WTiN talks to Alan Little, director of the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) ahead of ITMA Asia + CITME 2018.
Alan Little, director of the BTMA
How has the British textile machinery industry performed in 2018 so far?
We have only had the statistics for the first quarter of 2018, but the upward trend – which amounted to approximately 8% in 2017, continued through this period.
There is still a lot of work to be done on the Brexit negotiations. What impact has Brexit had thus far on your member companies?
Brexit has not occurred yet, so there has been no impact. Europe is still our best market for textile machinery sales.
How does the British textile machinery industry stand in terms of the employment opportunities it offers?
As is well documented, the UK education system is not generating sufficient numbers of engineers, and as a consequence, there are many employment opportunities in our industry.
In my opinion, the technology employed nowadays in the production of textile machinery is as high-tech as any other engineering industry, and people employed in it become the most qualified in the country.
How important is the Asian market for British textile machinery, and what developments have your member companies recently made in this market?
Asia is an important market for British textile machinery and ranks second behind Europe in terms of sales value. Major innovations in the Asian and other markets have been centred around automation, energy recovery and digitalisation.
How does exhibiting at ITMA Asia + CITME benefit your member companies?
For those companies choosing to exhibit at the show, they can always see an increase in sales and the cementing of relationships with old and new potential customers.
What are your expectations for British textile machinery manufacturing in 2019?
Based on current trends, sales of UK textile machinery in 2019 look set to further increase to those in the first quarter of 2018. Also, the number of new UK companies entering the field gives rise to further optimism.
Is there anything you would like to add?
The design, development, manufacture and sales of textile machinery is only part of the story. One of the most important elements, and one that makes British machinery the best, is the aftersales service and process knowledge of our companies. This ensures that their customers, who invest in UK-made equipment, have it installed, commissioned and maintained to give them exactly what they require.
Because of their heritage, vision and innovative skills, UK textile machinery makers are second to none.
