Vita develops FR portfolio
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, January 25, 2004
HIGH POINT — Vita Nonwovens USA, a supplier to the mattress industry that includes fire-resistant products in its portfolio, is riding a strong growth trend.
The company, based here, is part of British Vita PLC, a $1.5 billion company that provides a range of products based on the chemistry and versatility of polymers such as foam, plastics and nonwovens. It has more than 100 manufacturing sites in 21 countries and serves categories including the furniture and bedding, transportation, building and construction and medical fields.
With a powerful parent like that, Vita Nonwovens USA has the resources to meet its growing customer base, which includes blue-chip customers like BMW, Ford, General Motors, Honda and Nissan in the automotive field, as well as a number of significant producers in the home furnishings industry, where it first put down roots.
Vita Nonwovens has added four new technical production lines in the last five years, spending tens of millions of dollars in the process.
"We've invested in excess of $11 million in the last two years alone to be a leader in technical nonwovens, including FR products," said Alan Ball, the British-educated president and chief executive officer of Vita Nonwovens.
Vita is planning to serve the mattress, top-of-bed and upholstered furniture markets with its nonwoven FR technology, Ball said.
"We have a commitment to the home furnishings industry to meet its needs today and in the future," he added.
Vita's FR mattress products are fire barriers it is marketing under the Vita Safe banner. Vita Safe is a family of FR nonwoven barriers, which the company says are uniquely designed to increase protection from small open flames. The products consist of a proprietary blend of fibers that offer inherent FR properties, inhibit fire, retard flames, and form a char to reduce heat penetration, according to the company. It adds that the barriers maintain comfort while achieving FR compliance, are non-toxic and non-irritating, and are available in a range of weights and lofts.
One of the fibers used by Vita is Basofil, an inherently flame-resistant fiber that is being utilized by a number of FR suppliers.
Vita Safe barriers have helped mattresses "easily" pass California's mattress flammability standards, Ball said.
Vita Nonwovens works with its customers to engineer the products they need, Ball noted. The company has the ability to engineer specific solutions, part of its customer-focused business philosophy, he said. It offers "systems-based solutions," and has the quality systems in place to ensure the integrity of its products.
The supplier has "production capacity available today" to meet bedding producers' FR needs, Ball said. The company also has the financial backing to increase its capacity, if necessary, he said.
Vita is already well positioned to supply FR mattress barriers, according to company officials.
"We can supply a significant portion of the industry without adding capacity," said Gary Rawlings, Vita's commercial development manager.
Vita's FR products will be produced at three of the company's four U.S. facilities. The company's biggest plant is located at 2215 Shore St. in High Point. Other plants are located in San Antonio, Texas' Fort Wayne, Ind.; and Tupelo, Miss.
British Vita has been supplying FR nonwoven products employing a similar technology to the European market for more than a decade. But Ball noted that Vita Nonwovens is "continually re-engineering its products, and that process will continue."
As part of its FR research, Vita Nonwovens has developed a unique burn test that it is using to test the performance of its products, and to zero in on the best-performing materials.
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Vita develops FR portfolio
Jan 29, 2004
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