“We Spend Our Energy to Develop Useful Products for Our Customers Instead of Focusing on Growth”
Germany-based company Erbatech produces continuous wet finishing machines for knitted and woven fabrics. The company, which spent 2019 with a 100% occupancy rate, made a quick start to 2020 with the orders it received.
Erbatech company founded by Kurt Brückner in 1963 and still operating independently since 2002. The company serves the Turkish and World market with Galaxy machines (tubular), which began to be developed in the 1980’s and 90’s, Delphin machines (rope) and Scout machines (open-width). Erbatech shifted its production focus to the Scout type open-width machines in line with the demands and changing quality standards of the customers in the 2000’s. Offering solutions for dyeing wall-to-wall carpets by Supraflor machines, Erbatech also develops solutions for turnkey hydrophilic cotton (medical or cosmetic) facilities under the Obermaier brand.
We interviewed with Erbatech Sales Manager Timuçin Benal for our “Germany Special Issue.” Benal said, “Together with India and Bangladesh it was one of the three countries we exported the most machines in the last decade. We firmly believe that it will continue this way in the coming years.”
Washing machine for reactive printed fabrics
How was 2019 for your company and what are the company’s plans for the 2020? What are your expansion plans?
We spent 2019 with a one hundred percent occupancy rate, as in the five years before. We made a very fast start to this year with the orders we received at the end of last year and it seems that 2020 will be a positive year for Erbatech despite all the difficulties in the world.
Frankly, it is more important for Erbatech to design and make products for the future rather than growth. We do not believe in everlasting growth in a finite world. We try to spend our energy and resources to develop competitive and useful products for our customers instead of focusing too much on growth.
How important is the Turkish market to your company – and how much business is carried out here?
Turkey is a very important market for us in which we have been successfull since many years. Together with India and Bangladesh it was one of the three countries we exported the most machines in the last decade. We firmly believe that it will continue this way in the coming years.
What trends are you currently seeing in the textile machinery industry?
Environmentally friendly and sustainable approaches in the textile machinery sector are gaining more and more importance. We think that developments and innovations will be in this direction in the coming years.
What industrial and economic challenges are currently impacting your company, and how is your company responding to them?
The textile sector is largely in developing countries and unpredictable economic turmoil in these countries directly affects us. We try to be active in a wider geography in order to avoid these effects as much as possible and distribute the risk.
What measures do you take adopt a sustainable manufacturing approach?
For a sustainable manufacturing we need to develop innovative technologies to be one step ahead of our competitiors. For this, we attach great importance to R&D.
Interview: Dilek HAYIRLI
