#Raw Materials
Bremen Cotton Exchange: Continuity in the Board of Directors and Executive Committee
Stephanie Silber (41), Managing Director of Otto Stadtlander GmbH, will remain in office as President, as will Vice Presidents Jens D. Lukaczik (55), Managing Partner of the service company Cargo Control Germany GmbH & Co. KG in Bremen, Ernst Grimmelt (54), Managing Partner of spinner and weaver Velener Textil GmbH in Velen, North Rhine-Westphalia and Fritz A. Grobien (63), Managing Partner of Albrecht, Müller-Pearse & Co. Trade (GmbH & Co.) KG, Bremen.
President Stephanie Silber said at the General Assembly: “After more than a year of the pandemic, it is clear that cotton has proven itself to be resilient. Of course, the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have not left the industry unscathed. Orders have been cancelled and companies are struggling with bankruptcy.
But throughout the entire value chain, people have worked on solutions and demonstrated the innovative strength of the cotton industry. Demand has recovered relatively quickly. This is a good basis for the coming season, which can hopefully take place under more normal conditions. The industry is currently facing a major challenge with the logistics situation. A shortage of container availability and fully booked ship routing are delaying global supply chains worldwide.”
New Elections for the Board of Directors
New elections to the Board of Directors took place during the general assembly. Vice-President Fritz A. Grobien, managing partner of Albrecht, Müller-Pearse & Co. Trade (GmbH & Co.) KG, Bremen, stepped down from the board as scheduled and was re-elected to the committee. Jean-Paul Haessig, Asian Cotton Traders PTE Ltd, Singapore, was also reappointed to the board.
Further members of the board are Hannes Drolle, Getzner Textil AG, Bludenz, Austria, Henning Hammer, Otto Stadtlander GmbH, Bremen, responsible for the Asian business in Shanghai, Jan Kettelhack, Hch. Kettelhack GmbH + Co. KG, Rheine, Konrad Schröer, Setex-Textil GmbH, Hamminkeln-Dingden, Peter Spoerry, Spoerry 1886 AG, Flums, also in the role of representative of the Swiss textile industry, Roland Stelzer, Gebr. Elmer & Zweifel GmbH & Co. KG, Bempflingen and Axel Trede, Cotton Service International GmbH, Bremen, Manfred Kern also sits on the board as an advisory member representing the Austrian Textile Industry Association.
During the General Assembly for the 148th business year, the Board of Directors and the management office reported to the members of the Bremen Cotton Exchange Association on the past business year and submitted the accounts in accordance with the statutes.
Lively Discussion on Supply Chain Law
Dr. Uwe Mazura, General Manager of the Confederation of the German Textile and Fashion Industry, gave a current assessment of the recently passed German supply chain law. This was followed by a lively discussion among the members on this topic.
The guest lecture at this year's meeting was held by the Bremen Cotton Exchange’s archivist, Theresa Knapstein. Under the title “Almost 150 years of the Bremen Cotton Exchange; an anecdotal look at zeitgeist and personalities from the archive” she presented a review of historical events at the association.
A special feature of the Bremen Cotton Exchange: The members of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee mainly belong to companies from different areas of the cotton supply chain such as trade, processing, and services. This gives the raw materials association access to a comprehensive network and worldwide information resources within the global cotton sector and beyond.
