Denver, CO
www.jm.com
2024 Nonwovens Sales: $725 million

Key Personnel
John Vasuta, president, Engineered Products; Darious Naylor, business director, Global Nonwovens; Rui Ferreira, research and development director, Global Nonwovens

Plants
Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Steinach, Germany; Trnava, Slovakia

JM Engineered Products Brands
Evalith (nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, StarRov, DuraCore (glass fiber brands); Neomera (PA-6 organosheet brand)

Johns Manville experienced mixed performance in 2024, with strong growth in some markets like HVAC/HEPA filtration and insulation, and challenges in others, particularly a decline in the U.S. and European building materials markets due to economic factors like rising costs and destocking.

Amidst these challenges, Johns Manville is investing in new capacity, such as a new filtration media asset in Europe and a new blowing wool line in the U.S., to meet growing demand. The company is also focused on sustainability, outlined in its 2023 Sustainability Report, and is transitioning away from certain chemical components in their products, like the HFC blowing agent in Corbond III.

Within JM’s core business, construction, the U.S. shingle market continues to show strength while other markets like the U.S. and European building segments are reporting broad declines due to rising living costs and significant destocking activities.

Meanwhile, the filtration market shows positive growth, driven by demand for high-efficiency solutions in HVAC/HEPA/ULPA applications and increasing focus on indoor air quality. This market will soon receive an additional boost through the construction of a new media asset in Europe. While executives offer little detail on this investment, for now, they did say it will allow Johns Manville to expand its filtration capabilities and cater to the rising demand for these products.

For industrial air filtration applications, JM has developed the Evalith 798 PET filter media, which uses its unique bico-spunbond technology, with a monolith surface pattern. This advanced filter media offers several notable advantages for industrial applications requiring exceptional mechanical durability and high filtration efficiency. Additionally, it boasts a reduced pressure drop, leading to more efficient airflow and lower energy consumption.

In other investment news, JM is responding to increased demand for its Climate Pro insulation line with the construction of a new production line for blowing wool in Winder, GA.

“Climate Pro insulation continues to see strong growth and demand in the market,” says Bob Wamboldt, president and CEO. “This new production line in Winder will help JM meet our customers’ growing demand for blowing wool.”

Construction is expected to start early next year, and the new production line will be operational in mid-2027. When this project is complete, JM will employ more than 350 people in Winder.

Additional investments include a new media asset in Europe to enhance filtration capabilities and cater to rising demand and upgrades to glass nonwovens lines in the U.S. and Europe to increase efficiency.

JM also recently completed reconstruction of a glass furnace line in Trnava, Slovakia, which reaffirmed the company’s commitment to the European industry by supplying a continuous and reliable supply of fiberglass to its German glass nonwovens operations. Meanwhile, in the U.S., JM is continuously striving to improve the productivity of its glass nonwoven lines in Ohio and Tennessee. These measures are aimed at increasing efficiency and output to meet the long-term growing demand in the market.

Plants: Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Steinach, Germany; Trnava, Slovakia
JM Engineered Products Brands: Evalith (nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, StarRov, DuraCore (glass fiber brands); Neomera (PA-6 organosheet brand)

In 2023, Johns Manville continue to encounter challenges. The construction industry witnessed a decline in demand due to increased interest rates and cautious consumer behavior. These factors resulted in a subdued market environment, making it harder to stimulate growth and expansion.

This profound decline in the U.S. and European markets—excluding the U.S. shingle market—is in sharp contrast with the strong demand observed in the previous two years. Economic indices and housing starts show that rising costs and living expenses, alongside significant destocking, continue to put a strain on growth and stability.

Meanwhile, within the filtration market, softness in the automotive segment continues to be offset by promising growth in the HVAC/HEPA/ULPA markets, driven by demand for high-efficiency filtration solutions and a growing focus on indoor air quality as well as modest growth in liquid filtration.

This market will soon receive an additional boost through the construction of a new media asset in Europe. While executives offer little detail on this investment, for now, they did say it will allow Johns Manville to expand its filtration capabilities and cater to the rising demand for these products.

Within the industrial air filtration market, JM has developed the Evalith 798 PET filter media, which uses Johns Manville’s unique bico-spunbond technology, with a monolith surface pattern. This advanced filter media offers several notable advantages for industrial applications requiring exceptional mechanical durability and high filtration efficiency. Additionally, it boasts a reduced pressure drop, leading to more efficient airflow and lower energy consumption. The media’s improved pleating performance ensures filter element stability and longevity. Moreover, Evalith 798 features excellent cleanability, facilitating easier maintenance and prolonging the product’s life span.

Through innovations like Evalith 798, Johns Manville continues to push the boundaries of filtration technology, aiming to meet the diverse needs of its customers and contribute to sustainable and efficient industrial air filtration processes.

This innovation is a recent example of how JM has long remained at the forefront of developing fiber and nonwoven production technologies ensuring its competitiveness in the global market and delivering top notch products.

JM achieves this by synergistically combining diverse materials and processes to maximize efficiency while reducing pressure drop. This not only enhances filtration performance but also reduces energy consumption.

Other recent investments at JM include the recently completed reconstruction of a glass furnace line in Trnava, Slovakia, which reaffirmed the company’s commitment to the European industry by supplying a continuous and reliable supply of fiberglass to its German glass nonwovens operations. Meanwhile, in the U.S., JM is continuously striving to better the productivity of its glass nonwoven lines in Ohio and Tennessee. Productivity measures are aimed at increasing efficiency and output to meet the long-term growing demand in the market.

Outside of its nonwovens operations, JM has recently started up a fiber waste recycling line in Slovakia, which seamlessly recycles nearly all its local production waste, contributing to landfill diversion and sustainable resource use. This plant is a supplier of glass fiber to JM’s German glass nonwovens plants as well as a supplier of various composite applications. The company’s overall corporate goal is to use at least two billion pounds of recycled materials in its products between 2021 and 2025.

Other sustainability-centered efforts at JM include efforts toward reducing its GHG emissions by 40% by 2030 and decreasing waste intensity 10% by 2025. In recognition of its sustainability endeavors, JM has been awarded an EcoVadis Silver Rating, an achievement that positions the company in the top 13% in its market.

Plants: Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Steinach, Germany; Trnava, Slovakia
JM Engineered Products Brands: Evalith (nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, StarRov, DuraCore (glass fiber brands); Neomera (PA-6 organosheet brand)

Throughout 2022 and so far in 2023, Johns Manville has encountered several challenges. In 2022, the main hurdle was inflation, which put considerable strain on operations and financial planning, forcing the Denver, CO-based company to navigate through uncertain economic waters. In 2023, a new set of challenges, including a decline in demand for construction materials and cautious consumer behavior, arose.

“As we moved into 2023, we encountered a different set of challenges,” says Martin Kleinebrecht, global marketing communications leader, Engineered Products. “The construction industry witnessed a decline in demand due to increased interest rates and cautious consumer behavior. These factors resulted in a subdued market environment, making it harder to stimulate growth and expansion.”

This profound decline in the U.S. and European markets—excluding the U.S. shingle market—is in sharp contrast with the strong demand observed in the previous two years. Economic indices and housing starts show that rising costs and living expenses, alongside significant destocking, continue to put a strain on growth and stability. “While uncertainties remain, we are committed to overcoming challenges and remain agile and adaptive in our strategies to align with the changing economic landscape,” Kleinebrecht adds.

Meanwhile, within the filtration market, softness in the automotive segment continues to be offset by promising growth in the HVAC/HEPA/ULPA markets, driven by demand for high efficiency filtration solutions and a growing focus on indoor air quality as well as modest growth in liquid filtration.

This market will soon receive an additional boost through the construction of a new media asset in Europe. While executives offer little detail on this investment, for now, they did say it will allow Johns Manville to expand its filtration capabilities and cater to the rising demand for these products. “We continue to strengthen our position as one of the leading players in the market while prioritizing sustainability and technological advancements,” Kleinebrecht says.

Within the industrial air filtration market, JM has developed the Evalith 798 PET filter media, which uses Johns Manville’s unique bico-spunbond technology, with a monolith surface pattern. This advanced filter media offers several notable advantages for industrial applications requiring exceptional mechanical durability and high filtration efficiency. Additionally, it boasts a reduced pressure drop, leading to more efficient airflow and lower energy consumption. The media’s improved pleating performance ensures filter element stability and longevity. Moreover, Evalith 798 features excellent cleanability, facilitating easier maintenance and prolonging the product’s life span.

Through innovations like Evalith 798, Johns Manville continues to push the boundaries of filtration technology, aiming to meet the diverse needs of its customers and contribute to sustainable and efficient industrial air filtration processes.

This innovation is a recent example of how JM has long remained at the forefront of developing fiber and nonwoven production technologies ensuring its competitiveness in the global market and delivering top notch products.

“We view it as our responsibility to empower our customers as industry leaders while diligently reducing our ecological footprint through technological excellence,” Kleinebrecht says. “Our ongoing efforts encompass conceptualizing and incorporating both existing and innovative technologies to optimize filtration media performance.”

JM achieves this by synergistically combining diverse materials and processes to maximize efficiency while reducing pressure drop. This not only enhances filtration performance but also reduces energy consumption.

Other recent investments at JM include the recently completed reconstruction of a glass furnace line in Trnava, Slovakia, which reaffirmed the company’s commitment to the European industry by supplying a continuous and reliable supply of fiberglass to its German glass nonwovens operations. Meanwhile, in the U.S., JM is continuously striving to better the productivity of its glass nonwoven lines in Ohio and Tennessee. Productivity measures are aimed at increasing efficiency and output to meet the long-term growing demand in the market.

Outside of its nonwovens operations, JM has recently started up a fiber waste recycling line in Slovakia, which seamlessly recycles nearly all its local production waste, contributing to landfill diversion and sustainable resource use. This plant is a supplier of glass fiber to JM’s German glass nonwovens plants as well as a supplier of various composite applications. The company’s overall corporate goal is to use at least two billion pounds of recycled materials in its products between 2021 and 2025.

Other sustainability-centered efforts at JM include efforts toward reducing its GHG emissions by 40% by 2030 and decreasing waste intensity 10% by 2025. In recognition of its sustainability endeavors, JM has been awarded an EcoVadis Silver Rating, an achievement that positions the company in the top 13% within its market.

Plants: Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands: Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire; Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, DuraCore, MicroStrand (fibers brands)

Between the deep freeze in North America and the Suez Canal blockage, 2021 presented a number of challenges to roofing and construction specialist Johns Manville. “As a result, we struggled with general supply chain constraints on commodities and hyperinflation in costs,” says global marketing communications leader Martin Kleinebrecht. “The availability of transport throughout the year was also problematic. Despite all the hurdles, our businesses have thrived thanks to our great teams in Sourcing, Operations, Sales and Customer Service. The pressure on our people, and on our suppliers and customers, was and still is incredible.”

Amidst the challenges, markets have remained strong in 2021 with solid demand in all segments throughout the year. Filtration continued to show health, particularly HEPA/ULPA and HVAC air filtration, where the company continues to see long-term demand. These markets are served by JM’s glass microfiber assets and are of the business where JM continues to sustainably innovate and invest.

Speaking of sustainability, JM focuses on three primary areas: landfill reduction, sustainable raw materials and product innovation. In reducing landfill waste, JM diverts production waste from nonwovens to durable applications. Sustainable raw materials are already widely used throughout JM’s businesses. In the Bobingen, Germany, facility for example, the company uses hundreds of millions of recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) drinking bottles every year to make spunbonded roofing carriers. To achieve this high recycling rate, additional systems had to be installed. Further efforts relate to binder systems with proportions of renewable raw materials. One of these binder systems contains more than 90% bio-based carbon. At the same time, this new binder system requires 70% less water and reduces energy consumption during the nonwoven production process by more than 70%. Its future goal is to increase the use of recycled materials and to further enable its own product recycling. It is obvious that its carbon footprint, especially considering that it is a glass manufacturing company, is an important focus for the future.

JM’s latest major line investment was a few years ago and is a bicomponent spunbond line featuring proprietary spinning technology located in Berlin, Germany. While the company won’t comment on future line investments or upgrades, executives do report new advancements that have allowed it to make complete filter media. The result has been a product featuring a spunbond back topped with a spin glass layer, requiring no electrostatic charge. It has achieved considerable success in the HVAC market and helped JM grow in the filtration market in general.

More recently, the company has been working on the creation of new spunbond products for flooring applications as well as new fiberglass nonwoven products for ceiling tiles, with an exceptionally smooth aesthetic surface.

For Johns Manville’s 2020 top company profile, click here.

Plants: Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands: Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire; Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, DuraCore, MicroStrand (fibers brands)

Throughout 2020, Johns Manville worked diligently on its Covid-19 response and mitigation while keeping all of its plants operational and meeting customer orders during the most crucial months of the pandemic. While business slowed down in some markets, the company was able to gain new business in the field of disposable medical gowns with its Evalith PET spunbond nonwovens and face mask material with Evalith PP meltblown materials, which helped to support the communities and medical staff on the front lines of the pandemic.

“We were successful in keeping our plants operational and flexible, despite the obvious challenges of running production lines in times of a global pandemic. In the second quarter of 2020, we had to adjust our production output for stock control. We could meet customer demand even though the pandemic continually evolved, which made forecasting and planning difficult,” says Martin Kleinbrecht, global marketing communications leader, Engineered Fabrics.

Among its efforts were the production of meltblown filtration media in Richland, MS. The output on this new line is verified by an FDA-registered U.S. laboratory to meet or exceed Level 1 BFEW 95% (bacterial filtration efficiency) requirements for face masks. Meanwhile, in Spartanburg, SC, the company launched a coated PET spunbond that can be used for the production of disposable medical gowns.

“We accepted the challenges and quickly launched new Evalith PET spunbond and Evalith PP meltblown products from our assets in Spartanburg, OH, and Richland, MS,” Kleinbrecht says. “This happened thanks to the excellent cooperation with our industry partners and certainly thanks to our own product management, technology, sales, and production teammates, who put a lot of demanding work and passion into the two projects. Launching these products so rapidly required ‘all-hands-on-deck’ initiatives. “

But in the third quarter of 2020, most of the market areas served by JM had begun to normalize, and by the fourth quarter an upswing in demand was seen. However, soon after the blockage of the Suez Canal and the Texas deep freeze negatively impacted the U.S. petrochemical industry as well as the entire global supply chain. This disrupted operations and resulted in hefty market price increases for energy and raw materials.

“We had to immediately look for alternative suppliers, qualify their materials for our Evalith nonwoven production and work on qualifications with our global nonwoven customers,” Kleinbrecht says. “We also had to find ways to ensure the maximum possible supplies our customers were requiring from us. We could implement new systems and procedures that will help us with any future disruptions.”

By business areas, JM’s largest market, construction, continues to recover well in both Europe and the Americas with some segments faring better than others. “Our role as a strategic supplier has become even more important as our customers seek solutions,” he adds. “We are uniquely positioned to provide the JM Experience, which may require us to go the extra mile, but we do it with a smile knowing that we are delivering positive and powerful experiences to our partners. “

JM’s latest major line investment is a bicomponent spunbond line featuring proprietary spinning technology located in Berlin, Germany.

This technology has allowed JM to expand its offerings into complete filter media. The product made on the line features a spunbond back topped with a spin glass layer, requiring no electrostatic charge. It has achieved considerable success in the HVAC market and helped the company grow in the filtration market in general. Meanwhile, in Wertheim, Germany, JM upgraded a glass nonwovens mat line in 2017 allowing it to produce products with smoother surfaces.

The company has also demonstrated its commitment to environmental responsibility through a €10 million investment in a state-of-the-art thermal recycling unit for waste glass fibers in its Trnava, Slovakia, plant—a site that also supplies glass fibers to JM’s wetlaid glass fiber nonwoven lines in Europe. The Trnava recycling unit is a part of its response to the European Commission’s zero waste program and contributes to the company’s overall efforts toward sustainable management of the planet’s resources.

“At Johns Manville, sustainability means Building a Better Tomorrow,” Kleinbrecht explains. “We are reducing our impact on the planet. We are expanding our support of our global workforce and communities. We are innovating new products, technologies, and processes to benefit our customers. We understand that sustainability is a journey — one that requires a simultaneous focus on people, planet, and profit.

“The third leg of our framework is innovation. Long-term and continual innovation will lead to the sustainable future we dream about for ourselves, our communities, and our customers. Today, we are well positioned. A substantial proportion of JM’s current product lines will be used for 15 to more than 30 years, however our products will need to be designed with the circular economy in mind. We will also explore technologies to help us prepare for a reduced carbon/decarbonized future.”

Plants: Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands: Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire; Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, DuraCore, MicroStrand (fibers brands)

As it faces unprecedented disruption in several of its key markets—particularly construction—Johns Manville has responded swiftly to the Coronavirus pandemic through investment and new product development.

“It’s really an all-hands-on-deck situation that we have managed very well so far,” says Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing and portfolio management leader nonwovens, EMEA/APAC. “Despite physical distancing and other safety protocols, the crisis has brought us closer together —within JM and with our customers. JM has weathered many storms in its 162 years of existence.”

Earlier this year, JM started production of meltblown filtration media in Richland, MS. The output on this new line is verified by an FDA-registered U.S. laboratory to meet or exceed Level 1 BFEW 95% (bacterial filtration efficiency) requirements for face masks. Meanwhile, in Spartanburg, SC, the company launched a coated PET spunbond that can be used for the production of disposable medical gowns.

“Both nonwoven products can improve the safety of people in potential direct contact with the Covid-19 virus,” Kleinebrecht says. “We also launched several new products in our microfiber portfolio to allow better performance for our customers.”

As it has shifted some of its resources toward face mask and other PPE, JM is reporting a slowdown in its key market, construction, where some economists are predicting a 5-10% drop in both Europe and the U.S. Meanwhile, industrial production is forecasted to drop more severely, by 10-13% in the U.S. and by 7-10% in the EU for the year 2020. “We do see an improving demand lately, but the pandemic crisis is certainly not over yet,” Kleinebrecht says. “The diversified nature of our business in their wetlaid filtration processes.”

JM’s latest major line investment is a bicomponent spunbond line featuring proprietary spinning technology located in Berlin, Germany. This technology has allowed JM to expand its offerings into complete filter media. The product made on the line features a spunbond back topped with a spin glass layer, requiring no electrostatic charge. It has achieved considerable success in the HVAC market and helped the company grow in the filtration market in general. Meanwhile, in Wertheim, Germany, JM upgraded a glass nonwovens mat line in 2017 allowing it to produce products with smoother surfaces. Kleinebrecht calls this investment a success.

“The requirements for specialty glass mat products have increased strongly over the last decade, which requires up-to-date production technology,” he says.

JM has made similar enhancements to its glass mat line in Waterville, OH, and will continue to work on several planned upgrades in the years to come.

Plants: Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands: Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire; Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, DuraCore, MicroStrand (fibers brands)

Johns Manville, a manufacturer of nonwovens for building and construction applications, has announced Evalith as the unified brand for its Engineered Products nonwovens business, allowing the business to leverage and operate under one global brand.

JM’s European nonwovens business has produced products under the brand name Evalith since 2012. JM first transitioned the glass fiber mat and sliver product lines to the new brand name, followed by PET spunbond, glass microfiber air media and meltblown throughout the first half of 2018.

The unified brand reinforces the global position of its nonwovens business. The name change has not disrupted any product performance, according to the company.

While its been three years since JM has made a significant line investment—a bicomponent spunmelt line featuring proprietary spinning technology—located in Berlin, Germany, the Denver, CO-based, Berkshire-Hathaway-owned company has been focusing on enhancements to its existing lines. New investments have been able to expand JM’s role in the filtration market and expand its offerings in its core market, roofing and construction.

The new line in Berlin has specialized know-how and is flexible in fiber sizes allowing JM to offer a big variety of multilayer products and it is now offering complete filter media, not just the carrier to the filter media.

Featuring a spunbond back topped with spin glass layer, this filter technology requires no electrostatic charge and has found substantial success in the HVAC market.

Meanwhile, in Wertheim, Germany, in 2017 JM upgraded a glass nonwoven mat line, originally built in the 1970s, allowing it to produce products with smoother surfaces, opening up doors in specialty markets. Other improvements include faster run times and increased capacity.

All of JM’s spunmelt lines are based on the company’s heritage Hoechst technology, and the latest spinning technology is the latest offering by JM, which entered the filtration market about 20 years ago as a way to diversify beyond construction.

Elsewhere in Germany, JM has a pilot line in Bobingen as well as several nonwovens production lines in Wertheim. In 2017, the company enhanced an existing glass mat line in Wertheim to address the increasing needs and demands of local customers and markets.

In fact, line upgrades are central to JM’s growth strategy and it routinely debottlenecks lines to increase capacity and add new capabilities to them to enhance its business. This not only allows JM to continue to grow while keeping its risk to a minimum, it also helps it expand into new areas.

Other ways that JM has been able to respond to changing customer needs include changing raw materials or adding new binder systems on existing lines. This allows the to operate in some nice niche areas where we can fulfill market requirements.

JM has traditionally operated two plants in China—one in Shanghai and the other in Luyong—but infrastructure challenges have forced Johns Manville to move its spunbond equipment located in Shanghai to Luyong in May 2017.

Looking to the U.S., JM operates three spunbond lines featuring the same Hoecst AG technology it purchased in the 1970s, at its facility in Spartanburg, SC. These lines primarily target roofing applications but have some business in filtration and geotextiles.

As a global supplier of nonwoven materials, JM has set up its business to quickly adapt to the changing market conditions around the globe. As market conditions change regionally, JM is able to shift its products between sites.

JM has also adjusted its business to increase its focus on sustainability. In its 2016/2017 Sustainability Report, JM reaffirms its commitment to sustainable development.

“On a global scale, JM has the capital and the scientific and engineering expertise to help address some of society’s most complex issues, like energy efficiency and lifecycle durability,” says chief sustainability officer Tim Swales. “We will continue to take a business approach to sustainability that creates long-term value for our stakeholders – one that also helps JM to become even more productive, innovative and competitive.”

Significant accomplishments outlined in the 2016/2017 report include: a reduction in greenhouse gas emission intensity; development of the product category Environmental Product Declarations for JM’s HVAC, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and mechanical insulation materials and completing an extensive water survey to better understand local water source vulnerability at JM’s plants in the U.S. and around the world.

JM has also invested approximately $2 billion over the past 10 years to make JM more productive, safe, innovative and sustainable and has increased customer value by developing sustainable new products and technologies for insulation and lightweighting.

Plants: Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands: Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire; Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, DuraCore, MicroStrand (fibers brands)

Johns Manville, a manufacturer of nonwovens for building and construction applications, has announced Evalith as the unified brand for its Engineered Products nonwovens business, allowing the business to leverage and operate under one global brand.

JM’s European nonwovens business has produced products under the brand name Evalith since 2012. JM first transitioned the glass fiber mat and sliver product lines to the new brand name, followed by PET spunbond, glass microfiber air media and meltblown throughout the first half of 2018.

“The unified brand name will further reinforce the global position of our nonwovens business,” says Martin Kleinebrecht, global portfolio & marketing leader Nonwovens for JM Engineered Products. “North American nonwovens products will certainly continue to be produced with the same performance expectations. We do not anticipate the name change to disrupt any operations.”

While its been three years since JM has made a significant line investment—a bicomponent spunmelt line featuring proprietary spinning technology—located in Berlin, Germany, the Denver, CO-based, Berkshire-Hathaway-owned company has been focusing on enhancements to its existing lines. New investments have been able to expand JM’s role in the filtration market and expand its offerings in its core market, roofing and construction.

“The new line in Berlin has specialized know-how and is flexible in fiber sizes,” says Martin Kleinebrecht. “This allows us to offer a big variety of multilayer products and we are now offering complete filter media, not just the carrier to the filter media.”

Featuring a spunbond back topped with spin glass layer, this filter technology requires no electrostatic charge and has found substantial success in the HVAC market.

Meanwhile, in Wertheim, Germany, in 2017 JM upgraded a glass nonwoven mat line, originally built in the 1970s, allowing it to produce products with smoother surfaces, opening up doors in specialty markets. Other improvements include faster run times and increased capacity.

All of JM’s spunmelt lines are based on the company’s heritage Hoechst technology, and the latest spinning technology is the latest offering by JM, which entered the filtration market about 20 years ago as a way to diversify beyond construction.

Elsewhere in Germany, JM has a pilot line in Bobingen as well as several nonwovens production lines in Wertheim. In 2017, the company enhanced an existing glass mat line in Wertheim to address the increasing needs and demands of local customers and markets.

In fact, line upgrades are central to JM’s growth strategy and the company routinely debottlenecks lines to increase capacity and add new capabilities to them to enhance its business. This not only allows JM to continue to grow while keeping its risk to a minimum, it also helps it expand into new areas.

“There are lots of ways to be flexible—changing the raw material or add a new binder system,” Kleinebrecht says. “This allows us to operate in some nice niche areas where we can fulfill market requirements. Our customers give guarantees for their roofs and our products need to measure up.”

JM has traditionally operated two plants in China—one in Shanghai and the other in Luyong—but infrastructure challenges have forced Johns Manville to move its spunbond equipment located in Shanghai to Luyong in May 2017.

Looking to the U.S., JM operates three spunbond lines featuring the same Hoecst AG technology it purchased in the 1970s, at its facility in Spartanburg, SC. These lines primarily target roofing applications but have some business in filtration and geotextiles.

As a global supplier of nonwoven materials, JM has set up its business to quickly adapt to the changing market conditions around the globe. As market conditions change regionally, JM is able to shift its products between sites.

JM has also adjusted its business to increase its focus on sustainability. In its 2016/2017 Sustainability Report, JM reaffirms its commitment to sustainable development.

“On a global scale, JM has the capital and the scientific and engineering expertise to help address some of society’s most complex issues, like energy efficiency and lifecycle durability,” says chief sustainability officer Tim Swales. “We will continue to take a business approach to sustainability that creates long-term value for our stakeholders – one that also helps JM to become even more productive, innovative and competitive.”

Significant accomplishments outlined in the 2016/2017 report include: a reduction in greenhouse gas emission intensity; development of the product category Environmental Product Declarations for JM’s HVAC, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and mechanical insulation materials and completing an extensive water survey to better understand local water source vulnerability at JM’s plants in the U.S. and around the world.

JM has also invested approximately $2 billion over the past 10 years to make JM more productive, safe, innovative and sustainable and has increased customer value by developing sustainable new products and technologies for insulation and lightweighting.

Plants: Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands: Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire; Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, DuraCore, MicroStrand (fibers brands)

It’s been two years since Johns Manville’s latest line investment—the company’s 14th—a bicomponent spunmelt line featuring proprietary spinning technology—located in Berlin, Germany. Since then, the Denver, CO-based, Berkshire-Hathaway-owned company has been focusing on enhancements to its existing lines. New investments have been able to expand JM’s role in the filtration market and expand its offerings in its core market, roofing and construction.

“The new line in Berlin has specialized know-how and is flexible in fiber sizes,” says Martin  Kleinbrecht, marketing and portfolio management leader for nonwovens. “This allows us to offer a big variety of multilayer products and we are now offering complete filter media, not just the carrier to the filter media.”

Featuring a spunbond back topped with spin glass layer, this filter technology requires no electrostatic charge and has found substantial success in the HVAC market.

All of JM’s spunmelt lines are based on the company’s heritage Hoechst technology, and the latest spinning technology is the latest offering by JM, which entered the filtration market about 20 years ago as a way to diversify beyond construction.

Elsewhere in Germany, JM has a pilot line in Bobingen as well as several nonwovens production lines in Wertheim. In 2014, the company enhanced an existing glass mat line in Wertheim to address the increasing needs and demands of local customers and markets.

In fact, line upgrades are central to JM’s growth strategy and the company routinely debottlenecks lines to increase capacity and add new capabilities to them to enhance its business. This not only allows JM to continue to grow while keeping its risk to a minimum, it also helps it expand into new areas.

“There are lots of ways to be flexible—changing the raw material or add a new binder system,” Kleinebrecht says. “This allows us to operate in some nice niche areas where we can fulfill market requirements. Our customers give guarantees for their roofs and our products need to measure up.”

JM has traditionally operated two plants in China—one in Shanghai and the other in Luyong—but infrastructure challenges have forced Johns Manville to move its spunbond equipment located in Shanghai to Lyuong in May.

Looking to the U.S., JM operates three spunbond lines featuring the same Hoecst AG technology it purchased in the 1970s, at its facility in Spartanburg, SC. These lines primarily target roofing applications but have some business in filtration and geotextiles.

According to JM,  the North American roofing and construction market continues to experience slow and steady growth while the European market continues to vary by country. “Parts of Spain and Portugal continue to be challenging but if you take them out of the results, the recover is stronger,” Kleinebrecht says. “Eastern Europe is seeing good development and Germany is booming.”

As a global supplier of nonwoven materials, JM has set up its business to quickly adapt to the changing market conditions around the globe. As market conditions change regionally, JM is able to shift its products between sites.

“Because we are a global business, we routinely transfer grades of our products between our sites,” Kleinebrecht says. “For example we were sold out in Europe so we were trying to move product from around the world.”

And, the European business will surely benefit from an upgrade to a Wertheim glass nonwoven mat line, scheduled for this month. The line, which was built in the 1970s, will be able to produce products with smoother surfaces, opening up doors in specialty markets. Other improvements include faster runtimes and increased capacity.

“It is not so much completely new technology, but it adds capacity and gives us new product features,” Kleinebrecht says.

Plants: Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands: Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire; Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, DuraCore, MicroStrand (fibers brands)

Reporting continued growth is roofing and construction specialist Johns Manville. The Berkshire-Hathaway owned company attributed growth to customer loyalty as the JM brand, its product and its services continued to be valued. “As a global durable nonwovens leader, we were successful with many innovation programs and continued to heavily invest in our people, technology and assets,” says Martin Kleinebrecht, leader, Marketing & Portfolio Management for Nonwovens in Europe & Asia. “Our four core values – People, Passion, Perform and Protect – are helping us to deliver the JM Experience to customers and employees day by day.”

This growth, Kleinebrecht adds, occurred throughout all three segments. In North America, continued growth overall has been key. When certain regions experience a downturn, like the situation in Western brought on by the decrease in oil prices, other regions’ strong performance typically balance out the underperformance. Meanwhile, stability and varying demand growth patterns continues to be a problem in Europe, where conditions vary by country. “The weak Russian market has been a concern, as well as slow economic development in Italy and France; however, we continued to experience more positive environments in other places – for example, Germany or Poland,” Kleinebrecht says. “Brexit implications are yet to be seen, but we do not expect major negative impacts to our business going forward as a result of Brexit.”

In JM’s main market, roofing and construction, North America continues to experience slow and steady growth while the European market has finally bottomed out, meaning limited growth is expected during the next couple of years, however –re-crisis levels are not expected for a couple of years.

In terms of investment, JM announced in June 2014 it would enhance a glass nonwovens line in Wertheim, Germany. The project will address the increasing needs and demands of local customers and markets and will be complete and in production by the end of 2017.

“Glass fiber nonwoven markets are getting more and more sophisticated in terms of quality requirements, particularly for interior applications. Perfectly re-producible surface aesthetics are necessary in a wide range of applications today.” Kleinebrecht says. “While we can meet these requirements with our existing equipment, this particular line has aged to a point where continued maintenance becomes cost-prohibitive relative to investing in improving the asset. Therefore, it has been a logical decision to upgrade the line with new equipment and the latest technology.”

The upgrade will ensure not only continued supplies in highly demanding applications, but will also open the door for new product developments in the future. JM will initially focus on producing it current product portfolio on the line and will soon shift the focus toward new product development.

JM has also invested in a new state-of-the-art PET spunbond line in Berlin, Germany. The lightweight production line will largely serve the high-end polyester filtration media market. It uses newly developed proprietary spinning technology and will increase the Berlin plant’s spunbond lightweight capacity by more than 40%. Johns Manville invested more than €32 million ($36 million) to build the line.

In addition to filtration, the line will allow JM to make inroads into the roofing underslating market. “Our proprietary technology on this line not only offers unique product properties to our customers, but allows us to produce a wide range of different product specifications,” Kleinebrecht says.

This investment is a response to increased interest in clean air, brought on by tightening regulatory requirements aimed at reducing industrial dust emissions globally. Other filtration-related trends include higher penetration rates of cabin air filtration in Asia and North America as well as the shift from cellulose paper to synthetic media in air intake and fuel and oil filtration.

“The investment in our new line in Berlin is one of the responses to these trends, as is our continued product developments in glass microfiber HVAC media – a product family we offer from Defiance, OH and Wertheim (Germany),” Kleinebrecht says

In recent years, JM has also made upgrades to its glass fiber microber lines in the U.S., which has benefited new and existing customers and allowed the company to further globalize its product portfolio.

“As markets evolve and grow, JM’s strategy is to ensure we grow and support the markets that our customers value,” says TJ Stock, portfolio leader, North American Nonwovens. “We are strategically committed to significant capital spending and resource allocation to achieve this goal over the next several years.”

Another market of interest to JM is composites where its nonwoven materials play a role in windmill blades, automotive headliners, lightweight body panels, forming parts and structural elements and panel board for trucks and trailers. As the outer layer, JM’s surfacing veils provide a smooth finish that can be painted for protection from the elements. Thicker, nonwoven glass mats can be applied as sub-surface layers that cover honeycomb cores. And polyester spunbond or glass fiber nonwoven materials can be used as a compressed core to increase mechanical properties with minimal weight.

“Product innovation is a priority for all of JM. Similarly, as our division’s name implies (Engineered Products), product development is often engineered for customer-specific needs. JM sees a trend toward sustainable products. This translates to, among other things, nonwovens incorporating recycled content, bio-based content and formaldehyde-free binder formulations. JM continues to move its product portfolios in this direction,” Stock says.

Plants: Tucson, AZ; Defiance, OH; Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Cleburne, TX; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia

Brands: Dura-Glass, Delta-Aire, DynaWeb, Micro-Aire; Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, MultiStar, DuraCore, MicroStrand (fibers brands)

Reporting sales and profits growth across all three of its business units —insulation systems, roofing systems and engineered products—was roofing and construction specialist Johns Manville. The Berkshire Hathaway-owned company continues to face challenges like difficult weather conditions in North America, uncertain economic prospects in Russia and a significant construction recession in Europe, but better times are on the forecast for the industry, according to executives.

“According to certain economic indicators, North American residential roof repair is projected to increase over the next several years, resulting in corresponding growth for glass nonwovens – a key component of residential roofing shingles,” says Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing and portfolio management leader nonwovens, EMEA/APAC. “Additional opportunities exist in the European foam insulation segment, as well as in the emerging exterior sheathing market.”

To support growth in construction and its other business areas, Johns Manville has made a number of capacity investments in recent years. The most recent of these are three upgrades to glass fiber operations in North America. In February, JM announced a significant upgrade to its nonwoven glass mat production plant in Waterville, OH. JM upgraded an existing nonwoven mat line with advanced manufacturing technology to allow the company to better serve customers in growing segments of the global specialty glass mat market.

“This investment positioned JM for business in new and evolving markets,” explains Enno Henze, senior vice president and general manager for JM Engineered Products. “For example, in the energy storage space, fuel economy standards are driving new battery technologies. Additionally, this upgrade allowed us to support the domestic growth of vinyl flooring companies as they continue to ‘on-shore’ their manufacturing to the U.S.”

Second, in February, JM announced it would expand its glass fiber operations plant in Etowah, TN. JM’s vertical integration into glass fiber manufacturing, coupled with its expertise in sizing chemistry, greatly supports continuous improvement in glass mat design and the North American composite market needs a strong and reliable supply of glass fibers to translate innovations into steady market growth, according to executives. JM’s operations in North America can serve customers across the growing compounding base in the Midwest and Southeast.

“The composites industry is growing steadily and we are convinced that current and future industry trends will continue to drive increasing demand for glass fiber products,” says Brian Sapp, global fibers business director for JM Engineered Products. “We are making this investment to support our customers’ plans for growth, and we will continue with innovations in technology and product development in fibers to support our customers.”

The third investment came June when JM said it would increase its glass microfiber capacity at its plant in Waterville, OH.

“Glass microfibers are used in filtration and energy storage applications. JM utilizes a blend of glass microfibers with wet chopped fibers in select glass mat compositions to support surface aesthetic and performance requirements,” Kleinebrecht says. “Once complete, the upgrade will allow JM to better serve customers in growing segments of the global specialty glass mat market (e.g., flooring, battery, gypsum).”

These investments position JM for business in new and evolving segments. For example, in the energy storage space, fuel economy standards are driving new battery technologies.

“The global growth in start-stop automotive batteries, driven by regulatory requirements to decrease fleet CO2 emissions, offers significant potential for nonwovens,” explains Patti Rizzo, director of sales and marketing, nonwovens Americas. “Also, the ongoing trend for lightweight solutions for the transportation industry is driving growth in nonwoven composite technologies. JM is well-positioned to capitalize on these opportunities with tailor-made solutions.”

Within its spunbond business, in June JM completed work on a new state-of-the-art polyester spunbond production line at its Berlin, Germany, facility. The new production line, which used newly developed proprietary spinning technology, is part of a strategic plan to support the growing demand for high-end polyester filtration media. The line increases the Berlin plant’s spunbond lightweight capacity by more than 40%. JM invested more than €32 million ($36 million) to build the line.

“This new capacity at our Berlin plant will benefit Johns Manville’s global customer base,” says Mary Rhinehart, president and CEO. “Customers will have even greater access to our high-quality filtration products and to a new generation of spunbond filter media for cabin air, air pollution control and liquid filtration applications. This new line also puts Johns Manville in a prime position to handle continued growth and customer demand in the many global markets we serve.”

JM’s innovative enhanced BiCo technology enables unmatched product performance especially in the field of gas and liquid filtration.

Plants: Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach, Germany; Shanghai, Louyang, China; Trnava, Slovakia
Brands: Dura-Glass, DuraBase, Delta-Aire, DynaWick, DynaWeb, DynaTech, Micro-Aire, MicroLith (U.S. brands); Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, DuraCore, KY-Tex (EU fibers brands)

Roofing and construction specialist Johns Manville has a solid 2013. While the Berkshire Hathaway-owned company does not report its sales, executives did say that total sales were up in the high single digits driven primarily by improved volumes across all of its businesses.

Based in Denver, CO, JM recently reorganized its business into three major business segments—Insulation Systems, Roofing Systems and Engineered Products. Previously, engineered products was split into two divisions—America and Europe/Asia. In 2013, all business areas reported success, driven largely by a significant 19% increase in U.S. housing starts in 2013.

According to CEO Mary Rhinehart, transitioning to one engineered products organization will give the company the global reach it needs to be competitive, while keeping the regional support its customers require.

The new business is being led by Enno Henze, who has been named senior vice president and general manager. “Enno’s background makes him a perfect fit for this role. He has been responsible for our nonwovens, fibers and glass textiles businesses in Europe, as well as our nonwovens business in China,” Rhinehart says.

Mike Lawrence, who was senior vice president and general manager of engineered products America, will retire from JM to pursue other opportunities. “This decision benefits us for a number of reasons, the most important being that it will result in greater consistency for our global customers and position us for future growth,” Rinehart adds. “The new structure will facilitate best practice sharing, particularly across technology and manufacturing assets. And from an employee perspective, it will allow us to enhance our ability to leverage our global talent.”

A specialist in building and construction as well as a number of adjacent markets, JM has about 9,000 global employees and operates 45 manufacturing sites in North America, Europe and Asia. The company has continued to invest heavily in its nonwovens operation to capture growth in the residential and commercial construction and roofing markets as well as in high performance filtration areas.

Its most recent investment, announced in July 2013, is a new spunbond line in Berlin, Germany. The new line will increase lightweight spunbond capacity at the site by more than 40%. Featuring proprietary bicomponent technology and adding 4,000 tons of material per year, the new line will allow JM to make nonwovens with reduced area weights in combination with higher product performance features such as high efficiency at lower pressure drops. This will result in the same or better performance at lower materials cost and will ultimately allow JM to create a new generation of polyester spunbond filter media for cabin air, air pollution control and liquid filtration applications and will expand the Evalith product range.

Reduced area weight in combination with higher product performance, such as high efficiency at lower pressure drop, is one of the key value propositions of JM’s innovative BiCo technology, according to Chrstian Hassmann, senior product and market manager and the project leader for this investment. “Lower material cost with the same or even better performance will enable customers to compete long term in the market place,” he says. “The new production line will utilize the latest technologies to preserve resources and significantly lower energy consumption.”

While JM is a strong player in filtration, the company still strives to build this business and become a number one supplier of choice for current and future customers. “The filtration market is certainly one of our core businesses, which we target to further strengthen via innovative product solutions tailor-made for specific markets and customers,” says Holly Leiker, media relations and internal communications. “Options for future investments are certainly on our radar screen, as following only the industry’s organic growth is not an option for us.”

As the European economy continues to recover, the dynamics are changing within the field of technical nonwovens and JM is aiming for an expansion in a variety of technologies and markets. However, the company is not yet ready announce the specifics of these investments.

Meanwhile in China, where JM operates a facility in Shanghai, demand for bituminous roofing products are showing nice growth while the geotexitles business is facing challenges. JM is in the process of expanding its activities in Asia, with a focus on China, in the area of branded premium insulation products for air handling and technical insulation where customers are willing to pay for performance.

Back in the U.S., JM opened a new commercial roofing single-ply membrane manufacturing facility in Milan, OH in 2012. There, the company manufacturers ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) roofing products. “Our EPDM roofing materials are manufactured using advanced extrusion technology, which results in a membrane designed for superior weatherability through a wide range of temperatures and conditions,” Leiker says. “The JM difference is the level of precision quality control we’re able to achieve during the manufacturing process. By minimizing the potential for air entrapment in the sheet, we’re able to produce a more uniform membrane with a superior surface finish, consistent thickness and fewer blemishes. Our closed extrusion system is also less sensitive to environmental factors such as humidity, and allows for greater temperature control during the manufacturing process.”

Also in North America, JM has glass mat operations in Waterville, OH and Etowah, TN serving construction (e.g., residential and commercial roofing reinforcement, roof deck facer, exterior gypsum sheathing facer), building interior (e.g., flooring system reinforcement, acoustical office panel, ceiling tile facer, duct insulation facer) and energy storage (e.g., battery separator, lead plate reinforcement) markets.

With sites on three continents and a variety of technologies available, JM is able to serve a number of industries. “With the U.S. continuing its slow but steady recovery, our customers look to JM to provide innovative, high performance solutions to the applications they serve,” Leiker says. “In the building interior markets, we are focusing on aesthetics, acoustics, sustainability and mold and mildew resistance—areas where glass nonwovens can provide advantage. In the construction industry, we see emphasis on productivity and on-time job completion. In the energy storage market, CAFÉ standards are driving new battery technologies. Again, these are focus areas where glass nonwoven solutions provide process-ability and longevity advantages.”

In new product news, recent product introductions include ENRGY 3.E, the next generation of polyisocyanurate roofing board insulation whereby the fire resistance has been engineered into the polymer backbone without the need for added halogenated flame retardants. JM’s R&D team has reformulated its foam chemistry with a non-halogenated reactive polymer modifier that delivers the necessary fire resistance to meet UL Class A fire ratings in low-slope roofing assemblies. Additionally, the reformulation improves cell structure and the properties of the foam.

Another new product, SmartBinder was launched in August of 2013. It’s an easy-to-use application that gives customers instant access on their desktop, laptop or iPad. It offers the latest insulation and roofing product information and specifications, automatic updates to ensure information is always current, and availability to data even without Internet access.

Also, in 2013, JM announced the Invinsa FR Roof Board. Invinsa FR is a high-density polyisocyanurate cover board capable of achieving a UL Class A fire rating over a combustible roof deck. This rating can be attained when the product is installed underneath single ply roof systems (TPO, PVC and EPDM) over polyisocyanurate insulation or directly to the roof deck.

Product quality, customer service and technical assistance are key elements to our success,” Leiker adds. “Johns Manville’s team of scientists and engineers work closely with customers to provide a broad understanding of material behavior. We have the capability to test full-scale, complex product solutions under various conditions.”

Plants: Waterville, OH; Richland, MS; Spartanburg, SC; Etowah, TN; Bobingen, Berlin, Wertheim, Karlstein, Steinach (Germany); Shanghai, Louyang (China); Trnava (Slovakia)
Brands: Dura-Glass, DuraBase, Delta-Aire, DynaWick, DynaWeb, DynaTech, Micro-Aire, MicroLith (U.S. brands); Evalith (EU nonwoven brand); ThermoFlow, DuraCore, KY-Tex (EU fibers brands)

Berkshire Hathaway-owned Johns Manville continues to report challenges within its core market of construction, particularly in Europe, even as it continues to expand its scope in other technical markets like filtration and battery separators, and new geographies. The Denver, CO-based company operates through four regional segments—Insulation Systems, Roofing Systems, Engineered Products Americas and Engineered Products Europe/Asia.

In July, JM said it would invest in a new spunbond production line at its Berlin, Germany facility. Representing an investment of €32 million, the new line will support the growing demand for high-end polyester filtration media. It will use newly developed spinning technology and increase lightweight spunbond capacity in Berlin by more than 40%.

“This new investment clearly underscores Johns Manville’s commitment as a market leader to responsibly satisfy the long-term demand of our valued filtration customers,” says Enno Henze, senior vice president and general manager, Engineered Products, Europe/Asia. “This new line will have a capacity in excess of 4000 tons per year and will be built with JM’s advanced bicomponent spinning technology, which will enable step-change improvements in product properties and cost performance.”

The line will start production in 2015, creating a new generation of polyester spunbond filter media for cabin air, air pollution control and liquid filtration applications.

In other investment news, in June 2012, JM dedicated a plant in Milan, OH, to make ethylene propylene diene monomer, a thermoset synthetic rubber, single ply roofing membrane known for its durability, ease of installation and superior weathering characteristics. This roofing plant completes JM’s portfolio of major waterproofing membranes and the company claims it now has the widest breadth of membranes in the industry.

In the glass mat segment, JM has made several investments to its lines in Ohio and Tennessee to improve product capability and ensure product quality. These have allowed JM to deliver the broadest product portfolio with the increasing quality standards demanded by its customers and enabled it to develop new products that historically have not been served by a glass nonwoven.

The company also announced in August 2012 that it had acquired Industrial Insulation Group, LLC, a manufacturer of insulation for industrial, commercial and fi reproofing applications.

Within its core business of construction, JM is reporting signs of slow recovery in the North America commercial exterior and interior applications market while the residential market is strengthening. In Europe, the economy continues to be a highwatch area for the company. Construction markets remain challenging with some markets eroding as much as 30% during the last couple of years.

“We expect a very limited recovery from low levels for the years to come for European construction markets in general,” says Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing leader for Johns Manville’s Engineered Products Europe/Asia Nonwovens business. “However, this does not mean that JM’s construction-related nonwovens business will stay flat. We participate in markets that show interesting growth potential, such as building insulation in general, fi re retardant façade panels—a patented solution we developed together with one of our customers—as well as resilient flooring in Eastern Europe.”

In North America, the roofing business has launched a full portfolio of tapes, adhesives and accessories to support its new EPDM membrane being manufactured in Milan, OH. Also, Invinsa FR coverboard can obtain a Class A fi re rating for combustible decks and along with the standard grade Invinsa, are the only high density polyiso coverboards to meet ASTM type three designation for compressive strength.

“As a major player in technical nonwovens, we are continuously looking for opportunities to grow in adjacent spaces with disruptive innovation,” Kleinebrecht says. “That means entering new business areas where nonwovens were not used before.” In Asia, where JM operates two sites, in Louyang and Shanghai, the company continues to see interesting growth rates despite the challenges associated with manufacturing and doing business in Asia.

In fact, the company continues to expand its regional coverage on a global basis, which is evident in sales activities in Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America.

“We continue to explore activities outside our current locations,” Kleinebrecht says. “While JM is committed to its traditional home markets, we will certainly not miss opportunities elsewhere.”