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| Interview with Dr. Volker Schmid, Director of the German Dry Cleaning Association, on Texcare International 2012 Dr. Volker Schmid: "Texcare International is a must for everyone in the sector" Texcare International, World Market for Modern Textile Care, will open its doors from 5 to 9 May 2012. Preparations are running smoothly and almost all exhibition space has been booked. Messe Frankfurt is looking forward to welcoming around 250 exhibitors and over 15, 000 trade visitors. An interview with Dr. Volker Schmid, Director of the German Dry Cleaning Association (Deutscher Textilreinigungsverband – DTV), on the situation in the sector and what its members expect from Texcare International 2012. "Dr. Schmid, dry cleaning is commonplace in Germany. Where do you see the potential for the sector? What does the modern customer want?" Dr. Volker Schmid: "We conducted a poll of around 250,000 customers on the occasion of the last Texcare International four years ago. And they told us what they want – for example, a dry cleaner's in the immediate neighbourhood, which offers top quality in the form of good overall results, expert advice, service and a seal of quality. We have successfully introduced the latter with our FashionCare concept. FashionCare-certified dry cleaners offer their customers top quality coupled with a service that ensures garments are not damaged and retain their value. I see potential for growth in the fields of shirt, bed-linen, upholstery, decorative fabric, leather and wedding-dress cleaning, which currently only account for ten percent of the revenues of the dry-cleaning sector. Laundry customers from hospitals, hotels, restaurants and industrial enterprises want a service that caters for their every need, i.e., at the various national and international sites, at the same time as guaranteeing a consistently high standard of quality. Naturally, this trend will continue to lead to mergers in the future, too." "Dr. Schmid, why is it a must for German textile dry-cleaning companies or laundry proprietors to visit Texcare International?" Dr. Volker Schmid: "Texcare International is vital for everyone in the sector who wants to be familiar with state-of-the-art equipment, especially when it comes to sustainable and energy-saving technologies, not to mention optimum machine utilisation. However, Texcare International is also a must because it promotes the exchange of experience with colleagues from both home and abroad." "In your opinion, which of the fields where investments are urgently required are covered by Texcare International?" Dr Volker Schmid: "Investments will be made in energy-efficient and reliable machines to counteract rising energy and raw-material prices. The sector will bank on a high level of automation. Additionally, I see a need for investment in safety technologies. Fire protection in laundries and dry cleaners' is currently the subject of heated discussion. However, the demand for products that increase safety at work will grow in other segments, too." write your comments about the article :: © 2012 Exhibition News :: home page |