Jumac: Leadership through quality and technology

JUMAC specialises in the manufacture and distribution of sliver cans, catering to both the textile as well as the jute industry. Boasting an impressive 85-90% market share of the jute industry, the company has accumulated a significant number of clients over the years, most of whom are prominent players in the industry

Himanshu Fogla, Director, Jumac Manufacturing Private Limited

JUMAC, an Indian company that has made a name for itself both domestically and globally as manufacturers of spinning cans of the finest quality for both the jute as well as the textile industry, traces its beginnings all the way back to 1974. Under the watchful eye of Late Shyam Sunder Fogla, the company dedicated itself at the time to the manufacture of machinery required by the jute industry, namely high-strength aluminium cans for spinning purposes. A decade later, the company made the decision to venture into opportunities offered by the textile industry.

Beginning with fibre cans that catered to cotton, the company gradually made the shift to the manufacture of plastic sheets and has long been recognised as the first to introduce the said sheets to the market. Today, JUMAC specialises in the manufacture and distribution of sliver cans, catering to both the textile as well as the jute industry. Boasting an impressive 85-90% market share of the jute industry, the company has accumulated a significant number of clients over the years, most of whom are prominent players in the industry, who exclusively turn to JUMAC for their machinery needs.

In the realm of textiles, the company has worked its way into being a global player, now exporting to over 28 countries with around 20,000 spinning cans being manufactured every month. The cans are the subject of high demand due to their wide variety of applications with every single component made in-house. With their hard-earned reputation as specialists in the manufacture of spinning cans, the company has revealed the secrets behind their success, and why they will consistently stay ahead of the curve in the coming years. What makes JUMAC unique, according to Director Himanshu Fogla, is the years of experience that its employees have accumulated.

Customer First

The company has been in the market since time immemorial and currently consists of people whose knowledge of the trade dwarves that of their competitors. In addition to this, the company ensures that its customers get their money’s worth when purchasing their products, with every component sold being worth every penny the customer has spent on it, in terms of functionality and reliability. JUMAC has made a name for itself as a constantly dynamic, constantly evolving company that has stood up to adversity by quickly adapting to overcome obstacles.

Customer concerns are given adequate importance with their in-house research and development team never ceasing to stay in touch with their clients. The team strives to resolve customers’ issues by providing innovative solutions. Therefore, with these three factors in place, namely vast experience, value for money and the dynamic nature of the company, JUMAC has brilliantly highlighted its own USP, demonstrating the edge it has over its competitors.

It wasn’t until the year 2011, when Himanshu Fogla joined the ranks of JUMAC, where he began with sales department, and engineered the shift towards export markets. He long regards his development of the company’s export market, which led to shipping to countries such as Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Egypt, South America, Turkey. Today, 60% of the company’s products are exported to these countries, while the rest are sold domestically. It was under his and Surendra Sharma’s guidance that the company’s production set-up was completely revamped, with improvements having been made to management, and replacements made to machines that were deemed to be too obsolete.

Prioritising Technology

With the company being taken in such a progressive direction, there has been wide scope for technological development – the latest and the most riveting being the introduction of JUMAC’s ‘Smart Can’ app. The first-of-its-kind in the industry, the app serves as a direct interface between the user and the company, which makes resolving of issues much easier. Live updates regarding orders, as well as details of their products, will be available to consumers at the push of a button. As incredible as this advancement is, the company is planning on introducing automation within the mills, along with other paradigm shifting ideas, which are currently in development, and will be unveiled in due time.

Facing the Pandemic

With the advent of the pandemic, the company was made to overcome its fair share of tribulations, with production being halted for the first two months. However, despite being plagued with logistical issues and difficulties in exporting, there was an exponential increase in the number of orders for their products. While maintaining their standards under such adversity was indeed difficult, they adapted to the change fastidiously, and managed to turn around the negative effects of the pandemic. For instance, they decided to procure and stockpile material required in advance to save it for a rainy day, which proved to be very beneficial.

Need to Expand

With the current roaring demand for cans, it has made it apparent to JUMAC that their monthly production of 20,000 cans will need to be boosted to at least 30,000 to 35,000 cans, in order to meet customer requirements. It is here, where Fogla’s vision for JUMAC in the coming years becomes of utmost importance. His confidence that JUMAC will become the world’s number one spinning can manufacturer, along with his aim to double the company’s current can production capacity, demonstrates a strong leadership ethos.

Despite certain adversities, he predicts that the company will have a turnover of Rs 40-45 crore for the financial year 2022. Being a company under the USD 250 million Fogla Group, it has access to any resources it may require in its journey to reach the top of its respective field. This, Fogla says, is the driving force behind the group, who aim to become the absolute best in whichever field they choose to dabble in. This penchant for progress and determination to achieve success despite the odds has been demonstrated time and again by JUMAC under the leadership of Fogla over the years, and it is evident that we can expect wonders from the company in the coming years.

“Despite these challenging times, we have been successful in entering new global markets including Argentina, Mexico, Peru and Iran, with an average of two projects per year. Apart from that, we continue to receive orders from the local markets because of pent-up demand. There will be several exciting developments that we will be launching during ITM 2022 and other trade shows. Although JUMAC entered a lot of markets late, it has left its mark and is a favourite of value-minded spinners,” Fogla concludes.