In this exclusive interview with The Textile Magazine, Timo Schramm, Area Manager, Mayer & Cie, elaborates about why quality and innovation continue to be the paramount features of the company’s strategy for global growth and how the pandemic has brought about certain changes, including an increase in digitisation and automation
We are nearing the end of another challenging year for mankind and for the global economy. How was 2021 for Mayer & Cie?
The year 2021 was way better than the previous years 2019 and 2020 during which a low demand met a worldwide pandemic. Since the market kick-started again in the summer of 2020, our order numbers have remained at a substantially high level. In 2021, our turnover reached around Euro 100 million by the end of the year and without the worldwide problems regarding the supply chain we would have been able to reach even around 10% more. This is an increase in comparison to last year of around 50%. Also, since order intake has remained strong, the foundation for the current year is already very solid.
Due to the pandemic there is an increasing preference for leisure, athleisure and sportswear. Has this resulted in increase in demand for Mayer & Cie machines?
As mentioned above, our order intake has remained at a high level since the summer of 2020, which was the first year the corona virus pandemic made us work from home. We all wear comfortable sweaters instead of formal suits. This fact surely is one of the reasons fuelling demand for Mayer & Cie circular knitting machines. Indeed, it has not been limited to a geographical region but applies to all our markets worldwide.
Can you highlight some of the recent innovations in technology to meet emerging customer preferences?
Naturally, we work on continuously improving our machines as well as technologies we use in existing machines. In the near future, we want to make our customers benefit from such enhancements by offering various update kits. Due to ITMA coming up in 2023, we won’t launch any new machines in 2022. However, speaking of trends, digitisation surely remains the order of the day. There are several projects under way at Mayer & Cie.
Mayer & Cie has also been offering solutions for mattress ticking, shoe uppers and braiding machines. Which are the segments which have been witnessing promising growth in recent years?
Sports and active wear have definitely been growth markets during the past few years. Mattress ticking is an important niche market for Mayer & Cie. It is subject to fluctuations but we have seen growth in the past two years. This may once again be attributed to the pandemic and people staying more at home. Looking at fibres, it’s more and more cellulose and manmade fibres that are run on many of our circular knitting machines.
Which are the key global markets for Mayer & Cie and the emerging markets which are showing promising growth in recent times?
Our most important markets continue to be Turkey, China and India. Bangladesh, too, has been part of this list for many years. In terms of emerging countries, Uzbekistan has steadily gained importance. They have been working towards a domestic textile supply chain very successfully which means they have continuously invested in their machinery. Indonesia has also performed well, particularly in terms of mattress ticking. Furthermore, we have seen a steady demand from some North African countries.
Automation and digitisation are becoming increasingly important for enhancing efficiency and productivity? Can you elaborate about Mayer & Cie’s approach and the benefits that customers are experiencing?
We at Mayer & Cie understand digitisation as reaching well beyond machinery. Yet, if we look at our machines first, there is knit link, of course. The knit link platform records the operating data of your Mayer & Cie circular knitting machine(s) and visualises it. All our current machines will be compatible to this platform. Our web shop for spare parts which is to be launched this year also forms part of knit link. The same is true for our activities in remote maintenance which have already been working smoothly during the pandemic period.
Coming back to the comprehensive digitisation approach, we focus on our product lifecycle management (PLM). It is the basis for pretty well all areas of digitisation and is now reflected everywhere, such as in the web shop for spare parts, which in future will be geared to the digital twin philosophy. This gives credit to our conviction that the customer is the key incentive of our digitisation. We aim to offer him lean, innovative processes and new experiences in order to do justice to our claim to be the market’s technology and innovation leader.
Another major talking point in recent times is sustainable manufacturing. How does Mayer & Cie contribute positively to sustainable manufacturing?
In terms of sustainable production, there are several aspects to look at. As a machine builder, we pay attention to our own sustainable production. At our headquarters in Albstadt we will soon put into operation two combined heat and power plants (CHPs). With an output of 900 KW we will meet between 80-90% of our heating requirements. The CHPs will also generate 50% of the electricity used and, in the summer months, 50% of the energy required for cooling. In all, that should save us around 3,80,000 litres of heating oil per year.
The CHPs are part of a more extensive energy renovation plan for which we have won an award by the state government. Looking at our machine portfolio, our Relanit machines are characterised by much lower energy consumption than conventional machines. In the case of the Relanit 3.2 HS, savings in energy may reach up to 30%. Our SensoBlue oiler is a recycling system for reprocessing used needle oil. Consequently, machines equipped with this oiler system require up to 30% less fresh needle oil.
With challenges imposed due to travel restrictions over the past two years, are there digitisation technologies adopted for installation and service of your machines? Specifically on service, have you developed remote diagnostic solutions or prognostic solutions?
Most of our machines aren’t installed by a Mayer & Cie technician. This is done by our representatives and their technicians who are trained at our headquarters regularly. Other than that, digitisation has changed many things. With video conferences and service videos, we can offer specific support even without sending out a service technician. We use these options for regular support requests for maintenance or for all kinds of service issues. As a part of our digitisation programme, we are implementing further standardised measures for remote maintenance, such as a ticketing system. Preventive maintenance is something we are currently working on. It is part of our future vision of a digital twin for each of our machines.
Shifting focus to India, the Government of India has announced large incentives for textile manufacturing. India has also been a beneficiary of China+1 policy with significant increase in textile exports in 2021. What are your thoughts on the growth of the textile industry in India?
We understand that the Indian government is keen for growth of the textile industry. It has announced large incentives for textile manufacturing and exports. Plus, with China pulling back, there is need for alternative production sites. Thus, the Indian textile industry might be facing the beginning of a ‘golden era’ in the years to come.
Mayer & Cie being a world leader in both the technology and the market, we are poised to support the Indian knitting industry. Knitting capacities in India are high class; our customers and potential customers are experts in their fields. Along with our long-standing partner Batliboi we aim to build first class knitting capacities in India. Since the end of last year we have already witnessed large number of machine bookings and big projects are under discussion. Overall, we are optimistic about the growth potential of the Indian knitwear industry.
Mayer & Cie particularly shares a great relationship with the Indian market. You have a strong partner in Batliboi working together for many decades and some great customers. Can you look back on Mayer & Cie’s India success story over the last many decades?
Indeed, Batliboi has been a strong and reliable representative for Mayer & Cie since 1984. More than 11,000 Mayer & Cie circular knitting machines are operating across the country. With a rich heritage of over 127 years, Batliboi has assisted in the modernisation of the Indian textile industry by offering technology that is relevant to the Indian market. This can be called a success story in its own right!
India’s share of manmade textiles globally is still very small compared to cotton textiles. What is your advice to Indian textile companies for increasing their share of global exports?
As far as knits are concerned, we see worldwide growing demand for athleisure, especially post-pandemic. Active wear was the hottest fashion category over the last year. The pandemic has changed the world of fashion. Casual wear has become a trend and most of these apparels are being made from manmade textiles. Thus, we expect India to invest in this fastest growing segment. We already see early signs of shift of fibre base. Recently we finalised a big knitting project with Birla Advance Knits specialised for manmade cellulosic fibres and blends. A few more such projects are under discussion for active wear. Another growing field is of technical textiles. Knits are widely used in mobitech, geotech, hometech, medtech and many more non-apparel applications such as mattress ticking, spacer fabric etc. We expect the Indian textile industry to invest in these high potential segments.
How important is the Indian market for Mayer & Cie and can you name some of the important projects executed recently? What is your future expectation of growth in the Indian textile industry and how is Mayer & Cie – Batliboi engaging with customers to take advantage of the emerging opportunity?
Along with Turkey, India has always been a very strong market in terms of numbers of machines sold and in terms of revenue. For Birla Group, as part of one of our recent projects we have finalized both single and double jersey machines, among them Relanit 3.2 HS and S4 machines – our top sellers in single jersey. The project also included some rib and interlock machines as well as our MBF 3.2 for 3-thread-fleece. Mayer & Cie is pleased to be associated with Birla Advanced Knits their initiative for sustainable Knits progression.
During recent past we succeeded in gaining quite a few new customers, including one of the largest textile companies in South India KPR group. It was the fact that they wanted fewer machines to achieve their desired output with the required quality. In brief, Mayer and Cie’s stronghold is productivity of our machines and the reliable quality they produce. With the opportunities of the Indian textile industry as stated above, we expect this to be the company’s prospects to serve the Indian market.
Finally, looking into 2022, what are your expectations as regards the growth of the global textile industry? What is the medium and long term vision you have set for the company, say by 2025?
Digitisation surely remains the order of the day. Another important trend you have already mentioned yourself is sustainability. Transforming the world of textiles is the ITMA 2023 slogan. Our vision is quite straightforward – we want to stay the world’s leading supplier of circular knitting machines and accessories. We aim to further strengthen this position in the future.