Effe on Sustainable Success: Development, Innovation, and Modern Machinery

The textile industry manages to overcome the troublesome pandemic period with minimum damages despite the still ongoing coronavirus epidemic that started last year. Effe Company, which continues its activities for the sector at full speed despite all the difficulties, has successfully overcome the pandemic period and increased its domestic and international sales by 25 percent compared to 2019.

We conducted an interview with Celal İri and İhsan Mokanoğlu, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Effe Industries and Effe Machinery, respectively, in order to include in the ‘Turkish Textile Machinery Industry’ exclusive that will be published in the first issue of the Textile Technology magazine this year. We had a sincere chat with the two executives about what they thought about 2020 and the goals and projects of the company for 2021. Please enjoy this exclusive interview.

The effects of the troublesome pandemic period that started in 2020 have heavily affected most of the industries. How were you affected by this situation as Effe? What were your goals for 2020?

Celal İri: This might be surprising to you but I can confidently say that we have not seen the negative impact of the pandemic much. There were no orders canceled during this period, nevertheless, there were some short postponements. Despite this, our turnover increase was close to 25 percent. The repeating orders at this point constitute a very important data for a machine-manufacturing firm or companies that supply services. Because this situation demonstrates customer satisfaction in terms of price, performance, and service. The successful works that we carried out in previous years led us to be in demand in this difficult period.

İhsan Mokanoğlu: Our goal in 2020 was to increase the total export and domestic sales of the previous year by at least 20 percent. Because the years 2018 and 2019 were very successful for us. In those years, Effe was among the top five companies according to the Machinery Exporters Association data. We considered that this success would continue exponentially. The reason for this is; the more machines you have in many markets, in many countries, and in textile cities, the most important argument about machine sales and marketing is the satisfaction of the users of those machines. Since we achieved the most sales units in Turkey’s textile cities in international textile countries in 2018 and 2019, we anticipated that this growth would continue exponentially. The previous year, 2020, was going to be a very important year in this context. At the ITM exhibition in 2016, we launched the Pasha model stenter machine, which was the 3rd Generation machine of the Effe project team. Approximately 15 stenter machines were sold in 2017. Over a period of three years, orders continued exponentially. An average of 45 machines was sold in 2018 and 2019. We expected this figure to increase to 60 in 2020. We encountered a slowdown only in March, April, and May. Orders have been postponed, but not canceled. We had to keep some of the machines we produced in stock. As a result, 65 stenter machines were sold in 2020.

It is not just the stenter machine sales. Besides those operations, modification studies on existing machines of the customers, unit and accessory sales, and contract manufacturing with international machinery manufacturers also gained momentum after the pandemic period. The first quarter of the year had started very successfully. Although we experienced pauses in the second quarter, we were able to reach our targets with a 100 percent increase in demand in the last two quarters.

Could you please describe the path you followed during this period?

Celal İri: We are confident about all the features of the machines that we produce. We know that the production capacity of the unit is higher than its counterparts and the energy costs are low. We know very well their advantages over other machines. In line with this belief and customer demands, we continued to produce 6-7 machines a month, despite the troublesome pandemic period.

İhsan Mokanoğlu: Even during the pandemic, Effe worked without pausing even for a week. We never stopped production. We continued to keep standard machines in stock. This was a prediction. Our prediction was as follows: textiles in Turkey and in the world never ends, never stops, just change geography. However, this time, textile consumption also stopped due to the coronavirus pandemic. We predicted that a huge demand would come after this halt. China is one of the most important supplier countries for Turkey and other countries in textile. But, since a negative perception against Chinese textile manufacturing developed, and moreover, China lost 20 percent of its textile orders, a serious order increase occurred for the other textile countries such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Uzbekistan, and Turkey. They tried to obtain stenter machines in the fastest way that could meet the production increase. It has also been our advantage to be the company that brought standard manufactured machines to end-users in the stagnation period in the fastest way. Thus, our customers had the perception that the machine ordered from Effe could arrive in a week or ten days. In addition, during this period, we ensured that not only our company but also the companies that supply us work with stocks.

Celal İri: Due to the circumstances, we developed new manufacturing techniques. Assembly and shipment went together. We are currently carrying out two shipments a week, both domestically and internationally. This corresponds to eight machines a month.

At this stage, what kind of business expertise did you develop between departments? Can you please elaborate?

Celal İri: The most important thing we did was to ensure the coordination between departments. We have also brought the concentration of all our executive staff and manufacturing assembly team to the maximum levels. We have produced solutions regarding the problems related to manufacturing, assembly, and material supply. Moreover, we care to work with people who are especially excited about what they do and enjoy what they do.

How did Effe become a highly preferred brand? When customers think of buying a stenter machine, why do they think of Effe first? How did you achieve this in a short time like four years?

İhsan Mokanoğlu: In short, I can express that, by doing the right things to create the right perception about the Effe brand. Technical and commercial experience is very important for machine manufacturers to be successful in domestic and international markets. In addition to experience, it is important to configure the decision-making system correctly and to structure the activities in accordance with the market, customer, and company expectations by making quick and accurate decisions.

The brand of Effe Industry earned its name before the launch of the stenter machine, between 2008 and 2016, through the work of Celal İri and the project team. Together, they carried out contract-manufacturing stenter and finishing machines and spare parts for those machines, in addition, they realized reformative modification and revision studies on ram, sanforizing and drying machines, which are currently operative in Turkey and abroad. These endeavors made Effe a brand known by people. The use of high-quality materials above the usual standards in production also contributed to this awareness. It should also be added that if you have a price and cost concern on your mind about the machine you will produce, you are entitled to lose from the very beginning. Because there will always be a more affordable machine. We always aim to produce the best. In order to achieve the best, the best equipment must be chosen. We did not have a goal to sell a large number of machines, but we had a goal of building very good machines. Thus, our productions started to advertise themselves. Machines that meet expectations in terms of repeat orders, satisfied customers, price, and performance started to be in demand. This is how this situation developed domestically.

Our representatives abroad, on the other hand, are people who have become brands in their own way as people who always stand behind their words with the right work they do in their own countries. Having good relations with these representative companies and the belief of Mr. Celal and his team that those companies would unconditionally build good machinery was one of Effe’s greatest luck. In addition, having commercial relations with representative companies for many years has brought mutual trust in technical and commercial matters, which eventually led to success.

Moreover, we ensure very good coordination with our customers. With the increase in communication opportunities, a customer who is experiencing problems anywhere in the world can reach the authorities who can provide an accurate response within five minutes. This brings success to the company. Fast and direct solution-oriented service approach, highly experienced technical and sales team, fast decision-making, and application dynamics formed the basis of the total quality understanding.

Very appropriate steps have been taken over the past three years. The right partners were chosen and the right machines were built. The process starting from receiving the order and going through until the delivery of the machine to the customer in working condition with total quality awareness was managed in the most successful way. All these things that I told enabled Effe to be successful.

What are the machines that you will start to manufacture in 2021? Will you have any productions that you will launch at the ITM 2021 Exhibition?

İhsan Mokanoğlu: We will introduce more machines in a larger area at ITM 2021. We have projects for triple sanforizing lines, drying machine, steaming machine, drying – stenter – sanforizing machine, and coating machines. In addition, we think that Effe should make an investment and take the field in wet finishing machines and dyeing machines. Whichever machine Effe manufactures, it will continue to make a difference by focusing on quality without price anxiety.

Celal İri: The project of the rubber sanforizing machine is finished. In fact, we received four orders. We will build a new sanforizing line for woven fabrics. In addition, we have currently received four orders for our steamer project, which is used by both digital printers and rotary printers. Along with these, we will produce a new machine what we call our main project. It will be a machine in which drying, stenter, and sanforizing machines will be all together. We will introduce this machine at the ITM 2021 Exhibition. This machine will be able to respond to anything you want about a fabric. It will also be an extremely economical and energy-saving machine. Apart from this project, we also have a coating line project, which we receive high demand. These lines can be used independently as well as with a stenter machine. The developments to be carried out on the stenter machine that we have specialized in production are still not over. There will be many projects and R&D studies on this subject. Keep watching us.

Interview: Z. Seda DEMİRDELEN

Edit: Kübra KARACA