#Knitting & Hosiery

2022-05-09

The KARL MAYER Group turns 85 and shows the people behind its success

The new headquarters of the KARL MAYER Group in Obertshausen

This year, the KARL MAYER Group will be 85 years old. The company is using this anniversary as an opportunity to pay tribute to the people behind its unparalleled success story. Over the years, what was once a family business has developed into an international group of companies at the top of its markets.

The global player owes its current size and position primarily to the right course set by its founder Karl Mayer and his successors. Equally important were the workforce and its cooperation with customers. The Mayer family has also laid down this focus in the corporate guidelines, which the company continues to follow consistently to this day. Fairness and trust are the basis of the KARL MAYER Group's actions and its fundamental values, and they have just also helped it during the pandemic. Here, in particular, it has been shown how important people and community are.

"Today, we look back on a group of companies with strong roots and business activities in the main sectors of the textile industry. Like this industry, we are globally positioned and therefore close to our customers. Where we are today is thanks to an international team of people with innovative ideas, passion and the courage to set off. We are looking forward to celebrating our anniversary in the spirit of togetherness," says Arno Gärtner, CEO of the KARL MAYER Group.

A story of growth into a global player

KARL MAYER's history is also a history of change. The company was founded in 1937 as a mechanical workshop, delivered the first warp knitting machine in 1948, and subsequently expanded internationally. Milestones of continuous growth were the establishment of the first foreign subsidiary in Clifton, USA, in 1956, an early presence in Japan - as early as 1968 - and the establishment of a subsidiary in the main market China in 1995. Today, the Group has additional foreign sites in England, India, Italy, Hong Kong, Bangladesh and Switzerland, and agencies in all parts of the world. The international organization with production sites in the main markets ensures that the KARL MAYER Group operates extremely close to its customers.

In 2017, the software start-up KM.ON was founded in order to rapidly advance digitization with its own organization through customized software solutions.

The Group also continued to expand in the recent past: in 2020, the flat knitting machine manufacturer STOLL was acquired, and since 2021, the new Beyond Textile Business Unit has been committed to growth outside its traditional business areas in the textile world. Today, the Group offers perfect solutions for warp knitting, flat knitting, technical textiles, warp preparation for weaving, and digitization, and combines the KARL MAYER, STOLL, and KM.ON brands under one roof for this purpose.

A story of innovators and doers with passion

The 3,100 employees from over 20 nations are united by the same DNA and passionate work for a better future. People at all KARL MAYER sites have a shared commitment to developing innovations that advance the textile world, but also areas beyond it. The focus has always been on the customer.

In its anniversary year, the KARL MAYER Group is shining the spotlight on its employees, customers and partners. Under the motto "growing together", joint projects are presented and insights are given behind the scenes.

Activities include a social media and a press campaign in which customers from all over the world have their say. Many of them can report many years of trusting cooperation. Through working together, personal contacts have grown and shared memories have been created.

In addition to the voices from the market, a new presentation on the group of companies and an anniversary video on the theme of "People, togetherness, insights" will be launched. The anniversary is also the theme of the upcoming trade fair participations. This year, the KARL MAYER Group will be taking part as an exhibitor at Techtextil in Frankfurt am Main and ITM in Istanbul in June, ITMA ASIA in Shanghai in November, and INDIA ITME Noida near Delhi in December.

Last but not least, customers and other interested parties in the industry can look forward to a very special anniversary treat: a new digital platform with specialist news on all the Group's technologies will go online just in time for the anniversary. The new media format also takes over the information offered by "Kettenwirk-Praxis". With more topicality and broader reporting, readers are always as up to date as the fast-moving, innovative industry requires.

Link to the anniversary video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc58ytH3UGU&feature=youtu.be

RDJ 6/2 in E 32: Finesse in Motion

The appearance of sports and casual shoes is as diverse as their applications, ranging from sporty to stylish and from functional to fashionably practical. In particular, spacer fabrics produced on highly flexible KARL MAYER double needle bar raschel machines with Jacquard technology are in high demand for manufacturing these trendy shoes. These efficient production machines enable attractive designs with integrated multifunctional zones on one or both fabric surfaces, such as breathable mesh structures. Flexible in size and positioning, these features enhance both aesthetics and wearing comfort.

3D designs with a wow factor made on HKS 4-M EL ECO: When crepe, ruffles, and sheer fabrics redefine fashion

Seersucker, flip-flap items, Fırfır, or crepe materials: structured fabrics have long been more than just a passing trend. They lend timeless looks depth, dynamism, and an exciting tactile dimension. Whether classic striped patterns or modern solid-color interpretations, these versatile pieces pair perfectly with casual and business-casual outfits and effortlessly create a modern look.

SHIMA SEIKI to exhibit at Première Vision Paris

Leading digital textile solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan will exhibit at Première Vision Paris in Paris, France next month. The company will exhibit in the "Smart Creation" area, dedicated to showcasing cutting-edge technologies that integrate sustainability and innovation. The knitting expert will be demonstrating solutions that optimize product development workflows and enhance sustainability through proposals in Digital Product Creation (DPC).

The new RJ 4/2 EL revolutionizes body mapping and expands creative possibilities – from smart lingerie to sporty athleisure designs

With the addition of another member to its successful RASCHELTRONIC® family, KARL MAYER is opening up new possibilities for creative product development for warp knitting mills and brands. The RJ 4/2 EL offers with two stitch-forming Jacquard bars entirely new design options for functional sportswear and bi-elastic lingerie. Available in gauges E 28 and E 32, this new model helps manufacturers set their collections apart from the competition. The fine E-32 gauges, in particular, impress with their clean surface, a pleasantly soft feel, and an exceptionally elegant look.

SHIMA SEIKI brings new flat knitting technologies to FEBRATEX 2026

Leading flat knitting solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Brazilian representative BRASTEMA TECNOLOGIA TEXTIL LTDA., will exhibit at the Brazilian Textile Industry Fair (FEBRATEX 2026) this month. On display will be a roundup of SHIMA SEIKI computerized flat knitting technology, represented by WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machines, computerized flat knitting machines featuring a brand-new model with high productivity and excellent cost performance, a glove knitting machine and the latest digital solutions.

25 years in the room: EDANA’s OUTLOOK™ returns to Cascais to shape a changing industry

The market does not wait, and it does not grant easy answers. Across the absorbent hygiene, personal care, and wipes sectors, business is undergoing a period of intense, necessary adjustment. New European rules on packaging, single-use items, product safety, and end-of-life are forcing companies to drop old assumptions about materials and performance. At the same time, producers must keep their goods safe, reliable, and affordable for the babies and aging adults, who rely on them every day.

Recover™ names Enes Adak and Fehmi Yüksel as Co-CEOs to accelerate its next growth phase

Recover™, a leading materials science company and global producer of consistent high-quality, recycled cotton fibers and circular material solutions at scale, today announced the appointment of Enes Adak and Fehmi Yüksel as Co-Chief Executive Officers. This leadership transition marks an important step in Recover’s evolution as the company enters its next stage of development.

ADD-ITC 2026 highlights strong industry participation

The Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference (ADD-ITC) 2026 will place a strong focus on the exchange between textile research and industry when it takes place on November 26–27, 2026, at the International Congress Center Dresden. According to the preliminary conference program, more than two-thirds of all presentations will be contributed by companies or jointly presented by industry and research institutions.

Arc'teryx introduces System 0™, a new framework for the future of product design and circularity

Arc'teryx Equipment, the global design company specializing in technical high-performance apparel and equipment, today introduced System 0™, a new framework that reimagines how products can be designed, manufactured, used, repaired, and ultimately regenerated. System 0 represents the next evolution for sustainability in the outdoor industry, as it embeds circular thinking across an entire product lifecycle while maintaining the uncompromising performance standards that define the Arc’teryx brand.