Italian Textile Machinery Producers Remain Competitive Globally

Italian Textile Machinery ProducersRemain Competitive Globally
Italian textile machinery manufacturers face challenges in the days ahead, including fluctuation in demand and increased competitive pressure, according to Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers (ACIMIT) Chairman Alberto M. Saachi. Saachi’s remarks were included in his report on industry performance in 2002.Turnover in 2002 was 5 percent lower than in 2001 as a result of lower demand both domestically and from main export textile markets, particularly the United States and the European Union (EU). Sales to Asia rose, but were lower than predicted.Uncertainties shroud an anticipated increase in U.S. and EU textile consumption, Saachi said.“On top of this, the higher value of the euro compared to the dollar is penalizing industries like ours that are heavily dependent on exports,”he said.Despite these challenges, recent ACIMIT surveys indicate that Italian manufacturers remain competitive globally. The surveys cite the industry’s dynamism and financial strength, exemplified by a gain in global market share, from 12 percent to 15 percent, from 1995 to 2001, while Italy’s main competitors lost market share.“Italian textile machinery manufacturers have succeeded in implementing policies of differentiation based on product quality and continuous improvement through constant innovation,” Saachi said. “Italian business has also learned to pay more attention to customer service, and this has helped us escape from the restrictive logic of price-based competition.”Innocenzo Cipolletta, Ph.D., also addressed the issue, noting that escalating competition from countries with newly developed textile machinery industries requires that Italian manufacturers increasingly stress technical innovation as a distinguishing characteristic.
Fall 2003