German nonwovens producer Sandler AG of Schwarzenbach an der Saale, Bavaria, generated sales of €288 million ($320.2 million) in 2015, while the Sandler team grew to 710 staff members. With its wide product range, the nonwovens manufacturer was able to achieve high levels of capacity utilization. Nonwoven innovations, the expansion of the Schwarzenbach plant and the establishment of a manufacturing location in the U.S. will be the engine of further growth in the years to come.

Sustainability combines with highest performance—those were the watchwords with regard to nonwovens for interior acoustics. Nonwovens are increasingly applied in building and technical insulation as well as noise reduction in industrial buildings, in the automotive industry and for office design. Their open-pore structure makes them excellent sound insulators, providing a sense of quiet, both at home and amidst the bustle of activity in the office. In 2015, Sandler developed its range of nonwovens for these applications further in cooperation with its partners. Among others, the company introduced self-supporting nonwovens for office acoustics, utilized as partition walls or in acoustic furniture.

The filtration industry is a vital market for Sandler and is set to continue gaining importance further down the road. Filter media are becoming increasingly essential for quality of life, particularly in congested urban areas where air pollution is rapidly becoming a problem. They provide clean air to breathe in air conditioning systems for residential homes and industrial buildings or as cabin air filters in vehicles. Sandler supplies durable, efficient filtration nonwovens for these applications. In 2015, however, the keyword Indoor Air Quality did not only address air quality in public places: A new norm on the energy efficiency of filter media is shaping the industry. Sandler offers synthetic filter media, which already meet these new requirements. They contribute to lowering the energy consumption during the operation of the filter plant. 

Overcoming the limits of textile engineering—combined with other materials, nonwovens can achieve this goal. In 2015, Sandler introduced composite materials made of nonwovens and fiber reinforced plastic for the automotive industry. The composites insulate engine and driving noise as well as heat, they are robust, but lightweight at the same time. Applied in the underbody, the headliner or even body parts, they support lightweight construction and thus help reduce fuel.

The company’s ongoing development is also apparent at the Schwarzenbach location: A new €17 million ($19 million) production building is taking shape and will house a new production line as of mid-year 2016 to expand the production capacity for hygiene nonwovens and wipes substrates. In total, Sandler will invest €43 million ($47.8 million) in this new production side.

The Sandler staff is also growing steadily and since growth requires space, the construction of a new administration building also commenced in 2015. Sandler nonwovens will be applied in the interior design and they will help create a quiet, pleasant working environment. Sandler staff will relocate to the new building during the first half of 2016.

Some members of the Sandler team will also relocate in 2016, but on an entirely different scale, taking up a challenge unparalleled in the company’s history: In the summer, they will put the Sandler Nonwoven Corporation in Perry, GA, into operation together with new U.S. colleagues. Quite literally, this step represents a departure for new horizons, which allows Sandler to make its nonwovens available “made in USA“—closer to American customers.