Coloreel boosts the textile industry with sustainable embroideries

Tomas Horvath is responsible for growing Coloreel's business and finding new business opportunities in Europe. We reached out to get to know him more and to hear his thoughts on the embroidery industry.

– I love working with Coloreel's products. With our technology, you not only have a whole range of opportunities - you are also contributing to a more sustainable future for the embroidery industry. That is what is so amazing with Coloreel, says Tomas Horvath.

What is your role at Coloreel?

I work as Sales Director for various markets. I’ve been at Coloreel since August 2021 and it feels great to work with sales and to take Coloreel forward on the growth journey. We recently recruited a Sales Director for the US and Canada and I am handing over those markets to him. I am now focusing on Germany and the east of Europe.

How did your journey with Coloreel start?

Coloreel was looking for a sales director and I figured we were a perfect match. I have more than 30 years of experience in international sales and distribution networks in Europe and Canada. The role and job description was very similar to the experience I bring despite being in a new industry.

What was your first impression of Coloreel?

The Coloreel technology is a fantastic product. There is no other product like it on the market. Coloreel technology offer great benefits to textile producers and decorators such as increased creativity, improved efficiency and more sustainable decoration. Coloreel is a scale-up tech company, growing the number of markets and customers week per week.

What's your experience within the embroidery industry?

The business model of Coloreel is similar to other business models I've worked with, so it feels like home, and I am excited to learn about this new industry. The embroidery industry is relatively small, everyone knows everyone. Embroidery machines have almost looked the same for the last 30 years. It feels cool to be able to offer something new in such a traditional industry.

What’s your favorite thing about your job?

The interaction with people; clients and colleagues. As a salesperson I appreciate the adrenaline rush you get when closing business and at the same time supporting my client in their business development – growing their scope of business. The culture at Coloreel is amazing, my co-workers are young and enthusiastic, they are highly educated and intelligent and it's very inspiring to see how motivated they are about our products. I am a team player so that is a plus for sure, love being part of the team at Coloreel.

What does a typical day at Coloreel look like for you?

I work with leads coming from our distribution network, LinkedIn, and exhibitions. And I educate potential clients on how the Coloreel technology works. For many visitors at an exhibition, it is the first time they see Coloreel technology in action, how we print on the thread. It's never been seen before. The word is getting around. We have embarked on the journey of saving the world from less attractive and less sustainable embroidery.

What’s been happening in the European market for Coloreel?

Europe is on the rise in embroidery! We have at the end of April 2022 sold more units than the total of last year. We are gaining traction on the market – it’s a good starting point. I expect it will increase more. We have some important trade shows coming up where we'll join our distributors in their booths. Such as Texprocess in Frankfurt which is the leading international trade fair for processing textile and flexible materials. I expect it will have a big number of visitors, now that Europe is opening up after the pandemic. We have also done some work together with the Business Sweden they have provided us with a list of potential collaborations in the market in the UK and soon also Germany.

What’s next for Coloreel in the European market?

We want to get the technology out there and get more traction on the know-how. The coming trade shows are a great opportunity to expand on that.

What new opportunities lay ahead for Coloreel?

We are just on the brink of exploring the full potential in the market. We have a very bright future and a lot of business ahead. We are building awareness in all various aspects and markets. One example with future opportunities is for example automotive where we can add an exclusive and unique touch.

What trend do you see in the embroidery industry?

Personalization is becoming more and more key everywhere. Coloreel is a breakthrough in how to make personalization more profitable. Instead of buying tons of thread reels that won't be used, you have full access to unlimited colors and effects already using a single 100% recycled thread. No need for storage, you have all colors in that one spool of thread that is being instantly dyed. There are no limits to the client's requests. With Coloreel only the sky is the limit.

What do you think are the major advantages of Coloreel vs. traditional embroidery?

You produce what you use! You have always the right colors in stock. You don’t have to turn down a design due to not being able to make gradients or effects. It's all possible. Coloreel offers higher quality with minimum trim and lock stitches – an important factor in ie sports logotypes. With traditional embroidery the embroidery will itch when the t-shirt is rubbing on the skin, while the backside of Coloreel's embroideries is smooth and soft. The environmental impact is second to none than that of traditional embroidery, there is zero wastewater dying the Coloreel thread made of 100% recycled material. Coloreel has the toughest environmental credentials, we are Oeko-tex Class-I certified and Gots certified as well.

Where do you see Coloreel’s technology being used in the future?

In the long run – everywhere there is an embroidery machine there will be Coloreel technology. We have just started.