#Spinning

2021-07-01

New senior management appointments strengthen Loepfe team

The first of the new hires is Jürg Schneider who joins Loepfe as Head of Sales & Service. As well as 25 years of global experience in sales, after-sales, services, marketing and engineering, Jürg has also led digital transformation and business process automation projects. Meanwhile, increased focus on customer success will also come from long-serving staff member Silvano Auciello who will work closely with OEM customers in the spinning segment as the key account manager.

Stefan Imfeld is the second newcomer to Loepfe and joins the company as Head of Production within the newly combined Materials Management and Production business stream. Stefan has a background in industrial engineering management, which has included senior level experience in the textiles and metrology sectors. He will be supporting Rolf Kunz who brings many years of Loepfe experience to managing the material flows from Loepfe’s suppliers to end customers.

Jürg Schneider said: “Undisputed customer centricity and today’s digital toolsets, along with dynamic exchanges and communication ensure we can properly understand user needs. I whole-heartedly look forward to driving the business forward, based on this approach and together with this great team.”

Stefan Imfeld commented: “Many thanks to my new Loepfe colleagues for their warm welcome! Creating an environment where seamless quality thrives begins with the accurate translation of customer needs into the intelligent use of latest materials and technology. This is a truly transformational time for Loepfe and I am excited to be part of the team.”

Dr. Ralph Mennicke, CEO of Loepfe Brothers Ltd. added: “We are delighted to work with both Jürg and Stefan as part of the Loepfe family. Their contributions will be central to our success as we continue to align our business to capitalize on digital technologies. Our strategy is to match customer needs with finest quality smart sensor technology to power productivity in the spinning and weaving sectors. And, by combining Materials Management and Production into one single business stream, we are creating a holistic approach to our end products. Our customers can look forward to many new Loepfe initiatives with our partners worldwide.”

A tradition of innovation celebrated at ITMA 2025 in Singapore

For 70 years, Loepfe has embodied precision, technological excellence, and uncompromising quality. Join us as we proudly celebrate seven decades of innovation at ITMA 2025 in Singapore. Founded in 1955 by two visionary brothers, Helmut and Erich Loepfe, the company has been a pioneer in yarn quality control – continuously pushing technological boundaries to meet and exceed industry expectations.

Leadership transition at Loepfe

Loepfe Brothers Ltd. has embarked on a new chapter with the appointment of Markus Kleindorp as the new CEO, ushering in a fresh era of leadership. Former CEO Ralph Mennicke's departure prompts restructuring, including the addition of Gregor Stalder as CFO. With this seasoned team, Loepfe aims to maintain its excellence in the textile industry.

GenuTrace client advisory: Is your cotton supply chain UFLPA ready?

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has released updated operational guidance (CBP Publication No. 5560-0526) expanding its forced labor enforcement framework. The guidance supersedes the original 2022 UFLPA Operational Guidance and now covers all forced labor enforcement authorities — UFLPA, CAATSA, and WROs/Findings — in a single unified document. For cotton importers, the enforcement posture has not softened. It has become more structured, more documented, and more demanding. Learn more about UFLPA.

"We will become a recycling powerhouse"

The textile industry is now in its fourth consecutive year of crisis, while automation, artificial intelligence and recycling are reshaping the rules of the game. In this interview, Rieter CEO Thomas Oetterli discusses the first signs of a market recovery, reflects on his first three years at the helm of the company, explains the integration of Barmag, outlines Rieter’s vision of the fully automated spinning mill and highlights the strategic importance of recycling. In doing so, he explains why the new Rieter Group aims to play a leading role in transforming the textile value chain into a circular economy.

Barmag and Hitech Automation enter into partnership for an auto-doff system for texturing machines

Barmag (Suzhou) Technology Co., Ltd. and Hitech Automation Solutions PVT LTD. of Surat, India, have agreed to an exclusive partnership to jointly market Hitech’s Doffmatic automation solution for Barmag’s proven manual eFK texturing machines. In many texturing facilities, manual doffing processes remain heavily operator-dependent – resulting in issues such as increased scrap, inconsistent quality, and limited productivity.

Uster’s new Recycling Opening Index guides spinners to the perfect blend

Uster AFIS 6 now offers the key data for better decisions when blending recycled fibers. Process control is decisive in determining the quality and economic outcome. The new R Recycling Module of AFIS 6 introduces the Recycling Opening Index (ROI), so spinners can optimize their circularity credentials. It was officially launched at ITM 2026 in Istanbul, Türkiye.

STOLL: Agreement signed for the divestiture of selected assets

In early 2025, KARL MAYER announced its strategic decision to focus on its core business areas of WARP KNITTING, WARP PREPARATION, and TECHNICAL TEXTILES. As part of this move, the flat knitting machine business under the STOLL brand was discontinued and the production site in Reutlingen was closed in October 2025.

TERNAfil wins first place at PitchMiUp Night 2026 in Minden

The RWTH spin-off TERNAfil has developed MAXCarbon, a new high-performance hybrid fibre that combines the mechanical performance of carbon with the temperature and corrosion resistance of ceramic materials. For this development, TERNAfil was awarded first prize at the PitchMiUp Night in Minden on 21 May 2026.