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Industry Talk

Schoeller-works appoints new Business Unit Manager

Schoeller-works, the workwear division of Schoeller Textil, has appointed Hendrikus van Es a new Business Unit Manager. The new manager is expected to start in his new role as of 1 November, also taking his place as a member of the management board. At Schoeller in Sevelen, he will be in charge of a team of workwear specialists and responsible for product development and distribution. A provider of concept-based solutions, schoeller- works develops innovative functional and protective fabrics for uniforms, fashionable corporate wear, protective workwear and military use.

23rd October 2013

Innovation in Textiles
 |  Sevelen

Clothing/​Footwear, Protective, Medical/Hygiene, Transport/​Aerospace, Industrial, Construction

The new manager is expected to start in his new role as of 1 November, also taking his place as a member of the management board. At Schoeller in Sevelen, he will be in charge of a team of workwear specialists and responsible for product development and distribution.

A provider of concept-based solutions, schoeller- works develops innovative functional and protective fabrics for uniforms, fashionable corporate wear, protective workwear and military use.

Profile

Hendrikus van Es studied textile engineering at the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, majoring in textile finishing, and is experienced in the international textile business.

In 2000, he took over as business manager of a yarn dyeing plant before later assuming the general management of the coloured yarn business unit with a European synthetic yarn manufacturer. He also worked as a head of Mobil Tex marketing with a Swiss chemical company.

In his interview, Hendrikus van Es has given his views about the company’s objectives and its place in the industry and workwear sector.

You have been Business Unit Manager at schoeller-works since November 2013. Where do you see the greatest potential for the Schoeller Workwear Division?

Firstly we take a look at the major trends on the international workwear market. The demand is for multinorm clothing with, for example, heat protection and fire protection, high-visibility and rain protection, or protection from chemicals, and anti-static properties. Additionally, the fashion aspect is playing an increasingly important role due to the greater flexibility and mobility of staff and the increasing number of female employees.

Full body system solutions (from head to foot) still remain a central theme. Sustainability, in the sense of the change from linear to cyclical consumption and the re-use of products without toxins will gain ground in the workwear market in the years ahead, and will, in fact, become a standard requirement. Our origins in the sportswear area, the wide range of stretch fabrics with function, our innovative strength, the modular seven-layer clothing system and our cooperation with bluesign mean we are ideally positioned to cater to these trends.

What, in your opinion, is the strongest-growing market for innovative functional fabrics?

The fact is that the PPE market continues to display the strongest growth in the workwear area and remains a major focus at schoeller-works. In the uniform and military wear sector we have successfully established ourselves with our modular seven-layer clothing system and the wide range of stretch fabrics.

We will be building on this experience to win over further customers for schoeller-works in the years ahead. Through our cooperation with Klopman and the development of the synergo Collection we have a wide range in the area of corporate wear. The fashion aspect is also working in our favour and therefore I see good growth opportunities in corporate wear too in the next few years.

What USP (Unique Selling Point) can schoeller-works offer its customers?

We see the fact that everything comes into being ‘at one site’ as a major USP. We have our own research and development department, experienced textile designers, a modern weaving mill and knitting factory as well as a very versatile finishing facility which also includes the membranes.

This means that our team is very closely intermeshed and can therefore react quickly and flexibly to individual customer requirements. Every customer can find ‘added value’ for his brands, or have completely new workwear products developed, which have a genuine USP in terms of look, function or comfort.

What innovations are schoeller-works presenting at A+A?

At the coming A+A exhibition we will be presenting the new synergo Collection. In addition, new developments in the area of permanent fire protection on synthetic fabrics will be shown.

The success story of the pyroshell technology, which offers reliable protection from heat and flames, continues apace: it has recently also become available for knitted fabrics. As well we have extended the area of fire protection with the addition of the highly abrasion-proof ceraspace technology.

What economic challenges will the workwear sector have to face in the future?

In addition to the further creation of added value, schoeller-works has to face up to the cost pressure in the workwear segment.

Strategic alliances, such as the schoeller-works and Klopman cooperation, ideally complement our innovations.

www.schoeller-works.com

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