Business

Textile Machines From Sweden At New Local Industry Fair

On October 13-14, the new local industry fair Svenska Textilmaskinsmässan (The Swedish Textile Machinery Fair), presented itself as a new meeting place for sustainable textile production, for the first time. The organiser of the fair is the University of Textiles in Borås. The Textile Machinery Association of Sweden (TMAS) and its member companies showcased innovation and textile machines from Sweden –technology that enables local production. The interest in local textile production in Sweden is growing as a result of the need for more sustainable production chains which need to be implemented in everything from material selection to production and distribution, providing good conditions for moving all or parts of the production home. "TMAS members help automate and streamline textile production, reduce waste and emissions and contribute to increased quality and flexibility,” says Therese Premler-Andersson, general secretary of TMAS. “These requirements are crucial to respond to a market undergoing the transition towards circularity and sustainable business models. The initiative for the fair comes at the right time when local production is something more people are considering and it will be exciting to present Swedish solutions in Sweden." The Swedish company Värnamo of Sweden has manufactured bed and decorative textiles of the highest quality in Sweden since 1951. With the support of the Swedish machine manufacturer ACG Kinna Automatic, it has established a modern facility in Sweden which has enabled it to compete with production in low-cost countries. "Following the machine investments we have made in recent years, we can manufacture and sell to major players in both retail and hotel operations,” says Martin Åhlander, CEO of Värnamo of Sweden. “New investments have meant that we have been able to break new ground and bring in larger players such as Jysk and Mio among others." ACG Kinna Automatic was founded in Sweden in 1977 and is one of the world's most experienced manufacturers of textile machines. The project together with Värnamo of Sweden is an excellent example of how it helps its customers to increase automation and thereby save costs. "We are great at helping our customers to increase automation,” says Christian Moore, CEO ACG Kinna Automatic and board member of TMAS.“At Värnamo of Sweden, where the production has been placed in Sweden since the start, this meant that our machines could support the company in gearing up its production, which we are proud of." Over 40 exhibitors participated in the Swedish textile machinery fair, of which almost 30% are TMAS members with machines manufactured in Sweden and with Swedish expertise. These included ACG Nyström, ACG Kinna Automatic, Baldwin, Coloreel, Eltex of Sweden, ES Automatex Solution, Eton Systems, Imogo, Svegea of Sweden, Texo and Vandewiele Sweden.