The initial bottleneck for Union Knopf (HK) Limited, an innovative button manufacturer from Germany, when starting business in India was to make people understand that trims can make a difference to a garment. “Trims were under-valued in the Indian market when we started around 3 years ago. Then we met some people who believed in trims as a business,” shares Eberhard Ganns, MD, Union Knopf (HK) Limited. Once the company found entry, after a few seasons, it became easier as sourcing teams started to understand that it really makes a difference if one uses a trim of high-quality on a garment.
With 104 years of experience in the industry, Union Knopf has not only withstood competition, but has come to appreciate it as it gives them the impetus to offer better products. A major investment for the company is on R&D and they have design teams worldwide following the latest fashion trends for new product and material developments. “Product development and designing are our core areas. When people run behind cheaper products, we are already somewhere else and we have already developed something new. That is the only chance to stay ahead of the crowd, because whether it is China or India, people tend to run behind low prices,” reasons Eberhard.
As a market leader in regard to design and material innovations, Union Knopf presents trend collections twice a year, having buttons and trims for men, women as well as unisex buttons. “Our designers attend all international fashion fairs from Milan to Korea to understand the trends. After defining the trends from world over, we provide consultancy on how to make them better for fabrics, garments. The manufacturers can match the buttons and trims presented in our trend collections with their fabrics and decide which would match them. We don’t focus only on trims and buttons but the full package comprising of the final garment and the button,” shares Eberhard. Traditionally, the company has collaborated with buyers like Burberry, Armani, and Hugo Boss. “When you buy a suit from Hugo Boss there is 80% chance of seeing our products on it. I firmly believe that our collections are the best in the world, and though Europe does have some manufacturers of quality buttons, our collections are outstanding, all with the support of our buyers,” adds Eberhard.
With manufacturing units in Germany and Poland, the production facilities are technology-driven and even the most difficult products are manufactured to precision. “We are mimicking the real horn, but can give you one million pieces which are exactly the same. Horn buttons require up to 35 steps for production which is carried out in Germany itself, all in-house. These are the things which not everyone can do and brands in India are crazy for these,” says Eberhard.
The company’s business model only supports ‘make-to-order’ manufacturing and with a major global presence, the target audience in the Indian market for Union Knopf is strictly the domestic players as they already have nominations to boost sales among exporters. “To stay for long in India, we are focusing on the domestic market. No other market can give us the growth as the Indian market does, and within one year we have just doubled the growth. A lot of things are now heading in the right direction. The people are more quality-conscious and the Indian middle-class is more willing to spend. Brands say ‘I wish I could buy more from you’, what more can a company expect from a new market,” concludes Eberhard candidly.
