A large number of spinning lines were shut down in 2009 in response to declining market demand, notes Teijin Aramid, but demand for aramid now appears to be recovering faster than had been predicted in the first quarter of this year.
With the restart of the last spinning line at Emmen, all spinning lines will be operational and production will be at full capacity. The schedule calls for this spinning line to be operational in the last quarter of 2010.
Restarting the production line will take a few months. With the start up of the spinning line some 30 additional employees will be hired.
“Thanks to the rapid recovery we have been able to rehire a number of the temporary personnel we were forced to let go in 2009," says Gert Frederiks, CEO & President of Teijin Aramid. "We want to operate our facilities at their optimum level and improve our position in the world market. At the same time we are realists and continue to keep a close watch on our cash flow and costs.”
Teijin Aramid has adjusted its forecasts for 2010 and 2011 upwards, but continues to see uncertainty in view of the general economic situation.
Teijin Aramid is a subsidiary of the Teijin Group, Japan. Twaron para-aramid fibre is used in a range of composite applications in the marine, sports and leisure, transportation and aerospace markets.