Fibertex Nonwovens, headquartered in Aalborg, Denmark, is to further expand its production in North America with a $48 million investment which will include the installation of a new spunlace line.

The company has acquired an 84-acre industrial plot adjacent to its existing facilities in Greenville, South Carolina. The existing site was purchased from Turkish nonwoven producer Mogul in 2019 and  Fibertex has already installed a new needlepunch line in it.

The new spunlace operation will focus on the use of sustainable raw materials.

“Over a period of more than 50 years, nonwovens have evolved into high-tech performance materials used in a wide range of sectors,” said Fibertex Nonwovens CEO Jørgen Bech Madsen. “In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic led to a dramatic surge in demand for PPE and disinfection products for the healthcare sector, an area where we’re a frontrunner, providing products based on spunlacing, advanced needlepunch, nano and other value-added technologies.

“We expect to see the market grow by a further eight per cent annually during the period to 2026, regardless of how the coronavirus pandemic evolves.

The North American market in particular, is set to see a surge in growth, with demand exceeding supply even before the coronavirus crisis, he added.

“Fibertex Nonwovens is a major supplier to a wide range of global brands in this market. That’s why we see a special potential in building local production in this market to serve our many customers demanding sustainable products with unique properties. Market trends are finding support in the added focus on health and hygiene, more emphasis on local production and an added focus on sustainability, which is also to our benefit.

“With this new investment, we’ll be able to build an extremely strong position in the important North American market for, among other things, high-performance wipes for sanitizing and disinfection purposes in the healthcare/medical sector, sustainable personal care products, a range of industrial applications as well as in the automotive industry and the construction sector.”

www.fibertex.com