From the Sector

Sustainability is part of SEEK’s internal make-up and has always been part of the team and community experience. Over 80 sustainable brands make up the brand portfolio, including players like Veja, Dedicated and Kings of Indigo. Experts will be sharing their experiences on this market-defining topic as well, with a host of live podcasts, talks and panel discussions, and will be shaping SEEK’s programme of content.
 
BIG PLAYER: the new SEEK Culture
 
SEEK is Europe’s most successful trade show for pop, street and sneaker culture. This is where the key players meet, where the looks of tomorrow are showcased, modelled and retold, where classics are celebrated, authenticity rules the roost and where icons take their positions alongside shooting stars. SEEK is essential participation for anyone looking to curate a modern, youthful and relevant range.

The shift from a niche event to a large trade show is now complete with a new logo and campaign design. SEEK has emerged from its transformation to reveal that its content and visual look are as relevant as ever!  

Together with creative agencies Karl Anders and Haebmau, the SEEK team has been working for weeks on the brand’s new branding. The result: a visual concept with a strong message.

“The handshake is the right imagery and commitment to our stance and that of the SEEK community.”

“SEEK stands for strength and business just as much as for communality and good vibes! ‘Get Along’ articulates a feeling of agreement, of moving forward and getting to grips with things. We all want to shape a positive future for our industry – as partners and by joining forces.”, explains Fashion Director Maren Wiebus.

CREATIVE CONNECTION: Karl Anders and Haebmau
 
The Hamburg-based agency Karl Anders, which was established by Claudia Fischer-Appelt and Lars Kreyenhagen, was commissioned to come up with the creative concept and design language for the logo and campaign.

“With the new look we are entering a new era for SEEK as a brand. Lots of brands have chosen a design using Helvetica in recent years,” says Claudia Fischer-Appelt, Creative Director at Karl Anders. “We are now signalling a clear shift in another direction. Confident, bold and independent. With the logo we are inviting the viewer to play with the linear layout in their head; we are breaking viewing habits, making a statement and revving things up a gear. SEEK, there it is.”
 
The artwork is the result of a process of in-depth debate with the SEEK brand that took place over several weeks both within the team and also with the support of lifestyle agency Haebmau. Workshops, research and analyses ultimately led to a new, strong brand identity. SEEK is focussed on both established and new players and stands for the WE.

“I have known SEEK since it was in its infancy, so to me it was always like a little brother of the large, successful PREMIUM. Quirky and different, always interesting but somehow not quite so imposing,” says Markus Bublitz, Executive Creative Director at Haebmau. “SEEK today is more grown-up, confident and sharper. Thanks to its position in the market, which it has conquered over the years, it no longer needs to please everyone but can afford to be controversial. This can offer space for new, creative ideas.”

SEEK is edgy, clean-cut and unpolished.

We are all about statement design, new classics, denim and sportswear. SEEK is the trade show event for the fashion community. SEEK knows who calls the shots; it boosts sales and is the place for the next generation of decision-makers to get together. Unlike all the others, SEEK is unconventional and the antidote to boring.

The Board of Directors of Autoneum Holding Ltd appoints Bernhard Wiehl, the longstanding Head of Finance & Controlling of Business Group Europe, as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and member of the Group Executive Board with immediate effect. The previous CFO Dr Martin Zwyssig has decided to leave Autoneum.

Bernhard Wiehl has been responsible for Finance & Controlling at Business Group Europe since 2013. Also thanks to his financial leadership, this Business Group with its numerous legal units has become highly profitable in recent years. Prior to joining Autoneum, he held senior finance and controlling positions with various automotive suppliers and has therefore extensive experience in the financial management of internationally active suppliers. Additionally, he is very familiar with the challenges of the automotive industry in a global environment. From 2007 to 2013, he was Head of Finance & Controlling and member of the Executive Board of the Lighting and Electronics division at the German automotive supplier Hella and from 2004 to 2007, among other things, in charge of controlling of the Europedivision of the supplier Hydraulik-Ring. Wiehl started his professional career in 1995 at TRW Automotive in Germany. He studied mechanical and industrial engineering at the Esslingen University of Applied Sciences, Germany, and holds a degree in industrial engineering (FH).

Bernhard Wiehl’s predecessor Dr Martin Zwyssig decided to leave the Company and to take up a new professional challenge. The Board of Directors and CEO Matthias Holzammer thank him for the commitment to the Company and wish him all the best for his professional and private future.

The Board of Directors of Autoneum Holding Ltd has appointed Matthias Holzammer, the former, long-term Head of Business Group Europe, as CEO with immediate effect. He is taking over from Martin Hirzel, who will be leaving the Company in agreement with the Board of Directors. Since the existing problems in North America are proving more challenging than expected, the Group's operating result in the second semester of 2019 will not improve, contrary to previous forecasts.

Matthias Holzammer has already demonstrated his operational expertise as the Company’s Head of Business Group Europe, which he successfully restructured from 2012 on and transformed into a highly profitable Business Group. Due to the severe operational and commercial issues in North America, the turnaround and improvement of results will take more time than expected. Matthias Holzammer will devote himself to this task with the highest priority, in order to return the Business Group and the Group back to profitability as quickly as possible. "In view of the current challenges in North America and the volatile global market environment, Matthias Holzammer is the ideal choice to lead the Company as CEO with his industry experience, knowledge of Autoneum and track record in restructuring”, said Hans-Peter Schwald, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Autoneum Holding Ltd.

A focus on customer service, aligned with the drive to constantly innovate, has long ensured that the member companies of TMAS – the Swedish texile machinery manufacturers’ association – stay well ahead of the curve.

“All of the Swedish textile machinery companies are doing really well in major markets such as Europe, China, India and the USA,” says TMAS Secretary General Therese Premler-Andersson. “They are now gathering forces to prepare for the most important show – ITMA 2019 in Barcelona in June. I expect to see new players and partnerships as we enter the industry 4.0 era for real. We are ready to display an even higher degree of the real time monitoring of processes, automation, flexible customisation, and the incorporation of robots into production lines.  Our customers expect a lot of in terms of knowledge and our ability to customise and offer turnkey solutions.”

The forward-looking attitude of the Swedish companies is perhaps best summed up by Reimar Westerlind, the owner, since 1961, of ACG Gruppen.
At the age of 90, Reimar still travels to his office every day to oversee the operations of the diverse companies operating under the ACG umbrella.
“Everything now is about automation and digitisation,” he says. “We have to be on that track or we will be lost – innovate or die.”

Robotics
One ACG Gruppen company moving rapidly forward with new innovations in this area is ACG Kinna, which at ITMA 2019 will be providing dramatic live demonstrations of its new robotic pillow filling system.
This has the ability to fill and finish some 3,840 pillows per eight-hour shift, which is a considerable improvement on what is currently possible with existing systems, resulting in significant savings in both labour and energy for busy home textile businesses.

At ITMA 2019, Eton will be demonstrating a complete material handling solution with advanced software providing real-time information covering every aspect of the process.
“Our systems are a natural fit with the major Industry 4.0 networked manufacturing plants that are now being constructed worldwide for sectors such as the garment and home textiles manufacturing and automotive industries,” says Eton’s Sales and Commercial Director Roger Ryrlén.

Sensors
Advanced senor developments are playing a large part in moving many areas of the textile industry forward too.
Eltex of Sweden, for example, is achieving considerable success with its yarn fault detection and tension monitoring systems across a range of sectors, including the tufting of carpets, the creeling of woven materials and even the production of woven reinforcements for the composites industry.

At successive ITMA shows, IRO AB has also consistently introduced new milestones in the field of yarn feeding technology for weaving machines, and ITMA 2019 will be no exception.
“Following significant investment in our R&D capabilities, we have been making great progress in further boosting the efficiency and performance of our expanding X3 range,” says IRO AB Managing Director and Chairman of TMAS Mikael Äremann. “I can’t remember a time since the 1980s when we had so many new innovations to unveil at an ITMA, and I’m greatly looking forward to the positive response to them we are anticipating in Barcelona this June.”

Resource savings
ITMA 2019 will meanwhile see the launch of TexCoat G4 – the next generation of Baldwin Technology’s non-contact precision application system for fabric finishing. The TexCoat G4 enables a continuously high-quality and productive textile finishing process with zero chemistry waste and minimised water and energy consumption.
The non-contact spray technology brings a range of advantages including single or double-sided application,  the elimination of Foulard bath contamination, low wet pick-up levels leading to the elimination of drying steps, zero chemistry waste in changeovers of chemistry, colour or fabric, and the possibility of batch reporting, visibility of pad loading, chemical usage etc.

Other TMAS companies exhibiting in Barcelona include Texo AB, whose wide-width weaving looms make the belts for machines on which half of the world’s paper is made, ES-Automatex, which specialises in bespoke automation concepts and Svegea, a company leading the field in a number colarette machines and cutting and slitting equipment.

“At the last ITMA in 2015 in Milan, there was much talk about Industry 4.0 technologies but certainly from the perspective of TMAS, ITMA 2019 will be the place for concrete solutions as to how data and the new tools we have available can be exploited to the full,” says Therese Premler-Andersson. “There is already much more networking between the companies, with software very much the enabler and common interfaces bringing ideas closer together. We are greatly looking forward to further exchanges of ideas when meeting with customers old and new in Barcelona.”

Lectra, the technological partner for companies using fabrics and leather, is pleased to announce the appointment of Holger Max-Lang as Managing Director of Lectra Central & Eastern Europe region, Russia. Holger Max-Lang is based in Ismaning, near Munich, Germany.

Central & Eastern Europe and Russia is a strategic region for Lectra, offering strong potential in the Group’s main market sectors thanks to: a robust automotive industry; a dynamic furniture industry, especially in Germany and Poland; and a close connection between fashion brands in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and suppliers in Eastern Europe.

Holger Max-Lang will focus on delivering Lectra’s customer-focused strategy to empower fashion & apparel, automotive and furniture businesses to succeed as they embrace Industry 4.0. Anchored in the digitalization of industrial processes, from design to production, Industry 4.0 is redefining how factories are organized; smart and connected, they are driving the value chain, propelling a new digitalized lifecycle for products. 

“The transformation to Industry 4.0 is in full swing: the Industrial Internet of Things, Software as a Service (SaaS), cloud technology, data analyses and data exploitation have become key,” underlines Daniel Harari, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Lectra. “Working for Lectra for over 15 years, Holger has a deep experience and knowledge of Lectra’s DNA, and is in a very strong position to support our customers in the digitalization of their processes.”

“Industry 4.0. started in Germany. Therefore, many companies are keen to adopt its principles in our region. Lectra is very well-positioned to support our customers in their transformation,“ says Holger Max-Lang. “In my role, I am looking forward to a growing dialogue with our customers and prospects, to bring them a full understanding of the expertise we have built - and are building. We will leverage this expertise to boost our customers’ competitiveness and generate higher added-value for their businesses.”

Following marketing and sales positions in the IT and automotive industry sectors, Holger joined Lectra Germany in September 2002 as a salesperson for automotive accounts. He then held diverse sales’ roles in the region, including the position of Sales Manager for all Lectra markets in Central & Eastern Europe region, Russia. Since September 2017 Holger has held the role of Business Development Director, Automotive, with the responsibility to develop the leather cutting activity worldwide.

Berlin / Frankfurt am Main, 2 November 2017 – Ms. Regina Brückner, Managing Associate of Brückner Trockentechnik, is the new chairperson of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association. The businesswoman from Leonberg was elected at the members’ meeting of the Association in Berlin. The new executive board is completed with Ms. Verena Thies, Thies Textilmaschinen, and Mr. Fritz P. Mayer, Karl Mayer Textilmaschinenfabrik, who were elected as vice chairpersons.

After her election, Regina Brückner stated: „I am pleased to have Ms. Thies and Mr. Mayer by my side, the two chairpersons who complement each other very well. Mr. Mayer is an entrepreneurial personality with decades of experience which he is meanwhile bringing in as the president of CEMATEX, the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers.  Ms. Thies assumed responsibility in the family company early on and has been working for the traditional company Thies in international textile machinery business since 2009.”

The new executive board for the legislative period until 2021 is composed of:
Regina Brückner (Chairperson), Brückner Trockentechnik
Verena Thies (Vice Chairperson), Thies
Fritz P. Mayer (Vice Chairman), Karl Mayer Textilmaschinenfabrik
Johann Phillip Dilo, Oskar Dilo Maschinenfabrik
Peter D. Dornier, Lindauer Dornier
Arno Gärtner, Karl Mayer Textilmaschinenfabrik
Roland Hampel, A. Monforts Textilmaschinen
Dr. Janpeter Horn, Herzog
Markus Kleindorp, Memminger-Iro
Martin Küppers, Saurer Schlafhorst
Georg Stausberg, Oerlikon Textile
Andreas Lukas, Andritz Küsters
Benjamin Mayer, Mayer & Cie.     
Eric Schöller, Groz-Beckert
Heinrich Trützschler, Trützschler