Haibach - Shima Seiki Italia has opened its first office in Germany, a move which the company says is indicates a period of expansion.

Located in the city of Haibach, 50km from Frankfurt, this is the first office directly managed by the Italian branch of the computerized knitting machine manufacturer Shima Seiki Mfg.,Ltd.

Speaking to Pambianconews, the president of Shima Seiki Italia, Mr. Nobuyuki Sasamoto said: “Shima Seiki covers a large part of Europe and also other areas in the world thanks to well-distributed network of branches, dealers and agents. In addition, we have always wanted to enter the German market with great fervor because that is where our biggest competitor is coming from.

He continued: “Moreover, the German market is very important for us because there are many famous brands that belong to different sectors, such as sportswear, medical industries, automotive, home furnishing and so on. Therefore, this office in Haibach represents a new challenge for Shima Seiki which, if ends up being successful, means that it can also be found in all the other markets in which these sectors are developed."

Shima Seiki also confirmed that it had started collaborating with several local brands including Escada, Hugo Boss, Marc Cain, Marc O'Polo, Adidas and Puma. "Moreover, Shima Seiki Group has never stopped developing new technologies for knitting machines, hardware, software and sampling," Mr Sasamoto added. "Our goal is to spread out our technology in Germany, after the excellent success obtained in Italy."

The new office covers an area of around 250 square meters and includes a machine room, a showroom and an area for demonstrations and courses for the latest SDS-ONE APEX 3 design system.

"This is the first step for the further development in the area that over time thanks to the great team will enable to give an efficient support to Shima Seiki customers in Germany," Mr Sasamoto said.