EDITORIAL
Message of the CEO: Steady Growth, Investments and Outstanding Sales Results. The Itema winning mix against the pandemic.
Dear Red Dot Community,
It has been a few months since my last message in this section and, at Itema, many things have been happening both on and off the markets.
I am glad to confirm that what was perceived has a positive outlook for 2021 has now turned into a real momentum for the sales of our weaving machines. As Itema we are in fact experiencing one of the best years in terms of sales volumes, and this apply to all our portfolio of weft insertions, namely rapier, airjet and projectile. With the new contracts secured in the first quarter, our order book already covers the 2021 production capacity of the Group’s manufacturing plants and what makes us even more satisfied is the increasing presence of new Customers among it, thus demonstrating the growing power and presence of Itema in the market. Home textiles – spanning from furnishing, curtains, decoration textiles, bed sheeting –are driving the sector of woven fabrics, as a mirror reflecting the pandemic effects on people daily habits. In this Red Dot News, you can listen to the story of the Itema Customer Luilor, based in Prato, that we recently visited to bring to you an interesting insight about the high-end furnishing fabrics production.
The Itema latest airjet model, the A95002, is an integral part of the market success we are enjoying. The excellent performances achieved by the first A95002 installations executed immediately after market launch at ITMA in June 2019 are delivering impressive results in terms of eco-efficiency and textile mastery and we are pleased to share with you some updates in our Technology Corner here along with a specific section in which we introduce to you the excellence of the reeds produced by the Itema Group company Schoch which significantly improve airjet weaving technology effectiveness here.
Going back to the introduction, great news concerned Itema in the field of innovation. In fact, unique in the industry, Itema announced the evolution of Itemalab® from company’s advanced innovation hub to an independent company. Thus, making the excellence of the textile machinery innovation now available to all the industrial sectors, in a move that strategically opens new cooperation perspectives and new business opportunities. With the strengthening and evolution of Itemalab®, we set the conditions for endless innovation opportunities in the most diverse application fields. In recent years we teamed up with various companies and we explored new horizons and perspectives in the areas of materials and mechatronic principles. Itemalab® will play a crucial role for the development of Itema Group and will become a key partner for many companies in their transformation and innovation paths. You can read more about this in the Company Investment section.
The Events section of this Red Dot News reports some events that we finally held. In April, in fact, Itema Weaving Japan – headquartered in Osaka – held an open house dedicated to illustrating to the prestigious Japanese weavers the valuable technological solutions offered by the Itematech® portfolio, particularly focusing on Hercules and UniRap machine models. A full reportage about the event is available here.
Additionally, we are exhibiting at ITMA Asia 2021 in Shanghai that is taking place in these days. We are so excited about this exhibition that gives to us the chance to get back on stage exhibiting our technology and meeting Customers. Find out everything you need to know about Itema Group participation at ITMA Asia 2021 here.
Finally, The Expert Talks section presents the innovative Repetable® by RadiciGroup, a polyester recycled yarn obtained by post-consumer plastic bottles recycling process that allows to reduce CO2 emissions (-45%), water consumption (-90%) and energy (-60%).
Now, enjoy your reading and stay tuned for the upcoming Itema Group updates.
Sincerely,
Ugo Ghilardi
Itema Group CEO