Albstadt - Mayer & Cie has welcomed a strong performance in its key Turkish market in recent months with Relanit single jersey and interlock knitting machines showing particularly high demand as manufacturers continue to transfer their production locations closer to Europe.
Despite this year being marked by the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the country continues to be one of the Albstadt, Germany-based firm's strongest and most consistent sales markets. Even in difficult years, the manufacturer and its longstanding Turkish representative Mayer Mümessillik have achieved positive results.
As well as the transfer of production to locations close to Europe, fabric manufacturers are also attracted by Turkey’s state-of-the-art machine parks and the increase in demand for comfortable clothing that is suitable as home office wear.
“Compared to 2019, we anticipate a growth in the Turkish market even though the corona situation was a serious setback in the second quarter of 2020,” explains Stefan Bühler, Mayer & Cie’s regional sales manager for Turkey, adding that Mayer & Cie got off to a strong start on the Bosporus in the first quarter of 2020 with additional positive effects until mid-March. This was due, says Bühler to a desire for production locations close to Europe.
In the second quarter, during the lockdown, demand largely ground to a halt although Government measures helped to cushion the downturn. “In the second quarter, GDP was down by about 10 per cent, so we got off lightly,” noted Ahmet M. Öğretmen, general manager of MCT’s Turkish sales partner Mayer Mümessillik.
Since July 2020, orders for Mayer & Cie circular knitting machines have now bounced back with Öğretmen seeing an interplay of reasons for this recovery. The main reason, he says, is the low exchange rate of the Turkish lira, which has boosted exports of ready-made textiles.
With reference to the Turkish state news agency, Turkish daily Hürriyet recently reported, 11 per cent year-on-year growth in August 2020. The most important export markets, the newspaper says, are Germany, the UK and Spain who between them account for around half of exports totaling €1.27 billion. “This demand must be fulfilled,” Öğretmen says. “That leads to investment in machinery by manufacturers.”
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The long-established German firm’s share of the Turkish market is substantially higher than in other markets. The manufacturer’s position is particularly strong in the market for plain single jersey fabrics, with the Relanit 3.2 HS being the machine of choice. It achieves an extraordinarily high level of productivity, especially in processing elastomer yarns. It also handles a wide range of yarns reliably.
"Mayer & Cie. is the clear leader in the second major circular knitting discipline, rib and interlock fabrics; Interlock is Mayer & Cie,” says Öğretmen, noting that the machines mostly used for double jersey fabrics are the OV 3.2 QCe, the D4 2.2 II and the D4 3.2 II.
The OV 3.2 QCe knits interlock, 8-lock structures, spacers and fine gauge with 3.2 systems. The D4 2.2 II is another stalwart for rib, 8-lock and interlock. The 8-lock D4 3.2 II is the machine of choice for firms that want to manufacture structures such as Piqué, Punto di Roma or Thermal in addition to interlock.
The MBF 3.2 is another leading seller in Turkey. A three-thread fleece machine, it knits fabrics for sports and leisurewear such as hoodies and is very much in keeping with the trend in home office year 2020.
“Comfortable clothing is circular knitted,” Öğretmen adds, “and we benefit from that of course.”
A further advantage, a key factor in attracting increased investment, is the modernity of the Turkish machine parks, which is doubly attractive in view of Turkey’s weak currency. “In the past 10 to 20 years there has been very heavy investment in high-quality machines," Öğretmen says. "As a consequence we have the world’s youngest and most up-to-date production facilities.”
Combined with geographical proximity to the main export markets in Europe that should prove a growth driver in the years ahead – and keep demand for Mayer & Cie machines brisk and high, the company says.
