12.15.19 Bouckaert Industrial Textiles has announced the addition of three new pieces of equipment coming online in January 2020. One of its white production lines will be enhanced by the addition of a brand new Bematic card and a new, in-line, up-stroke needle-loom from Shoou Shyng to work together with the existing down-stroke loom. Specifically targeting synthetic and glass fiber products, this needlepunch line will efficiently produce goods from 6oz per sq yard to 65oz per sq yard in varying thicknesses. In addition to the improvements to the white line, a second new Shoou Shyng needle loom has been added offline to augment its production of greys and colored nonwovens. Overall, these improvements will allow Bouckaert to phase out some older equipment and expand its capabilities when it comes to weight, width, and control for its products. These new capital investments, totaling $1.9 million, will position Bouckaert to be able to continue to meet the current market needs as well as opening access to a number of new markets it plans to enter into in the future.

12.03.19 The Procter&Ga,ble Company released its 2019 Citizenship Report, detailing progress in its Citizenship focus areas of Community Impact, Diversity & Inclusion, Gender Equality and Environmental Sustainability built on the foundation of Ethics and Corporate Responsibility. From reaching its 2020 goal of providing 15 billion liters of clean water through its Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Program, to using its voice to spark conversations about gender and racial equality, 2019 was a year in which P&G’s leadership made a meaningful impact in the community and with the company’s employees. “We’ve built Citizenship into our business, and it’s not only doing good, it’s building trust and equity with consumers, and driving growth and value creation—allowing us to be a force for good and a force for growth,” says David Taylor, P&G’s chairman of the Board, president and chief executive officer. “It’s not a separate thing we do on the side—it’s how we do business every day around the world.” With operations in about 70 countries serving nearly five billion people, the company leverages its scale, innovation and talented employees, along with the reach of its 65 leadership brands, to do good every day. P&G’s contributions have been recognized externally with higher 2019 rankings on Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies and the Axios Harris Poll 100. In addition, more than 80% of P&G’s employees expressed a favorable opinion about the company’s Citizenship efforts, making Citizenship a high-scoring index in the Company’s 2019 annual survey. Highlights of the P&G 2019 Citizenship Report include: Community Impact: P&G provided disaster relief kits filled with its products to families affected by more than 25 natural disasters including wildfires and hurricanes that devastated parts of the U.S., flooding in the Indian state of Kerala, and the deadly earthquake and tsunami that hit Indonesia. Additionally, the company, through its CSDW Program, made a new commitment to delivering 25 billion liters of clean drinking water by 2025. Diversity & Inclusion: P&G was a platinum sponsor of World Pride in New York with 50 sites around the world showing support through various Pride activities. The company launched “The Look,” the sequel to the Emmy Award-winning film “The Talk,” to continue the conversation about racial bias. P&G also established neurodiversity programs at four company sites to provide opportunities for individuals on the autism spectrum. Gender Equality: Well on the way to P&G’s goal of 50/50 representation at all levels, the company’s senior leadership team and Board of Directors are now composed of more than 40% women. P&G’s Always brand launched its #EndPeriodPoverty Campaign to help keep girls in school, and Secret donated more than $500,000 as part of the brand’s ongoing support for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team’s fight for equal pay. Environmental Responsibility: In Apri...

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...