Being a leader takes more than hard work. It requires a vision of the future that enables you to always be one step ahead of the market – anticipating what customers will want, and being there with the right product at the right time.

 

By focusing only on denim – and on stretch denim in particular, H.W. Textiles has become a top supplier to some of the world’s biggest apparel brands. 

 

The company is amongst the largest mid-to-high end denim manufacturers in China, and the second largest in South China in terms of production value, according to Frost & Sullivan (2017).  This year H.W. Textiles became the first denim mill to be listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange through its holding company, Hingtex Holdings Limited (01968.HK).

 

“One of the things that differentiates us is that we work very closely with our customers to develop fabrics that are just for them. This helps them stand out in the market,” said Stephen Tung, CEO, explaining that every year H.W. Textiles develops over 200 denim fabrics.

 

 

Better Equipment for Quality and Sustainability

While most companies talk about offering better quality, H.W. Textiles actually ‘walks the talk’.

 

The company is replacing all of the equipment at its mills starting from the fourth quarter of 2018.  “We are not simply replacing a few parts, we are replacing the most of the  machines,” said Mr. Tung.   “We are changing most of the yarn dyeing machines, replacing most  of the weaving machines so we can make wider power stretch fabrics, and most  of the finishing machines.”   The project will take two years to complete.

 

“The new machines will use less energy, less water, less chemicals  and there will be less air pollution so it will be very good for the environment,” he added.

 

During 2017, H.W. Textiles produced over 26.8 million yards of denim fabrics.  With the new equipment that capacity will increase by about 20-30 percent.

 

Materials Matter

The company is also committed to using high quality raw materials.

 

“We’ve been using US cotton since 2000.  We choose US cotton because of the quality, which is very consistent and stable.  This is important because our customers tend to reorder fabrics.  By using US cotton we can be sure that every batch of denim is the same.”

 

“Reliability and stability are the main reasons why we keep using US cotton,” said Mr. Tung.

 

“Another good point about US cotton is that it is of very high quality.  Since the yarn strength will also be good, it won’t be so easy to break during manufacturing. And because there’s very little contamination in US cotton, the fabric will dye very evenly.”

 

“When we tell our customers that we are using US cotton they are very happy.  They know the name and it proves that we are using high quality materials and that there is a high level of transparency.  They know the product they get from us really is better,” he added.

 

 

 

Make It Faster!

Today, speed to market is critical and H.W. Textiles is working with customers to reduce lead times.

 

“Most of our customers have been working with us for over five to ten years.  At the beginning of a new season we will sit down with our customers and prebook the yarns for those fabrics that they feel they will buy in bulk for the coming season,” said Mr. Tung.

 

“By having the yarns on hand in our factories we can save the transportation time covering up to 30 percent of the production time, and thus shorten lead times,” he added.