The British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) has appointed a new CEO.
The association elected Jason Kent as the CEO of the BTMA Group effective from 23 August 2021.
Kent was previously a non-executive member of the BTMA board for over eight years.
Alan Little, association director at BTMA, says: “[Kent] is the right person for leading the BTMA into the future. [His] textile machinery background, business development skills and extensive knowledge of the BTMA and its members will help in delivering the strategic vision of the board.”
Kent has worked in the carpet tufting machinery industry for 35 years. As a mechanical technician engineer, he worked with Cobble Blackburn until its acquisition in 2013 by the Vandewiele Group, where he undertook the role of managing director for the tufting machinery business. He is also a chartered fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.
Little adds: “The current BTMA staff look forward to working alongside Jason to assist him in achieving his goals.”
Kent explains that there are many generational changes ahead that BTMA members must face and that the association needs to be ready and capable of supporting such challenges.
Kent says: “As I see it, we have three initial goals in providing better business outcomes for our members through active engagement in addressing industry skills deficits, ensuring we are at the forefront of the industrial digitalisation revolution and leveraging opportunities brought about through innovation and the associated global focus on sustainability.”
He continues: “We have so many great people in our members, associates and colleagues that our opportunities are considerable. With people at my forefront of attention, I want to waste no time in engaging with our members over these coming months to communicate the BTMA Group’s vision in more depth and to also establish more comparatively our goals, challenges and distinctions.”
Founded in 1940, the BTMA actively promotes British textile machinery manufacturers and their products to the world. The non-profit organisation acts as a bridge between its members and the increasingly diverse industries within the textile manufacturing sector.
BTMA Group also includes the subsidiaries nw texnet and The Textile Recorder (Machinery & Accessories) Exhibitions Ltd (TREX).
