On May 4 MidWest Nonwovens LLC celebrated the Grand Opening of its Sauget, IL plant. After purchasing the assets of Western Nonwovens’ Sauget, IL site (Mid America Fiber), former WNI executives Bryan Speight and Christopher Look founded MidWest Nonwovens with a goal of taking advantage of the solid working relationships they established with target customers and suppliers during their tenure at WNI.

Since its relaunch, the company has invested in new equipment that is expected to increase product consistency and quality while streamlining operations. “Our investment in manufacturing technology will result in a natural cost and quality advantage for the company,” said Mr. Speight. “We will also leverage Lean Manufacturing processes to further optimize efficiency and minimize production cost.”

MidWest Nonwovens’ manufacturing line started up in December and exclusively produces thermally bonded polyester fiber batting and stuffing fiber for midwestern customers ranging from small quilt shops and foam manufacturers to mattress and furniture manufactures. The company manufactures 10 million pounds of products annually, all of which are carded and crosslapped. In addition to markets such as home furnishings, mattresses and bedding (quilts, comforters and headboards), the company also supplies industrial insulation and correctional/institutional densified polyester mattresses. Geographically speaking, MidWest targets an approximately 450 to 500 mile radius from St Louis, MO area.