The Innovation & Growth That Defined Us

What a year it’s been! As we wrap up 2023, we can’t help but smile as we reflect on the new milestones and accomplishments we reached. We smashed our annual sustainability goal out of the park, expanded our markets, and, most importantly, grew deeper connections with the ones that make it all possible - our cherished customers.

2023 was an unforgettable year for Universal Fibers®, which is why we’re rounding up our top highlights to commemorate it. 

Sustainability & Carbon Reduction  

Eco-consciousness has been a vital part of our ethos from the start. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce yet another proud achievement this year.

Carbon reduction has been a key focus of ours since the launch of Thrive® back in 2016. We have worked hard to reduce embodied carbon from our materials by at least 10% year over year. It’s been a thorough and intentional process of sourcing responsible ingredients and piloting efficiency-driven projects on both small and large scales.

This September, we were able to celebrate the fruits of our labor when our Thrive® matter nylon 6 and nylon 6,6 products, already the lowest carbon footprint in the industry, were third-party certified by UL® with EPD's verifying carbon footprints of only 1.19kg/CO2 (N6) and 2.28kg/CO2 (N6,6) - carbon rates up to 89% lower than conventional virgin nylon fiber.

With this great accomplishment under our belts, our teams have identified additional projects, and we are more excited than ever to continue innovating and organically reducing our carbon footprint into the new year and beyond.

New Investments in Growth

2023 marked a significant year of growth for us, both domestically and within our global locations. We saw our facility in Bristol, Virginia, expand with new machinery to allow increases manufacturing capacities for our customers throughout North America, and our European facility installed new tri-colour machinery to help serve our European customer base. 

Our continued flexibility in offering diverse products in both Nylon 6 and Nylon 6,6 chemistries have increased the need for our services to meet the market. This expansion allows us to provide our customers with more flexible design options, with multiple polymers, through sustainable, third-party verified processes. We're making it easier to access to our best-in-class service as a one-stop shop for all your fiber needs.

Enhanced Customer Loyalty With YouFirst™

In March, we cemented our customer-centric approach with our YouFirst™ commitment. This company-specific pledge officially marks our dedication to always putting our customers’ unique needs and success first. Since its launch, it has helped us build deeper ties with our existing customers and opened the doors to new collaborations and partnerships. Not only has it brought us enhanced customer loyalty, but it has also helped us bring more unique solutions to the fiber market. 

New Solutions in Natural Yarns

This past Spring, we officially added a new tool to our already vastly diverse product offering with undyed, natural fiber.  This Natural Yarn solution adds another dimension to our versatile collection, allowing designers complete control of color design with a truly “blank canvas”.  Our Natural Yarns are a beautiful complement to our already extensive collection of solution-dyed products.

What We’ve Got In Store…

We couldn’t be more proud of our 2023 accomplishments, which have provided us with an abundance of motivation for the coming year. We know that 2024 will be epic. We’re fueled with industry insights and already have more events on the horizon, so stay tuned for exciting things in the new year! 

Want to learn more about Universal Fibers® or our 2023 highlights?

Connect with our Team for assistance.