US geosynthetics boost for Fiberweb

Having sold its hygiene business to Fitesa at the end of  2011, UK-headquartered Fiberweb invested some £14.5 million in expansion programmes during 2012.

The company has enlarged its geosynthetics HQ and innovation centre at Maldon in the UK and also added a new needlepunch nonwovens line there at a total cost of £5.4 million. Fiberweb made a strong recovery in its geosynthetics business during 2012, with sales up 19% on 2011 to £79.8 million and sales to the construction industries in the USA and Canada in particular, up 31%.

A £1.1 million digital printer for houswrap and roofing was also installed at the company’s Old Hickory plant in Tennessee, USA, in addition to the £600,000 completion of a combination thermal and airthrough boning line at Terno d’Isola in Italy and capacity and quality improvements at the Ascherleben site in Germany.

Fiberweb’s technical Fabrics business saw mixed results in 2012, and though sales were up 1.7% overall at £220.3 million, European roofing sale were down 27% and there has been rationalisation at the German and Italian sites.
Overall, Fiberweb’s revenue increased by 5.8% to £300.1 million, compared to £297.8 million in 2011, while operating profit climbed by 18.1% to £15 million.