Companhia Providência, one of Brazil’s largest nonwovens producers,has completed work on its 13th production line—its second in the U.S.—in Statesville, NC.

With this new machine, Providência will add 20,000 tons of nonwoven per year to it local production, doubling the site capacity to answer the demand for high technology products destined to the disposable hygiene market including infant and geriatric diapers, sanitary pads and others and for medical use such as aprons and surgical fields.
 
The line represents a $60 million investment, according to Hermínio de Freitas, Companhia Providência’s CEO. The company expects the line, known as Kami 13, to reached its maximum capacity within six months. “We’re optimistic with the business increase in the U.S.,” Freitas says. “The evolution in our first line, inaugurated in January 2011, was very positive. Providência has a total productive capacity of 140 thousand tons of nonwoven/year.”
 
The factory opening in Statesville has already brought good results to Providência. In 2012, the company was featured among the top 10 companies with income of up to R$1 billion in a ranking of transnational companies, developed by Dom Cabral Foundation in 2012.
 
“Being among the best enterprises with a billing of up to R$ 1 billion is great, but increasing seven positions in the ranking is even better, because it shows the materialization of our strategic plan,” highlights Hermínio.