WEINHEIM - Freudenberg Performance Materials Apparel is to relocate two lines from its headquarters in Weinheim, Germany to its site in Sant ´Omero, Italy as it looks to adapt to changing market dynamics.
The Freudenberg division produces interlinings for all segments of the apparel industry. Currently, the company manufactures interlinings for the European mass market at its site in Weinheim, Germany, while high quality canvas interlinings for the European luxury market are made at the site in Sant ´Omero. As a result of significant market changes, Freudenberg said it is planning to concentrate on manufacturing base materials for interlinings in Weinheim while base material finishing and coating is to be bundled at Sant ´Omero.
As part of the plan, Freudenberg will relocate two lines for finishing and coating from Weinheim to Sant ´Omero, along with one line from the site in San MartÃn, Argentina. This line was decommissioned and disassembled in 2017.
The changes will be concluded by the end of 2022 with 176 jobs in Weinheim affected by the time all planned measures have been completed.
According to Freudenberg the middle price segment of the mass market has been particularly hard hit in recent years. Increasing numbers of consumers are following the trend towards casual wear in many areas of life.
Generally speaking, casual garments only require very few interlinings, or none at all. The global pandemic has further accelerated this trend with the apparel industry in general seeing a sharp fall in demand for suits and other formalwear as a result of the pandemic.
Even though the apparel industry has been moving out of Germany and Europe for many years, Freudenberg Performance Materials Apparel says it has always sought to strengthen the production location in Weinheim – out of a sense of loyalty to the birthplace of Freudenberg’s nonwoven.
"Time and again, the company has launched initiatives designed to successfully run the core business in interlinings for the mass market middle and lower price segments from Weinheim," the company said. "However, it has not been possible to completely offset the massive market changes. Consequently, interlining production capacities in Weinheim have not been fully utilized for several years." The pandemic has severely exacerbated this situation: In 2020 alone, Freudenberg Performance Materials Apparel reported a clear double-digit decrease in interlining production volumes at the Weinheim site.
"European competence centers for base materials as well as finishing and coating Freudenberg Performance Materials Apparel is planning to bundle its technologies in competence centers in order to enable its European interlining business to thrive in future and to better fulfill the needs of European customers," the company added. "Existing base material know-how is to be developed further in Weinheim. The Sant ´Omero site is to be expanded to become a competence centre for finishing and coating. Customers would enjoy many advantages such as more flexible solutions, faster lead times and swifter delivery. At the same time, they could continue to benefit from the “product originating in Europe” designation."
