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The French textile machinery manufacturers will, once again, exhibit at ITM from May 29 to June 1, 2013 in Istanbul.
We have interviewed Mrs. Evelyne CHOLET, the Secretary General of UCMTF, the association which groups about 30 French textile machinery manufacturers designing, producing and serving state of the art machinery for producers of apparel textiles, home textiles (including the carpet industry) and technical textiles (including nonwovens). France is the 6th largest exporter of textile machinery with annual exports of nearly 1.2 billion USD.
How do you consider the 2013 session of ITM?
The 2012 session has been extremely positive for our companies and 2013 with the synergy of the three fairs, ITM Texpo Eurasia 2013 Fair, Hightex 2013 and the 10th International Istanbul Yarn Fair will certainly be a new major textile event. Our exhibitors are of course particularly interested to have one more occasion to meet their customers and prospects from all over Turkey, from the Middle-East and North African countries.
How important is your markets in Turkey?
The Turkish textile industry is a major player in the global textile industry. It is a locomotive for the Turkish industry and your Government supports this growing contributor to Turkish growth. Investments are necessary to produce
more, at competitive prices and at the international standards of quality. Also energy savings can only be achieved with state of the art machinery. Therefore it is not a surprise that Turkey is a major market for the French machinery for the apparel, home textile (particularly the carpet industry) and, more and more, for the technical textile and nonwovens industries. For already a long time, we have considered Turkey as a lead market. Very strong ties with industrialists in Turkey already exist and we consider these industrialists not only as customers but as long time partners.
What is your outlook for the Turkish textile industry?
Most of your textile companies are family owned with long term objectives. This is certainly one of their most important competitive strengths. Therefore, growth opportunities in your country are still considerable as your industrialists stand up the worldwide competition to take advantage of the globalization of the markets.
How do you offer your services in Turkey?
Our strategy is to be local on each particular market. In Turkey, the French machinery manufacturers have their own subsidiaries and local representatives. For example, just recently SUPERBA opened, in Gaziantep, a distribution center to offer immediate availability of original spare parts. Stäubli had already established its own for quite a long time. We regularly organize seminars in Turkey, the latest in Gaziantep in 2012, and we participate in ITM in Istanbul.
For which sectors of the textile industry do you plan new machinery?
For the long fibre spinning industry: new techniques to improve dramatically the quality standards, the operating and maintenance costs, and on line quality controls. The innovating range includes the design of complete lines. For the twisting and texturing of yarns: the opportunity to develop high-tech yarns for traditional and technical applications. Heat setting processes: new functionalities to yarns, for the carpet industry particularly. Jacquard machines and dobbies developments: feasible spectacular increases in the speed of the production processes together with higher quality and more reliability. Nonwovens: In this fast growing sector, each production process is very specific. The French machinery manufacturers are organized to find solutions for each application. Dyeing: consistency improvements together with energy and water savings Air conditioning of textile plants is a major factor of productivity; the French machinery is at the pinpoint of innovation. Recycling the textile materials at the end of their life cycle and transform them into new products, being environmentally friendly, is also an issue on which the French machinery manufacturers are among world leaders.
For all these sectors, we are less and less offering standard machines but tailor made solutions designed with our customers and partners to enable these customers to introduce new products with high added value and compete successfully in their own national market and in the open world.
Are the machines you offer energy efficient?
Energy savings are not just a fashion or a “politically correct” attitude but a real “must” both from ethical and economical points of views. For many years now, this idea has been embedded in the French manufacturers’ strategies. They report that their customers appreciate this approach and compare very precisely the investment costs with the financial returns of the energy savings. The textile and technical textiles producers of apparel, home textiles and technical textiles are extremely sensitive to energy savings all over the world even though the price of energy is quite different from one country to another and their cost structures depend on the relative prices of manpower, energy and investments. One thing is quite clear, durable development can only be achieved if the desire to be a good citizen is compatible with the returns on investments. We have very good examples to show the very quick return on investments of our machines.
How was 2012 for the French machinery manufacturers?
In 2012, our business has come back to the best levels achieved before the economic crisis which mainly hit Europe and the Americas in 2008. Of course, since then the geography of our business has continued to move to such countries as yours and further East, particularly to China and India. We have very strong ties in the Middle-East countries and look forward to new investments in such countries as Iran and Syria when it will become feasible again. In North Africa, as French companies we have very close connections, for example, we are planning a seminar in Algeria end of this year. I am happy to report that the turnover achieved by our companies was very good in 2012 and the orders received even better. The only drawback being the longer delivery delays.
Which are your main goals for 2013 and beyond?
Innovation and service. Innovation is in our DNA. Remember the illustrious name of JACQUARD, the French inventor of the most sophisticated weaving technology! Our companies invest a lot of energy and money to innovate but always in close connection with the needs of our customers. We are also working hard to offer such services as quick assistance, spare parts availability, special design, consulting services in such sectors as safety rules and energy savings. We can only continue to grow if our customers grow and have good returns on their investments. Our strategy is to be our customers’ long term partners. We also want to be the partners of the textile media which is a very important tool to help our customers analyze the main trends of the industry.
Informative article! Commonly textile machineries are periodically maintained. The defect arising part should be replaced with suitable spare part. Textile spares have to be carefully chosen with quality.
Informative article! Commonly textile machineries are periodically maintained. The defect arising part should be replaced with suitable spare part. Textile spares have to be carefully chosen with quality.