Much has surely changed in nonwovens—not to mention the world—during the past 12 months. In the year since we last published our annual top companies report, the news cycle of nonwovens has quieted considerably. The days of daily line investments and acquisitions seem to be behind us…for now.

Of course investment slowdowns are nothing new for nonwovens. In the past, the industry has steadily gone from undercapacity to overcapacity to investment mode and back to undercapacity every few years as market growth prompted line utilization and eventually reinvestment.

What is different these days, however, is the number of challenges nonwovens producers are facing as they wait for their lines to be fully utilized. There is the war in Ukraine, driving up energy prices more quickly than seen before; increasing raw material prices; supply chain disruptions; employee shortages, to name a few. As one executive put it, “these aren’t rainy days, they are hurricanes.”

Amidst these challenges, companies are tasked with lessening their environmental footprint and making their products and their operations more sustainable. This means experimenting with new raw materials, developing new products and hoping that the market accepts these changes.

Already, many of these companies are showing signs of success, earning certifications, lowering their emissions and launching new products that offer their customers the opportunity to give consumers greener choices in areas like baby care, household wipes, adult incontinence and even automotives.

These wins show that the nonwovens industry—even though it is facing unprecedented challenges—will continue to grow and innovate in the future.

Karen McIntyre
Editor
[email protected]