#Associations

2020-09-28

Hugues Schellenberg new UCMTF President

The French Textile Equipment manufacturers’ Association, well known as UCMTF, as elected a new President following the retirement of Bruno Ameline who has chaired the association since 2004.

Hugues Schellenberg who has been on the board for 10 years, has been unanimously elected to succeed him. He is the CEO of Dollfus-Muller of Heimsbrunn in the French province of Alsace.

An engineer, Schellenberg got an MBA from Montpellier University in Southern France. As President of UCMTF, Schellenberg will represent the French association on the board of Cematex, the owner of ITMAs. After his election, Schellenberg initiated a standing ovation to thank Bruno Ameline for his outstanding job during his 4 terms of tenure (16 years).

Hestated “it is a great honor buta stressing responsibility to become the UCMTF President in such the uncertain environment our companies have to face worldwide due to the Covid pandemic.

For the long run, I am very positive thanks to our state-of-the-art equipments, our services which are up to the best standards, our teams which are so professionals and motivated but right now our business is on a bumpy road”

As CEO of Dollfus-Muller, Schellenberg spends at least half of his time with customers that he visits worldwide. This is how he keeps a firsthand contact and a deep connection with the needs of the market in order to both manage his company on aday to day basis and design its long term strategy.

In addition to UCMTF, Schellenberg is very active in many national, regional and national associations, including the chairmanship of a trade association to improve the employment of underprivileged workers.

UCMTF members will present latest solutions that address the main trends

ITM 2024 is a great opportunity to meet in person, at the highest level, to find and offer the best solutions. Of course, there are some main trends: sustainability, raw materials, energy and water savings, recycling, digitalization, cloud computing, artificial Intelligence, cost efficiency etc. Another main trend for UCMTF members is act as a local partner wherever the customers are located.

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Turkmenistan: Italian textile machinery focuses on high technology and specialization

The Italian textile machinery industry flies to Ashgabat to participate with a large “Made in Italy” delegation at TURKMEN TEXTILE EXPO 2026, the major international showcase taking place from June 4 to 6, 2026. The Italian presence, coordinated by the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) and ACIMIT (the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers), aims to consolidate Italy’s primary technological role in a highly strategic market with interesting prospects.

The future of textiles, the power of trade, and the summit of technology come together at ITM 2026

ITM 2026 International Textile Machinery Exhibition, one of the most prestigious organizations in the textile technologies sector, opens its doors to visitors between June 9-13. Expected to break records in terms of both exhibitor and visitor numbers, as well as the technological vision it presents, ITM 2026 will transform into a global trade hub with machine sales, and new business collaborations.

ATCO Hygienics, Uzbekistan, orders baby diaper production line from ANDRITZ

International technology group ANDRITZ has received an order from ATCO Hygienics to supply a new baby diaper production line for its plant in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The order is included in ANDRITZ’s order intake for the first quarter of 2026. Commissioning of the production line is scheduled for the end of 2026.

Nico Pedretti appointed as Managing Director Graf Group

As of June 1, 2026, Nico Pedretti has assumed the role of Managing Director Graf Group. With more than 20 years of international industrial experience and extensive expertise in Operations, Supply Chain Management, Finance and Controlling, he brings a broad range of leadership and business experience to support Graf’s continued success.