Formal opening of new Lycra factory in China
Fibre solutions provider the Lycra Company has officially opened a new spandex production facility in China. The new factory, which is located in Yinchuan in the northern province of Ningxia, will be Lycra’s largest spandex production facility.
The company said this milestone underscored its continued investment in the Chinese market and highlighted its commitment to developing localised supply and distribution networks while also advancing what it called “smart manufacturing upgrades”. It has worked with local investment groups on this project and put the total investment at a figure of around $110 million.
In its initial phase, the new plant will add 30,000 tonnes of spandex production capacity, generating an annual output of more than $140 million per year and create around 500 jobs.
Looking ahead, capacity is expected to increase to 120,000 tonnes per year. Lycra said this was to address growing demand for high-quality spandex across China and the Asia-Pacific region, while enabling “faster, more flexible supply chain solutions”.
This is the company’s second production site in China. Chief executive, Gary Smith, said: “China is strategically important, representing more than 50% of global apparel production.”
He added that the new factory would make it possible for the company to “optimise our product mix more broadly” while meeting demand for quality spandex.
