16/Market leaders offer their views 57 Textil Santanderina Pedro González (Commercial Director of Techs): “We work to become well-known in the workwear-technical sector, as we already are in the world of fashion” Textil Santanderina is a leading company in the textile industry sector. It produces over five hundred articles, grouped into categories that range from the classic cottons to the most advances technical protective fibres. Techs is the technical textiles division of the company founded over fifty years ago. The powerful contributions of the R+D department of this company brings textile solutions guaranteeing maximum safety and comfort in workwear. Techs works with a full range of products, fibers and finishes. Some of the brands marketed are Kerlast (flame-retardant, stretch fabrics); New Wooltechs (special fabrics protecting against molten metal splash); Sanitech (antibacterial finish on fabrics); Protechs (flame-retardant, antistatic modacrylic-cotton fabrics); Bitechs (special antimosquito finishes), etc. Techs implements a clever strategy: offering different solutions to various market segments, by producing a number of product lines, from the most basic for industry sectors requiring no special protection, to the most technical, with products certified to cover all possible hazards existing at a single workplace. IN general, the company’s field is oriented to the following sectors, with their corresponding product lines: Workwear (basic workwear fabrics); Healthcare (fabrics for hostelry and healthcare); Protective wear, the fullest range with fabrics complying with specific standards, suitable for the most demanding environments: automotive, electricity, chemical, petrochemical, etc. In addition to specific fabrics for firefighters and forestry teams. Finally, the company makes the Militarywear line, offering fabrics for the military and law-enforcement sectors. Techs also produces specific fabrics for various sectors. However, the above mentioned are the most representative. Pedro González, Commercial Director of Techs, answers our questions, designed to offer our readers a fuller view on the current situation of the technical fabrics sector. - Are sales levels stable or have they been reduced? That depends on the product you are talking about. Global figures make us feel satisfied. For in these hard times, our sales levels have grown and I believe that is relevant, for it seemed unthinkable when we set our initial goals last year. However, I believe we need to go deeper in order to know what is truly happening. In our case, we experienced a very marked descent in demand levels for the most basic products, and orders for government agencies also decreased, noticeably. But finally, and this is fortunate, descent was made up by the growth in sales levels for our more technical products, and orders were coming in from companies supplying products to sectors requiring certified products, like those we produce for firefighters, armies, etc. This is where we found growth was not stalling and where we could contribute and develop our full potential. - Are there fewer orders? Or are they smaller? It is a combination of both. In general, there are fewer orders. That is normal for the workforce is also smaller, with so many people out of jobs, and clothes makers producing just what is necessary. There are very few that can produce for stock purposes. In addition to this, those in the purchases department have had to cut expenses and will place orders that are smaller but at the same time, more frequent, so we’ve had to improve our delivery terms in order to meet their needs. - Do you find prices have a greater influence on decision makers? Not at this time. This is a new, historical situation that makes us all change our perception and assessment of factors and facts. A short time ago, price was one of the factors that greatly influenced all negotiations. But today, as raw materials cost twice as much in comparison to last year, and supply is not as dynamic, there are different problems. Of course, even though things changed, we need to be competitive. There is no other effective formula. But now, more than ever, we need to be competitive in addition to prompt, punctual, and offering excellent quality. Our clients want additional guaranteeing in global service. Deceleration seems to have changed clients’ attitude, is that so? Now, our clients want suppliers who can offer better prices, delivery terms and quality, and it is only those who can guarantee this that will succeed. Projects may be treated more openly for there is a greater need to work on common goals, shared by those supplying fibres, those producing fabrics, and those making clothes. In the end, all of us share a common end client: users. We depend on consumers and the best way to meet their needs is to have our goals in line, to work on common projects. - When demand levels decrease, what do companies need to do, as a reaction to that? I believe that the reaction is complex, complicated because things are not just like we want them to be. It will all depend on the particular situation of a given comp any. In our case, we chose diversification, in terms of products and markets. We expanded, and export more. We have also tried to maximize our offer of basic products in order to maintain a healthy balance between quality and price, and profitability. - Are you working on specific goals? Yes, we always do. In the first place, every year our philosophy is focused on maintaining and strengthening the prestige of our TS-Techs brand. Whatever we do needs to be in line with that principle, before any other action plan. In our Techs Department we identify the work lines we need to work on. We have contributed a number of ideas, like expanding and working with more countries, promoting our more technical fabrics, re-grouping our basic products, optimizing processes, exporting more, and continuing to work on research and product development, improving processes. - What were the specific actions? In the first place, we hired more employees in our exportations department. Because we want to work so much harder in this respect, exporting to new countries, and having people with exclusive dedication to this purpose, without having to work in other, internal areas. We also continued to work in the certification of our more technical products, so that our clients who make clothes already know what to choose. We have set up a personalized support service for clients, end users, and listen to them, taking into account their needs and questions, specifically in terms of their workplaces in