Nilit
NILIT Ltd.
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Nylon 6.6 and thermoplastics |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Michel P Levi, Chairman Arie Gottlieb, General Manager |
| Products | Nylon 6.6 yarns, thermoplastics |
Number of employees | 1700 (2011) |
| Website | www.nilit.com |
NILIT Ltd. (Hebrew: נילית בע"מ) is a privately owned, international manufacturer of nylon 6.6 (polyamide) fibers and thermoplastics headquartered in Migdal HaEmek, Israel. NILIT has two divisions. NILIT Fibers specializes in the polymerization, spinning and texturing of nylon 6.6 yarns for textile applications. NILIT Plastics manufactures nylon 6.6, nylon 6, and PBT compounds for injection molding, monofilaments, profile extrusion and film blowing and casting. These plastics are then used to make components of automobiles, consumer goods, medical products and electronics.
History
NILIT Ltd. was founded in 1969 by Ennio Levi, a man who immigrated to Israel with his family from Italy. Construction of the plant began in 1971 in Migdal HaEmek, Israel and production began in 1974 as NILIT became the first Israeli nylon manufacturer.
In 1978, NILIT began polymerization.
In 1981, NILIT began salification.
In 1988, NILIT's 5 denier yarn entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's finest nylon yarn.
In 1995, NILIT founded Euronil Thermoplastics Compounds SpA in Rho Milan, Italy – its first manufacturing facility outside of Israel. Euronil began manufacturing two years later, specializing in flame retardant thermoplastics and internally lubricated plastics. It was later renamed NILIT Plastics Europe S.r.l.
In 1996, Sara Lee Hosiery and NILIT signed a joint venture (today named H.N.F. Ltd – Hanesbrands Nilit Fibers) to produce nylon 6.6 POY yarns for the Hanesbrands apparel line in NILIT's Israeli manufacturing facility. In 2006, Hanesbrands was spun off from Sara Lee to become a stand-alone, publicly held company.
In 2001, Unifi, Inc., a yarn processor, and NILIT signed a joint venture (named U.N.F. Industries Ltd. – Unifi Nilit Fibers) to produce nylon 6.6 POY yarns for texturing in NILIT's Israeli manufacturing facility.
In 2004, Pompea SpA and NILIT signed a joint venture (named P.N.F Ltd) and, in 2006, initiated together a new POY production line located in NILIT's Israeli manufacturing facility.
In 2006, NILIT began a series of acquisitions of manufacturing facilities worldwide. The first was the fibers business of Invista Apparel Europe in 2006. In 2007, NILIT acquired Frisetta Polymer in Germany. The company was then renamed NILIT Plastics Europe GmbH & Co. KG. Finally, in 2009, NILIT acquired Nylstar in Martinsville, Virginia, USA and renamed the facility NILIT America, Inc.
At the same time, NILIT founded two manufacturing facilities in China. It established NILIT Nylon Technologies (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. which began texturing yarns in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China in 2008. A year later, NILIT (Suzhou) Plastics Engineering Co., Ltd. began compounding thermoplastics.
Products
NILIT Fibers produces fine, super fine and mid-denier yarns. These yarns are marketed under many brand names including NILIT EcoCare, NILIT Britex, NILIT Colorwise, NILIT Duelle, NILIT Pastelle, NILIT Arafelle, NILIT BodyFresh, NILIT Aquarius and NILIT Softex. In addition, NILIT is licensed by Invista to manufacture TACTEL, SUPPLEX and CORDURA fibers. End uses of these yarns include hosiery, socks, intimate apparel, bodywear and activewear NILIT Plastics produces plastics made from nylon 6.6, nylon 6, and PBT compounds. The plastics are later used to make parts of appliances, electronics, cars and other consumer goods. NILIT also has a line of flame retardant and internally lubricated plastics. NILIT Plastics products are marketed under the trade names: Polynil, Nilamid, Frianyl, Nilitop, Nilamon and Artex.
Global operations
NILIT operates in more than 70 countries. It has manufacturing facilities in Israel, Germany, Italy, China and the USA. NILIT employs 1700 people worldwide.
NILIT is privately owned. It is run by Michael P. Levi who manages the Levi family companies which include NILIT and MCA Ltd., the sole importer and distributor of Fiat, Lancia, Alfa Romeo and Abarth in Israel.
See also
External links