Seven months after announcing they signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to explore a strategic alliance, the board of directors of the industry’s two major nonwovens trade associations, North America’s INDA and EDANA, the European-based agency, recommended the incorporation of a separate tax-exempt federation, the Global Nonwoven Alliance (GNA), with both organizations serving as founding members.

The associations say the purpose of this federation is to provide international leadership for the representation and responsible advancement of the global nonwovens industry while respecting and benefiting its members.

For years, the associations have collaborated, participating in each other’s events, sharing data, and even co-hosting a conference in Brazil many times. Additionally, their mission statements align closely, as they both aim to support the nonwovens industry from both global and regional perspectives. The idea to formalize this relationship first emerged two years ago during a meeting of association leaders at IDEA 2022.

Now, three years later, the associations say that by aligning resources and expanding collaboration, GNA will deliver a more unified and coordinated strategy toward the issues and opportunities faced by the industry. The alliance will enable enhanced programs and service value, reach and efficiency. INDA and EDANA expect these benefits will translate into increased local and regional benefits while driving innovation, operational efficiencies and long-term industry growth.

At the same time, under the proposed framework, INDA and EDANA will continue to operate as independent legal entities, maintaining their focus on regional markets and advocacy.

While some details are still being assessed by the INDA and EDANA boards, both have expressed their strong support for the vision and purpose of GNA and are committed to responsibly advancing this initiative.

As always, we appreciate your comments.

Karen McIntyre
Editor
[email protected]