It’s no exaggeration to say that 2020 will be one of the strongest years ever for nonwovens. As the world came to a standstill and many industries faced global closure, the nonwovens industry began to accelerate, meeting unprecedented demand for products such as masks, personal protective clothing and disinfectant wipes. This was achieved by shifting to production, repurposing capacity and even adding new production lines.

In fact, nonwovens manufacturers are now adding the highest number of new lines in the industry’s more than 50-year history. While meltblown investments are leading the way – with new lines meeting demand for masks and high-performance filter media – there are also many new spunlace lines serving hygiene and medical applications, as well as spunlace investments to meet surging demand in the disinfectant wipes category .

Now, as we await the commercialization of these new production lines, the question is how long the surge in demand will continue. Will all these new products be needed when masks are no longer a part of everyday life and consumers no longer rely as much on wipes?

The answer from most experts is yes. Demand will continue to grow from a high base as consumers continue to rely on the safety features and convenience that nonwovens provide.

This year’s Top Companies report includes 40 nonwovens manufacturers from around the world. While many of the leading companies are based in established markets such as the United States and Western Europe, companies from less developed regions are playing a growing role. This year, there are companies in many developing countries, including Brazil, Turkey, China, Taiwan and the Czech Republic. As companies from these emerging markets continue to grow, we will certainly see them rise in the rankings in the coming years.

As always, each company in this survey is ranked based on 2020 sales, which are converted from local currency to U.S. dollars using annual averages. Many economic factors, such as exchange rates and raw material prices, can affect the rankings, so while ranking companies based on sales is necessary for the nature of this report, what should really be considered is the activity of these companies – as reported in their profiles.

2021 List of top international nonwovens companies

1. Berry Global $2.4 billion

2. Freudenberg $2.3 billion

3. Ahlstrom-Munksjo $1.5 billion

4. Kimberly-Clark $1.3 billion

5. Fitesa $1.13 billion

6. DuPont $1.0 billion

7. Glatfelter $916 million

8. Toray Industries $902 million

9. Lydall Inc. $764 million

10. HangZhou LongWin Textile Limited $725 million

11. Suominen Corporation $560 million

12. PFNonwovens $500 million

13. TWE Group $475 million

14. zhejiang jinsanfa nonwovens $450 million

15. Gulsan Group USD 444 million

16. Hollingsworth & Vose, $431 million

17. Avgol $400 million

17. Jacob Holm & Sons AG, US$400 million

19. Sandler $360 million

20. Nan Liu Enterprise, $348 million

21. Fibertex Personal Care $337 million

22. Dalian Ruiguang US$320 million

23. Fibertex Nonwovens US$285 million

24. Junfu Nonwovens US$230 million

25. Spuntech US$ 223 million

26. Union Industries $208 million

27. Mitsui Chemicals $201 million

28. Shalag Nonwovens $200 million

29. Kasei Asahi US$196 million

30. KNH Enterprises US$180 million

31. Hassan Group US$184 million

32. Xingtai Nonwovens US$ 175 million

33. Mogul Nonwovens US$152 million

34. Halyard Health US$140 million

35. Tenowo USD 135 million

36. Saudi German Nonwovens US$ 130 million

37. Toyobo $127 million

38. Unitika US$120 million

39. Georgia-Pacific US$100 million

40. Kuraray US$97 million