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History

Groz-Beckert has developed consistently and intelligently over its more than 170 years of history. Even in politically and economically difficult times, Groz-Beckert was able to assert itself and seize the challenges as an opportunity to open up new potential.

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    In Ebingen, today a suburb of Albstadt, Theodor Groz founds the company Theodor Groz. He sells fashion accessories and toys, and has a needle manufacturing business next door.

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    As early as his company's year of foundation, Theodor Groz starts manufacturing warp knitting needles for hosiery production.

  • Groz is already producing 10,000 first-class needles every week.

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    Theodor Groz produces his first latch needles for the knitting factory in Ebingen.

  • Between one and two thousand latch needles are produced every week.

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    Theodor Groz writes his "Technical Testament" – a highly detailed instruction book on how to manufacture steel, stocking and hinged needles to "the most unparalleled quality".

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    In Eibenberg near Chemnitz, Ernst Beckert founds the Ernst Beckert needle factory. It quickly develops into the largest needle factory in Saxony.

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    Business is successful, and Theodor Groz & Söhne has to expand. The company moves into a new factory building on Ebingen's Bahnhofstrasse.

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    Theodor Groz & Söhne introduces its own company health insurance fund – one of the first companies ever to do so.

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    The company Groz gradually conquers the world market, and already has over 400 employees.

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    The company Ernst Beckert Nadelfabrik has grown rapidly over the past years and now shifts its headquarters to the Metzerstrasse in Chemnitz.

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    Opening of the first joint sales center of the companies Theodor Groz & Söhne and Ernst Beckert in New York, USA.

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    An important needle-production innovation occurs: punched massive needles are introduced.

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    A sales subsidiary is founded in Paris, France.

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    The firm of Groz in Albstadt and Beckert in Chemnitz both develop into highly successful companies. Groz now has 1,600 employees, while Beckert has around 1,500.

  • Theodor Groz & Söhne founds a welfare and retirement fund for its employees.

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    The companies Theodor Groz & Söhne and Ernst Beckert merge – laying the foundations of today's Groz-Beckert Group.

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    In Ebingen, the dismantling process is stopped after pressure from the French textile industry, and production begins again.

  • Towards the end of the war, the plant in Chemnitz is almost completely destroyed. The machines are dismantled and taken to Russia.

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    Groz-Beckert celebrates its one hundredth annniversary. At this point the company already has a total of 2,150 employees. In the same year the company's owners and its employees sign a partnership agreement that governs the involvement of employees in the company's success. The agreement is further developed over the following decades, and is still in force today.

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    Groz-Beckert presents an innovation to the textile market: the Hofa-Spec needle for automatic stocking machines, with a thickness of just 0.34 mm – one of many thousands of Groz-Beckert patents during the course of its long history.

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    The employee magazine "Der Nadler" ("The Needler") is published for the first time. It appears regularly until the early 1960s.

  • Groz-Beckert founds a production company in France: the SFAMAT – Société de Fabrication des Matériels Textiles.

  • The production company LNM – Laconia Needle Manufacturing Co. – is founded in the US.

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    In Chandigarh, India, Groz-Beckert founds its first production subsidiary in Asia.

  • Groz-Beckert founds a distribution company in Barcelona, Spain.

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    Groz-Beckert founds a production subsidiary in Valadares near Porto, Portugal.

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    Groz-Beckert introduces the meander-shaped needle.

  • The French production subsidiary SFAMAT – Société de Fabrication des Matériels Textiles – is closed.

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    Groz-Beckert presents the meander-shaped low-profile needle, a further development of the meander-shaped needle for knitting machines.

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    Acquisition of the sewing-machine needle manufacturer Torrington Portuguesa near Lisbon, Portugal, by Groz-Beckert. The name is changed to Euronadel Industrias de Agulhas Lda. This acquisition broadens Groz-Beckert's activities in the shoe and shoe-machine needle business, as well as in the felting and structuring needle sector.

  • The US production subsidiary LNM – Laconia Needle Manufacturing Co. – is closed.

  • Groz-Beckert applies for a patent for a composite needle for high-performance knitting machines. The needle combines the benefits of the full-shank needle with those of the meander-shaped low-profile needle.

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    Groz-Beckert introduces the latch needle for modern flat-knitting machines.

  • Groz-Beckert founds a distribution subsidiary in Leicester, England.

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    Groz-Beckert presents the compound needle for flat knitting with one transfer direction.

  • Market rollout of the four-edged blindstitch needle for sewing machines.

  • Groz-Beckert introduces the special applications needle SAN® for jeans and fine knitwear.

  • In this year Groz-Beckert founds two new distribution companies – one in Milan, Italy and the other in Osaka, Japan.

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    Groz-Beckert presents a new flat-knitting transfer needle with integrated selection part.

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    Acquisition by Groz-Beckert of the Akra-Werke, a producer of sewing-machine needles in the Czech Republic with production plants in Budweis, Luzice and Klobouky. In the year 2000 Akra is renamed and becomes part of the Groz-Beckert brand.

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    Groz-Beckert acquires the knitting-machine needle manufacturer Exeltor, based in Bedford, Canada.

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    Market rollout of the titanium-nitride-coated GEBEDUR® needle for sewing machines.

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    Groz-Beckert introduces the Tri STAR®, a felting needle with concave triangular surfaces, to the market.

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    Market rollout of the felting needle GEBEDUR® I. It is ideal for needling chemical fibers.

  • Groz-Beckert opens a sales office in Ludhiana, India.

  • Groz-Beckert founds a distribution company in Naucalpan, Mexico.

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    Foundation of the production company Yantex Precision Textile Accessories Co. Ltd. in Yantai, China.

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    Groz-Beckert adds the CPC division to its activities: Ceramic Punching Components (today: Customized Precision Components). This now includes hard-metal precision parts and tools for the production of multilayer chip carriers.

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    Groz-Beckert founds a distribution company in Hong Kong.

  • Groz-Beckert acquires the tufting-needle segment of the Eisbär brand from Josef Zimmermann in Aachen, extending its business activities in the carpet industry.

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    Groz-Beckert acquires the Singer special needle factory – SNF Spezialnadelfabrik GmbH & Co. KG. – based in Würselen.

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    Acquisition of the Swiss company Grob Horgen AG by Groz-Beckert. From now on the company is also active in the weaving-machine accessories segment.

  • Groz-Beckert founds a distribution company in Canada.

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    Groz-Beckert acquires the company Schmeing GmbH & Co. KG, Raesfeld.

  • Groz-Beckert founds two distribution subsidiaries – one in South Korea and the other in Singapore.

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    Groz-Beckert celebrates its 150th anniversary.

  • Groz-Beckert opens a sales office in Tirupur, India.

  • Groz-Beckert opens a sales affiliate in Shenzhen, China.

  • Groz-Beckert acquires SMC GmbH and adds cylinders, dials and sinkers for circular knitting machines to its product range.

  • Groz-Beckert opens a sales affiliate in Taipei City, Taiwan.

  • Acquisition of Oskar Fischer GmbH and of Knotex GmbH & Co. KG by Groz-Beckert. From now on the company also offers machines for weaving preparation.

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    Groz-Beckert founds a production subsidiary in Ai Nghia, Vietnam.

  • Groz-Beckert opens a sales affiliate in Shanghai, China.

  • Groz-Beckert opens a sales office in Gurgaon, India.

  • Groz-Beckert opens a sales office in Thane, India.

  • Groz-Beckert opens a sales affiliate in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

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    Groz-Beckert expands its warp knitting portfolio including compound needles and system parts by warp knitting modules for tricot machines.

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    Groz-Beckert produces sinkers with local hardness protecting the sinkers precisely in the critical areas. They are particularly suitable for the use (high-speed) circular knitting machines.

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    Groz-Beckert takes over the global carding activities of the Belgian Bekaert Group. Thereby the product portfolio expanded to include card wires and clothings for short staple and long staple spinning industry and for nonwovens industry as well as the appropriate services such as mounting service and special roll repair to start-up service.

  • In January Groz-Beckert opens the newly founded sales affiliate in Istanbul, Turkey.

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    Launch of the energy-saving litespeed® plus needle. It is particularly suitable for the use in (high-speed) circular knitting machines.

  • Groz-Beckert presents a new flat knitting needle for the production of technical and industrial textiles as well as fully-fashioned items for special applications (e.g. shoe uppers).

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    Effective 2 January 2017 Groz-Beckert takes over the Ferd. Schmetz Group. The Ferd. Schmetz Group is a long-established producer of industrial and household sewing machine needles and has around 700 employees worldwide.

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    In June 2024, Groz-Beckert opens a new production building at its headquarters in Albstadt.