The three countries – descending down the coast on the Baltic Sea opposite Finland and Sweden – all joined the EU together in 2004.
This is now one of the few regions in the EU with a still growing clothing production industry sector – up 50% in Latvia, 24.7% in Lithuania and 22.2% in Estonia between 2000 and 2007 – and a stable conventional textile production industry.
With a population of just over 1.3 million, Estonia is steadily moving towards a modern market economy, greatly influenced by developments in Finland, Sweden, Russia and Germany – its four major trading partners – although it has faltered in the recent recession.
One of the biggest producers of home textile products in the Baltics is Toom Tekstiil, headquartered in Viljandi. At its four Estonian factories it produces 1.5 million polyester and natural fibrefill quilts annually, three million polyester fill pillows and 400,000 mattresses.
Toom’s current nonwoven product range includes needlepunched fabrics for technical uses, including filtration, in weights of 90-1,200 gsm to a maximum width of two metres. Calendering and finishing is employed to enhance perfomance characteristics.Wipes are also made using a special manufacturing sequence and combination of viscose, polypropylene and polyester fibres.
Toom also runs the Dreamland chain of bedding and mattress stores in Estonia.
AS Wendre is another producer of home textiles located in Vändra, established in 1965 to produce various nonwoven materials. For the last decade it has specialised in the production of quilted products, pillows, sleeping bags, mattresses and bedspreads etc. It also produces bonded polyester wadding and a wide range of foam-filled products such as cushions and upholstery parts etc. Around 90% of production is exported, mainly to Western Europe.
The company’s nonwovens of recycled wool, polyamide and polyester are sold to the furniture industry as spring mattress base fabric, and also used as heat and sound insulation and in footwear.
Calendered and thermally bonded and needled materials used in the production of home textiles are also produced by Mivar. Its main converted products are covers for children’s safety seats, covers for chairs and cushions, most of which are exported to Western Europe.
Among other well-known Estonian companies, Mistra-Autex is one of the most modern and cost effective Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers of nonwoven and tufting roll carpet and carpet products in Europe, with automotive customers including Ford, Jaguar and Volvo.
Latvia, meanwhile has a population of 2.3 million, 30% of whom are of Russian origin. Latvia still has a considerable traditional textile industry, which is highly export-oriented, with around 75% of production supplied to other EU member states, primarily Sweden, Denmark and Germany.
Historically based on a small number of giant enterprises, the sector has evolved into a virtual cluster with many newly emerged, flexible and specialised SMEs.
Needlepunched and stitchbonded nonwoven glass mats form part of the product range of JSC Valmieras, which was established in 1963 and is the only producer of glass fibre in the Baltic States. At the start of 2010 the company, which exports over 95% of its products, started up a new furnace for glass production, respresenting an investment of €10.5 million.
Bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia, Lithuania has a population of 3.6 million and its key nonwoven companies are Neaustima Medziagos and Perlas, both based in Siauliai.
With only a small domestic market, Lithuanian textile firms are also highly dependent on exports. After the collapse of their main market, the Soviet Union, in 1991, exports were given a boost in January 1998 when the EU removed all tariffs and quotas on imports. Many companies have also stepped up their exports to the USA in recent years.
