At Booth 713 in Hall 8, Mayer & Cie. will present three machines: the D4-2.2 X interlock machine, the OV 3.2 QCe for double jersey structures and the MV 4 3.2 II for single jersey fabrics. For the Mayer & Cie. and MMÜ team, the focus will be on in-person contacts with customers, suppliers and partners. Despite the tense international situation both the manufacturer and its representative are positive about the medium-term outlook for the Turkish market.

The portfolio of machines that Mayer & Cie. is exhibiting at the ITM is tried, trusted and popular. The OV 3.2 QCe is a specialist for interlock fabrics and double jersey structures that it knits in both filament and synthetic fibre yarns. With a conversion kit the OV 3.2 QCe also qualifies as a producer of 8-lock structures, spacer fabrics and fine gauges. The machine is available in a choice of three frames: from open-width and industrial to giant frame. Mayer & Cie.’s Turkey specialist Stefan Bühler, said, “Not for nothing has the OV 3. 2 QCe been one of our most popular machines for years. It is mainly used for sportswear and for leisure- and outerwear.” In Istanbul the OV 3.2 QCe on show will be a 30-inch, E40-gauge model.

The double-jersey D4-2.2 X is an obvious choice for knitting fine rib fabrics of up to E28 gauge. Spacer and interlock fabrics are also part of the machine’s established repertoire. And it can produce elastomeric plating in both cylinder and dial cam. No matter which of these tasks is assigned to the D4-2.2 X, it performs it with impressive productivity.

In the single jersey sector, the long-established German firm delivers a literally fine solution. The MV 4 3.2 II on show at the ITM knits to an E38 gauge. The machine can also be supplied for gauges from E14 to E60. It is, in addition, highly flexible, with a repertoire that ranges from piqué and double piqué to one-thread fleece and smooth single jersey.

“The challenges that the global economy faces are at present enormously wide-ranging, of course,” said Bühler. “The Russian invasion of the Ukraine, supply chain outages, shortages of raw materials and skyrocketing energy prices all create uncertainty.” And then there is galloping inflation in Turkey and elections in 2023. Yet despite, and in part because of, this state of affairs Bühler and Kahraman Güveri, CEO of Mayer & Cie.’s Turkish representative MMÜ, hold a positive view of the market outlook for the years ahead. Large orders, especially for standard products, are on the increase.

“Apart from that, Turkey benefits from its proximity to Europe, transport routes are manageable,” said Bühler. “This location advantage attracts brand manufacturers who together with their orders bring new approaches, new designs and new technologies into the country.” And Turkey’s already very highly developed textiles sector benefits too. That, says Güveri, is why one can be confident for the next few years, “at least for as long as nothing unforeseen happens”.

It is not yet clear how attendance will compare with before the pandemic. “The ITM, together with the ITMA, was definitely a highlight in the trade fair calendar,” Bühler said. “I have my doubts as to whether it will attract such a large international turnout this time round. Yet we nevertheless look forward to it eagerly. There is no substitute for direct, in-person contact with customers and partners, and after two years of online meetings it is simply an urgent necessity.”

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)