RKW (Worms / Germany; www.rkw-ag.com) has acquired nonwoven fabrics producer Hydrospun Nonwoven (Halberstadt / Germany). Europe’s largest manufacturer of PE films said the newest member of the group will trade in future as RKW Hydrospun. The acquisition adds spunlaced nonwoven fabrics to RKW’s product portfolio, “giving us access to new applications and new markets,” said CEO Werner Feistkorn.

RKW also has announced a decision to build another production plant for spunlaced nonwovens at its Gronau / Germany site. The facility will have an annual capacity of 5,000 t, and production is expected to get underway in Q2 2008. Thus the company intends to expand its portfolio for the hygiene, medical and the agricultural sectors.