#Knitting & Hosiery

2021-10-07

Mayer & Cie. at IHK Reutlingen (I)IoT event: Creating digital added value for analogue products

Made in Albstadt and shipped to customers all over the world who manufacture knitwear, Mayer & Cie. circular knitting machines are in use from Australia to Argentina. “Via our 80 or so local representatives we managed to maintain at least a limited overview of the whereabouts of our machines,” says Sebastian Mayer, head of R & D at Mayer & Cie. “But indirect contacts between manufacturer and users led to the loss of a great deal of “systematic” and valuable knowledge. The opportunities digitization offers enable us to come much closer to our customers both technically and organisationally.”

Sebastian Mayer, Head of Corporate Development © 2021 Mayer & Cie.

He recently dealt with coming closer to the customer as a speaker at the Reutlingen Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) event on the Industrial Internet of Things ((I)IoT) held by the IHK’s IT, TC & Multimedia networks and its IT Management network. His digitally savvy audience showed keen interest in the Mayer & Cie. solution knitlink, a machine- and Web-based customer portal on which the textile machinery manufacturer provides a hub for information, data and services about and for circular knitting machines and their uses.

Mayer & Cie. also sees knitlink as a starting point for new business models. It currently consists of three modular apps, including a Web store for spare parts that is scheduled for further development. A digital twin for every type of machine is a vision for the future.

“We see ourselves as leaders in our area of textile machinery manufacture,” Sebastian Mayer said. “Our claim to leadership extends far beyond the technical aspect. If we are to serve our customers satisfactorily also in the future we need efficient processes and a digital infrastructure to match them.”

The portal’s developer is partly the Albstadt digital enterprise MeetNow!. MeetNow! CEO Michael Krieger was the second speaker at the IHK’s I(I)oT event. He presented in the joint venture Wains a business model that successfully ports an analogue product to the digital world.

Mayer & Cie. Global is getting ready for ITM 2026

ITM 2026 marks the beginning of a new chapter for Mayer & Cie. Global. For the first time, the company will present itself to the international textile machinery industry in its new setup: combining proven circular knitting technology engineered in Germany with a clear commitment to its Albstadt headquarters and an internationally shaped, agile management approach.

Closing completed – Mayer & Cie. Global starts business operations

The future of the Mayer & Cie. brand has been secured: Following the successful completion of the purchase agreement for assets in the circular knitting machinery segment of the German traditional company Mayer & Cie., which was signed in February this year, the brand will continue to exist. The transfer of these assets to the new owner, Xu Hongjie, was formally completed yesterday afternoon. This clears the way for the resumption of business operations at the Albstadt site.

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.

Mayer & Cie. to shut down after failed search for investor – 270 jobs affected

Mayer & Cie., the long-established German manufacturer of circular knitting and braiding machines, will cease operations after its international search for an investor ended without success. The company, based in Albstadt-Tailfingen, had been undergoing insolvency proceedings in self-administration since its filing on 23 September 2025. As Schwarzwälder Bote reports, the insolvency court has now formally opened the proceedings, triggering the decision to wind down the business in an orderly process.

STOLL: Agreement signed for the divestiture of selected assets

In early 2025, KARL MAYER announced its strategic decision to focus on its core business areas of WARP KNITTING, WARP PREPARATION, and TECHNICAL TEXTILES. As part of this move, the flat knitting machine business under the STOLL brand was discontinued and the production site in Reutlingen was closed in October 2025.

KARL MAYER presents a textile TEXTRONIC® innovation at ITM 2026

With highly efficient machines and continuous textile innovations, KARL MAYER underscores its role as a reliable partner for discerning top-tier customers. Just in time for ITM 2026 in Istanbul, the industry leader is introducing a true innovation: an eyelash lace with its characteristic fringed look – combined with a previously unattainable 4-way stretch. While the established fabric could until now only be produced as rigid version or with one-dimensional stretch, the new elasticity in both dimensions expands the possibilities for cross-band panel fabrics.

TM WEFT, 270" – More width, more design freedom for the fashion world

KARL MAYER is expanding its successful TM WEFT series with an innovative model that opens up new possibilities, particularly in the fashion & apparel sectors. With a working width of 270", this new machine with weft-insertion not only offers significantly higher output than its narrower counterparts but is also specifically tailored to the demands of dynamic clothing market – particularly in China and Türkiye. A well-thought-out upgrade also ensures even greater design versatility.

GenuTrace client advisory: Is your cotton supply chain UFLPA ready?

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has released updated operational guidance (CBP Publication No. 5560-0526) expanding its forced labor enforcement framework. The guidance supersedes the original 2022 UFLPA Operational Guidance and now covers all forced labor enforcement authorities — UFLPA, CAATSA, and WROs/Findings — in a single unified document. For cotton importers, the enforcement posture has not softened. It has become more structured, more documented, and more demanding. Learn more about UFLPA.

TERNAfil wins first place at PitchMiUp Night 2026 in Minden

The RWTH spin-off TERNAfil has developed MAXCarbon, a new high-performance hybrid fibre that combines the mechanical performance of carbon with the temperature and corrosion resistance of ceramic materials. For this development, TERNAfil was awarded first prize at the PitchMiUp Night in Minden on 21 May 2026.