#Textile chemistry

2022-11-03

New COO of the Zschimmer & Schwarz Group

The global supplier of chemical specialities and auxiliaries strengthens its management team: Dr Felix Grimm becomes new Chief Operating Officer

On 1 November 2022, Dr Felix Grimm assumed the position of Chief Operating Officer at Zschimmer & Schwarz Chemie GmbH. In this role, he is responsible for the areas of production, supply chain, purchasing and EHS (Environment, Health & Safety) of the Zschimmer & Schwarz Group on a global level. For many years, he held various management positions in the areas of production and technology at Clariant AG in Germany, France and Switzerland. Dr Felix Grimm sees his special focus in the further development of technological standards and processes, the internal transfer of knowledge as well as the stronger networking between the individual production companies of the Zschimmer & Schwarz Group.

Dr Felix Grimm © 2022 Zschimmer & Schwarz

Dr Felix Grimm succeeds Wolfgang Nowak, who will leave the company at the end of the year. "We thank Wolfgang Nowak for his very successful commitment and the very good cooperation over many years, and we wish him every success for his professional future as well as all the best in his private life," says Dr Christoph Riemer, General Manager at Zschimmer & Schwarz. "We are really looking forward to working with Dr Felix Grimm. With his broad expertise in the areas of production and technology as well as his international management experience, he will be an excellent addition to our management team."

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

SOKO presents low-impact denim finishing innovations at Denim PV Milan

SOKO will present a range of sustainable denim finishing technologies and collaborative projects at the upcoming Denim Première Vision Milan on 20–21 May in Milan. At booth G27 in Superstudio Più, the company will showcase new chemical solutions designed to combine fashionable denim effects with reduced environmental impact.

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.

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.

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.