Albstadt-based knitting machine manufacturer Mayer & Cie. (MCT) has opened its Czech subsidiary’s new factory hall in Vsetín. With a floor area of around 5,000m², the new production hall is about half as large again as the old building.

MCZ, short for Mayer & Cie. Czech Republic, has been a member of the Mayer Group since 2011. Over the past five years, it has made a decisive contribution to the Albstadt-based company’s success story, the manufacturer reports.

Around 20 employees from the main factory in Albstadt and three Chinese colleagues from Mayer & Cie. China in Shanghai celebrated with their Czech colleagues and Vsetín managing director Stanislav Stastny the opening of the new works building.

Recovery and growth

“2011, the year in which MCZ became a part of the Mayer Group, was a landmark year for our company,” said Mayer & Cie. Managing Director Benjamin Mayer in his speech at the inauguration of the new building last Thursday in Vsetín.

“We had just recovered from the setbacks of the economic crisis. We then had to set the right course in order to remain competitive in view of the growing competitive pressure.” An opportunity that arose was to take over the insolvent Czech knitting machine manufacturer Amtek. “That was a risk for our company, because at the time we ourselves had only just emerged from planned insolvency,” explained Mr Mayer.

Strategic decision

Initially, only individual assembly groups were transferred to the new production site, but they were joined in 2012 by the first knitting machines. In 2013, only two years after the takeover, one Mayer machine in four was assembled at the Czech works. In 2014, MCZ was quality certified to DIN ISO standards. The latest sign of this success is the modern company premises just outside the town of Vsetín. With its floor area of around 5,000m², it optimally fits Mayer & Cie.’s work processes.

At present a little over one in three Mayer machines and various assembly groups come from the Czech Republic. S and D line machines account for a large proportion of them. With these knitting machines, Mayer & Cie. serves the midrange price segment most successfully. The S4 3.2 II and D4 2.2 II, both part of this product range, are the long-established circular knitting machine manufacturer’s best-selling machines by far.

The great popularity of these machines, Benjamin Mayer noted in his speech, showed why the Czech production site was the right decision, especially from the strategic viewpoint. “These machines enable us to keep our competitors at bay in the price-sensitive segment, to raise the barriers for new competitors and to offer new customers an easier entry into the Mayer product range,” he said.

Supplier for Albstadt factory

Production at the main factory in Albstadt-Tailfingen is closely interlinked with the Czech location. Benjamin Mayer described MCZ as “the most important supplier” of both Mayer & Cie. in Albstadt and Mayer & Cie. China.

The Czech subsidiary provided the parent company with the leeway it required to serve its established premium segment successfully and develop one innovative new technology after another, the company explains. “Mayer & Cie. stands for quality, for precision, for productivity and innovation. With our present strategic alignment, we are extremely well equipped to continue to do justice to our claim to be always one step ahead,” concluded Benjamin Mayer.

www.mayerandcie.com