Austria-based manufacturer of man-made cellulose fibres The Lenzing Group has reported continued growth in the first nine months of 2006, which has been largely attributed to positive results in its fibre core business.

Group sales rose by 16.7% to €814.1 million, compared with the comparable period in 2005.

The company’s Textile Fibers and Nonwoven Fibers business units reported strong demand for textile products, reflecting the positive global market situation at present. However, the company highlighted the fact that Lenzing has also continued to gain market share, especially in high-quality fibre applications and fibre blends, as well as brand sportswear and brand lingerie products. Accordingly, the product mix has recently been shifted further towards specialty products with strong margins. The technical textile fibres sector developed well, and the nonwovens sector also began to show signs of recovery, with the company’s Lyocell-based nonwovens continuing positive growth. In spite of this, the price adaptations in this sector were largely absorbed by the strong increase in pulp prices.