#Spinning

2013-04-05

Norbert Klapper appointed Rieter Group CEO

The Board of Directors of Rieter Holding Ltd., Winterthur, has nominated Norbert Klapper as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Rieter Group. Norbert Klapper will take up his new duties per January 1, 2014 at the latest. After four years with a dual mandate, Erwin Stoller will then hand over to Norbert Klapper as CEO and concentrate on the Board chairmanship.

Since his additional nomination as Executive Chairman in 2009, Board Chairman Erwin Stoller focused particularly after the Rieter split on firmly establishing the Group’s strategic alignment. These tasks will largely be complete by the end of 2013, so that his dual mandate will no longer be necessary.

Norbert Klapper, German citizen born 1963, graduated at Darmstadt Technical University and was Assistant Professor at Passau University and Munich Technical University, where he received his Ph.D. in economics.

He then joined Arthur D. Little business consultants, where he became Managing Partner for Production und Logistics. In 2000 he joined the Executive Board of Dürr AG, Stuttgart, with responsibility for the two internationally active divisions Services and Final Assembly Systems. In 2005, Norbert Klapper transferred to Voith in Heidenheim, Germany. Since 2011, he is Executive Vice President of Voith Turbo, being in charge of the global railway business which has a size of 480 million EUR on an annual basis.

Norbert Klapper has accumulated widely based international experience in the machinery and plant engineering industry, also in the markets important to Rieter.

Pic: New Rieter CEO Norbert Klapper

Rieter advances strategic repositioning amid market volatility

Rieter successfully completed the acquisition of Barmag on February 2, 2026, and reached an important milestone in the company’s repositioning. Barmag will be integrated into the Rieter Group as the “Man-Made Fiber” Division. With this strategically transformative acquisition, Rieter is expanding its core business beyond the short-staple fiber business in a targeted way. This positions Rieter as the global market leader along the entire value chain for natural and man-made fibers. In addition, as a complete systems supplier, Rieter is further strengthening its technological leadership in the areas of automation and digitization.

Rieter responds to higher raw material prices

Global political and economic developments have been leading to rising raw material and energy costs for some time. The textile machinery industry is also affected by this trend. Rieter machines and components consist to a large extent of steel, copper, aluminum and electronics. These materials in particular have seen higher demand and higher prices in recent months.

Rieter adjusts group structure in preparation for Barmag integration

The planned acquisition of the “Barmag” Division of OC Oerlikon will create the leading system provider worldwide for natural and man-made fibers. Rieter is confident it will receive all regulatory approvals to complete the acquisition in the fourth quarter of 2025. The Rieter Group is therefore adjusting its Group structure as of January 1, 2026, to take this acquisition into account and to be able to provide an even more agile response to market challenges.

Barmag presents the next generation of POY production – energy-efficient and partial-automated

With POY 2.0, Barmag is introducing a completely redesigned spinning concept that takes the production of partially oriented yarn (POY) to a new level in terms of technology and economy. The solution, which was presented to a selected audience of experts for the first time at ITMA Asia + CITME 2025, was met with great enthusiasm: several yarn producers worldwide immediately expressed their interest in a pilot plant.

Development of bio-based polyethylene fibers for textile applications – BB Engineering partici-pates in the bioPEtex research project

In the German research project bioPEtex, BB Engineering (BBE) is working with other partners to develop textiles made from 100% bio-based polyethylene (PE). The aim is to make use of this poly-mer, which has hardly been used in the chemical fiber industry to date. BBE is contributing its spinning and texturizing expertise and developing the texturing process on an industrial scale. The first promising results are already available – opening up new opportu-nities for sustainable and economically attractive applications in the textile industry.

High-performance yarns for tomorrow's mobility

At this year's Techtextil in Frankfurt (April 21–24), Barmag will be presenting comprehensive solutions for the production of industrial filament yarns at the VDMA joint stand (Hall 12, C56). The focus will be on applications that ensure greater safety, durability, and efficiency in automotive engineering.

Textile‑to‑textile recycling leader Circulose joins Spinnova’s ecosystem to accelerate technology scale‑up

Textile‑to‑textile recycling leader Circulose joins Spinnova’s ecosystem (consortium) to help advance the scale‑up of Spinnova’s technology. Spinnova has actively sought partners to accelerate commercial scale‑up, and Circulose, as a key player in textile recycling, strengthens the ecosystem by providing a raw material that is in high demand across the industry.

UNIFI® introduces Luxel™: A Linen-inspired, easy-care performance yarn

Unifi, Inc. (NYSE: UFI), the makers of REPREVE® and one of the world’s leading innovators in recycled and synthetic yarns, today announced the launch of Luxel™, a groundbreaking yarn technology that combines the luxurious look and feel of linen with high-performance, easy-care, and textile-to-textile recycled materials.