#Knitting & Hosiery

2026-03-05

KARL MAYER (China) celebrates its 30th anniversary

On February 6, KARL MAYER (China) celebrated the new year and its 30th anniversary. Employees and the management team at the Changzhou location, as well as representatives from management in Germany, Italy, and Hong Kong, were invited to the festivities. A special highlight was the visit by Lutz Wolf, CEO of KARL MAYER.

“Our subsidiary in China holds immense importance to our group. We are proud to operate in this key market with such a strong and dynamic location serving our customers. I am very impressed by the extraordinary drive, flexibility, and deep understanding of customer requirements shown by our employees,” said Lutz Wolf, commenting on the importance of KARL MAYER (China).

The establishment of a separate company in China in the mid-1990s was a bold and strategically consistent step. KARL MAYER focused on globalization early on and established production sites in its key markets in order to operate close to its customers. At that time, however, the idea that China would become the world's most important market one day was still a vision of the future.

From belief in China as a location to fully localized series production

In the early 1980s, KARL MAYER collaborated with the Wujin Textile Machinery Factory in Changzhou for joint production and to promote knitting technology in China.

In 1995, the two partners joined forces with NIPPON MAYER to found KARL MAYER WUJIN Textile Machinery Co., Ltd. The joint venture was the first company with foreign roots in the Changzhou Wujin High-tech Zone. It started with 400 employees on a 70,000 m² plot of land and was completely taken over by KARL MAYER just four years later.

Building on its own Chinese organization named KARL MAYER Textile Machinery Co., Ltd., KARL MAYER (China) Ltd. was founded in 2005 and has been continuously expanded ever since. In 2008, the company moved into a new factory with an area of 175,000 m². In 2011, the production portfolio was expanded to include the manufacture of warp preparation equipment, and a further expansion of capacity took place the following year to increase the production of high-end models. The latest milestone in the success story of KARL MAYER’s Chinese location was the opening of a new showroom in October 2024, featuring an exclusive selection of textile highlights, trend themes, and innovative solutions from all business units. By 2025, KARL MAYER had invested over 150 million yuan in technological upgrades, including the introduction of fishbone production and SAP-networked intelligent logistics.

KARL MAYER (China) currently employs around 750 people in Changzhou. In February, they all celebrated 30 years of successful development together.

KARL MAYER strengthens partnerships in the composites industry at JEC World 2026

KARL MAYER further strengthened its role as a reliable and competent partner to the composites industry at JEC World 2026. The global market leader in textile machinery manufacturing used the trade show to meet key customers, establish numerous new contacts, and engage in in-depth technical discussions.

Driving WARP KNIT Inspiration

KARL MAYER sees performance fabrics and next-level textile solutions in particular as potential growth drivers for its customers, as a motor for business development and as real game changers for the entire textile industry. Innovation does not happen by chance. It is the result of close exchange with customers & brands, textile expertise and competence in textile machine engineering. This is why KARL MAYER is investing in progress and collaborative development and opening its TEXTILE INNOVATION CEN-TER (TIC) – a place to be for the entire textile world.

KARL MAYER at JEC: Multiaxial reinforced CFRP pultrusion profiles are picking up speed in the mobility sector

KARL MAYER Technical Textiles will be showcasing exciting new application potentials for multiaxial non-crimp fabrics in combination with the pultrusion process at the upcoming JEC in Hall 5, Booth C 46. The advancement of the tried-and-tested pultrusion process enables the cost-efficient production of complex CFRP multi-chamber profiles, which are used in the CETROVO high-speed metro. The world's first carbon-intensive lightweight rail vehicle of this type is designed for speeds of up to 140 km/h.

Shima Seiki showcases WHOLEGARMENT® and 3D knitting solutions for technical textiles at Techtextil 2026

Leading textile technology solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, along with its Italian subsidiary SHIMA SEIKI ITALIA S.p.A., will be participating in the Techtextil 2026 exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany next month. On display will be WHOLEGARMENT® and other advanced three-dimensional knitting applications across a wide range of industries besides fashion apparel that are not typically associated with knitting, such as technical textiles using industrial materials and advanced three-dimensional knitting.

Huixing acquires insolvent Mayer & Cie.

Insolvency proceedings for the circular knitting and braiding machine manufacturer Mayer & Cie. were opened on December 1, 2025. Immediately following the opening of proceedings, the complete cessation of business operations was initiated. Most employees were subsequently given notice effective the end of February 2026. The production of the remaining orders in the circular knitting segment is expected to be completed by the end of the month. As early as December 2025, Mayer & Cie.’s braiding machine division was sold to an Italian investor.

New study shows low environmental impact by Cotton made in Africa Organic Cotton from Tanzania

Today, the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) is announcing the results of a comprehensive life-cycle analysis (LCA) for cotton produced in Tanzania under the Cotton made in Africa Organic (CmiA Organic) standard. The study emphasises the small ecological footprint of CmiA Organic verified cotton. This can largely be traced back to the absence of synthetic pesticides, artificial fertilisers, and artificial irrigation. Consequently, CmiA Organic cotton can help the textile industry meet regulatory requirements as well as science-based targets. The results also show that the consequences of climate change threaten the livelihoods of these cotton farmers, even though the type of agriculture they practise barely contributes to climate change.

PERFORMANCE DAYS proves its relevance as the industry’s key meeting point

Held on March 18–19, 2026, PERFORMANCE DAYS once again confirmed its position as a leading international platform for functional textiles. A total of 3.366 trade visitors and around 560 exhibitors gathered in Munich, with the event already kicking off successfully on DAY 0, which received highly positive feedback for its interactive format. Despite challenging conditions caused by the public transport strike in Munich, the event saw strong attendance and a consistently high level of activity across both exhibition days.