Sewing the seeds of a sustainable future with Nerteks

Nerteks continues to shake things up in the industry with its unwavering commitment to sustainability and eco-friendly production. By putting its money where its mouth is through investments in recycling projects and energy efficiency, the company keeps its environmental footprint to a minimum and turns heads with its innovative yarn solutions.

With a wealth of experience in yarn production, Nerteks delivers top-notch, high-performance products to the furniture, mattress, and technical textile sectors. Staying ahead of the curve with environmentally friendly production, the company embraces a far-reaching sustainability vision, spanning from recycled yarns to renewable energy.
We sat down with Semiha Ulusoy Dolgun, International Sales Representative at Nerteks and Fırat Akıncı, Domestic Sales Representative at Nerteks to get the inside scoop on their sustainability initiatives, groundbreaking product lines, and the digital revolution shaping the industry.

Sustainable production processes
Nerteks is taking significant steps towards sustainability. Can you share information about your recent eco-friendly projects and recycling initiatives?
“As Nerteks, we place sustainability at the core of our business model. Recently, we have implemented important projects to further enhance our eco-friendly production processes.
First, we have increased our capacity to sell recycled yarn, allowing textile waste materials to be repurposed. To improve energy efficiency, we invest in renewable energy sources in our production facilities. Our energy systems, supported by solar panels, help create a sustainable production model. This reduces natural resource consumption and lowers our carbon footprint. Additionally, we continue our R&D efforts on new technologies that enable dyeing more products with less dye. Through this innovative process, we minimize our environmental impact by reducing chemical usage, water consumption, and energy usage.
Moreover, we integrate sustainability principles into our supply chain. By using certified and eco-friendly raw materials, we ensure an environmentally conscious production process. Alongside our business partners, we work towards a zero-waste goal and support the circular economy in the textile industry.
With all these initiatives, we aim to be a pioneer in sustainability in the sector and minimize our environmental impact.”

Innovative yarn solutions
Can you share details about the “Nerteks Eko” series launched in 2023? What innovations are included in the production process of this series?
“Our ‘Nerteks Eko’ series, launched in 2023, is one of the most significant reflections of our sustainable and eco-friendly production approach. Through this series, we aim to offer solutions that consume fewer resources, are environmentally friendly, and are innovative in the textile industry.
One of the key features of this series is the use of recycled and certified organic yarns. By utilizing yarns derived from waste textile materials, we reduce raw material consumption and support the circular economy. Additionally, we produce organic yarns certified by international standards such as GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) and OEKO-TEX, contributing to sustainable and healthy textile products. Thanks to the production innovations we have implemented, we not only offer eco-friendly products but also establish a sustainable production model that sets us apart in the industry.
With the Nerteks Eko series, we will continue to provide high-quality, eco-friendly, and innovative yarn solutions.”

High-performance yarns
Your website highlights the concept of “High-Performance Yarns.” Can you provide more details on this? In which sectors do you foresee the use of these yarns?
“Under this concept, we develop yarns with enhanced technical properties tailored to the needs of various sectors. Specifically for the furniture and mattress industries, we produce high-strength, flame-retardant, antistatic, antibacterial, and water-repellent yarns, offering significant advantages in terms of durability and safety.
Flame-retardant yarns enhance fire safety in the furniture and mattress sectors. Antistatic yarns prevent static electricity, increasing comfort and safety, especially in technical textile applications. Antibacterial yarns inhibit the growth of microorganisms, making them ideal for the hygiene-sensitive mattress and furniture sectors. Water-repellent yarns minimize liquid absorption, helping products remain cleaner and last longer. These high-performance yarns are not only used in the furniture and mattress sectors but also in industries such as automotive, protective textiles, outdoor fabrics, and technical clothing. Our specially developed yarns meet sectoral needs by combining functionality and sustainability.
As Nerteks, we will continue to offer high-performance yarns tailored to the evolving demands of the industry with our innovative production approach.”

The impact of digitalization on yarn production
How has digitalization affected yarn production processes in recent years? What technologies does Nerteks use to digitalize its production processes?
“In recent years, digitalization has brought a major transformation to yarn production processes. Digital technologies play a critical role in enabling more precise production, faster decision-making, and higher efficiency with minimal error margins. As Nerteks, we aim to maximize quality and operational efficiency by digitalizing our production processes.
To achieve this, we use spectrophotometer technology, which ensures high precision in color analysis. This system allows us to analyze colors more accurately and consistently, producing yarns that perfectly meet customer demands. By minimizing color discrepancies with spectrophotometry, we can quickly achieve desired shades and accelerate production processes. Additionally, we use barcode scanners to digitally track every stage of our production process. From raw material intake to finished product output, we scan the entire production process using barcode systems, enhancing traceability. This makes stock management more efficient, reduces error rates, and increases the transparency of our production processes.
By leveraging the opportunities offered by digitalization, we make our production processes more efficient, faster, and sustainable. In the future, we will continue to invest in next-generation technologies and lead the industry’s digital transformation.”

Nerteks expands strongly across five continents!
What are Nerteks’s export strategies? Which countries are you focusing on, and what challenges do you face in these markets?
“We implement a comprehensive export strategy to strengthen our global presence and ensure sustainable growth. Today, we supply our high-quality yarns to many countries across five continents, establishing ourselves as a strong player in the international market.
Our target export markets include Europe, North and South America, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. The increasing demand for eco-friendly and certified products in the European market aligns well with our sustainable production philosophy, giving us a competitive edge. In North America, there is growing interest in technical textiles and high-performance yarns, while durable and cost-effective solutions are in demand in the Middle East and Asian markets.
Some of the major challenges we face in these markets include logistics costs, local regulations, and fluctuations in global supply chains. However, thanks to our strong production infrastructure, flexible manufacturing capacity, and customer-centric approach, we successfully overcome these challenges and strengthen our international market presence.
In the coming period, we will continue expanding our export network, forming strategic partnerships, and developing market-specific products. As Nerteks, we aim to further grow in global markets and bring our sustainable and innovative yarn solutions to a wider audience worldwide.”

What about your R&D investments mentioned on your website? How do these investments impact your products and services?
“We see our R&D investments as one of the cornerstones of our innovative and sustainable production approach. We place great importance on R&D efforts to keep pace with the ever-evolving textile industry and to offer our customers the highest quality products.
In this context, we focus on developing high-colorfastness indanthrene dyes and hypo high-fastness dyes, producing yarns with enhanced durability and longevity. Thanks to this special dyeing process, we provide fade-resistant and more durable yarn solutions, especially for denim and outdoor textiles. Additionally, we produce and sell elastic yarns, offering solutions for textile applications requiring flexibility and comfort. Our elastic yarns are in high demand, particularly in sportswear, underwear, and technical textiles. With their flexibility, durability, and shape-retention properties, we provide high-performance products to our customers.”

Fast fashion or a sustainable future?
What are your thoughts on the impact of the fast fashion trend in the textile industry? How is Nerteks responding to this shift?
“The fast fashion trend has generated a major transformation in the textile industry, fundamentally changing consumption habits. However, the environmental impact and sustainability concerns of this model have become a significant topic of discussion within the sector. Fast fashion, due to its frequent and large-scale production, increases environmental issues such as water consumption, carbon emissions, and textile waste. Moreover, low-cost-focused production processes prioritize affordability over quality and durability, shortening product lifespans. This accelerates consumption cycles, leading to the depletion of natural resources.
As Nerteks, while adapting to the changes brought by fast fashion, we remain committed to responsible production practices. We will continue to develop more conscious, sustainable, and environmentally friendly solutions.”

Nerteks adopts a customer-centric approach. How do you integrate customer feedback into your production processes?
“We place customer satisfaction and needs at the center of our business. We consider customer feedback as one of the most critical elements in our product and process development efforts.
To systematically integrate customer feedback into our production processes, we follow these steps:
• Regular Customer Feedback Collection: We maintain continuous communication with our customers, directly listening to their expectations and demands. We systematically collect feedback through our sales teams, quality control department, and R&D team.
• Guiding Product Development and R&D: Based on customer requests, we direct our R&D efforts to enhance the strength, flexibility, colorfastness, or environmental sustainability of our yarns.
• Updating Quality Control Processes: By analyzing customer feedback, we continuously improve our quality control processes. We use barcode scanners and digital tracking systems at every stage of production to enhance traceability and minimize error rates.
• Providing Customized Solutions: In addition to standard products, we offer customized and functional yarn solutions tailored to our customers’ specific needs.
Through this customer-focused approach, we make our production processes more efficient while strengthening our position as an innovative and solution-oriented brand in the industry.”

Nerteks will go beyond borders in 2025
Finally, can you share your goals for 2025 and your long-term plans? How do you plan to respond to industry developments?
“Our goals for 2025 are shaped around sustainability, innovation, and global growth. Adapting quickly to industry developments and producing solutions for future needs are among our top strategies.
In terms of sustainability, we plan to focus on projects that further strengthen the circular economy. In this regard, we will continue to offer environmentally friendly solutions by increasing the production of recycled and organic yarns. Additionally, we aim to reduce the environmental impact of the industry by expanding production techniques that consume less water, energy, and chemicals.
In the field of innovation, we will continue investing in R&D without slowing down. We will focus on developing next-generation, high-performance yarns and functional textile products, particularly targeting new sectors such as healthcare, automotive, and furniture textiles. By increasing our investments in specialized products like technical yarns, we will expand our range of functional and sustainable products.
Regarding global growth, we plan to reach more markets worldwide. To respond quickly to industry changes, we intend to invest more in digitalization and automation. By further optimizing our production processes, we will enhance our flexibility and speed to meet customer demands instantly.
Ultimately, by 2025, we aim to strengthen Nerteks’s leadership position in the industry and continue to add value to the textile sector as a brand focused on innovation and sustainability.”