Gamma Holding's belting tech gains from rising demand, H1
26 Aug '05
9 min read
The companies in the Gamma Comfort & Style sector were involved in a number of interesting projects. For example, Sleep Care Fabrics presented an innovative mattress fabric based on bamboo, Car Fabrics supplied three types of car upholstery for the Peugeot Caméléo, and Exotic Fabrics was represented alongside major designers like Dolce & Gabbana and Cacharel at the Africa exhibition 'Beyond Desire' in the Fashion Museum in Antwerp.
Sleep Care Fabrics was faced with a downturn in sales of woven mattress fabrics, particularly in the United Kingdom and Australia. The business unit also suffered from the growing trend towards one-sided mattress fabrics in the USA. In all markets there was increased demand for knitted products, for which the knitting capacity was expanded worldwide.
Fiercer competition led to further price pressure in Europe. To improve its cost position, Sleep Care Fabrics is intensifying its strategy of bringing costs into line with the geographical spread of its operations. To this end, capacity in Western Europe will be further reduced and there will be more production in low wage countries. Nothing concrete can be said at the moment regarding possible consequences for the workforce. In July, Telartex, a Mexican producer of mattress ticking, was taken over. With this acquisition, the business unit has gained a leading position in the highly promising Central American market. Furthermore, the American market will be served from Mexico.
marketing@alchempro.com
