To join ITMA 2015 in Milan in a big way
In the last few years, except for 2013-14, the Ahmedabad-based Mayur Reeds and Healds Pvt. Ltd. has witnessed a steady growth in the domestic market. But it has little to show by way of exports. However it hopes to do well on this front by participating in the upcoming ITMA-2015 in Milan in November. It also plans and intends to survey, study, develop and pursue export markets as well.
Mayur Reeds and Healds was started in 1977 by three partners, including the Shroff family. It started off as a small engineering work shop. But, it has now graduated to manufacturing a range of weaving accessories like all types of reeds, healds, drop wires, heald frames, heald frame accessories, beams and cloth rolls, etc. With passage of time, the company is now fully-owned by the Shroff family.
Atul Enterprises, a group company of Mayur produces reeds for all types of weaving machines like plain, under-pick, shuttle looms, automatic-looms, rapier looms, waterjet looms and airjet looms, etc., as also reeds for weaving preparatory machines. Within these categories, with what they produce, they contribute to the production of a wide range of fabrics of different weave structures and GSMs.
Mr. Jignesh Shroff, the second generation of the Shroff family and the Managing Director of the company, states that they are the only Indian manufacturer catering to the entire segment of reeds, whether they be low tech, medium tech or high tech, on such a large scale.
Apart from these, Mayur also serves the needs of the specialty segment, wherein, it offers customised reeds as per requirement.
According to Mr. Shroff, producers of high performance fabrics cannot use conventional reeds and need specialty reeds to manufacture such fabrics. So Mayur develops reeds as per the specific requirements of these fabric producers.
Mr. Shroff shares that the reed by itself does not contribute much to the price of the loom, but has a significant impact on the quality of the fabric. An experienced technician will never compromise on the price, the quality and the structure of the reed and that if the correct reed is not used, it shows on the fabric as it contributes largely to the look and feel of the fabric.
Mayur and Atul Enterprises together operate over 2,000 square yards of manufacturing floor space. Employing around 100 people, it has an extensive pan-India distributor network, employing the latest technology at many stages for products like rolling machines, benching machines, reed-setting machines, etc. Reeds make up for 65 per cent of revenues, with other products accounting for the balance 35 per cent.
Mr. Shroff reveals that the reeds division will always remain the highest revenue generator for Mayur Group in the future too, since it has been built on its core-competency and the expertise it has developed over the last 38 years.
Mayur is currently not an OEM supplier for the weaving segment, but is an OEM for weaving preparatory reeds for renowned warping and sizing machine manufacturing companies like Prashant Group, Rabatex Group, etc. Even in case of weaving preparatory reeds, if needed, it customises reeds as per requirements.
Mayur meets competition from other Indian and foreign reed manufacturers head-on. According to Mr. Shroff, competitors from foreign companies have been around for more than 50 years and have direct exposure to advanced weaving technologies developed by weaving machine manufacturers in their home countries, since they are also OEMs to those companies. Despite this, Mayur has an edge in the reeds replacement market because of its quality, delivery, support and price.
Mr. Shroff is of the opinion that since India has a vast market for producing fabrics, an Indian weaving machine manufacturer should take the initiative and produce an indigenous advanced airjet or waterjet weaving machine, where companies like Mayur can partner and become OEM supplier for those machines.
In case of normal powerlooms, Mr. Shroff says customers who go in for these looms are very cost conscious, and so loom makers leave it to the customers to decide on which reeds and other weaving accessories they would like to install.
He, however, laments that despite having very good R&D facilities, companies like his have to be followers rather than developers of reeds as they bring out newer reed versions as and when the loom manufacturer makes changes in the weaving machines.
Mr. Shroff futher discloses that selling a reed is not the end of the road for Mayur, since it is followed by excellent aftersales service support to those who have bought their reeds. And, since they also market other weaving accessories, they are a one-stop-shop for their customers, since these customers who get all their requirements under one roof.
Mayur Reeds has made breakthroughs in the recent past by developing reeds for advance materials, high performance fabrics, geo-textiles, etc., by narrowing down tolerances. This has contributed to better efficiency of the weaving machines.
In the last few years, barring 2013-14, Mayur has witnessed a steady growth in the domestic market, but has little to show by way of exports. However, it hopes to do well on this front by participating in ITMA-2015 in Milan in November. It now plans and intends to survey, study, develop and pursue export markets as well.
Mayur also plans to maximise its potential to grow in the domestic market and hopes to be an OEM to an international weaving machine producer in the near future.