“We Aim to Strengthen Our Position in the Weaving and Finishing in Turkey”
Simone Rancan, CEO of Santex Rimar Group
Santex Rimar Group, a machine manufacturer for weaving, textile finishing, technical textiles and clean technologies, is among the leading players in the world market. The company, which is now ready for the upturn thanks to the preparations made during the most severe phase of the pandemic, plans to expand in two directions: First one; to expand the product range with innovative and state-of-the-art products (Finishing machines and Stenter machines), the second also; to increase global after-sales and service teams for even greater customer satisfaction.
We interviewed with Simone Rancan, CEO of Santex Rimar Group, for “Italian Special Issue”. Talking about the most important technical innovations and updates in the last two years, Rancan has made important statements about the Turkey market. Rancan said; ” Turkey is one of our most important markets. We intend to strengthen our position in weaving and finishing, along with our strong local team, which is ready, willing and able to facilitate our expansion program.”
Business sectors in Italy and the world as a whole have been hit hard by the pandemic. How did your company fare during 2020? Were you able to develop a roadmap to take you through the pandemic with a minimum of damage?
Unfortunately, most of our customers suffered some loss of turnover during the year. But recently we have begun to see signs of recovery. The pandemic did have an impact on our company, as on every other one, but we managed to sustain our activities in total safety, to give our customers uninterrupted support. Now we are glad to report that things are improving. Thanks to the preparations we made in the most severe phase of the pandemic, we are now ready for the upturn and well positioned for future business.
Could you describe some of your most important technical innovations and updates over the past two years?
For weavers, we introduce a brand-new rapier loom, designed and built in Italy. The 2Fast is a high-speed machine under the well-known Smit brand. The Fast acronym stands for ‘Flexible Advanced Shuttleless Technology’ and this latest development features a compact design and competitive performance.
The three exciting developments – Santaframe, Compas and 2Fast – are just some of the latest products highlighting the innovative power of brands united under Santex Rimar Group.
What does customer feedback tell you are the most important features of today’s machinery?
Reliability is the first thing our customers ask for – and that’s exactly what they can expect from our machines. And customers are increasingly interested in remote monitoring and automated production control generally. Sustainability is also a significant and ongoing trend. Here we offer sophisticated technology – such as with the latest Santashrink dryer – which meets ecological requirements at the same time as helping mills to operate profitably. The ESC (Energy-Saving Chamber) was developed to re-use exhaust air from the Santashrink, increasing production capacity by 15 to 17% from the same amount of heating energy.
How do you organize your worldwide sales and support network, and to which countries do you export?
We are well established with a strong presence and export business in all the major textile markets around the world, either directly with our own local organisations or through agents and representatives.
Our relationships with customers are very strong thanks to local, highly-trained sales and service teams, which are located close to clients and ready for on-site support. We were able to depend on these teams at any time during the pandemic.
What are your expansion plans?
We are targeting our expansion in two directions: extending the product range with innovative and state-of-the-art products (finishing machines and stenters); and increasing our global after-sales and service teams for even greater customer satisfaction.
Turkey is one of our most important markets. We intend to strengthen our position in weaving and finishing, along with our strong local team, which is ready, willing and able to facilitate our expansion program.
In the early months of 2021, it seems that the effects of the pandemic will continue. What are your expectations for Santex Rimar Group for the remainder of the current year? Do you have new projects and investments in sight?
For 2021 we definitely expect a recovery, although it may unfortunately be slower during the first half. We can see now that trends are moving in the right direction, and we believe that business will gain further traction during the second half of 2021. As previously mentioned, our future aspirations focus on expanding both our product line and global presence, as well as additional investment.
Interview: Dilek HAYIRLI
