19 May 2008, Buhler, Switzerland - The Swiss manufacturer of knitted fabrics in Bühler/AR, with an additional production location in Münchwilen (a total of roughly 130 employees), managed to boost sales by 10% over the previous year to CHF 33 million.

Around 50% of this is attributable to the sports fabric segment, and work wear and lingerie fabrics each provided 25%. In spite of two existing joint ventures in Thailand, heavy investment was made in the Bühler/AR headquarters in order to make the Swiss production even more efficient. At the end of 2007, it was possible to move into a newly renovated hall ”“ construction costs of CHF 1.1 million ”“ in the south eastern part of the company’s property.

“This building allows us to optimise the production processes,” explains Managing Director Alex Eschler, who has been running the company since 1996, the third generation to do so, along with his brother Peter. “In addition to the dye works, the new building accommodates cutting machines, dryers and machinery used for mechanical surface treatment of the fabrics (napping, trimming, sanding). Recently,

Then AG from Schwäbisch-Hall, Germany also delivered four beam dying machines worth more than half a million Swiss francs. “In this way, we are modernising and enlarging our dying capacities,” to quote Alex Eschler. In 2008, an additional CHF 800,000 will be invested in a modern knitted fabrics finishing and refinement line. Belonging to the Eschler Group (a total of 200 employees) is also the plant run by the cousin Matthias Eschler in Balingen, Germany, which produces technical textiles. In addition, since 2002, some of the knitted fabrics for the linens industry have been produced by a joint venture in Thailand. Nevertheless, the 2007/8 investments continue to signal a clear “yes” in terms of the Swiss production location.