Interview with Mr. Johan Berlin

Growth in the nonwovens industry is strongly correlated to the GDP and the purchasing power. In line with this, the largest increases in nonwoven production, converting and consumption will take place in regions with strong economic growth, especially in those countries that currently have a low penetration. In other words, the demand for nonwoven products will continue to increase in countries such as India and Indonesia.

Since we have been active as a broker of machinery since the seventies, procurement of machinery is our core competence. If we don’t have suitable equipment at hand we can, thanks to our extensive network of producers, offer the required equipment within a short timeframe. With both technical knowledge and good insights in the market we are able to assist emerging entrepreneurs to become successful in this field.

We see some new applications primarily in the technical markets. Battery separators represent a fast-growing market, due to innovation and new technology both power and life length of the battery will improve. In the filtration market, new value-added filter media is being developed, and the growth in this segment is strong thanks to technological improvements. In the medical sector, we believe a strong product development. The advancements made in the coating/lamination area will continue with for instance anti-bacterial treatments of surgical gowns. Also in protective clothing, we believe that nonwovens will get improved properties and replace conventional woven textiles.

The lack of experience and technical knowledge in the developing markets tend to make potential investors a bit cautious. Our experience is that many clients are eager to enter into the nonwoven industry, and most of them see the great growth potential, but quite few dare to invest in nonwoven equipment. Since we are able to guide these companies in the right direction, we feel that we fulfil an important role in this context.

We believe in a strong growth for nonwovens in India. Due to a growing middleclass and increased purchasing power, the disposable hygiene sector will become considerably larger, the demand for sanitary napkins will also grow due the governmental subsidies. Of course, there are opportunities also in production of durable nonwovens, especially in the construction market. Due to infrastructural investments, the demand for nonwoven geotextiles will continue to grow. According to Industry research, approximately 37 million square meters of geotextiles were rolled out in India in 2008 and the prediction for 2018 is 113 square meters.

We believe that this trend will continue the companies will get larger, either through mergers and acquisitions or investments. This applies to all too all stages of the supply chain. Some technology transfer will probably occur when some of the largest nonwoven producers establish themselves in developing countries. It is inevitable that knowledge then will be spread on the new market. The government of developing economies also has a great potential to initiate and stimulate transferring of skills and technological knowledge. The establishment of Centers of excellence for technical textiles in India is a good example of that and will have a positive impact on the country’s nonwovens market. We believe that increased interaction between Developed Economies and Developing economies are essential for transferring of technology. We try to be as active as possible in this area. In April Mr. Lars Berlin held a presentation at Indotex in Jakarta. The seminar was focused on nonwoven technologies and production methods, the audience was very appreciative and we feel urged to continue to spread information and knowledge of nonwovens and disposable hygiene.