[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

#Knitting & Hosiery

KARL MAYER celebrates 35 years of EL pattern drive

KARL MAYER is celebrating an anniversary this year: on 30 November 1990, the first warp knitting machine with electronic guide bar control, the KS 4 EL, was delivered – another milestone for patterning. As early as 1980, the SU gearbox with the MRS42SU had initiated the transition from mechanical chains to digital data.

#ITMA Asia + CITME Singapore 2025

India becomes growth engine for the warp knitting industry

ITMA ASIA 2025 exceeded all expectations for KARL MAYER – above all thanks to the strong interest from India: around 30% of the qualified discussions were held with partners from this traditional textile country. The response underlines the growing importance of the Indian market, which could become the second largest sales region for KARL MAYER after China. The warp knitting industry in particular is developing dynamically.

#Weaving

Solution for lower energy consumption proves itself in practice

Getzner Textil is one of KARL MAYER’s first customers to use PROSIZE with CASCADE. The innovative weaving specialist has tested the steam and condensation system by KARL MAYER and determined the energy savings it achieves. Karl-Heinz Vaaßen, Head of Textile Drying at KARL MAYER, assisted Getzner Textil’s production specialists both with the tests and with all questions relating to CASCADE. In a conversation with Werner Egger, Head of Weaving, and Thomas Rossi, Head of Warp Preparation at Getzner Textil, he learnt more about the system’s benefits for his customer.

#ITMA Asia + CITME Singapore 2025

Innovation and customer proximity – KARL MAYER’s clear focus makes an impression

ITMA ASIA in Singapore was a resounding success for KARL MAYER, exceeding all expectations. The company welcomed visitors from 39 countries and held around 570 expert discussions. Most guests came from India, followed by China, Indonesia and Pakistan. The exchange with them was both well-founded and targeted. Conversation topics ranged from investment projects and new technologies to opportunities for cooperation and business expansion.

More News on Knitting & Hosiery

#Knitting & Hosiery

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.

#ITMA Asia + CITME Singapore 2025

Compact, powerful, cost-efficient – KARL MAYER launches its HKS 2-SE TWO

KARL MAYER is launching a new two-bar tricot machine for the elastic sector at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025. This newcomer is called HKS 2-SE TWO, stands for double customer benefits, and offers even more advantages than the predecessor model. With this innovation, the leading textile machinery company is once again asserting its top position in the market.

#ITMA Asia + CITME Singapore 2025

KARL MAYER is launching two machines that set new standards in performance and cost-effectiveness

At this year's ITMA ASIA + CITME, KARL MAYER is exhibiting two advanced developments in the field of tricot machines. Both newcomers expand the portfolio with highly practical solutions for increased efficiency and cost-effective production – making the exhibition booth once again a focal point for more than just the warp knitting industry.

#ITMA Asia + CITME Singapore 2025

Groz-Beckert showcases textile innovation at ITMA Asia + CITME 2025 in Singapore

From October 28 to 31, 2025, the global textile industry will gather at ITMA Asia + CITME at the Singapore Expo, where Groz-Beckert will present its latest highlights and innovations across its six product areas – Knitting, Weaving, Nonwovens, Tufting, Sewing, and Spinning – at Hall 5, Booth B301.

Latest News

#Recycling / Circular Economy

Advanced Recycling Conference 2025 fuels innovation across key waste streams

The Advanced Recycling Conference (ARC) 2025 brought together nearly 220 experts from 28 countries to spotlight pioneering advancements and foster industry collaboration in recycling across diverse waste streams including plastics, textiles, automotive and other materials.

#Dyeing, Drying, Finishing

Navis TubeTex announces U.S. partnership with Icomatex

Navis TubeTex, a global leader in advanced dyeing and finishing machinery solutions, is pleased to announce a new partnership with Icomatex (www.icomatex.com), a respected European manufacturer of high-quality stenters and textile finishing equipment. Under this agreement, Navis TubeTex will exclusively represent the Icomatex stenter line in the United States.

#Recycling / Circular Economy

ADVANSA launches ADVA®tex: A new step toward textile-to-textile recycling

ADVANSA has introduced ADVA®tex, a new filling fibre made entirely from recycled pre-consumer textile waste, positioning the material as a significant step forward in textile-to-textile (T2T) recycling. The fibre is designed for use in duvets, pillows, mattresses, and furniture applications and is available in three versions.

#Research & Development

The region of renewable raw materials: Central German Alliance for Bioplastics

The development of sustainable plastic solutions is rapidly gaining importance in light of global environ- mental pollution, dwindling fossil resources and ambitious climate protection targets. As part of the re- gional alliance RUBIO, which brings together 18 partners from central Germany and the Berlin-Branden- burg area, the bio-based and biodegradable plastic polybutylene succinate (PBS) was comprehensively investigated, starting with the raw material, through the manufacturing process, to industrial application.

TOP