Lenzing AG and Palmers Textil AG found Hygiene Austria LP GmbH, in which Lenzing AG holds 50.1 percent and Palmers Textil AG 49.9 percent.

The newly founded company will start producing and selling protective masks for the domestic and European markets from May 2020. Over the past few weeks, Lenzing AG and Palmers Textil AG have invested several million euros in a modern production infrastructure at the Wiener Neudorf location and secured the corresponding raw materials for protective masks production. In a first step, the company produces so-called mouth-nose protective masks (MNS) and surgical protective masks of class EN14683.

Hygiene Austria LP GmbH plans to increase its capacities to over 25 mn masks per month over the next few weeks and to expand this business geographically as well. The demand for high-quality MNS and respiratory masks for medical personnel is increasing rapidly, and there is real competition on the international market for these products. In order to sustainably secure domestic supply now and in the future and to strengthen the business location, the two companies Lenzing AG and Palmers Textil AG have now set a milestone with their own competence center for hygiene based in Austria. Hygiene Austria LP GmbH thus makes a significant contribution to combating the Covid-19 pandemic and ensures the long-term supply of these critical goods in Austria in high quality.

Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz visits production plant of Hygiene Austria:

“I am extremely pleased that, since the founding of Hygiene Austria, we can now ensure the supply of mouth-nose protective masks, not only for adults but also for children. This is a further and important contribution towards curbing the Covid-19-pandemic and to the safety of all people in Austria. The coronavirus has shown us how important it is to have companies in Austria and Europe which are capable of producing protective equipment. We will have to have a discussion on a European level about how we will manage to become self-sufficient in key industries in the medical and pharmaceutical sectors.”

Stefan Doboczky, CEO of Lenzing AG:

“Masks will continue to play an important role in our daily lives and we are proud that we were able to achieve our goal of an industrial production so quickly together with our partner Palmers.”

Symbiosis between Palmers and Lenzing Palmers Textil AG and Lenzing AG complement each other perfectly.

Tino Wieser, Member of the Board of Palmers Textil AG:

“We are getting numerous inquiries from companies all over the world which either want to cooperate with us or be supplied by us. This positive feedback confirms our intention to further expand our line of hygienic products in the future together with Lenzing AG based on innovative ideas.”