Extracts from the 2013 annual report. 269,000 tonnes sold mainly into wipes...
The upward trend for man-made cellulose fibers, which has achieved growth significantly higher than the global fiber market as a whole, continued in 2013. Following a 12.9% production increase in 2012, total man-made cellulose fiber production was up 9.6% during the year under review, according to preliminary estimates, rising to a new record level of 5.8 mn tons. This included 4.4 mn tons of cellulose staple fibers, comprising a considerable rise in a year on-year comparison. For the most part, new production capacities were put into operation in China in 2013. The higher production volume can also be attributed to the higher capacity utilization on the part of the Chinese viscose fiber industry, with capacity utilization up by some 10 percentage points to about 85%.The nonwoven fiber market in 2013 was once again characterized by attractive growth rates. According to initial estimates, global growth in the largest nonwovens segment, namely for wipes, once again reached a level of between 6% and 7%. Increasing prosperity in the developing and emerging markets served as the basis for above-average sales increases in this segment. The North American market also showed ongoing growth in contrast to the stable development of the nonwovens market in Europe. Asia continued its upward trend towards catching up with the rest of the world in 2013.
Demand for Lenzing’s nonwoven fibers [including viscose] was stable but at a high level in 2013. In contrast to the textile market segment, prices were considerably less volatile. However, the weak price situation prevailing on the textile fiber market increasingly impacted the nonwovens business in Asia in the second half of the year. Europe and the USA were not affected as much by this development. On balance, average fiber selling prices in 2013 were below the prior-year level.
The nonwovens business of the Lenzing Group once again featured increasing sales volumes in 2013. Shipment volumes amounted to about 269,000 tons, about 13% higher than the 238,000 tons shipped in the previous years. More production capacities in the Group were made available for the production of nonwoven fibers in the course of the year due to the weak development of the textile fiber segment. Furthermore, additional capacities which came on stream in the USA and Indonesia in 2012 were available all year for the first time. Most of Lenzing’s nonwoven fibers are used to produce wipes. Existing cooperation agreements in the wipes segment in the important American market were extended, new customers were attracted and new fields of application were conquered in spite of competition from China and India.
In Asia, Lenzing nonwoven fibers scored top marks with customers in the
high-quality cosmetic face mask segment as well as in the women’s hygiene sector. Cooperation programs were set up with local partners in Indonesia for the first time.
Source - Lenzing Annual Report 2013
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