Corporate

History

The company history of the KARL MAYER Group

2019-2020

A new chapter opens

2019: Relocation of KARL MAYER Academy Obertshausen to new facilities.

  • 2019: KARL MAYER joins with RABATEX INDUSTRIES and A.T.E. to found the joint venture KARL MAYER Textile Machinery India Private Limited, based in Mumbai and with a production plant in Ahmedabad.

  • 2019: Opening of the new R&D centre as the heart of the in-house denim centre of excellence at KARL MAYER ROTAL.

  • 2020: Signing of the contract to acquire the STOLL Group, which transferred to KARL MAYER on 1 July 2020. As a result, solutions for the two most important stitch-forming processes – warp knitting and weft knitting – are now offered from a single source.

2017-2018

Digitization

2017: Opening of the development centre for double-bar raschel technology at NIPPON MAYER.

  • 2017: Founding of the software start-up KM.ON GmbH to develop digital solutions.

  • 2018: Acquisition of continuous dyeing technology for denim warp preparation from MASTER.

  • 2018: Initiation of participation in ADAMOS, an alliance of industrial and software companies.

  • 2018: Delivery of the 125,000th machine. 

2015-2016

KARL MAYER- the innovative market leader

2015: The new corporate machine design will be premiered at ITMA in Milan

  • 2015: Setting-up of KARL MAYER Technische Textilien GmbH resulting from the merger of LIBA and MALIMO

  • 2015: New Competence Center Parts & Components at the headquarters in Obertshausen

  • 2016: Opening of the new assembly hall in Obertshausen.

2007-2014

KARL MAYER’s strategic reorientation

2007: New Customer and Development Center in Obertshausen

  • 2008: Official opening of the new factory building of KARL MAYER (CHINA) Ltd. in Changzhou

  • 2008: Takeover of the weaving warp preparation division of Benninger/Switzerland

  • 2013: The longstanding managing partner, Fritz P. Mayer, leaves the company’s operational management (age-related retirement) and represents the Mayer family in the Supervisory Board together with Suzanne Forker

  • 2013: Arno Gärtner joins the Management Board of the KARL MAYER Holding

  • 2014: KARL MAYER acquires the majority ownership of LIBA Maschinenfabrik GmbH

2003-2005

Further innovations and new technology

The Textronic® Lace TL 66/1/36 and the Fascination Lace FL 20/16, the first representatives of a new generation of lace machines, create quite a stir on the market.

  • 2003: The Gir-O-Matic warp sampling machine sets new standards in terms of efficiency, flexibility and quality

  • 2003: One of the distinguishing features of KARL MAYER’s new lace machinery generation is a complete package of innovations

  • 2005: KAMCOS (KARL MAYER Command System) finds it way into all KARL MAYER machines, thus, ensuring a competent management of the entire computer technology of the machines

2000-2002

Growth and expansion in China

KARL MAYER continues to expand in China, and by establishing KARL MAYER Technical Service Ltd. the company is able to offer a comprehensive on-site technical support in terms of sales and services.

  • 2001: By setting up the Warp Knitting Research Center, KARL MAYER can offer periodical training courses to its customers, can provide information via the Internet, and can publish the textile magazine „Kettenwirk-Praxis“ in Chinese language

1991-1998

Opening up of new business areas and new locations

1991: Market launch of KARL MAYER’s first warp preparation unit for weaving

  • 1995: Foundation of the first KARL MAYER subsidiary in China (KARL MAYER
    Textile Machinery, Ltd, Wujin, China)

  • 1998: Takeover of MALIMO Maschinenbau GmbH in Chemnitz (1992), and of Rotal s.r.L, Italy, today’s KARL MAYER Rotal

1955-1980

International expansion and further development of corporate technology

Already at an early stage the company has been operating on the world market, resulting in KARL MAYER’s international expansion: first overseas subsidiary in Clifton, New Jersey.

  • 1956: The first Multibar lace Raschel machine for lace articles is manufactured

  • 1957: The first double-bar Raschel machine is delivered to the customer

  • 1967: Production of the first Jacquard Raschel machine

  • 1980: The founder’s three sons Ulrich, Ingo and Fritz P. Mayer join the company’s management board

1937-1954

Company foundation and development to a textile machinery manufacturer

Karl Mayer sets up a mechanical workshop for the production of turned parts in Obertshausen, and several years later the company starts with the production of warp knitting machines.

  • 1948: Delivery of the first KARL MAYER warp knitting machine

  • 1953: Production of the first Raschel machine

  • 1954: KARL MAYER delivers the 1,000th warp knitting machine