particular. So we have been able to create a stronger link between our fabrics, our clients and finally, end users. - Do you continue to launch new products? We do, all the time. This is essential and one of the major features of our company. It is what makes our company strong. For as we make products 100% in our own facilities, and control every single step, from spinning to weaving to dyeing and finishes or printing, we can develop fabrics to measure, and are able to immediately assess results for samples tested at our own labs. Then, when required, products are tested at third-party laboratories. Of course, as happens with all new products and innovation in general, our research and development department is one of our stronger assets. - In the face of challenges and the crisis, is it enough to cut on expenses? I believe that cutting on expenses should be a daily task, indispensable as a requirement for all those who want to be competitive. But this, only in terms of expenses you can reduce without compromising quality, for “perfect management”, and not just for “acceptable procedures”. This additional effort on the part of each one of the members in our staff is what makes it possible for us to be competitive, to reduce costs. This said, in the face of hard times like these, perhaps the most important thing is to be accurate and specific when it comes to choosing how to use resources, what are our priorities, what is indispensable and in turn, where you can save money by reducing or eliminating expenses. I understand that hard times are never about one single formula or action that will radically change your situation. It is, instead, the set of actions or measures taken that will determine what your medium- term future will be. - When planning a strategy, do you take into account the views of staff members with the greater responsibilities? Of course we do and in fact, I can say that on many occasions it is those in charge of each area who will propose changes to the board of directors. We are the frontline, the ones who known about new needs produced by changes we notice. So, based on this information, the management plans work guidelines with an eye on the immediate future, but with a clear focus on medium and long-term goals. - Have you made changes in terms of your sales teams? Yes. Two years ago we hired a commercial technician who offers support and advice to clients who need it, and especially to end users. Today we can proudly say this was a major decision for it yielded very positive results. Six months ago, a new staff member joined our exportations team with the purpose of implementing the means that will help us attain the goals I mentioned earlier. Our basic idea is to work on every new step, calmly, but with medium-term projects for each goal. We also attend training courses that help us expand our knowledge and in some cases, what we learn there can be applied directly to what each of us is doing every day. We recently attended a Master’s course in fashion entrepreneurship, design management and operations, with excellent professors from Instituto Tecnológico Textil (Aitex). Over those five months, some twenty people from various departments in our company attended the course. - Now that selling is such a hard task, how do you motivate sales agents? We are very fortunate in that respect, for our sales agents are unstoppable. In many cases, it is they who motivate us. Anyway, it is true we all need motivation, especially when things are difficult. Our agents have been chosen in accordance to our work philosophy. They are patient, and perseverance is one of their virtues. Our Commercial management conveys the confidence of working in the right way, going in the right direction, letting them know they have performed brilliantly in many respects, so that they know there is no single order that will make them stand out because it is the largest. We all know that orders placed today are the result of the hard work you carried out for the past year or so. - Do you promote your products in a specific way? We do, with direct actions. We take part in some tradeshows we regard as strategic, on our way towards expansion and growth. We like to offer clients specific promotions, and work on products or projects, one at a time. This means that if we believe in a given project, we are willing to work hard in collaboration with our clients, fibre suppliers, end users, etc. - Are clients now choosing cheaper products? Or do they continue to choose based on other standards? We can proudly say Techs’ clients value the quality of our fabrics, our commitment and punctuality in the delivery of orders, the guarantees we can offer, etc. So we like to believe that clients buy based on those reasons. However, this means there is a price to pay, and our team works to make our prices competitive. - Within the workwear sector, what are the segments or sub-sectors that buy the most? Healthcare? Industry? Hostelry? Without a doubt, the healthcare sector. It is the sector placing the largest orders. We product hundreds of meters of fabrics for this segment. However, in my opinion, there are some actions we might take that would enable us to product fabrics offering higher quality and improved medium-term profitability. Those of us who work in the sales area may not have been able to clearly convey this idea to the various purchases managers in the healthcare sector. Perhaps it is because price is the major factor that motivates sales, and this means that sometimes decision makers miss some aspects like comfort, care, durability. All of us need to change the way we see and value these products. For instance, I believe that of late, the hostelry sector has started to see this. Price used to be the decisive factor, but this sector has revealed itself as willing to pay a little more, for products that will offer better performance in all respects: comfort, durability, image... Some prefer to buy fabrics that last longer in optimal conditions, or chose fabrics that will respond much better. I understand this is a major change, and not everyone is willing to think differently. Of course, we can offer quality products, but then clients need to know that the price will be in accordance to performance, and that it is not just a figure that will result from production costs. - When compared to sportswear or fashion clothes, what is the situation of workwear today? In my opinion, it is at a disadvantage for workwear addresses people who need to dress for work. Fashion is a very different market, more changeable, active, more immediate and prone to bringing in novelties. These are hard times for everyone. I do not know the sportswear market too well. We do produce some fabrics for this sector, but it is not our strongest segment. - Would you dare offer a formula to overcome the challenges of this crisis? I wouldn’t. I don’t have a formula. Like I said, I do not believe there is a single formula. I prefer to believe there is a set of actions that will take us in the right direction. Some of the things many of us agree upon are diversification, innovation, profitability of products, the definition of clear goals, clear strategies, and finally, collaboration and alliances, with clients and suppliers. That is a set of rules that may seem simple at a glance, but if you want to start working on them, you will find there are some difficulties. - What are your companies goals for 2011? Well, we want to continue to grow with our clients, slowly but surely, contributing innovation to markets, offering end users a whole world of solutions. We will continue to work closely with universities and research centers. We need to make products that offer people solutions that are feasible, suitable for their production needs, and in fact, actual, real things to all of us. What we expect is to be known and recognized in the world of workwear to the same extent we are known in the fashion sector. We have grown, remarkably, with our more technical products. They go to industry sectors requiring certified products, and to our most demanding clients. Market leaders offer their views /17