German manufacturers of garment, leather technology and textile cleaning machinery are anticipating a slight drop in sales of 3 per cent in real terms for 2012 compared to 2011. A turnover increase of 4 per cent in real terms is forecast for 2013.
“2012 was a stable transitional year for the Garment and Leather Technology Association. For 2013 we are expecting an increase in turnover, particularly if global conditions improve.
“The unexpectedly clear outcome of the presidential election in the USA is already the first step in the right direction,” explained the trade association’s chairman Tilo Ullmer, owner and managing shareholder of PMF GmbH in Schweix and FORTUNA Spezial Maschinen GmbH in Weil der Stadt, during the VDMA trade association’s general assembly on 16 November in Berlin.
Within the VDMA Textile Machinery Association, the Garment and Leather Technology Association encompasses sewing and garment machinery, shoe and leather technology, laundry and textile cleaning machinery and machinery for processing technical textiles. In 2011 the volume of production stood at 510 million euros.
With regard to orders received, the Garment and Leather Technology Association reported a decrease of 23 per cent in real terms in September 2012, compared to the same month last year. In the period from January to September, which was less influenced by short-term fluctuations, the figure was down by 9 per cent.
This was divided up over the sub-industries as follows – Sewing and garment machinery in September: a minus of 58 per cent, January to September: a minus of 33 per cent. Machinery for the shoe and leather industry in September: a minus of 12 per cent, January to September: a minus of 29 per cent. Laundry and textile cleaning machinery in September: a plus of 16 per cent, January to September: a plus of 12 per cent.
“The expectations in the garment and leather technology sector could not be met in 2012. Unfortunately the general reluctance of customers to invest, particularly in the clothing and shoe production segments, is actually globally more pronounced than anticipated.
“Only the USA and the global production of technical textiles have been relatively unaffected as yet. With this, the uncertainty of the ailing economy in China and the euro crisis is increasingly spreading to the manufacturers and consumers. A cautious increase in the number of orders and also in turnover can be predicted for 2013. But the global economic conditions have to stabilise or improve in order for this to happen,” added Elgar Straub, Managing Director of the Garment and Leather Technology Trade Association within the VDMA.
Investments are on the agenda
“Considerable structural changes in China, the most significant market for clothing manufacturers, as well as shorter response times are leading to the production sites being relocated closer to the end consumer markets,” continues Straub.
This shifting of production, to Eastern Europe for example, as well as the required flexibilisation of production processes combined with resource conservation and increasing productivity are benefitting German technology manufacturers.
Positive developments have already been reported at the JIAM trade fair in Osaka, the leading technology fair for sewing equipment and the clothing machinery industry in Asia, and at SIMAC in Bologna, one of the worldwide leading trade fairs for machinery and technologies for the shoe and leather goods industry.
German manufacturers of sewing and garment machinery are also pinning their hopes on further positive impulses from Texprocess, the international leading technology trade fair for the processing of textile and flexible materials, which will be taking place next June in Frankfurt. “Texprocess can give the industry the boost that was lacking in 2012,” explained Straub.