Albstadt/Aachen: Effective 2 January 2017 Groz-Beckert takes over the Ferd. Schmetz Group. The Ferd. Schmetz Group is a long-established producer of industrial sewing machine needles and has around 700 employees worldwide. The acquisition includes the production sites in Germany, Switzerland and India as well as the global distribution network.

With this acquisition, the Groz-Beckert Group complements its existing range of products for the clothing industry. The Ferd. Schmetz GmbH will be continued as an independent company within the Groz-Beckert Group. The Schmetz brand and its product range will be offered through the existing distribution channels and partners without change.

The company Schmetz was already founded in 1851. The brand Schmetz stands for the manufacturing of high-quality sewing machine needles and is established for designers, quality managers and producers as well as fashion ateliers and hobby sewers around the globe.

Groz-Beckert has been a supplier to the sewing industry since 1980. The portfolio of sewing machine and shoe machine needles of Groz-Beckert covers around 5,000 different types and stands for perfectly precision. From classical underwear and outerwear, through leather processing to highly complex non-standard applications, the product range covers every area of the textile and shoe industry. Groz-Beckert also has right solutions to offer for the field of technical textiles.

About Groz-Beckert

Groz-Beckert is the world’s leading provider of industrial machine needles, precision parts and fine tools as well as systems and services for the production and joining of textile fabrics. The products and services support the fields of knitting, weaving, felting, tufting, carding and sewing. The family-owned company, founded in 1852, employed around 7,800 people and generated a turnover of around €628 Mio. in 2015. Groz-Beckert operates with agencies, production and distribution subsidiaries in more than 150 countries around the world.