Business

Bruno Ameline, the President, and Evelyne Cholet, the Secretary General of UCMTF (French Textile Machinery Manufacturers Association) report on the French textile machinery just a few weeks before the first ITMA ASIA CITME show taking place in Shanghai July 27 to 31.

Q: You will be at ITMA ASIA CITME in a few weeks, which are your expectations?

Bruno Ameline: The merger of two very successful shows, ITMA ASIA and CITME will certainly create a major event. The French textile machinery manufacturers have been very actively preparing the selves’ to take full advantage of this unique or poor unity to welcome on our booths so many actual and potential customers from China and more generally from all over Asia. Our companies are particularly strong in weaving preparation, nonwovens, and has very vigorous manufacturers in specialized spinning, dyeing and finishing machinery.

We will show our machines, describe the services we offer and explain our strategies. We do not sell machines only but can help the textile producers develop new high value products, we can be for them technology partners. Despite the uncertain economic environment we are quite optimistic about the Asian markets, they will rebound and evolve, our companies are well positioned for this future round of investments.

Q: How French text i le machinery manufacturers are doing right now?

Bruno Ameline: Worldwide inves tments in textile machinery have been quite satisfactory in the last few years. As for our 35 member companies, they are doing quite well. They export most of their product ion for an annual total of more than euros one billion (close to US$ 1.5 billion).

Evelyne Cholet: In 2006 and 2007 our growth rate exceeded 6%. For 2008, order backlogs are good and order intakes come in at a regular pace.

Q: While your associate members are currently doing well, do you think they are well positioned for the future?

Bruno Ameline: Let ’s star t from the market . It has changed and cont inues to change. First, there has been a continuous shift of the textile product ion towards Asia. And this, particularly in apparel and home textiles. Turkey and Italy are exceptions. For technical textiles including nonwovens, the picture is quite different. These products are still mainly produced in the US and Europe, and Asia gets only around 20%- 25% of this growing market. Asia will produce more and more technical textiles for its own use but I believe the product ion of these products to be consumed in Europe and North America will remain on these continents because the”fabric” manufacturers have to stay in close contact with the final users. For example, in the fast growing filtration market, the products have to ft so many specifc usages, in so many indust r ies, that the processes to produce the fabrics or the nonwovens have to be adapted to each specifc application.

French machinery manufacturers are specialty manufacturers, SMEs but world leaders or among the world leaders on niche markets and specific appl ications. These markets are complex and we are particularly competitive to become our customers’ technology partners to help them introduce new, high margin, value added products.