Monforts Expands Presence in Kenya, Uzbekistan and Pakistan Through Key Textile Industry Events
Textile machinery specialist to participate in CAITME, Kenya symposium and Igatex 2026 as textile manufacturing grows across emerging markets
Monforts will begin its international event schedule at CAITME in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from September 8–10, where Area Sales Manager Thomas Päffgen will represent the company alongside local partner Textile Technologies & Services (TTS) at Stand B50-9.
Speaking ahead of the exhibition, Thomas Päffgen said:
“Monforts has been closely involved in Uzbekistan’s rapid move downstream from cotton and yarn production into higher-value fabric manufacturing. We have Montex and Thermex installations already in place at a number of the country’s major vertically integrated manufacturers and as Uzbekistan looks to establish itself as a significant textile and apparel hub between Europe and Asia, its companies are increasingly looking at value addition through finishing – which is the area we specialise in.”
Uzbekistan has shifted from primarily producing and exporting raw cotton to developing an integrated textile manufacturing sector that includes spinning, weaving, knitting, dyeing and garment production.
The transformation accelerated after President Shavkat Mirziyoyev came to power ten years ago, with reforms aimed at reducing state control of cotton production, encouraging private investment and retaining greater value from the country's cotton industry. A network of vertically integrated textile clusters has since been established, linking cotton cultivation with ginning and downstream manufacturing.
Kenya Symposium to Highlight Manufacturing Opportunities
Monforts Area Sales Manager Manfred Havenith will also join members of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association during a symposium at the Emara Ole-Sereni Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, on September 30.
Commenting on Kenya's textile industry, Manfred Havenith said:
“Kenya’s textile and apparel industry is emerging as one of Africa’s most promising manufacturing sectors. After a difficult period when cheap imports, falling cotton production and under-investment led to the closure of many mills, the industry has rebuilt itself around export-oriented garment manufacturing while also beginning to revive its domestic textile supply chain. Today, the challenge is to move beyond being primarily a cut-and-sew manufacturing base and develop a fully integrated industry stretching from cotton farming to finished garments and technical textiles.”
He also highlighted the country's workforce, adding:
“The country has a young and rapidly growing population, with garment manufacturing already providing employment for more than 80,000 people in the formal sector, the majority of them women. The wider cotton value chain, including farming, ginning and informal activities, supports many thousands more livelihoods. Labour costs remain competitive by international standards and Kenya has developed considerable experience in producing apparel for leading global brands.”
Pakistan Remains a Key Market
Monforts will also participate in Igatex 2026, scheduled to take place at Expo Lahore, Pakistan, from October 15–18, alongside regional partner Al Ameen at Stand F-2-09, Hall 2.
The event follows Al Ameen's 75th anniversary, which was celebrated during last year's Igatex exhibition.
Monforts continues to receive repeat orders from Pakistan's vertically integrated textile manufacturers as they expand production and diversify into new markets.
Its customers across Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad include major manufacturers in the home textiles and denim sectors.
Discussing the company's presence in Pakistan, Manfred Havenith said:
“These companies rely on our established technologies including Montex stentering equipment, Monfortex sanforizing units and Thermex dyeing ranges. As they look to new markets in today’s highly-competitive industry, we continue to assist them with trials and optimised processing parameters in developing advanced fabrics for a wide range of end-uses, both at their own plants and at our Advanced Technology Centre (ATC) in Germany. We are very much looking forward to fruitful discussions in Lahore about the many options for increasing productivity while making major sustainable gains through resource efficiency.”
Monforts' participation in these industry events reflects its continued engagement with textile manufacturers across emerging production markets and its focus on textile finishing technologies, productivity and resource-efficient manufacturing.