Xerium Announces 350 Ton Press Felt Production Expansion

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• Equipment investments in base fabric making, card making, needling, and heat setting
• A centerpiece investment in a new, state-of-the-art DILO needle loom
• Additional production in Xerium's Asian and South American plants.

Xerium notes that it is increasing its capacity in its press felt plants in response to strong global demand from customers for its high-end surface sensitive press felts. This additional capacity will be coming on line beginning in the second quarter of this year and continuing through the fourth quarter of 2014. Xerium says it is "largely capacity constrained with regard to press felt sales growth and, therefore, somewhat hampered in terms of partnering with growing customers, growing areas of the market, and growing regions of the world."

The DILO needle loom is a special machine used in the production of high-end surface sensitive felts. These products are used on paper machines, fiber cement machines used in the production of building products, and general purpose industrial textile machines. The high-speed, high-density needling capabilities of DILO's Hyperpunch machine will expand Xerium's current platform of needling looms used to manufacture its most technologically advanced press felts. The DILO machine is on order.

The company also has reorganized its global machine clothing operations team so that it can optimize outcomes and efficiency across all regions of the world. Xerium has four new leaders in charge of these matters:

• Jürgen Hartmann – based in Germany, VP and Global Operations leader for Forming Fabrics
• Alain Cayer – based in Canada, VP and Global Operations leader for Press Felts
• Jürgen Heiss – based in Germany, director of Global Planning and Scheduling for Forming Fabrics
• Lynn Height – based in the U.S., director of Global Planning and Scheduling for Press Felts.