Following a major strategic review of its businesses in the first half of 2019,Fibertex Nonwovens has decided to upgrade a production line currently located in South Africa and move it to North America. The relocation will increase output capacity in North America and support growth while aligning the company's capacity in South Africa to meet current needs, according to the company. Fibertex Nonwovens established the South African operation in 2010 and it houses several needlepunch lines geared toward the automotive, bedding, filtration and geotextiles markets. The company currently has two U.S. operations —one in Illinois and one in South Carolina—which was acquired from Mogul in late 2018. In announcing its third quarter results, Fibertex Nonwovens said it expects market conditions in North America to remain favorable while sales in some other regions could be negatively impacted by slowing business in the automotives industry. Fibertex Nonwovens' third quarter sales grew 17% to reach $65 million compared to the same period last year.

11.22.19 Wazoodle Fabrics, a 17-year-old company, has introduced a unique multi-dimensional composite fabric that is superabsorbent and leak-proof. The newly released Zorb 4D Organic Cotton Dimple Waterproof PUL soaker fabric is composed of multiple layers.  The super-absorbent face is a three dimensional, dimpled, soft 100% organic cotton 3D Zorb  fabric that facilitates rapid absorption and superior holding capacity. The 3D Zorb is laminated with a durable, breathable polyurethane waterproof film and backed by an anti-skid polyester fabric. Light, breathable, and thin, the fabric is safe for sensitive skin, absorbing fluids many times faster than other materials (bamboo, cotton, hemp knits) and is manufactured by AKAS Tex. Soft and organic this fabric caters to those who seek a skin - and earth - friendly alternative to heavy commercial disposables. The Zorb 4D offers multiple advantages in any application that requires absorbency with protective waterproofing such as undergarments for incontinence, sanitary pads, as well as for mattress and furniture covers, diapers, diaper changing stations, reusable wipes, pet bedding and sweat guards. Like all of Wazoodle products, Zorb 4D Organic Cotton Dimple Waterproof PUL Soaker Fabric is Made in the U.S. from American-sourced raw materials. It is manufactured without harmful chemicals or finishes in highly-controlled settings.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation has approved an investment to expand capacity and bring new nonwovens capability to its Corinth, MS, manufacturing facility to support Kimberly-Clark’s continued personal care category growth in North America. “The Corinth team is excited about the role we will play in bringing innovations to life and supporting Kimberly-Clark’s future in the region,” says Vince Overholt, facility manager for Kimberly-Clark’s nonwovens operations in Corinth. “We’ve been a part of the community for nearly 40 years. Our engaged workforce and the generations that came before them have worked diligently to deliver sustainable results over the years and strengthen our competitive position within the organization. This wouldn’t be possible without their efforts and the support of our local and state partners.” With an estimated investment of more than $20 million, the multi-phased project includes expanding the facility by more than 45,000 square feet and installing new technology to manufacture nonwovens components primarily for Depend and Pull-Ups products. The investment is expected to deliver increased capacity, greater manufacturing efficiency and enhanced product quality. The facility will build on its current employee base with the addition of 25 new full-time jobs; hiring for these roles is expected to begin later this year and openings will be posted at careersatkc.com. "That Kimberly-Clark has decided to further invest in Alcorn County is a strong reflection of their confidence in the local workforce,” says Clayton Stanley, president of The Alliance. "The Alliance is pleased to have the opportunity to work with Kimberly-Clark, our local elected officials and the State of Mississippi who all helped make this great expansion possible." "For almost 40 years Kimberly-Clark has been a vital partner to Alcorn County, providing great careers to hundreds of our citizens," says Jimmy Tate Waldon, president of the Alcorn County Board of Supervisors. “The Board is pleased to again partner with this great company.” Kimberly-Clark employs more than 300 workers in Corinth, MS, between its nonwovens and Kimberly-Clark Professional facilities. The shared site produces nonwovens components under the Huggies, Pull-Ups, Depend, WypAll, and Block-it brand names, as well as industrial wipers under the WypAll brand names. Kimberly-Clark employees continue to be active within the greater Corinth area through volunteer efforts and charitable donations, including more than $145,000 in donations to the United Way and other non-profit organizations in 2018.

After many years of low penetration compared to other markets around the globe, Africa’s diaper market has finally reached a tipping point. Several recent investments in the Africa region by global players in the hygiene and nonwovens sector are confirmation of this. Pegas Plans its First Factory in Sub-Saharan Africa In 2017,Pega Nonwovens, the largest producer of spunmelt nonwovens in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, finalized the purchase of their land in Cape Town, in preparation to put up a new factory, their second on the continent, but their first in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is anticipated they plan to invest R1.3 billion. Production is expected to commence in early 2019 and the factory will have an annual production capacity of approximately 10,000 tons. Pegas already has a factory in Egypt. This South African move is a most logical investment. The two biggest diaper manufacturers Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark are No. 1 and No. 2 respectively, in South Africa, Africa’s second biggest economy. Spunchem Increases Its Capacity In 2016, Spunchem International, another nonwovens player who has been in the South African market for the past 20 years, responded to the anticipated growth within the South African hygiene sector by increasing its production capacity in its hygiene focused facility to 32,000 tons per annum by 2018. Their website says, “Spunchem worked hand in hand with a top-three diaper manufacturer, which included extensive trials of product manufactured using the technology that Spunchem will employ.” In July 2016, the company completed  construction on a  state-of-the-art SMXS line of 8000 tons per annum nameplate capacity plant, to increase total capacity to over 22,000 TPA nameplate capacity. This was Spunchem’s fourth spunbond line. A second 10,000 TPA SMMS plant is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2018 to meet the market requirements of South Africa and surrounding regions. In addition, Spunchem plans to increase its coating/laminating and printing capacity. The company currently operates three coating / laminating lines, which includes the ability to make cloth like backing sheet, cast film, breathable film and textile backing sheet. South Africa is the biggest market in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) economic block. So any manufacturer based in South Africa will have full advantage to export their goods to the other 14 SADC members, among them key markets of Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique and Tanzania, without paying duties, as long as the product is manufactured in a SADC member country and carries a SADC certificate. Other markets like Mauritius, Namibia and Botswana, while their population sizes are small, offer consumers that have much higher disposable incomes than the regional average.  Diaper market penetration is also higher in these markets, for the same reason. Furthermore the retail environments in these countries are also quite highly develope...

Like all consumer markets, personal care wipes are undergoing a significant paradigm shift in their retail landscape. The simplest characterization is the ongoing shift from ‘brick and mortar’ selling to online selling or e-commerce. Smithers latest market report, ‘The Future of Personal Care Wipes in a Changing Retail Landscape to 2024’ forecasts global retail sales for personal care wipes will grow from a projected $9.3 billion in 2019 at an annual rate of 6.1% during 2019-2024 to reach $12.5 billion in 2024. Personal care wipes is the largest wipes segment using nonwovens. The changing retail landscape presents specific opportunities for wipe suppliers, Smithers’ analysis tracks five brands active in this space and how they are reacting to the challenges of e-commerce selling and the latest unmet end-user demands. With shifts in end-use demands increasing across the five years to 2024, ‘The Future of Personal Care Wipes in a Changing Retail Landscape to 2024’ identifies the following key drivers and trends for the global personal care wipes industry today: Sustainability – In 2019, there are multiple levels of sustainability driving personal care wipes – to reduce/eliminate plastics waste, to use all-natural ingredients, and to use biodegradable materials. Nonwoven supply and demand – One of the most important drivers for wipes over the next five years will be the oversupply of high-quality nonwovens for the wipes market. This will result in lower prices and accelerated product development as nonwovens producers attempt to sell this oversupply. Current, near-term and long-term global economy impact – Consumers tend to revert to the lowest-cost options – paper or cloth scraps replacing wipes, or baby wipes replacing higher-price speciality wipes – in times of economic hardship. Thus any future economic downturn will have a major negative impact on the personal care wipes market. Performance requirements and developments – Wipes performance continues to improve, some to the point of passing from luxury to requirement. For example, flushable wipes originally were not dispersible and were not very good at cleaning. But these products have improved to the point now that many consumers cannot do without them. Even if governmental agencies try to outlaw them, it is expected that many consumers would revert to using fewer dispersible wipes rather than do without. Smithers latest report, ‘The Future of Personal Care Wipes in a Changing Retail Landscape to 2024’ quantitatively defines this burgeoning sector by end-use segment, region, nonwoven product type, and raw materials used. To contextualise this rapid growth, Smithers’ analyses the changing retail landscape for these wipes, reviewing current brand owners, suppliers, retailers, business models, and supply chains; within a growing global nonwovens market.

Through its commitment to sustainability, and by deeply investigating its customers'needs,GDMannounces the development of a machine “green concept” that puts together all GDM solutions, propelling sustainability in every step of the manufacturing supply chain. Raw materials Less material, better core performances GDM's Extra Thin Core allows savings of up to 800 k€ per year: a 40% saving on core materials (fluff & SAP, compared to previous core formation process), thanks to an optimized mix and allocation featuring permanent channels construction, for an outstanding wetness distribution. Alternatives for core and topsheet Bamboo, eucalyptus, banana and cotton are driving the raw materials global trend in sustainability: GDM’s converting and packaging solutions are set-up to handle fibers other than from softwoods, more sustainable and with a lower environmental impact. Waste reduction with Option Zero Option Zero is GDM's cutting-edge program aiming to minimize any sort of waste in the converting process and to maximize its related savings. According to a customer's needs, the focus is on: Zero Waste: enabling the elimination of trims, thanks to the “zero waste” product design, customers can save up to 30% on nonwovens material used in Rear Wings process Zero Defects: matching market needs for premium quality products, reducing defects costs and boosting sales and earnings Zero Glue: reducing the total amount of construction glue up to 10%, through ultrasonic bonding technology, GDM can also minimize glue contamination in the final product Zero Time: customers can cut by half their size changeover time, thanks to GDM's patented Linear Motion technology, eliminating hardware replacement and set-up Energy saving Extra Thin Core saves up to 40% of power consumption The new Extra Thin Core formation process has been designed to minimize the use of air for fluff and SAP convey. The resizing of the suction fan of the forming wheel and the mill redesign have further contributed to the reduction of energy consumption up to 40% compared to the traditional version. Space management Thinner products, lighter shipping expenses Thanks to Extra Thin Core, diapers are thinner compared to those with a standard core formation, thus reducing the package size: 25% more space available on the shelf and in the stockroom. Spare parts management reducing vehicles’ emissions GDM has created a central warehouse and local stocks to reduce its customers’ on-site inventory stock value and fixed working capital investment up to 30% per year, while optimizing maintenance planning. The result is twofold: delivery time within 48 hours and polluting gas emissions reduction associated to spare parts logistics. Learn more: https://www.gdm-spa.com/en/news/embracing-sustainability-thanks-to-gdm-solutions