Wipe market stays smooth this year
By Lisa van der Pool -- Purchasing, 7/15/1999 6:00:00 AM
A tug-of-war in the industrial wipe market has snapped in the middle and caused demand to remain flat this year. The conflict is between shrinking demand in industries that are becoming more automated and consequently self-cleaning, such as the drilling industry, and growing demand in the food service market, in which there is an increased need for cleanliness and sanitation due to the E-coli crisis.
Pulp & Paper forecaster, a bimonthly analysis of the pulp, paper and paperboard industry, confirms this conclusion, noting that the away-from-home tissue business (the industrial sector) "continues to face weak demand. The fourth-quarter volume sales in 1998 are down with prices declining slightly. The commercial and industrial tissue business is expected to continue facing competitive conditions and pricing going into 1999."
As demand stays at an even level, so too will prices. ""Everyone hopes for a slight increase, but in general prices will remain the same," says Susan Henshaw, market manager of the non-woven products branch of Dupont in Tenn.
Market watch: wiping trends
Wipe manufacturers cater to many types of industries and customer needs by creating wipes to carry out a variety of different tasks. Pop-up cartons serve the mobile user, lab workers use special glass wipers and those in the dairy industry can purchase special wipes compatible with cow udders.
As with any product, wipes have become highly evolved, becoming safer, more convenient and more effective over the years. Dupont has developed Sontara EC (registered trademark) an engineered cloth wiper used for heavy-duty maintenance in railroads, trains and machine shops.
Sontara has been designed to prevent metal shavings from sticking to it making it less hazardous to users. The wipes are manufactured with no glue, binder fiber or resins, just a cellulose material and polyester--the cellulose is what makes it absorbent.
A strong need for squeaky-clean surfaces and disposable convenience is a dominant trend in the wiping arena. "The majority of wipe users want to take something new right out of the box," says Henshaw. "Younger workers want cleaner products. They don't want to use old clothing. At the same time companies have more critical cleaning needs and can't afford to have residues, which can linger on old wipes," says Henshaw.
"Our wipes are very strong and cloth-like, but have the advantage of disposability," says Henshaw.
"The wipes can be used two or three times-it's a good opportunity as opposed to using rags."
The news for buyers is that supply will be strong in the coming year. "Supply will be very good next year," says Henshaw. "We have a new plant in Asturias, Spain. That plant is beginning to produce new products. In the states we were oversold."
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