[pageLogInLogOut]

#Knitting & Hosiery

Lutz Wolf becomes CEO of the KARL MAYER Group

Effective 1 November 2025, the Supervisory Board of the KARL MAYER Group, a leading global provider of solutions in textile machinery manufacturing, has appointed Lutz Wolf (51) as the new sole CEO of KARL MAYER Holding SE & Co. KG. Wolf will assume overall responsibility for the internationally active group of companies, which has its headquarters in Obertshausen, Germany.
New CEO of the KARL MAYER Group: Lutz Wolf © 2025 KARL MAYER / Armin Frieling
New CEO of the KARL MAYER Group: Lutz Wolf © 2025 KARL MAYER / Armin Frieling


+++ Changeover in the Management Board: Lutz Wolf will become the sole member of the Management Board of KARL MAYER Holding SE & Co. KG on 1 November 2025. At the same time, Uwe Lüders will retire after almost 10 years as Chairman of the Supervisory Board and most recently 11 months as Interim CEO.

+++ The aim is to continue the Group's success story and to make the company fit for the future with a new outlook and focus. 

Industry professional with over 30 years of international experience

Lutz Wolf most recently spent eight years on the Executive Board – including over four years as CEO – of the Neuenhauser Group, a family-owned, internationally active group of companies in the field of mechanical engineering and metal processing based in Lower Saxony with around 2,500 employees. During this time, he was responsible for the textile machinery and automation segments as well as the entire metal processing division of the family company, headed up central process optimizations, and shaped the strategic development of the group.

Lutz Wolf launched his career in 1995 at Siemens, where he held various management positions in Germany and China. After many successful years at Siemens (1995–2007), he moved to the GEA Group, where he was able to gain a wealth of valuable experience from 2007 to 2017, including as sole managing director of a US subsidiary.

Wolf succeeds Uwe Lüders, who will retire on 1 November 2025.

Dr Lorenz Zwingmann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of KARL MAYER Holding SE & Co. KG: “On behalf of the entire Supervisory Board and all employees, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Uwe Lüders for his tireless commitment as long-standing Chairman of the Supervisory Board and, most recently, Interim CEO of KARL MAYER. Uwe Lüders has made a lasting impact on the KARL MAYER Group over his many years of service.”

Dr Lorenz Zwingmann on the appointment of Lutz Wolf: "We are delighted that Lutz Wolf has joined the KARL MAYER Group. Wolf's comprehensive profile combines operational depth, strategic foresight, and, above all, international management experience – qualities that are key to the ongoing transformation of the KARL MAYER Group. On behalf of the entire Supervisory Board, I wish Mr Wolf every success in his wide range of tasks within our Group."

Lutz Wolf, new Chairman of the Management Board of KARL MAYER Holding SE & Co. KG and CEO of the KARL MAYER Group from 1 November 2025: "With more than 85 years of market experience, KARL MAYER looks back on a long tradition as the global market leader in textile machinery manufacturing. We want to, we will, and we must now continue to focus the group on what has made us successful: strong products, customer proximity, and speed of implementation," explains Lutz Wolf, adding: "We now need cohesion, focus, and speed. I am very much looking forward to my new responsibilities at this very special technology leader with its great potential – and the challenges they bring."

Cultural change with a new focus and emphasis on results

With an experienced management team that has been newly assembled in recent months, Lutz Wolf wants to fully develop the group's performance: "We want to refocus on what we do particularly well. In the future, we will concentrate on the core business areas of knitting machines, technical textiles, and warp preparation for weaving. All activities will be consistently aimed at current and future market requirements. It's not about playing it safe – it's about moving forward," Wolf concluded.




More News from KARL MAYER Textilmaschinenfabrik GmbH

#Weaving

More patterns, less effort: the MULTI-MATIC® at Rohleder

Rohleder is one of Europe’s most modern weaving mills. For over 80 years, the family-owned company has been developing and manufacturing premium fabrics for brands, retailers and private customers – 100% Made in Germany. This success is made possible by a consistent focus on design, quality, and functionality, as well as by continuous investment in state-of-the-art production facilities. Rohleder also relies on innovative technologies in warp preparation and has been collaborating with KARL MAYER for many years. As recently as 2023, a MULTI-MATIC® was delivered to the company’s headquarters in Konradsreuth.

#Knitting & Hosiery

The new RJ 4/2 EL revolutionizes body mapping and expands creative possibilities – from smart lingerie to sporty athleisure designs

With the addition of another member to its successful RASCHELTRONIC® family, KARL MAYER is opening up new possibilities for creative product development for warp knitting mills and brands. The RJ 4/2 EL offers with two stitch-forming Jacquard bars entirely new design options for functional sportswear and bi-elastic lingerie. Available in gauges E 28 and E 32, this new model helps manufacturers set their collections apart from the competition. The fine E-32 gauges, in particular, impress with their clean surface, a pleasantly soft feel, and an exceptionally elegant look.

#Knitting & Hosiery

Driving footwear innovation

How innovative spacer fabrics are transforming the athletic footwear market, and why KARL MAYER’s new TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTER is set to become a driving force behind the next generation of performance footwear.

#Knitting & Hosiery

The new RDJ 7/3 defines the design footprint of modern athletic shoes

Stylish, functional, and efficient to produce – spacer fabrics are the all-arounders among textile materials. These versatile fabrics are particularly in demand in the sports and casual footwear sector, as they combine comfort, breathability, and design freedom. At the same time, this industry is trend-driven, dynamic, and price-sensitive like few others. Innovations are therefore a decisive factor for success. With the RDJ 7/3, KARL MAYER offers a solution specifically tailored to these requirements. The particular strength of the new double raschel machine: its exceptional flexibility, thanks to its three jacquard bars.

More News on Knitting & Hosiery

Latest News

#Nonwovens

BASF opens global diaper and superabsorbents performance lab in Mumbai

BASF has officially inaugurated its new Performance Lab for diapers and superabsorbents (SAP) in Mumbai on August 18, 2026, which will provide technical and application services to superabsorbent customers globally. The new lab of BASF’s Hygiene Solutions business has been established in less than a year and is part of BASF’s Innovation Campus Asia Pacific in Mumbai, BASF’s second largest R&D site in Asia Pacific established in 2017 under BASF Chemicals India Private Limited.

#Recycled Fibers

Naia™ from Eastman strengthens western hemisphere textile connections at Apparel Sourcing Show Guatemala

As brands and retailers explore more diversified and responsive sourcing networks, the Naia™ brand from Eastman is strengthening its engagement with the textile and apparel value chain across the western hemisphere. From August 18–20, the company will participate for the first time in Apparel Sourcing Show Guatemala, a regional meeting point for apparel sourcing, manufacturing and nearshoring.

#Man-Made Fibers

Dornbirn GFC 2026 expands conference program with new thematic sessions

For 65 years, Dornbirn GFC has stood for innovation and is one of the world’s leading conferences in the fiber industry. From September 16 to 18, 2026, the international fiber community will meet in Dornbirn, Austria, to discuss current trends, technological developments, and forward-looking solutions. More than 600 experts from industry and academia from over 30 countries are expected to attend. With around 100 presentations by renowned speakers, a 2,5-day conference program, and three parallel presentation rooms with moderated sessions, Dornbirn GFC provides a first-class platform for knowledge exchange, networking, and international collaboration. Together, participants will generate ideas and impulses that will sustainably shape the future of the global fiber industry.

#Research & Development

Europe is committed to recycling end-of-life wind turbine blades

Starting in 2026, Europe’s wind energy industry has committed itself to ensuring that wind turbine blades do not end up in landfills once they reach the end of their service life. The EU-funded research project REWIND is exploring ways to reuse this composite waste. The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) are one of 13 project partners from seven countries.

TOP