Bühler: future lies in ecologically sound textile products

16 Mar '11

4 min read

Hermann Bühler AG, based in the Swiss city of Winterthur, is certificated under both the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 and the OEKO-TEX Standard 1000.

The words "Swiss Made" are an internationally highly regarded mark of origin, not only for watches, chocolate and precision tools, but also for numerous products in the textile industry. This is demonstrated by Hermann Bühler AG, which produces top-quality, super-fine yarns in Supima cotton and Micro Modal on 48,000 spindles at its site in Winterthur and a further 32,000 spindles at a subsidiary factory in Jefferson/USA.

Many of the Bühler yarn brands, supplied by the company to numerous international circular knitting and weaving plants, are the starting materials for a wide range of swiss+cotton textiles.

However, being a typically exemplary Swiss company, this traditional business also boasts two more coveted certifications: ever since 1993, Hermann Bühler has been working to the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 in its operational quality control, which means having Bühler yarns continuously monitored and certified by the Swiss testing institute TESTEX to prove that they are free of harmful substances. Furthermore, in June 2004 the company also achieved certification under the OEKO-TEX Standard 1000, which confirms that the entire yarn plant and its production processes are sustainable and environmentally friendly.

The Swiss company has specialised in processing American extra long staple Supima cotton – possibly the best quality cotton in the world. 3,300 tonnes of yarn of a wide range of different types are produced by the 130 employees in the Swiss canton of Zurich, while a further 3,900 tonnes are spun by the 147 employees at the plant in the US state of Georgia. The celebrated Bühler quality is combined with a high degree of functionality. The thread spun by Bühler is remarkable for its high tearing strength and softness, the brilliance of the colours and the very low proportion of foreign fibres.

However, it is not only in relation to excellent quality yarns that Hermann Bühler AG – which will be celebrating its 200th anniversary next year – sets the benchmark, but also in terms of its use of eco-friendly production methods. The company takes everything into account, from the cotton fields to the spinning plant.

Martin Kägi, CEO and member of the Administrative Board of Hermann Bühler AG, is quite sure that the future lies in ecologically sound textile products:

"Nowadays, products simply have to be entirely safe from the human ecology point of view. Both retailers and the manufacturers of branded products are looking for security. They demand that textiles are tested and certified by an independent body as being free of any trace of harmful substances. That is why almost all customers in Europe now expect you to have OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification. Even overseas, in countries like the USA, we can see growing recognition of the OEKO-TEX Standard."

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