#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

2021-07-15

Change in leadership at Schoeller Textil AG

Schoeller Textil AG, the Swiss textile and technology company, announces a shift in leadership as Joachim Kath takes over as CEO. Following a 10-year career at the global textile solutions brand known for its innovative technical fabrics and smart textile finishing technologies for more than 150 years, CEO Siegfried Winkelbeiner is moving into a well-deserved retirement later this month. Joachim Kath, who comes from the chemical industry, has been working closely with Winkelbeiner as COO at Schoeller for the past year and a half.

CEO Siegfried Winkelbeiner is moving into a well-deserved retirement.

The retiring CEO Siegfried Winkelbeiner (on the right) sums up his Schoeller era in one sentence: “Throughout the years, we have compared Schoeller to a ship under sail and have had to weather many a stormy challenge.” The team successfully pulled together and has been able to strengthen the company’s reputation as an innovation leader. On more than one occasion, exciting collaborative projects with both existing and new customers opened up previously-uptapped business fields and markets. Under the management of Siegfried Winkelbeiner, Schoeller has successfully weathered even the enormous appreciation of the Swiss franc and the current pandemic. His primary focus has always been to create a working environment in which staff and management have the opportunity to exercise their talents and skills for the benefit of the Schoeller Group.

The transition comes after long-term planning. Since February 2020, and in close partnership with Siegfried Winkelbeiner, Joachim Kath (on the left) has been preparing as Schoeller COO to take over its management. Joachim Kath originally comes from Flensburg (DE) and, following his studies of Chemical Engineering in Karlsruhe, shaped his professional career in the chemical industry with Ciba (-Geigy) / BASF in Basel (CH). His career over 30 years has incorporated engineering, production and marketing & sales in diverse management functions – in a wide range of business segments for various industries and areas of application around the globe. Joachim Kath spent 12 years of his career dedicated to textile finishing, with a period of intensive travel in Asia and a 3-year stay in the USA.

Asked how he sees himself, Joachim Kath said: “The common thread running through all my assignments and business activities is process orientation, interest in new paths, and an instinct for what is feasible – with the goal of achieving customer benefits and satisfaction. Kath aims to ensure that Schoeller can continue to face the challenges of changing market requirements with outstanding and exceptional products, while evolving and innovating to stay ahead of consumer needs for the future. High performance capability, sustainable product development, premium quality, reliability, productivity, and keeping the customer as the central focus of all activities continue as essential keys to Schoeller’s continued business success.

The two CEOs know one another well from their previous work and from joint international projects at Ciba-Geigy and BASF. Joachim Kath regards it as a privilege to be able to continue writing the story of Schoeller’s success and to be able to build on Siegfried Winkelbeiner’s multi-facetted initiatives and extraordinarily close customer relations in so many market segments, geographic locations and projects. Living up to this is simultaneously a challenge and an inspiration.

Texprocess 2026: Automation, digitalisation and AI redefine textile processing

Making investment decisions in textile processing has become significantly more demanding. Increasing energy costs, a shortage of skilled labour and ongoing geopolitical uncertainties are compelling companies to focus on technologies that deliver clear gains in efficiency and process reliability. This applies equally to apparel manufacturing and to the processing of technical textiles and high-performance materials. As a result, modernisation initiatives are assessed more carefully – even as the need to upgrade production systems continues to intensify.

Techtextil 2026: Between innovation pressure & market reality

From 21 to 24 April 2026, Techtextil in Frankfurt am Main will once again become the central meeting point for the international technical textiles and nonwovens industry. Running in parallel, Texprocess will focus on the industrial implementation of textile processing technologies as the leading platform in this field. Together, the two trade fairs form a closely integrated presentation and working platform along the entire textile value chain – from material development to finished applications.

Between geopolitical pressure and industrial resilience

In this interview, Dr. Janpeter Horn (VDMA) discusses the current challenges facing textile machinery manufacturers, shaped by geopolitical tensions, regulatory developments and subdued investment. He also outlines why innovation strength, integrated solutions and strategic positioning remain key to global competitiveness.

Texhibition Istanbul signals stability and global connectivity

From 4 to 6 March 2026, Texhibition Istanbul once again brought together the international textile industry at the Istanbul Expo Center. Organized by İTKİB Fuarcılık A.Ş. in cooperation with the Istanbul Textile Exporters Association (İTHİB), the fair confirmed its role as one of the most important international sourcing platforms for fabrics and textile innovation. With 500+ exhibitors across 5 halls on 42,850 sqm, the trade fair attracted 19,325 visitors. Among them, 5.565 international visitors represented Europe, Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, North America, and other regions, underlining the show’s expanding global reach.

Val:ue Milan unveiled – a curated boutique business hub for high-end apparel textiles

Messe Frankfurt continues to expand its international textile network with the announcement of Val:ue Milan. Moving beyond the traditional trade fair model, Val:ue Milan debuts as a prestigious, boutique-style business hub exclusively dedicated to elected fabrics and accessories for apparel. Taking place from February 3 to 5, 2027, at The Mall in Porta Nuova, the event breaks away from conventional formats through a strictly curated environment designed for strategic networking. By bridging the gap between high-end international manufacturers and top-tier segment buyers, Val:ue Milan further strengthens the Group’s global portfolio with a unique, high-impact concept built around a refined and carefully selected offering.

Solving the Feedstock Gap: Unlocking Post-consumer Feedstocks for Textile-to-Textile Recycling in Europe

Fashion for Good launches Project FAE (Feedstock Activation Europe) to develop the sorting and pre-processing infrastructure needed to channel non-rewearable post-consumer textiles into textile-to-textile (T2T) recycling at scale. The project is a practical response to one of the most pressing problems in textile circularity: making post-consumer waste a viable, commercially competitive raw material for recyclers.

Aditya Birla Group showcases integrated technical textile capabilities at Techtextil 2026

As global industries rethink supply chains and accelerate the adoption of advanced materials, the Aditya Birla Group, a US$67‑billion global conglomerate, headquartered in Mumbai, India, showcased the full strength of its technical textiles portfolio at Techtextil 2026 in Frankfurt today. The Group’s presence underscored India’s transformation into a hub for high-value, performance-driven textile solutions within the global ecosystem.

Techtextil & Texprocess 2026: Global benchmark for textile innovation – Performance Apparel Textiles takes centre stage at the opening

With 1,700 exhibitors from 54 countries, Techtextil and Texprocess 2026 showcase the full range of innovation within the international textile industry – from new materials and recycling technologies to finishing solutions and high-performance textile manufacturing and processing technologies. The opening press conference centred on a key theme where innovation is especially strong: Performance Apparel Textiles.