Interview with Mr Stefan Sulzmaier

Mr Stefan Sulzmaier
Director and Division Head
Zschimmer & Schwarz Holding GmbH & Co KG

It was in 1894 Mr Otto Zschimmer and Mr Max Schwarz founded a wholesale business for chemicals, dyestuffs and pharmaceuticals in Chemnitz. The enterprise was successful and prospered. Thus came to being Zschimmer & Schwarz Group, the chemical conglomerate located in Lahnstein-Germany, a supplier of auxiliaries for different branches of industry. Its range of activities concentrates on manufacturing auxiliaries for the fibre, ceramic, leather and fur industry and on manufacturing surfactants for the cosmetics and cleaning agent industry. With its presence encompassing the 13 countries on the globe, Zschimmer & Schwarz Holding GmbH & Co KG has 17 partnership firms in different parts of the world. Mr Stefan Sulzmaier is the Director and Division Head at Zschimmer & Schwarz. He joined the Group in 2008. He is responsible for the global fibre auxiliaries business with the product groups textile yarns, technical yarns, carpet yarns and staple fibre and nonwovens. His responsibility includes the division’s commercial activities, the R&D department and technical customer services at the headquarter in Lahnstein, Germany. He is also responsible for the global product lines from the subsidiaries and offices in the USA and in China. He is a member of the Management team of the corporation. His previous career steps were in the chemical fibres industry. He had worked for Kelheim Fibres GmbH as Business Manager for Hygienic and Nonwoven fibres for many years. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the OpenUniversity Milton Keynes and a Bachelor CCI in Chemical Engineering. Addressing the points raised by Face2Face team, Mr Stefan Sulzmaier discusses the Nonwovens industry at length.

One thing leads to the next; Zschimmer&Schwarz has already been through a decade of great change. Being a spokes person for Zschimmer&Schwarz the company that associates with the industry for more than a century now, how would you narrate the change in your sector? How has your Group adapted to this change?

The demands from downstream users have changed dramatically. In the past, spin finishes and additives for nonwovens were supposed to just provide a smooth running and low downtime. Nowadays the demands are also in the direction of achieving new characteristics and values through the addition of chemicals and auxiliaries. This can be achieved in many ways by using spin finishes from Zschimmer&Schwarz. A very actual example is improved moisture management in nonwoven fabrics by addition of our new Lertisan HD 102 hydrophilic finish in the spunlacing process.

You run a business that caters to Nonwovens sector; what would you quote for potential of Nonwovens industry, its present performance, and chemicals auxiliary sector shaping along this field?

The nonwovens industry is a very innovative industry sector with high demands for new characteristics of products and applications. The consumer needs and values have changed and hence the nonwovens industry follows this change with new products. Spin finishes can help to achieve new product characteristics and the nonwoven producers are now more willing than in the past to work with chemicals or auxiliaries. At Zschimmer&Schwarz we have reacted to this not only with a constant stream of new and innovative products, but also with a broad range of pilot facilities that we offer for our partners in the industry. For example can we offer a nonwoven treatment line from Coatema. On this pilot line we can run any nonwoven fabric and treat this with our products. The line can dry the fabrics with either infra red or hot air.

Is the competition level high in your sector? How would you quote the core competencies of your products over others?

The competition level is very high. As the nonwoven sector has grown in importance and value, chemicals and additive producers have reacted and have introduced new products. The added value of the products from Zschimmer&Schwarz is coming from the experience of the staff, the superior products and the pilot facilities we can offer our partners for developments.

While your company caters to a vast range of products for different applications in different industries; where in do you see comparatively more growth?

The nonwovens industry is indeed the one with the biggest growth potential. But the growth here is not only pure volume based, it is also value based. This means that we can work with our partners on products that add real value. This value is either in the field of optimization of the product value, improved product performance or perceived consumer benefits.

Zschimmer&Schwarz helps the man-made fibres industry with an extensive product line. How would you word for present movements in this sector and chart growth trend of this sector in years to come?

According to EDANA, the industry organization, nonwovens have an excellent growth potential for many years to come. Clearly the biggest growth is where nonwovens can present an added value versus other materials. We can help the feedstock producers for nonwovens to improve the performance of their products constantly as well as giving the feedstock fibers the competitive edge they need.

Zooming in your clientele countries’ map, we see myriad regions spotted encompassing the 13 countries on the globe. Amongst them, which all hold more intensity for your line of business? What factors are determinants behind it?

Zschimmer&Schwarz is a truly global company. We have the Headquarter in Lahnstein, Germany. We have factories in the USA, in China and many other countries. We have offices in most countries where our products are used. This means we can offer full service in the countries where our partners are located. This also adds to our service concept.

Besides these countries included in your client list, do you have few more names to be added in list seeing them as emerging countries for nonwovens sector?

The Far East and South East Asia are very important regions with huge growth potential. We are increasing our efforts for example in India, where we see interesting opportunities for partnering with the local nonwovens industry.

REACH – How does Zschimmer&Schwarz Group takes this regulation; merely a compulsion or a league?

REACH is a very important new regulation that impacts not only Europe but the whole world. Zschimmer&Schwarz has pre-registered all its products and can hence guarantee its partners in the industry the optimum level of compliance with EU regulations.

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Published on: 22/06/2009

DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.