Moldovan Textile Company Spins New Success

Moldovan Textile Company Spins New Success
Kevin Lordan, USAID consultant, and Maria Ciolacu, Filatura Ungheni Director, analyze yarn quality.
With USAID’s support, a Moldovan textile company improved its yarn quality, production efficiency, and marketing, which led to a 26 percent increase in sales.
"We are happy that with USAID’s help we connected with such a great specialist and as a team we were able to achieve such substantial results.”

USAID helps Moldovan textile factory becomes more competitive through improvements to wool yarn quality and production efficiency.

Filatura Ungheni, situated in the north of Moldova, is the only yarn manufacturer in the country, and one of the few remaining in the region. When the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) offered assistance the company was on the brink of losing its sole client due to concerns over yarn quality, putting at risk the jobs of more than 300 employees, primarily women.

USAID began helping the factory to solve its chronic yarn quality problems, and increase its production efficiency by inviting Kevin Lordan, an international expert in yarn spinning, to work with them.

Using Mr. Lordan’s expertise, Filatura Ungheni re-calibrated its existing equipment, invested in new equipment, and revised its production process. It trained technical staff and developed a quality control laboratory. The company soon witnessed improved yarn quality and production efficiency, which allowed it to retain its sole client and save hundreds of jobs.

“Our ambition is to make Filatura Ungheni the best yarn spinner in the region; and there is no reason why we can’t do that!” explained Mr. Lordan.

The company witnessed significant improvements in the production process, with increased efficiency of raw material usage from 65 to 85 percent and decreased production cycle time by 25 percent, from 24 to 18 hours, saving about 8 percent in energy consumption along the way.

These improvements helped Filatura Ungheni gain the confidence to look for new clients and minimize future risk. With USAID’s support, the company was now well-prepared to exhibit at international trade shows, such as Domotex in Germany, and soon signed contracts with other customers in the region. The company has increased sales by 26 percent since instituting Mr. Lordan’s suggested changes.

Maria Ciolacu, the company’s director, is impressed with the results: “We are happy that with USAID’s help we connected with such a great specialist and as a team we were able to achieve such substantial results.”