For the first quarter of 2015, Suominen reported a 13.8% increase in net sales, which amounted to €111.9 million ($121.7 million). Operating profit, excluding non-recurring items, increased by 14.2% to €7.3 million ($7.9 million). Cash flow from operations increased to €4.5 million (4.9 million).

According to the company, the strengthening of the U.S. dollar increased the first quarter net sales by 10.2%. Demand in the European market was improved from the corresponding period in the previous year, but a competitive environment remained fierce. In addition, the acquisition of the Brazilian unit in February 2014 contributed slightly to the increase in net sales. The net sales of the Brazilian plant are included in the net sales of the corresponding period of 2014 only for two months.

Suominen has two business areas, Convenience and Care. The Convenience business area supplies nonwovens as roll goods for wiping products and travel and catering applications. Care business area manufactures nonwovens for hygiene products and medical applications.

Net sales of the Convenience business area were €102.6 million ($111.6 million) and net sales of the Care business area were €8.8 million ($9.6 million). The main application areas for nonwoven materials supplied by Suominen in the January–March period were baby wipes (accounting for 41% of the sales), personal care wipes (22%), household wipes (15%), industrial wipes (12%), and hygiene and medical products (8%). All nonwovens for wiping products belong to the Convenience business area and nonwovens for hygiene and medical products to the Care business area.

The share of baby wipes increased due to the acquisition of the Brazilian plant, since the plant currently supplies mainly nonwovens for baby care. The share of nonwovens for household wipes decreased from the corresponding period.

Earlier this year, Suominen announced its plans to execute an investment in a new production line in North America. “In January, we announced the largest single project in our €30–50 million investment program,” says president and CEO Nina Kopola. “We plan to invest in a new wetlaid production line in our Bethune plant in South Carolina.

“Realization of the project would support not just the growth target set for the 2015–2017 strategy period, but also our intention to further increase the share of value-added products in our portfolio. We have not yet made the total value of the investment public. Also the investments in our plants in Brazil, Spain and Finland, that were announced earlier, proceed in accordance with our plans.”

Suominen repeats its previous estimate, disclosed on January 30, 2015, that for the full year 2015 the company expects its net sales and operating profit excluding non-recurring items to improve from 2014.