Bonar Technical Fabrics NV— a Belgium-based producer of woven and nonwoven fabrics for geotextile and agrotextile applications, and a part of United Kingdom-based performance materials manufacturer Low & Bonar Plc — and National Petrochemical Industrial Co. (Natpet) — a producer of polypropylene (PP) resin, and a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia-based investment company Alujain Corp. — have purchased a nonwoven production line from France-based NSC nonwoven for their joint venture (JV) company in Saudi Arabia. The state-of-the-art line has a 6-meter working width and includes the Asselin-Thibeau IsoProDyn® control system and the A.C.S. system for high-speed crosslapping, among other carding and needling equipment. NSC nonwoven reports the line is the fourth Bonar has purchased that is equipped with the Asselin-Thibeau ProDyn® system.

Bonar and Natpet's JV will produce geotextile products for the fast-growing civil engineering markets in the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. The companies have built a new manufacturing plant at a site located near Natpet's PP production facility in western Saudi Arabia. The NSC nonwoven line will be installed at the plant in early 2012 and production is expected to commence in mid-2012.

June 21, 2011