The long success story of the partnership between Monforts and its Indonesia-based representative Primatek has seen more than 200 tenters installed over the past 15 years.
Today, with Indonesian producers facing increasing demand for both quality and volume from domestic consumers, and with fresh challenges and opportunities in international markets, textile mills increasingly are looking toward extra capacity with new Montex tenters, and to other Monforts high-tech ranges such as the Thermex continuous dyeing line.
A leading Indonesian textile company recently took delivery of its second Monforts wide-width Montex tenter — featuring 8 chambers and the ability to handle 3.2 -meter-wide fabric for bed linens — which was ordered through local representative DKSH.
DKSH Acquires Primatek
With the acquisition in 2013 of Primatek by Zurich-based market expansion services group DKSH, formidable resources now are being deployed to ensure Monforts’ strong position in the Indonesian market, and that the company’s technology helps producers to enhance their own production and become even more competitive.
“Indonesian mills are looking at improved quality, production volumes, and energy savings,” says Walter Widmer, founder, Primatek.
“They need this domestically, and the exporters also need this to be able to compete with the other regional producers in the European market,” Widmer added. “The rising costs in China and the image problems that the Bangladeshi producers are currently facing, for example, are two opportunities that are opening up for the Indonesians.
“This is a ferociously competitive business internationally, and when our producers can position themselves to take market share away from other producing countries, they can make dramatic advances in the markets,” he said.
Walter Widmer, founder, Primatek
Monforts, Primatek Partnership
Primatek was founded in 1994 and became the representative for Monforts in 1998.
“This has been an enormously productive time for Primatek and for Monforts,” Widmer said. “We now have a population of more than 200 Monforts tenters in Indonesia, and the number is growing steadily.”
He believes DKSH is the ideal partner to take the company forward into the future, with Indonesia’s market becoming more regulated and backed to a greater degree by international experience.
Widmer himself has become head of Country Management and president director of DKSH Indonesia.
DKSH has a focus on Asia, bridging complex markets within and between Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Americas.
The focus is on helping companies grow their business in new or existing markets, offering a package of services that includes organizing and running the entire value chain for any product: from sourcing, research and analysis, through to marketing, sales, distribution and logistics to after-sales services.
For DKSH, Primatek has brought with it one of the largest sales and service organizations for the textile industry in Indonesia.
Developing Market
Domestically, the Indonesian textiles and garments market is developing quickly.
“Indonesia is a strong local market,” said Widmer. “More than half of the population is under the age of 30. Consumption of textile products is now 7 kilograms [kg] per head per year. During the 1998 economic crisis it had dropped to 3 kg. Before the crisis it had been about 5 kg.
“Along with the volume, the demand for quality is increasing. The middle class is growing and driving the market. People want better quality, and they want more fashion. Not just in clothing, but home textiles. Everything,” Widmer said.
“The German Monforts technology, manufactured in the Montex company, Austria, is top of the market in Indonesia for special applications such as special widths and materials, including technical fabrics,” Widmer continued.
“At the same time, the arrival four or five years ago of the Chinese-built Monfongs brand has widened the market potential. The Monfongs machines are quality-wise every bit as good as the European model, but there are some producers who prefer the all-European brand,” Widmer said.
“Also, the Monforts tenters offer the potential for creative design and production, they will handle wide widths, and allow for the production of exotic styling and technical fabrics. So while Monfongs tenters give both quality and a price competitiveness that is attractive for a mill that might otherwise have considered an Asian brand, Monforts tenters are in a class of their own,” he continued.
“We are finding now that with the younger generation taking over the production houses, there is more consideration being given to long-term quality, environmental protection, energy saving, and so on. Plus, of course, the quality and durability. So we see a growing potential for both Monforts and Monfongs.”
New Technology Introduced
“There is also the irresistible pull of new technology,” Widmer said. “We are about to introduce a tenter in Indonesia that has a speed of up to 200 meters per minute. The market for hightech — technical and specialized applications — may be limited to only a few producers, at this stage. But what a boost for the brand image that is!”
At the upper end of the market, the potential is good for the new Monforts Thermex continuous dyeing range, fitted with the Econtrol thermosol process.
“Producers are attracted to the economies in usage, along with the quality process,” Widmer said.
“The Econtrol process ensures low consumption of chemicals, energy and water. Because this is an attractive development, we are promoting the Thermex to the industry here, and are gaining considerable interest, mainly from customers who have experience of the Monforts tenters,” he added.
“The DynAir relaxation dryer is also of interest to those producers who are now realizing that advanced technology will help them progress in both the domestic and the international markets,” Widmer said.
“We are seeing some take-up here, and anticipate this unit becoming an important part of the product range as the industry continues to evolve.”
April/May/June 2014