During ITMA Asia + CITME Singapore 2025, Kohan Textile Journal interviewed Mr. Ahmet Levent, Managing Director of Tümkalıp, one of Turkey’s long-established manufacturers of weaving loom spare parts.
40 Years of Expertise in Loom Spare Parts
Founded nearly four decades ago, Tümkalıp specializes in producing spare parts for modern weaving technologies—including projectile looms, flexible rapier looms, and rigid rapier looms.
“Tümkalıp has been manufacturing spare parts for almost 40 years. We export to more than 28 countries,” explained Mr. Levent.
The company’s long-standing engineering expertise and reputation for quality have made it one of the most trusted names in the global spare parts sector.
Why ITMA Asia Matters for Tümkalıp?
Tümkalıp returned to ITMA Asia with a strategic goal: reaching customers who cannot easily travel to Europe.
“Many Pacific Asian customers have difficulties visiting European exhibitions. In Europe, we couldn’t meet enough customers from this region. This show allows us to access them—and we succeeded. We had very good contacts, and we are happy to be here.”
The Singapore event proved essential for expanding Tümkalıp’s presence in Asia’s weaving industry, where demand for reliable spare parts continues to grow.
Stable Demand Despite Global Economic Slowdown
Unlike machinery manufacturers, Tümkalıp’s business model provides resilience in challenging economic cycles.
“We supply spare parts—not investment products. When the economy slows down, machine purchases decrease, but existing machines must continue operating. That is where Tümkalıp helps the industry by offering inexpensive and sustainable spare parts.”
While many machine builders struggle with declining investment orders, Tümkalıp remains stable due to the continuous need for replacement parts.
“We are not affected much by the global economic crisis.”
Turkish Textile Industry: Strong Heritage, New Challenges
Mr. Levent also shared his views on the Turkish textile sector:
“Turkey is a very strong textile producer with deep history. Many Turkish companies are now investing abroad. In the last five years, our currency became very valuable, creating cost challenges and reducing our global price competitiveness.”
Some large Turkish groups have shifted production to other countries, but Mr. Levent remains confident:
“This is a phase, but Turkey will not give up the textile industry.”
OEM-Quality Spare Parts—Without Competing With China
Tümkalıp positions itself as the closest alternative to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs):
“Our products are fully replaceable with original spare parts. After OEMs, Tümkalıp is the most reliable and strongest company in its field.”
However, the company has no intention of entering a price war with low-cost producers:
“We cannot and do not want to compete with Chinese products. Our goal is to serve customers who use OEM parts but want high-quality, dependable alternatives.”
A Consistent, Technology-Driven Future
With a robust export network, a reputation for precision engineering, and a stable market demand for spare parts, Tümkalıp continues to strengthen its leadership in weaving technology components.
ITMA Asia Singapore 2025 confirmed the company’s strategic direction:
expanding into Asian markets while maintaining its commitment to quality and OEM-level reliability.
