#Spinning

2020-05-20

New R&D lead appointments at Loepfe

Loepfe announced today the appointment of Thomas Schlegel and Roger Hilzinger to jointly head the Loepfe R&D team with effect from May 18, 2020.

To lead the Loepfe R&D team, the company has installed a double-lead consisting of Thomas Schlegel who has strong know-how in hardware, electronics, production quality and project leadership, together with Roger Hilzinger who has been leading the Loepfe software group over the past three years. The two appointments are made to replace Lorenzo Occhi who will leave Loepfe after thirteen years, eight of which were spent as Head of R&D.

Thomas Schlegel and Roger Hilzinger (c) 2020 loepfe

Roger has been working for Loepfe for a total of nine years and is well acquainted with the applications for Loepfe products in the textile market. He is an engineer with a Diploma Degree in Information Technology from Zürich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Leading Engineers from Kaleidos University of Applied Sciences Switzerland.

Thomas has a strong track record in project management and development of state-of-the-art hardware and sensor technology, as he has also held deputy head of R&D and quality management roles in the past. He has a Diploma in Electrical Engineering from Hochschule für Technik Rapperswil, a Master of Advanced Studies in Business Engineering Management from Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz, and various training certificates including the INSEAD Leadership certificate.

Roger Hilzinger said: “I’m looking forward to work with Thomas. We get on really well and complement each other perfectly. We are lucky to work in Loepfe’s motivated and experienced R&D team. I am convinced that in future we will make our products even better so that our customers will benefit more, given the context of digitization and industry 4.0.”

Thomas Schlegel added: “When I was asked to take over the R&D lead at Loepfe together with Roger I was immediately enthusiastic as the two of us have worked very well together during the development project of the YarnMaster PRISMA clearer that has been launched recently. I look forward to develop even more revolutionary products with the team for our customers’ requirements and for a really bright future for Loepfe.”

Loepfe CEO Dr. Ralph Mennicke commented: “On behalf of Loepfe, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Lorenzo for his valuable contributions to product development as well as company management. R&D is a key driver of product innovation and disruptive approaches in a product and solution company like Loepfe. It was a natural decision – and a great pleasure – to promote both Thomas and Roger to jointly success Lorenzo in heading the Loepfe R&D team. Roger and Thomas complement each other with their strong technical domain knowledge in hardware and software, respectively. Congratulations to both of them!”

A tradition of innovation celebrated at ITMA 2025 in Singapore

For 70 years, Loepfe has embodied precision, technological excellence, and uncompromising quality. Join us as we proudly celebrate seven decades of innovation at ITMA 2025 in Singapore. Founded in 1955 by two visionary brothers, Helmut and Erich Loepfe, the company has been a pioneer in yarn quality control – continuously pushing technological boundaries to meet and exceed industry expectations.

Leadership transition at Loepfe

Loepfe Brothers Ltd. has embarked on a new chapter with the appointment of Markus Kleindorp as the new CEO, ushering in a fresh era of leadership. Former CEO Ralph Mennicke's departure prompts restructuring, including the addition of Gregor Stalder as CFO. With this seasoned team, Loepfe aims to maintain its excellence in the textile industry.

Thermal fabric cutting system - Weftmaster cut-it for airbag fabrics

WeftMaster CUT-iT for airbag fabrics. In case of the unexpected while driving a car, people are relying on airbags for their life protection. Hence, airbag fabrics must have flawless quality. Renowned weavers of airbag fabrics take no risk; they rely on Loepfe's CUT-iT to ensure their top quality fabrics have a perfectly defined and uniform selvedge.

Rieter Annual General Meeting 2026: Shareholders approve all board proposals

At the Annual General Meeting of Rieter Holding Ltd. held on April 16, 2026, 342 shareholders representing 64.0% of the share capital approved all motions proposed by the Board of Directors. The shareholders adopted the Annual Report as well as the Financial Statements and Consolidated Financial Statements for 2025. They also granted discharge to the members of the Board of Directors and the Group Executive Committee for their activities in the reporting year. In an advisory vote, the 2025 Report on Non-Financial Matters was also approved.

SAHM Winding Solutions and Vandewiele Automation present integrated automation solution for winding processes

For the first time at the Techtextil trade fair in Frankfurt am Main, Germany (21 - 26 April), SAHM Winding Solutions (Hallo 12.0. / Booth 95) and Vandewiele Automation will be showcasing their combined automation expertise for industrial winding processes. Under the motto “Combining Automation. Maximizing Flow”, the two companies will demonstrate how automated package handling and robot-assisted yarn knotting can be integrated into a continuous production flow.

BTMA backs global growth while investing in future UK leaders

As one of a number of new initiatives launched this year, the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) is launching the UK-India Textile Machinery Coalition. The UK-India Free Trade Agreement, signed in July 2025, has implications that extend across sourcing, competitiveness and long-term trade dynamics, believes BTMA CEO Jason Kent.

China projected to increase cotton production, yields, and imports in 2026/27

World cotton production in the 2026/27 season is projected at 25.9 million tonnes, exceeding global consumption of 25.2 million tonnes, according to the May 2026 issue of Cotton This Month. That means both production and consumption are expected to remain close to current season levels, while global cotton trade is projected to decline by 2.7% to approximately 9.6-9.7 million tonnes.