Switzerland: Saurer Will Have Good Business In 2014

Rendezvous

Switzerland: Saurer Will Have Good Business In 2014

In an exclusive interview with Textile Excellence, Daniel Lippuner, Chief Executive Officer, Saurer, talks about its new strategies after the re-establishment of the new Saurer Group and the growing market business for Saurer in India and Bangladesh.

Are there any changes in the organisation after the re-establishment of the new Saurer group?

No, not really. The top 40 leaders of the Saurer management consist of mainly Swiss and German individuals with a long experience in our industry. The new Chinese owner, Mr. Pan, strongly believes in strengthening the European DNA of Saurer, since it is a big part of the value of the company. The group management team has full authority to define and execute the strategy according to what we believe is right and works well. Mr. Pan and I meet frequently to discuss and exchange ideas. But at the end of the day, I as the CEO of Saurer have the responsibility to execute the agreed strategy, which is based on the power of European engineering.

How is the Bangladesh market for Saurer after the takeover, as 2013 has been a traumatic year for the country?

2013 was not a great year for us in Bangladesh due to the political uncertainties and the depressed market. But after the election, resulting in a more stable government, the mood in the country has made a U-turn and the project pipeline is filling fast. Therefore, we have decided that we will add more people in sales and service in this country to be ready for the next upturn. Our Schlafhorst winder and Schlafhorst open end are the new products which have done very well in the Bangladesh market. The Texparts drafting systems and high speed spindles for ring spinning machines are almost a must-have standard in Bangladesh. Our Accotex cots and aprons have gained a major market share particularly with fine yarn spinners.

Was Saurer able to attract good business in 2013 after TUFS failed to kickstart in India and what are your expectations this year?

Yes we had very good and growing business in India. The Autoconer X5 winder and the Autocoro 8 rotor spinning machine have done very well. Both are ideal machines for this market due to their high flexibility and resistance against power fluctuations.This year I am expecting the market to grow more for us in India. One concern is the high share of yarn export to China and whether it would sustain, which certainly depends on the Chinese cotton policy which nobody can influence.

How was the response for Saurer at DTG 2014, in Dhaka in February?

We got a very good response at DTG 2014 with high quality of visitors. We had consistently a large crowd at our stall, who indeed were interested to know about the new technologies of Saurer. We managed to establish many new contacts in the industry.

Is Saurer launching any new products at ITMA ASIA 2014?

Yes, of course. Saurer will be launching several new products during ITMA Asia 2014 as it is the major trade show this year.