#Nonwovens / Technical Textiles

2025-07-03

CEO of Suominen Corporation changes

Suominen Corporation’s Board of Directors has appointed Mr. Charles Héaulmé, current Chair of the Board, as the company’s new President and CEO. Mr. Héaulmé will start at the latest August 11, 2025.

Mr. Héaulmé brings with him decades of executive leadership experience across various industries. His strategic insight and proven track record in driving performance and transformation have earned the full confidence of the Board to lead Suominen into its next phase of financial improvement and sustainable growth.

Mr. Héaulmé will continue to serve as Chair of the Board until the next Annual General Meeting of Suominen 2026. He will step down from his position as a Chair and member of the Personnel and Remuneration Committee of the Board of Directors as of today.

The Board of Directors of Suominen Corporation and Mr. Tommi Björnman, have mutually agreed that Mr. Björnman will step down from his position as the President and CEO. Mr. Janne Silonsaari, currently Chief Financial Officer, has been appointed as interim President & CEO, effective June 30, 2025.

“We thank Mr. Björnman for his dedication and leadership during his tenure,” says Andreas Ahlström, Deputy Chair of the Board of Suominen. “Under his guidance, Suominen has continued to focus on its vision to be the frontrunner for nonwovens innovation and sustainability.”

“The past two years at Suominen have been both challenging and rewarding. I am proud to see that we have elevated commercial excellence, sustainability, and innovation to the next level,” says Tommi Björnman.

“I am honored to step into the CEO role at a pivotal time for Suominen. I look forward to working closely with our talented team to build on the company’s strong foundations, drive sustainable growth, and deliver long-term value to our shareholders, customers, and communities,” says Charles Héaulmé.

Suominen reports decline in sales and earnings – Cost savings program and leadership change to drive recovery

Finnish nonwovens manufacturer Suominen Corporation has reported a noticeable drop in both revenue and profitability for the first half of 2025, reflecting a challenging global trade environment, particularly the impact of recent U.S. tariffs, as well as persistently high energy and raw material costs.

Highlights from Suominen’s successful Innovating in Sustainability Seminar in Italy

Suominen hosted its Innovating in Sustainability Seminar in Arona, Italy, on March 19–20, 2025. The event brought together around 50 professionals from across the nonwovens value chain, creating a vibrant platform for in-depth discussions, knowledge sharing, and valuable networking. The seminar was met with overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants.

Suominen reports moderate improvement in comparable EBITDA for full-year 2024

Suominen Corporation has released its financial statements for the full year 2024, reporting a moderate improvement in comparable EBITDA despite ongoing market challenges. The company's performance was driven by higher sales volumes, although lower raw material costs led to a decline in average selling prices.

ANDRITZ sets focus on textile recycling and durable nonwoven production technologies at ITMA Asia 2025

International technology Group ANDRITZ will be presenting its innovative nonwovens production and textile solutions at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025 in Singapore, from October 28 to 31, 2025 (Hall 2, D106). ANDRITZ will showcase its MMCF production plants, textile sorting and recycling, bast fiber processing, needlepunch, airlay, and life-cycle service technologies, with a focus on sustainable solutions. Discover how these innovations can grow your business opportunities and support a greener future.

OUTLOOK™ 2025: Charting a sustainable and innovative future for the Nonwovens Industry

EDANA concluded its flagship event, OUTLOOK™ 2025, last week, marking it as a major success and addressing the biggest questions facing the industry. The three-day conference highlighted the urgent need for a unified approach to sustainability, regulation, and innovation in the absorbent hygiene and wipes sectors.

Global Nonwovens Alliance unveils Inaugural Board, advancing collaboration and growth worldwide

The Global Nonwovens Alliance (GNA), a tax-exempt federation jointly founded by INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, and EDANA, the Voice of Nonwovens, announces the appointment of its founding Board of Directors. This group of leaders represents some of the most influential executives across the nonwovens value chain and reflects GNA’s mission to foster global collaboration, innovation, and growth in the industry.

Compact, powerful, cost-efficient – KARL MAYER launches its HKS 2-SE TWO

KARL MAYER is launching a new two-bar tricot machine for the elastic sector at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025. This newcomer is called HKS 2-SE TWO, stands for double customer benefits, and offers even more advantages than the predecessor model. With this innovation, the leading textile machinery company is once again asserting its top position in the market.

VDMA members at ITMA ASIA + CITME in Singapore

With 69 exhibiting member companies, ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025 is once again marked by a strong presence of VDMA companies. Altogether 82 companies from Germany will exhibit at the show, covering about 3,500 square meters of exhibition space, topped only by China and Italy. VDMA initiated a German Pavilion with two group stands (spinning in hall 4 and finishing in hall 7) with a total of 30 exhibitors.

Marzoli unveals its new textile ecosystem at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025 at Singapore

With the claim “Designed to Impact”, Marzoli showcases its evolution into a complete engineering company for the textile industry. By combining advanced machinery, digital intelligence, science of materials and innovative services, the company enables textile manufacturers unlock new business opportunities, and accelerate their path to innovation and differentiation.