The merger of two of the world’s market leaders, Karl Mayer and Stoll, was officially completed on July 1st.
Karl Mayer is now a leading provider of solutions for the two most important stitch-forming processes of flat knitting and warp knitting. Its entire expertise in the fields of warp knitting, flat knitting as well as technical textiles, warp preparation for weaving and digital solutions is now housed under one roof.
With roughly 1,000 employees, Stoll will continue its activities within the Karl Mayer Group as an autonomous business unit. The brand will be carried on independently, and represents Karl Mayer’s expertise in the field of flat knitting technology. Karl Mayer also relies on Stoll’s proven management. The previous CEO, Andreas Schellhammer, will become President of the Stoll business unit.
“With Stoll’s excellent knowhow and committed staff, we can build on a good basis for further joint developments. Stoll and Karl Mayer complement each other perfectly in terms of technology. They consistently rely on the proximity to their markets, and are innovation leaders in their sectors. The merger offers the basis for new machine-based solutions, textile products and digital offerings, which will make a major contribution to strengthening our customers in their business environment,” says Arno Gärtner.
In the area of machine development, it is possible to completely use new technological principles and also optimizations of details, for example concerning the operation. For the development of new textiles, customers can rely on broad, cross-sector expertise, and can benefit from the group’s entire textile-technological knowhow in the fields of warp knitting and flat knitting with an even increased application-oriented focus. The customer contact persons remain the same.
One of the main aims in production is to increase the added value for more knowhow protection, flexibility and rapid delivery. Components from own production will be used groupwide, if possible, and the manufacture of the Stoll machines in China will be integrated into Karl Mayer’s location in Changzhou. With a surface area of 90,000 square meters and modern factory halls, the Chinese plant offers the perfect conditions for continuing Stoll’s high-quality production.