The company has acquired an industrial site in Asheboro, NC, as part of the total investment of US$ 10 million. The new factory will focus on printing on nonwoven fabric. Through its German subsidiary Innowo Print, Fibertex Personal Care possesses a unique technology, where colours and images are printed directly on the nonwoven materials.

“The large global producers of diapers, sanitary napkins and incontinence products are increasingly demanding print directly on nonwoven materials. Today, the majority of products have a design print on a thin film. However, a growing number of our customers have realised the many possibilities in having their design printed directly on the nonwoven materials. For instance, our print technology gives them the opportunity to enhance the visual expression, which facilitates a range of differentiation possibilities,” explained Mikael Staal Axelsen, Group CEO of Fibertex Personal Care.

Business concept

In 2008, Fibertex Personal Care co-founded the German print company Innowo Print and took full ownership in 2014. In 2016, the factory expanded with a fourth production line, while the first print production line was established in Malaysia.

Now, Fibertex Personal Care is taking the next step by establishing print production in the US. “It is the idea that the print production in Germany and Malaysia is to cover the European and the Asian markets, respectively, while the coming factory in the US is to cover the markets in North and South America. We expect strong growth rates within this niche in the coming years, and therefore, the American factory has to be operational by the end of 2018,” commented Mikael Staal Axelsen.

An important part of the business concept is that Fibertex Personal Care prints both on its own nonwovens, and on nonwovens produced by other companies too. North Carolina was chosen as location for the new print production facility for this very reason, as many nonwovens producers are located in this area.

Differentiation and a global mindset

The Danish nonwovens specialist has experienced high growth rates during recent years, and in 2016, the company invested a large amount in the expansion of plant facilities and specialty production. Today, Fibertex Personal Care has production lines at the headquarters in Aalborg and in Malaysia. The total production capacity of about 138,000 tonтуs of spunbond nonwovens a year corresponds to around 10% of the global consumption.

“The market for specialty nonwovens is growing significantly, and our customers who represent well-known global brands have increased their focus on differentiation. With our high-volume nonwoven products and our printing competencies, we hold a strong position as their partner,” continued Mikael Staal Axelsen. “And now, with a factory in the US, our expertise, services and capacity will be more accessible to our global customers.”

According to the owner, Schouw & Co., differentiation and a global mindset are vital to the success of Danish industrial companies. “Fibertex Personal Care is a classic example of how volume production with a focus on R&D can be combined with differentiated niches on a global scale. We have no doubt that our unique expertise within print and nonwovens contains great potential, and therefore, we are now taking the big step enabling us to cover both the European, Asian and American markets,” said Jens Bjerg Sørensen, President of Schouw & Co.

www.fibertexpersonalcare.com