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INTRODUCING IFG ASOTA’S NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR: SIMON RIEPLER

We are delighted that Simon Riepler has become IFG Asota’s new Managing Director. Starting his journey in the fibre industry in 2004, from working in the quality department at Lenzing AG to now being the Managing Director of IFG Asota. How did this all happen? We interviewed Simon to find out a little bit more about his professional journey so far.

How did this all happen?

Simon began his journey at the University of Applied Sciences in Steyr (studying Production Management) and at Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration (specialising in Entrepreneurship & Innovation) and gaining two Austrian academic degrees in Engineering (2005) and Business Administration (2008).

University and the practical work at different fibre manufacturing companies supplied Simon with an abundance of work experience, as well as extensive knowledge and understanding of technical fibres. So, what is his favourite part about working at IFG?

“Every day you face new challenges that have to be solved. IFG does not restrict me like a big company normally would, I’m free to express myself with creative ideas and watch them come to life.”

We also asked Simon what he would consider his biggest achievement so far:

“The new semi-industrial pilot line and the R&D centre in Linz are by far our biggest achievements recently. When I first came into Asota, a structured R&D process was something businesses needed. In 2021, R&D is one of the main topics of the IFG Group.

IFG are on top of the R&D process in the thermoplastic fibre world and having the R&D centre in Austria has made us so proud. Another achievement to add would be our partnership with different universities and institutes like AMIBM (Maastricht) or TCKT (Wels). This has allowed us to complete many projects together in subject areas such as biopolymer fibres and recycling.

However, the most important factor is the people – the team. Without having the right people in the right positions we would not be where we are today in R&D and Asota in general. Times are very challenging these days in these volatile markets and the Asota team always manage to remain a strong and stable fibre manufacturer.”

How would Simon describe IFG in 3 words?

“Innovative, Sustainable, Entrepreneurial”

Simon is an integral part of our team at IFG. He has a professional relationship with his work colleagues, creating a balance between work and friendship to create a prosperous environment.

“My goal is to work together with the team, from the operator to the background staff, in a professional and friendly way and learn from everyone on how to improve things and expand my perspectives. I feel very connected to the company and its people and I want to lead it into a stable future, combining all stakeholders’ visions from the shop floor to the management as well as I can.”

Simon is an inspirational Managing Director that younger staff can shadow and learn from, here’s to the future!

INTERNATIONAL FIBRES GROUP WILL SEE YOU AT INDEX

After four long years, IFG is thrilled to be attending INDEX™ 2020 in Geneva. In July 2020, the Swiss Federal Council announced that one of the world’s best-known non wovens events can go ahead.

From October 19, more than 700 exhibitors from around the world will flock to visit INDEX20 at Palexpo, Geneva’s Exhibition and Congress Centre. You can find the International Fibres Group exhibiting at stand 4242.

What to expect at INDEX2020

INDEX2020 last took place in 2017. Since then, visitor numbers have grown by more than 10 per cent – showcasing the demand for high-quality non-woven products around the world. At the 2021 event, visitors will see hundreds of exhibitors showing off the latest innovations in non-woven products.

That’s not all. INDEX2020 will also present a learning opportunity for delegates, ideal for beginners and those looking to refresh their knowledge.

To get the best from the event, visitors should plan their seminar visits in advance. All talks are categorised into different sectors:

Non-wovens and sustainability

A hot topic for all industries, these sessions will discuss sustainability strategies and product alternatives for a greener future.

Infection prevention

Arguably one of the most pertinent topics in the industry right now, these sessions will see medical scientists presenting their findings on infection control.

Filtration

The filtration industry continues to pose challenges for non-wovens product developers. In these sessions, sector experts will present their innovations to overcome them.

Smart non-wovens

These seminars will discuss the new innovations in non-wovens specifically for high-performance applications.

Transportation

In this exclusive transportation roundtable, experts will discuss the future of the sector, looking at e-mobility and the rate of transition.

Geosynthetics and environment

Geosynthetics meets sustainability in these key sessions on plastic use, geotextiles and much more.

Come and meet IFG at the INDEX20 networking events

This year’s event promises not only to be full of learning opportunities, but a chance to connect with customers and suppliers. We’re ready to say hello to new prospects and tell you more about our products in the automotive, sports, home, commercial and automotive sectors.

More than 12,000 people are heading to INDEX20 this year, so we’ll aim to speak to as many of you as we can!

Come and see International Fibres Group at Index™ 2020, Palexpo Exhibition and Congress Centre, Geneva, from October 19 to 21. You can find our friendly team on stand number 4242.

MARKET DISRUPTION TO RAW MATERIAL SUPPLY AND TRANSPORTATION

Due to polypropylene shortfalls in the US market, cracker maintenance announced by some major suppliers and disturbances in the global transportation network, we are seeing a general market tightening of polymer availability and increases in transportation costs. This is subsequently having an adverse effect on market supply and demand, resulting in rising costs, market prices and limited availability of polypropylene.

As we move further into 2021, the current global market situation is changing.

While International Fibres Group draw from multiple pre-approved contracted sources of polymers across a range of different suppliers internationally, we are aware that this is a widespread issue affecting the general market and is causing issues in the global distribution of polymer.
As a result, we are experiencing additional demand across some of our production sites. To meet this challenge, we are having to draw on extra polymer resources and pay premiums on transport which in many cases, will affect standard pricing conditions and may influence lead times.
We are currently engaging with our customers on these challenges and to understand their expected requirements through February and March to help us best manage the capacity across our sites and minimize any disruption in the ongoing supply chain.
We thank you for your support and your continued business as we navigate these challenges. If you have any queries or require any further information please contact info@fibresgroup.comYours sincerely,International Fibres Group

JIMMY BROOKES’ 30-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

To celebrate Jimmy Brookes’ 30-year anniversary at IFG, we sat down with him to discuss his journey to become Technical Sales Manager. Having first started on the shop floor in 1990, Jimmy looked for every opportunity to learn about the industry from his colleagues and managers, leaning on their knowledge and expertise to soon become an integral part of the team. Such enthusiasm and hard work led to his first promotion, as he accepted the position of Shift supervisor in April 1996, where he stayed until his next role as Shift Manager in 2004.

After 9 years of organising the team at IFG Drake and ensuring a well-run operation in the factory, Jimmy made the move to Production Manager in 2013 where he was tasked with overseeing the whole production operation.

As part of his new role Jimmy would show customers around the IFG factory and warehouse with a huge sense of pride, knowing that himself and the team have every reasonable precaution in place to keep employees safe and provide the perfect working environment. In 2015 Jimmy was again rewarded for his efforts with a further promotion to Site manager looking after the entire site.
Since February 18’ Jimmy has found himself as part of the office team at IFG, having been given a further promotion to UK Sales Manager.
On his promotion and favourite part of his new role, Jimmy said:“It was time for a change, and I’ve loved moving into the office with the sales guys. Before COVID, my favourite part of the new job was flying abroad and meeting all our clients, I even managed 16 flights in 3 months at one point! It’s so important to provide a great service to our customers and provide a personal touch when entering their facilities, whether that’s learning about their local culture or just the local football team. That personal relationship is quite often the difference between us and our competitors”Jimmy’s story is a true testament to his hard work and eagerness to learn everything he could in his early years at IFG, showing that the pathway is there for anyone currently starting their journey to follow in his footsteps.
Here’s to many more happy years!