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Interview with Mr. Paul Hulme

Mr. Paul Hulme
Mr. Paul Hulme
President
Huntsman Textile Effects
Huntsman Textile Effects

We saw the need to strengthen our manufacturing capability and presence in the Asian textile market...
In an exclusive interview with Mary Christine Joy, Mr. Paul Hulme, President of Huntsman Textile Effects discusses the global and Asian textile industry. He also sheds light on the current position and future plans of Huntsman as a company. Synopsis: Mr. Paul G Hulme has done business studies from Manchester University, UK. He was appointed as the President of Huntsman Textile Effects, Singapore in February 2009. Before this, he has held several different positions in the Huntsman Group itself. He shares his views and opinions on several questions related to the industry in general and Huntsman. Excerpts:

How is it working for one of the top textile and chemical companies of the world?

As the leading global provider of high quality dyes and chemicals, it is exciting to be at the forefront of cutting-edge technology, surrounded with world-class production and Research & Technology (R&T) facilities, a first class global supply chain and a team of highly experienced people. We have more than 1,000 active patents and a robust R&T pipeline. In the last two years, we have introduced 60 new products onto the market and have an exciting pipeline ahead of us in 2013. We constantly demonstrate lasting commitment to sustainability by developing efficient and innovative products, refining our eco-friendly technologies and reducing our own carbon footprint.
 

Eco friendliness is a matter of grave concern when it comes to textile chemicals and dyes. How do you make your products environment friendly?

Environmental sustainability and technological innovation is at the heart of our operations. We are committed in leading the industry towards technologies that minimize the impact of manufacturing on the environment, while keeping costs low. For the last two and a half years, much of our R&T efforts have focused on economically sustainable greener chemicals. These innovations have led to the creation of water and energy saving textile dyes and chemicals, meeting the textile mills and consumers’ expectations. Take our flagship range, AVITERA SE for example. It reduces the amount of water required during the coloring process by half, with only 15 to 20 litres of water required to dye 1kg of textile. This way, our customers save cost by using less water during the dyeing process.

Are your products expensive as compared to the other similar products? How do you justify your price?

Huntsman Textile Effects believes that innovation and sustainability are at the heart of what we do. This is complemented by a team of highly trained and skilled professionals. Businesses need to think long term and offer customers textile differentiation, speed and flexibility to remain competitive. Many of our products also come with sustainable features such as helping to save water and energy usage whilst helping to keep a more sustainable environment. These in turn help customers save on energy and utility costs.

From the looks of it, you seem to be concentrating more on technical textiles. Is there any specific reason?

Huntsman Textile Effects has a balanced portfolio of home and apparel, digital ink as well as institutional technical textiles. We are driven by a desire to create environmentally sustainable and water-saving textile solutions in collaboration with stakeholders in the industry. As such, every textile dye or chemical that we produce is based on a continuous investment into research, innovation and sustainability and that has applications across our broad and diverse portfolio.

Human laborers are often exposed to textile chemicals and dyes in textile mills. Do you think that your products are safe in terms of health and personal hygiene?

Compliance and a commitment to product safety are central to our business and deeply embedded in our Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) program. Our focus is on a healthy and safe workplace for our staff. Huntsman Textile Effects also is committed to being an environmentally conscious partner of the community we are in. We support REACH and its objectives, which are consistent with our own corporate philosophy to help create a sustainable future, with no harm to people or the environment.

Being a manufacturer of textile chemicals and dyes, how do you see the market for it? Is it considerable enough or does it often get neglected? What is your experience with the clients for textile chemicals and dyes?

Globally, the textile industry is expected to reach US$5.5 billion by 2015. We see Asia as a key growth market; India and China first, followed by Brazil, Indonesia and Vietnam. South Korea, Philippines, Pakistan and Bangladesh are also emerging markets to watch out for over the next 5 years. Over the last decade, there has been a steady shift from the West to the emerging markets of Asia by the producers and biggest buyers of dyes and chemicals. In line with this, several years ago, we moved our global headquarters to Singapore to be closer to these key markets and to respond with greater speed and flexibility to our customers.

Nowadays, textile chemicals and dyes can also be made functional in addition to merely being used for color effects. For example, they can be made stain resistant or oil resistant. What is your stand?

Huntsman Textile Effects continues to innovate with smarter and more intelligent effects and solutions. We have invested in research and innovation in order to provide our customers with intelligent textile effects. Our list of intelligent textile effects include UV sun protection, low friction systems to reduce abrasion on skin, quick-dry, built-in freshness, wrinkle-free, hydrophobic finish on the outer surface, and hydrophilic finish on the inner surface and long lasting colors.

What are your expansion plans? Can you share with us in brief?

Huntsman Textile Effects has been ahead of the curve in adapting to the global headwinds of the textile industry. Last month, we inaugurated a new synthesis unit at our world-class production center in Mahachai, Thailand. We saw the need to strengthen our manufacturing capability and presence in the Asian textile market and reduce our delivery period to our key markets, such as India, China and Indonesia, from 6 months to less than a month. We made that strategic decision as we see that Asia will contribute significantly to our focus on serving the region most expected to fuel growth in the years to come.
Published on: 28/02/2013

DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.

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