Country’s chancellor tours new PPE company, Hygiene Austria

Posted May 20, 2020

WIENER NEUDORF, Austria – The new company Hygiene Austria LP GmbH, recently founded by the tradition-steeped companies Lenzing AG and Palmers Textil AG, has once again called attention to itself after about a month of existence.

Following the successful launch of the production of mouth-nose protective masks in Austria, Hygiene Austria commenced manufacturing FFP2 masks and mouth-nose protective masks for children. 

For the first time, Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz personally took a closer look at production operations within the context of a visit to the facility this Tuesday morning. The Austrian chancellor visited Hygiene Austria together with Christine Aschbacher, Federal Minister of Labor, Family and Youth.

“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,” said Chancellor Kurz. “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.”

The company Hygiene Austria

Lenzing AG and Palmers Textil AG joined forces to establish Hygiene Austria LP GmbH, in which Lenzing AG holds a 50.1 percent stake and Palmers Textil AG 49.9 percent. 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 mouth-nose protective masks and FFP2 masks.

“Due to the great demand for mouth-nose protective masks, we just expanded the product portfolio to encompass colorful masks for children,” Stefan Doboczky, CEO of Lenzing AG, announced during the tour of the manufacturing plant.

These masks are particularly important for children in the light of their current return to school.

Aschbacher welcomed this news and the general entrepreneurial spirit while visiting the production facility.

“The fact that a company creates 100 new jobs in the middle of the crisis is a special achievement, for which I would like to sincerely thank the companies Lenzing AG and Palmers Textil AG,” Aschbacher said.

“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,” said Tino Wieser, a member of the Board of Palmers Textil AG.

Source: Lenzing