#Spinning

2021-08-17

Rieter acquires three businesses from Saurer

On August 13, 2021, Rieter Holding Ltd., Winterthur/Switzerland, and Saurer Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd., Shanghai/China listed, signed an agreement by which Rieter will acquire three businesses from Saurer Netherlands Machinery Company B.V., Amsterdam/Netherlands, the parent company of Saurer Spinning Solutions GmbH & Co. KG, Uebach-Palenberg/Germany and Saurer Technologies GmbH & Co. KG, Krefeld/Germany.

Investment to complete Rieter’s ring- and compact spinning systems and in two attractive component businesses
Schlafhorst automatic winder as well as Accotex and Temco will be transferred from Saurer to Rieter
Closing expected during the month of August, implementation to be completed in six to nine months
Changes in the Rieter Board of Directors

With this acquisition, Rieter will complete the offering of ring- and compact spinning systems by acquiring the Schlafhorst automatic winder business. Additionally, Rieter invests in two attractive component businesses: Accotex (elastomer components for spinning machines) and Temco (bearing solutions for filament machines).

In total, the three businesses had a combined turnover of EUR 142 million in 2020, the year of the COVID crisis. In 2019 and 2018, the total combined turnover was at a level of EUR 235 million and EUR 260 million, respectively.

The purchase price for the three businesses is EUR 300 million on a cash and debt free basis. Rieter has financed the purchase price by cash and available credit lines.

Rieter and Saurer expect to close the transaction during the month of August. In the first step of the transaction, Rieter will acquire 57% of the shares of Saurer Netherlands. The shares will be returned to Saurer after the implementation of the transaction in six to nine months.

In connection with the transaction, it is envisaged that Rieter will supply automatic winders to Saurer in the future.

Factory with Rieter spinning machines (c) 2021 Rieter

Changes in the Rieter Board of Directors

During the course of this transaction, it came to serious violations of the statutory duty of loyalty, the obligation to maintain business secrets and the Rieter Code of Conduct by the two members of the Board of Directors Luc Tack and Stefaan Haspeslagh. They have used information internal to the Board of Directors in order to compete with Rieter through their own offer.

The Board of Directors considers this to be a strong violation of Rieter’s interests, to the detriment of all of its stakeholders, and a sustained breach of the relationship of trust within the Board of Directors which makes further cooperation impossible.

Therefore, the Board of Directors of Rieter Holding Ltd. intends to convene an Extraordinary General Meeting at which its members, Luc Tack and Stefaan Haspeslagh, are to be dismissed.

To protect Rieter’s interests, the Board of Directors will file a criminal complaint against the two members of the Board of Directors.

The date of the Extraordinary General Meeting will be announced at the appropriate time.

Rieter reports stable order backlog and strategic progress – outlook for 2025 adjusted

In its Investor Update 2025, Rieter announced an order intake of CHF 203.9 million in the third quarter and CHF 559.3 million after nine months, reflecting a continued cautious investment climate in the textile machinery sector. Sales totaled CHF 121.5 million in the third quarter and CHF 457.7 million for the first nine months of the year, while the order backlog stood at around CHF 590 million as of September 30, 2025.

Rieter will highlight the fully automated spinning mill at ITMA Asia 2025

Precision, speed and cost efficiency are all indispensable, especially in challenging times. Rieter has put together a powerful portfolio for ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025 that gives spinning mills the chance to actively shape the future through intelligent automation. By applying smart machine networking, process optimization and increased production efficiency, the portfolio facilitates the comprehensive transformation of spinning mills while reinforcing their competitiveness. This, in turn, enables customers to further consolidate their leading market positions. At the same time, the portfolio is a key milestone on the way to achieving Rieter’s vision 2027 – the fully automated spinning mill.

Jets developed for filament perfection

Heberlein Technology AG, Wattwil, Switzerland, October 2, 2025 – Heberlein, the leading supplier of air interlacing and air texturing jets, aims to impress visitors at ITMA Asia + CITME 2025. Novel solutions will be presented, which will allow filament yarn producers to achieve special quality specifications and process optimization. As expected from Heberlein, these latest developments combine the most sophisticated technology with user convenience and savings potential.

Nike unites innovation, design and product teams to accelerate athlete-centered innovation

Nike, Jordan Brand and Converse are joining forces under a new, athlete-focused creation structure aimed at accelerating innovation and driving growth across NIKE, Inc. The new setup unites the Innovation, Design and Product teams from all three brands into a single “creation engine” that will enable greater sharing of insights, technology and manufacturing methods throughout the innovation process. This integration is part of Nike’s new Sport Offense strategy and is designed to enhance the creation of products that help athletes perform at their best.

DORNIER celebrates its anniversary at ITMA Asia + CITME

To mark its 75th anniversary, machine and plant manufacturer Lindauer DORNIER will be presenting the latest developments in its rapier and air-jet weaving machines at ITMA Asia + CITME in Singapore (Hall 2, Stand B401) from 28 to 31 October 2025. The focus will be on energy-efficient weaving technologies, new IoT solutions for networked textile production and systems for the series production of modern fibre composite components.

BCI warns against ‘dangerous dilution’ of EU corporate directives

The approval of the European Commission’s Omnibus I proposal by the European Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs, accepting controversial changes to key sustainability directives is of great concern. These changes, namely to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), threaten to significantly dilute business reporting and due diligence obligations.

Pioneering open-source framework shows how early innovation drives a just and net-zero fashion future

The non-profit H&M Foundation, in collaboration with Accenture, has unveiled From Signals to Systems Change, an insight report calling on the fashion industry to rethink its role in transformation. At its core is the Reimagined System Map, a pioneering open-source framework that visualises how early-stage innovation could drive a just and net-zero textile future.