Nonwovens producers aren’t the only ones who are growing – the customer is expanding too
Recent capacity additions announced by a variety of nonwovens companies have made quite a stir in the media, with a combination of new lines and other expansions, as well as acquisitions of competitors, showing that roll goods producers are determined to continue taking advantage of the industry’s ongoing growth. But these moves are made necessary by growth further down the supply chain, and a review of developments by Nonwovens Markets shows that a wide variety of customers are investing aggressively to increase their size, product range and geographical reach.
Some of the expansions are quite large and widely reported – for example, SCA’s move in recent years to buy Hong Kong-based Vinda International and bundle the Swedish parent’s hygiene products business into it, and Ontex’s purchase this year of the big Latin American hygiene products maker Mabe. Competing with global giants like Procter & Gamble, Kimberly-Clark and Unicharm can be expensive and appears to favor players with exposure to multiple regional markets – and multiple currencies.
