The Sandler team also grew to 710 staff members. With the expansion of the Schwarzenbach location and the contract conclusion for a new nonwovens production site in the USA, 2015 marked the start of a new chapter in Sandler’s history, the company reports.

For Sandler, 2015 was shaped by further development. With its wide product range, the nonwovens manufacturer was able to achieve high levels of capacity utilisation. Nonwoven innovations, the expansion of the Schwarzenbach plant and the establishment of a manufacturing location in the US are expected to drive further growth in the years to come.

Vital markets

Nonwovens are increasingly applied in building and technical insulation, as well as noise reduction in industrial buildings, in the automotive industry and for office design. Their open-pore structure makes them excellent sound insulators, providing a sense of quiet, both at home and amidst the bustle of activity in the office, the company reports.

In 2015, Sandler developed its range of nonwovens for these applications in cooperation with its partners. Among others, the company introduced self-supporting nonwovens for office acoustics, utilised as partition walls or in acoustic furniture.

The filtration industry is a vital market for Sandler and is set to continue gaining importance. Sandler supplies durable, efficient filtration nonwovens for air conditioning systems for residential homes and industrial buildings, and cabin air filters in vehicles. In 2015, Sandler also introduced composite materials made of nonwovens and fibre reinforced plastic for the automotive industry.

Ongoing development

The company’s ongoing development is also apparent at the Schwarzenbach location. A new EUR 17 million production building is taking shape and will house a new production line as of mid-year 2016 to expand the production capacity for hygiene nonwovens and wipes substrates. In total, Sandler will invest EUR 43 million in this new production side.

The Sandler staff is also growing steadily and since growth requires space, the construction of a new administration building also commenced in 2015. Sandler nonwovens will be applied in the interior design and they will help create a quiet, pleasant working environment. Sandler staff will relocate to the new building during the first half of 2016.

Some members of the Sandler team will also relocate in summer 2016, to put the Sandler Nonwoven Corporation in Perry, GA, USA, into operation together with new US colleagues. This will mark a further step as part of the company’s growth strategy, allowing Sandler to make its products available for the US customers.

www.sandler.de