Competition does not scare Imprimis by Gulbena and proof of this is that it continues to invest in new equipment and increase its production capacity. «We have more competition but, in my opinion, the fact that there are more companies working in digital printing is good for everyone, it is a sign that the market is moving», explained Rachel Pereira, sales director of Gulbena Têxteis, which holds Imprimis by Gulbena, in Jornal Têxtil’s April issue.
The investment represents more than a simple equipment, guaranteed Gulbena’s sales director. «It is not a simple machine because it implies everything else and we do everything in-house: the preparation, printing and finishing are performed in-house», she said.
Last year was a year dedicated to the consolidation of markets and the goal for 2016 is to maintain current clients and to grow. «But in the long term», said Raquel Pereira to Jornal Têxtil. «Peaks, everyone has them and even more in this industry», she added, referring to the strong variation recorded in monthly sales, caused in part by prints’ seasonality.
The exploration of new territories has been, therefore, fundamental in the development of this business area, with Imprimis by Gulbena having the Nordic countries in sight. «They have greater purchasing power, a lot of design – Nordic design is quite different – and big sports brands, among others. Increasingly, fashion wear (fashion mixed with sportswear) is a market that pleases us», admitted the sales director. Germany is also on the agenda. «It is a market we are already working in functional textiles [another Gulbena’s business area] and it would be interesting to get there also with digital printing», she stated.
To facilitate this exploration of new markets, Imprimis by Gulbena, which already participates in The London Textile Fair, aims to enter Première Vision Paris. A step in the right direction, believes the sales director, who expects to see more results of this investment in digital printing, which began in 2013, next year. «In 2017 we have to see the result of this hard work. When you make an investment like this, it is done in the long run, no one is expecting for results in the immediate and, sometimes, it is necessary to change strategy. That has not happened yet. We must work and in 2017 we will see», she concluded.
