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Companies To Watch
profiles of other important nonwovens producers
Despite concerns over market maturity and pricing pressures in many key markets for nonwovens, this year’s annual Top Company report proves that this market remains in growth mode. Most of the 40 companies profiled in this special edition reported growth—in both sales and earnings—in 2006 compared to the prior year. And, this growth is not only being felt in sales figures but also in new market penetration, new technologies and new investment. New advancements such as PGI’s introduction of new Spinlace technology geared at the wipes market, DuPont’s new Hybrid Membrane Technology, initially targeting filtration applications, as well as acquisitions like Ahlstrom’s purchase of Fiberweb’s wipes business prove, once again, that the nonwovens industry is moving forward. Adding momentum are investments such as new spunmelt lines from Avgol, Companhia Providencia and others and proprietary technology being constructed by nonwovens producers such as Albis, Precision Custom Coatings and Freudenberg.
On a major growth spurt is Avgol Nonwovens. The Israeli producer is ranked 11 this year, compared to 18 last year and 29 five years ago. This chart climbing can be entirely attributed to Avgol’s aggressive spunmelt expansion initiatives including three lines in North America, a joint venture in China and, most recently, a new line in Russia. In five years, the company’s sales have exploded from $75 million to more than $229 million.
