Technical Textiles in the Czech Republic: Profiles of a Cluster and Six Major Players
Many Czech textile firms have enjoyed success in recent years by focusing on technical textile production, where the amount of manual labour required is lower, pressure on prices is less intense, and competition from low cost Asian countries is not as strong as in the manufacture of textiles aimed at consumer markets.
Some companies and research organisations belong to a technical textile cluster called Clutex. Members work together on research and development (R&D) projects, leading to innovations and new products for their portfolios. In June 2009 12 members combined to present their product ranges at a stand at Techtextil in Germany. Clutex has 23 members with combined sales in 2008 of Kc4.3 bn (about US$250 mn). But none of the four biggest players Juta, Kord?rna, Pegas, and Technolen has joined.
Some companies have been badly affected by the downturn in the automotive sector and weakness in the construction industry. However, others have escaped the worst of the downturn by serving highly diversified markets with a wide variety of products. Another challenge which has proved more difficult to overcome is the appreciation of the koruna against the euro and US dollar.
Juta, the largest textile company in the country, makes drainage systems, multi-layer polyolefin roof membranes and nonwoven geotextiles for the construction industry, as well as mesh tree protection, polypropylene bags and twines for the agricultural sector. Other products include artificial grass, belts, and filtration. Mehler Texnologies focuses on tarpaulins, textiles for boats and garden pools. Export destinations include Germany, Italy and the Ukraine. Svitap is Europe’s biggest maker of caravan awnings. It also produces marquees, car ports, camp beds, mattresses, and pouches for banks and postal services. Technolen makes advertisement banners, fire protection products, roof membranes and tarpaulins. Pegas is the second biggest textile company in the Czech Republic and Europe’s second largest nonwovens producer after Fiberweb serving markets for diapers, feminine hygiene and incontinence products. Kord?rna ranked in 2008 as Central Europe’s largest manufacturer of technical textiles for the rubber industry and the country’s third biggest textile company industry. In 2009 the company became insolvent but its creditors have provided it with breathing space to reorganise itself.
Some companies and research organisations belong to a technical textile cluster called Clutex. Members work together on research and development (R&D) projects, leading to innovations and new products for their portfolios. In June 2009 12 members combined to present their product ranges at a stand at Techtextil in Germany. Clutex has 23 members with combined sales in 2008 of Kc4.3 bn (about US$250 mn). But none of the four biggest players Juta, Kord?rna, Pegas, and Technolen has joined.
Some companies have been badly affected by the downturn in the automotive sector and weakness in the construction industry. However, others have escaped the worst of the downturn by serving highly diversified markets with a wide variety of products. Another challenge which has proved more difficult to overcome is the appreciation of the koruna against the euro and US dollar.
Juta, the largest textile company in the country, makes drainage systems, multi-layer polyolefin roof membranes and nonwoven geotextiles for the construction industry, as well as mesh tree protection, polypropylene bags and twines for the agricultural sector. Other products include artificial grass, belts, and filtration. Mehler Texnologies focuses on tarpaulins, textiles for boats and garden pools. Export destinations include Germany, Italy and the Ukraine. Svitap is Europe’s biggest maker of caravan awnings. It also produces marquees, car ports, camp beds, mattresses, and pouches for banks and postal services. Technolen makes advertisement banners, fire protection products, roof membranes and tarpaulins. Pegas is the second biggest textile company in the Czech Republic and Europe’s second largest nonwovens producer after Fiberweb serving markets for diapers, feminine hygiene and incontinence products. Kord?rna ranked in 2008 as Central Europe’s largest manufacturer of technical textiles for the rubber industry and the country’s third biggest textile company industry. In 2009 the company became insolvent but its creditors have provided it with breathing space to reorganise itself.
SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
PROFILE OF CLUTEX: A CZECH TECHNICAL TEXTILES CLUSTER
PROFILE OF JUTA: THE MARKET LEADER IN THE CZECH TECHNICAL TEXTILE
INDUSTRY
Products and markets
Manufacturing facilities
PROFILE OF MEHLER TEXNOLOGIES: EXPORTING TO GERMANY, ITALY AND THE UKRAINE
PROFILE OF SVITAP: EUROPE'S BIGGEST MANUFACTURER OF CARAVAN AWNINGS
Products and markets
Competitors
Financial performance
PROFILE OF TECHNOLEN: A GERMAN-OWNED MAKER OF TARPAULINS, FIRE PROTECTION PRODUCTS, ROOF MEMBRANES AND TEXTILES FOR ADVERTISEMENT BANNERS
PROFILE OF PEGAS: 2008 WAS A DIFFICULT YEAR
PROFILE OF KORD?RNA: A SPECIAL CASE
INTRODUCTION
PROFILE OF CLUTEX: A CZECH TECHNICAL TEXTILES CLUSTER
PROFILE OF JUTA: THE MARKET LEADER IN THE CZECH TECHNICAL TEXTILE
INDUSTRY
Products and markets
Manufacturing facilities
PROFILE OF MEHLER TEXNOLOGIES: EXPORTING TO GERMANY, ITALY AND THE UKRAINE
PROFILE OF SVITAP: EUROPE'S BIGGEST MANUFACTURER OF CARAVAN AWNINGS
Products and markets
Competitors
Financial performance
PROFILE OF TECHNOLEN: A GERMAN-OWNED MAKER OF TARPAULINS, FIRE PROTECTION PRODUCTS, ROOF MEMBRANES AND TEXTILES FOR ADVERTISEMENT BANNERS
PROFILE OF PEGAS: 2008 WAS A DIFFICULT YEAR
PROFILE OF KORD?RNA: A SPECIAL CASE