From the Sector

• Combined HCl acid and steam generation enables significant energy savings and increased cost efficiency

SGL Carbon delivered a Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) synthesis unit with integrated steam generation to Travancore-Cochin Chemicals Ltd. (TCCL), a major producer in the chlor alkali business in South India. End of January, TCCL officially inaugurated its plant in Kochi in India’s Kerala state. Since then, the unit has already been ramped up at the customer’s site to full capacity.

The synthesis unit uses the efficient membrane wall technology and has a capacity of 60 tons of HCl per day. As an additional benefit, this innovative design enables the recovery of waste heat generated in the synthesis unit from the reaction of Hydrogen & Chlorine to produce up to 33 tons of steam at the high pressure of 10 bar every day. This steam can be used elsewhere in the chlor alkali plant, for example when concentrating caustic to flakes. As a result, the energy efficiency of TCCL’s plant goes up substantially since a huge portion of their steam demand can be covered by SGL’s unit. Thereby this helps to save costs as well as reduces CO2 emissions by more than 1.500 tons per year potentially.

The HCl synthesis has been completely engineered and produced at SGL’s production site in Pune, India. Scope of supply also included civil modification services at the customer site on a turnkey basis.

 “Our innovative combined HCl synthesis and steam production units offer a great business value to our customers in the growing Indian chemical market. Together with our proven technical and engineering competence on a global scale we can help our customers to enhance their energy efficiency as the example of TCCL shows”, comments Suneet Sangam, Sales Manager at SGL Carbon India.

“By engineering and producing our units also at SGL’s production site in India, we further strengthen our position as a global process solution provider for corrosive applications leveraging our extensive expertise from our worldwide network. Realizing such ambitious projects in these challenging times of Covid restrictions shows how capable our global team is.“ says Christoph Koch, Director Sales EMEIA at SGL Carbon.

National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) President and CEO Kim Glas issued a statement today on the White House announcement that President Biden will sign an executive order today, “ensuring the future of America is Made in America by all of America’s workers.”  Further, NCTO launched a new industry video campaign today that outlines steps the Biden administration and Congress must take to re-shore the production of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the entire supply chain for critical products. The video can be found here: MakeAmericanPPE.

National Council of Textile Organizations President and CEO Kim Glas said:
“We commend President Biden for taking action in his first days in office to strengthen our domestic supply chain and manufacturing base with a “Made in America” executive order directing the federal government to spend taxpayer dollars on American-made goods produced by American workers using American-made components.

Increasing the domestic procurement threshold and the price preferences for domestic goods under the current Buy American law will bolster domestic production and stimulate more investment in U.S. manufacturing.

We believe it is critical that taxpayer dollars are used to invest in American manufacturing and our workforce. It is essential that we close loopholes in our Buy America laws, expand application and product coverage of domestic content rules, and close unnecessary contract waivers that undermine American manufacturing and its workforce.
 
We look forward to working with the Biden administration and Congress on immediately strengthening our domestic procurement laws. The COVID-19 crisis was exacerbated when foreign supply chains broke down leaving our frontline workers vulnerable, underscoring the vital need for America to manufacture essential medical products at home. We look forward to working with the Biden administration on implementing this Executive Order, and with members of Congress to push critical bipartisan legislation to help ensure this onshoring effort is fully realized.

We also sincerely thank Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Representative Kathy Manning (D-NC) for their leadership in sending a recent letter to President Biden, requesting the president prioritize “Made in America” personal protective equipment (PPE) purchases and outlining key steps the administration can take to produce and procure quality American-made PPE for frontline workers.”

Reflecting the pandemic-related drop in worldwide vehicle production, Autoneum’s revenue in local currencies fell by –18.7% in 2020, although the second half of the year saw a significant market recovery. Group revenue in Swiss francs fell by –24.2% year-on-year to CHF 1 740.6 million. For the full year 2020, the EBIT margin will be around 1.5% and the free cash flow slightly over CHF 100 million.
At the Annual General Meeting on March 25, 2021, the Board of Directors will propose Liane Hirner and Oliver Streuli for election to the Board of Directors of Autoneum Holding. Peter Spuhler will not stand for re-election.

At 74.5 million, the number of light vehicles produced globally in 2020 was down –16.2% compared to the previous year, where around 89 million vehicles were manufactured. Autoneum’s revenue in local currencies decreased by –18.7% in 2020, pretty much in line with the negative market dynamics. The somewhat stronger decline of revenue compared to the market results from a lower share of Asia in Autoneum's total revenue. Impacted by the appreciation of the Swiss franc against the most important currencies for Autoneum, the consolidated revenue dropped in 2020 by –24.2% to CHF 1 740.6 million. The heterogeneous development of the first and second half of the year was characteristic for the pandemic-driven automotive year 2020. Worldwide lockdowns and production stoppages at vehicle manufacturers led to a market slump in the first six months and a corresponding loss in revenue for Autoneum. Thanks to the subsequent market recovery and catch-up effects in the second half of the year, revenue improved considerably compared to the first half of the year.

Revenue development in Asia and SAMEA region significantly better than market
While revenues in local currencies of the highest-volume Business Groups Europe and North America decreased by –25.6% and –19.3% respectively, reflecting the regional, pandemic-driven market development (Europe: –22.9%; North America: –20.1%), Business Group Asia almost held its prior-year level with an organic decline of only –2.1% in 2020 thanks to the strong upturn in automobile production in China in the second half of the year and despite the fact that the number of vehicles produced in Asia fell by –11.4%.*

Personnel changes to the Board of Directors
At the Annual General Meeting on March 25, 2021, the Board of Directors of Autoneum Holding will propose Liane Hirner and Oliver Streuli for election as new members of the Board of Directors.
Liane Hirner has been CFO and member of the Management Board of Vienna Insurance Group, based in Vienna, Austria, since 2018.*

Oliver Streuli, a Swiss national, has been CEO of PCS Holding, based in Frauenfeld (Canton Thurgau), Switzerland, since 2019.*

Peter Spuhler has been a member of the Board of Directors of Autoneum since 2011 and will not stand for re-election at the Annual General Meeting on March 25, 2021.*

*See attached document for further informationen

Hologenix, creators of Celliant®, infrared responsive technology, and Kelheim Fibres, a world-leading manufacturer of viscose specialty fibers, have partnered to launch Celliant Viscose at ISPO Munich 2021. Celliant Viscose is a finalist in Best Products by ISPO and will be showcased in the Fibers & Insulations Category for ISPO Textrends, where realistic views and 3-D simulations will be available for each material.

The introduction of nature-based Celliant Viscose will be the first in-fiber infrared sustainable solution on the market and meets a consumer demand for more environmentally friendly textiles. An alternative to synthetic fibers and extremely versatile, Celliant Viscose blends beautifully with cotton, micromodal, lyocell, wool varieties including cashmere. It also has many applications across industries as it is ideal for performance wear, luxury loungewear, casual wear and bedding.

Celliant Viscose features natural, ethically sourced minerals embedded into plant-based fibers to create infrared products that capture and convert body heat into infrared, increasing local circulation and improved cellular oxygenation. This results in stronger performance, faster recovery and better sleep.

Celliant Viscose provides all the benefits of being a viscose fiber — lightweight, soft, highly breathable, excellent moisture management — as well as fiber enhancements from Celliant infrared technology. Celliant’s proprietary blend of natural minerals allows textiles to capture and convert body heat into full-spectrum infrared energy, resulting in stronger performance, faster recovery and better sleep. In addition, Celliant is durable and will not wash out, lasting the useful life of the product it powers.

An Affordable, Long-lasting Solution with Diverse Applications
As opposed to other IR viscose products which are coatings based, Celliant Viscose’s in-fiber solution increases wearability and longevity with a soft feel, durability from washing and longer life. The combination of Kelheim’s distinctive technology and the Celliant additives creates this unique fiber that provides full functionality without the need for any additional processing step — a new standard in the field of sustainable IR viscose fibers. This single processing also makes Celliant Viscose more cost-effective and time-efficient than coatings.

In addition, Kelheim’s flexible technology allows targeted interventions in the viscose fiber process. By modifying the fiber’s dimensions or cross sections or by incorporating additives into the fiber matrix, Kelheim can precisely define the fiber’s properties according to the specific needs of the end product.

Highly Sustainable
Celliant Viscose is a plant and mineral-based solution for brands seeking an alternative to synthetic fibers. It contains natural raw materials that are from the earth and can return safely to the earth.

Nature-based Celliant Viscose is certified by FSC® or PEFC™, which guarantees the origin in sustainably managed plantations, and is part of the CanopyStyle initiative to protect ancient and endangered forests. The production of Celliant Viscose takes place exclusively at the Kelheim facilities in Germany, complying with the country’s strict environmental laws and guaranteeing an overall eco-friendly product.

Backed by Science
Celliant is rigorously tested by a Science Advisory Board composed of experts in the fields of physics, biology, chemistry and medicine. The Science Advisory Board has overseen 10 clinical, technical and physical trials, and seven published studies that demonstrate Celliant’s effectiveness and the benefits of infrared energy.

For more information, visit www.celliant.com/celliant-viscose/

Ein neues „Lieblingsstück“ der renommierten Maßschneider-Marke cove ist die aktuelle „Maßfibel“ mit fast 150 Seiten Stilwissen über die hohe Kunst der Maßschneiderei. Als Herausgeber eines Buches betreten die Maßschneider von cove ein neues Terrain und haben sich prominente Unterstützung gesucht: In Zusammenarbeit mit dem Stilpapst und Autor Bernhard Roetzel haben die Maßpioniere und Unternehmensgründer Dr. Christian Tietz und Ulrich Hesse ihr Projekt einer Maßfibel jetzt realisiert. Es ist eine bilderreiche Hommage an das traditionelle Schneiderhandwerk. „Wir wollten in kompakter Form die Kunst unserer Maßschneider in einem stilvollen Buch ausführlich und wissensreich präsentieren – als Wertschätzung für dieses nachhaltige Handwerk,“ so Ulrich Hesse. Schöne Produkte zu fertigen, die der Kunde seine Lieblingsstücke nennt, ist das Ziel von cove, die Maßschneider aus Düsseldorf.

Das Buch beschreibt u.a. das persönliche Gespräch mit den Maßschneidern, denn es ist der Beginn des Weges zum perfekten Maßanzug. Beim anschließenden Vermessen des Kunden wird der Anzug weiter detailliert besprochen und ganz besonderer Wert auf die Körperhaltung gelegt. Die Erkenntnisse aus dem Gespräch und dem Vermessen bilden die Grundlage der Schnitterstellung.

Ein länderübergreifender Stilexkurs: Das cove Coffeetable Book arbeitet internationale Stil-Höhen sowie Unterschiede unterhaltsam und lehrreich heraus. Darunter der englische Stil, wie ihn die Schneider der Savile Row im Londoner Stadtteil Mayfair pflegen. Schweres englisches Tuch, verstärkt und aus der Uniform abgeleitet, das dem echten Gentleman Haltung verleiht. Ein weiterer Stil ist italienisch geprägt: leichte Anzüge, die durch eine softe Verarbeitung überzeugen. Ein Anzug, bei dem Mann das Sakko den ganzen Tag nicht ausziehen möchte. Der deutsche Traditionalist, so Roetzel, bevorzugt eher den englischen Stil und der Connaisseur tendenziell die italienische Variante.

• Miles Johnson and ISKO’s Creative Room present the new responsible collection.

The second edition of this partnership tells the story of a unique combination of creativity and expertise brought to the table by ISKO’s style and design center, Creative Room Italy, and the innovative designer Miles Johnson, resulting in a collection featuring responsible R-TWO™ fabrics and a selection of sustainable accessories and details.

An act of care for the planet and its people, Light on the Land 2.0 is the new capsule designed by Miles Johnson and ISKO. Former Design Director at Levi Strauss & Co. and Senior Creative Director of Product Design and Development at Patagonia, Inc., Miles joined forces with Creative Room and Iskoteca, ISKO’s Italian style and washing research hubs, to develop a collection that brings responsibility in the fashion industry to the next level.

The project includes 32 unique pieces, each of them realized with seasonless designs and sustainably-minded details. All the fabrics used in the collection were carefully selected from ISKO’s R-TWO™ platform. Using a mixture of reused cotton and recycled fibers, the technique embeds material circularity into the production processes, designing waste out of the system and minimizing impact at scale. Certified to Textile Exchange environmental credentials according to the percentage of materials contained, R-TWO™ ensures better use of raw materials and resource efficiency. ISKO’s Environmental Product Declarations (EPD®s), available for all its +25,000 products, offer a unique opportunity to measure the impact of R-TWO™’s savings in the Lifecycle Assessments (LCAs) framework, where resource savings can be seen in carbon impact, water-use reductions and many other impact KPIs.

Light on the Land 2.0 incorporates responsible design principles such as Cadica’s new and innovative trims, made of vegan apple “leather”, and has been developed using ecoconscious finishing techniques. The collection also features many additional sustainable facets such as efficient low-waste pattern cutting and design, efficient sewing methods, removeable rivets for end-of-life and biodegradable thread which can be removed at high heats.

“When we first started working on this project, we knew it was going to be amazing,” explained Massimo Munari, Manager and Art director Creative Room, ISKO. “To design a collection like this, you need to begin with the right mindset and of course, the right materials. R-TWO was the perfect ingredient, thanks to the re-used and re-cycled content. We then aimed to minimize impact at all stages: incorporating sustainable design ideas, washing processes and trims. We are proud to have created such an inspiring, and sustainable collection, and to bring our collective vision to light.”

Due to the unprecedented challenges of this time, the collection was entirely developed through remote working and creative solutions to ensure the safety and health of all parties involved. To this end, everyone was kept safe thanks to ISKO Vital™+ reusable and eco-friendly face covers, created with organic cotton to cater for comfort and sustainability.

In pandemic year 2020 circular knitting machine manufacturer Mayer & Cie. (MCT) has further improved its leading position in Turkey. So the country continues to be one of the company’s strongest and most consistent sales markets. Even in difficult years, the manufacturer and its longstanding Turkish representative Mayer Mümessillik have achieved positive results. The reasons for this year’s success, as Mayer & Cie. sees it, are the transfer of production to locations close to Europe, Turkey’s state-of-theart machinery and the increase in demand for comfortable clothing that is suitable as home office wear.

Turkish market is a growth market despite corona setback
“Compared to 2019, we anticipate a growth in the Turkish market even though the corona situation was a serious setback in the second quarter of 2020,” says Stefan Bühler, Mayer & Cie.’s regional sales manager for Turkey.

Mayer & Cie. got off to a strong start on the Bosporus in the first quarter of 2020 with additional positive effects until mid-March. This was due to a desire for production locations close to Europe. In the second quarter, during the lockdown, demand largely ground to a halt. Government measures helped to cushion the downturn. Says Ahmet M. Öğretmen, general manager of MCT’s Turkish sales partner Mayer Mümessillik: “In the second quarter, GDP was down by about 10 percent, so we got off lightly.”

Since July 2020, orders for Mayer & Cie. circular knitting machines have bounced back again. Ahmet M. Öğretmen sees an interplay of reasons for this recovery. The main reason, he says, is the low exchange rate of the Turkish lira, which has boosted exports of ready-made textiles. The Turkish daily Hürriyet reports, with reference to the Turkish state news agency, 11 percent year-on-year growth in August 2020. The most important export markets, the newspaper says, are Germany, the UK and Spain. Between them, they account for around half of exports totalling € 1.27 billion.* “This demand must be fulfilled,” Öğretmen says. “That leads to investment in machinery by manufacturers.”

Relanit is synonymous with single jersey
The machines of choice for Turkish knitwear manufacturers are regularly Mayer & Cie. machines. The long-established German firm’s share of the Turkish market is substantially higher than in other markets. The manufacturer’s position is particularly strong in the market for plain single jersey fabrics, with the Relanit 3.2 HS being the machine of choice. It achieves an extraordinarily high level of productivity, especially in processing elastomer yarns. It also handles a wide range of yarns reliably.

“Interlock is Mayer & Cie.”
Mayer & Cie. is one of the leader in the second major circular knitting discipline, rib and interlock fabrics. The machines used for double jersey fabrics are the OV 3.2 QCe, the D4 2.2 II and the D4 3.2 II. The OV 3.2 QCe knits interlock, 8-lock structures, spacers and fine gauge with 3.2 systems. The D4 2.2 II is another stalwart for rib, 8-lock and interlock. The 8-lock D4 3.2 II is the machine of choice for firms that want to manufacture structures such as Piqué, Punto di Roma or Thermal in addition to interlock.

The MBF 3.2 is another top seller in Turkey. A three-thread fleece machine, it knits fabrics for sportsand leisurewear such as hoodies and is very much in keeping with the trend in home office year 2020. “Comfortable clothing is circular knitted,” says Ahmet M. Öğretmen, “and we benefit from that of course.”

One of the world’s most state-of-the-art machine parks are in Turkey
Another advantage is the modernity of the Turkish machine park, which is doubly attractive in view of Turkey’s weak currency. Says Mayer Mümessillik general manager Öğretmen: “In the past 10 to 20 years there has been very heavy investment in high-quality machines. As a consequence we have the world’s youngest and most up-to-date production facilities.” Combined with geographical proximity to the main export markets in Europe that should prove a growth driver in the years ahead – and keep demand for Mayer & Cie. machines brisk and high.

*More informationen here.

• New level of transparency in the textile industry
• Building on several successful pilot projects with TextileGenesis™, the digital platform for the traceability across the textile supply chain has now been introduced.

The Lenzing Group, a leading company in the area of wood-based specialty fibers, celebrates another milestone on the way to making the textile and apparel industry more sustainable and transparent. Since 2019, Lenzing has been using the blockchain technology powered by the Hong Kong start-up TextileGenesis™ to ensure the traceability of textiles from fiber to production and distribution. After several successful pilot projects, the digital platform was launched on 5 November for TENCEL™ and LENZING™ ECOVERO™ branded fibers. The platform provides customers and partners as well as consumers with an overview across the entire textile supply chain.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, more changes have been brought to the already transforming fashion and textile industries. To date, supply chain traceability has become a top priority for apparel and home brands. With the blockchain-enabled supply chain traceability platform powered by TextileGenesis™, Lenzing supports the entire supply chain in meeting the increasing demand for transparency and sustainability.

Phased onboarding and new digital certificates

A follow-up of a 12-month pilot program and field trials with four leading sustainable brands (H&M, ArmedAngels, Mara Hoffman and Chicks) and supply chain players from 10 countries in three regions, the global roll-out of Lenzing’s blockchain-enabled supply chain traceability platform will be conducted in phases. During the first phase, Lenzing’s supply chain partners based in South Asia (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) will complete the onboarding process within Q4 2020. An estimated 300+ supply chain partners in China and Turkey will also join the program in Q1 2021. It is estimated that by Q2 2021,  most eligible Lenzing supply chain partners will be onboarded into the platform, ensuring full supply chain traceability.

One of the core components of the platform powered by TextileGenesis™ is integration with the Lenzing EBranding fabric certification system, which allows brands and retailers not only to access the full supply chain traceability for TENCELTM and LENZINGTM ECOVEROTM branded fibers but also to view the results of forensic (physical) verification of fabric samples via the digitally signed Lenzing E-Branding fabric certificates. “

Over the past year, during the pilot program and field trials we have been receiving very positive feedback from brands and supply chain partners. Our brand partners have also been encouraging us to accelerate the global roll-out for traceability of Lenzing fibers. With this new system and the integration with Lenzing E-Branding fabric certificates, the entire Lenzing ecosystem will create an unprecedented level of transparency. This will provide consumers with the most sustainable and climate-friendly clothing and home textile products that are made of TENCEL™ or LENZING™ ECOVERO™ branded fibers”, says Robert van de Kerkhof, Chief Commercial Officer and Member of the Board at Lenzing.

“With increasing compliance and reputational risks, CEOs and Boards of top 100 fashion brands have committed to using 100% sustainable and traceable fibers over the next 5 years, with transparency being a core part of business priorities. Sustainability and traceability are two sides of the same coin, and it’s great to see Lenzing paving the way for the entire fashion industry to follow. Our supply chain traceability platform will create digital accounting for Lenzing’s innovative and sustainable fibers across the entire supply chain using Fibercoins™ traceability technology”, says Amit Gautam, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of TextileGenesis™.

Fibercoin™ technology to ensure traceability across supply chain

Through using the innovative Fibercoin™ technology of the TextileGenesis™ platform, Lenzing and other brand
partners are now able to issue digital tokens (blockchain assets) in direct proportion to the physical shipments of TENCEL™ and LENZING™ ECOVERO™ branded fibers. These digital tokens provide a unique “fingerprint” and authentication mechanism, preventing adulteration, providing a more secure, trustworthy, digital chain-of custody across the entire textile supply chain, and most importantly, ensuring the materials are sustainably produced.

• Sateri pledges to Be World’s Leading Net-Positive Fibre Producer

Sateri, one of the world’s largest viscose producer, has launched its sustainability vision for 2030 to guide the company’s strategic growth in the coming decade. The Vision is anchored around four key pillars in response to environmental and social challenges faced by the cellulosic fibre industry: Climate and Ecosystem Protection, Closed Loop Production, Innovation and Circularity, and Inclusive Growth.

The Vision comes with a time-bound roadmap and measurable targets. It encompasses notable targets including net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, achieving 98% Sulphur recovery rate at all its mills by 2025, utilising textile waste and produce viscose products with 50% recycled content by 2025 and 100% by 2030, and supporting more than 300,000 local families and smallholder farmers to develop sustainable livelihoods.

Highlighting the significance of the Vision to the company, Sateri’s President Allen Zhang said, “As a raw material supplier, Sateri will do our part and respond to the urgent need to decouple growth from further resource impact. This is something that will underpin our growth, in addition to QPC (Quality, Productivity, Cost) and continuous improvement which are well-embedded in the company.”*

Sateri’s 2030 Vision was conceived after months of discussions with management members and external stakeholders including customers, brands and NGOs. The process was facilitated by BSR, a sustainability consultancy, led by its Asia Pacific Vice President, Jeremy Prepscius.

“The challenges facing the garment industry require all value chain participants to invest, innovate and integrate sustainability into their business models. This requires leadership and alignment and will need determination to succeed, which is what Sateri is striving to do,” said Prepscius.*

In the coming months, Sateri will form workgroups to develop action plans to deliver on the identified targets. Progress towards realising Sateri 2030 Vision will be reported in the company’s annual sustainability report and online sustainability dashboard.

Read more about Sateri 2030 Vision: www.sateri.com/sustainability/vision2030/

*Please see attached document for more information

• Significant recovery in order intake in third quarter 2020
• Order intake of CHF 425.1 million after nine months
• COVID crisis management in place
• Continuous implementation of the strategy
• Outlook 2020

The market recovery, which Rieter reported in June 2020, has continued. This is reflected in capacity utilization at spinning mills worldwide, which Rieter monitors. In April 2020, the proportion of producing spinning mills was around 40% while at the end of September 2020 this was around 90%. Against this backdrop, the Rieter Group increased order intake in the third quarter of 2020 to CHF 174.4 million (2nd quarter 2020: CHF 45.7 million). In the first nine months of 2020, the Rieter Group achieved a cumulative order intake of CHF 425.1 million (2019: CHF 524.5 million). Compared to the previous year period, this represents a decline of 19%.

Order Intake by Business Group

Due to the positive development in the third quarter of 2020, order intake at the Business Group Machines & Systems reached a total of CHF 234.5 million in the first nine months. The reason for the relatively small decline of 8% compared to the previous year is that the new machinery business was already characterized by investment restraint in the first three quarters of the year 2019. The Business Group Components recorded a reduction of 33% to CHF 116.6 million while the Business Group After Sales posted an order intake of CHF 74.0 million, a decrease of 23%. This illustrates the effects of low capacity utilization at the spinning mills, especially in the second quarter of 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The order backlog as of September 30, 2020, was around CHF 515 million (September 30, 2019: CHF 285 million). Cancellations were in the normal range of around 5%.

COVID Crisis Management in Place

Rieter has quickly implemented comprehensive COVID crisis management. Priority is being given to protecting employees, fulfilling customer commitments and ensuring liquidity. The necessary measures to protect employees have been implemented worldwide and the order backlog is being processed largely as planned. Rieter has introduced 40% short-time working in Switzerland and Germany for the second half of 2020. Similar measures were implemented worldwide within the scope of the available legal options. As of September 30, 2020, Rieter had liquid funds of CHF 216.7 million and unused credit lines in the mid three-digit million range in order to ensure liquidity. At the end of September 2020, net debt of CHF 1.2 million was disclosed.

Continuous Implementation of the Strategy

In recent years, Rieter has consistently implemented the strategy with the focus on innovation leadership, strengthening the business on the installed base and optimization of the costs. The company intends to forge ahead with the strategy in the coming months in order to strengthen the market position for the time after the COVID-19 pandemic. The Rieter CAMPUS is an important element of Rieter’s innovation strategy. Depending on the business situation, construction work is due to begin in the first half of 2021.

Outlook 2020

As already announced, in terms of sales and profitability Rieter expects a stronger second half of the year compared to the first half of 2020. Nevertheless, due to the deferral of deliveries by customers, Rieter will also conclude the second half of the year − and thus the full year 2020 − with a net loss. Due to the existing uncertainties, it continues to be difficult to forecast sales and profitability for the second half of 2020. For this reason, Rieter refrains from providing more specific information for the full year 2020.