TT: How big is your R&D team? What does it work on?
Our R&D team comprises three excellent engineers. They are advancing and developing side by side with our customers, and always thinking in the production processes, quality and sustainability parameters.
We are exploring new products, focused into recently opened markets.
TT: The quality parameters of nonwoven fabrics are not same across all industries. How does Fytisa ensure that it meets requirements of various sectors like automotive, industrial, etc?
Today, 70 per cent of our production is for automotive industry, and we are certified IATF and ISO9001. So, we must continue to meet high level of standards not just for the automotive products, but also for the whole production site. We also work with automotive quality level in non-automotive markets.
You cannot ask your workforce to change the way depending on where their production will be sold. The factory needs to follow a standard process to work. I like to call it ‘Fytisa style’. And it warrants a level of quality and liability in our products that it is not so common in the rest of markets. And people, especially the Texfel potential customers, take it in consideration: Texfel is a premium brand from a premium factory that is working in automotive market for the last 50 years, producing décor nonwovens for interior trim. And for it, you must be in the top of the standards and quality. And it is what we do.
TT: What are the various finishes offered by Fytisa? Which sectors are your major customers?
Our finishings are: velour, print, full impregnate, surfacing impregnate, calender, foaming, thermo-powder scatter. We produce all of them under the same roof. As I mentioned earlier, 70 per cent of our production is for automotive sector (décor nonwovens for facing interior trim parts – headlinings, door panels, parcel-shelf, pilars, etc.), 20 per cent for acoustic, wall covering, contract decoration and pet panel, and the other 10 per cent are several industrial applications, mainly B2B products.
TT: Across which geographies/countries do you sell your products?
Today, we have customers around the world. We are selling in the Americas (North and South), Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.
TT: What are the next plans at Fytisa in terms of expansion, etc?
Towards Texfel and its new markets in decoration, wall covering, contract, roofing, acoustics and every opportunity surrounding them, we plan to expand our sales putting all our effort and talent to expand the brand and become a reference point in these segments.