Positive plastics progress

As a developer and producer of both films and nonwoven solutions at 23 locations around the world, RKW entered 2015 with a number of important new initiatives already underway. 

These include the inauguration of a new plant serving the hygiene sector in Guangzhou, China, and a major push in respect of the company’s FPO films and compounds for packaging applications. 

Founded in 1956, the family-owned company, headquartered in Frankenthal, Germany, now employs more than 3,000 people and generated sales of around €950 million in 2014 – up from €860 million in 2013. It has recently been restructured into three key divisions – Agriculture, Hygiene and Industrial and Packaging – and its main markets encompass hygiene and medical, nonwovens, industrial films, consumer and industrial packaging and films and nets for agriculture and construction.

For the hygiene market, products include breathable or non-breathable textile backsheets, along with perforated films for topsheets, semi and high-elastic films for backsheets and laminates and fastening tapes. 

In addition, the company makes breathable membranes for protective garments under the Aptra brand and ultrasonically bonded or extruded laminates.