Chemnitz knitting machines conquer the world

Andreas von Bismarck

Textile machine construction and Chemnitz have a long tradition together. It is therefore not surprising that the circular knitting machine manufacturer Terrot relocated its headquarters to Chemnitz in 2006. The company has been producing and developing circular knitting machines on a large scale for 155 years. From Turkey to Japan - the machines from Chemnitz are used worldwide for the production of textiles and fabrics. Andreas von Bismarck, a great-great-great-great-nephew of the Iron Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, has been managing the business since 2008 and explains to us in the Maker of the Week interview why, among other things, it pays to invest in integration and cosmopolitanism.

How does a circular knitting machine work and what is it used for?
Andreas von Bismarck: Circular knitting technology is the most productive way of producing textile surfaces. It is used for many different applications in the textile industry. Circular knitted textiles are mainly used where elasticity is required, for example for underwear, sportswear, mattress covers, shoe uppers, car headliners and many other applications. In everyday life, we constantly come into contact with circular knitwear, whether directly on the body or in the form of everyday objects.

Which developments and machines have had the greatest impact on your company history?
Some of the biggest milestones in our company's history were the development of the first Jacquard machine or the development of the wide-winding circular knitting machine. (Editor's note: when knitting elastane, a break occurs in the Lycra thread during winding, which the wide-winding machine can avoid). We have also recently developed a machine that can produce a completely new type of knitted fabric that is used in the sportswear sector and enables a wide range of designs as well as new functions. In addition, our newly developed, revolutionary Corizon process combines the capabilities of a knitting and spinning machine to create a knitted fabric with special properties. The result is very soft and opaque fabrics that can be used for bed linen and leggings, for example.

Terrot is a globally active company and belongs to the elite of textile machinery manufacturers. Textile machines have been manufactured on the site of the former VEB Strickmaschinenbau Kombinat Textima for decades. Terrot has only been producing its circular knitting machines on the site since the mid-1990s. Another important production site is located in Italy, where Terrot has been active with its subsidiary Terrot Italy since 2014. Terrot customers produce for well-known and internationally recognised brand manufacturers, such as Nike. At the last European Football Championship, the sportswear company produced football shirts on Terrot machines. Portugal won the title for the first time in a Nike jersey, making a piece of Terrot football history.

Chemnitz has long been associated with the textile industry. Is the knitting machine construction of that time still comparable to that of today?
The basic technology of circular knitting has essentially not been revolutionised. For example, there were attempts by an inventor from Japan who wanted to bring a circular knitting machine without needles onto the market. This invention did not catch on; circular knitting is still a traditional process. However, it is the details that count all the more. These have changed considerably in recent decades. The customer is becoming more important and machines are being customised to the needs of textile manufacturers. Networking, digitalisation and automated monitoring of machine processes will represent the future challenges for our industry.

After Terrot was founded in 2006, your company moved its headquarters from Stuttgart to Chemnitz. Why did you choose Chemnitz as your headquarters?
Chemnitz is the cradle of industrial development on the European mainland. We found good conditions here: a well-developed research landscape with a textile flavour, motivated and motivated employees, local textile companies. In addition, we had already relocated parts of our machine production to Chemnitz after reunification. When the new company was founded, the administration followed suit.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Chemnitz as a location?
Chemnitz has a bad reputation, but this is not justified. That is the city's biggest disadvantage. Many people don't know Chemnitz and make negative judgements about the location. Chemnitz's history harbours huge treasures that are not only under-recognised from outside but also within the population. The art centres, the cultural landscape, the architecture, the surrounding area - traces of Chemnitz's industrial history can be found everywhere. This historically anchored experience in the industrial sector is Chemnitz' greatest advantage.

The textile industry has increasingly migrated to low-wage countries in recent decades, has this trend also been seen in textile machinery manufacturing?
Textile machine construction has not been outsourced in the true sense of the word, but there has been increasing competitive pressure from Asian textile machine construction companies. Of course, this has brought one or two textile machinery manufacturers in Europe and North America to their knees. Subsidiaries have already been established in Asian countries, but this mainly affected companies that produce in large volumes. But it also depends on the type of textile. Standard goods, such as T-shirts, are certainly not always produced using high-quality single jersey machines. Here it depends very much on what quality is ultimately expected by the end customer. We, on the other hand, have focussed on the highest quality, productivity and also on special machines for particular areas of application.

Is there a growing awareness of production in your own country again?
Products from Germany stand for quality and the Terrot brand also stands for this. A long machine service life is becoming more important to buyers again, as the pressure on margins is very high and difficulties in the supply chain can cause enormous damage. A high-quality, productive and efficient machine is therefore an advantage.

You and your company are committed to integration in the form of initiatives and campaigns. What experiences have you had with this?
We have only ever had good experiences when everyone has got involved with each other - regardless of where the people came from. We also have many European foreigners who we recruit as new trainees, among other things, in order to have qualified and motivated trainees. Diversity is also crucial for us, as we need different qualifications for our company, which we no longer always find so easily in Germany, such as textile engineers from Syria. Successful integration is the be-all and end-all. In this way, you also create encounters that help to break down prejudices on both sides. Of course, there have also been legal and language barriers, but we are happy to overcome these challenges. It is our responsibility to look after all our employees, which also brings the best economic results in the long term. That's why I co-founded the Wirtschaft für ein weltoffenes Sachsen e.V. association and took on the role of spokesperson for the board.

Where do you see your company and the city in 2025?
It would be very welcome if Chemnitz were to become the Capital of Culture, then people would have the opportunity to get to know the city in all its facets. Chemnitz's strength and tradition is industry, so more companies should settle here. It should not be forgotten that Chemnitz's heyday was always caused by several aspects that came together symbiotically: economic strength, innovative power, motivation, art, culture and cosmopolitanism - this should once again become the city's recipe for success. As a company, we want to continue to grow until then and create more jobs in Chemnitz.