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KARL MAYER (CHINA), the subsidiary of the renowned KARL MAYER Group celebrated its 25th anniversary. The company-wide event was held in Changzhou. The entire workforce and management representatives from Germany, Hong Kong and Japan – including CEO Arno Gärtner – all took part in the festivities.
Way back when it all began, there was a vision: a belief that China would one day become the world’s most important market, Arno Gärtner recalled when reminiscing about the early days. Building on this belief, WUJIN Textile Machinery Co Ltd was founded in 1995 as a joint venture with a Chinese partner. Just four years later, KARL MAYER acquired all of the shares in the joint venture. Together with NIPPON MAYER, the manufacturer set up KARL MAYER Textile Machinery Ltd as its own entity in Changzhou, and in 2005 formed KARL MAYER (CHINA) Ltd. A phase of continual expansion followed.
In 2011, the production of knitting machines was expanded to include the manufacture of warp preparation equipment and in the following year,
production was expanded again. The latest milestone in the company’s history was the establishment of KM.ON CHINA – a subsidiary of KARL MAYER’s software start-up KM.ON.
“There is no doubt that KARL MAYER’s success over the last 15 years is largely down to KARL MAYER (CHINA),” said Arno Gärtner at the anniversary celebrations.
In order to operate at an even closer proximity to customers in the main Chinese market, the significance of the subsidiary in Changzhou will continue to grow. Over the past 10 years, an enormous capacity for textile production has been established in China. At the moment, however, China’s geopolitical situation has led to slow growth. “As the market leader, we want to be the first to recognise market developments and respond with more innovative solutions offering maximum customer benefit based on buyers’ requirements”, said Arno Gärtner.
Fig. (from left to right, foreground): Yang Zengxing, General Manager of KARL MAYER (CHINA) as well as Arno Gärtner, CEO, and Roland Kohn, member of the extended KARL MAYER management team cut the birthday cake
India is upgrading the leather sector. Over 494 proposals for modernisation, technology upgradation and capacity expansion in leather and leather products manufacturing units have been received. Out of this, 166 proposals have already been approved involving total investments of Rs 285.67 crores. Another 83 proposals involving a total investment of Rs137.02 crores are under final scrutiny and expected to be placed before the competent authority for approval very soon.
Upgradation projects for 11 common effluent treatment plants in Tamil Nadu have already been approved involving a combined total project cost of Rs 506.47 crores. The execution of these sanctioned projects is in full swing during the current fiscal. A new greenfield mega cluster is coming up in Andhra Pradesh in an area of 537 acres. A brownfield project is coming up in Kolkata spread over an area of 108.07 acres. Approval has been given for a new cluster in Maharashtra.
In order to enhance production levels, infrastructure in the existing leather, leather products and footwear clusters will be upgraded. There is a proposal to create new clusters with plug-and-play model of factories in order to attract domestic and foreign investments, considering the huge cost of land for setting up new projects.
San Diego’s Genomatica has produced the first ton of a key ingredient for nylon-6, made from plants instead of crude oil. The bio-based nylon could potentially reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in a $10 billion global industry that churns out more than 5 million tons of nylon-6 each year for carpeting, clothing, car interiors, engineered plastics and food packaging.
Genomatica uses an engineered microorganism and production process to ferment sugars found in plants to make the chemical intermediate for nylon-6. The chemical can then be converted into nylon-6 polymer chips and yarns by Aquafil in Slovenia.
The company’s technology, which was recognised by Time as one of the best inventions of 2019, is underpinned by the process of fermentation. Genomatica uses an engineered microorganism and production process to ferment sugars found in plants to make the chemical intermediate for nylon-6. The chemical can then be converted into nylon-6 polymer chips and yarns by Aquafil in Slovenia.
Welspun believes its flooring business will be a game-changer in India. The business will offer stone polymer composite luxury performance tiles, carpet tiles, wall-to-wall carpets and artificial grass. This will provide convenience and customisation to customers and stakeholders such as contractors and distributors. The company’s flooring plant in Hyderabad is spread over 27 million square meters. The new vertical is expected to generate sales of around Rs 100 crores in the current financial year. The tile market in India is worth Rs 35,000 crores. The flooring business is expected to help Welspun grow in double digits.
Welspun is the world’s largest maker of terry towels. Welspun is going into advanced textiles.The big bet on advanced textiles includes making disposable towels out of non-woven textiles and filters for the auto and power sector. Advanced textiles will broadbase Welspun’s clientele by adding sectors such as auto, healthcare and FMCG. The company is known for bed sheets and towels and has introduced reversible bed sheets and quick-dry towels. It is one of the largest suppliers of home textiles to retailers like Walmart, Costco and others. The company also sells premium licensed brand products like Wimbeldon, Nickelodeon and Disney. Branded products account for 17 per cent of its revenues.
By signing a series of free trade agreements, Vietnam hopes to create a large playing field for its textile and garment enterprises. Among these are: the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) bloc. Vietnam’s fabric and yarn enterprises are waiting for EVFTA to take effect to boost exports to the EU. The agreement stipulates strict requirements of product origin in order to enjoy trade preferences. Textile and garment exports to the EU must be produced with fabrics made in Vietnam, and tailored in Vietnam or Europe. According to the CPTPP, all three production stages of fabric spinning, knitting and completion must be done in a CPTPP country. This requires Vietnam to build a domestic textile and garment material supply chain.
The textile and garment industry is stepping up its sustainable development strategy implementation to meet the requirements of major foreign markets. Manufacturers in the sector have applied advanced science and technology to green the industry, apart from training human resources.
Vietnam’s earnings from textile and garment exports have grown 10.19 per cent. Vietnam is the biggest textile and garment exporter in Asean (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations). The US is the largest importer of Vietnamese textiles and garments, followed by the EU and China.
Denim Premiere Vision was held in the UK, December 3 to 4, 2019. The major theme at the event was environmental sustainability and almost all the exhibitors presented innovations which reflected this theme. The exhibitors represented approximately 33 per cent of the denim industry and, perhaps more significantly, 90 per cent of the premium denim industry. Many exhibitors advertised key products certified as compliant with various environmental standards. A trend area hosted design trends for the spring/summer 2021 season.
Bossa, a Turkey-base denim manufacturer, presented a range of fabrics made using recycled organic cotton, Tencel Lyocell fiber with Refibra technology and Lycra T400 fiber with EcoMade technology. Naveena Denim, a denim manufacturer based in Pakistan, presented a fabric called Hemp Denim. The fabric is made using hemp fiber and its manufacture consumes 70 per cent less water than the manufacture of cotton fabric. KilimDenim, a denim manufacturer based in Turkey, presented its Cactus indigo dyeing technology, which is designed to reduce the amount of water consumed during the indigo dyeing process, particularly during the rinsing stage.
Innovation in environmental sustainability will be a major focus for the denim industry looking ahead. In particular, organic fibers, recycled fibers and recycled materials will be key ingredients for use in the manufacture of denim in the future.
Salvatore Ferragamo’s revenues rose 2.3 per cent in 2019. Footwear sales increased 3.8 per cent and those of handbags and leather accessories by 3.7 per cent. Fragrance sales were down by 6.7 per cent. Asia-Pacific is the Italian luxury label’s main market, accounting for 37.1 per cent of sales, which rose by 1.1 per cent in the course of the year, with a notable 13.8 per cent increase in China. The region’s performance was however negatively affected in the fourth quarter by the troubled political situation in Hong Kong, where retail sales for Ferragamo fell by over 50 per cent, having already slipped by 45 per cent in the third quarter. Revenue instead rose by 7.1 per cent in Central and South America, by 5.3 per cent in Europe and by 0.7 per cent in North America.
Ferragamo has been suffering from brand positioning issues in recent years, and its revenue lost 3.4 per cent in 2018, with net income down 21.1 per cent, after experiencing difficulties in 2017 too. To get back on track, the label has embarked on an in-depth organisational overhaul, trying to strengthen its position in the product categories where it was weaker, while consolidating its footwear business.
Gartex will be held in Mumbai from March 19 to 21, 2020. This is a trade fair for garment and textile machinery. The aim is to reach out to major textile hubs in west and south India, smaller-sized companies and start-ups. Exhibitors will present the latest innovations, machines, plants, processes and services to various stakeholders in the industry, including manufacturers and suppliers. The show will provide insights on technological developments in the garment and apparel manufacturing sector. Additionally, innovative products and technologies, defining the latest trends in the industry, will be showcased to visitors. The event is also aimed at providing business opportunities for international and national suppliers as well as trade visitors through networking sessions with industry experts and engaging in investment opportunities during the show.
Gartex Texprocess India is a great platform that has been instrumental in unifying various stakeholders within the garment and textile manufacturing supply chain. Now the show is being held for the first time in Mumbai. The hopeful is that this edition will diversify the reach and expanse of this highly popular trade event. The endeavor is to provide a lot more opportunities for the garment and textile manufacturing industry.
India hopes to triple textile and apparel exports by 2024-25.
Vietnam emerged as the top destination for Cambodian exports within the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), with shipments worth $1.25 billion, followed by Thailand with $958 million, and China with $328 million.
Cambodia experienced a 16% growth in its exports to RCEP countries during the first quarter of 2023, amounting to a total value of $2.89 billion, according to recent data from the Ministry of Commerce. This figure represents a significant increase compared to the same period last year.
On the other hand, China remained the largest source of imported goods for Cambodia, accounting for $2.53 billion, while Vietnam and Thailand closely followed with imports valued at $957 million and $440 million, respectively.
The RCEP, a free trade agreement, officially came into effect on January 1, 2022. It comprises 15 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including the 10 ASEAN member states (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam), as well as their five trading partners: China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.
Over the next 20 years, the mega-regional pact aims to eliminate up to 90% of tariffs on goods traded among its signatories. As the world's largest trade bloc, the RCEP possesses a combined GDP of $26.2 trillion, equivalent to approximately 30% of global GDP, 28% of global trade, and 32.5% of global investment
During the first quarter, Cambodia's trade with RCEP countries accounted for 19% of the nation's total trade. In 2022, Cambodia's exports to RCEP countries reached $6.34 billion, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 7%, as reported by the Ministry of Commerce. Furthermore, RCEP accounted for nearly 60% of Cambodia's international trade, amounting to $52 billion in the same year.
Coats in partnership with Osram has launched a LED light system. Called Coats Signal Active Illumination, this is washable, lightweight and customizable and is aimed at helping improve people’s safety and visibility. The system is designed for application in garments and accessories. Visibility range is approximately three times more than retro-reflective products are able to achieve. The device is made of flexible light guides which draw their energy from a USB power bank, the size of a credit card. It retains a charge for up to eight hours, which as the average length of a work shift is especially relevant to those wearing it as part of their work wear. The power bank can be easily unclipped and removed to enable the garment including the LED light system to go through machine washing and drying.
Coats is an industrial thread company, Osram is a lighting specialist. The combination of Coats’ deep expertise in textiles with Osram’s wide technical knowledge of lighting is expected to shape the next generation of high visibility work and active wear.
Homogenous illumination in garments can literally power improvements in people’s visibility and therefore also their safety. The potential to extend the range to respond to sensory safety detection like approaching vehicles, vital signs of the wearer or a sudden fall could create a life saving product.
