Worldwide sales of nonwoven roll goods continued their mid-single digit growth in 2005, reaching nearly US$16 bn. Sales of the ten smaller producers profiled in this report—which rank from number 31 to number 40 among the world’s leading companies—ranged individually from US$55 mn to US$87 mn and together accounted for about 5% of the global total.

These producers include new players as well as long established ones. Two Italian producers—Union Industries and Albis—were both established in the 1990s and focus mainly on the hygiene market. Internationalisation is also driving industry growth. Denmark’s Jacob Holm started up a new US$65 mn spunlaced line in the USA in autumn 2005 and is targeting new technical applications with its output, as well as traditional markets for spunlace nonwovens such as wipes. Union Industries is in the process of adding a new spunmelt line and Textilgruppe Hof has announced expansions throughout its facilities.

Other drivers of growth are new technologies and product markets. SP2C and Easy Care interlining products from Textilgruppe Hof have coatings to enhance performance in fashion fabrics. Precision Custom Coatings has diversified into OmniStretch hydroentangled liners for the automotive market. Kuraray has commercialised nonwovens made from Vectran, which uses liquid crystal polymer technology.