#Weaving

2025-11-27

Itema opens Surat Service Center to strengthen support for Indian weavers

On November 26, Itema has officially inaugurated its new Surat Service Center during a ceremony attended by customers and partners from across the region.

Itema has been operating in India since 2002 through a fully established branch with more than 50 employees, offering comprehensive sales, after-sales, technical support, and advanced repair services. This solid local presence has enabled the company to provide the highest service standards to its valued customers throughout the Indian market.

In recent years, Itema has recorded remarkable growth in India, with a substantial contribution coming from the Surat region. Here, Itema stands out as the leading supplier of high-end rapier weaving technology, chosen by local weavers for the exceptional versatility and superior textile performance of its machines. These strengths allow Surat weavers to produce at best their fancy, sophisticated and fashionable Saree and women apparel fabrics.

In fact, as Sameer Kulkarni – Itema Weaving India Managing Director explains “Since 2021, Itema registered in Surat an unprecedented growth. We installed an impressive number of Itema weaving machines in region’s textile mills. We are proud to contribute to the creation of some of the most beautiful fabrics in India and to support the talent of the Surat weavers with our advanced weaving technology.”

With the establishment of the new Surat Service Center, Itema further strengthens its presence in this strategic textile hub. The facility adds an efficient spare parts hub and a dedicated electronic repair center to the company’s already well-structured customer care and sales services.

Itema to showcase weaving excellence at ITM 2026

From June 9 to 13, Itema will exhibit at ITM 2026 in Istanbul (Hall 8 – Stand 806D), unveiling a distinctive exhibition concept designed to highlight the Company’s expertise across the entire weaving value chain. For this year’s edition, Itema will introduce an innovative stand experience built around two core areas: advanced weaving and spare parts solutions and an immersive textile gallery featuring fabrics produced by Itema Customers worldwide.

Itema America acquires Palmetto Loom Reed, strengthening local manufacturing and service in the U.S.

Itema America, the U.S. subsidiary of Italy-based Itema Group, has acquired – through an Assets Purchase Agreement – Palmetto Loom Reed, a Greenville, South Carolina-based manufacturer of weaving reeds and one of the last remaining domestic producers of these precision components in the United States.

Itema exhibits the two best-selling high-end rapier weaving machines of the Region, R9500EVO and Galileo-RX at SITEX 2026

Following the opening of its new Surat Service Center in November, Itema will exhibit at SITEX (Stand 286) from February 21st to 23rd at the Surat International Exhibition and Convention Centre (SIECC). Surat has long been one of Itema’s most strategic markets, a role further reinforced by the inauguration of the Surat Service Center last November. Equipped with an advanced electronic repair center, a weaving machine behavior simulator, and a local spare parts warehouse, the new facility strengthens Itema’s presence in the region while bringing the company even closer to its Customers.

Picanol to present its leading weaving technology at ITM 2026

Picanol is pleased to announce it will be participating in ITM 2026 in Istanbul. This is a key event for industry professionals to engage with the Turkish textile industry as well as the extensive international audience attending the fair. During the event, Picanol will present its latest innovations to the visitors in Hall 8, booth 802.

Vandewiele Group presents integrated textile innovations at ITM 2026

At ITM 2026 in Istanbul, the Vandewiele Group will showcase a broad portfolio of weaving, carpet and textile machinery technologies under the theme “Textile Innovations Together”. From 9 to 13 June 2026, the Group will present solutions from its brands Vandewiele, Savio, IRO and BMSvision in Hall 7 / Booth 710A.

The textile industry in transition

Recycling, traceability, eco-design and digitalisation are among the key future challenges facing the European textile industry. The Erasmus+ project Skills4Circularity, involving 21 partners from twelve countries, is investigating the skills required to address these challenges. As the German industry partner, the Industry Association for Finishing – Yarns – Fabrics – Technical Textiles (IVGT) is bringing the industry’s perspective to the project.

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.