Interview with Mara Quintal – AGETEX Textile
By: Kohan Textile Journal
Agetex import and export company, history and success story…
Agetex has been started in 1993 by Mr Valdemiro Petri, as an import textile agent company to supply Brazilian industries with Cotton and Viscose yarns from India, Pakistan, Thailand, Indonesia, Bangladesh.
After a period, market required innovations and we were one of the main companies which has introduced Vortex yarns into the Brazilian market. At first, we had few difficulties to adapt and adjust machinery to the new type of yarn process.
After a while, the new MVS technology has disseminated and well approved by knitting and final customer. At this moment Agetex was already dealing more than 20.000 MT per year.
Years later, China started getting competitive and settled their quality according to international standards.
Mr. Wesley Petri, second-generation and specialist in international trade, has directed the company focus into the Chinese market.
As Brazil is now self-sufficiency in cotton, AGETEX has changed his main business to synthetic fibers and yarns.
To better develop the synthetic market, Agetex has established GTX TRADING LIMITED in Hong Kong, to operate between Asian factories and western customers.
By 2020, while the whole uncertain covid scenario, we were investing and expanding our structure to new markets. GTX Trading LDA has been founded in Portugal to import and distribute goods in Europe.
How many percent of your products used in the local market and which percent goes to the international market? Where are your main export destinations?
Our range of products is fibers and yarns of Cotton, Polyester, Viscose and Spandex.
Around 90% of our goods are destined to South America, especially Brazil. We also dealing with some quantities to Portugal and Spain market.
How do you evaluate the textile industry in Brazil?
Brazilian textile industry is one of the biggest yarn importers in the world, the business volumes are massive and we own a solid market which has been in expansion in the last years.
As the world is now facing a low-interest rate scenario, forces industries investments in machinery and factories expansions. This stimulus should push the economy in the growth rails again.
COVID 19 shows us we should rely more on sustainability and green products, how we can improve sustainability in Textile industry? do you have any plan in Agetex for this purpose?
We have the duty to develop and encourage the final customer to consume organic and recycle label certifications such as Global Recycl Standard, Oeko Tex, BCI, Eco Vero.
Agetex purpose is to develop a better world to the next generation keep continuous progress in terms of economy and sustainability. We all live in same home, we better care about it , South America still shy about the case, but we are making good progress educating customers to take the ECO labels as a marketing position and responsibility.
On the other hand, Europe market seems more conscious about environmental causes. In addition, the average purchase power is stronger, and the price gap can be absorbed by retail market easily.
How covid Pandemic affect your business and textile trade in general?
Covid brought us tremendous challenges this year, the whole world has stopped by at least 60 days. This forced all trading fields delivery 1 year in 10 months, which caused big delays, low availability of shipping space, big price volatility of commodities and transports.
The whole supply chain is drastically affected and should reestablish only by the end 2021 1st Quarter. Until there, production, sales and shipments are all limited and should be negotiated very cautiously.
How do you evaluate the Textile industry after a Pandemic period in terms of production and trade?
GTX Trading overview understands a heated retail market, as many monetary stimulus have been done around the world. Recent news about vaccines is encouraging people getting back to the normality.
Besides that, the cycle of crises and economic recovery is historic and can help us to take the decision on nowadays situation. So yes, we believe that after the rain, there is always a sunshine.
We have been investing in digital platforms to customer order tracking and check daily quotes of our main products. We understand this automatization similar to a Home Broker will be the legacy of AGETEX/GTX to the next decades.
We will revolutionize the way industries buy raw material, with a sophisticated and simple technology!
