Turning Point
In 1969, a major step in the Company's development
took place. Facing a potential hostile takeover, Albany Felt Company merged with Appleton Wire Works, the largest U.S. manufacturer of forming fabrics, and
Nordiska Maskinfilt, the leading European clothing supplier to the Scandinavian
paper industry as well as a major exporter to other countries, to become Albany International Corp.
Each of these
companies of Albany International was privately owned, and all held positions of
leadership in their markets and communities. Together, the three companies had a combined 212 years of knowledge and experience. Post-merger, the Company had 6,242 employees, nearly twice the size of Albany Felt's prior to the merger.
Albany International became the first company that had the capability to service all paper machine clothing positions--forming, pressing, drying--on a global basis.
