Showcasing the future Dilmenler DMS

Turkey’s Dilmenler DMS is one of the world’s leading textile machinery manufacturers and it has now entered into a new era thanks to a $5 million investment into a new dyeing facility which will also be used as a showroom for its complete continuous wet processing machines. The sales director, Ismail Senguler, talked to Industry Europe.

SHOWCASING THE FUTURE

DMS currently produces two main types of machinery: dyeing and finishing machines. Within these two lines, it offers over 110 different types of machinery to suit the different needs of its clients. Industry Europe last caught up with Dilmenler just as the textile industry and other key Turkish sectors were hit by the global economic crisis and the markets were at a standstill waiting for the uncertainty of the times to dissipate. Many of Dilmenler’s key clients cancelled or postponed their investment plans, which in turn affected the company’s own plans quite drastically. At the time Mr Senguler told us that Dilmenler was planning to go ahead with a large investment project of its own, knowing that this would give them an advantage by the time the sector started to function more healthily, which he thought was inevitable.

It now appears that he was right. After the dismal period of 2008–2009, finally last year the sector started to move again and Dilmenler recorded a 40 per cent growth in

production and turnover, Mr Senguler says. He adds that the figures for the first three months of this year are also looking good and that there is every reason for optimism. In a textile industry that is now functioning much more healthily, Dilmenler is also ready to significantly increase its chances of becoming the preferred choice for many more textile manufacturers from around the world. The new showroom factory is key to this effort, and it places Dilmenler in a different category from many of its competitors. “Nothing is better than seeing the products in action”

Mr Senguer explains the significant advantages of being able to show potential clients how the machinery works in a real production environment. He says it is not just a research and development facility but most importantly it will provide all the answers to the operational questions typically posed by clients considering the purchase of new machinery. It will also give them the opportunity to see the machines tested and to gauge their capacity before making any commitment to purchase. Previously Dilmenler would have to ask for favours from its existing domestic clients in order to show their machinery in action to potential new clients but they are now able to use their own factory to service the needs of all their potential domestic and international clients. They can also organise training sessions in the facility.

The dyeing facility will also set a real example about how best to use logistics

to get four loads every six hours from the machines. This is currently their maximum capacity but often customers cannot achieve it due to logistical inefficiencies. In other words, this factory will also be used to reflect Dilmenler’s know-how in engineering and the importance of logistical systems gained through 30 years of experience. This will help customers to replicate the sample factory in order to obtain the full capacity of the machines. Mr Senguler believes that the functioning dyeing factory will increase Dilmenler’s exposure to potential clients that might not even have heard of Dilmenler before. It will help to eliminate any uncertainty that clients may have against a new provider, or towards a lesser-known brand.

An additional benefit of this showroom is that while it will show the machinery, its finished produce will also be marketed to a completely new clientele. He says the production could start in a month or so. For this new market, Dilmenler is in the process of putting together a new team to sell the factory’s high-quality fabrics.

A worldwide network

Since the crisis, Dilmenler has also been restructuring its network of representative offices around the world and, in addition to the existing offices which include those in Bangladesh and Pakistan, it has opened in Colombia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. There are plans to further increase the company’s presence around the world with new representatives based in Vietnam, Peru, Equator and Chile. In all, Dilmenler will have representatives in 20 countries throughout hte world. Feasibility studies are also being carried out to open a firm in Brazil with an assembly or production facility that would give Dilmenler the status of a local producer status in the country. This is important as Brazil is known to apply higher import taxes on external manufacturers.

Dilmenler is currently preparing for the International Exhibition of Textile Machinery (ITMA) Fair in September 2011, which will take place in Barcelona. They have hired a 450 m2 space, where they are excited to show the full potential of their new dyeing facility and expect to receive a lot of interest. n