Changzhou – Karl Mayer (China) has marked three decades of production, service and technology transfer in Changzhou with a combined Chinese New Year and anniversary celebration held at its Wujin District headquarters.
The event brought together the company’s 750-strong workforce alongside management from Germany, Italy and Hong Kong, underlining the strategic role the Chinese subsidiary plays within the Karl Mayer Group.
“Our subsidiary in China holds immense importance to our group. We are proud to operate in this key market with such a strong and dynamic location serving our customers,” CEO Lutz Wolf told employees during the celebrations, highlighting in particular their “extraordinary drive, flexibility, and deep understanding of customer requirements”.
Karl Mayer journey in China began in the early 1980s, when the German warp knitting specialist entered into collaboration with the Wujin Textile Machinery Factory in Changzhou to promote knitting technology and undertake joint production. This partnership paved the way for a more permanent presence as demand for advanced warp knitting machinery grew in the domestic market.
In 1995, Wujin Textile Machinery joined forces with Nippon Mayer and Karl Mayer to create Karl Mayer Wujin Textile Machinery Co., Ltd., the first foreign-invested company in the Changzhou Wujin High-tech Zone. The venture started with 400 employees on a 70,000 m² site and was fully acquired by Karl Mayer just four years later, cementing the group’s long-term commitment to China as a manufacturing and service hub.
Expansion
Building on this base, Karl Mayer Textile Machinery Co., Ltd. evolved into Karl Mayer (China) Ltd. in 2005, triggering a sustained phase of expansion. In 2008 the company moved into a new 175,000m² factory complex in Changzhou, providing capacity for large-scale production of warp knitting machines tailored to Chinese and regional customers.
The portfolio was broadened in 2011 to include warp preparation equipment, followed by a further capacity increase in 2012 to boost output of high-end models. By localising series production and engineering expertise, Karl Mayer (China) says it has been able to shorten lead times, adapt machines to local yarns and applications, and support the rapid development of China’s warp knitting sector.
Most recently, the Changzhou site has been positioned as a showcase for group-wide innovation. In October 2024, Karl Mayer opened a new showroom featuring a curated selection of textile “highlights”, trend concepts and process solutions from all of its business units, including warp knitting, flat knitting and warp preparation.
The facility is designed to host customer trials, fabric trend demonstrations and application development in partnership with brands, mills and yarn suppliers across China and Asia.
By 2025, total investment in technological upgrades at Karl Mayer (China) had exceeded 150 million yuan, covering new production technologies and SAP-networked intelligent logistics to streamline internal flows and enhance product quality.
With 30 years of continuous development behind it and a firmly established role in the Chinese knitting machinery market, Karl Mayer (China) is set to remain a central pillar of the group’s global manufacturing and customer-support strategy.
