Weba Weberei Appenzell AG is OEKO-TEX® Company of the Month for
January 2014
Weba Weberei Appenzell AG is one of the most modern weaving mills in the whole of
Europe and thanks to its creativity, flexibility, efficiency and continuous customerfocussed
approach, has successfully fought off strong international competition. The
Swiss specialist in exclusive and innovative fabrics for shirts and blouses has
developed an outstanding reputation throughout the world due to its clear positioning as
a quality supplier.
In addition, weba Weberei Appenzell AG is the first weaving mill in the world to be analysed and certified for Sustainable Textile Production in accordance with the criteria of the new STeP by OEKO-TEX® certification. The company thus highlights once again its role as a world-leader in the field of more environmentally friendly, socially responsible and sustainable production.
Picture by Oeko-Tex
weba Weberei Appenzell AG was founded back in 1944. At this time, the company specialised in the production of high-quality handkerchiefs. Today weba concentrates on the production of exclusive and innovative shirt and blouse materials for renowned manufacturers of ready-made clothing around the world. The company currently employs 75 staff and is thus one of the most important employers in the region. Kurt Ebneter, CEO, explains how strongly the concept of quality is embedded in the company: "weba's success is primarily due to the first-class quality of our products. Top quality products can only be permanently guaranteed with the best materials and the latest production methods. At weba, this is the established practise day in, day out."
As a result of the close and long-term cooperation with partner companies, both at the upstream (spinning mills) and the downstream (textile finisher) value creation levels, weba Weberei Appenzell AG regularly manages to bring pioneering innovations to the market. Kurt Ebneter sees these new developments as decisive for the long-term success of the company: "It is our objective to regularly move the sector with our innovations. As the consumers want long-lasting products with maximum wear and care convenience, we can score points by working with our partners to develop first-class products with additional functional value." The latest achievements relate to "Dynamic Cotton", a pure cotton fabric with a crossway elasticity of 15 – 20% created using weaving technology, "Ice Cotton", a fabric with cooling and refreshing characteristics without the use of chemicals and "Wrinkle free", a non-iron fabric that also smooths itself when being worn.
Protecting the environment and commitment to sustainability have traditionally played a significant role in all areas of the company and all product developments at weba Weberei Appenzell AG. For example, the company regularly undertakes energy saving actions on their own initiative. In addition, the complete refitting of goods inspection allows efficient control and assessment of the manufactured fabrics. weba Weberei Appenzell AG is the first weaving mill in the world to be recognised according to the criteria of the new STeP by OEKO-TEX® certification system. As early as 1998, the company was also the first weaving mill in the group of pioneers to be awarded the certificate of the OEKO-TEX® Standard 1000 as an environmentally friendly and socially responsible company. In addition, weba was also the first weaving mill in the world to be awarded the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100plus in 2007. Kurt Ebneter highlights the company's claim of the role of pioneer in the sector: "In our corporate activities we focus on the model of a cleaner environment. For us, active protection of the environment has been part of our company philosophy for a long time."
