Glengo Lectra Teknoloji Met with Turkish Ready-to-Wear Industry

French-based Lectra, one of the main technology solution partners in the ready-to-wear, automotive and furniture markets, has joined forces with Glengo Teknoloji, the only Gerber solution partner in Turkey. The two organizations, which came together to develop Lectra’s business in the Turkish market, continue their activities under the roof of ‘Glengo Lectra Teknoloji’.

Glengo Lectra Teknoloji executives came together with the leading industrialists of the sector in Istanbul to evaluate how the merged Lectra and Gerber brands can play a more effective role in the ready-to-wear industry with their new operations. The meeting, hosted by Glengo Lectra Teknoloji and attended by Lectra Chairman and CEO Daniel Harari, was attended by senior executives of companies serving in the ready-to-wear and garment industry, as well as presidents of associations and unions.

‘‘Behind Lectra’s Success Are R&D Investments That We Do Not Compromise Under Any Circumstances’’

The meeting started with the opening speech of Harika Gündem, Marketing Manager at Glengo Lectra Teknoloji. Daniel Harari, Chairman and CEO of Lectra, then took the floor and told the story of Lectra’s long and experienced foundation. At the age of 25, Harari said that he was appointed as the CEO of Lectra, and that the company has survived many crises but still managed to stay afloat. Harari mentioned that the success of Lectra, which was on the verge of bankruptcy years ago, despite the difficulties, was due to the R&D investments that they did not compromise under any circumstances, and also talked about the acquisition process of its biggest competitor Gerber brand and its goals for the future.

‘‘I Never Stopped Believing in the Turkish Ready-to-Wear Industry’’

Reminding that he has been visiting Turkey frequently since the early 2000s, Harari evaluated Turkey from a sectoral perspective: ‘‘Turkey is a country that has always attracted the attention of Europe, embracing the future even in dynamic and volatile conditions. Turkey is full of advantages in many respects and has the manufacturing power to respond quickly to global expectations, which is why I have never stopped believing in the Turkish apparel industry.’’

Harari added that with this merger, they will become even stronger by incorporating Glengo’s recognition and experience in the Turkish market, so they have high expectations from Glengo Lectra Teknoloji and Turkey.

‘‘I firmly believe that we will play an active role in strengthening the sector’’

Mehmet Aykut Vural, Chairman of the Board of and General Manager of Glengo Lectra Teknoloji, started his speech by explaining the establishment process of Glengo. Reminding that Glengo is the representative of Gerber Technology that realized the most sales among its representatives in 17 countries, Vural expressed, “Behind this success is the service approach in Turkey.” Stating that as Glengo, they have added more value to Gerber’s brand value with their operational success in Turkey compared to European countries, Vural stated, ‘‘We are pleased that we have decided to enrich these services by ‘‘joining forces’’ with Lectra. I am confident that we will play an active role in strengthening the industry, especially in the new normal period we are in, with our existing experience in customer processes, our growing expert teams in addition to our strengthened and increasing product portfolio.’’

Taking part in this special meeting, Sanem Dikmen, co-chair of the Turkish Apparel Manufacturers’ Association, emphasized the challenges they face as stakeholders of the industry. She underlined that the Russia-Ukraine war, the pandemic crisis and the economic turbulence caused disruptions in the supply chain, difficulties in raw material procurement and an increase in freight prices. Evaluating the effects of these challenges on the textile industry, Dikmen mentioned that Turkey has a great advantage with its labor force, geographical location and resources. Stating that such innovative combinations make great contributions to the industry in managing challenging processes, Dikmen commented: ‘‘It is of great importance to act together for the economic development of our country, for our companies to survive and grow in this period, for our industry to adapt to changing conditions in every field and to increase its export power.’’

Finally, Hadi Karasu, one of the former presidents of TGSD, underlined the importance of such important meetings, especially after the pandemic, and underlined that such meetings are very valuable for the sector.