Created in 1919 Santoni is the very first Italian knitting machine manufacturer. In 1989 it became part of the Lonati Group, a Group that operates in several different sectors of activity, i.e, textile engineering, electronics, iron and steel manufacture, agriculture, financing, real estate, research and multi-utility and Instruction. In the last 20 years, Santoni has developed a series of circular electronic “Seamlesswear” knitting machines becoming a worldwide leader in this technology.
Bangladesh as of today is aggressively looking at product development and automation in their facilities to satisfy the customers and Santoni’s introduction of the latest seamless knitting machine at the ITMA Asia +CTME show, highlights the seriousness and confidence of the Italian pioneer towards Bangladesh.
Read the full conversation here:
Textile Focus: How do you see the current scenario of Global machinery business?
Mark Wang: The global textile machinery market is experiencing growth driven by demand for automation, sustainability, and advanced textiles. Key regions include Asia-Pacific (China, India, Bangladesh and Vitenam), which dominate due to their large manufacturing bases and agile but strong supply chain. Value added in this field is coming from new technology / more efficiency / economic supply chain.
Textile Focus: How was ITMA Asia and Santoni presented?
Mark Wang: The exhibition saw a strong presence of visitors, with India standing out as the most prominent among the Asian countries. We received considerable interest, reaffirming the continued appeal of our products. At the same time, we saw the leading ability of the organizer, it have the capability to call together so many manufacturers and brands to join the exhibition which bring so many innovations and applications.
Textile Focus: Bangladeshi manufacturers now focus on seamless garment, how can santoni support our manufacturers to make seamless items?
Mark Wang: The Bangladeshi market is highly valued by Santoni. We offer 360-degree support to our customers, beginning with comprehensive training that introduces them to the seamless technology, providing all relevant information from design and yarn selection to knitting and finishing processes. Our Technical Team is readily available to provide full support whenever needed.
Training can be conducted at Santoni, on-site, or via video call, after systematic training and examination in Santoni China, the trainee could get a China national seamless technician certificate which is offered by the National Textile Association. And this certificate could help their employer standardize their production technical programs/ decentralize the production technology management to a Blockchain technology system/ support more creative seamless applications and set up a continual technician succession plan, and all these values could support the employer get further and deeper development in seamless industrial.
Textile Focus: What are the challenges for seamless products?
Mark Wang: The most significant challenge was adapting to a new product and production process, which required continuous learning and flexibility. However, this challenge motivated us to sharpen our problem-solving skills and collaborate more effectively as a team, ultimately resulting in a more successful outcome than initially expected. New materials used in seamless will also bring big value in this industry and it may bring lots of innovation.
Textile Focus: What is your future plan for Bangladesh?
Mark wang: Santoni has full confidence in the Bangladeshi market. Over the years, our customers have demonstrated remarkable strength and adaptability, approaching every production challenge with determination. They have consistently achieved impressive targets in both quality and quantity, solidifying their leadership in the industry. Santoni remains committed to supporting and stimulating the market, driving our customer base to excel with our unwavering cooperation. Santoni is willing to deliver strong support for Bangladeshi seamless industrial development and help the local producers join the global seamless market.
