JMV Textiles : A Tight-Knit Focus

JMV Textiles Group continues to invest and expand in line with its flexible, entrepreneurial approach to maintain its position as an industry leader.

A TIGHT-KNIT FOCUS

JMV Textiles Group has established itself as one of South Africa’s leading textiles and clothing manufacturers over the course of its 43-year history, but continues to overcome challenges and industry fluctuations through its dedication to customer satisfaction and an entrepreneurial spirit.

In an industry which has seen numerous changes over the past 20 years, the company which started from humble beginnings has been forced to diversify, expand and invest over the years to ensure its ongoing success, and has done so to now comprise three subsidiaries; JMV Textiles Ltd, Polydye Ltd and Solar Sports Manufacturers Ltd.

Upon its inception in 1971 the company ran as a small, circular knitted fabrics manufacturer with just one machine to its name, making its rise to current prominence all the more impressive.

“JMV Textiles now manufactures knitted fabrics and offers screenprinting, dyeing and finishing,” the company states. “Polydye supplies polyester and nylon textured filament yarns – dyed and natural – as well as dyed acrylic, poly cotton, and cotton and viscose yarns.

“Completing the picture, Solar Sport Manufactures ladies’ and men’s fashion and sportswear as well as men’s corporate wear.”

Across the Group, the goals and ambitions remain the same, and have formed the crux of the business’s continuous improvement strategy throughout its development: to provide a quality service to customers in order to attract a loyal client base, while employing the best people for the job; all in aid of creating the best possible value for its shareholders.

HIGH PROFILE CLIENTS

JMV Group embraces a hands-on management structure to further enhance levels of customer satisfaction and to garner a proactive, flexible approach within the company structure.

“The aim is to continue leading the way as a cost-effective, professional and proactive vertical source of garments,” the company continues, “The group’s continued focus on competitive pricing, innovation, superior quality and efficiency together with its on-going investment in new technology, has provided it with a competitive edge and helped it to thrive in an industry that has been plagued by failures.”

Marketing Director, Ajit Valjee adds: “The Group places a high priority on quality and boasts its own in-house lab testing facilities. Its manufacturing processes conform to all major chain store requirements and the Group holds certificates of quality compliance from all leading retailers including Woolworths, Edcon Correlated, Mr Price and Identity.”

JMV is also renowned for its production of high profile sportswear for the likes of Reebok, Hummel, Admiral and Canterbury, emphasising how far the company has come over the years through the diversification of its range.

A vast and varied selection of yarns is arguably the company’s bread and butter offering, incorporating the usage of more than 10 different materials, engineered to a bespoke high quality.

Advanced electronic knitting machines also complement this process along with its range of stateof- the-art dyeing vessels. This same adherence to modern equipment and processes is also followed through to the fabric finishing stage, with two in-house stenters used for open width fabrics, and a polymerising machine in place for tubular finishing.

Upgrading, developing and investing into its technologies has been the platform for JMV’s ever-growing customer base, building a strong industry reputation for the quality of its final offering as a result.

Aljit explains: “No order is too big or too small, and we take great pride in our ability to efficiently turn around orders and deliver on time.”

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES

The Group’s loyal staff and specialised management team play a significant role in the company’s continued success, with specific emphasis placed on both quality and efficiency.

In regards to the latter, the role that technology plays within the company is also continuously monitored and updated to keep up with and, where possible, keep ahead of the industry curve.

An in-house CAD system with the latest knitting graphic design software is utilised alongside its rotary screen printing capabilities. These are both incorporated within 10,000 square metres of factory space.

“We have a substantial amount of designs on screen that are open to the trade and public to use, which saves time in cutting and preparing new screens and saves the customer in screen costs,” the company states in reference to its library of designs.

Further enforcing its position as a market leader in South Africa, the company adopts the same focus in regards to its rotary screen printing, specialised for customers’ needs once again while updating continuously to ensure the most modern techniques are being used by the company.

In line with this strategy, JMV Textiles has spent R100 million over the past three years on new premises tailored for garment manufacturing and the modernisation of its knitting plant. As a result, the business has been able to optimise its already comprehensive range of services at an improved production rate.

FAMILY FEEL

The reason for the company’s continuous progression and entrepreneurial spirit can be attributed to JMV’s status as a family-run business, with the Valjee name engrained into the fabric of the organisation since its inception.

Through this structure, the company has fostered a highly skilled workforce, consisting of almost 100 percent locally sourced talent; a facet which JMV believes is its most valuable resource.

The same local focus is instilled in the company’s supply routes, but in this case, there is certainly room for expansion, and JMV has already begun laying the foundations for improved export opportunities in the future.

Creating differentiators within the market has always been a primary goal, and is one that has been achieved through the Group being South Africa’s only BEE vertical textile company with its entire operation strategically housed on one site, in close proximity to both the harbour and the port.

This also helps to improve efficiencies which has long been a company consideration through its environmental and CSR considerations.

“The JMV Group recognises our responsibility to monitor, manage and reduce our environmental impacts wherever possible and therefore have taken reasonable steps to ensure a minimum impact on the environment,” the company notes.

This includes using steam operated machinery, recycling procedures, energy conservation initiatives and rainwater harvesting; all of which have been optimised to help the business meet its primary ambitions and visions.

“Our definition of quality service includes the following: Providing a quality service and information to always guarantee customers satisfaction; assuring our customers integrity, personal interest and value for money; and respecting the contribution that our staff and suppliers make, thereby providing the quality of product that we seek to maintain.

“Our business mission remains to operate as a family-owned fabric manufacturing business enterprise based on value, quality and service which will be of benefit to our customers, staff and shareholders,” Ajit concludes.