Business and industry

Major exhibitors announce their withdrawal from ITMA

1 September 2003

Three major machinery manufacturers have announced their withdrawal from the forthcoming ITMA 2003.

DuPont invests in nylon airbag fibres

1 September 2003

DuPont Textiles & Interior (DTI) has announced a $15 million investment over three years, beginning in 2003, to support the growing need for industrial nylon 6.6 fibres in automotive and other inf

Charter expands biomedical operations

1 September 2003

Charter Medical, a subsidiary of nonwovens producer Lydall, is to expand its biomedical operations in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA, adding 50 jobs to the facility.

Potential buyers for SSL's woundcare division emerge

1 August 2003

Investment bank ABN Amro has emerged as a leading contender to buy the medical division of UK-based SSL International.

Paragon ruling upheld

1 August 2003

A US Bankruptcy Court judge has ruled in favour of USdiaper maker Paragon Trade Brands, allowing it to proceed with a trial against Weyerhaeuser to recover damages of more than US$400 million, related

Hartmann expands operations

1 August 2003

German healthcare company Paul Hartmann has acquired the Turin-based trading and service company DAS to broaden its involvement in the Italian patient care and medical business.

Playtex wins permanent injunction in US Court battle with Procter & Gamble over tampons

1 July 2003

A US judge has ordered Procter & Gamble to stop advertising that its tampons are in any way better than those made by rival Playtex Products.

Fear of attack will boost US demand for coated fabrics

1 July 2003

Annual demand for coated fabrics is projected to increase 2.7% a year, reaching 550 million m2 (660 million square yards by 2007, according to the latest study.

Johns Manville invests $100 million in glass fibre production in Slovakia

1 July 2003

Johns Manville has revealed plans to enlarge its production capacities with an investment of about $100 million in a glass fibre operation at its location in Trnava, Slovakia.

Tencel increases lyocell capacity

1 July 2003

Tencel has announced that the additional lyocell production capacity at its SL2 plant in Mobile, Alabama, USA is now operational ahead of schedule.

EDANA Secretary General joins DuPont Medical Fabrics

1 July 2003

Paul Dewingaerden, Secretary General of the European Disposables and Nonwovens Association (EDANA), will join DuPont in the third quarter of 2003 as Business Manager, DuPont Medical Fabrics - Europe,

Californian diaper tax plan dropped but recycling project continues

1 July 2003

A politician in California, USA, has withdrawn a proposed diaper-tax bill after critics claimed it solely benefited the diaper recycling company that contributed to the campaign.

Zimmer in hostile bid for Centerpulse

1 July 2003

US orthopaedics company Zimmer has launched a US$3.2 billion bid for the Swiss-based Centerpulse, challenging Smith & Nephew's earlier offer of US$2.3 billion.

Rhodia to make high-tenacity polyamide airbag yarns in Slovakia

1 July 2003

Rhodia Technical Fibers will begin production of high-tenacity polyamide 6.6 yarns for the airbag market.

Fear of attack will boost US demand for coated fabrics

1 July 2003

Annual demand for coated fabrics is projected to increase 2.7% a year, reaching 550 million m2 (660 million square yards) by 2007, according to the latest study.

Nanotechnology licence

1 June 2003

The Californian subsidiary of Burlington Industries, Nano-Tex LLC, has granted a licence to American Knits LLC that will allow the company from North Carolina to develop a series of knitted goods trea

Acordis increases polyester prices

1 June 2003

Acordis Industrial Fibers increased it Diolen polyester prices effective 1 April 2003.

Medline and DuPont in partnership for protective surgical apparel

1 June 2003

DuPont Medical Fabrics is to supply advanced medical fabrics for Medline Industries' Proxima line of disposable protective surgical apparel and protective products.

Gerber expands Australian and Central American service operations

1 June 2003

Gerber Technology has expanded its service operations in Australia through the shared resources of its sister company, Gerber Coburn.

Good prospects for nonwovens made from microdenier synthetic fibres

1 June 2003

Consumption of advanced technology nonwovens made with microdenier synthetic fibres will grow rapidly, according to the latest study.

Programme announced for Medtex03

1 June 2003

The programme has been announced for Medtex03, the third conference and exhibition on healthcare and medical textiles, which will be held on 8-9 July 2003 at the Moat House Hotel, Bolton, UK.

Nonwovens expansion in Thailand

1 June 2003

Thailand's Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group and UKbased BBA Group have invested $25 million to expand their nonwoven fabric production line in Rayong, Thailand.

Medical textiles network

1 June 2003

The TechniTex Faraday Partnership has established the Healthcare and Medical Textiles Network as a forum for discussion and networking opportunities for textile manufacturers and medical professionals

Sultex restructuring aims to reduce manufacturing depth

1 June 2003

Sultex Ltd says it has decided to outsource some of the manufacturing operations at its facility in Zuchwil.

350 kt polyester capacity for China

1 June 2003

Jiangsu Hengli Chemical Fibres Ltd of China has awarded a contract to Germany's MG Technologies AG (a member of the Zimmer Group) to build a direct spinning plant for polyester.

Premier extends contract for antimicrobial silver wound dressings

1 June 2003

US healthcare alliance Premier has extended until July 2005 its agreement with Medline Industries for speciality silver woundcare products including Medline's SilvaSorb antimicrobial silver wound dres

Sultex stops sales of G6300 rapier loom

1 May 2003

Sultex Ltd, formerly Sulzer Textil, will stop selling its G6300 rapier loom from 1 June 2003, in order to comply with the stipulations of the European Union's Antitrust Authorities following the firm'

Analysis software for Ten Cate

1 May 2003

Ten Cate Advanced Textiles (TCAT) has installed a software program for analyzing and reporting its business performance.

Superabsorbent fibre producer files for bankruptcy

1 May 2003

Superabsorbent fibre producer Camelot Technologies of Alberta, Canada, has filed for bankruptcy, reports Nonwovens World (February-March 2002, page 8).

More predictions of growth

1 May 2003

Worldwide Consumption of technical textiles will grow to reach nearly 24 Mt a year by 2010, with an estimated value of US$93 million, according to the latest study.

Procter & Gamble to close UKtampon production line

1 May 2003

Procter & Gamble is to lay off 330 employees at its Tampax tampon factory in Havant, Hampshire, UK, and shift manufacture to Eastern Europe.

2002 - a tough year for Clariant

1 May 2003

Clariant increased its sales by 4.7% in the financial year 2002, as measured in local currencies. (As measured in Swiss francs, sales were 3.3% lower.)

Candover seeks to acquire remaining Ontex shares

1 May 2003

After a successful mandatory public takeover bid, UKbased private equity firm Candover has launched a socalled "squeeze-out" offer for the remaining shares of private-label disposable products manufac

Final decision on Coloplast acquisition announced

1 May 2003

The UK's Director General of Fair Trading has approved Coloplast's a,not128 million acquisition of SSLInternational's continence business.

Global Textile Partner opens for business in Mexico

1 May 2003

Global Textile Partner (GTP) has officially opened its Mexican office.

Medical textiles - 18% of polyolefins

1 May 2003

The latest study describes the European market for polyolefins as the most rapdily growing in the fibres and textiles sector in the region.

Smith & Nephew and Centerpulse to form major orthopaedics group

1 May 2003

Smith & Nephew has launched a $2.3 billion bid to acquire its Swiss rival Centerpulse.

Strong growth for Smith & Nephew

1 May 2003

Medical Textile company Smith & Nephew plc announced strong growth in its preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2002.

Flushaway biodegradable products to enter US market

1 May 2003

Consolidated Ecoprogess Technology of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, has announced it is taking steps to get its biodegradable feminine hygiene products into the $1.3 billion US market.

Picanol profits double as turnover climbs by 30% in 2002

1 May 2003

For the financial year 2002 (ended 31 December 2002), the consolidated turnover of the Picanol Group rose by almost 30.0%, to U.K. Pound 519.4 million. At the same time, profits doubled.

Spanish geotextile laboratory opens

1 April 2003

Spain's Aitex now has a geotextile laboratory offering tests and consultancy on different types of materials.

Technical fibre innovations are the key to survival strategies

1 April 2003

A wave of technical fibre innovations is helping fibre companies in higher cost economies carve out a strategy for survival.

Precision Fabrics Group licenses Procter & Gamble's technology

1 April 2003

Precision Fabrics Group (PFG) Inc has licensed one of Procter & Gamble's (P&G's) advanced technologies for woven and nonwoven textiles.

Molnlycke Health Care opens plant in the Czech Republic

1 March 2003

Swedish single-use surgical product manufacturer Molnlycke Health Care Klinipro has opened a new production plant in Karvina, Czech Republic.

ITEMA appoints Managing Director for Sulzer Textil

1 March 2003

ITEMA Group - an Italian group led by Miro Radici has appointed Rolf Kehlhofer as Managing Director of Sulzer Textil, its Swiss subsidiary specializing in the production of high-quality weaving machin

Growth for nonwoven filter media...

1 March 2003

North America's market for nonwoven filter media will be worth $725 million by 2007, according to the latest study.

Tencel wins fight over lyocell patent

1 March 2003

Tencel Ltd has won its fight to defend its technology relating to the manufacture of its Tencel(r) brand lyocell fibre.

Chairman for medical device institute

1 March 2003

Willie Printie, Operations Director of Ethicon, has been elected as first Chairman of Medical Devices in Scotland (MDIS), which aims to create a medical device institute at Strathclyde Medipark in Bel

Partners to spin man-made spider silk for medical textiles

1 March 2003

Nexia Biotechnologies Inc of Canada has extended its collaboration agreement with UK-based Acordis Speciality Fibres.

Certification for silver-based anti-microbial compound

1 March 2003

The Oeko-tex 100 certification of product safety has been awarded to Milliken Chemicals for its antimicrobial compound AlphaSan, which is a silver-based inorganic additive.

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