Bouckaert Industrial Textiles (BIT), Woonsocket, R.I. — a manufacturer of nonwoven roll goods for thermal and acoustical insulation, specialty filtration, automotive and industrial markets among other end products — has purchased a 3.4-meter-wide air-lay line from France-based Laroche and Italy-based TechnoPlants S.r.l. The $3 million investment — the largest investment in the company’s 28-year history — will produce 8 million to 10 million pounds of material per year and will add 15 new jobs.
The delivery and installation began in January 2017 and the line is expected to be operational some time in April primarily manufacturing nonwovens for thermal and acoustical insulation markets. Additional capacity will be tailored to specialty filtration and conveyor belting products.
“We originally looked into bringing on this capacity due to our current client’s growing business and requests for material we could not supply with our current lines,” said Max Brickle, president, BIT. “It was this desire to support our client’s needs that really made the decision.”
January/February 2017
