SWM CELEBRATES 20 YEARS AND LAUNCHES NEW MICRO WEBSITE
TO PROMOTE DIVERSIFICATION EFFORTS THROUGH ITS LEAFLAB
ALPHARETTA, GA, November 19, 2015 -- SWM INTL (NYSE: SWM), a leading global provider of highly engineered solutions and advanced materials for a variety of industries, marks its 20-year anniversary this month. According to SWM's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Frédéric Villoutreix, "I am honored to celebrate this milestone with SWM. Over the last 20 years, not only have we enlarged our global footprint, but we leveraged our fiber-based expertise and technologies to position the company as a leader in high-performance engineered solutions, offering a range of attractive applications. On behalf of the entire management team, I want to thank our customers and investors for their trust and support over the years. Additionally, our appreciation goes to the thousands of SWM employees who have made the growth and success of the company possible, through their commitment to world-class service, quality and performance."
Since spinning off from Kimberly-Clark in 1995, SWM has grown its world-wide presence, product portfolio and leadership position thanks to the company's considerable technical expertise, patented technologies and manufacturing capabilities. In recent years, SWM initiated a transformative vision to diversify and accelerate its growth strategy, with strategic acquisitions in adjacent, complementary industries and with increased focus on organic growth opportunities. In 2013, SWM acquired DelStar Technologies, a world-leading manufacturer of thermoplastic nets, nonwovens, laminates, and extruded components, and added two asset acquisitions to DelStar in 2014. In late October 2015, SWM finalized its most recent acquisition of Argotec, a global leader in the polyurethane film industry. "Argotec is another key milestone in the transformation of SWM and the continued building of our non-tobacco business. Argotec, like DelStar, is a technology and quality leader in resin-based rolled goods with a strong competitive position," Villoutreix commented.
Another example of SWM's transformation is evident in its Advanced Fibers and Materials team's launch of a new micro website for SWM's LeafLAB. The LeafLAB team applies SWM's considerable in-house R&D capabilities, reconstitution expertise, and manufacturing resources in Le Mans, France and Ancram, New York to commercialize new, botanically based products primarily outside of the tobacco industry. The website is currently targeted to beverage, packaging and cosmetic manufacturers and is designed to provide information on SWM's expanding capabilities and products, ideally suited for their industries. According to Executive Vice President Don Meltzer of SWM's Advanced Materials & Structures group, "I am pleased to announce this targeted web site, but more importantly, I am encouraged by the innovative work we are doing and the progress our LeafLAB team is making to bring fresh product concepts to market. Applying our patented technologies and manufacturing assets outside of SWM's traditional markets gives us the valuable opportunity to introduce SWM's world-class capabilities to a whole new customer base. It is exciting to see the increasing momentum of our LeafLAB team and the positive interest we are receiving in these market segments."
"The work we are doing through LeafLAB is quite revolutionary," says Fabrice Werner, Vice President of SWM's Advanced Fibers & Materials group. "Our technologies and considerable expertise enable us to take fibers from a variety of raw plant materials and transform them into botanically rich products that are highly concentrated with natural essence and can be used in a variety of applications. For instance, our patented Cocoa PaperTM, made from reclaimed cocoa husks opens a new world of distinctive food packaging possibilities, while providing a value-add use for cocoa by-products. In the same spirit, our InFuzeTM tea material provides fast infusion options in unique delivery formats for hot or cold beverages. The sheer variety of botanicals that we can transform gives manufacturers wide-open opportunities to distinguish themselves through memorable brand experiences."
About SWM
SWM is a leading global provider of highly engineered solutions and advanced materials for a variety of industries. Historically, SWM primarily served the tobacco industry, which remains a key focus. However, SWM also manufactures specialty papers for other applications and is executing a strategic transformation to diversify its product portfolio. SWM's Advanced Materials & Structures segment, which focuses on resin-based rolled goods, includes DelStar Technologies, acquired in 2013, Argotec in late 2015, and other recent acquisitions. These acquisitions expanded the company's product portfolio and end segments served to include filtration, medical and specialty industrials. SWM and its subsidiaries conduct business in over 90 countries and employ approximately 3,000 people worldwide, with operations in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, Spain, Luxembourg, Brazil, Canada, Poland and China, including two joint ventures. For further information, please visit SWM's Web site at www.swmintl.com and the LeafLAB site at www.leaflab.com.
Media inquiries, please contact:
Linde Miscio, Corporate Communications Director
+1-770-569-4328 or 1-800-514-0186
Manufacturers interested in LeafLAB products, please contact:
Cédric Rousseau, Director of LeafLAB
+33 (0)2 43 47 42 71