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