Berry Global to expand disinfectant wipe production
Evansville-based Berry Global Group Inc. (NYSE: BERY) is growing its investment in the disinfectant wipes sector as it continues its global response to the pandemic. The company says it plans to invest $40 million in its European operations to increase the production of nonwoven material used to manufacture hard surface disinfectant wipes.
Last month, the company announced plans to invest $70 million to increase production of the material in the U.S.
“We strategically partner with many of the world’s leading brands with wipe materials, ensuring our investments align with demand for today and for the future. The reliability of our capacity and scale are paramount to our customer support and the trusted relationships we desire to maintain,” said Curt Begle, president of Berry’s Health, Hygiene, and Specialties Division.
Berry says prior to the demand surge of 2020, the European impregnated wet wipes segment for home cleaning and disinfecting was growing at the rate of 5% in the 2014 to 2019 timeframe. But COVID-19 and the need for infection prevention increased demand even further.
The company says the new asset will add to its existing proprietary Spunlace platform, which is used to produce non-woven substrates.
The new line is expected to be commercially available in the September quarter of 2022.