#Yarn & Fiber

2024-08-15

Change of Managing Directors: Ensuring success with digitalization

Since April 1, 2024, the Gunold GmbH has a new management team with the two siblings Aileen and Kevin Gunold. The family business from Stockstadt, celebrating its 100th anniversary in three years' time, will now be managed by the fourth generation. “I am delighted that our company will continue to be run by the family,” says father Christoph Gunold, who was the third generation to manage the company for almost 30 years until March 2024.

From left to right: Aileen Gunold, Kevin Gunold, Christoph Gunold, Stephan Gunold © 2024 Gunold GmbH

Family business from Stockstadt now in its fourth generation

Aileen and Kevin, two of his four children, have decided to join the family business.

Kevin Gunold studied Business Administration and Law with a Bachelor of Arts degree and worked for a company in the automotive industry after graduating. He then joined the family business in 2017, devoting himself in particular to the relaunch of the Sulky Shop for the consumer market (www.sulky-shop.de) before taking on the position of Sales Manager for Germany, Austria and Switzerland in 2020. With the digitalization of the family business firmly in mind, he also devoted himself in his new position to the redevelopment of the existing Gunold online store (www.gunold.de) and gradually took on further areas of responsibility and topics of management. “This was important for me to be able to make necessary decisions in the role of Managing Director,” says Kevin Gunold.

His sister Aileen Gunold completed her studies in International Business Administration in Mainz and South Carolina (USA) and worked in management and marketing consultancies for over 15 years until 2023, before deciding to share the management of the company with her brother. “Due to my consulting activities in various industries and for different company sizes, I quickly realized what an exciting task this is. The opportunities to shape the company are much greater in your own family business,” says Aileen Gunold.

Thanks to her many years of experience in various industries, Aileen has a high level of expertise in strategic and operational tasks in the areas of business development, marketing, customer experience management and business transformation. All the best prerequisites for further developing the family business and leading it into the future. “The decisive factor is and will continue to be being able to offer our customers the right products and the right service,” emphasize Aileen and Kevin Gunold.

Smoothly and with consideration!

Finding and creating the right balance between continuity and constant change is the declared common goal. Always being open to change and taking everyone with us. “We focus on the needs of our customers and our employees and see where we need to react to changes and adapt our offering and working methods,” emphasize Aileen and Kevin Gunold. This is where digitalization offers enormous advantages for a medium-sized company like GUNOLD, for example in sales, for which a wide variety of sales channels need to be used today. A high level of reliability in terms of products and service as well as online ordering options around the clock are the cornerstones that GUNOLD offers its customers. “We will continue on our digital path in order to keep up with the times and always offer our customers the best possible service,” the siblings announce. For long-term competitiveness, it is also crucial to make business models sustainable in terms of environmental and social aspects. “For every family business, it is vital that the next generation is ready to follow in their footsteps. And so I am very pleased that Aileen and Kevin see their future in the Gunold GmbH,” says Christoph Gunold, who will remain active in the company until the end of 2024. “But even after that, we know that he will always be there to give us good advice whenever we need it,” emphasize the siblings.

Marketing Manager and uncle Stephan Gunold, who will be working at the company for a few more years, adds: “I personally really enjoy working with young team members and especially with Aileen and Kevin, it's great. The trick is to utilize the potential of the younger generation and integrate them into existing, long-standing relationships with employees who have been and continue to be a reliable asset for many years.”

Digitalization is an important key to the company's success; another is succession planning. GUNOLD GmbH has set the course for further successful years in both areas.

www.gunold.de

Sustainable embroidery materials and digital finishing attract attention at GUNOLD booth

More exhibition space, more visitors, and a high level of international participation: GUNOLD’s concept for this year’s Texprocess 2026, which took place in Frankfurt am Main from April 21 to 24, 2026, was a complete success. “Our decision to showcase our entire product range alongside application examples and expert tips was very well received,” says Marketing Director Stephan Gunold, delighted with the positive outcome of the trade show. The focus was particularly on the Stockstadt-based company’s sustainable products as well as its laser, engraving, and sublimation services.

Gunold showcases embroidery product range and services at Texprocess

At Texprocess 2026, GUNOLD will present numerous hands-on examples related to embroidery in Hall 8, Booth E20. The focus is on creative embroidery designs as well as the extensive product range of threads, nonwovens, and accessories for embroidery and embellishment. “Trade visitors can once again look forward to many new and creative embroidery designs. Of course, we will also showcase the matching products required to bring these ideas to life,” announces Marketing Manager Stephan Gunold.

Delicate by day, glowing by night

Light and color—no other thread combines these two properties as fascinatingly as GUNOLD's GLOWY specialty thread. During the day, it appears in powdery, soft pastel shades, and at night it transforms into a contrasting bright green. Embroidery and decorative seams change their appearance as if by magic as soon as darkness falls.

Yarn Expo Shenzhen 2026 closes doors, advancing sustainable and innovative sourcing in South China

Yarn Expo Shenzhen 2026 served as a strategically positioned mid-year sourcing platform for the Greater Bay Area, highlighting Shenzhen’s role in connecting regional demand, supply and innovation exchange across the textile value chain. During the three-day fair, over 20,000 visits were drawn from 74 countries and regions[1], as exhibitors and buyers engaged with new developments in greener, performance-led, and value-added yarn and fibre solutions. Held in conjunction with Intertextile Shenzhen Apparel Fabrics and PH Value, the fair underscored the benefits of closer synergy and new materials across yarn, fabric and apparel platforms for the South China market.

Yarns and technologies in symbiosis: Biella Yarn presents Fall/Winter 2027/2028 collection “New Romance_”

Biella Yarn, the flat knitting brand of Suedwolle Group, launches new Fall/Winter 2027/2028 collection, inspired by the symbiosis of yarns and technologies – elements that blend, adapt and evolve together, forming something new without losing their origin. The name “Neu Romance_” reflects the emotional and neurological dimension of the yarns: a connection that engages the senses, experienced through material, touch and interaction. The collection is further brought to life through design collaborations, featuring selected yarns used in different design approaches.

Rieter sees Barmag integration on track as orders and sales rise

The first half of 2026 was shaped by the successful completion of the largest acquisition in Rieter’s history. The Man-Made Fiber Division enables entry into the growth segment of man-made fibers and sustainably strengthens Rieter’s market position in the Asia region. The expanded Group is now the world’s leading system supplier for the processing of natural and man-made fibers. In the first half of the year, initial cost savings in material costs and operating expenses have already been realized. The targeted synergies are expected to amount to at least CHF 20 million by the end of the 2028 financial year. Due to the completion of the acquisition on February 2, 2026, the first half of the year for the Man-Made Fiber Division only amounts to five months.