Tamil Nadu, an acknowledged textile power, has more than 25 million spindles. The region is known for superfine cotton spinning. Of late, spinning of airjet yarn and viscose blend has seen tremendous growth in the region. Ever rising quality levels and conscious efforts towards increasing operational efficiency has been in the DNA here. Contributions from research and trade associations like SIMA, ITF, TSMA, SITRA and MSA have been remarkable in the development of the textile industry. Apart from high quality spinning, the region’s contribution in renewable energy like wind energy farms and solar power has been commendable.
Knowing the paradigms of this region, Ideal Bobbins always rises to the occasion to supply the components. The HCC tubes for saving energy and increasing machine efficiency have received tremendous response and acceptance. Although the industry had moderate growth in the last few years, there will be a lot of investment by way of modernization and expansion in the coming years.
“We will continue to offer our latest generation products and support them in whatever way possible”, said Mrs. Khushi Palkhiwala, Chairman and Executive Director of the Ideal Group.
Through the channel partners Suchel Enterprises and Sruthis Marketing, we are reaching the region.
Highlighting the relationship shared between Ideal and Suchel, Mr. Ravichandran, MD of Suchels, said: “Our relationship started with Mr. Shah, the founder of Ideal, way back in 1994 and now we are dealing with his granddaughter. It’s a relationship spanning three generations. It has been smooth, cordial, friendly and yet business like, which I think is very difficult to maintain for such a long time. Ideal is doing very well, thanks to their leadership. An order can be lost but not a customer, that’s been Ideal’s motto, and it is paying excellent dividends for us, as well as our customers.”
L.S. Mills
L.S. Mills Ltd., a composite unit at Theni in Tamil Nadu, has made a name for itself in the textile sector as a leading manufacturer and exporter of quality yarn and high-end finished products in bed linen.
The spinning division of L.S. Mills was founded by the visionary, the late L. Sundarajan, as early as in 1979. However, the rapid growth of the spinning division and diversification into weaving was made possible only after the induction of his sons, Mr. S. Manivannan and Mr. L.S. Prabhaakaran, into business. The business acumen and strong leadership qualities of the brothers and the intuitive suggestions of Mrs. Shanthi Manivannan have been driving the growth of the group at an impressive rate. From 11,000 spindles to 1,60,000 spindles in a couple of decades is an achievement worth recording here.
L.S. Mills further ventures in to vertical integration with an addition of a state-of-the-art weaving unit producing a variety of grey and a made-up division manufacturing quality bed linen catering to the US and European markets.
L.S. Mills winning the prestigious Texprocil Gold Award for the past four years in a row in the category II is an outstanding achievement by any standard. The increasing demand for their bed linens products stands testimony to their commitment to excellent quality and ethical business practices.
Ideal has been a partner in progress with L.S. Group ever since they embarked upon an expansion and modernisation programme. It all started with the supply of the famous and trustworthy Ideal Bobbin Holders to this prestigious group way back in the 1980s and the replacement supplies of this product continue to them even today.
Ideal entered the market of injection mounded ring tubes when it was already serviced by a couple of other manufactures. However rigid quality standards, close follow-up regarding the performance of the ring tubes at the mills, prompt aftersales service, just-in-time delivery and competitive pricing emboldened Ideal to approach LS Group for a business! Over a period of time Ideal has supplied quite a number of tubes of different sizes much to the satisfaction of the group.
Said Mr. Prabhaakaran: “Our relationship with Ideal has always been very cordial. In case of any issue arising, Ideal has always been there to address it immediately. With Ideal, if they say that their product life is 5 years, it will have 5 years.”
In short, Ideal has earned the recognition of being a dependable and quality conscious supplier with LS Group by the consistent performance of their products and their aftersales services.
Sharing his views on the association with L.S. Mills, Mr. Laxmikanth Rathi, President – Sales and Marketing, said: “Thanks to their unstinted support, we share an excellent business relationship with L.S. Mills. We are constantly evolving, and it is a matter of pride that our products contribute to the quality and productivity of our customers. We strive hard to achieve customer satisfaction with our products and dedicated services”.
GHCL
For anyone familiar with the Indian textile industry, GHCL is a name that needs no introduction. Apart from textiles, it also has an established presence in the chemicals and consumer products sectors too. It has made a distinct name for itself in the chemicals industry, with its several variants of soda ash.
In the textile’s domain, GHCL has made a mark for itself through its home textile products exported to several key global markets such as the UK, the US, Australia, Canada, Germany and other EU countries. GHCL is also counted among the top yarn manufacturers in the country too.
Its spinning mills in the Tamil Nadu have been setting the benchmarks ever so higher with their production efficiency. Ideal has been playing a key role in their manufacturing facilities. The association between the two companies is close and long.
Speaking about the association, Mr. K.C. Ravi, Vice President (Operations), GHCL, stated: “Our association with Ideal is so close. Personally, I have known them for decades. They have been one of our preferred choices.”
Citing the reasons behind Ideal being a preferred choice, Mr. Ravi said: “If Ideal has been successful in the market for a long time, the main reason being quality. Otherwise it is just not possible given the competition. We are also satisfied with their pricing. It is not like they focus on the quality and come with an exorbitant price tag at the same time. Remember, in the spinning sector, margins of profit are wafer thin and therefore things don’t work like that.”
Pointing out clear cut communication as another key reason for the rapport shared with Ideal, Mr. Ravi said: “Understanding the requirements is very important for any association to flourish. You can find the same kind of understanding even when you talk to Ideal’s business partners too. This is because they need to communicate to the company, whatever we have told them.”
A high level of confidence in the products is another key reason, according to Mr. Ravi, which accounts for the long-term association. “We have been using their ring tubes and bobbin holders for a long time. Now, ring tubes play a key role in a spinning mill. Similarly, the quality of bobbin holders is vital. Otherwise it could lead to so many issues with the Count CV%, which in turn has a direct impact on the quality and productivity. The bobbin holders need to rotate properly. There should be no slackness. They should not fall down. Remember, safety is important. With Ideal’s products, you can rest assured that all these aspects are taken good care of.”
Mr. Ravi added: “Usually what happens is that initially when you install bobbin holders they work very well. But after a year or so, if they start deteriorating in quality, then you had it. They need to give consistent performance throughout their fixed lifespan. This is where our confidence on Ideal’s products is high. It’s like “Ok if I use this product, everything will come out all right. The product life is good when we handle them properly. They score on the durability and reliability front. As I mentioned our confidence level is very high when we use Ideal’s products.”
Speaking about the service support provided by Ideal, Mr. Ravi observed that it is good, but there is always some room for improvement. Adding further he said: “Delivery-wise too we have not faced any issues with them. This is important because whenever any new unit or machinery is being set up, timely delivery is crucial. The product has to come in when we require it. Delays could derail the entire process. Thankfully, we have not faced any such issues.”
Summing up the association with Ideal, Mr. Ravi said: “Ultimately, I can say they provide value for money. They are quite literally the “Ideal” company.
Birin Spinning Mills
Birin Spinning Mills Ltd. is considered one of the leading cotton yarn manufacturing companies in the Coimbatore region. The company’s modern mill is strategically located in Avinashi, from where both the textile hubs of Coimbatore and Tirupur can be easily accessed.
The company, with a strong technology focus has grown from strength to strength over the years and has been catering to the needs of clients both in the domestic and key overseas markets such as Japan and Vietnam.
Recalling the early days of Birin Spinning Mills, Mr. D. Rangaswamy, one of the Directors, noted: “Me, together with Mr. K. Avinashilingam, another Director of the company, started this venture in 2002. We concentrated on tapping the Tirupur hosiery market, since it was nearby, and we knew a lot of people in the garment trade. We started with 4,800 spindles, which gradually increased to 8,400 spindles in 2006. A gentleman from Gujarat by name Mr. Jayant Pranjiwandas, used to supply cotton to us. He expressed interest in joining the business and eventually became another director. I must add here that till today we use only Shankar 6 variety of cotton. My son, Muthu Venkatesh, who completed his B.Tech in Textiles in 2013, came on board as the Technical Director after his studies. However, he has had hands-on experience in the mill right from 2008, i.e., the time he joined his college.”
Mr. Avinashilingam added: “After Muthu Venkatesh came on board, we increased the capacity to 14,400 spindles. Machineries were completely modernized. One thing that remained a constant throughout right from inception has been the use of Ideal’s products.”
Mr. Muthu Venkatesh pointed out: “As mentioned before, all through the modernization, Ideal tubes had been our preferred choice. Their usage has enabled energy savings, while also ensuring excellent quality. Ideal’s HCC tubes are used in the mill, which ensures both higher cop content, as well as energy savings. All these efforts have helped us become a leading manufacturer of 100% combed compact hosiery yarn, counts range 40s to 50s.”
“When it comes to technical support, they are again very good. Even if there is a problem with say a single piece, they are willing to replace the whole batch. They also make sure that they test samples of new products, and monitor the performance closely, so that we can enjoy the advantages subsequently. The relationship that we have built over the years is like that,” he added.
Rounding off the interaction Mr. Rangaswamy said that the company plans to install polypropylene attachments to manufacture contamination-free yarn in the near future. “We hope to start that by 2020. We expect Ideal to be a key partner in our future journey,” he added.
By M.K. Prabhakar, Ganesh Kalidas & Mohan Raj