Interview with Pierluigi Berardi

Pierluigi Berardi
VP Marketing
Nilit Fibers

Nylon 6.6 is ultra-comfortable and perfect for next-to-body garments

Nilit is a global producer and marketer of high quality nylon 6.6 fibres for apparel and other products headquartered in Migdal HaEmek, Israel. Founded some four decades back, the company has grown to be the largest nylon 6.6 producer in the world. VP marketing, Pierluigi Berardi discusses the global demand for nylon 6.6 fibres and the future plans at the company.

What makes Israeli textile companies competitive globally?

The sun never sets on Nilit. The biggest nylon 6.6 producer globally, our global footprint of production plants in Israel, China, Brazil and the United States makes us competitive. We have sales and marketing offices in more than 70 countries.

Sensil, a new nylon 6.6 brand by us, lends a superior level of performance and style from fibre to fabric to finished garment. This is an exciting new way to tell our nylon 6.6 quality and success story to consumers, brands and retailers. It is the new master umbrella brand for Nilit's premium and specialty performance products for apparel.

What is the global market size for nylon fabrics? What is the expected growth rate for 2020?

The market size of N6.6 textile filament is valued around 230 KT/year with a 2 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR).

What factors are responsible for increased demand for nylon fabrics?

Nylon 6.6 is the highest quality of man-made fibre. It is stronger, softer, and looks and feels better than any other competitive synthetic fibres. It has a more appealing lustre and better longevity than nylon 6. It is ultra-comfortable, offers superior performance with inherent odour control, allows temperature and moisture management, is durable, and tactile, thereby making it a popular choice for next-to-body garments.

Manufacturers of which products prefer your performance fibres, fashion fibres and eco-fibres?

Manufacturers of intimate apparel, sportswear, activewear, hosiery and ready-to-wear garments are our major clients.

What future trends do you see in the intimatewear and sportswear categories? What technologies at Nilit are you working on to acknowledge these trends?

We are working on new cooling temperature control fibres with special lustres and brightness for fashion, for example, the Sensil premium nylon 6.6 and Diamond fashion yarn introduced last year. With these fibres, we really look at fulfilling consumer needs and meet their expectations.

What growth potential do you envisage for your company relative to your industry?

Our objective is to grow our market share in the segments where we are already dominating and penetrate the emerging ones like some of the ready-to-wear applications.

How sustainable are your manufacturing units?

A few years ago, we launched Sensil Ecocare, our pre-consumer recycled fibre offering. This fibre allows enormous energy and water savings. Both elements are scarce in Israel and we think we are massively contributing to reduce the impact. Within our plants, we apply all the opportunities to save energy and resources like water. This is done with respect to meeting the minimum requirements as per local laws, but we often exceed our savings.

After launching Sensil Innergy early this year at ISPO Munich, are there any new products we can expect from Nilit? What are the future plans?

We have a full product portfolio made of performance fibres and fashion fibres, which has yet to exhibit their full potential and that is what we are focusing at the moment with a 360 degree approach.

Since last July, our focus has been on executing a strong marketing strategy for Sensil fibres. It will soon debut on social media platforms to reach final consumers and at the same time support our selected partners. (HO)

Published on: 04/05/2018

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.