonwovens, are led by Marvin Mitchell and Zain Mahmood, respectively. Operating the business through comprehensive global teams allows the company to serve its customers regionally while responding to their needs locally. This structure has also allowed JM to look at capacities and products from a global standpoint, allowing capacity adjustment and other modifications to meet the company’s global needs. This has resulted in a continued translation of capacity between Europe and North America.
In North America, JM produces nonwovens in Ohio, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee. The Richland, MS-based meltblown operation has seen significant improvements in the past year. Now executives are focused on getting all of its capacity used before expanding further, either in the U.S. or Europe.
Still, capacity is tight in Europe where JM has four facilities in Germany, all centering on glass mat, spunbond and air media technology, as well as a large fiberglass operation in Slovakia. The Slovakian site, acquired from Skloplast in early 2001, has been at the heart of JM’s investment strategy. A new glass fiber furnace representing an $85 million investment is set to start in October. “We will continue to invest in Central European markets,” said Mr. Mitchell. “This area continues to grow and as it does, it will translate into great opportunities.”
And, chances are it won’t be long before a nonwovens operation is put in place in the region as JM is in the final stages of determining where to locate the next spunbond line to support demand. This interest in Central and Eastern Europe is the result of the region’s strong growth prospects. As these countries gain EU status and as their economies improve, they will experience growth in many of the markets JM serves. Additionally, the area boasts a solid infrastructure and a highly skilled workforce.
Included in High Performance Nonwovens are air and liquid filtration, sorbents, battery separators and geotextiles. To the filtration market, JM offers both glass-based and synthetic media using four different technologies. Growth in synthetic media is in the double-digit range thanks to increased awareness over the importance of air and water quality on a global level. Particularly in Asia, where the threat of highly contagious diseases is prompting increased use of high efficiency air media.
One subset seeing significant gains is the cleanroom market where low boron, microfiber-based media was introduced to boost JM’s presence. “We are currently evaluating new market areas that look very attractive,” Mr. Mitchell said. “We are trying to determine where high value products make the most sense.”
Another area showing promise is battery separators with sales more or less split between North America and Europe. In geotextiles, demand is growing significantly in Asia and Europe but in the U.S.; JM has been hurt by the cost advantage of polypropylene over polyester.
Still first and foremost, Johns Manville is a building products producer and much of its efforts are focused on expanding its depth in this market. In April, the company introduced the DuraGlass 8200 series, a new glass fiber nonwoven with a unique, formaldehyde-free binder for architectural panels and facings. Product benefits of this flame resistant nonwoven include resiliency, durability, sag resistance, and an ability to laminate to multiple aesthetic cover materials.
Meanwhile, on the roofing side of the business, JM’s Duragrid glass scrim-reinforced polyester product continues to be successful. Combining the benefits of both glass and polyester in one product allows roofing companies to run their manufacturing processes at faster speeds, thus upping their capacity.
In short, JM has been able to grow its nonwoven product lives and sales through a number of strategies, with new product development and globalization chief among them. But outside factors, such as economic conditions, can greatly impact sales. On the commercial side, improvements in sales have come as companies, entering recovery mode, have begun allotting discretionary spending on capital projects. Meanwhile, JM’s residential business has benefited from record numbers in housing starts as well as increased home improvement projects spurred by lower interest rates. As interest rates climb, as they are predicted to do in coming months, JM does not think it would influence the business too badly. “We are not that sensitive to interest rates,” Mr. Mahmood said. “We are only susceptible if they affect the entire economy.”
Location: Denver, CO
Sales: $525 million
Description: Key Personnel
Dion Persson, senior vice president, Engineered Products Group; Fred Stephan, VP/GM for High Performance Nonwovens; Zain Mahmood, VP/GM for Construction Materials and Systems; Jack Leunig, VP for Operations
Plants
Waterville, OH; Defiance, OH; Richland, MS, Spartanburg, SC, Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein and Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, China; Trnava, Slovakia
ISO Status
Spartanburg, SC and Defiance, OH ISO 9002 certified; Bobingen and Berlin, Germany ISO 9001 certified; Waterville, OH ISO 9002 certified; Etowah, TN ISO 9002 certified
Processes
Airlaid (glass and synthetic), wetlaid, calendered, melt blown, spunbonded, needlepunched, thermal bonded
Brand Names
Microlith, DuraGlass, Delta-Aire, DynaWick, DynaWeb, DynaTech, Micro-Aire, MicroLith, Ecomat, Duraglass, and Combimat
Major Markets
Roofing substrates, air and liquid filtration, sorbents, battery separators, geotextiles, flooring substrates and facers for building products
Good times for its customers have meant good times for Johns Manville. The Denver, CO-based construction materials company and Berkshire Hathaway-owned company is set to add more than 900 million square meters of glass nonwovens capacity at its Etowah, TN facility in response to expansion of its North American roofing and wallboard customers.
Zain Mahmood, vice president and general manager for construction materials and systems, said the glass nonwovens market has grown nicely in North America for several reasons. For one, the market’s conversion to laminated shingle roofing materials, containing glass nonwovens, continues to be strong, a trend that has been ongoing for five years in the reconstruction markets. Also, natural disasters, particularly the hurricanes that hit Florida in 2004, have provided a boost.
The success of the roofing and construction markets as well as favorable conditions in other markets allowed Johns Manville to continue its streak of double-digit sales growth in 2004. Privately owned, the company does not release sales figures but industry estimates put JM’s nonwovens sales at close to $525 million.
JM operates through three groups—Engineered Products, Building and Insulation and Roofing Systems. JM’s nonwovens operations are contained within the Engineered Products division and are divided into four global segments—Reinforcement Fibers, Glass Textiles, Construction Materials and Systems and High Performance Nonwovens, a combination of glass fiber and synthetic mats and filtration media.
The Construction Materials and Systems and the High Performance Nonwovens segments are set to receive a boost from the expansion in Tennessee, which will make the facility an extremely cost-efficient operation with two large furnaces and a large portion of its customers nearby, according to Mr. Mahmood. JM operates two similar lines in Ohio as well as four European operations. This new investment will make JM the largest producer of nonwoven glass mats in the world. Beyond roofing, glass mat nonwovens have been boosted by the material’s replacement of paper in wallboards, which has been caused by concern about mold and mildew.
“Glass mat demand has been extremely robust,” Mr. Mahmood said. “We see these conditions continuing in the near term. We do no expect a slowdown.”
Meanwhile, JM’s European operation continues to benefit from growth in Central and Eastern Europe, where significant restructuring is underway in the insfrastructure side. To fuel this growth, JM has already started the construction of a new polyester spunbond line in Bobingen, Germany. The new line, which should come onstream in summer 2006, will be focused on serving the fast developing Central and Eastern European market. The European roofing market, with a predominant flat/low slope roofing framework, is demanding joint polyester and glass-based roofing systems.
“As economies in Central and Eastern Europe improve, they are more interested in how specification grade materials can improve their living standards,” Mr. Mahmood said. In short, the economic boom leads to new construction and infrastructure improvements, which lead to a need for higher end nonwoven media. “These markets are following the lead of their Western European counterparts and standardizing around the Western European codes and specifications,” Mr. Mahmood said.
Currently, this region’s polyester spunbond needs are served mainly from Germany, but JM does operate a fiberglass operation in the region, in Slovakia, at a site acquired from Skloplast in 2001. In announcing an $85 million investment in a glass fiber furnace at the site last year, executives hinted that plans for a nonwovens operation in the region could be forthcoming but so far no such plans have been announced.
In addition to regional expansion, JM has been focused on new product development to increase its business. Because of nonwovens’ ability to respond to several consumer demands including flame retardancy, strength, moisture management and sound absorption, JM invests heavily in product development centers around its nonwovens business.
And, while JM has not made any major new product announcements in nonwoven roofing markets recently, Mr. Mahmood said they could be expected within the next six months. “We have recently announced several new applications in other nonwoven areas, e.g. flooring and filtration,” said Mr. Mahmood. Areas that will be under the spotlight include new generation shingle mats featuring never-before-seen capabilities, roof underlayment products that replace felt and paper systems and new wallboard applications. “We have a great pipeline of new products that should begin to benefit our business at the beginning of next year,” Mr. Mahmood predicted.
Sales: $525 million
Description: Key Personnel
Dion Persson, senior vice president, Engineered Products Group; Fred Stephan, VP/GM for High Performance Nonwovens; Zain Mahmood, VP/GM for Construction Materials and Systems; Jack Leunig, VP for Operations
Plants
Waterville, OH; Defiance, OH; Richland, MS, Spartanburg, SC, Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein and Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, China; Trnava, Slovakia
ISO Status
Spartanburg, SC and Defiance, OH ISO 9002 certified; Bobingen and Berlin, Germany ISO 9001 certified; Waterville, OH ISO 9002 certified; Etowah, TN ISO 9002 certified
Processes
Airlaid (glass and synthetic), wetlaid, calendered, melt blown, spunbonded, needlepunched, thermal bonded
Brand Names
Microlith, DuraGlass, Delta-Aire, DynaWick, DynaWeb, DynaTech, Micro-Aire, MicroLith, Ecomat, Duraglass, and Combimat
Major Markets
Roofing substrates, air and liquid filtration, sorbents, battery separators, geotextiles, flooring substrates and facers for building products
Good times for its customers have meant good times for Johns Manville. The Denver, CO-based construction materials company and Berkshire Hathaway-owned company is set to add more than 900 million square meters of glass nonwovens capacity at its Etowah, TN facility in response to expansion of its North American roofing and wallboard customers.
Zain Mahmood, vice president and general manager for construction materials and systems, said the glass nonwovens market has grown nicely in North America for several reasons. For one, the market’s conversion to laminated shingle roofing materials, containing glass nonwovens, continues to be strong, a trend that has been ongoing for five years in the reconstruction markets. Also, natural disasters, particularly the hurricanes that hit Florida in 2004, have provided a boost.
The success of the roofing and construction markets as well as favorable conditions in other markets allowed Johns Manville to continue its streak of double-digit sales growth in 2004. Privately owned, the company does not release sales figures but industry estimates put JM’s nonwovens sales at close to $525 million.
JM operates through three groups—Engineered Products, Building and Insulation and Roofing Systems. JM’s nonwovens operations are contained within the Engineered Products division and are divided into four global segments—Reinforcement Fibers, Glass Textiles, Construction Materials and Systems and High Performance Nonwovens, a combination of glass fiber and synthetic mats and filtration media.
The Construction Materials and Systems and the High Performance Nonwovens segments are set to receive a boost from the expansion in Tennessee, which will make the facility an extremely cost-efficient operation with two large furnaces and a large portion of its customers nearby, according to Mr. Mahmood. JM operates two similar lines in Ohio as well as four European operations. This new investment will make JM the largest producer of nonwoven glass mats in the world. Beyond roofing, glass mat nonwovens have been boosted by the material’s replacement of paper in wallboards, which has been caused by concern about mold and mildew.
“Glass mat demand has been extremely robust,” Mr. Mahmood said. “We see these conditions continuing in the near term. We do no expect a slowdown.”
Meanwhile, JM’s European operation continues to benefit from growth in Central and Eastern Europe, where significant restructuring is underway in the insfrastructure side. To fuel this growth, JM has already started the construction of a new polyester spunbond line in Bobingen, Germany. The new line, which should come onstream in summer 2006, will be focused on serving the fast developing Central and Eastern European market. The European roofing market, with a predominant flat/low slope roofing framework, is demanding joint polyester and glass-based roofing systems.
“As economies in Central and Eastern Europe improve, they are more interested in how specification grade materials can improve their living standards,” Mr. Mahmood said. In short, the economic boom leads to new construction and infrastructure improvements, which lead to a need for higher end nonwoven media. “These markets are following the lead of their Western European counterparts and standardizing around the Western European codes and specifications,” Mr. Mahmood said.
Currently, this region’s polyester spunbond needs are served mainly from Germany, but JM does operate a fiberglass operation in the region, in Slovakia, at a site acquired from Skloplast in 2001. In announcing an $85 million investment in a glass fiber furnace at the site last year, executives hinted that plans for a nonwovens operation in the region could be forthcoming but so far no such plans have been announced.
In addition to regional expansion, JM has been focused on new product development to increase its business. Because of nonwovens’ ability to respond to several consumer demands including flame retardancy, strength, moisture management and sound absorption, JM invests heavily in product development centers around its nonwovens business.
And, while JM has not made any major new product announcements in nonwoven roofing markets recently, Mr. Mahmood said they could be expected within the next six months. “We have recently announced several new applications in other nonwoven areas, e.g. flooring and filtration,” said Mr. Mahmood. Areas that will be under the spotlight include new generation shingle mats featuring never-before-seen capabilities, roof underlayment products that replace felt and paper systems and new wallboard applications. “We have a great pipeline of new products that should begin to benefit our business at the beginning of next year,” Mr. Mahmood predicted.
Location: Denver, CO
Sales: $530 million
Description: Key Personnel
Dion Persson, senior vice president, engineered products group; Fred Stephan, vice president for high performance nonwovens; Zain Mahmood, vice president for construction materials and systems
Plants
Waterville, OH; Defiance, OH; Richland, MS, Spartanburg, SC, Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein and Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, China; Trnava, Slovakia
ISO Status
Spartanburg, SC and Defiance, OH ISO 9002 certified; Bobingen and Berlin, Germany ISO 9001 certified; Waterville, OH ISO 9002 certified; Etowah, TN ISO 9002 certified
Processes
Airlaid (glass and synthetic), wetlaid, calendered, melt blown, spunbonded, needlepunched, thermal bonded
Brand Names
Microlith, DuraGlass, Delta-Aire, DynaWick, DynaWeb, DynaTech, Micro-Aire, MicroLith, Ecomat, Duraglass, and Combimat, DuraBase and Gorilla Wrap
Major Markets
Roofing substrates, air and liquid filtration, sorbents, battery separators, geotextiles, flooring substrates and facers for building products
Building and Engineered Materials expert Johns Manville, Denver, CO, has been able to continue its trend of growing nonwovens sales across all of its markets. The Berkshire Hathaway-owned company’s sales grew to be in excess of $525 million in 2005. While raw material prices have posed significant challenges globally, JM has been successful in passing along increases throughout the world, according to vice president and general manager, construction materials, Zain Mahmood. “Our biggest challenge has been the significant, worldwide increase of costs in raw materials and energy,” he said. “JM has maintained its leadership role by increasing prices in all of its nonwovens markets to reflect these changes.”
Johns Manville operates through two groups—engineered products and building materials. JM’s nonwovens operations are contained within the engineered products group and are divided into three global segments—reinforcement fibers, construction materials and systems and high performance nonwovens, a combination of glass and synthetic mats and filtration media.
The construction materials segment is set to receive a boost from a new glass mat line in Etowah, TN, which will come onstream during the second half of 2007. The expansion will make the facility an extremely cost-efficient operation with two large furnaces and 70% of its customers nearby, according to Mr. Mahmood.
“This new glass mat line has some significant new capabilities to reduce the total cost of ownership of our key customers and partners,” Mr. Mahmood said. “The market is looking for these new capabilities and JM is pleased to respond to these customer/market needs. These new capabilities will allow our partners to continue to win in their spaces for the long term.”
JM operates two similar lines in Ohio and has a significant presence in Europe. Beyond roofing systems, glass mat nonwovens have been boosted by the material’s replacement of paper in wallboards, which is a response to concerns about mold from customers.
Meanwhile, in Europe, a new low area weight polyester spunbond line targeting the roofing market is currently in start-up phase in Bobingen, Germany. This line will also help JM expand its product capabilities while making the facility more cost efficient. JM’s Bobingen facility as well as its operation in Berlin, Germany serves customers throughout Europe, including Eastern and Central Europe where construction and roofing markets have been growing significantly.
While no nonwovens operation is in place, for now, JM, which currently produces fiberglass in Slovakia, has indicated an interest in expanding its nonwovens operation into this area. “We have multiple nonwovens capability enhancements on our investment drawing boards and will continue to pursue the right market timing to bring them onstream,” Mr. Mahmood said. “JM is a leader in the CEE market and will continue to serve our customers with adequate investments.”
Moving towards Asia, especially China, JM has expanded its Chinese operations, based in Shanghai through the acquisition of a new spunbond line in the Henan state, which will double the company’s footprint in that country/region. “The new line will serve some of our key customers in China in core JM markets. We are also bolstering our technology capabilities in China, allowing us to focus on one of the fastest growing markets in the world.” JM currently operates a line in Quingpu, near Shanghai.
In addition to regional expansion, new product development has been an important growth strategy for JM. Earlier this year, JM introduced two significant new products in time for the National Association of home Builders 2006 International Builders’ Show.
The first, Gorilla Wrap, is a non-perforated, nonwoven polymeric housewrap material that decreases air infiltration, resulting in increased energy efficiency and maximum moisture control. Gorilla Wrap’s superior strength, with a tear resistance that is 300% higher than the leading housewrap, reduces builder concern during installation and makes it one of the most durable housewrap products on the market, according to the company.
Unlike most housewraps on the market, Gorilla Wrap is non-perforated, reducing the potential for bulk water penetration and allowing trapped moisture to escape, thus reducing concerns about mold and mildew growth. In addition, the non-perforated material keeps wood sheathing drier, reducing the potential for rot and degradation within the wall cavity.
The unique composition of JM’s other new product, DuraBase roofing underlayment, employs, the proven technology of asphalt with a new high-performance nonwoven polyester reinforcement. Its durability enables DuraBase to hold nails better and provides greater tear strength and puncture resistance than synthetics or felt. It also offers greater waterproofing performance and better protection as it also seals around nails. DuraBase’s enhanced ultraviolet resistance allows longer exposure to the sun (up to six months) without performance deterioration.
“This product is focused on creating a spunbond underlayment that is completely different from traditional felt and synthetics,” Mr. Mahmood explained. This unique, patented technology, developed by JM, allows customers to reduce installation costs and get more superior value than existing felt products that absorb water (and thereby do not provide adequate waterproofing) and do not lie flat.”
Durabase also differs from synthetics in that it allows for the use of staples for installation, decreasing installation costs.
Durabase’s exposure in the roofing market has been enhanced through JM’s partnership with Tarco, Little Rock, AK, a leading supplier of roofing underlayments for use under roof shingles, ceramic tiles and steel roofing. Together, the two companies created a new asphalt synthetic underlayment called EasyLay, a new Leakbarrier product using DuraBase. DuraBase technology allows the EasyLay product to unroll flat in warm and cold weather. Additionally, EasyLay offers greater waterproofing performance and better protection, as it employs DuraBase technology, which provides sealing around nails.
“Tarco is the largest underlayment producer in North America,” said Mr. Mahmood. “With its significant logistics and distribution channels, it is ideally suited to help JM convert the traditional felt-based underlayment market. We are partnering with Tarco to help us get this product to market in the fastest possible way. This is a combined effort between JM’s newly formed building products group, engineered products and Tarco. Since this is a steep slope application, we are working with Tarco and large shingle manufacturing partners to use this as a part of their overall system.”
Mr. Mahmood added that JM’s efforts in product development mainly center on helping its customers reduce their total cost of nonwovens while providing them the means to enter new areas. “We are optimistic about the increased need for enhanced durable nonwoven capabilities in every market we play. JM is investing heavily in this segment to ensure that we meet our customers needs, both for today and tomorrow.”
To help achieve this, JM recently formed a global nonwoven technical center with a presence in North American, Europe and Asia. Product specialists working in this center are working on the next generation of technologies to help benefit JM’s customers. “We will continue to extend our technology edge in durable nonwovens,” Mr. Mahmood concluded. “With multiple product/technology capabilities and a global presence, our customers expect us to lead the way in durable nonwovens and we look forward to meeting their expectations.”
Sales: $530 million
Description: Key Personnel
Dion Persson, senior vice president, engineered products group; Fred Stephan, vice president for high performance nonwovens; Zain Mahmood, vice president for construction materials and systems
Plants
Waterville, OH; Defiance, OH; Richland, MS, Spartanburg, SC, Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein and Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, China; Trnava, Slovakia
ISO Status
Spartanburg, SC and Defiance, OH ISO 9002 certified; Bobingen and Berlin, Germany ISO 9001 certified; Waterville, OH ISO 9002 certified; Etowah, TN ISO 9002 certified
Processes
Airlaid (glass and synthetic), wetlaid, calendered, melt blown, spunbonded, needlepunched, thermal bonded
Brand Names
Microlith, DuraGlass, Delta-Aire, DynaWick, DynaWeb, DynaTech, Micro-Aire, MicroLith, Ecomat, Duraglass, and Combimat, DuraBase and Gorilla Wrap
Major Markets
Roofing substrates, air and liquid filtration, sorbents, battery separators, geotextiles, flooring substrates and facers for building products
Building and Engineered Materials expert Johns Manville, Denver, CO, has been able to continue its trend of growing nonwovens sales across all of its markets. The Berkshire Hathaway-owned company’s sales grew to be in excess of $525 million in 2005. While raw material prices have posed significant challenges globally, JM has been successful in passing along increases throughout the world, according to vice president and general manager, construction materials, Zain Mahmood. “Our biggest challenge has been the significant, worldwide increase of costs in raw materials and energy,” he said. “JM has maintained its leadership role by increasing prices in all of its nonwovens markets to reflect these changes.”
Johns Manville operates through two groups—engineered products and building materials. JM’s nonwovens operations are contained within the engineered products group and are divided into three global segments—reinforcement fibers, construction materials and systems and high performance nonwovens, a combination of glass and synthetic mats and filtration media.
The construction materials segment is set to receive a boost from a new glass mat line in Etowah, TN, which will come onstream during the second half of 2007. The expansion will make the facility an extremely cost-efficient operation with two large furnaces and 70% of its customers nearby, according to Mr. Mahmood.
“This new glass mat line has some significant new capabilities to reduce the total cost of ownership of our key customers and partners,” Mr. Mahmood said. “The market is looking for these new capabilities and JM is pleased to respond to these customer/market needs. These new capabilities will allow our partners to continue to win in their spaces for the long term.”
JM operates two similar lines in Ohio and has a significant presence in Europe. Beyond roofing systems, glass mat nonwovens have been boosted by the material’s replacement of paper in wallboards, which is a response to concerns about mold from customers.
Meanwhile, in Europe, a new low area weight polyester spunbond line targeting the roofing market is currently in start-up phase in Bobingen, Germany. This line will also help JM expand its product capabilities while making the facility more cost efficient. JM’s Bobingen facility as well as its operation in Berlin, Germany serves customers throughout Europe, including Eastern and Central Europe where construction and roofing markets have been growing significantly.
While no nonwovens operation is in place, for now, JM, which currently produces fiberglass in Slovakia, has indicated an interest in expanding its nonwovens operation into this area. “We have multiple nonwovens capability enhancements on our investment drawing boards and will continue to pursue the right market timing to bring them onstream,” Mr. Mahmood said. “JM is a leader in the CEE market and will continue to serve our customers with adequate investments.”
Moving towards Asia, especially China, JM has expanded its Chinese operations, based in Shanghai through the acquisition of a new spunbond line in the Henan state, which will double the company’s footprint in that country/region. “The new line will serve some of our key customers in China in core JM markets. We are also bolstering our technology capabilities in China, allowing us to focus on one of the fastest growing markets in the world.” JM currently operates a line in Quingpu, near Shanghai.
In addition to regional expansion, new product development has been an important growth strategy for JM. Earlier this year, JM introduced two significant new products in time for the National Association of home Builders 2006 International Builders’ Show.
The first, Gorilla Wrap, is a non-perforated, nonwoven polymeric housewrap material that decreases air infiltration, resulting in increased energy efficiency and maximum moisture control. Gorilla Wrap’s superior strength, with a tear resistance that is 300% higher than the leading housewrap, reduces builder concern during installation and makes it one of the most durable housewrap products on the market, according to the company.
Unlike most housewraps on the market, Gorilla Wrap is non-perforated, reducing the potential for bulk water penetration and allowing trapped moisture to escape, thus reducing concerns about mold and mildew growth. In addition, the non-perforated material keeps wood sheathing drier, reducing the potential for rot and degradation within the wall cavity.
The unique composition of JM’s other new product, DuraBase roofing underlayment, employs, the proven technology of asphalt with a new high-performance nonwoven polyester reinforcement. Its durability enables DuraBase to hold nails better and provides greater tear strength and puncture resistance than synthetics or felt. It also offers greater waterproofing performance and better protection as it also seals around nails. DuraBase’s enhanced ultraviolet resistance allows longer exposure to the sun (up to six months) without performance deterioration.
“This product is focused on creating a spunbond underlayment that is completely different from traditional felt and synthetics,” Mr. Mahmood explained. This unique, patented technology, developed by JM, allows customers to reduce installation costs and get more superior value than existing felt products that absorb water (and thereby do not provide adequate waterproofing) and do not lie flat.”
Durabase also differs from synthetics in that it allows for the use of staples for installation, decreasing installation costs.
Durabase’s exposure in the roofing market has been enhanced through JM’s partnership with Tarco, Little Rock, AK, a leading supplier of roofing underlayments for use under roof shingles, ceramic tiles and steel roofing. Together, the two companies created a new asphalt synthetic underlayment called EasyLay, a new Leakbarrier product using DuraBase. DuraBase technology allows the EasyLay product to unroll flat in warm and cold weather. Additionally, EasyLay offers greater waterproofing performance and better protection, as it employs DuraBase technology, which provides sealing around nails.
“Tarco is the largest underlayment producer in North America,” said Mr. Mahmood. “With its significant logistics and distribution channels, it is ideally suited to help JM convert the traditional felt-based underlayment market. We are partnering with Tarco to help us get this product to market in the fastest possible way. This is a combined effort between JM’s newly formed building products group, engineered products and Tarco. Since this is a steep slope application, we are working with Tarco and large shingle manufacturing partners to use this as a part of their overall system.”
Mr. Mahmood added that JM’s efforts in product development mainly center on helping its customers reduce their total cost of nonwovens while providing them the means to enter new areas. “We are optimistic about the increased need for enhanced durable nonwoven capabilities in every market we play. JM is investing heavily in this segment to ensure that we meet our customers needs, both for today and tomorrow.”
To help achieve this, JM recently formed a global nonwoven technical center with a presence in North American, Europe and Asia. Product specialists working in this center are working on the next generation of technologies to help benefit JM’s customers. “We will continue to extend our technology edge in durable nonwovens,” Mr. Mahmood concluded. “With multiple product/technology capabilities and a global presence, our customers expect us to lead the way in durable nonwovens and we look forward to meeting their expectations.”
Location: Denver, CO
Sales: $583 million
Description: Key Personnel
Dion Persson, senior vice president, engineered products group; Zain Mahmood, vice president, sales, marketing and innovation, engineered products group; Ken Forden, NA nonwovens and Enno Henze, EU nonwovens
Plants
Waterville, OH; Defiance, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein and Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, China; Trnava, Slovakia
ISO Status
Spartanburg, SC and Defiance, OH ISO 9002 certified; Bobingen and Berlin, Germany ISO 9001 certified; Waterville, OH ISO 9002 certified; Etowah, TN ISO 9002 certified
Processes
Airlaid (glass and synthetic), wetlaid, calendered, melt blown, spunbonded, needlepunched, thermal bonded
Brand Names
Microlith, DuraGlass, Delta-Aire, DynaWick, DynaWeb, DynaTech, Micro-Aire, MicroLith, Ecomat, Duraglass, DuraSpun, and Combimat, DuraBase and Gorilla Wrap
Major Markets
Roofing substrates, air and liquid filtration, sorbents, battery separators, geotextiles, flooring substrates and facers for building products
Expansion is the name of the game for Johns Manville (JM), a leading manufacturer of building and engineered materials headquartered in Denver, CO.
A Berkshire Hathaway company, JM has been in business since 1858 and boasts corporate-wide sales in excess of $2.5 billion. With an employee base of approximately 8500 people, JM operates 42 manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and Asia. The company’s Engineered Products Group produces nonwovens and fibers, glass fabrics and air filtration products at 14 manufacturing locations worldwide.
“Our sales grew in 2006 and 2007 in nonwovens due to the new assets we have brought online in Europe, North America and Asia as well as the new products we have introduced,” stated JM’s vice president and general manager, construction materials, Zain Mahmood. He characterized the state of the global nonwovens industry as “very good” despite continuing cost pressures. “Customers are seeing value in nonwoven products and are willing to pay more for value.”
In a recent restructuring at the company, JM has merged what were formerly three global segments—reinforcement fibers, construction materials and systems and high performance nonwovens—and formed four regional segments, European Union fibers and fabrics and North American fibers and fabrics groups. Despite this change, the company continues to operate through its two strategic business units—Engineered Products and Building Materials.
Topping recent news at JM is a new glass mat line in Etowah, TN, which will come onstream during the third quarter of this year. “It’s a beautiful line,” said Mr. Mahmood, adding that the expansion will make the facility an extremely cost-efficient operation with two large furnaces and 70% of its customers nearby. “This new glass mat line has some significant new capabilities to reduce the total cost of ownership of our key customers and partners,” he said. “The market is looking for these new capabilities and JM is pleased to respond to these customer/market needs. These new capabilities will allow our partners continued success for the long term.”
JM operates two similar lines in Ohio and has a significant presence in Europe. Beyond roofing systems, glass mat nonwovens have been boosted by the material’s replacement of paper in wallboards, which is a response to concerns about mold from customers.
Meanwhile, in Europe, a low area weight polyester spunbond line targeting the roofing market is up and running in Bobingen, Germany. This line expands JM’s product capabilities while making the facility more cost efficient. JM’s Bobingen facility as well as its operation in Berlin, Germany serve customers throughout Europe, including Eastern and Central Europe where construction and roofing markets have been growing significantly.
While no nonwovens operation is in place, for now, JM, which currently produces fiberglass in Slovakia, has indicated an interest in expanding its nonwovens operation into this area. “We have multiple nonwovens capability enhancements on our investment drawing boards and will continue to pursue the right market timing to bring them onstream,” he stated. “JM is a leader in the CEE market and will continue to serve our customers with adequate investments.”
Moving toward Asia, especially China, JM expanded its Chinese operations based in Shanghai through the acquisition of a spunbond line in the Henan state, which doubles the company’s footprint in that country. “The line will serve some of our key customers in China in core JM markets. We are also bolstering our technology capabilities in China, allowing us to focus on one of the fastest growing markets in the world.” JM currently operates a line in Quingpu, near Shanghai.
In addition to regional expansion, new product development has been an important growth strategy for JM (see accompanying sidebars). According to Mr. Mahmood, the company’s efforts in product development mainly center on helping its customers reduce total costs while providing means to enter new areas. “We are optimistic about the increased need for enhanced durable nonwovens capabilities in every market we are involved in. JM is investing heavily in this segment to ensure that we meet our customers’ needs, both for today and tomorrow.”
To help achieve this, JM has formed a global nonwoven technical center with a presence in North America, Europe and Asia. Product specialists working in this center are working on the next generation of technologies to help benefit customers. “We will continue to extend our technology edge in durable nonwovens,” Mr. Mahmood concluded. “With multiple product/technology capabilities and a global presence, our customers expect us to lead the way in durable nonwovens and we look forward to meeting their expectations.”
Among JM’s newest offerings is DuraSpun XTR, a spunbond composite waterproofing carrier, which was recently introduced in Europe. The company has also launched DuraGlass HST (high shingle tear), a composite glass mat for roofing shingles in North America that allows customers to use less asphalt with a more robust glass mat.
Moving forward, Mr. Mahmood said JM is taking an aggressive stance toward future growth. “For the short term, we want to meet our commitments by delivering on our new nonwovens projects. Long term, we are looking to build more nonwovens assets as demand dictates.” The company continues to consider capital investment a “very important” part of its growth strategy.
Sales: $583 million
Description: Key Personnel
Dion Persson, senior vice president, engineered products group; Zain Mahmood, vice president, sales, marketing and innovation, engineered products group; Ken Forden, NA nonwovens and Enno Henze, EU nonwovens
Plants
Waterville, OH; Defiance, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein and Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, China; Trnava, Slovakia
ISO Status
Spartanburg, SC and Defiance, OH ISO 9002 certified; Bobingen and Berlin, Germany ISO 9001 certified; Waterville, OH ISO 9002 certified; Etowah, TN ISO 9002 certified
Processes
Airlaid (glass and synthetic), wetlaid, calendered, melt blown, spunbonded, needlepunched, thermal bonded
Brand Names
Microlith, DuraGlass, Delta-Aire, DynaWick, DynaWeb, DynaTech, Micro-Aire, MicroLith, Ecomat, Duraglass, DuraSpun, and Combimat, DuraBase and Gorilla Wrap
Major Markets
Roofing substrates, air and liquid filtration, sorbents, battery separators, geotextiles, flooring substrates and facers for building products
Expansion is the name of the game for Johns Manville (JM), a leading manufacturer of building and engineered materials headquartered in Denver, CO.
A Berkshire Hathaway company, JM has been in business since 1858 and boasts corporate-wide sales in excess of $2.5 billion. With an employee base of approximately 8500 people, JM operates 42 manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and Asia. The company’s Engineered Products Group produces nonwovens and fibers, glass fabrics and air filtration products at 14 manufacturing locations worldwide.
“Our sales grew in 2006 and 2007 in nonwovens due to the new assets we have brought online in Europe, North America and Asia as well as the new products we have introduced,” stated JM’s vice president and general manager, construction materials, Zain Mahmood. He characterized the state of the global nonwovens industry as “very good” despite continuing cost pressures. “Customers are seeing value in nonwoven products and are willing to pay more for value.”
In a recent restructuring at the company, JM has merged what were formerly three global segments—reinforcement fibers, construction materials and systems and high performance nonwovens—and formed four regional segments, European Union fibers and fabrics and North American fibers and fabrics groups. Despite this change, the company continues to operate through its two strategic business units—Engineered Products and Building Materials.
Topping recent news at JM is a new glass mat line in Etowah, TN, which will come onstream during the third quarter of this year. “It’s a beautiful line,” said Mr. Mahmood, adding that the expansion will make the facility an extremely cost-efficient operation with two large furnaces and 70% of its customers nearby. “This new glass mat line has some significant new capabilities to reduce the total cost of ownership of our key customers and partners,” he said. “The market is looking for these new capabilities and JM is pleased to respond to these customer/market needs. These new capabilities will allow our partners continued success for the long term.”
JM operates two similar lines in Ohio and has a significant presence in Europe. Beyond roofing systems, glass mat nonwovens have been boosted by the material’s replacement of paper in wallboards, which is a response to concerns about mold from customers.
Meanwhile, in Europe, a low area weight polyester spunbond line targeting the roofing market is up and running in Bobingen, Germany. This line expands JM’s product capabilities while making the facility more cost efficient. JM’s Bobingen facility as well as its operation in Berlin, Germany serve customers throughout Europe, including Eastern and Central Europe where construction and roofing markets have been growing significantly.
While no nonwovens operation is in place, for now, JM, which currently produces fiberglass in Slovakia, has indicated an interest in expanding its nonwovens operation into this area. “We have multiple nonwovens capability enhancements on our investment drawing boards and will continue to pursue the right market timing to bring them onstream,” he stated. “JM is a leader in the CEE market and will continue to serve our customers with adequate investments.”
Moving toward Asia, especially China, JM expanded its Chinese operations based in Shanghai through the acquisition of a spunbond line in the Henan state, which doubles the company’s footprint in that country. “The line will serve some of our key customers in China in core JM markets. We are also bolstering our technology capabilities in China, allowing us to focus on one of the fastest growing markets in the world.” JM currently operates a line in Quingpu, near Shanghai.
In addition to regional expansion, new product development has been an important growth strategy for JM (see accompanying sidebars). According to Mr. Mahmood, the company’s efforts in product development mainly center on helping its customers reduce total costs while providing means to enter new areas. “We are optimistic about the increased need for enhanced durable nonwovens capabilities in every market we are involved in. JM is investing heavily in this segment to ensure that we meet our customers’ needs, both for today and tomorrow.”
To help achieve this, JM has formed a global nonwoven technical center with a presence in North America, Europe and Asia. Product specialists working in this center are working on the next generation of technologies to help benefit customers. “We will continue to extend our technology edge in durable nonwovens,” Mr. Mahmood concluded. “With multiple product/technology capabilities and a global presence, our customers expect us to lead the way in durable nonwovens and we look forward to meeting their expectations.”
Among JM’s newest offerings is DuraSpun XTR, a spunbond composite waterproofing carrier, which was recently introduced in Europe. The company has also launched DuraGlass HST (high shingle tear), a composite glass mat for roofing shingles in North America that allows customers to use less asphalt with a more robust glass mat.
Moving forward, Mr. Mahmood said JM is taking an aggressive stance toward future growth. “For the short term, we want to meet our commitments by delivering on our new nonwovens projects. Long term, we are looking to build more nonwovens assets as demand dictates.” The company continues to consider capital investment a “very important” part of its growth strategy.
Location: DENVER, CO
Sales: $670 million
Description: Key Personnel
Dion Persson, senior vice president, engineered products group; Ken Forden, NA nonwovens and Enno Henze, EU nonwovens; Bob Wambolt NA Fibers; PO Fibers EU
Plants
Waterville, OH; Defiance, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC, Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein and Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, China; Trnava, Slovakia;: Louyang, China
ISO Status
Spartanburg, SC and Defiance, OH ISO 9002 certified; Bobingen and Berlin, Germany ISO 9001 certified; Waterville, OH ISO 9002 certified; Etowah, TN ISO 9002 certified; Richland, MS ISO 9001 certified
Processes
Airlaid (glass and synthetic), wetlaid, calendered, melt blown, spunbonded, needlepunched, thermal bonded
Brand Names
Assurance, Microlith, DuraGlass, Delta-Aire, DynaWick, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire, MicroLith, Ecomat, DuraSpun, and Combimat, DuraBase and Gorilla Wrap, StableGrip, StableStrand
Major Markets
Roofing substrates, air and liquid filtration, sorbents, battery separators, geotextiles, flooring substrates and facers for building products
Celebrating its 150th year in business in 2008 is Johns Manville (JM), a leading manufacturer of building and engineered materials headquartered in Denver, CO. A Berkshire Hathaway company, JM has been in business since 1858 and boasts corporate-wide sales in excess of $2 billion. The company employs about 7800 people and operates 41 manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and China.
Now restructured into four regional segments, JM operates European Union fibers and fabrics and North American fibers and fabrics groups. The company continues to operate through its two strategic business units—Engineered Products and Building Materials.
On the North American front, JM’s new glass mat line in Etowah, TN is up and running and the company expects to meet its first-year production goal. The expansion makes the facility an extremely cost-efficient operation with two large furnaces and 70% of its customers nearby.
JM operates two similar lines in Ohio and has a significant presence in Europe. Late in 2007 the company expanded capacity at its Defiance, OH facility for its Micro-Aire duct boards. “This capacity expansion is up and running and we continue to assess additional investments,” commented Ken Forden, North American nonwovens manager for JM.
Mr. Forden also pointed to recent declines in the North American housing market and said that the company has taken significant actions across the organization to mitigate the impact wherever possible. “Like many in our industry, JM is feeling the effects of this market slowdown as well as rising energy, transportation and raw materials costs.” he said. “We will continue to focus on delivering on our commitments to customers and ensuring their success for the long-term. As a member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies, we have the added advantage of an owner who understands the cyclicality of our business.”
In response to dramatic hikes in energy costs and raw material prices, this summer JM increased its prices for filter media products. Depending on the composition of the specific product, the percentage of the increase will be negotiated individually.
A similar situation is underway in the glass mat and spunbond sectors, where JM levied a 7% price increase for its polyester spunbond and glass mat waterproofing carriers this summer. “The European economy is encountering severe headwinds due to dramatically increasing costs for petrochemical products, transportation and for energy—whether it is oil, gas or electricity,” said Enno Henze, business leader EU nonwovens. “Since the production of glass and PET mat is a very energy intensive process that consumes a significant amount of petrochemicals, JM has been heavily affected by this cost inflation.”
In China, JM operates a nonwoven spunbond mat production line in Luoyang in the Henan province. The state-of-the-art line underscores JM’s commitment to its roofing, specialty and geotextiles customers and serves demand for spunbond mat products in Asia and the Middle East.
In terms of new products, JM recently Introduced a suite of building and filtration products and continues to focus on and develop new products that deliver productivity improvements to customers. “Our efforts to mitigate the unprecedented cost inflation have not affected our commitment to invest in research and development,” said Mr. Forden.
Within its filtration product line, JM launched three new products: CombiFil Premium, SpunFil EasyPleat and Micro-Strand XP. CombiFil Premium combines the advantages of both polyester spunbond and microglass and provides a filtration product that has consistent mechanical filtration efficiency up to HEPA, low-pressure drop with high dust-holding capacity and requires no additional reinforcements. As a result, it is easy to process and provides an extremely long filter life with low energy usage. It allows filter producers to manufacture pleated filters utilizing new dimensions of high dust-holding capacity combined with high stiffness and low pressure drop.
SpunFil EasyPleat is a calendered polyester spunbond nonwovens made with JM’s new BC-technology. It has high air permeability and features a very high stiffness even at low-area weights of between 60 and 120 gpsm. The product enables high pleating machine speeds while continuing to achieve sharp and precise pleats.
Micro-Strand XP microfiber is a new material for use in manufacturing microglass paper used in HEPA, ULPA and ASHRAE filters. The new glass microfiber meets the rigid health testing standards established by the European Union for fiber exoneration. Made up of fibers that are approximately one micron in diameter, tests have proven that Micro-Strand XP is rapidly cleared from the lungs if accidentally inhaled, making it ideal for even the most stringent of regulatory environments.
Additionally, JM introduced three new products for the building applications market: DuraSpun XTR, a glass thread reinforced spunbond composite providing best-in-class dimensional stability to bituminous waterproofing membranes; Illuma White, a pre-coated glass fiber nonwoven for high-quality ceiling tiles; and the glass fiber nonwoven DHY Forte, an innovative product for impact sound attenuation.
Another recent innovation from JM is its Assurance nonwoven composite media made of natural and synthetic fibers. Used to produce a superior mechanical air filter, the media also enables production of self-supporting air filters that reduce costs, increase manufacturing productivity and avoid safety liabilities associated with expanded-metal filter structures.
“Assurance’s Self-Supporting Pleat technology allows filtration manufacturers to reduce costs and increase productivity by simplifying their manufacturing processes by eliminating the use of expanded metal,” stated Dion Persson, senior vice president, engineered products group. “This cost savings is a win for our customers in terms of increasing their profitability and continues the tradition of innovation that Johns Manville is known for in the filtration industry.”
In response to customers’ needs as well as rising energy, transportation and raw materials costs across the industry and the world, JM launched a new product, DuraCore, which reduces the amount of asphalt on a roofing mat by 10%. “With the price of asphalt directly tied to crude oil, not only does it deliver a significant cost savings to our customers, they are building more green and sustainable structures,” Ken Forden, business leader North American Nonwovens.
Moving forward, JM is committed to investing in its employees, research and new product development, manufacturing facilities and assets. “From new product development, energy efficiency and sustainability, JM continues to look at all opportunities to deliver productivity improvements to customers,” Mr. Persson stated.
The company's strategy is to continue to invest in new technology and deliver world-class products to customers. “One of the many advantages to being a Berkshire Hathaway company is that we are here to serve the nonwovens industry for the long term,” he said. “As we celebrate our 150th anniversary in business, we look forward to continuing to invest in our facilities and our assets to ensure the long-term growth and success of our customers for the next 150 years. Capital investment is important to any growth strategy and we have access to funds to invest through our parent company.”
Part of JM's expansion strategy is to continue to grow its nonwovens business and position itself as a leader in the marketplace while continuing to look for new and innovative ways to deliver top-notch solutions and services. And for JM, innovation means environmental awareness. “We have long been committed to the sustainability of our products and operations from sourcing to manufacturing and throughout the entire product life cycle,” said Mr. Persson. “Our goal is to be a leader in the manufacturing of environmentally responsible engineered and building products while raising awareness of the beneficial impact these materials have on the energy efficiency and indoor air quality of a home or building.”
Sales: $670 million
Description: Key Personnel
Dion Persson, senior vice president, engineered products group; Ken Forden, NA nonwovens and Enno Henze, EU nonwovens; Bob Wambolt NA Fibers; PO Fibers EU
Plants
Waterville, OH; Defiance, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC, Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein and Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, China; Trnava, Slovakia;: Louyang, China
ISO Status
Spartanburg, SC and Defiance, OH ISO 9002 certified; Bobingen and Berlin, Germany ISO 9001 certified; Waterville, OH ISO 9002 certified; Etowah, TN ISO 9002 certified; Richland, MS ISO 9001 certified
Processes
Airlaid (glass and synthetic), wetlaid, calendered, melt blown, spunbonded, needlepunched, thermal bonded
Brand Names
Assurance, Microlith, DuraGlass, Delta-Aire, DynaWick, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire, MicroLith, Ecomat, DuraSpun, and Combimat, DuraBase and Gorilla Wrap, StableGrip, StableStrand
Major Markets
Roofing substrates, air and liquid filtration, sorbents, battery separators, geotextiles, flooring substrates and facers for building products
Celebrating its 150th year in business in 2008 is Johns Manville (JM), a leading manufacturer of building and engineered materials headquartered in Denver, CO. A Berkshire Hathaway company, JM has been in business since 1858 and boasts corporate-wide sales in excess of $2 billion. The company employs about 7800 people and operates 41 manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and China.
Now restructured into four regional segments, JM operates European Union fibers and fabrics and North American fibers and fabrics groups. The company continues to operate through its two strategic business units—Engineered Products and Building Materials.
On the North American front, JM’s new glass mat line in Etowah, TN is up and running and the company expects to meet its first-year production goal. The expansion makes the facility an extremely cost-efficient operation with two large furnaces and 70% of its customers nearby.
JM operates two similar lines in Ohio and has a significant presence in Europe. Late in 2007 the company expanded capacity at its Defiance, OH facility for its Micro-Aire duct boards. “This capacity expansion is up and running and we continue to assess additional investments,” commented Ken Forden, North American nonwovens manager for JM.
Mr. Forden also pointed to recent declines in the North American housing market and said that the company has taken significant actions across the organization to mitigate the impact wherever possible. “Like many in our industry, JM is feeling the effects of this market slowdown as well as rising energy, transportation and raw materials costs.” he said. “We will continue to focus on delivering on our commitments to customers and ensuring their success for the long-term. As a member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies, we have the added advantage of an owner who understands the cyclicality of our business.”
In response to dramatic hikes in energy costs and raw material prices, this summer JM increased its prices for filter media products. Depending on the composition of the specific product, the percentage of the increase will be negotiated individually.
A similar situation is underway in the glass mat and spunbond sectors, where JM levied a 7% price increase for its polyester spunbond and glass mat waterproofing carriers this summer. “The European economy is encountering severe headwinds due to dramatically increasing costs for petrochemical products, transportation and for energy—whether it is oil, gas or electricity,” said Enno Henze, business leader EU nonwovens. “Since the production of glass and PET mat is a very energy intensive process that consumes a significant amount of petrochemicals, JM has been heavily affected by this cost inflation.”
In China, JM operates a nonwoven spunbond mat production line in Luoyang in the Henan province. The state-of-the-art line underscores JM’s commitment to its roofing, specialty and geotextiles customers and serves demand for spunbond mat products in Asia and the Middle East.
In terms of new products, JM recently Introduced a suite of building and filtration products and continues to focus on and develop new products that deliver productivity improvements to customers. “Our efforts to mitigate the unprecedented cost inflation have not affected our commitment to invest in research and development,” said Mr. Forden.
Within its filtration product line, JM launched three new products: CombiFil Premium, SpunFil EasyPleat and Micro-Strand XP. CombiFil Premium combines the advantages of both polyester spunbond and microglass and provides a filtration product that has consistent mechanical filtration efficiency up to HEPA, low-pressure drop with high dust-holding capacity and requires no additional reinforcements. As a result, it is easy to process and provides an extremely long filter life with low energy usage. It allows filter producers to manufacture pleated filters utilizing new dimensions of high dust-holding capacity combined with high stiffness and low pressure drop.
SpunFil EasyPleat is a calendered polyester spunbond nonwovens made with JM’s new BC-technology. It has high air permeability and features a very high stiffness even at low-area weights of between 60 and 120 gpsm. The product enables high pleating machine speeds while continuing to achieve sharp and precise pleats.
Micro-Strand XP microfiber is a new material for use in manufacturing microglass paper used in HEPA, ULPA and ASHRAE filters. The new glass microfiber meets the rigid health testing standards established by the European Union for fiber exoneration. Made up of fibers that are approximately one micron in diameter, tests have proven that Micro-Strand XP is rapidly cleared from the lungs if accidentally inhaled, making it ideal for even the most stringent of regulatory environments.
Additionally, JM introduced three new products for the building applications market: DuraSpun XTR, a glass thread reinforced spunbond composite providing best-in-class dimensional stability to bituminous waterproofing membranes; Illuma White, a pre-coated glass fiber nonwoven for high-quality ceiling tiles; and the glass fiber nonwoven DHY Forte, an innovative product for impact sound attenuation.
Another recent innovation from JM is its Assurance nonwoven composite media made of natural and synthetic fibers. Used to produce a superior mechanical air filter, the media also enables production of self-supporting air filters that reduce costs, increase manufacturing productivity and avoid safety liabilities associated with expanded-metal filter structures.
“Assurance’s Self-Supporting Pleat technology allows filtration manufacturers to reduce costs and increase productivity by simplifying their manufacturing processes by eliminating the use of expanded metal,” stated Dion Persson, senior vice president, engineered products group. “This cost savings is a win for our customers in terms of increasing their profitability and continues the tradition of innovation that Johns Manville is known for in the filtration industry.”
In response to customers’ needs as well as rising energy, transportation and raw materials costs across the industry and the world, JM launched a new product, DuraCore, which reduces the amount of asphalt on a roofing mat by 10%. “With the price of asphalt directly tied to crude oil, not only does it deliver a significant cost savings to our customers, they are building more green and sustainable structures,” Ken Forden, business leader North American Nonwovens.
Moving forward, JM is committed to investing in its employees, research and new product development, manufacturing facilities and assets. “From new product development, energy efficiency and sustainability, JM continues to look at all opportunities to deliver productivity improvements to customers,” Mr. Persson stated.
The company's strategy is to continue to invest in new technology and deliver world-class products to customers. “One of the many advantages to being a Berkshire Hathaway company is that we are here to serve the nonwovens industry for the long term,” he said. “As we celebrate our 150th anniversary in business, we look forward to continuing to invest in our facilities and our assets to ensure the long-term growth and success of our customers for the next 150 years. Capital investment is important to any growth strategy and we have access to funds to invest through our parent company.”
Part of JM's expansion strategy is to continue to grow its nonwovens business and position itself as a leader in the marketplace while continuing to look for new and innovative ways to deliver top-notch solutions and services. And for JM, innovation means environmental awareness. “We have long been committed to the sustainability of our products and operations from sourcing to manufacturing and throughout the entire product life cycle,” said Mr. Persson. “Our goal is to be a leader in the manufacturing of environmentally responsible engineered and building products while raising awareness of the beneficial impact these materials have on the energy efficiency and indoor air quality of a home or building.”
Location: DENVER, CO
Sales: $670 Million
Description: Key Personnel
Bob Wamboldt, vice president & general manager, Engineered Products North America (EPNA) Enno Henze, vice president & general manager, Engineered Products Europe/Asia (EPEA); Ken Forden, director of sales and marketing EPNA; Christian Hassmann, segment manager, filtration & separation and marketing manager, Nonwovens EPEA; Stefan Mohr, segment manager, Waterproofing EPEA; Anne Schäfer, segment manager, construction & industrial EPEA
Plants
Waterville, OH; Defiance, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein and Steinach, Germany; Shanghai and Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia;
ISO Status
Spartanburg, SC and Defiance, OH ISO 9002 certified; Bobingen and Berlin, Germany ISO 9001 certified; Waterville, OH ISO 9002 certified; Etowah, TN ISO 9002 certified; Richland, MS ISO 9001 certified
Processes
Airlaid (glass and synthetic), wetlaid, meltblown, spunlaid needling, composite
Brand Names
Assurance, Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWick, DynaWeb, DynaTech, Micro-Aire, MicroLith, microlith, ecoMat, DuraGlass, DuraSpun, SpunFil, CombiFil, ComforTex, UniTex, ForTex, Illuma White, StabilStrand, DuraBase and Gorilla Wrap, StableGrip
Major Markets
Roofing substrates, air and liquid filtration, sorbents, battery separators, geotextiles, flooring substrates and facers for building products, wind energy, nonwovens for engineered wood composites
With a new regional structure in place, leading roll goods producer Johns Manville (JM) is focusing on keeping costs under control in a difficult economic environment. The company is organized into four regional segments—Insulation Systems, Roofing Systems and Engineered Products North America (EPNA) and Engineered Products Europe/Asia (EPEA). “The new regional structure has increased decision- making speed and keeps the focus on critical customer issues that drive continuous improvement,” explained Bob Wambodt vice president and general manager, Engineered Products North America, and Enno Henze, vice president and general manager, Engineered Products Europe/Asia.
Like most manufacturers, JM’s business has been impacted by tough economic conditions on both the North American and European fronts. After a very strong start into 2008 with record sales in the building and construction markets as well as in the filtration and separation segment, the company saw a significant slowdown in the fourth quarter caused by the global economic crisis, particularly in Europe. Due to its broad portfolio of products and markets, JM reports that its results have been pretty stable so far.
JM remains sharply focused on polyester spunbond and glass fiber nonwovens for building and industrial applications. According to Mr. Henze, the company is launching several new products and continues to concentrate on product and application development. “Many cost control cuts have been made, but reducing our focus on product innovation has not been considered,” he remarked.
In the area of filtration, JM has extended its polyester spunbond range to include a new “heavyweight“ variation of its SpunFil product. The 260 gsm filter media for industrial air applications increases the stiffness, stability and filter efficiency significantly. The filtration portfolio has also been enlarged with energy efficient media for air pollution control and gas turbines.
Also new is StabilStrand, an innovative product family composed of glass fiber nonwovens and unique binder systems such as b-stage melamine. StabilStrand is designed for use as a surface layer as well as an underlayer for engineered wood materials.
Other filtration products from JM include CombiFil Premium, SpunFil EasyPleat and Micro-Strand XP. CombiFil Premium combines the advantages of both polyester spunbond and microglass and provides a filtration product that has consistent mechanical filtration efficiency up to HEPA, low-pressure drop with high dust holding capacity and requires no additional reinforcements.
SpunFil EasyPleat is a calendered polyester spunbond made with JM's new BC-technology. It has high air permeability and features a high stiffness even at low area weights of between 60 and 120 gsm. The product enables high pleating machine speeds while continuing to achieve sharp and precise pleats.
Micro-Strand XP microfiber is used in manufacturing microglass papers used in HEPA, ULPA and ASHRAE filters. The glass microfiber meets the rigid health testing standards established by the European Union for fiber exoneration.
Another filtration-related innovation from JM is its Assurance nonwoven composite media made of natural and synthetic fibers.
Used to produce a superior mechanical airfilter, the media also enable production ofself-supporting air filters that reduce costs,increase manufacturing productivity andavoid safety liabilities associated with expanded-metal filter structures.
For building applications, JM offersDuraSpun XTR, a glass thread reinforcedspunbond composite providing best-in-classdimensional stability to bituminous waterproofingmembranes; Illuma White, a precoatedglass fiber nonwoven for high qualityceiling tiles and the glass fiber nonwovenDHY Forte an innovative product for impactsound attenuation.
In agricultural and landscape markets, JMsells its lightweight 100-120 gsm DuraSpunnonwovens and is underway with efforts tobecome a larger player in this sector. The fabricallows moisture to pass but reduces weedgrowth, and—like all of JM’s agricultural offerings—is 100% polyester spunbond.
“We are looking to increase our volumesin this area,” reported Mr. Wamboldt,“and are working on plant and process improvementsat our Spartanburg facility thatwill allow us to make DuraSpun lighterand thinner. The 120 gsm limit is not normallylight enough for landscape applicationsand we are producing some productsnow at about 90-95 gsm or 2.7 osy. Thiswill make us more competitive.”
In the area of crop protection, the companysells fabric to cover crops to preventdamage from frost; in the erosion controlfield, JM supplies a distributor that sells intothe golf course market where its 013140 fabrichas been accepted as the product ofchoice for use under sand traps.
JM’s Silt Fence offers high efficiency filtrationfor protecting rivers, creeks andstreams while reducing soil erosion on developmentprojects. The product was co-developedby JM and Silt-Saver and is beingdistributed by Silt-Saver. Currently, Silt-Saveris making state-by-state efforts to replace existingwoven polypropylene products inNorth America.
When it comes to capacity expansion, JMhas plans to significantly upgrade a specialtyglass mat line in Waterville, OH. “The globaleconomic slowdown has clearly impactedoverall market demand but JM continues toinvest to meet future needs,” added Mr.Wamboldt.
Also in North America, the company’sglass mat line in Etowah, TN is running 24hours per day/seven days a week and meetingits business case targets. The companydescribes the facility as an extremely cost-efficientoperation with two large furnaces and70% of its customers nearby.
In China, where JM operates two facilities,in Shanghai and Louyang respectively,the company continues to service roofing,specialty and geotextiles markets in Asia andthe Middle East from its state-of-the-artspunbond lines.
JM has five plants in Germany, where arecent highlight was its receipt of the prestigious“Top 100” seal by the WirtschaftsuniversitätWien (Vienna University ofEconomics and Business Administration).JM was ranked among the “Top 100” mostinnovative German mid-sized companies.During a ceremony in Königswinter’s“Gästehaus Petersberg,” Lothar Späth, formerprime minister of Baden-Württembergand mentor of the program, presented theprestigious “Top 100” seal to Johns Manvilleexecutives Werner Groh, technologyleader, and Christian Hassmann, marketingleader.
This is the first time JM has participated inthe 17-year-old program. To qualify for thishonor, JM participated in a strict two-stepprocess managed by the University that ultimatelyrecognized the company for its cultureof innovation that encompassed“innovation promoting top-management,”“innovation climate,” “innovation processesand organization,” “innovation marketing”and“innovation success.”
“Our innovation is supported by morethan 220 patents, 40 of which were awardedin the past three years,” explained Dr. Groh.“Our business team of 950 employees usesSix Sigma and Lean Manufacturing tools andprocesses, which strengthens our credibilityamong our customers and other partners. Wehave a well-established innovation processand we believe there is no better way to overcomethe challenges of a difficult economicenvironment.”
Sales: $670 Million
Description: Key Personnel
Bob Wamboldt, vice president & general manager, Engineered Products North America (EPNA) Enno Henze, vice president & general manager, Engineered Products Europe/Asia (EPEA); Ken Forden, director of sales and marketing EPNA; Christian Hassmann, segment manager, filtration & separation and marketing manager, Nonwovens EPEA; Stefan Mohr, segment manager, Waterproofing EPEA; Anne Schäfer, segment manager, construction & industrial EPEA
Plants
Waterville, OH; Defiance, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein and Steinach, Germany; Shanghai and Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia;
ISO Status
Spartanburg, SC and Defiance, OH ISO 9002 certified; Bobingen and Berlin, Germany ISO 9001 certified; Waterville, OH ISO 9002 certified; Etowah, TN ISO 9002 certified; Richland, MS ISO 9001 certified
Processes
Airlaid (glass and synthetic), wetlaid, meltblown, spunlaid needling, composite
Brand Names
Assurance, Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWick, DynaWeb, DynaTech, Micro-Aire, MicroLith, microlith, ecoMat, DuraGlass, DuraSpun, SpunFil, CombiFil, ComforTex, UniTex, ForTex, Illuma White, StabilStrand, DuraBase and Gorilla Wrap, StableGrip
Major Markets
Roofing substrates, air and liquid filtration, sorbents, battery separators, geotextiles, flooring substrates and facers for building products, wind energy, nonwovens for engineered wood composites
With a new regional structure in place, leading roll goods producer Johns Manville (JM) is focusing on keeping costs under control in a difficult economic environment. The company is organized into four regional segments—Insulation Systems, Roofing Systems and Engineered Products North America (EPNA) and Engineered Products Europe/Asia (EPEA). “The new regional structure has increased decision- making speed and keeps the focus on critical customer issues that drive continuous improvement,” explained Bob Wambodt vice president and general manager, Engineered Products North America, and Enno Henze, vice president and general manager, Engineered Products Europe/Asia.
Like most manufacturers, JM’s business has been impacted by tough economic conditions on both the North American and European fronts. After a very strong start into 2008 with record sales in the building and construction markets as well as in the filtration and separation segment, the company saw a significant slowdown in the fourth quarter caused by the global economic crisis, particularly in Europe. Due to its broad portfolio of products and markets, JM reports that its results have been pretty stable so far.
JM remains sharply focused on polyester spunbond and glass fiber nonwovens for building and industrial applications. According to Mr. Henze, the company is launching several new products and continues to concentrate on product and application development. “Many cost control cuts have been made, but reducing our focus on product innovation has not been considered,” he remarked.
In the area of filtration, JM has extended its polyester spunbond range to include a new “heavyweight“ variation of its SpunFil product. The 260 gsm filter media for industrial air applications increases the stiffness, stability and filter efficiency significantly. The filtration portfolio has also been enlarged with energy efficient media for air pollution control and gas turbines.
Also new is StabilStrand, an innovative product family composed of glass fiber nonwovens and unique binder systems such as b-stage melamine. StabilStrand is designed for use as a surface layer as well as an underlayer for engineered wood materials.
Other filtration products from JM include CombiFil Premium, SpunFil EasyPleat and Micro-Strand XP. CombiFil Premium combines the advantages of both polyester spunbond and microglass and provides a filtration product that has consistent mechanical filtration efficiency up to HEPA, low-pressure drop with high dust holding capacity and requires no additional reinforcements.
SpunFil EasyPleat is a calendered polyester spunbond made with JM's new BC-technology. It has high air permeability and features a high stiffness even at low area weights of between 60 and 120 gsm. The product enables high pleating machine speeds while continuing to achieve sharp and precise pleats.
Micro-Strand XP microfiber is used in manufacturing microglass papers used in HEPA, ULPA and ASHRAE filters. The glass microfiber meets the rigid health testing standards established by the European Union for fiber exoneration.
Another filtration-related innovation from JM is its Assurance nonwoven composite media made of natural and synthetic fibers.
Used to produce a superior mechanical airfilter, the media also enable production ofself-supporting air filters that reduce costs,increase manufacturing productivity andavoid safety liabilities associated with expanded-metal filter structures.
For building applications, JM offersDuraSpun XTR, a glass thread reinforcedspunbond composite providing best-in-classdimensional stability to bituminous waterproofingmembranes; Illuma White, a precoatedglass fiber nonwoven for high qualityceiling tiles and the glass fiber nonwovenDHY Forte an innovative product for impactsound attenuation.
In agricultural and landscape markets, JMsells its lightweight 100-120 gsm DuraSpunnonwovens and is underway with efforts tobecome a larger player in this sector. The fabricallows moisture to pass but reduces weedgrowth, and—like all of JM’s agricultural offerings—is 100% polyester spunbond.
“We are looking to increase our volumesin this area,” reported Mr. Wamboldt,“and are working on plant and process improvementsat our Spartanburg facility thatwill allow us to make DuraSpun lighterand thinner. The 120 gsm limit is not normallylight enough for landscape applicationsand we are producing some productsnow at about 90-95 gsm or 2.7 osy. Thiswill make us more competitive.”
In the area of crop protection, the companysells fabric to cover crops to preventdamage from frost; in the erosion controlfield, JM supplies a distributor that sells intothe golf course market where its 013140 fabrichas been accepted as the product ofchoice for use under sand traps.
JM’s Silt Fence offers high efficiency filtrationfor protecting rivers, creeks andstreams while reducing soil erosion on developmentprojects. The product was co-developedby JM and Silt-Saver and is beingdistributed by Silt-Saver. Currently, Silt-Saveris making state-by-state efforts to replace existingwoven polypropylene products inNorth America.
When it comes to capacity expansion, JMhas plans to significantly upgrade a specialtyglass mat line in Waterville, OH. “The globaleconomic slowdown has clearly impactedoverall market demand but JM continues toinvest to meet future needs,” added Mr.Wamboldt.
Also in North America, the company’sglass mat line in Etowah, TN is running 24hours per day/seven days a week and meetingits business case targets. The companydescribes the facility as an extremely cost-efficientoperation with two large furnaces and70% of its customers nearby.
In China, where JM operates two facilities,in Shanghai and Louyang respectively,the company continues to service roofing,specialty and geotextiles markets in Asia andthe Middle East from its state-of-the-artspunbond lines.
JM has five plants in Germany, where arecent highlight was its receipt of the prestigious“Top 100” seal by the WirtschaftsuniversitätWien (Vienna University ofEconomics and Business Administration).JM was ranked among the “Top 100” mostinnovative German mid-sized companies.During a ceremony in Königswinter’s“Gästehaus Petersberg,” Lothar Späth, formerprime minister of Baden-Württembergand mentor of the program, presented theprestigious “Top 100” seal to Johns Manvilleexecutives Werner Groh, technologyleader, and Christian Hassmann, marketingleader.
This is the first time JM has participated inthe 17-year-old program. To qualify for thishonor, JM participated in a strict two-stepprocess managed by the University that ultimatelyrecognized the company for its cultureof innovation that encompassed“innovation promoting top-management,”“innovation climate,” “innovation processesand organization,” “innovation marketing”and“innovation success.”
“Our innovation is supported by morethan 220 patents, 40 of which were awardedin the past three years,” explained Dr. Groh.“Our business team of 950 employees usesSix Sigma and Lean Manufacturing tools andprocesses, which strengthens our credibilityamong our customers and other partners. Wehave a well-established innovation processand we believe there is no better way to overcomethe challenges of a difficult economicenvironment.”
Location: Denver, CO
Sales: $670 million
Description: Key Personnel
Bob Wamboldt, vice president and general manager, Engineered Products North America (EPNA), Enno Henze, vice president and general manager Engineered Products Europe/Asia (EPEA); Ken Forden, director of sales and marketing EPNA; Stefan Mohr, commercial leader nonwovens (EPEA); Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing leader nonwovens (EPEA)
Plants
Waterville, OH; Defiance, OH; Richland, MS, Spartanburg, SC, Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein and Steinach, Germany; Shanghai and Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brand Names
US-Brands: Dura-Glass, DuraBase, Delta-Aire, DynaWick, DynaWeb, DynaTech, Micro-Aire, MicroLith
EU Nonwoven brands: microlith, ForTex, Illuma, StabilStrand,ecoMat, DuraGlass, DuraSpun, SpunFil, CombiFil, ComforTex, StableGrip; UniTex, MicroAire
EU Fibers brands: ThermoFlow, DuraCore, KY-Tex
As it adapts to its new regional structure, roll goods producer and roofing and construction specialist Johns Manville has defended itself against slowdowns in many of its core markets by keeping costs under control. The Denver, CO-based company, which is also a part of Berkshire Hathaway Group, is organized into four regional segments—Insulations Systems, Roofing Systems and Engineered Products North America (EPNA) and Engineered Products Europe/Asia (EPEA), a restructuring that allows the company to increase its decision-making speed.
“During the economic downturn, Johns Manville has successfully repositioned itself for sustainable growth and we have further increased our commitment to focused innovation,” said Enno Henze, vice president and general manager, EPEA. “Constant product and market development as well as our proprietary technology support us to enter new markets traditionally not yet served by polyester spunbond and glass fiber nonwovens.”
Among the markets JM is focusing on are laminate flooring, air filtration, wall coverings and landscaping in addition to its more traditional areas including residential and commercial construction and geotextiles.
The company currently makes glass mat nonwovens in Waterville, OH and Etowah, TN. In Ohio, a line upgrade has increased capacity and efficiency of the operation while in Tennessee the facility is described as extremely cost-efficient, running 24 hours per day/seven days a week.
Meanwhile, in Europe, JM makes glass fiber nonwovens in Karlstein, Steinach and Wertheim, Germany as well as polyester spunbond in Berlin and Bobingen, Germany. A recent highlight for the German operation is a Top 100 seal by the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration. For the second year in a row, JM was ranked among the top 100 most innovative mid-sized companies in Germany. “Being again a part of the top 100 innovators makes us very proud but that will not stop us from constantly increasing our focus on structured and focused innovation throughout our company,” Mr. Henze said. “The strong innovation culture within JM has constantly opened the doors to new markets and has resulted in incremental but also step change improvements over the years and will do so in the future.”
JM also operates two plants in China—one in Shanghai and the other in Louyang—where it continues to service roofing specialty and geotextiles markets in Asia and the Middle East from state-of-the-art spunbond lines.
In terms of product development, JM is going after the laminate flooring panel market with the use of StabilStrand, an innovative glass fiber nonwoven impregnated with a semi-cured resin system. Especially in the case of floor coverings, which are subjected to daily stress over many years, impact resistance and impact strength play an important role. StabilStrand EW 160 C/A, used as underlay reinforces of laminate flooring panels manufactured in DPL-process, increases the impact strength and the edge stability of HDF panels. StabilStrand enables users to meet the new performance requirements for the flooring class 34.
Meanwhile, JM is entering an entirely different field of application that can be entered with CombiFil GS, which is a brand-new polyester spunbond air filtration media with improved filtration efficiency and lower pressure drop leading to expanded filter lifetime and lower energy consumption. “This helps our customers to save costs and protect the environment by using fewer resources,” Mr. Henze explained.
Another new product, EasyShine, a nonwoven glass fiber product, has recently been incorporated into JM’s already strong portfolio of innovative and decorative wall covering products for both commercial and residential markets. EasyShine is pre-coated to provide both a time and cost-efficient alternative. Paint consumption is considerably lower compared to other similar products. The pre-coating also acts as a stabilizing factor which enables faster and more accurate edge-to-edge installation.
Within the landscape market, JM has introduced DuraSpun Type 014, which has been specially designed to meet the market demand as protection layer to stabilize sloped landscapes of all kinds. The Polyester Nonwoven DuraSpun Type 014 provides excellent chemical stability and outstanding technical values. "The surface treatment applied to the fabric in combination with the UV resistance enables JM customers to offer an outstanding product for downstream applications,“ explained Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing leader nonwovens (EPEA).
“Due to its unique product characteristics DuraSpun Type 014 offers adequate space for vegetation to grow through the product providing a remarkable water and soil conservation feature while at the same time maintaining moisture and preventing the loss of important nutrients.”
Sales: $670 million
Description: Key Personnel
Bob Wamboldt, vice president and general manager, Engineered Products North America (EPNA), Enno Henze, vice president and general manager Engineered Products Europe/Asia (EPEA); Ken Forden, director of sales and marketing EPNA; Stefan Mohr, commercial leader nonwovens (EPEA); Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing leader nonwovens (EPEA)
Plants
Waterville, OH; Defiance, OH; Richland, MS, Spartanburg, SC, Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein and Steinach, Germany; Shanghai and Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brand Names
US-Brands: Dura-Glass, DuraBase, Delta-Aire, DynaWick, DynaWeb, DynaTech, Micro-Aire, MicroLith
EU Nonwoven brands: microlith, ForTex, Illuma, StabilStrand,ecoMat, DuraGlass, DuraSpun, SpunFil, CombiFil, ComforTex, StableGrip; UniTex, MicroAire
EU Fibers brands: ThermoFlow, DuraCore, KY-Tex
As it adapts to its new regional structure, roll goods producer and roofing and construction specialist Johns Manville has defended itself against slowdowns in many of its core markets by keeping costs under control. The Denver, CO-based company, which is also a part of Berkshire Hathaway Group, is organized into four regional segments—Insulations Systems, Roofing Systems and Engineered Products North America (EPNA) and Engineered Products Europe/Asia (EPEA), a restructuring that allows the company to increase its decision-making speed.
“During the economic downturn, Johns Manville has successfully repositioned itself for sustainable growth and we have further increased our commitment to focused innovation,” said Enno Henze, vice president and general manager, EPEA. “Constant product and market development as well as our proprietary technology support us to enter new markets traditionally not yet served by polyester spunbond and glass fiber nonwovens.”
Among the markets JM is focusing on are laminate flooring, air filtration, wall coverings and landscaping in addition to its more traditional areas including residential and commercial construction and geotextiles.
The company currently makes glass mat nonwovens in Waterville, OH and Etowah, TN. In Ohio, a line upgrade has increased capacity and efficiency of the operation while in Tennessee the facility is described as extremely cost-efficient, running 24 hours per day/seven days a week.
Meanwhile, in Europe, JM makes glass fiber nonwovens in Karlstein, Steinach and Wertheim, Germany as well as polyester spunbond in Berlin and Bobingen, Germany. A recent highlight for the German operation is a Top 100 seal by the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration. For the second year in a row, JM was ranked among the top 100 most innovative mid-sized companies in Germany. “Being again a part of the top 100 innovators makes us very proud but that will not stop us from constantly increasing our focus on structured and focused innovation throughout our company,” Mr. Henze said. “The strong innovation culture within JM has constantly opened the doors to new markets and has resulted in incremental but also step change improvements over the years and will do so in the future.”
JM also operates two plants in China—one in Shanghai and the other in Louyang—where it continues to service roofing specialty and geotextiles markets in Asia and the Middle East from state-of-the-art spunbond lines.
In terms of product development, JM is going after the laminate flooring panel market with the use of StabilStrand, an innovative glass fiber nonwoven impregnated with a semi-cured resin system. Especially in the case of floor coverings, which are subjected to daily stress over many years, impact resistance and impact strength play an important role. StabilStrand EW 160 C/A, used as underlay reinforces of laminate flooring panels manufactured in DPL-process, increases the impact strength and the edge stability of HDF panels. StabilStrand enables users to meet the new performance requirements for the flooring class 34.
Meanwhile, JM is entering an entirely different field of application that can be entered with CombiFil GS, which is a brand-new polyester spunbond air filtration media with improved filtration efficiency and lower pressure drop leading to expanded filter lifetime and lower energy consumption. “This helps our customers to save costs and protect the environment by using fewer resources,” Mr. Henze explained.
Another new product, EasyShine, a nonwoven glass fiber product, has recently been incorporated into JM’s already strong portfolio of innovative and decorative wall covering products for both commercial and residential markets. EasyShine is pre-coated to provide both a time and cost-efficient alternative. Paint consumption is considerably lower compared to other similar products. The pre-coating also acts as a stabilizing factor which enables faster and more accurate edge-to-edge installation.
Within the landscape market, JM has introduced DuraSpun Type 014, which has been specially designed to meet the market demand as protection layer to stabilize sloped landscapes of all kinds. The Polyester Nonwoven DuraSpun Type 014 provides excellent chemical stability and outstanding technical values. "The surface treatment applied to the fabric in combination with the UV resistance enables JM customers to offer an outstanding product for downstream applications,“ explained Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing leader nonwovens (EPEA).
“Due to its unique product characteristics DuraSpun Type 014 offers adequate space for vegetation to grow through the product providing a remarkable water and soil conservation feature while at the same time maintaining moisture and preventing the loss of important nutrients.”
Denver, CO
www.jm.com
2011 Nonwovens Sales: $670 million
Key Personnel: Mike Lawrence, vice president and general manager, Engineered Products North America (EPNA); Enno Henze, vice president and general manager, Engineered Products Europe/Asia (EPEA); Ken Forden, director of sales and marketing, EPNA; Stefan Mohr, commercial leader nonwovens, EPEA; Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing leader nonwovens, EPEA
Plants: Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach (Germany); Shanghai, Louyang (China); Trnava (Slovakia)
Brands: Dura-Glass, DuraBase, Delta-Aire, DynaWick, DynaWeb, DynaTech, Micro-Aire, MicroLith (U.S. brands); Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, DuraCore, KY-Tex (EU fibers brands)
Building and specialty products manufacturer Johns Manville (JM), a Berkshire Hathaway company and maker of a number of nonwovens technologies, continues to expand its scope into new markets, including filtration, automotive, batteries and flooring, to help protect itself against softness in construction.
Based in Denver, CO, the company operates through four regional segments—Insulation Systems, Roofing Systems, Engineered Products North America (EPNA) and Engineered Products Europe/Asia (EPEA). The company created the engineered products geographic-based business structure in 2010 to increase its decision-making speed.
“Overall, the building and construction market in Europe remains a concern to the industry as it has not yet recovered from the financial crisis, and we expect it to remain flat over the next few years,” says Enno Henze, vice president and general manager of JM’s EPEA business. “Renovation activities are doing relatively well but new construction continues at low levels.”
However, JM has been able to defend itself against these challenges thanks to its complete portfolio of products with excellent technical properties, long-standing close relationships with its customers and diversification into market segments outside the construction industry.
Engineered Products has seen continued growth in several markets. However, certain segments are out-pacing economic growth due to the increased performance needs in segments such as energy storage and flooring. The business continues to focus on innovation and driving system costs lower for its customers, Henze says.
The filtration segment remains one of the key focus areas in both Europe and North America and JM is growing this business in various applications, including automotive cabin air filtration, industrial air filtration and HVAC via innovative spunbond and glass nonwoven solutions.
In effort to stay ahead of the market in terms of synthetic and micro glass fiber filtration media, JM is continuously investing in its facilities and technology upgrades.
According to Fred Stephan, vice president and general manager of Insulation Systems, JM’s insulation business has started to see an uptick in the U.S. residential market, which is recovering after three years of historically low housing starts. “Although this recovery is coming from a very low base, it is encouraging to see growth, primarily in multi-family but also in single-family dwellings,” he says.
JM has spent the downturn investing in broadening its product portfolio in response to acceleration in U.S. code changes. The company has developed product solutions that deliver value in a difficult economy. “As the markets recover, JM will bring to market the broadest offering of systems to meet its customers’ needs,” Stephan explains.
JM’s commercial Roofing Systems business was flat in 2011 as a result of continued economic uncertainty and significant pressure to reduce spending on public buildings. Executives expect this trend to continue the remainder of the year.
In June, JM dedicated a plant in Milan, OH, to making ethylene propylene diene monomer, a thermoset synthetic rubber, single ply roofing membrane known for its durability, ease of installation and superior weathering characteristics. This roofing plant completes JM’s portfolio of major waterproofing membranes and the company claims it now has the widest breadth of membranes in the industry. The company also announced in August that it has acquired Industrial Insulation Group, LLC, a manufacturer of insulation for industrial, commercial and fireproofing applications
In the glass mat segment, JM has made several investments to its lines in Ohio and Tennessee to improve product capability and ensure product quality. “These improvements have allowed JM to deliver the broadest product portfolio with the increasing quality standards demanded by its customers,” Lawrence says. “This has also enabled JM to develop new products that historically have not been served by a glass nonwoven.”
JM also operates two plants in China—one in Shanghai and one in Louyang—where it continues to serve roofing specialty and geotextiles markets. This business is small compared to the company’s overall scope but it remains a strategic element in its supply network.
“The Asian markets show very interesting growth rates and are rapidly achieving the necessary quality requirements,” Henze says. “Managing manufacturing operations and doing business in Asia is a challenging but rewarding exercise.”
www.jm.com
2011 Nonwovens Sales: $670 million
Key Personnel: Mike Lawrence, vice president and general manager, Engineered Products North America (EPNA); Enno Henze, vice president and general manager, Engineered Products Europe/Asia (EPEA); Ken Forden, director of sales and marketing, EPNA; Stefan Mohr, commercial leader nonwovens, EPEA; Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing leader nonwovens, EPEA
Plants: Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach (Germany); Shanghai, Louyang (China); Trnava (Slovakia)
Brands: Dura-Glass, DuraBase, Delta-Aire, DynaWick, DynaWeb, DynaTech, Micro-Aire, MicroLith (U.S. brands); Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, DuraCore, KY-Tex (EU fibers brands)
Building and specialty products manufacturer Johns Manville (JM), a Berkshire Hathaway company and maker of a number of nonwovens technologies, continues to expand its scope into new markets, including filtration, automotive, batteries and flooring, to help protect itself against softness in construction.
Based in Denver, CO, the company operates through four regional segments—Insulation Systems, Roofing Systems, Engineered Products North America (EPNA) and Engineered Products Europe/Asia (EPEA). The company created the engineered products geographic-based business structure in 2010 to increase its decision-making speed.
“Overall, the building and construction market in Europe remains a concern to the industry as it has not yet recovered from the financial crisis, and we expect it to remain flat over the next few years,” says Enno Henze, vice president and general manager of JM’s EPEA business. “Renovation activities are doing relatively well but new construction continues at low levels.”
However, JM has been able to defend itself against these challenges thanks to its complete portfolio of products with excellent technical properties, long-standing close relationships with its customers and diversification into market segments outside the construction industry.
Engineered Products has seen continued growth in several markets. However, certain segments are out-pacing economic growth due to the increased performance needs in segments such as energy storage and flooring. The business continues to focus on innovation and driving system costs lower for its customers, Henze says.
The filtration segment remains one of the key focus areas in both Europe and North America and JM is growing this business in various applications, including automotive cabin air filtration, industrial air filtration and HVAC via innovative spunbond and glass nonwoven solutions.
In effort to stay ahead of the market in terms of synthetic and micro glass fiber filtration media, JM is continuously investing in its facilities and technology upgrades.
According to Fred Stephan, vice president and general manager of Insulation Systems, JM’s insulation business has started to see an uptick in the U.S. residential market, which is recovering after three years of historically low housing starts. “Although this recovery is coming from a very low base, it is encouraging to see growth, primarily in multi-family but also in single-family dwellings,” he says.
JM has spent the downturn investing in broadening its product portfolio in response to acceleration in U.S. code changes. The company has developed product solutions that deliver value in a difficult economy. “As the markets recover, JM will bring to market the broadest offering of systems to meet its customers’ needs,” Stephan explains.
JM’s commercial Roofing Systems business was flat in 2011 as a result of continued economic uncertainty and significant pressure to reduce spending on public buildings. Executives expect this trend to continue the remainder of the year.
In June, JM dedicated a plant in Milan, OH, to making ethylene propylene diene monomer, a thermoset synthetic rubber, single ply roofing membrane known for its durability, ease of installation and superior weathering characteristics. This roofing plant completes JM’s portfolio of major waterproofing membranes and the company claims it now has the widest breadth of membranes in the industry. The company also announced in August that it has acquired Industrial Insulation Group, LLC, a manufacturer of insulation for industrial, commercial and fireproofing applications
In the glass mat segment, JM has made several investments to its lines in Ohio and Tennessee to improve product capability and ensure product quality. “These improvements have allowed JM to deliver the broadest product portfolio with the increasing quality standards demanded by its customers,” Lawrence says. “This has also enabled JM to develop new products that historically have not been served by a glass nonwoven.”
JM also operates two plants in China—one in Shanghai and one in Louyang—where it continues to serve roofing specialty and geotextiles markets. This business is small compared to the company’s overall scope but it remains a strategic element in its supply network.
“The Asian markets show very interesting growth rates and are rapidly achieving the necessary quality requirements,” Henze says. “Managing manufacturing operations and doing business in Asia is a challenging but rewarding exercise.”
Denver, CO
www.jm.com
2012 Nonwovens Sales: $670 million
Key Personnel: Mike Lawrence, senior vice president and general manager, Engineered Products Americas (EP Americas); Enno Henze, senior vice president and general manager, Engineered Products Europe/ Asia (EPEA); Patti Rizzo, director of sales and marketing, EP Americas; Stefan Mohr, commercial leader nonwovens, EPEA; Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing leader nonwovens, EPEA
Plants: Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach (Germany); Shanghai, Louyang (China); Trnava (Slovakia)
Brands: Dura-Glass, DuraBase, Delta-Aire, DynaWick, DynaWeb, DynaTech, Micro-Aire, MicroLith (U.S. brands); Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, DuraCore, KY-Tex (EU fibers brands)
Berkshire Hathaway-owned Johns Manville continues to report challenges within its core market of construction, particularly in Europe, even as it continues to expand its scope in other technical markets like filtration and battery separators, and new geographies. The Denver, CO-based company operates through four regional segments—Insulation Systems, Roofing Systems, Engineered Products Americas and Engineered Products Europe/Asia.
In July, JM said it would invest in a new spunbond production line at its Berlin, Germany facility. Representing an investment of €32 million, the new line will support the growing demand for high-end polyester filtration media. It will use newly developed spinning technology and increase lightweight spunbond capacity in Berlin by more than 40%.
“This new investment clearly underscores Johns Manville’s commitment as a market leader to responsibly satisfy the long-term demand of our valued filtration customers,” says Enno Henze, senior vice president and general manager, Engineered Products, Europe/Asia. “This new line will have a capacity in excess of 4000 tons per year and will be built with JM’s advanced bicomponent spinning technology, which will enable step-change improvements in product properties and cost performance.”
The line will start production in 2015, creating a new generation of polyester spunbond filter media for cabin air, air pollution control and liquid filtration applications.
In other investment news, in June 2012, JM dedicated a plant in Milan, OH, to make ethylene propylene diene monomer, a thermoset synthetic rubber, single ply roofing membrane known for its durability, ease of installation and superior weathering characteristics. This roofing plant completes JM’s portfolio of major waterproofing membranes and the company claims it now has the widest breadth of membranes in the industry.
In the glass mat segment, JM has made several investments to its lines in Ohio and Tennessee to improve product capability and ensure product quality. These have allowed JM to deliver the broadest product portfolio with the increasing quality standards demanded by its customers and enabled it to develop new products that historically have not been served by a glass nonwoven.
The company also announced in August 2012 that it had acquired Industrial Insulation Group, LLC, a manufacturer of insulation for industrial, commercial and fi reproofing applications.
Within its core business of construction, JM is reporting signs of slow recovery in the North America commercial exterior and interior applications market while the residential market is strengthening. In Europe, the economy continues to be a highwatch area for the company. Construction markets remain challenging with some markets eroding as much as 30% during the last couple of years.
“We expect a very limited recovery from low levels for the years to come for European construction markets in general,” says Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing leader for Johns Manville’s Engineered Products Europe/Asia Nonwovens business. “However, this does not mean that JM’s construction-related nonwovens business will stay flat. We participate in markets that show interesting growth potential, such as building insulation in general, fi re retardant façade panels—a patented solution we developed together with one of our customers—as well as resilient flooring in Eastern Europe.”
In North America, the roofing business has launched a full portfolio of tapes, adhesives and accessories to support its new EPDM membrane being manufactured in Milan, OH. Also, Invinsa FR coverboard can obtain a Class A fi re rating for combustible decks and along with the standard grade Invinsa, are the only high density polyiso coverboards to meet ASTM type three designation for compressive strength.
“As a major player in technical nonwovens, we are continuously looking for opportunities to grow in adjacent spaces with disruptive innovation,” Kleinebrecht says. “That means entering new business areas where nonwovens were not used before.” In Asia, where JM operates two sites, in Louyang and Shanghai, the company continues to see interesting growth rates despite the challenges associated with manufacturing and doing business in Asia.
In fact, the company continues to expand its regional coverage on a global basis, which is evident in sales activities in Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America.
“We continue to explore activities outside our current locations,” Kleinebrecht says. “While JM is committed to its traditional home markets, we will certainly not miss opportunities elsewhere.”
www.jm.com
2012 Nonwovens Sales: $670 million
Key Personnel: Mike Lawrence, senior vice president and general manager, Engineered Products Americas (EP Americas); Enno Henze, senior vice president and general manager, Engineered Products Europe/ Asia (EPEA); Patti Rizzo, director of sales and marketing, EP Americas; Stefan Mohr, commercial leader nonwovens, EPEA; Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing leader nonwovens, EPEA
Plants: Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach (Germany); Shanghai, Louyang (China); Trnava (Slovakia)
Brands: Dura-Glass, DuraBase, Delta-Aire, DynaWick, DynaWeb, DynaTech, Micro-Aire, MicroLith (U.S. brands); Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, DuraCore, KY-Tex (EU fibers brands)
Berkshire Hathaway-owned Johns Manville continues to report challenges within its core market of construction, particularly in Europe, even as it continues to expand its scope in other technical markets like filtration and battery separators, and new geographies. The Denver, CO-based company operates through four regional segments—Insulation Systems, Roofing Systems, Engineered Products Americas and Engineered Products Europe/Asia.
In July, JM said it would invest in a new spunbond production line at its Berlin, Germany facility. Representing an investment of €32 million, the new line will support the growing demand for high-end polyester filtration media. It will use newly developed spinning technology and increase lightweight spunbond capacity in Berlin by more than 40%.
“This new investment clearly underscores Johns Manville’s commitment as a market leader to responsibly satisfy the long-term demand of our valued filtration customers,” says Enno Henze, senior vice president and general manager, Engineered Products, Europe/Asia. “This new line will have a capacity in excess of 4000 tons per year and will be built with JM’s advanced bicomponent spinning technology, which will enable step-change improvements in product properties and cost performance.”
The line will start production in 2015, creating a new generation of polyester spunbond filter media for cabin air, air pollution control and liquid filtration applications.
In other investment news, in June 2012, JM dedicated a plant in Milan, OH, to make ethylene propylene diene monomer, a thermoset synthetic rubber, single ply roofing membrane known for its durability, ease of installation and superior weathering characteristics. This roofing plant completes JM’s portfolio of major waterproofing membranes and the company claims it now has the widest breadth of membranes in the industry.
In the glass mat segment, JM has made several investments to its lines in Ohio and Tennessee to improve product capability and ensure product quality. These have allowed JM to deliver the broadest product portfolio with the increasing quality standards demanded by its customers and enabled it to develop new products that historically have not been served by a glass nonwoven.
The company also announced in August 2012 that it had acquired Industrial Insulation Group, LLC, a manufacturer of insulation for industrial, commercial and fi reproofing applications.
Within its core business of construction, JM is reporting signs of slow recovery in the North America commercial exterior and interior applications market while the residential market is strengthening. In Europe, the economy continues to be a highwatch area for the company. Construction markets remain challenging with some markets eroding as much as 30% during the last couple of years.
“We expect a very limited recovery from low levels for the years to come for European construction markets in general,” says Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing leader for Johns Manville’s Engineered Products Europe/Asia Nonwovens business. “However, this does not mean that JM’s construction-related nonwovens business will stay flat. We participate in markets that show interesting growth potential, such as building insulation in general, fi re retardant façade panels—a patented solution we developed together with one of our customers—as well as resilient flooring in Eastern Europe.”
In North America, the roofing business has launched a full portfolio of tapes, adhesives and accessories to support its new EPDM membrane being manufactured in Milan, OH. Also, Invinsa FR coverboard can obtain a Class A fi re rating for combustible decks and along with the standard grade Invinsa, are the only high density polyiso coverboards to meet ASTM type three designation for compressive strength.
“As a major player in technical nonwovens, we are continuously looking for opportunities to grow in adjacent spaces with disruptive innovation,” Kleinebrecht says. “That means entering new business areas where nonwovens were not used before.” In Asia, where JM operates two sites, in Louyang and Shanghai, the company continues to see interesting growth rates despite the challenges associated with manufacturing and doing business in Asia.
In fact, the company continues to expand its regional coverage on a global basis, which is evident in sales activities in Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America.
“We continue to explore activities outside our current locations,” Kleinebrecht says. “While JM is committed to its traditional home markets, we will certainly not miss opportunities elsewhere.”
Denver, CO
www.jm.com
2013 Nonwovens Sales: $670 million
Key Personnel
Mike Lawrence, senior vice president and general manager, engineered products Americas (EP Americas); Enno Henze, senior vice president and general manager, engineered products Europe/ Asia (EPEA); Patti Rizzo, director of sales and marketing, EP Americas; Stefan Mohr, commercial leader nonwovens, EPEA; Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing leader nonwovens, EPEA
Plants
Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands
Dura-Glass, DuraBase, Delta-Aire, DynaWick, DynaWeb, DynaTech, Micro-Aire, MicroLith (U.S. brands); Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, DuraCore, KY-Tex (EU fibers brands)
Roofing and construction specialist Johns Manville has a solid 2013. While the Berkshire Hathaway-owned company does not report its sales, executives did say that total sales were up in the high single digits driven primarily by improved volumes across all of its businesses.
Based in Denver, CO, JM recently reorganized its business into three major business segments—Insulation Systems, Roofing Systems and Engineered Products. Previously, engineered products was split into two divisions—America and Europe/Asia. In 2013, all business areas reported success, driven largely by a significant 19% increase in U.S. housing starts in 2013.
According to CEO Mary Rhinehart, transitioning to one engineered products organization will give the company the global reach it needs to be competitive, while keeping the regional support its customers require.
The new business is being led by Enno Henze, who has been named senior vice president and general manager. “Enno’s background makes him a perfect fit for this role. He has been responsible for our nonwovens, fibers and glass textiles businesses in Europe, as well as our nonwovens business in China,” Rhinehart says.
Mike Lawrence, who was senior vice president and general manager of engineered products America, will retire from JM to pursue other opportunities. “This decision benefits us for a number of reasons, the most important being that it will result in greater consistency for our global customers and position us for future growth,” Rinehart adds. “The new structure will facilitate best practice sharing, particularly across technology and manufacturing assets. And from an employee perspective, it will allow us to enhance our ability to leverage our global talent.”
A specialist in building and construction as well as a number of adjacent markets, JM has about 9,000 global employees and operates 45 manufacturing sites in North America, Europe and Asia. The company has continued to invest heavily in its nonwovens operation to capture growth in the residential and commercial construction and roofing markets as well as in high performance filtration areas.
Its most recent investment, announced in July 2013, is a new spunbond line in Berlin, Germany. The new line will increase lightweight spunbond capacity at the site by more than 40%. Featuring proprietary bicomponent technology and adding 4,000 tons of material per year, the new line will allow JM to make nonwovens with reduced area weights in combination with higher product performance features such as high efficiency at lower pressure drops. This will result in the same or better performance at lower materials cost and will ultimately allow JM to create a new generation of polyester spunbond filter media for cabin air, air pollution control and liquid filtration applications and will expand the Evalith product range.
Reduced area weight in combination with higher product performance, such as high efficiency at lower pressure drop, is one of the key value propositions of JM’s innovative BiCo technology, according to Chrstian Hassmann, senior product and market manager and the project leader for this investment. “Lower material cost with the same or even better performance will enable customers to compete long term in the market place,” he says. “The new production line will utilize the latest technologies to preserve resources and significantly lower energy consumption.”
While JM is a strong player in filtration, the company still strives to build this business and become a number one supplier of choice for current and future customers. “The filtration market is certainly one of our core businesses, which we target to further strengthen via innovative product solutions tailor-made for specific markets and customers,” says Holly Leiker, media relations and internal communications. “Options for future investments are certainly on our radar screen, as following only the industry’s organic growth is not an option for us.”
As the European economy continues to recover, the dynamics are changing within the field of technical nonwovens and JM is aiming for an expansion in a variety of technologies and markets. However, the company is not yet ready announce the specifics of these investments.
Meanwhile in China, where JM operates a facility in Shanghai, demand for bituminous roofing products are showing nice growth while the geotexitles business is facing challenges. JM is in the process of expanding its activities in Asia, with a focus on China, in the area of branded premium insulation products for air handling and technical insulation where customers are willing to pay for performance.
Back in the U.S., JM opened a new commercial roofing single-ply membrane manufacturing facility in Milan, OH in 2012. There, the company manufacturers ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) roofing products. “Our EPDM roofing materials are manufactured using advanced extrusion technology, which results in a membrane designed for superior weatherability through a wide range of temperatures and conditions,” Leiker says. “The JM difference is the level of precision quality control we’re able to achieve during the manufacturing process. By minimizing the potential for air entrapment in the sheet, we’re able to produce a more uniform membrane with a superior surface finish, consistent thickness and fewer blemishes. Our closed extrusion system is also less sensitive to environmental factors such as humidity, and allows for greater temperature control during the manufacturing process.”
Also in North America, JM has glass mat operations in Waterville, OH and Etowah, TN serving construction (e.g., residential and commercial roofing reinforcement, roof deck facer, exterior gypsum sheathing facer), building interior (e.g., flooring system reinforcement, acoustical office panel, ceiling tile facer, duct insulation facer) and energy storage (e.g., battery separator, lead plate reinforcement) markets.
With sites on three continents and a variety of technologies available, JM is able to serve a number of industries. “With the U.S. continuing its slow but steady recovery, our customers look to JM to provide innovative, high performance solutions to the applications they serve,” Leiker says. “In the building interior markets, we are focusing on aesthetics, acoustics, sustainability and mold and mildew resistance—areas where glass nonwovens can provide advantage. In the construction industry, we see emphasis on productivity and on-time job completion. In the energy storage market, CAFÉ standards are driving new battery technologies. Again, these are focus areas where glass nonwoven solutions provide process-ability and longevity advantages.”
In new product news, recent product introductions include ENRGY 3.E, the next generation of polyisocyanurate roofing board insulation whereby the fire resistance has been engineered into the polymer backbone without the need for added halogenated flame retardants. JM’s R&D team has reformulated its foam chemistry with a non-halogenated reactive polymer modifier that delivers the necessary fire resistance to meet UL Class A fire ratings in low-slope roofing assemblies. Additionally, the reformulation improves cell structure and the properties of the foam.
Another new product, SmartBinder was launched in August of 2013. It’s an easy-to-use application that gives customers instant access on their desktop, laptop or iPad. It offers the latest insulation and roofing product information and specifications, automatic updates to ensure information is always current, and availability to data even without Internet access.
Also, in 2013, JM announced the Invinsa FR Roof Board. Invinsa FR is a high-density polyisocyanurate cover board capable of achieving a UL Class A fire rating over a combustible roof deck. This rating can be attained when the product is installed underneath single ply roof systems (TPO, PVC and EPDM) over polyisocyanurate insulation or directly to the roof deck.
Product quality, customer service and technical assistance are key elements to our success,” Leiker adds. “Johns Manville’s team of scientists and engineers work closely with customers to provide a broad understanding of material behavior. We have the capability to test full-scale, complex product solutions under various conditions.”
www.jm.com
2013 Nonwovens Sales: $670 million
Key Personnel
Mike Lawrence, senior vice president and general manager, engineered products Americas (EP Americas); Enno Henze, senior vice president and general manager, engineered products Europe/ Asia (EPEA); Patti Rizzo, director of sales and marketing, EP Americas; Stefan Mohr, commercial leader nonwovens, EPEA; Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing leader nonwovens, EPEA
Plants
Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands
Dura-Glass, DuraBase, Delta-Aire, DynaWick, DynaWeb, DynaTech, Micro-Aire, MicroLith (U.S. brands); Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, DuraCore, KY-Tex (EU fibers brands)
Roofing and construction specialist Johns Manville has a solid 2013. While the Berkshire Hathaway-owned company does not report its sales, executives did say that total sales were up in the high single digits driven primarily by improved volumes across all of its businesses.
Based in Denver, CO, JM recently reorganized its business into three major business segments—Insulation Systems, Roofing Systems and Engineered Products. Previously, engineered products was split into two divisions—America and Europe/Asia. In 2013, all business areas reported success, driven largely by a significant 19% increase in U.S. housing starts in 2013.
According to CEO Mary Rhinehart, transitioning to one engineered products organization will give the company the global reach it needs to be competitive, while keeping the regional support its customers require.
The new business is being led by Enno Henze, who has been named senior vice president and general manager. “Enno’s background makes him a perfect fit for this role. He has been responsible for our nonwovens, fibers and glass textiles businesses in Europe, as well as our nonwovens business in China,” Rhinehart says.
Mike Lawrence, who was senior vice president and general manager of engineered products America, will retire from JM to pursue other opportunities. “This decision benefits us for a number of reasons, the most important being that it will result in greater consistency for our global customers and position us for future growth,” Rinehart adds. “The new structure will facilitate best practice sharing, particularly across technology and manufacturing assets. And from an employee perspective, it will allow us to enhance our ability to leverage our global talent.”
A specialist in building and construction as well as a number of adjacent markets, JM has about 9,000 global employees and operates 45 manufacturing sites in North America, Europe and Asia. The company has continued to invest heavily in its nonwovens operation to capture growth in the residential and commercial construction and roofing markets as well as in high performance filtration areas.
Its most recent investment, announced in July 2013, is a new spunbond line in Berlin, Germany. The new line will increase lightweight spunbond capacity at the site by more than 40%. Featuring proprietary bicomponent technology and adding 4,000 tons of material per year, the new line will allow JM to make nonwovens with reduced area weights in combination with higher product performance features such as high efficiency at lower pressure drops. This will result in the same or better performance at lower materials cost and will ultimately allow JM to create a new generation of polyester spunbond filter media for cabin air, air pollution control and liquid filtration applications and will expand the Evalith product range.
Reduced area weight in combination with higher product performance, such as high efficiency at lower pressure drop, is one of the key value propositions of JM’s innovative BiCo technology, according to Chrstian Hassmann, senior product and market manager and the project leader for this investment. “Lower material cost with the same or even better performance will enable customers to compete long term in the market place,” he says. “The new production line will utilize the latest technologies to preserve resources and significantly lower energy consumption.”
While JM is a strong player in filtration, the company still strives to build this business and become a number one supplier of choice for current and future customers. “The filtration market is certainly one of our core businesses, which we target to further strengthen via innovative product solutions tailor-made for specific markets and customers,” says Holly Leiker, media relations and internal communications. “Options for future investments are certainly on our radar screen, as following only the industry’s organic growth is not an option for us.”
As the European economy continues to recover, the dynamics are changing within the field of technical nonwovens and JM is aiming for an expansion in a variety of technologies and markets. However, the company is not yet ready announce the specifics of these investments.
Meanwhile in China, where JM operates a facility in Shanghai, demand for bituminous roofing products are showing nice growth while the geotexitles business is facing challenges. JM is in the process of expanding its activities in Asia, with a focus on China, in the area of branded premium insulation products for air handling and technical insulation where customers are willing to pay for performance.
Back in the U.S., JM opened a new commercial roofing single-ply membrane manufacturing facility in Milan, OH in 2012. There, the company manufacturers ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) roofing products. “Our EPDM roofing materials are manufactured using advanced extrusion technology, which results in a membrane designed for superior weatherability through a wide range of temperatures and conditions,” Leiker says. “The JM difference is the level of precision quality control we’re able to achieve during the manufacturing process. By minimizing the potential for air entrapment in the sheet, we’re able to produce a more uniform membrane with a superior surface finish, consistent thickness and fewer blemishes. Our closed extrusion system is also less sensitive to environmental factors such as humidity, and allows for greater temperature control during the manufacturing process.”
Also in North America, JM has glass mat operations in Waterville, OH and Etowah, TN serving construction (e.g., residential and commercial roofing reinforcement, roof deck facer, exterior gypsum sheathing facer), building interior (e.g., flooring system reinforcement, acoustical office panel, ceiling tile facer, duct insulation facer) and energy storage (e.g., battery separator, lead plate reinforcement) markets.
With sites on three continents and a variety of technologies available, JM is able to serve a number of industries. “With the U.S. continuing its slow but steady recovery, our customers look to JM to provide innovative, high performance solutions to the applications they serve,” Leiker says. “In the building interior markets, we are focusing on aesthetics, acoustics, sustainability and mold and mildew resistance—areas where glass nonwovens can provide advantage. In the construction industry, we see emphasis on productivity and on-time job completion. In the energy storage market, CAFÉ standards are driving new battery technologies. Again, these are focus areas where glass nonwoven solutions provide process-ability and longevity advantages.”
In new product news, recent product introductions include ENRGY 3.E, the next generation of polyisocyanurate roofing board insulation whereby the fire resistance has been engineered into the polymer backbone without the need for added halogenated flame retardants. JM’s R&D team has reformulated its foam chemistry with a non-halogenated reactive polymer modifier that delivers the necessary fire resistance to meet UL Class A fire ratings in low-slope roofing assemblies. Additionally, the reformulation improves cell structure and the properties of the foam.
Another new product, SmartBinder was launched in August of 2013. It’s an easy-to-use application that gives customers instant access on their desktop, laptop or iPad. It offers the latest insulation and roofing product information and specifications, automatic updates to ensure information is always current, and availability to data even without Internet access.
Also, in 2013, JM announced the Invinsa FR Roof Board. Invinsa FR is a high-density polyisocyanurate cover board capable of achieving a UL Class A fire rating over a combustible roof deck. This rating can be attained when the product is installed underneath single ply roof systems (TPO, PVC and EPDM) over polyisocyanurate insulation or directly to the roof deck.
Product quality, customer service and technical assistance are key elements to our success,” Leiker adds. “Johns Manville’s team of scientists and engineers work closely with customers to provide a broad understanding of material behavior. We have the capability to test full-scale, complex product solutions under various conditions.”
Johns Manville
Denver, CO
www.jm.com
2014 Nonwovens Sales: $700 million
Key Personnel
Enno Henze, senior vice president and general manager, engineered products; Patti Rizzo, director of sales and marketing, nonwovens Americas; Stefan Mohr, director of sales and marketing, EMEA/APAC;; Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing and portfolio management leader nonwovens, EMEA/APAC; Brian Sapp, director of global fibers; Christian Hassmann, global filtration and separation business leader.
Plants
Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands
Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire; Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, DuraCore, MicroStrand (fibers brands)
Reporting sales and profits growth across all three of its business units —insulation systems, roofing systems and engineered products—was roofing and construction specialist Johns Manville. The Berkshire Hathaway-owned company continues to face challenges like difficult weather conditions in North America, uncertain economic prospects in Russia and a significant construction recession in Europe, but better times are on the forecast for the industry, according to executives.
“According to certain economic indicators, North American residential roof repair is projected to increase over the next several years, resulting in corresponding growth for glass nonwovens – a key component of residential roofing shingles,” says Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing and portfolio management leader nonwovens, EMEA/APAC. “Additional opportunities exist in the European foam insulation segment, as well as in the emerging exterior sheathing market.”
To support growth in construction and its other business areas, Johns Manville has made a number of capacity investments in recent years. The most recent of these are three upgrades to glass fiber operations in North America. In February, JM announced a significant upgrade to its nonwoven glass mat production plant in Waterville, OH. JM upgraded an existing nonwoven mat line with advanced manufacturing technology to allow the company to better serve customers in growing segments of the global specialty glass mat market.
“This investment positioned JM for business in new and evolving markets,” explains Enno Henze, senior vice president and general manager for JM Engineered Products. “For example, in the energy storage space, fuel economy standards are driving new battery technologies. Additionally, this upgrade allowed us to support the domestic growth of vinyl flooring companies as they continue to ‘on-shore’ their manufacturing to the U.S.”
Second, in February, JM announced it would expand its glass fiber operations plant in Etowah, TN. JM’s vertical integration into glass fiber manufacturing, coupled with its expertise in sizing chemistry, greatly supports continuous improvement in glass mat design and the North American composite market needs a strong and reliable supply of glass fibers to translate innovations into steady market growth, according to executives. JM’s operations in North America can serve customers across the growing compounding base in the Midwest and Southeast.
“The composites industry is growing steadily and we are convinced that current and future industry trends will continue to drive increasing demand for glass fiber products,” says Brian Sapp, global fibers business director for JM Engineered Products. “We are making this investment to support our customers’ plans for growth, and we will continue with innovations in technology and product development in fibers to support our customers.”
The third investment came June when JM said it would increase its glass microfiber capacity at its plant in Waterville, OH.
“Glass microfibers are used in filtration and energy storage applications. JM utilizes a blend of glass microfibers with wet chopped fibers in select glass mat compositions to support surface aesthetic and performance requirements,” Kleinebrecht says. “Once complete, the upgrade will allow JM to better serve customers in growing segments of the global specialty glass mat market (e.g., flooring, battery, gypsum).”
These investments position JM for business in new and evolving segments. For example, in the energy storage space, fuel economy standards are driving new battery technologies.
“The global growth in start-stop automotive batteries, driven by regulatory requirements to decrease fleet CO2 emissions, offers significant potential for nonwovens,” explains Patti Rizzo, director of sales and marketing, nonwovens Americas. “Also, the ongoing trend for lightweight solutions for the transportation industry is driving growth in nonwoven composite technologies. JM is well-positioned to capitalize on these opportunities with tailor-made solutions.”
Within its spunbond business, in June JM completed work on a new state-of-the-art polyester spunbond production line at its Berlin, Germany, facility. The new production line, which used newly developed proprietary spinning technology, is part of a strategic plan to support the growing demand for high-end polyester filtration media. The line increases the Berlin plant’s spunbond lightweight capacity by more than 40%. JM invested more than €32 million ($36 million) to build the line.
“This new capacity at our Berlin plant will benefit Johns Manville’s global customer base,” says Mary Rhinehart, president and CEO. “Customers will have even greater access to our high-quality filtration products and to a new generation of spunbond filter media for cabin air, air pollution control and liquid filtration applications. This new line also puts Johns Manville in a prime position to handle continued growth and customer demand in the many global markets we serve.”
JM’s innovative enhanced BiCo technology enables unmatched product performance especially in the field of gas and liquid filtration.
Denver, CO
www.jm.com
2014 Nonwovens Sales: $700 million
Key Personnel
Enno Henze, senior vice president and general manager, engineered products; Patti Rizzo, director of sales and marketing, nonwovens Americas; Stefan Mohr, director of sales and marketing, EMEA/APAC;; Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing and portfolio management leader nonwovens, EMEA/APAC; Brian Sapp, director of global fibers; Christian Hassmann, global filtration and separation business leader.
Plants
Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands
Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire; Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, DuraCore, MicroStrand (fibers brands)
Reporting sales and profits growth across all three of its business units —insulation systems, roofing systems and engineered products—was roofing and construction specialist Johns Manville. The Berkshire Hathaway-owned company continues to face challenges like difficult weather conditions in North America, uncertain economic prospects in Russia and a significant construction recession in Europe, but better times are on the forecast for the industry, according to executives.
“According to certain economic indicators, North American residential roof repair is projected to increase over the next several years, resulting in corresponding growth for glass nonwovens – a key component of residential roofing shingles,” says Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing and portfolio management leader nonwovens, EMEA/APAC. “Additional opportunities exist in the European foam insulation segment, as well as in the emerging exterior sheathing market.”
To support growth in construction and its other business areas, Johns Manville has made a number of capacity investments in recent years. The most recent of these are three upgrades to glass fiber operations in North America. In February, JM announced a significant upgrade to its nonwoven glass mat production plant in Waterville, OH. JM upgraded an existing nonwoven mat line with advanced manufacturing technology to allow the company to better serve customers in growing segments of the global specialty glass mat market.
“This investment positioned JM for business in new and evolving markets,” explains Enno Henze, senior vice president and general manager for JM Engineered Products. “For example, in the energy storage space, fuel economy standards are driving new battery technologies. Additionally, this upgrade allowed us to support the domestic growth of vinyl flooring companies as they continue to ‘on-shore’ their manufacturing to the U.S.”
Second, in February, JM announced it would expand its glass fiber operations plant in Etowah, TN. JM’s vertical integration into glass fiber manufacturing, coupled with its expertise in sizing chemistry, greatly supports continuous improvement in glass mat design and the North American composite market needs a strong and reliable supply of glass fibers to translate innovations into steady market growth, according to executives. JM’s operations in North America can serve customers across the growing compounding base in the Midwest and Southeast.
“The composites industry is growing steadily and we are convinced that current and future industry trends will continue to drive increasing demand for glass fiber products,” says Brian Sapp, global fibers business director for JM Engineered Products. “We are making this investment to support our customers’ plans for growth, and we will continue with innovations in technology and product development in fibers to support our customers.”
The third investment came June when JM said it would increase its glass microfiber capacity at its plant in Waterville, OH.
“Glass microfibers are used in filtration and energy storage applications. JM utilizes a blend of glass microfibers with wet chopped fibers in select glass mat compositions to support surface aesthetic and performance requirements,” Kleinebrecht says. “Once complete, the upgrade will allow JM to better serve customers in growing segments of the global specialty glass mat market (e.g., flooring, battery, gypsum).”
These investments position JM for business in new and evolving segments. For example, in the energy storage space, fuel economy standards are driving new battery technologies.
“The global growth in start-stop automotive batteries, driven by regulatory requirements to decrease fleet CO2 emissions, offers significant potential for nonwovens,” explains Patti Rizzo, director of sales and marketing, nonwovens Americas. “Also, the ongoing trend for lightweight solutions for the transportation industry is driving growth in nonwoven composite technologies. JM is well-positioned to capitalize on these opportunities with tailor-made solutions.”
Within its spunbond business, in June JM completed work on a new state-of-the-art polyester spunbond production line at its Berlin, Germany, facility. The new production line, which used newly developed proprietary spinning technology, is part of a strategic plan to support the growing demand for high-end polyester filtration media. The line increases the Berlin plant’s spunbond lightweight capacity by more than 40%. JM invested more than €32 million ($36 million) to build the line.
“This new capacity at our Berlin plant will benefit Johns Manville’s global customer base,” says Mary Rhinehart, president and CEO. “Customers will have even greater access to our high-quality filtration products and to a new generation of spunbond filter media for cabin air, air pollution control and liquid filtration applications. This new line also puts Johns Manville in a prime position to handle continued growth and customer demand in the many global markets we serve.”
JM’s innovative enhanced BiCo technology enables unmatched product performance especially in the field of gas and liquid filtration.
Denver, CO
www.jm.com
2015 Nonwovens Sales: $700 million
Key Personnel
Enno Henze, senior vice president and general manager, engineered products; Patti Rizzo, director of sales and marketing, nonwovens Americas; Stefan Mohr, director of sales, nonwovens, EMEA/APAC; Martin Kleinebrecht, leader, Marketing & Portfolio Management for Nonwovens in Europe & Asia; Brian Sapp, director of global fibers; Christian Hassmann, global filtration and separation business leader.
Plants
Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands
Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire; Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, DuraCore, MicroStrand (fibers brands)
Reporting continued growth is roofing and construction specialist Johns Manville. The Berkshire-Hathaway owned company attributed growth to customer loyalty as the JM brand, its product and its services continued to be valued. “As a global durable nonwovens leader, we were successful with many innovation programs and continued to heavily invest in our people, technology and assets,” says Martin Kleinebrecht, leader, Marketing & Portfolio Management for Nonwovens in Europe & Asia. “Our four core values – People, Passion, Perform and Protect – are helping us to deliver the JM Experience to customers and employees day by day.”
This growth, Kleinebrecht adds, occurred throughout all three segments. In North America, continued growth overall has been key. When certain regions experience a downturn, like the situation in Western brought on by the decrease in oil prices, other regions’ strong performance typically balance out the underperformance. Meanwhile, stability and varying demand growth patterns continues to be a problem in Europe, where conditions vary by country. “The weak Russian market has been a concern, as well as slow economic development in Italy and France; however, we continued to experience more positive environments in other places – for example, Germany or Poland,” Kleinebrecht says. “Brexit implications are yet to be seen, but we do not expect major negative impacts to our business going forward as a result of Brexit.”
In JM’s main market, roofing and construction, North America continues to experience slow and steady growth while the European market has finally bottomed out, meaning limited growth is expected during the next couple of years, however –re-crisis levels are not expected for a couple of years.
In terms of investment, JM announced in June 2014 it would enhance a glass nonwovens line in Wertheim, Germany. The project will address the increasing needs and demands of local customers and markets and will be complete and in production by the end of 2017.
“Glass fiber nonwoven markets are getting more and more sophisticated in terms of quality requirements, particularly for interior applications. Perfectly re-producible surface aesthetics are necessary in a wide range of applications today.” Kleinebrecht says. “While we can meet these requirements with our existing equipment, this particular line has aged to a point where continued maintenance becomes cost-prohibitive relative to investing in improving the asset. Therefore, it has been a logical decision to upgrade the line with new equipment and the latest technology.”
The upgrade will ensure not only continued supplies in highly demanding applications, but will also open the door for new product developments in the future. JM will initially focus on producing it current product portfolio on the line and will soon shift the focus toward new product development.
JM has also invested in a new state-of-the-art PET spunbond line in Berlin, Germany. The lightweight production line will largely serve the high-end polyester filtration media market. It uses newly developed proprietary spinning technology and will increase the Berlin plant’s spunbond lightweight capacity by more than 40%. Johns Manville invested more than €32 million ($36 million) to build the line.
In addition to filtration, the line will allow JM to make inroads into the roofing underslating market. “Our proprietary technology on this line not only offers unique product properties to our customers, but allows us to produce a wide range of different product specifications,” Kleinebrecht says.
This investment is a response to increased interest in clean air, brought on by tightening regulatory requirements aimed at reducing industrial dust emissions globally. Other filtration-related trends include higher penetration rates of cabin air filtration in Asia and North America as well as the shift from cellulose paper to synthetic media in air intake and fuel and oil filtration.
“The investment in our new line in Berlin is one of the responses to these trends, as is our continued product developments in glass microfiber HVAC media – a product family we offer from Defiance, OH and Wertheim (Germany),” Kleinebrecht says
In recent years, JM has also made upgrades to its glass fiber microber lines in the U.S., which has benefited new and existing customers and allowed the company to further globalize its product portfolio.
“As markets evolve and grow, JM’s strategy is to ensure we grow and support the markets that our customers value,” says TJ Stock, portfolio leader, North American Nonwovens. “We are strategically committed to significant capital spending and resource allocation to achieve this goal over the next several years.”
Another market of interest to JM is composites where its nonwoven materials play a role in windmill blades, automotive headliners, lightweight body panels, forming parts and structural elements and panel board for trucks and trailers. As the outer layer, JM’s surfacing veils provide a smooth finish that can be painted for protection from the elements. Thicker, nonwoven glass mats can be applied as sub-surface layers that cover honeycomb cores. And polyester spunbond or glass fiber nonwoven materials can be used as a compressed core to increase mechanical properties with minimal weight.
“Product innovation is a priority for all of JM. Similarly, as our division’s name implies (Engineered Products), product development is often engineered for customer-specific needs. JM sees a trend toward sustainable products. This translates to, among other things, nonwovens incorporating recycled content, bio-based content and formaldehyde-free binder formulations. JM continues to move its product portfolios in this direction,” Stock says.
www.jm.com
2015 Nonwovens Sales: $700 million
Key Personnel
Enno Henze, senior vice president and general manager, engineered products; Patti Rizzo, director of sales and marketing, nonwovens Americas; Stefan Mohr, director of sales, nonwovens, EMEA/APAC; Martin Kleinebrecht, leader, Marketing & Portfolio Management for Nonwovens in Europe & Asia; Brian Sapp, director of global fibers; Christian Hassmann, global filtration and separation business leader.
Plants
Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands
Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire; Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, DuraCore, MicroStrand (fibers brands)
Reporting continued growth is roofing and construction specialist Johns Manville. The Berkshire-Hathaway owned company attributed growth to customer loyalty as the JM brand, its product and its services continued to be valued. “As a global durable nonwovens leader, we were successful with many innovation programs and continued to heavily invest in our people, technology and assets,” says Martin Kleinebrecht, leader, Marketing & Portfolio Management for Nonwovens in Europe & Asia. “Our four core values – People, Passion, Perform and Protect – are helping us to deliver the JM Experience to customers and employees day by day.”
This growth, Kleinebrecht adds, occurred throughout all three segments. In North America, continued growth overall has been key. When certain regions experience a downturn, like the situation in Western brought on by the decrease in oil prices, other regions’ strong performance typically balance out the underperformance. Meanwhile, stability and varying demand growth patterns continues to be a problem in Europe, where conditions vary by country. “The weak Russian market has been a concern, as well as slow economic development in Italy and France; however, we continued to experience more positive environments in other places – for example, Germany or Poland,” Kleinebrecht says. “Brexit implications are yet to be seen, but we do not expect major negative impacts to our business going forward as a result of Brexit.”
In JM’s main market, roofing and construction, North America continues to experience slow and steady growth while the European market has finally bottomed out, meaning limited growth is expected during the next couple of years, however –re-crisis levels are not expected for a couple of years.
In terms of investment, JM announced in June 2014 it would enhance a glass nonwovens line in Wertheim, Germany. The project will address the increasing needs and demands of local customers and markets and will be complete and in production by the end of 2017.
“Glass fiber nonwoven markets are getting more and more sophisticated in terms of quality requirements, particularly for interior applications. Perfectly re-producible surface aesthetics are necessary in a wide range of applications today.” Kleinebrecht says. “While we can meet these requirements with our existing equipment, this particular line has aged to a point where continued maintenance becomes cost-prohibitive relative to investing in improving the asset. Therefore, it has been a logical decision to upgrade the line with new equipment and the latest technology.”
The upgrade will ensure not only continued supplies in highly demanding applications, but will also open the door for new product developments in the future. JM will initially focus on producing it current product portfolio on the line and will soon shift the focus toward new product development.
JM has also invested in a new state-of-the-art PET spunbond line in Berlin, Germany. The lightweight production line will largely serve the high-end polyester filtration media market. It uses newly developed proprietary spinning technology and will increase the Berlin plant’s spunbond lightweight capacity by more than 40%. Johns Manville invested more than €32 million ($36 million) to build the line.
In addition to filtration, the line will allow JM to make inroads into the roofing underslating market. “Our proprietary technology on this line not only offers unique product properties to our customers, but allows us to produce a wide range of different product specifications,” Kleinebrecht says.
This investment is a response to increased interest in clean air, brought on by tightening regulatory requirements aimed at reducing industrial dust emissions globally. Other filtration-related trends include higher penetration rates of cabin air filtration in Asia and North America as well as the shift from cellulose paper to synthetic media in air intake and fuel and oil filtration.
“The investment in our new line in Berlin is one of the responses to these trends, as is our continued product developments in glass microfiber HVAC media – a product family we offer from Defiance, OH and Wertheim (Germany),” Kleinebrecht says
In recent years, JM has also made upgrades to its glass fiber microber lines in the U.S., which has benefited new and existing customers and allowed the company to further globalize its product portfolio.
“As markets evolve and grow, JM’s strategy is to ensure we grow and support the markets that our customers value,” says TJ Stock, portfolio leader, North American Nonwovens. “We are strategically committed to significant capital spending and resource allocation to achieve this goal over the next several years.”
Another market of interest to JM is composites where its nonwoven materials play a role in windmill blades, automotive headliners, lightweight body panels, forming parts and structural elements and panel board for trucks and trailers. As the outer layer, JM’s surfacing veils provide a smooth finish that can be painted for protection from the elements. Thicker, nonwoven glass mats can be applied as sub-surface layers that cover honeycomb cores. And polyester spunbond or glass fiber nonwoven materials can be used as a compressed core to increase mechanical properties with minimal weight.
“Product innovation is a priority for all of JM. Similarly, as our division’s name implies (Engineered Products), product development is often engineered for customer-specific needs. JM sees a trend toward sustainable products. This translates to, among other things, nonwovens incorporating recycled content, bio-based content and formaldehyde-free binder formulations. JM continues to move its product portfolios in this direction,” Stock says.
Denver, CO
www.jm.com
2016 Nonwovens Sales: $725 million (estimated)
Key Personnel
Enno Henze, senior vice president and general manager, engineered products; Patti Rizzo, director of sales and marketing, nonwovens Americas; Stefan Mohr, director of sales and marketing, EMEA/APAC; Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing and portfolio management leader nonwovens, EMEA/APAC; Brian Sapp, director of global fibers; Christian Hassmann, global filtration and separation business leader.
Plants
Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands
Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire; Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, DuraCore, MicroStrand (fibers brands)
It’s been two years since Johns Manville’s latest line investment—the company’s 14th—a bicomponent spunmelt line featuring proprietary spinning technology—located in Berlin, Germany. Since then, the Denver, CO-based, Berkshire-Hathaway-owned company has been focusing on enhancements to its existing lines. New investments have been able to expand JM’s role in the filtration market and expand its offerings in its core market, roofing and construction.
“The new line in Berlin has specialized know-how and is flexible in fiber sizes,” says Martin Kleinbrecht, marketing and portfolio management leader for nonwovens. “This allows us to offer a big variety of multilayer products and we are now offering complete filter media, not just the carrier to the filter media.”
Featuring a spunbond back topped with spin glass layer, this filter technology requires no electrostatic charge and has found substantial success in the HVAC market.
All of JM’s spunmelt lines are based on the company’s heritage Hoechst technology, and the latest spinning technology is the latest offering by JM, which entered the filtration market about 20 years ago as a way to diversify beyond construction.
Elsewhere in Germany, JM has a pilot line in Bobingen as well as several nonwovens production lines in Wertheim. In 2014, the company enhanced an existing glass mat line in Wertheim to address the increasing needs and demands of local customers and markets.
In fact, line upgrades are central to JM’s growth strategy and the company routinely debottlenecks lines to increase capacity and add new capabilities to them to enhance its business. This not only allows JM to continue to grow while keeping its risk to a minimum, it also helps it expand into new areas.
“There are lots of ways to be flexible—changing the raw material or add a new binder system,” Kleinebrecht says. “This allows us to operate in some nice niche areas where we can fulfill market requirements. Our customers give guarantees for their roofs and our products need to measure up.”
JM has traditionally operated two plants in China—one in Shanghai and the other in Luyong—but infrastructure challenges have forced Johns Manville to move its spunbond equipment located in Shanghai to Lyuong in May.
Looking to the U.S., JM operates three spunbond lines featuring the same Hoecst AG technology it purchased in the 1970s, at its facility in Spartanburg, SC. These lines primarily target roofing applications but have some business in filtration and geotextiles.
According to JM, the North American roofing and construction market continues to experience slow and steady growth while the European market continues to vary by country. “Parts of Spain and Portugal continue to be challenging but if you take them out of the results, the recover is stronger,” Kleinebrecht says. “Eastern Europe is seeing good development and Germany is booming.”
As a global supplier of nonwoven materials, JM has set up its business to quickly adapt to the changing market conditions around the globe. As market conditions change regionally, JM is able to shift its products between sites.
“Because we are a global business, we routinely transfer grades of our products between our sites,” Kleinebrecht says. “For example we were sold out in Europe so we were trying to move product from around the world.”
And, the European business will surely benefit from an upgrade to a Wertheim glass nonwoven mat line, scheduled for this month. The line, which was built in the 1970s, will be able to produce products with smoother surfaces, opening up doors in specialty markets. Other improvements include faster runtimes and increased capacity.
“It is not so much completely new technology, but it adds capacity and gives us new product features,” Kleinebrecht says.
www.jm.com
2016 Nonwovens Sales: $725 million (estimated)
Key Personnel
Enno Henze, senior vice president and general manager, engineered products; Patti Rizzo, director of sales and marketing, nonwovens Americas; Stefan Mohr, director of sales and marketing, EMEA/APAC; Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing and portfolio management leader nonwovens, EMEA/APAC; Brian Sapp, director of global fibers; Christian Hassmann, global filtration and separation business leader.
Plants
Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands
Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire; Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, DuraCore, MicroStrand (fibers brands)
It’s been two years since Johns Manville’s latest line investment—the company’s 14th—a bicomponent spunmelt line featuring proprietary spinning technology—located in Berlin, Germany. Since then, the Denver, CO-based, Berkshire-Hathaway-owned company has been focusing on enhancements to its existing lines. New investments have been able to expand JM’s role in the filtration market and expand its offerings in its core market, roofing and construction.
“The new line in Berlin has specialized know-how and is flexible in fiber sizes,” says Martin Kleinbrecht, marketing and portfolio management leader for nonwovens. “This allows us to offer a big variety of multilayer products and we are now offering complete filter media, not just the carrier to the filter media.”
Featuring a spunbond back topped with spin glass layer, this filter technology requires no electrostatic charge and has found substantial success in the HVAC market.
All of JM’s spunmelt lines are based on the company’s heritage Hoechst technology, and the latest spinning technology is the latest offering by JM, which entered the filtration market about 20 years ago as a way to diversify beyond construction.
Elsewhere in Germany, JM has a pilot line in Bobingen as well as several nonwovens production lines in Wertheim. In 2014, the company enhanced an existing glass mat line in Wertheim to address the increasing needs and demands of local customers and markets.
In fact, line upgrades are central to JM’s growth strategy and the company routinely debottlenecks lines to increase capacity and add new capabilities to them to enhance its business. This not only allows JM to continue to grow while keeping its risk to a minimum, it also helps it expand into new areas.
“There are lots of ways to be flexible—changing the raw material or add a new binder system,” Kleinebrecht says. “This allows us to operate in some nice niche areas where we can fulfill market requirements. Our customers give guarantees for their roofs and our products need to measure up.”
JM has traditionally operated two plants in China—one in Shanghai and the other in Luyong—but infrastructure challenges have forced Johns Manville to move its spunbond equipment located in Shanghai to Lyuong in May.
Looking to the U.S., JM operates three spunbond lines featuring the same Hoecst AG technology it purchased in the 1970s, at its facility in Spartanburg, SC. These lines primarily target roofing applications but have some business in filtration and geotextiles.
According to JM, the North American roofing and construction market continues to experience slow and steady growth while the European market continues to vary by country. “Parts of Spain and Portugal continue to be challenging but if you take them out of the results, the recover is stronger,” Kleinebrecht says. “Eastern Europe is seeing good development and Germany is booming.”
As a global supplier of nonwoven materials, JM has set up its business to quickly adapt to the changing market conditions around the globe. As market conditions change regionally, JM is able to shift its products between sites.
“Because we are a global business, we routinely transfer grades of our products between our sites,” Kleinebrecht says. “For example we were sold out in Europe so we were trying to move product from around the world.”
And, the European business will surely benefit from an upgrade to a Wertheim glass nonwoven mat line, scheduled for this month. The line, which was built in the 1970s, will be able to produce products with smoother surfaces, opening up doors in specialty markets. Other improvements include faster runtimes and increased capacity.
“It is not so much completely new technology, but it adds capacity and gives us new product features,” Kleinebrecht says.
Denver, CO
www.jm.com
2017 Nonwovens Sales: $725 million
Key Personnel
Enno Henze, senior vice president and general manager, engineered products; Patti Rizzo, director of sales and marketing, nonwovens Americas; Stefan Mohr, director of sales and marketing, EMEA/APAC; Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing and portfolio management leader nonwovens, EMEA/APAC
Plants
Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands
Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire; Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, DuraCore, MicroStrand (fibers brands)
Johns Manville, a manufacturer of nonwovens for building and construction applications, has announced Evalith as the unified brand for its Engineered Products nonwovens business, allowing the business to leverage and operate under one global brand.
JM’s European nonwovens business has produced products under the brand name Evalith since 2012. JM first transitioned the glass fiber mat and sliver product lines to the new brand name, followed by PET spunbond, glass microfiber air media and meltblown throughout the first half of 2018.
“The unified brand name will further reinforce the global position of our nonwovens business,” says Martin Kleinebrecht, global portfolio & marketing leader Nonwovens for JM Engineered Products. “North American nonwovens products will certainly continue to be produced with the same performance expectations. We do not anticipate the name change to disrupt any operations.”
While its been three years since JM has made a significant line investment—a bicomponent spunmelt line featuring proprietary spinning technology—located in Berlin, Germany, the Denver, CO-based, Berkshire-Hathaway-owned company has been focusing on enhancements to its existing lines. New investments have been able to expand JM’s role in the filtration market and expand its offerings in its core market, roofing and construction.
“The new line in Berlin has specialized know-how and is flexible in fiber sizes,” says Martin Kleinebrecht. “This allows us to offer a big variety of multilayer products and we are now offering complete filter media, not just the carrier to the filter media.”
Featuring a spunbond back topped with spin glass layer, this filter technology requires no electrostatic charge and has found substantial success in the HVAC market.
Meanwhile, in Wertheim, Germany, in 2017 JM upgraded a glass nonwoven mat line, originally built in the 1970s, allowing it to produce products with smoother surfaces, opening up doors in specialty markets. Other improvements include faster run times and increased capacity.
All of JM’s spunmelt lines are based on the company’s heritage Hoechst technology, and the latest spinning technology is the latest offering by JM, which entered the filtration market about 20 years ago as a way to diversify beyond construction.
Elsewhere in Germany, JM has a pilot line in Bobingen as well as several nonwovens production lines in Wertheim. In 2017, the company enhanced an existing glass mat line in Wertheim to address the increasing needs and demands of local customers and markets.
In fact, line upgrades are central to JM’s growth strategy and the company routinely debottlenecks lines to increase capacity and add new capabilities to them to enhance its business. This not only allows JM to continue to grow while keeping its risk to a minimum, it also helps it expand into new areas.
“There are lots of ways to be flexible—changing the raw material or add a new binder system,” Kleinebrecht says. “This allows us to operate in some nice niche areas where we can fulfill market requirements. Our customers give guarantees for their roofs and our products need to measure up.”
JM has traditionally operated two plants in China—one in Shanghai and the other in Luyong—but infrastructure challenges have forced Johns Manville to move its spunbond equipment located in Shanghai to Luyong in May 2017.
Looking to the U.S., JM operates three spunbond lines featuring the same Hoecst AG technology it purchased in the 1970s, at its facility in Spartanburg, SC. These lines primarily target roofing applications but have some business in filtration and geotextiles.
As a global supplier of nonwoven materials, JM has set up its business to quickly adapt to the changing market conditions around the globe. As market conditions change regionally, JM is able to shift its products between sites.
JM has also adjusted its business to increase its focus on sustainability. In its 2016/2017 Sustainability Report, JM reaffirms its commitment to sustainable development.
“On a global scale, JM has the capital and the scientific and engineering expertise to help address some of society’s most complex issues, like energy efficiency and lifecycle durability,” says chief sustainability officer Tim Swales. “We will continue to take a business approach to sustainability that creates long-term value for our stakeholders – one that also helps JM to become even more productive, innovative and competitive.”
Significant accomplishments outlined in the 2016/2017 report include: a reduction in greenhouse gas emission intensity; development of the product category Environmental Product Declarations for JM’s HVAC, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and mechanical insulation materials and completing an extensive water survey to better understand local water source vulnerability at JM’s plants in the U.S. and around the world.
JM has also invested approximately $2 billion over the past 10 years to make JM more productive, safe, innovative and sustainable and has increased customer value by developing sustainable new products and technologies for insulation and lightweighting.
www.jm.com
2017 Nonwovens Sales: $725 million
Key Personnel
Enno Henze, senior vice president and general manager, engineered products; Patti Rizzo, director of sales and marketing, nonwovens Americas; Stefan Mohr, director of sales and marketing, EMEA/APAC; Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing and portfolio management leader nonwovens, EMEA/APAC
Plants
Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands
Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire; Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, DuraCore, MicroStrand (fibers brands)
Johns Manville, a manufacturer of nonwovens for building and construction applications, has announced Evalith as the unified brand for its Engineered Products nonwovens business, allowing the business to leverage and operate under one global brand.
JM’s European nonwovens business has produced products under the brand name Evalith since 2012. JM first transitioned the glass fiber mat and sliver product lines to the new brand name, followed by PET spunbond, glass microfiber air media and meltblown throughout the first half of 2018.
“The unified brand name will further reinforce the global position of our nonwovens business,” says Martin Kleinebrecht, global portfolio & marketing leader Nonwovens for JM Engineered Products. “North American nonwovens products will certainly continue to be produced with the same performance expectations. We do not anticipate the name change to disrupt any operations.”
While its been three years since JM has made a significant line investment—a bicomponent spunmelt line featuring proprietary spinning technology—located in Berlin, Germany, the Denver, CO-based, Berkshire-Hathaway-owned company has been focusing on enhancements to its existing lines. New investments have been able to expand JM’s role in the filtration market and expand its offerings in its core market, roofing and construction.
“The new line in Berlin has specialized know-how and is flexible in fiber sizes,” says Martin Kleinebrecht. “This allows us to offer a big variety of multilayer products and we are now offering complete filter media, not just the carrier to the filter media.”
Featuring a spunbond back topped with spin glass layer, this filter technology requires no electrostatic charge and has found substantial success in the HVAC market.
Meanwhile, in Wertheim, Germany, in 2017 JM upgraded a glass nonwoven mat line, originally built in the 1970s, allowing it to produce products with smoother surfaces, opening up doors in specialty markets. Other improvements include faster run times and increased capacity.
All of JM’s spunmelt lines are based on the company’s heritage Hoechst technology, and the latest spinning technology is the latest offering by JM, which entered the filtration market about 20 years ago as a way to diversify beyond construction.
Elsewhere in Germany, JM has a pilot line in Bobingen as well as several nonwovens production lines in Wertheim. In 2017, the company enhanced an existing glass mat line in Wertheim to address the increasing needs and demands of local customers and markets.
In fact, line upgrades are central to JM’s growth strategy and the company routinely debottlenecks lines to increase capacity and add new capabilities to them to enhance its business. This not only allows JM to continue to grow while keeping its risk to a minimum, it also helps it expand into new areas.
“There are lots of ways to be flexible—changing the raw material or add a new binder system,” Kleinebrecht says. “This allows us to operate in some nice niche areas where we can fulfill market requirements. Our customers give guarantees for their roofs and our products need to measure up.”
JM has traditionally operated two plants in China—one in Shanghai and the other in Luyong—but infrastructure challenges have forced Johns Manville to move its spunbond equipment located in Shanghai to Luyong in May 2017.
Looking to the U.S., JM operates three spunbond lines featuring the same Hoecst AG technology it purchased in the 1970s, at its facility in Spartanburg, SC. These lines primarily target roofing applications but have some business in filtration and geotextiles.
As a global supplier of nonwoven materials, JM has set up its business to quickly adapt to the changing market conditions around the globe. As market conditions change regionally, JM is able to shift its products between sites.
JM has also adjusted its business to increase its focus on sustainability. In its 2016/2017 Sustainability Report, JM reaffirms its commitment to sustainable development.
“On a global scale, JM has the capital and the scientific and engineering expertise to help address some of society’s most complex issues, like energy efficiency and lifecycle durability,” says chief sustainability officer Tim Swales. “We will continue to take a business approach to sustainability that creates long-term value for our stakeholders – one that also helps JM to become even more productive, innovative and competitive.”
Significant accomplishments outlined in the 2016/2017 report include: a reduction in greenhouse gas emission intensity; development of the product category Environmental Product Declarations for JM’s HVAC, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and mechanical insulation materials and completing an extensive water survey to better understand local water source vulnerability at JM’s plants in the U.S. and around the world.
JM has also invested approximately $2 billion over the past 10 years to make JM more productive, safe, innovative and sustainable and has increased customer value by developing sustainable new products and technologies for insulation and lightweighting.
Denver, CO
www.jm.com
2018 Nonwovens Sales: $725 million
Key Personnel
John Vasuta, senior vice president and general manager, engineered products; Patti Rizzo, director of sales and marketing, nonwovens Americas; Stefan Mohr, director of sales and marketing, EMEA/APAC; Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing and portfolio management leader nonwovens, EMEA/APAC
Plants
Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands
Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire; Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, DuraCore, MicroStrand (fibers brands)
Johns Manville, a manufacturer of nonwovens for building and construction applications, has announced Evalith as the unified brand for its Engineered Products nonwovens business, allowing the business to leverage and operate under one global brand.
JM’s European nonwovens business has produced products under the brand name Evalith since 2012. JM first transitioned the glass fiber mat and sliver product lines to the new brand name, followed by PET spunbond, glass microfiber air media and meltblown throughout the first half of 2018.
The unified brand reinforces the global position of its nonwovens business. The name change has not disrupted any product performance, according to the company.
While its been three years since JM has made a significant line investment—a bicomponent spunmelt line featuring proprietary spinning technology—located in Berlin, Germany, the Denver, CO-based, Berkshire-Hathaway-owned company has been focusing on enhancements to its existing lines. New investments have been able to expand JM’s role in the filtration market and expand its offerings in its core market, roofing and construction.
The new line in Berlin has specialized know-how and is flexible in fiber sizes allowing JM to offer a big variety of multilayer products and it is now offering complete filter media, not just the carrier to the filter media.
Featuring a spunbond back topped with spin glass layer, this filter technology requires no electrostatic charge and has found substantial success in the HVAC market.
Meanwhile, in Wertheim, Germany, in 2017 JM upgraded a glass nonwoven mat line, originally built in the 1970s, allowing it to produce products with smoother surfaces, opening up doors in specialty markets. Other improvements include faster run times and increased capacity.
All of JM’s spunmelt lines are based on the company’s heritage Hoechst technology, and the latest spinning technology is the latest offering by JM, which entered the filtration market about 20 years ago as a way to diversify beyond construction.
Elsewhere in Germany, JM has a pilot line in Bobingen as well as several nonwovens production lines in Wertheim. In 2017, the company enhanced an existing glass mat line in Wertheim to address the increasing needs and demands of local customers and markets.
In fact, line upgrades are central to JM’s growth strategy and it routinely debottlenecks lines to increase capacity and add new capabilities to them to enhance its business. This not only allows JM to continue to grow while keeping its risk to a minimum, it also helps it expand into new areas.
Other ways that JM has been able to respond to changing customer needs include changing raw materials or adding new binder systems on existing lines. This allows the to operate in some nice niche areas where we can fulfill market requirements.
JM has traditionally operated two plants in China—one in Shanghai and the other in Luyong—but infrastructure challenges have forced Johns Manville to move its spunbond equipment located in Shanghai to Luyong in May 2017.
Looking to the U.S., JM operates three spunbond lines featuring the same Hoecst AG technology it purchased in the 1970s, at its facility in Spartanburg, SC. These lines primarily target roofing applications but have some business in filtration and geotextiles.
As a global supplier of nonwoven materials, JM has set up its business to quickly adapt to the changing market conditions around the globe. As market conditions change regionally, JM is able to shift its products between sites.
JM has also adjusted its business to increase its focus on sustainability. In its 2016/2017 Sustainability Report, JM reaffirms its commitment to sustainable development.
“On a global scale, JM has the capital and the scientific and engineering expertise to help address some of society’s most complex issues, like energy efficiency and lifecycle durability,” says chief sustainability officer Tim Swales. “We will continue to take a business approach to sustainability that creates long-term value for our stakeholders – one that also helps JM to become even more productive, innovative and competitive.”
Significant accomplishments outlined in the 2016/2017 report include: a reduction in greenhouse gas emission intensity; development of the product category Environmental Product Declarations for JM’s HVAC, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and mechanical insulation materials and completing an extensive water survey to better understand local water source vulnerability at JM’s plants in the U.S. and around the world.
JM has also invested approximately $2 billion over the past 10 years to make JM more productive, safe, innovative and sustainable and has increased customer value by developing sustainable new products and technologies for insulation and lightweighting.
www.jm.com
2018 Nonwovens Sales: $725 million
Key Personnel
John Vasuta, senior vice president and general manager, engineered products; Patti Rizzo, director of sales and marketing, nonwovens Americas; Stefan Mohr, director of sales and marketing, EMEA/APAC; Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing and portfolio management leader nonwovens, EMEA/APAC
Plants
Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands
Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire; Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, DuraCore, MicroStrand (fibers brands)
Johns Manville, a manufacturer of nonwovens for building and construction applications, has announced Evalith as the unified brand for its Engineered Products nonwovens business, allowing the business to leverage and operate under one global brand.
JM’s European nonwovens business has produced products under the brand name Evalith since 2012. JM first transitioned the glass fiber mat and sliver product lines to the new brand name, followed by PET spunbond, glass microfiber air media and meltblown throughout the first half of 2018.
The unified brand reinforces the global position of its nonwovens business. The name change has not disrupted any product performance, according to the company.
While its been three years since JM has made a significant line investment—a bicomponent spunmelt line featuring proprietary spinning technology—located in Berlin, Germany, the Denver, CO-based, Berkshire-Hathaway-owned company has been focusing on enhancements to its existing lines. New investments have been able to expand JM’s role in the filtration market and expand its offerings in its core market, roofing and construction.
The new line in Berlin has specialized know-how and is flexible in fiber sizes allowing JM to offer a big variety of multilayer products and it is now offering complete filter media, not just the carrier to the filter media.
Featuring a spunbond back topped with spin glass layer, this filter technology requires no electrostatic charge and has found substantial success in the HVAC market.
Meanwhile, in Wertheim, Germany, in 2017 JM upgraded a glass nonwoven mat line, originally built in the 1970s, allowing it to produce products with smoother surfaces, opening up doors in specialty markets. Other improvements include faster run times and increased capacity.
All of JM’s spunmelt lines are based on the company’s heritage Hoechst technology, and the latest spinning technology is the latest offering by JM, which entered the filtration market about 20 years ago as a way to diversify beyond construction.
Elsewhere in Germany, JM has a pilot line in Bobingen as well as several nonwovens production lines in Wertheim. In 2017, the company enhanced an existing glass mat line in Wertheim to address the increasing needs and demands of local customers and markets.
In fact, line upgrades are central to JM’s growth strategy and it routinely debottlenecks lines to increase capacity and add new capabilities to them to enhance its business. This not only allows JM to continue to grow while keeping its risk to a minimum, it also helps it expand into new areas.
Other ways that JM has been able to respond to changing customer needs include changing raw materials or adding new binder systems on existing lines. This allows the to operate in some nice niche areas where we can fulfill market requirements.
JM has traditionally operated two plants in China—one in Shanghai and the other in Luyong—but infrastructure challenges have forced Johns Manville to move its spunbond equipment located in Shanghai to Luyong in May 2017.
Looking to the U.S., JM operates three spunbond lines featuring the same Hoecst AG technology it purchased in the 1970s, at its facility in Spartanburg, SC. These lines primarily target roofing applications but have some business in filtration and geotextiles.
As a global supplier of nonwoven materials, JM has set up its business to quickly adapt to the changing market conditions around the globe. As market conditions change regionally, JM is able to shift its products between sites.
JM has also adjusted its business to increase its focus on sustainability. In its 2016/2017 Sustainability Report, JM reaffirms its commitment to sustainable development.
“On a global scale, JM has the capital and the scientific and engineering expertise to help address some of society’s most complex issues, like energy efficiency and lifecycle durability,” says chief sustainability officer Tim Swales. “We will continue to take a business approach to sustainability that creates long-term value for our stakeholders – one that also helps JM to become even more productive, innovative and competitive.”
Significant accomplishments outlined in the 2016/2017 report include: a reduction in greenhouse gas emission intensity; development of the product category Environmental Product Declarations for JM’s HVAC, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and mechanical insulation materials and completing an extensive water survey to better understand local water source vulnerability at JM’s plants in the U.S. and around the world.
JM has also invested approximately $2 billion over the past 10 years to make JM more productive, safe, innovative and sustainable and has increased customer value by developing sustainable new products and technologies for insulation and lightweighting.
Denver, CO
www.jm.com
2019 Nonwovens Sales: $725 million
Key Personnel
John Vasuta, senior vice president and general manager, engineered products; Patti Rizzo, director of sales and marketing, nonwovens Americas; Stefan Mohr, director of sales and marketing, EMEA/APAC; Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing and portfolio management leader nonwovens, EMEA/APAC
Plants
Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands
Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire; Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, DuraCore, MicroStrand (fibers brands)
As it faces unprecedented disruption in several of its key markets—particularly construction—Johns Manville has responded swiftly to the Coronavirus pandemic through investment and new product development.
“It’s really an all-hands-on-deck situation that we have managed very well so far,” says Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing and portfolio management leader nonwovens, EMEA/APAC. “Despite physical distancing and other safety protocols, the crisis has brought us closer together —within JM and with our customers. JM has weathered many storms in its 162 years of existence.”
Earlier this year, JM started production of meltblown filtration media in Richland, MS. The output on this new line is verified by an FDA-registered U.S. laboratory to meet or exceed Level 1 BFEW 95% (bacterial filtration efficiency) requirements for face masks. Meanwhile, in Spartanburg, SC, the company launched a coated PET spunbond that can be used for the production of disposable medical gowns.
“Both nonwoven products can improve the safety of people in potential direct contact with the Covid-19 virus,” Kleinebrecht says. “We also launched several new products in our microfiber portfolio to allow better performance for our customers.”
As it has shifted some of its resources toward face mask and other PPE, JM is reporting a slowdown in its key market, construction, where some economists are predicting a 5-10% drop in both Europe and the U.S. Meanwhile, industrial production is forecasted to drop more severely, by 10-13% in the U.S. and by 7-10% in the EU for the year 2020. “We do see an improving demand lately, but the pandemic crisis is certainly not over yet,” Kleinebrecht says. “The diversified nature of our business in their wetlaid filtration processes.”
JM’s latest major line investment is a bicomponent spunbond line featuring proprietary spinning technology located in Berlin, Germany. This technology has allowed JM to expand its offerings into complete filter media. The product made on the line features a spunbond back topped with a spin glass layer, requiring no electrostatic charge. It has achieved considerable success in the HVAC market and helped the company grow in the filtration market in general. Meanwhile, in Wertheim, Germany, JM upgraded a glass nonwovens mat line in 2017 allowing it to produce products with smoother surfaces. Kleinebrecht calls this investment a success.
“The requirements for specialty glass mat products have increased strongly over the last decade, which requires up-to-date production technology,” he says.
JM has made similar enhancements to its glass mat line in Waterville, OH, and will continue to work on several planned upgrades in the years to come.
www.jm.com
2019 Nonwovens Sales: $725 million
Key Personnel
John Vasuta, senior vice president and general manager, engineered products; Patti Rizzo, director of sales and marketing, nonwovens Americas; Stefan Mohr, director of sales and marketing, EMEA/APAC; Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing and portfolio management leader nonwovens, EMEA/APAC
Plants
Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands
Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire; Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, DuraCore, MicroStrand (fibers brands)
As it faces unprecedented disruption in several of its key markets—particularly construction—Johns Manville has responded swiftly to the Coronavirus pandemic through investment and new product development.
“It’s really an all-hands-on-deck situation that we have managed very well so far,” says Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing and portfolio management leader nonwovens, EMEA/APAC. “Despite physical distancing and other safety protocols, the crisis has brought us closer together —within JM and with our customers. JM has weathered many storms in its 162 years of existence.”
Earlier this year, JM started production of meltblown filtration media in Richland, MS. The output on this new line is verified by an FDA-registered U.S. laboratory to meet or exceed Level 1 BFEW 95% (bacterial filtration efficiency) requirements for face masks. Meanwhile, in Spartanburg, SC, the company launched a coated PET spunbond that can be used for the production of disposable medical gowns.
“Both nonwoven products can improve the safety of people in potential direct contact with the Covid-19 virus,” Kleinebrecht says. “We also launched several new products in our microfiber portfolio to allow better performance for our customers.”
As it has shifted some of its resources toward face mask and other PPE, JM is reporting a slowdown in its key market, construction, where some economists are predicting a 5-10% drop in both Europe and the U.S. Meanwhile, industrial production is forecasted to drop more severely, by 10-13% in the U.S. and by 7-10% in the EU for the year 2020. “We do see an improving demand lately, but the pandemic crisis is certainly not over yet,” Kleinebrecht says. “The diversified nature of our business in their wetlaid filtration processes.”
JM’s latest major line investment is a bicomponent spunbond line featuring proprietary spinning technology located in Berlin, Germany. This technology has allowed JM to expand its offerings into complete filter media. The product made on the line features a spunbond back topped with a spin glass layer, requiring no electrostatic charge. It has achieved considerable success in the HVAC market and helped the company grow in the filtration market in general. Meanwhile, in Wertheim, Germany, JM upgraded a glass nonwovens mat line in 2017 allowing it to produce products with smoother surfaces. Kleinebrecht calls this investment a success.
“The requirements for specialty glass mat products have increased strongly over the last decade, which requires up-to-date production technology,” he says.
JM has made similar enhancements to its glass mat line in Waterville, OH, and will continue to work on several planned upgrades in the years to come.
Denver, CO
www.jm.com
2020 Nonwovens Sales: $725 million
Key Personnel
John Vasuta, president, engineered products; Tom Balkom, business director, global nonwovens; Souvik Nandi, research and development director, global nonwovens
Plants
Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands
Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire; Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, DuraCore, MicroStrand (fibers brands)
Throughout 2020, Johns Manville worked diligently on its Covid-19 response and mitigation while keeping all of its plants operational and meeting customer orders during the most crucial months of the pandemic. While business slowed down in some markets, the company was able to gain new business in the field of disposable medical gowns with its Evalith PET spunbond nonwovens and face mask material with Evalith PP meltblown materials, which helped to support the communities and medical staff on the front lines of the pandemic.
“We were successful in keeping our plants operational and flexible, despite the obvious challenges of running production lines in times of a global pandemic. In the second quarter of 2020, we had to adjust our production output for stock control. We could meet customer demand even though the pandemic continually evolved, which made forecasting and planning difficult,” says Martin Kleinbrecht, global marketing communications leader, Engineered Fabrics.
Among its efforts were the production of meltblown filtration media in Richland, MS. The output on this new line is verified by an FDA-registered U.S. laboratory to meet or exceed Level 1 BFEW 95% (bacterial filtration efficiency) requirements for face masks. Meanwhile, in Spartanburg, SC, the company launched a coated PET spunbond that can be used for the production of disposable medical gowns.
“We accepted the challenges and quickly launched new Evalith PET spunbond and Evalith PP meltblown products from our assets in Spartanburg, OH, and Richland, MS,” Kleinbrecht says. “This happened thanks to the excellent cooperation with our industry partners and certainly thanks to our own product management, technology, sales, and production teammates, who put a lot of demanding work and passion into the two projects. Launching these products so rapidly required ‘all-hands-on-deck’ initiatives. “
But in the third quarter of 2020, most of the market areas served by JM had begun to normalize, and by the fourth quarter an upswing in demand was seen. However, soon after the blockage of the Suez Canal and the Texas deep freeze negatively impacted the U.S. petrochemical industry as well as the entire global supply chain. This disrupted operations and resulted in hefty market price increases for energy and raw materials.
“We had to immediately look for alternative suppliers, qualify their materials for our Evalith nonwoven production and work on qualifications with our global nonwoven customers,” Kleinbrecht says. “We also had to find ways to ensure the maximum possible supplies our customers were requiring from us. We could implement new systems and procedures that will help us with any future disruptions.”
By business areas, JM’s largest market, construction, continues to recover well in both Europe and the Americas with some segments faring better than others. “Our role as a strategic supplier has become even more important as our customers seek solutions,” he adds. “We are uniquely positioned to provide the JM Experience, which may require us to go the extra mile, but we do it with a smile knowing that we are delivering positive and powerful experiences to our partners. “
JM’s latest major line investment is a bicomponent spunbond line featuring proprietary spinning technology located in Berlin, Germany.
This technology has allowed JM to expand its offerings into complete filter media. The product made on the line features a spunbond back topped with a spin glass layer, requiring no electrostatic charge. It has achieved considerable success in the HVAC market and helped the company grow in the filtration market in general. Meanwhile, in Wertheim, Germany, JM upgraded a glass nonwovens mat line in 2017 allowing it to produce products with smoother surfaces.
The company has also demonstrated its commitment to environmental responsibility through a €10 million investment in a state-of-the-art thermal recycling unit for waste glass fibers in its Trnava, Slovakia, plant—a site that also supplies glass fibers to JM’s wetlaid glass fiber nonwoven lines in Europe. The Trnava recycling unit is a part of its response to the European Commission’s zero waste program and contributes to the company’s overall efforts toward sustainable management of the planet’s resources.
“At Johns Manville, sustainability means Building a Better Tomorrow,” Kleinbrecht explains. “We are reducing our impact on the planet. We are expanding our support of our global workforce and communities. We are innovating new products, technologies, and processes to benefit our customers. We understand that sustainability is a journey — one that requires a simultaneous focus on people, planet, and profit.
“The third leg of our framework is innovation. Long-term and continual innovation will lead to the sustainable future we dream about for ourselves, our communities, and our customers. Today, we are well positioned. A substantial proportion of JM’s current product lines will be used for 15 to more than 30 years, however our products will need to be designed with the circular economy in mind. We will also explore technologies to help us prepare for a reduced carbon/decarbonized future.”
www.jm.com
2020 Nonwovens Sales: $725 million
Key Personnel
John Vasuta, president, engineered products; Tom Balkom, business director, global nonwovens; Souvik Nandi, research and development director, global nonwovens
Plants
Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands
Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire; Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, DuraCore, MicroStrand (fibers brands)
Throughout 2020, Johns Manville worked diligently on its Covid-19 response and mitigation while keeping all of its plants operational and meeting customer orders during the most crucial months of the pandemic. While business slowed down in some markets, the company was able to gain new business in the field of disposable medical gowns with its Evalith PET spunbond nonwovens and face mask material with Evalith PP meltblown materials, which helped to support the communities and medical staff on the front lines of the pandemic.
“We were successful in keeping our plants operational and flexible, despite the obvious challenges of running production lines in times of a global pandemic. In the second quarter of 2020, we had to adjust our production output for stock control. We could meet customer demand even though the pandemic continually evolved, which made forecasting and planning difficult,” says Martin Kleinbrecht, global marketing communications leader, Engineered Fabrics.
Among its efforts were the production of meltblown filtration media in Richland, MS. The output on this new line is verified by an FDA-registered U.S. laboratory to meet or exceed Level 1 BFEW 95% (bacterial filtration efficiency) requirements for face masks. Meanwhile, in Spartanburg, SC, the company launched a coated PET spunbond that can be used for the production of disposable medical gowns.
“We accepted the challenges and quickly launched new Evalith PET spunbond and Evalith PP meltblown products from our assets in Spartanburg, OH, and Richland, MS,” Kleinbrecht says. “This happened thanks to the excellent cooperation with our industry partners and certainly thanks to our own product management, technology, sales, and production teammates, who put a lot of demanding work and passion into the two projects. Launching these products so rapidly required ‘all-hands-on-deck’ initiatives. “
But in the third quarter of 2020, most of the market areas served by JM had begun to normalize, and by the fourth quarter an upswing in demand was seen. However, soon after the blockage of the Suez Canal and the Texas deep freeze negatively impacted the U.S. petrochemical industry as well as the entire global supply chain. This disrupted operations and resulted in hefty market price increases for energy and raw materials.
“We had to immediately look for alternative suppliers, qualify their materials for our Evalith nonwoven production and work on qualifications with our global nonwoven customers,” Kleinbrecht says. “We also had to find ways to ensure the maximum possible supplies our customers were requiring from us. We could implement new systems and procedures that will help us with any future disruptions.”
By business areas, JM’s largest market, construction, continues to recover well in both Europe and the Americas with some segments faring better than others. “Our role as a strategic supplier has become even more important as our customers seek solutions,” he adds. “We are uniquely positioned to provide the JM Experience, which may require us to go the extra mile, but we do it with a smile knowing that we are delivering positive and powerful experiences to our partners. “
JM’s latest major line investment is a bicomponent spunbond line featuring proprietary spinning technology located in Berlin, Germany.
This technology has allowed JM to expand its offerings into complete filter media. The product made on the line features a spunbond back topped with a spin glass layer, requiring no electrostatic charge. It has achieved considerable success in the HVAC market and helped the company grow in the filtration market in general. Meanwhile, in Wertheim, Germany, JM upgraded a glass nonwovens mat line in 2017 allowing it to produce products with smoother surfaces.
The company has also demonstrated its commitment to environmental responsibility through a €10 million investment in a state-of-the-art thermal recycling unit for waste glass fibers in its Trnava, Slovakia, plant—a site that also supplies glass fibers to JM’s wetlaid glass fiber nonwoven lines in Europe. The Trnava recycling unit is a part of its response to the European Commission’s zero waste program and contributes to the company’s overall efforts toward sustainable management of the planet’s resources.
“At Johns Manville, sustainability means Building a Better Tomorrow,” Kleinbrecht explains. “We are reducing our impact on the planet. We are expanding our support of our global workforce and communities. We are innovating new products, technologies, and processes to benefit our customers. We understand that sustainability is a journey — one that requires a simultaneous focus on people, planet, and profit.
“The third leg of our framework is innovation. Long-term and continual innovation will lead to the sustainable future we dream about for ourselves, our communities, and our customers. Today, we are well positioned. A substantial proportion of JM’s current product lines will be used for 15 to more than 30 years, however our products will need to be designed with the circular economy in mind. We will also explore technologies to help us prepare for a reduced carbon/decarbonized future.”
Denver, CO
www.jm.com
2021 Nonwovens Sales: $725 million (estimated)
Key Personnel
John Vasuta, president, Engineered Products; Tom Balkom, business director, Global Nonwovens; Souvik Nandi, research and development director, Global Nonwovens
Plants
Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands
Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire; Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, DuraCore, MicroStrand (fibers brands)
Between the deep freeze in North America and the Suez Canal blockage, 2021 presented a number of challenges to roofing and construction specialist Johns Manville. “As a result, we struggled with general supply chain constraints on commodities and hyperinflation in costs,” says global marketing communications leader Martin Kleinebrecht. “The availability of transport throughout the year was also problematic. Despite all the hurdles, our businesses have thrived thanks to our great teams in Sourcing, Operations, Sales and Customer Service. The pressure on our people, and on our suppliers and customers, was and still is incredible.”
Amidst the challenges, markets have remained strong in 2021 with solid demand in all segments throughout the year. Filtration continued to show health, particularly HEPA/ULPA and HVAC air filtration, where the company continues to see long-term demand. These markets are served by JM’s glass microfiber assets and are of the business where JM continues to sustainably innovate and invest.
Speaking of sustainability, JM focuses on three primary areas: landfill reduction, sustainable raw materials and product innovation. In reducing landfill waste, JM diverts production waste from nonwovens to durable applications. Sustainable raw materials are already widely used throughout JM’s businesses. In the Bobingen, Germany, facility for example, the company uses hundreds of millions of recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) drinking bottles every year to make spunbonded roofing carriers. To achieve this high recycling rate, additional systems had to be installed. Further efforts relate to binder systems with proportions of renewable raw materials. One of these binder systems contains more than 90% bio-based carbon. At the same time, this new binder system requires 70% less water and reduces energy consumption during the nonwoven production process by more than 70%. Its future goal is to increase the use of recycled materials and to further enable its own product recycling. It is obvious that its carbon footprint, especially considering that it is a glass manufacturing company, is an important focus for the future.
JM’s latest major line investment was a few years ago and is a bicomponent spunbond line featuring proprietary spinning technology located in Berlin, Germany. While the company won’t comment on future line investments or upgrades, executives do report new advancements that have allowed it to make complete filter media. The result has been a product featuring a spunbond back topped with a spin glass layer, requiring no electrostatic charge. It has achieved considerable success in the HVAC market and helped JM grow in the filtration market in general.
More recently, the company has been working on the creation of new spunbond products for flooring applications as well as new fiberglass nonwoven products for ceiling tiles, with an exceptionally smooth aesthetic surface.
For Johns Manville's 2020 top company profile, click here.
www.jm.com
2021 Nonwovens Sales: $725 million (estimated)
Key Personnel
John Vasuta, president, Engineered Products; Tom Balkom, business director, Global Nonwovens; Souvik Nandi, research and development director, Global Nonwovens
Plants
Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands
Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire; Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, DuraCore, MicroStrand (fibers brands)
Between the deep freeze in North America and the Suez Canal blockage, 2021 presented a number of challenges to roofing and construction specialist Johns Manville. “As a result, we struggled with general supply chain constraints on commodities and hyperinflation in costs,” says global marketing communications leader Martin Kleinebrecht. “The availability of transport throughout the year was also problematic. Despite all the hurdles, our businesses have thrived thanks to our great teams in Sourcing, Operations, Sales and Customer Service. The pressure on our people, and on our suppliers and customers, was and still is incredible.”
Amidst the challenges, markets have remained strong in 2021 with solid demand in all segments throughout the year. Filtration continued to show health, particularly HEPA/ULPA and HVAC air filtration, where the company continues to see long-term demand. These markets are served by JM’s glass microfiber assets and are of the business where JM continues to sustainably innovate and invest.
Speaking of sustainability, JM focuses on three primary areas: landfill reduction, sustainable raw materials and product innovation. In reducing landfill waste, JM diverts production waste from nonwovens to durable applications. Sustainable raw materials are already widely used throughout JM’s businesses. In the Bobingen, Germany, facility for example, the company uses hundreds of millions of recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) drinking bottles every year to make spunbonded roofing carriers. To achieve this high recycling rate, additional systems had to be installed. Further efforts relate to binder systems with proportions of renewable raw materials. One of these binder systems contains more than 90% bio-based carbon. At the same time, this new binder system requires 70% less water and reduces energy consumption during the nonwoven production process by more than 70%. Its future goal is to increase the use of recycled materials and to further enable its own product recycling. It is obvious that its carbon footprint, especially considering that it is a glass manufacturing company, is an important focus for the future.
JM’s latest major line investment was a few years ago and is a bicomponent spunbond line featuring proprietary spinning technology located in Berlin, Germany. While the company won’t comment on future line investments or upgrades, executives do report new advancements that have allowed it to make complete filter media. The result has been a product featuring a spunbond back topped with a spin glass layer, requiring no electrostatic charge. It has achieved considerable success in the HVAC market and helped JM grow in the filtration market in general.
More recently, the company has been working on the creation of new spunbond products for flooring applications as well as new fiberglass nonwoven products for ceiling tiles, with an exceptionally smooth aesthetic surface.
For Johns Manville's 2020 top company profile, click here.
Denver, CO
www.jm.com
2022 Nonwovens Sales: $725 million (estimated)
Key Personnel
John Vasuta, president, Engineered Products; Darious Naylor, business director, Global Nonwovens; Rui Ferreira, research and development director, Global Nonwovens
Plants
Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Steinach, Germany; Trnava, Slovakia
JM Engineered Products Brands
Evalith (nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, StarRov, DuraCore (glass fiber brands); Neomera (PA-6 organosheet brand)
Throughout 2022 and so far in 2023, Johns Manville has encountered several challenges. In 2022, the main hurdle was inflation, which put considerable strain on operations and financial planning, forcing the Denver, CO-based company to navigate through uncertain economic waters. In 2023, a new set of challenges, including a decline in demand for construction materials and cautious consumer behavior, arose.
“As we moved into 2023, we encountered a different set of challenges,” says Martin Kleinebrecht, global marketing communications leader, Engineered Products. “The construction industry witnessed a decline in demand due to increased interest rates and cautious consumer behavior. These factors resulted in a subdued market environment, making it harder to stimulate growth and expansion.”
This profound decline in the U.S. and European markets—excluding the U.S. shingle market—is in sharp contrast with the strong demand observed in the previous two years. Economic indices and housing starts show that rising costs and living expenses, alongside significant destocking, continue to put a strain on growth and stability. “While uncertainties remain, we are committed to overcoming challenges and remain agile and adaptive in our strategies to align with the changing economic landscape,” Kleinebrecht adds.
Meanwhile, within the filtration market, softness in the automotive segment continues to be offset by promising growth in the HVAC/HEPA/ULPA markets, driven by demand for high efficiency filtration solutions and a growing focus on indoor air quality as well as modest growth in liquid filtration.
This market will soon receive an additional boost through the construction of a new media asset in Europe. While executives offer little detail on this investment, for now, they did say it will allow Johns Manville to expand its filtration capabilities and cater to the rising demand for these products. “We continue to strengthen our position as one of the leading players in the market while prioritizing sustainability and technological advancements,” Kleinebrecht says.
Within the industrial air filtration market, JM has developed the Evalith 798 PET filter media, which uses Johns Manville’s unique bico-spunbond technology, with a monolith surface pattern. This advanced filter media offers several notable advantages for industrial applications requiring exceptional mechanical durability and high filtration efficiency. Additionally, it boasts a reduced pressure drop, leading to more efficient airflow and lower energy consumption. The media’s improved pleating performance ensures filter element stability and longevity. Moreover, Evalith 798 features excellent cleanability, facilitating easier maintenance and prolonging the product’s life span.
Through innovations like Evalith 798, Johns Manville continues to push the boundaries of filtration technology, aiming to meet the diverse needs of its customers and contribute to sustainable and efficient industrial air filtration processes.
This innovation is a recent example of how JM has long remained at the forefront of developing fiber and nonwoven production technologies ensuring its competitiveness in the global market and delivering top notch products.
“We view it as our responsibility to empower our customers as industry leaders while diligently reducing our ecological footprint through technological excellence,” Kleinebrecht says. “Our ongoing efforts encompass conceptualizing and incorporating both existing and innovative technologies to optimize filtration media performance.”
JM achieves this by synergistically combining diverse materials and processes to maximize efficiency while reducing pressure drop. This not only enhances filtration performance but also reduces energy consumption.
Other recent investments at JM include the recently completed reconstruction of a glass furnace line in Trnava, Slovakia, which reaffirmed the company’s commitment to the European industry by supplying a continuous and reliable supply of fiberglass to its German glass nonwovens operations. Meanwhile, in the U.S., JM is continuously striving to better the productivity of its glass nonwoven lines in Ohio and Tennessee. Productivity measures are aimed at increasing efficiency and output to meet the long-term growing demand in the market.
Outside of its nonwovens operations, JM has recently started up a fiber waste recycling line in Slovakia, which seamlessly recycles nearly all its local production waste, contributing to landfill diversion and sustainable resource use. This plant is a supplier of glass fiber to JM’s German glass nonwovens plants as well as a supplier of various composite applications. The company’s overall corporate goal is to use at least two billion pounds of recycled materials in its products between 2021 and 2025.
Other sustainability-centered efforts at JM include efforts toward reducing its GHG emissions by 40% by 2030 and decreasing waste intensity 10% by 2025. In recognition of its sustainability endeavors, JM has been awarded an EcoVadis Silver Rating, an achievement that positions the company in the top 13% within its market.
www.jm.com
2022 Nonwovens Sales: $725 million (estimated)
Key Personnel
John Vasuta, president, Engineered Products; Darious Naylor, business director, Global Nonwovens; Rui Ferreira, research and development director, Global Nonwovens
Plants
Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Steinach, Germany; Trnava, Slovakia
JM Engineered Products Brands
Evalith (nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, StarRov, DuraCore (glass fiber brands); Neomera (PA-6 organosheet brand)
Throughout 2022 and so far in 2023, Johns Manville has encountered several challenges. In 2022, the main hurdle was inflation, which put considerable strain on operations and financial planning, forcing the Denver, CO-based company to navigate through uncertain economic waters. In 2023, a new set of challenges, including a decline in demand for construction materials and cautious consumer behavior, arose.
“As we moved into 2023, we encountered a different set of challenges,” says Martin Kleinebrecht, global marketing communications leader, Engineered Products. “The construction industry witnessed a decline in demand due to increased interest rates and cautious consumer behavior. These factors resulted in a subdued market environment, making it harder to stimulate growth and expansion.”
This profound decline in the U.S. and European markets—excluding the U.S. shingle market—is in sharp contrast with the strong demand observed in the previous two years. Economic indices and housing starts show that rising costs and living expenses, alongside significant destocking, continue to put a strain on growth and stability. “While uncertainties remain, we are committed to overcoming challenges and remain agile and adaptive in our strategies to align with the changing economic landscape,” Kleinebrecht adds.
Meanwhile, within the filtration market, softness in the automotive segment continues to be offset by promising growth in the HVAC/HEPA/ULPA markets, driven by demand for high efficiency filtration solutions and a growing focus on indoor air quality as well as modest growth in liquid filtration.
This market will soon receive an additional boost through the construction of a new media asset in Europe. While executives offer little detail on this investment, for now, they did say it will allow Johns Manville to expand its filtration capabilities and cater to the rising demand for these products. “We continue to strengthen our position as one of the leading players in the market while prioritizing sustainability and technological advancements,” Kleinebrecht says.
Within the industrial air filtration market, JM has developed the Evalith 798 PET filter media, which uses Johns Manville’s unique bico-spunbond technology, with a monolith surface pattern. This advanced filter media offers several notable advantages for industrial applications requiring exceptional mechanical durability and high filtration efficiency. Additionally, it boasts a reduced pressure drop, leading to more efficient airflow and lower energy consumption. The media’s improved pleating performance ensures filter element stability and longevity. Moreover, Evalith 798 features excellent cleanability, facilitating easier maintenance and prolonging the product’s life span.
Through innovations like Evalith 798, Johns Manville continues to push the boundaries of filtration technology, aiming to meet the diverse needs of its customers and contribute to sustainable and efficient industrial air filtration processes.
This innovation is a recent example of how JM has long remained at the forefront of developing fiber and nonwoven production technologies ensuring its competitiveness in the global market and delivering top notch products.
“We view it as our responsibility to empower our customers as industry leaders while diligently reducing our ecological footprint through technological excellence,” Kleinebrecht says. “Our ongoing efforts encompass conceptualizing and incorporating both existing and innovative technologies to optimize filtration media performance.”
JM achieves this by synergistically combining diverse materials and processes to maximize efficiency while reducing pressure drop. This not only enhances filtration performance but also reduces energy consumption.
Other recent investments at JM include the recently completed reconstruction of a glass furnace line in Trnava, Slovakia, which reaffirmed the company’s commitment to the European industry by supplying a continuous and reliable supply of fiberglass to its German glass nonwovens operations. Meanwhile, in the U.S., JM is continuously striving to better the productivity of its glass nonwoven lines in Ohio and Tennessee. Productivity measures are aimed at increasing efficiency and output to meet the long-term growing demand in the market.
Outside of its nonwovens operations, JM has recently started up a fiber waste recycling line in Slovakia, which seamlessly recycles nearly all its local production waste, contributing to landfill diversion and sustainable resource use. This plant is a supplier of glass fiber to JM’s German glass nonwovens plants as well as a supplier of various composite applications. The company’s overall corporate goal is to use at least two billion pounds of recycled materials in its products between 2021 and 2025.
Other sustainability-centered efforts at JM include efforts toward reducing its GHG emissions by 40% by 2030 and decreasing waste intensity 10% by 2025. In recognition of its sustainability endeavors, JM has been awarded an EcoVadis Silver Rating, an achievement that positions the company in the top 13% within its market.
