Never standing still, always thinking ahead.This is what Floris Jan van den Heuvel, director of Texo Trade Services (TTS) from Moordrecht, has done for the past 25 years.This mantra made the company celebrating its anniversary the European market leader in printable textiles, sublimation paper, protective paper and transfer film.'Turning around to use polyester textiles for events is imminent'Looking ahead and seeing opportunities.According to director Floris Jan van den Heuvel, this is the common thread that runs through the 25th anniversary of Texo Trade Services (TTS).How is the market developing and how can you respond to it?It is a wise lesson from father Jan, who supplied pattern and underlay paper with Texopaper to ready-to-wear workshops in Northern and Western Europe.Texopaper saw its business move first to Eastern Europe and later to Asia and North Africa in the 1990s.Jan founded TTS in 1997 for the distribution of screen printing transfer paper.What started as an extra activity at the time, has grown under Floris Jan into the European market leader in the field of printable textiles, sublimation paper, protective paper and transfer film.“Given our history, we realize that the life cycle of a product or technology can be finite,” says Van den Heuvel.“Whether due to technological developments or due to regulations.As a result, we are always actively looking at where the market is going and responding to it.”When Van den Heuvel joined the company in 2005, he heard from customers that they wanted to get rid of that sublimation paper.“I thought: wait a minute, if someone develops a machine that can print directly onto canvas, then we are sidelined.So we have to add 'something' that is permanent.That became digitally printable textiles.Today, sign companies mostly print directly onto canvas, but sublimation transfer paper is still used when printing sportswear, fashion fabrics, curtains and specialties.”TTS has been the proud exclusive dealer of world market leader Monti Antonio (calenders) for 13 years now, and later textile printers from Mimaki and HP Stitch were added.A conscious choice.“The sale of those machines is very important to us.Not only to bring in new customers, but it also gives us a lot of technical knowledge that allows us to advise customers better.”Due to the growth in recent years, the building that was taken into use in 2019 is already too small.“That is why we are now renting an additional 3,000 square meters for bulk storage.That is about half of our current building.We unload full trucks and containers there and from there we also send large export shipments.In today's turbulent market, a high inventory level is the only way to guarantee availability to our customers.”Another challenge is how TTS can continue to supply its customers in Europe with materials as quickly as possible.Due to Brexit, the company has opened a warehouse in England.“This allows us to supply customers much faster and cheaper,” says Van den Heuvel.TTS supplies customers in 60 countries worldwide and employs a team of local salespeople in Germany, France and Italy.France has traditionally been an important market.The Summer Olympics in 2024 are already generating an increased demand for printers and printing materials, Van den Heuvel knows.“In the run-up to those Games, there are various events to test the locations.French customers are already receiving requests for their decoration.”What surprises Van den Heuvel is the automatism with which PVC frontlit is still chosen as the standard for the decoration of events.“Use textile polyester of 130 or 210 grams,” he says.“Sublimation inks discolor faster, but that process only takes place after a few years.Most of it hangs for a few weeks at most.If you use textiles, you will quickly save 60 percent in waste in kilograms.So why not dress such an event with polyester fabric?Fortunately, the turnaround is imminent.”The Olympic Games make a positive contribution to this.“That organization wants to set up an event that is as sustainable as possible, wants to be an example.You also saw it in the decoration of the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam.Even after this event, everything came back to us and processed by a recycling company into fillings for beanbags, pillows and punching balls.”TTS, which will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in October at its premises in Moordrecht, is now busy mapping out the carbon footprint of the range.Van den Heuvel: “We make a life cycle analysis per product, so that you can compare how much CO2 is involved in a square meter.Our entire range is PVC-free and we offer post-consumer waste (GRS certified) recycled products for every application and encourage customers to use them.I notice that this is more and more alive.”Oostbaan 601 2841 ML Moordrecht +31 (0)182 623944 sales@texo-trade.com www.texo-trade.com'If this extreme inflation continues, I will (re-)index my rates.'Questions seem innocent in principle, but are not always so, according to D.Signtist.Read more →Eduard Hoogendijk, director of Fespa Netherlands, played a role as host for the Dutch visitors to the Fespa fair in Berlin.He is also an ambassador for the FESPA Netherlands knowledge and network organisation.Read more →