© Karl Mayer/ Stoll.

Leading flat knitting machine builder Stoll officially joined the Karl Mayer Group today. Details of the merger were revealed by Karl Mayer in a statement this morning. The news follows the announcement at the end of February that the warp knitting machinery leader would buy Reutlingen based Stoll in an unprecedented deal. (see: New era dawns for flat knitting as Karl Mayer buys Stoll).

“With the so-called closing, the merger of the two world market leaders, Karl Mayer and Stoll, was officially completed on 1 July 2020. The relevant agreements were signed on 26 February 2020, thus, setting the course for the formation of a trans-technology global player, who changes the world of its customers and of the textile sector,” Karl Mayer said in a statement this morning.

“Karl Mayer is now the leading provider of solutions for the two most important stitch-forming processes, flat knitting and warp knitting. The company’s 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,” Karl Mayer added.

When it comes to the manufacture of products for warp knitting, warp preparation for weaving and the areas of technical textiles, Karl Mayer is innovative market leader with more than 2300 employees worldwide. Stoll, the international sector leader with roughly 1000 employees, stands for progressive tools and services for tomorrow’s knitting,” the company said.

“Stoll will continue its activities within the Karl Mayer Group as 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 within the Karl Mayer Group.”

“With Stoll’s excellent know-how 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 they are the 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 use completely new technological principles but also optimizations of details, for example concerning the operation, Karl Mayer added. “For the development of new textiles, the customers can rely on broad, cross-sector expertise. They can benefit from the Group’s entire textile-technological know-how in the fields of warp knitting and flat knitting with an even increased application-oriented focus. The customers‘ contact persons will remain the same,” Karl Mayer confirmed.

One of the main aims in production is to increase the added value for more know-how 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 metres and modern factory units, the Chinese plant is said to offer the perfect conditions for continuing Stoll’s high-quality production. The integration project is said to be running smoothly despite the highest complexity and the coronavirus pandemic.

“The teams from Stoll and Karl Mayer are full on schedule. They cooperate closely and extremely dedicated, they complement each other’s strengths, and successfully live the merger,“explains Andreas Schellhammer.

Additionally, Karl Mayer explains, via their familiar contact partners, Chinese customers can rely on the resources and organization of Karl Mayer (China) in the fields of service and spare parts. Spare parts are manufactured in-house, stored in larger quantities, and dispatched directly from ‘China to China’. This ensures shortest delivery times.

In terms of digitalisation, the Group says the know-how merger raises expectations for innovation leaps with advantages for the customers and effects on the entire textile industry. Karl Mayer‘s KM.ON is a highly agile software start-up, that uses the potential of cloud-based concepts and of artificial intelligence for completely new digital solutions. Stoll offers many years of experience in the software section. “Together it will be possible to accelerate digital product developments enormously,” Karl Mayer concludes.

www.stoll.com

www.karlmayer.com