The company didn’t immediately release details about the construction timetable or the number of jobs the plant might provide. But it did say that its decision as “supported by the good infrastructure at our Mobile site and attractive energy costs.” The plant is scheduled to begin operations in early 2019.
Tencel fiber is made from wood and used in textiles. The manufacturer describes it as “more absorbent than cotton, softer than silk and cooler than linen,” and touts it as an ecological alternative to synthetic fibers.
Lenzing has owned the Axis site since 2004, when it bought the Tencel group of companies. According to information released Monday by the company, it has a worldwide production capacity of 222,000 tons per year of Tencel fibers and aims to increased that by more than 50 percent in the next two years. The new Mobile-area plant alone will produce 90,000 tons per year.
“This investment represents another major milestone in the implementation of our corporate strategy sCore TEN,” Lenzing CEO Stefan Doboczky said in a company statement. “It will bring us a big step further to reach our target of 50 percent revenue from specialty fibers by 2020.”
Lenzing already manufactures Tencel fiber in Axis, Ala. The company has announced plans to build an additional new plant at its site there. (Courtesy of Lenzing AG)