Plants: Belgium; Germany; The Netherlands; Hungary; China; Asheville, NC
Processes: Extruded spunbond, thermalbond, needlepunch, staple fiber, woven, three-dimensional polymerica materials
Major Markets: Agriculture, building, civil engineering, construction, flooring, filtration, interior, roofing, transportation

This will be the last time Low & Bonar will appear in the top company report. In February 2020, Freudenberg acquired 100% shares of the group after submitting an offer in September. Low & Bonar PLC was delisted from the London Stock Exchange on May 13 at 8 a.m. and the company was integrated in the Freudenberg Performance Materials Business Group.

Founded in 1903 and headquartered in London, Low & Bonar operated 11 production facilities in Asia, Europe and North America. Prior to the Freudenberg sale, Low & Bonar had sold its needlepunched nonwovens business for a cash consideration of €17.3 million to Nimbus, a Netherlands-based private equity fund. The disposal will comprise the sale of the entire issued share capital of Low & Bonar NV and Low & Bonar Kft, which are based in Belgium and Hungary, respectively.

At the time of sale, the company said this disposal will allow the group to reduce its net debt levels and invest in more profitable parts of its business. Daniel Dayan, executive chairman, comments, “We are pleased to announce the disposal of the NPNW business as part of our strategy to simplify our portfolio, pay down debt, and to improve focus on our core business. The disposal of the Civil Engineering division has been a strategic priority for management this year and we are pleased to complete this important milestone as we continue to work to improve shareholder value.”

This sale follows the disposal of the group’s Construction Fibres (“CF”) business (comprising a part of its Civil Engineering division), for a cash consideration of €6.4 million to Adfil NV and Industria BV. Adfil NV, which will purchase the business and production assets, is owned by a private Belgian investor. Industria BV, which will purchase the CF factory site, is owned by parties connected with Adfil NV.

Low & Bonar’s latest investments focused on China. In 2018, the company announced plans to double capacity at the Changzhou site, which was opened in 2016 to make Colback nonwovens.

Even before the investment about 10% of all Colback made was sold into the Chinese market and the new site has benefited all four of Low & Bonar’s business units—Building and Industrial, Civil Engineering, Coated Technical Textiles and Interiors/Transportation. In addition to Colback, the next investment initiative will bring scrim capacity to the site, allowing Low & Bonar to offer new products to the building and industrial and civil engineering market.

Plants: Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands, Hungary, China, and Asheville, NC
Processes: Extruded spunbond, thermalbond, needlepunch, staple fiber, woven, three-dimensional polymerica materials
Major Markets: Agriculture, building, civil engineering, construction, flooring, filtration, interior, roofing, transportation

The big news from Low & Bonar was the company’s decision earlier this year to sell its needlepunch business. In July, the company said it had agreed to dispose its needlepunched nonwovens business for a cash consideration of €17.3 million to Nimbus, a Netherlands-based private equity fund. The disposal will comprise the sale of the entire issued share capital of Low & Bonar NV and Low & Bonar Kft, which are based in Belgium and Hungary, respectively.

The disposal of the NPNW division will allow the group to reduce its net debt levels and invest in more profitable parts of its business. NPNW’s management team and employees will transfer with the business.

Daniel Dayan, executive chairman, comments, “We are pleased to announce the disposal of the NPNW business as part of our strategy to simplify our portfolio, pay down debt, and to improve focus on our core business. The disposal of the Civil Engineering division has been a strategic priority for management this year and we are pleased to complete this important milestone as we continue to work to improve shareholder value.”

This sale follows the disposal of the group’s Construction Fibres (“CF”) business (comprising a part of its Civil Engineering division), for a cash consideration of €6.4 million to Adfil NV and Industria BV. Adfil NV, which will purchase the business and production assets, is owned by a private Belgian investor. Industria BV, which will purchase the CF factory site, is owned by parties connected with Adfil NV.

Amidst these divestments, Low & Bonar continues to report strength in China. In 2018, the company announced plans to double capacity at the Changzhou site, which was opened in 2016 to make Colback nonwovens.

Even before the investment about 10% of all Colback made was sold into the  Chinese market and the new site has benefited all four of Low & Bonar’s business units—Building and Industrial, Civil Engineering, Coated Technical Textiles and Interiors/Transportation. In addition to Colback, the next investment initiative will bring scrim capacity to the site, allowing Low & Bonar to offer new products to the building and industrial and civil engineering market.

In other investments news, Low & Bonar has added a nonwovens plant in Hungary and a glass mat line in Slovakia. In terms of acquisition, Low & Bonar purchased Walfor Industries, a Seattle, WA-based manufacturer of rainscreens and mats for £3.6 million, in a move that will strengthen its relationship in the U.S. building market and provide it with a west coast growth platform.

Meanwhile, in Arnhem, The Netherlands, Low & Bonar last year opened a test lab aimed at developing new and enhanced filtration solutions to meet the increased demands for cleaner industrial and automotive air. The company says the investment will escalate the rate at which proprietary technology is turned into market-adopted filtration applications.

A range of attributes based on Colback technology will be tested including filtration efficiency, air permeability, pressure drop and conditioning. In addition, the lab’s new scanning electron microscope will enable better understanding of the strengths and synergies between Low & Bonar’s set of technologies. Initial results show that Colback-based media has a lower pressure drop at comparable efficiencies to meet industry standards, and provides manufacturers with extra space in a cost-conscious product design.

As filtration continues to grow, carpet backings continue to be an important market for Low & Bonar. Earlier this year, the company developed Colback Gold, a new commercial carpet tile allowing manufacturers to produce carpets satisfying the most stringent Cradle-to-Cradle requirements. The newly launched product is the culmination of two years of technical cooperation between long-term partners Low & Bonar and Tarkett at the manufacturing and R&D facility in Arnhem, Netherlands.

Colback Gold delivers enhanced tuftability, unmatched stitch holding and unique process behavior.

Plants: Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands, Hungary, China, and Asheville, NC
Processes: Extruded spunbond, thermalbond, needlepunch, staple fiber, woven, three-dimensional polymerica materials
Major Markets: Agriculture, building, civil engineering, construction, flooring, filtration, interior, roofing, transportation

Colback manufacturer Low & Bonar has been so successful with its Chinese expansion, the company has already announced plans to double capacity at the Changzhou site in 2018. The Chinese site was opened in April 2016, representing a £26 million investment, and expanding Colback’s global output by 60 million square meters.

Even before the investment about 10% of all Colback made was sold into the  Chinese market and the new site has benefited all four of Low & Bonar’s business units—Building and Industrial, Civil Engineering, Coated Technical Textiles and Interiors/Transportation. In addition to Colback, the next investment initiative will bring scrim capacity to the site, allowing Low & Bonar to offer new products to the building and industrial and civil engineering market.

In other investments news, Low & Bonar has added a nonwoven plant in Hungary and a glass mat line in Slovakia. In terms of acquisition, Low & Bonar purchased Walfor Industries, a Seattle, WA-based manufacturer of rainscreens and mats for £3.6 million, in a move that will strengthen its relationship in the U.S. building market and provide it with a west coast growth platform.

Meanwhile, in Arnhem, The Netherlands, Low & Bonar last year opened a test lab aimed at developing new and enhanced filtration solutions to meet the increased demands for cleaner industrial and automotive air. The company says the investment will escalate the rate at which proprietary technology is turned into market-adopted filtration applications

A range of attributes based on Colback technology will be tested including filtration efficiency, air permeability, pressure drop and conditioning. In addition, the lab’s new scanning electron microscope will enable better understanding of the strengths and synergies between Low & Bonar’s set of technologies. Initial results show that Colback-based media has a lower pressure drop at comparable efficiencies to meet industry standards, and provides manufacturers with extra space in cost-conscious product design.

As filtration continues to grow, carpet backings continue to be an important market for Low & Bonar. Earlier this year, the company developed Colback Gold, a new commercial carpet tile allowing manufacturers to produce carpets satisfying the most stringent Cradle-to-Cradle requirements. The newly launched product is the culmination of two years of technical cooperation between long-term partners Low & Bonar and Tarkett at the manufacturing and R&D facility in Arnhem, Netherlands.

Colback Gold delivers enhanced tuftability, unmatched stitch holding and unique process behavior.

Plants: Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands, Hungary, China, and Asheville, NC
Processes: Extruded spunbond, thermalbond, needlepunch, staple fiber, woven, three-dimensional polymerica materials
Major Markets: Agriculture, building, civil engineering, construction, flooring, filtration, interior, roofing, transportation

Colback manufacturer Low & Bonar has been so successful with its Chinese expansion, the company has already announced plans to double capacity at the Changzhou site in 2018. The Chinese site was opened in April 2016, representing a £26 million investment, and expanding Colback’s global output by 60 million square meters.

Even before the investment about 10% of all Colback made was sold into the  Chinese market and new site has benefited all four of Low & Bonar’s business units—Building and Industrial, Civil Engineering, Coated Technical Textiles and Interiors/Transportation. In addition to Colback, the next investment initiative will bring scrim capacity to the site, allowing Low & Bonar to offer new products to the building and industrial and civil engineering market.

In other investments news, Low & Bonar has added a nonwoven plant in Hungary and a glass mat line in Slovakia. In terms of acquisition, Low & Bonar purchased Walfor Industries, a Seattle, WA-based manufacturer of rainscreens and mats for £3.6 million, in a move that will strengthen its relationship in the U.S. building market and provide it with a west coast growth platform.

One of the U.K.-based Low & Bonar’s goals is to expand its sales outside of Europe from its current level of 36% to about 50% and investments these recent investments are intended to contribute to this goal. Other key priorities include capitalizing on its position as an early innovator and mitigating itself against regional uncertainty.

Plants: Belgium (Lokeren and Zele); Germany (Gross Ippener and Obernburg); Hungary (Tiszaújváros); the Netherlands (Arnhem and Emmen); U.S. (Asheville NC); joint ventures in China (Jiangsu) and Saudi Arabia (Yanbu).
Processes: Extruded, spunbond, thermal bonded and specialties, needlepunched staple fiber, woven, three-dimensional polymeric mats
Brands: Adfil; Bontec; BonarAgro, Colback; Enka Solutions (a.o. Enkamat, Enkadrain, Enkagrid, Enka-Spacer, Enka-Channel, EnkaRetain & Drain); Tipptex; Xeroflor.
Major Markets: Agro, building, civil engineering, construction, flooring, filtration, industry, interior, roofing, transportation

Low & Bonar is a global leader in high performance materials selling in more than 60 countries worldwide and manufacturing in Europe, North America, the Middle East and China. Low & Bonar uses its own manufacturing technologies to create yarns, fibers, industrial and coated fabrics, geosynthetics and composite materials serving the building, agricultural, industrial, architecture, geosynthetics, construction, infrastructure, transportation, flooring and decoration market sectors.

In 2015, nonwovens growth was driven by increasing demand for modular tile flooring worldwide as well as recovery of the automotives market. “Across our different businesses, growth is driven by different factors,” Gareth Kaminski-Cook, group director, strategy, sales & marketing, says. “In the flooring and automotive business Colback  has the leading niche market positions; the contract commercial and industrial and housing markets are recovering and showing good progress in all regions. Additionally we’ve executed on our promise to the market to be closer to our customers and have expanded geographically in Changzhou, China with a state of the art Colback facility.”

Meanwhile, in the building industry, Colback engineered nonwovens can be tailored to suit specific processes and requirements which makes it the preferred nonwoven for a wide range of producers of niche applications. In Europe, continuously growing transportation networks and urbanization trends has led to more infrastructure work.

The company’s production facilities are based in Belgium, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, the U.K., the U.S. and through joint ventures in China and Saudi Arabia. In June, Low & Bonar announced it would expand its global footprint with the establishment of a new factory in Changzhou, China dedicated to making the company’s Colback technology, which will serve the growing carpet tile backing and automotive backing markets in Asia. The investment was reported at $26 million, spread over the next two years. Changzhou was chosen as the hub of the company’s Asian business because several of its major flooring customers already have manufacturing facilities in the region and are already producing products tailored to local requirements, which will be key to building market share.

“We believe in the potential that the Asian market offers, when we connect that to our ambition to expand geographically and the trust that we have in the value propositions that our technologies can offer it is a logical step to invest in this region,” Kaminski-Cook says. “The new investments allow us to better serve our customer base in the region and deliver on our promise to enable our customers to excel, distinguish and differentiate by leveraging the best of our global capabilities.”

Low & Bonar recently confirmed that the next stage of its Chinese investment—a second Colback line—will be commercialized at the end of 2017. This investment  supports not only growth in China and Asia but also in North America, Europe and the Middle East.

Globally, growth for Low & Bonar geosynthetics continues to be around 5% per year. Looking ahead, non-building construction expenditures as well as continued market penetration in construction and transportation infrastructure applications as a growing number of builders, planners and other designers are adopting the use of geotextiles.

“We believe in nonwovens technologies to bring real added value solutions to our customers,” Kaminski-Cook says. “We do have unique technologies and a track record of understanding customer needs and translating that into new solutions.”

He believes that nonwovens will continue to gain use at the expense of traditional geotechnical solutions (layers of soil and rock aggregates, poured concrete, and precast concrete forms). “These geotextiles offer multiple performance advantages over the classical products,” he says.

Plants: Belgium (Lokeren and Zele); Germany (Gross Ippener and Obernburg); Hungary (Tiszaújváros); the Netherlands (Arnhem and Emmen); USA (Asheville NC); joint ventures in China (Jiangsu) and Saudi Arabia (Yanbu).
Processes: Extruded, spunbond, thermal bonded and specialties, needlepunched staplefiber, woven, 3-dimensional polymeric mats   Brands Adfil; Bontec; BonarAgro, Colback; Enka Solutions (a.o. Enkamat, Enkadrain, Enkagrid, Enka-Spacer, Enka-Channel, EnkaRetain & Drain); Tipptex; Xeroflor.
Major Markets: Agro, building, civil engineering, construction, flooring, filtration, industry, interior, roofing, transportation

Bonar is  a combination of the former Colbond business and Bonar Technical Fabrics, two companies owned by Low & Bonar, which merged under one brand name, Bonar, in January 2013. The merger, according to executives, leverages the company’s successful European business and expertise in other regions and this organizational change is designed to accelerate this development and put it on a clear path to globalization.

Bonar serves the agro, building, civil engineering, construction, flooring, filtration, interior, industrial, roofing and transportation sectors through five companies: Bonar, with operations in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the U.K. and the U.S.; Bonar Geosynthetics in Hungary; Bonar Xerofl in Germany; Yihua Bonar in China; and Bonar Natpet in Saudi Arabia.

The company’s production facilities are based in Belgium, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, UK, the U.S. and through joint ventures in China and Saudi Arabia. In June, Low & Bonar announced it would expand Bonar’s global footprint with the establishment of a new factory in Changzhou, China dedicated to making the company’s Colback technology, which will serve the growing carpet tile backing and automotive backing markets in Asia. The investment was reported at $26 million, spread over the next two years. Changzhou was chosen as the hub of the company’s Asian business because several of its major flooring customers already have manufacturing facilities in the region and are already producing products tailored to local requirements, which will be key to building market share.

In addition to Asia, North America continues to be an area of interest for Bonar and the company continues to operate a U.S. facility in Enka, NC. Additionally, its joint venture in Saudi Arabia, Bonar Natpet with the National Petrochemical Industrial Company (NATPET) was completed in late 2013. This joint venture supplies geotextiles to the fast growing Middle East and Indian subcontinent civil engineering markets and has expanded the company’s scope in this region.

Plants: Belgium (Lokeren and Zele); Germany (Gross Ippener and Obernburg); Hungary (Tiszaújváros); the Netherlands (Arnhem and Emmen); USA (Asheville NC); joint ventures in China (Jiangsu) and Saudi Arabia (Yanbu).
Processes: Extruded, spunbond, thermal bonded and specialties, needlepunched staplefiber, woven, 3-dimensional polymeric mats
Brands: Adfil; Bontec; BonarAgro, Colback; Enka Solutions (a.o. Enkamat, Enkadrain, Enkagrid, Enka-Spacer, Enka-Channel, EnkaRetain & Drain); Tipptex; Xeroflor.
Major Markets: Agro, building, civil engineering, construction, flooring, filtration, industry, interior, roofing, transportation

Sales continued to rise at Bonar, clocking in at $407 million in 2013, driven by increases in building products and agriculture sales due to abnormal weather patterns in Europe.

The company is a combination of the former Colbond business and Bonar Technical Fabrics, two companies owned by Low & Bonar, which merged under one brand name, Bonar, in January 2013. The merger, according to executives, leverages the company’s successful European business and expertise in other regions and this organizational change is designed to accelerate this development and put it on a clear path to globalization. Bonar serves the agro, building, civil engineering, construction, flooring, filtration, interior, industrial, roofing and transportation sectors through five companies: Bonar, with operations in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the U.K. and the U.S.; Bonar Geosynthetics in Hungary; Bonar Xerofl in Germany; Yihua Bonar in China; and Bonar Natpet in Saudi Arabia.

The company’s production facilities are based in Belgium, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, UK, the U.S. and through joint ventures in China and Saudi Arabia.

In June, Low & Bonar announced it would expand Bonar’s global footprint with the establishment of a new factory in Changzhou, China dedicated to making the company’s Colback technology, which will serve the growing carpet tile backing and automotive backing markets in Asia. The investment was reported at $26 million, spread over the next two years

“China is the fastest growing of our target markets within the interior and transportation business unit, accounting for one-third of the global demand for floor covering,” explain Jos Waltmans, manager communications. “It is also a high-growth market for car filtration and, with a huge investment in infrastructure, an important potential market for our civil engineering products.”

Changzhou was chosen as the hub of the company’s Asian business because several of its major flooring customers already have manufacturing facilities in the region and are already producing products tailored to local requirements, which will be key to building market share, Waltmans adds.

In addition to Asia, North America continues to be an area of interest for Bonar and the company continues to operate a U.S. facility in Enka, NC. Additionally, its joint venture in Saudi Arabia, Bonar Natpet with the National Petrochemical Industrial Company (NATPET) was completed in late 2013. This joint venture supplies geotextiles to the fast growing Middle East and Indian subcontinent civil engineering markets and has expanded the company’s scope in this region.

In new product news in late 2013, Bonar introduced its latest Colback innovation—Colback ProFloor. It uses bicomponent fiber technology for producing a primary backing material with improved stitch holding for tufted commercial carpets. Carpet backing materials currently account for about 19% of Bonar’s total sales.

The same fiber technology, combined with its bonding process, delivers improved stability in commercial tile processes. The resulting tiles show lower up curl results and improved dimensional stability.

Bonar says Colback ProFloor delivers even greater benefits during carpet manufacture and service life. Its stable filament network is based on a new polymer composition that delivers softer tufting, improved stitch holding and optimum dimensional stability of the finished carpet.

Also benefitting its business is its strong commitment to being green including its Colback Green, a carpet backing material made of 100% sustainable raw materials. It contains post-consumer recycled polyester and polyamide-6 generated from carpet waste.

Waltmans says that many of his company’s products have an environmentally friendly profile.

“Some of our customers in the buildings and industry sector need to build homes that are more energy efficient and our roofing products can help them do that,” he says. “Our products are important for sustainability in our end markets, for example reducing energy usage in food production, supporting land reclamation for housing expansion, or filtration to improve water and air quality.”

Plants: Belgium (Lokeren and Zele); Germany (Gross Ippener and Obernburg); Hungary (Tiszaújváros); the Netherlands (Arnhem and Emmen); USA (Asheville NC); joint ventures in China (Jiangsu) and Saudi Arabia (Yanbu).
Processes: Extruded, spunbond, thermal bonded and specialties, needlepunched staplefiber, woven, 3-dimensional polymeric mats
Brands: Adfil; Bontec; BonarAgro, Colback; Enka Solutions (a.o. Enkamat, Enkadrain, Enkagrid, Enka-Spacer, Enka-Channel, EnkaRetain & Drain); Tipptex; Xeroflor.
Major Markets: Agro; Building; Civil Engineering; Construction; Flooring; Filtration; Industry; Interior; Roofing; Transportation.

During 2012 Low & Bonar, a multinational group of producers and suppliers of performance technical textiles operating worldwide merged its two major businesses within its Performance Technical Textiles division: Colbond and Bonar Technical Fabrics.

In January 2013, the merged business was rebranded ‘Bonar’. Bonar’s goal is to leverage its successful European business and expertise in other regions and this organizational change is designed to accelerate this development and put it on a clear path to globalization.

During the year the division increased its capabilities, particularly in sales and marketing, and the company says this will also be a feature of the coming year as it invests in resources to build a more effective, globally present business.

Bonar serves the agro, building, civil engineering, construction, flooring, filtration, interior, industrial, roofing and transportation sectors through five companies: Bonar, with operations in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the U.K. and the U.S.; Bonar Geosynthetics in Hungary; Bonar Xerofl or in Germany; Yihua Bonar in China; and Bonar Natpet in Saudi Arabia.

The company’s production facilities are based in Belgium, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, UK, U.S. and through joint ventures in China and Saudi Arabia.

Total turnover of Bonar in 2012 was $379 million. Results were in line with the company’s expectations and growth was achieved in all segments.

Underlying sales to the building products, flooring and industrial sectors, which together represent more than 50% of sales, all grew strongly. Building products advanced 15%, including a maiden contribution from the Xerofl or acquisition, which contributed approximately half of this improvement. Growth in the U.S. was reported strong, supported by a modest recovery in the residential housing market and new product introductions, while sales in Europe were mixed.

Bonar reported that a strong performance in niche sectors, notably green roofing, more than offset a softening in demand for more traditional commercial building roofing products. The flooring sector had another good year, advancing 8%. Sales in the U.S. and Asia grew strongly with European sales stable. The company says sales also continue to benefit from the increasing preference for tiles in commercial flooring installations, with the business also enjoying some success in penetrating new application areas of the flooring market. Sales in the industrial sector improved by 9%, with agrotextile applications the strongest performers. New products were launched in both the screens and groundcover niches and the initiative to build sales outside of the dominant Dutch market was successful.

The civil engineering sector had a mixed year. Underlying sales were at the same level as a strong 2011, which delivered 20% growth. Sales of geotextiles and construction fiber products grew well; however, a reduction in tunneling projects adversely impacted sales of other geosynthetic products. Sales improved markedly from a small base in the U.S. and the company says it is reviewing options to be a more significant player in this region. The European market was tougher, particularly in the second half of the year when demand softened in some construction sectors.

The commissioning, in the coming year, of our geotextile joint venture plant in Saudi Arabia will be a catalyst for accelerating growth in this attractive region. Transportation sales were below target. The recovery in the US market was largely in low- to-midend platforms where our products are not specified and, in Europe, sales suffered from some destocking and premium brand platform transitions.

Bonar seeks to accelerate its expansion into markets, which have the opportunity to grow faster than the global average and build a global business. Geographically these include Asia, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and South America, where industrialization, urbanization, and high infrastructure expenditure are driving growth.

In 2012 Bonar completed its investment in a joint venture, Bonar Natpet, with National Petrochemical Industrial Company (NATPET) in Saudi Arabia. The joint venture will supply geotextiles to the fast growing Middle East and Indian subcontinent civil engineering markets.

The acquisition of Xerofl or in March 2012 has improved the company’s access to the fast growing green roofing market, complementing the range of products that Bonar sells into that market.

Also in terms of future expansion, Asia Pacific is one of the regions high on Bonar’s radar. It opened a sales office in June in Shanghai as well as a distribution warehouse in July.

On the new product front, the Bonar Research, Development & Innovation (RD&I) team has developed a range of flame retardant screens, under the PhormiTex name, to counter the
risk of greenhouse fi res caused by the increased use of electrical equipment to control heating and lighting in greenhouse horticulture. PhormiTex screens combine the proven qualities of Bonar screens with a certified fire performance under German and European standards.

Colback Profloor, an innovative extension to the Colback range, was launched at the 2012 Domotex international flooring trade show in Hanover. Colback Profloor is based on a new polymer composition that eases the creation of complex tuft constructions, thereby improving the appearance of carpets and giving superior dimensional stability to the finished carpet tiles. The product is the result of a significant RD&I program carried out in cooperation with leading carpet tile producers.