The thread cost may only account for a small fraction of the cost of a sewn product, but it shoulders 50 per cent of the responsibility for seam strength, durability and appearance. To push innovation and help the industry grow, A&E Gütermann, a global leader in high-quality sewing and embroidery threads, has opened its cutting-edge Technical Centre at its Bawal plant in Haryana. This centre will focus on research, improving thread quality, testing, optimising equipment and promoting sustainability, while offering strong technical support to industry partners. In the coming months, the centre will also be expanding to include an embroidery division.
In India, A&E Gütermann has a joint venture with Vardhman Textiles and runs six facilities: three in Punjab, one in Tamil Nadu, one in Andhra Pradesh and one in Haryana. Globally, A&E’s products are manufactured in 22 countries, distributed to 50 countries and sold in over 100 countries.
In an exclusive interview with Apparel Resources at their newly inaugurated Technical Centre at Bawal, A&E Threads Global President Chris Alt, Vardhman A&E India MD Sanjeev Narula and Executive VP Rajeev Pradhan evaluate the current market landscape, outline their growth plans, share their perspectives on the increasing emphasis on sustainability and much more.
AR: How will the A&E Gütermann Tech Centre benefit the industry and brands?
Chris Alt: Many don’t realise the range of sewing threads available to meet their specific needs, which is why we established this centre – the first of its kind in North India. We’re dedicated to offering complete solutions that genuinely help the industry, especially with the introduction of new fabrics.
To begin with, the centre, along with our in-house sewing lab facility in Bawal, would perform random thread testing using various machines tailored to different garment applications, needles and fabrics, ensuring superior quality compared to other thread manufacturers. Our aim is to provide customised recommendations by analysing customer-sent fabrics to suggest the most suitable needles, attachments, handling methods and pullers for optimal sewing operations.
The centre would also create seam samples using the most suitable thread and sewing machine, which will be then shared with customers for production. We would also encourage customers to visit the Tech Centre to conduct trials and determine the best combination of fabric, thread, needle and machine settings for their specific sewing needs. Our highly trained technicians are experts in understanding the relationship between thread and machine.
The centre is equipped with all sorts of sewing machines such as Zig-Zag Machine Button Hole M/C, SNLS Lather M/C, Four Thread Over Lock, Five Thread Flat Lock M/C, Single Lock Stitch M/C, Single Needle Lock Stitch, Eyelet Button Hole M/C and others from top companies such as Juki, Dürkopp Adler, Yamato, Pegasus and Seiko.
Plus, this location is conveniently close to Delhi-NCR which hosts many brands. And for those customers who can’t visit in person, we offer online demonstrations using high-quality cameras with zoom capabilities, ensuring you don’t miss a thing.
AR: How do you see the thread industry transitioning over the last 2-3 years?
Chris Alt: We experienced a major peak in 2022, which was largely driven by the industry bouncing back after Covid. However, 2023 brought a significant dip in demand due to the surplus inventory in retail. As we move into 2024, I’m happy to say we’ve seen that stabilise and demand is starting to rise again.
What’s interesting now is that brands and retailers aren’t placing huge orders like before. Instead, they’re focusing on producing exactly what they want to sell. The lot sizes are getting smaller; where we used to have larger orders for each style two years ago, now there are more styles with fewer pieces per order. This adds pressure on our backend operations as we have to provide fast solutions, quickly turn around colours and get products to them on a tighter timeline. It’s clear that this trend towards agility is here to stay and we are excited to adapt to these new demands in the industry!
We are also witnessing big brands and retailers increasing their sourcing from India and it’s crucial for us to provide them with the same options we offer in other countries. This consistency is key!
Also, as the labour cost rises, the industry’s thrust is on automation. For highly automated sewing machines to perform at their designed RPMs, they require premium, defect-free sewing thread for optimal performance. This is where we really shine! We’ve always prioritised making high-quality sewing thread and as the industry shifts toward more automation, we’re in a great position to support that transition.
AR: Sustainability is really taking off! How are you helping your clients hit their eco-friendly goals?
Sanjeev Narula: We have been pioneers in sustainability and our actions speak louder than words. Our parent company, Elevate Textiles, joined the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in 2019 and has since committed to the ‘Business Ambition for 1.5°C’ campaign, focusing on emission reductions throughout the value chain.
As we continue to innovate, we’re also seeing a strong shift towards circular practices, especially in Europe, where textile waste is being transformed into sewing thread and this trend is quickly gaining momentum. Of course, we have some hurdles to overcome as our recycled materials mainly come from plastic bottles and those resources are limited in availability.
In India, we’re proud to be leaders in Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) facilities, with two units already up and running and another on the way.
By 2025, one of our major sustainability goals is to ensure that our A&E Gütermann products contain at least 50 per cent recycled polyester content. We’re proud to offer industrial sewing threads made from 100 per cent recycled materials and all our six units in India are GRS certified. We have our rPET and ECO 100 range of recycled products across different substrates of polyester/nylon to service apparel, footwear and leather goods category.
| As the middle-class grows in countries like India and China, there’s a noticeable shift towards better quality products. With increasing disposable incomes, consumers are seeking higher value and quality.Chris Alt A&E Threads Global President |
AO: Does the unorganised market bother you? How do you handle price competition?
Chris Alt: The global sewing thread market is estimated to be around US $ 7 billion, with about two-third focused on the premium segment, which is our specialty. Hence, we don’t feel the need to compete in the lower-end, unorganised market. As the middle-class grows in countries like India and China, there’s a noticeable shift towards better quality products. With increasing disposable incomes, consumers are seeking higher value and quality. To create those top-quality garments, high-performance sewing thread is essential and that’s where we excel.
AR: What are the common challenges in identifying the right combination of thread and fabric for garment manufacturing?
Rajeev Pradhan: There are plenty and that’s why this centre is so critical to solving these issues. For instance, seam puckering is a recurring issue in garment factories that affects production time and quality. It occurs when seams gather during or after sewing, or after laundering, leading to an undesirable appearance. This problem is more prevalent in woven fabrics, especially those that are tightly woven, compared to knits.
In fact, our highly equipped Tech Centre and sewing lab facility addresses all the puckering issues head-on, caused by conditions such as Yarn Displacement (structural jamming of fabric yarns), Tension Puckering (excessive thread tension and recovery), Machine Puckering (uneven ply feeding) and shrinkage (where seam components such as shell fabric, interlining, zipper tapes, stay tapes and thread have differential shrinkage).
Next comes sewing stretch knit fabrics. Stretch knit garments often use overlock or cover stitch seams for optimal elasticity and raw edge coverage. A common issue is ‘broken stitches’ or ‘stitch cracking’ when the seam is stretched too much. Higher Lycra or Spandex content increases the risk of this problem if seam elasticity isn’t properly managed.
Another issue we aim to resolve is seam performance on denim which refers to the wrinkling or gathering of fabric along a stitched seam, causing it to look uneven or bunched.
AO: What innovations have you implemented to make your products stand out from the competition?
Sanjeev Narula: Our constant aim is to innovate and develop products and solutions that are first in the industry. For instance, our Micro Core Technology (MCT) is a true breakthrough in thread manufacturing. It’s the first microfilament polyester-based core spun technology. MCT threads are the first core spun threads with a microfilament wrapping – no fibres, no abrasion. They offer outstanding surface handling and uniformity.
Our Anesafe products are perfect for protective clothing where our product is made from 100 per cent meta-aramid staple spun sewing thread, Anesafe is designed to withstand both long- and short-term heat or flame exposure while ensuring excellent seam integrity.
We also offer Skala, a fine, semi-transparent 100 per cent polyester continuous filament thread. Its semi-transparency allows for a high degree of colour matching and blind hemming.
We’ve even partnered with Applied DNA Sciences to develop a solution that protects brand integrity. Our authenticity thread products under the brand IntegrityTm are an innovative and cost-effective way for brands and retailers to authenticate and validate their products anywhere within their supply chains, all through a common component–sewing thread.
