#Spinning

2021-04-01

Reifenhäuser Reicofil with new management

Dr. Boerge Wessling and Stephan Gerharz © 2021 Reifenhäuser

Effective April 01, Dr. Bernd Kunze (60) hands over the management of Reifenhäuser Reicofil to his two successors Dr. Boerge Wessling (41) and Stephan Gerharz (43) after more than 20 years in this position. Dr. Kunze moves to the Reifenhäuser Group holding, where he will focus on his tasks within the group management and his role as CTO.

The new Management

Dr. Boerge Wessling (41) joined Reifenhäuser Reicofil in October 2020. He studied material sciences and gained his doctorate in the field of electrical engineering. Formerly, he held a position as Managing Director in the high-technology equipment sector, focusing on Product Management and Sales. As Managing Director of Reicofil, he will be responsible for the areas of Sales, Service, Research & Development, Strategy, and Controlling.

Stephan Gerharz (43) studied mechanical engineering and has worked at Reicofil for 20 years – until recently as Head of Order Management and member of the extended Management Board. As Managing Director, he will be responsible for Technology including special projects, Order Management, and Human Resources.

Reifenhäuser wins German Design Award for new user interface

At K 2025 in Düsseldorf, the Reifenhäuser Group unveiled its new company-wide machine user interface, which offers a uniform design language for blown film, flat film, and nonwoven lines – and stands out for its particularly simple operation. The overall concept impressed not only customers, but also the jury of the German Design Awards, who honored the system with the prestigious design prize during the trade fair.

Reifenhäuser NEXT: Tackling the skills shortage and achieving operational excellence with industrial AI

At K 2025, the Reifenhäuser Group will demonstrate Industrial AI's full potential for productivity in plastics processing. At the heart of the dedicated “Reifenhäuser NEXT” brand is a powerful AI chatbot that enables even inexperienced line operators to quickly solve complex tasks in their daily work, thereby maximizing availability, productivity, and quality.

Reifenhäuser strengthens field service operations in the Middle East and Africa

Reifenhäuser Group, a global leader in plastics extrusion technology, announces a significant expansion of its field service operations across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. Building on a longstanding presence in the region, which includes a sales office established in United Arab Emirates five years ago, Reifenhäuser is now taking a major step forward to enhance its local customer support and service capabilities.

The Address of innovation and investment in textile technologies: ITM 2026

Sales for ITM 2026, one of the world’s most comprehensive and prestigious exhibitions in textile technologies, are continuing at full steam. The record number of exhibitors and visitors achieved at ITM 2024 once again proved the industry’s confidence and the commercial success of the exhibition; meanwhile, the strong interest shown in ITM 2026, to be held on 9-13 June 2026, has far exceeded expectations.

STOLL in focus:

At the beginning of this year, KARL MAYER announced that it would be shifting its focus back to its core areas of warp knitting, warp preparation and technical textiles. As part of this strategic realignment, the flat knitting machine business under the STOLL brand will be discontinued. The Reutlingen plant will close down on 31 October 2025. Production in China will end in December 2025. This was an extremely difficult decision for KARL MAYER.

Heimtextil 2026 strengthens the global home textile industry with trends, designs and AI technologies

With an optimised hall layout, progressive design collaborations, inspiring trends and AI-driven innovations, Heimtextil 2026 reacts to the current market situation – and offers the industry a reliable constant in challenging times. Under the motto ‘Lead the Change’, the leading trade fair for home and contract textiles and textile design shows how challenges can be turned into opportunities. From 13 to 16 January, more than 3,100 exhibitors from 65 countries will provide a comprehensive market overview with new collections and textile solutions. As a knowledge hub, Heimtextil delivers new strategies and concrete solutions for future business success.