Mayer & Cie. In Turkey: Tried and Trusted, Future-Oriented
Founded in 1905, the family firm is now managed in the fourth generation by Benjamin Mayer, Marcus Mayer and Sebastian Mayer. It has a payroll of about 500 employees and, in addition to its headquarters in Albstadt, Germany, and its subsidiaries China and the Czech Republic, is represented by sales partners in around 80 countries. Along with its wide range of modern textile manufacturing machinery the Mayer & Cie. portfolio has since 2019 included braiding machines that make sheathing for hydraulic hoses.
The claim always to be a step ahead of the competition has always been a part of the Mayer & Cie. philosophy. That is why the company regularly sets new standards by developing new approaches and innovative technologies that hold good for the entire industry. The latest example of the company’s technical leadership claim is the spinitsystems spinning and knitting technology for which it was awarded the 2018 Innovation Prize for the Climate and the Environment (IKU).
In Turkey Mayer & Cie. machines have been held in high regard for decades, and that is reflected especially in the sales figures. In 2018 Mayer & Cie.’s share of the Turkish premium and midrange market was nearly 50 per cent. This great success is due in no small measure to its good and longstanding cooperation with local representatives Mayer Mümessillik. Ahmet M. Ögretmen has represented Mayer & Cie. for over a quarter of a century. He and his partner Kahraman Güveri have been largely responsible for Mayer & Cie.’s Turkish success story.
We made an interview with Mayer & Cie Turkey’s Regional Sales Manager for Tekstil Teknoloji Magazine. Bühler has this to say about the importance of the Turkish market for the company:
IN TURKEY, 2018 SALES WERE MORE THAN DOUBLE THE PREVIOUS YEARS
If you assess in terms of export markets, what is the importance of Turkey for your company?
Turkey as a traditional textiles country is one of the most important sales markets for our circular knitting machines. We have long been well positioned there, due in part to our longstanding and reliable cooperation with our local representatives Mayer Mümessillik. Ahmet M. Ögretmen, who was honoured last year for 25 years of loyal partnership, has a wealth of experience of the Turkish textiles market, plus an enormous amount of technical know-how from which our Turkish customers benefit significantly. Turkey is also of interest for us because it has a most highly developed textile industry and its own cotton production. Demand for Turkish products is very high, especially for outerwear. That is why, in Turkey, our machines are mainly used in the fashion segment.
Could you share us your 2018 export figures? How is the demand of Turkish companies for your products?
Due to trade policy turbulence, 2018 was a challenging year for the entire textile industry. In addition to the trade war between the United States and China we have mainly been affected by the currency crisis in Turkey. In the first half of 2018 orders from Turkey reached a historic high, only to decline drastically in the second half. We were nevertheless able to end the year with a slight increase in annual sales. Generally speaking, demand for MCT machines is very good. In Turkey, 2018 sales were more than double the previous year’s.
IN TURKEY, RELANIT MACHINES ARE VERY POPULAR
What are your most demanded products?
In Turkey, Relanit machines are very popular – because of the characteristic stitch structures they produce and, of course, because they are cotton specialists, which is ideal for Turkey, a cotton country. The latest member of the Relanit family, the Relanit 3.2 HS, processes both cotton and elastomer yarns extremely reliably and most productively. This combination of secure plating and high productivity corresponds to the requirements of the Turkish market with its focus on Single Jersey and elastomer plating. Interlock and fine rib are further important uses for our circular knitting machines in Turkey. In this connection Turkish customers particularly appreciate the D4 2.2 II, which is especially suitable for outerwear with its wide range of uses and its high fabric quality.
Can you give information about your 2019 targets and investments?
In view of lower current demand we have naturally revised our circular knitting machine sales targets accordingly. Turkey’s export business is still doing very well and we are hopeful of a general market recovery by the ITMA in June at the latest and in Turkey too, of course. The focus of our trade fair presentation this year will be on sport, regeneration and digital changes.
The order position for braiding machines is very good and we aim to further improve on what is already a very good market position. To do so we will increase our production capacities at our Albstadt headquarters and develop a research and development department of our own in this segment.
Interview: Dilek Hayırlı
