Bast Fibre Tech Establishes The First North American Large-Scale Natural Fibre Processing Facility As It Acquires North Carolina Based Lumberton Cellulose LLC From Georgia-Pacific
VICTORIA, BC –January 11, 2022 / Bast Fibre Technologies Inc. (BFT), a manufacturer of premium natural fibres for the global nonwoven and textile industries, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Lumberton Cellulose LLC (LC), a naturalfibre processing facility located in Lumberton, North Carolina from Georgia-Pacific Cellulose LLC.
“Acquiring this state-of-the-art natural fibre processing facility and integrating the great team at Lumberton enables BFT to immediately establish North American manufacturing operations to meet the rapidly growing demand for our sustainable natural fibres”, says BFT CEO and Chairman Noel Hall.
“Following our recent acquisition of German-based fibre processor FVT, this is another key step in our long-term strategy of building significant highquality manufacturing capacity for our global customers supporting our core mission of‘grow local, process local, sell local’.”
The purchase of LC builds on BFT’s existing relationship with Georgia-Pacific.
In February of 2020, BFT licensed a suite of patents relating to the use of bast fibres in a variety of nonwoven products and processes from Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products on a global, exclusive basis.
The LC facility is a highly automated, quality producer of natural fibres for the personal care and hygiene markets. Ideally located to serve BFT’s North American customers, BFT plans to grow and invest in the operation, establishing LC as its flagship U.S. manufacturing site and opening new opportunities and markets for North American hemp and flax growers.
“This acquisition is a key strategic milestone in our mission to build out significant manufacturing capacity while supporting the vast potential of North American grown hemp and flax”, says BFT President Jim Posa. “Lumberton Cellulose is a top producer of quality fibre and with the current infrastructure and excellent, highly experienced team at Lumberton, we expect to significantly expand the facility’s production capabilities over the next few years. This acquisition will play an integral role in supporting North America’stransition away from plastic and manufactured cellulosic fibres and toward a more sustainable future.”
“The Lumberton Cellulose team is excited about the opportunity to join the BFT team and expand our business,” said Chuck Oxendine, Lumberton plant manager.
“This acquisition is agood fit for our employees and our capabilities as we continue supplying current customers including Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products, while growing and building additional bast fibre capacity and creating new customers.”
About Bast Fibre Tech
Bast Fibre Tech produces 100% plant-based, intact natural fibres with the technical and performance requirements for a wide variety of nonwoven applications.
We are working to fill the critical need for sustainable alternatives to man-made fibres.
We start with the seeds of dicotyledon plants - a family of plants containing Bast Fibres - Hemp, Linen, Jute, Kenaf.
We ensure the responsible growth and health of our crops by working with progressive agricultural standards and practices.
With a careful mechanical process, we separate the bast fibres from the surrounding plant matter being sure to maintain the structural integrity of the interior phloem fibres which are critical for absorbency.
Using innovative proprietary processing techniques, we clean, separate and refine the bast fibres.
We apply innovative natural modifications to the fibres including cohesion enhancement, absorbency modulation and custom staple length in order to suit a variety of product applications.
Our products are leading the fibre industry in the transition from synthetic and semi-synthetic materials to intact plant-based, fully compostable alternatives.
