It’s been six months since the world first learned about a new Coronavirus, known as Covid-19, originating out of Wuhan, China. Since then, millions have been infected, hundreds of thousands have died, billions have faced lockdowns and economies across the globe have nearly been shutdown.

Meanwhile, the nonwovens industry has seen an unprecedented level of investment as companies scramble to meet soaring demand for face masks and medical equipment. During the last three months, barely a day has gone by when news of a new meltblown line or another nonwovens investment or machinery to convert face masks hasn’t been reported.

As these new investments will surely mean increased sales figures for investors down the road—once the new lines are up and running—many companies in the business of nonwovens are already posting record results.

Wipes maker Clorox reported an increase in sales of 32% during the third fiscal quarter, which the company attributed to overwhelming demand for cleaning products—including wipes—in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic. In fact, executives are reporting the availability of Clorox wipes will likely not return to normal this summer as the company has increased its output and enlisted the support of third-party contractors to meet demand for the products.

And cleaning supplies are not the only consumer products reporting heightened demand. Swedish hygiene supplier Essity reported a 10% increase in its sales for the first quarter, which the company largely attributed to stockpiling in its baby diaper, feminine hygiene and adult incontinence categories, which grew nearly 12%. In fact, most hygiene suppliers reported stockpiling of their products in their quarterly earnings calls.

While stockpiling is just a temporary boost to sales, the important role nonwovens will play in getting the world up and running again cannot be ignored. As the world faces the “new normal” following the Covid-19 pandemic not only will consumers continue to rely more on nonwoven products like disinfectant wipes and face masks, government agencies have vowed to create stockpiles of these items in anticipation of future health crises and the nonwovens industry is ready, willing and able to help.


Karen McIntyre
Editor
[email protected]