Ahlstrom-Munksjö has signed contracts for civil work and machinery to build a new glass fibre tissue line facility located in Madisonville, Kentucky, US. The construction of the building will start in February 2022. The building and civil works are scheduled to be fully completed in summer 2023. Ahlstrom-Munksjö is a global leader in fibre-based materials.

The location of the new building is next to the existing Ahlstrom-Munksjö production site developing and producing filtration materials for transportation and industrial applications. The $68 million investment is a major step ahead in Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s global growth strategy in glass fibre tissue markets. The new line will produce a full range of glass fibre tissue nonwovens, with a main focus on luxury vinyl tiles and vinyl sheet materials for the flooring industry of North America. The line represents state-of-the-art foam forming glass fibre tissue technology, and the customer deliveries from the new line are expected to start in mid-2023, the company said in a press release.

“The positive progress with this new investment demonstrates our commitment to customers in North America. By expanding our geographical footprint, we will be well positioned to support our customers, today and tomorrow,” Pekka Helynranta, VP glass fibre tissue business, said in a statement.

“Additionally, the investment indicates our significant commitment to Madisonville, Hopkins County, where the creation of more than 50 high quality jobs is extremely positive news for the area,” Willy Bordignon, VP filtration Americas, said.