In May, the most-viewed news on Nonwovens-Industry.com was that Ontex confirmed it had engaged in preliminary discussions with American Industrial Partners (AIP) with respect to a possible transaction that may result in a business combination with AIP’s portfolio company Attindas. The discussions are at an early stage, and no agreement has been reached as to the structure or terms of any possible transaction. Ontex announced these discussions in response to press speculation that New York-based AIP was weighing the possibility of a takeover of Ontex. AIP purchased the Attindas personal care unit from Domtar for $920 million last year. Ontex considered purchasing the unit in 2020.

In other news, Kimberly-Clark is expanding its Brazilian operations to create an innovation hub and export center for the Latin American region, according to media reports. The U.S.-based company has been investing in capacity expansion equipment in Brazil since 2020. Efforts have included the installation of new technologies and the construction of an increasingly local raw material supply network. It also foresees sustainability targets such as using 25% recycled plastics in packaging and reducing non-renewable fibers by 50%. The investment totals $120 million, one-third of which will be done this year.

Here are the top 10 most-viewed news items on Nonwovens-Industry.com for the month of May.

1. Ontex Confirms Possibility of Attindas Deal

2. Kimberly-Clark to Expand Diaper, Wipes Production in Suzano, Brazil

3. Thorne Relaunches Gut Health Test with Microbiome Wipe

4. The Honest Company to Sell Diapers, Wipes at Walmart

5. U.K. Retailers Vow to Stop Selling Plastic-Based Wipes

6. Purell Healthcare Surface Disinfecting Wipes Launched

7. Codi Group Introduces Wipe Made from Recycled Materials

8. Oji Kinocloth Develops Airlaid Combining Pulp, PLA

9. Proof Launches Reusable Period Products in Walmart Stores

10. Bambo Nature Diapers Now Feature Paper Packaging