Gessner takes over Climatex fabrics division of Rohner Textil

07 Jul '08

3 min read

Effective July 1, 2008, Gessner AG takes over the Climatex fabrics division of Rohner Textil AG, a subsidiary of Lantal Textiles.

This partial takeover as well as the future cooperation with Lantal provides Gessner access to additional markets in the upholstery and transportation domains.

Gessner, a Swiss textile company with a long tradition, develops and produces at its plant in Wädenswil Jacquard fabric for interiors and ladies' wear at the highest level. The range of customers includes renowned textile houses and fashion designers worldwide.

With the acquisition of the Climatex fabrics division of Rohner, Gessner not only expands its product line in the domain of upholstery fabrics but will also supply Lantal exclusively with all Climatex qualities.

Thomas Isler, chairman of the board Gessner AG: “This step is a great opportunity for Gessner to further expand its core competences in the area of fabrics for interiors.”

Simultaneously, the production facility at Wädenswil is strengthened, where Gessner intends to create new jobs and expand the production capacity. Subdivision of production

At Heerbrugg, Rohner Textil is currently employing 26 people and operates its own dyehouse for textile fibers as well as a Jacquard weaving mill.

During the past few years, Rohner has undertaken intensive efforts to increase the sales and volume of its products.

National and international cooperation solutions were also considered in order to maintain the Heerbrugg location. However, this proved impossible.

For the divisions that are not taken over, Rohner is holding negotiations with international market players. But production will definitely no longer be located in Heerbrugg.

Gessner and Lantal have offered jobs to 13 people. As a result, 13 layoffs must be expected. Urs Rickenbacher, CEO Lantal: “We are in close contact with these employees and undertake the greatest possible efforts to find socially compatible solutions for every one of them. In particular, we are very actively supporting these employees in the search for new jobs.”

Sustainable orientation toward the transportation industry
Lantal has already a few years ago begun to focus exclusively on fabrics for interiors of aircraft, buses, railways, and cruise liners.

Due to the respective corporate strategies and market situations, synergies between Lantal and Rohner had emerged especially in the Climatex domain.

In the travel industry, various Climatex qualities have been used for years – with increasing success. The material is known for its unique climatized seating comfort and its complete biological recyclability.

In 2007, the ground-breaking Climatex Lifecycle and Climatex Lifeguard qualities both received the “Cradle to Cradle” Gold certificates from MBDC, a globally renowned American product and process design corporation.

For these reasons, they will remain an important part of Lantal's seat cover program and the company's strategic orientation.

Urs Rickenbacher: “We are happy to have a sustainable partner in Switzerland who is capable of securing the supply of Climatex fabrics.

This means that we can continue to offer our customers these innovative products in the future without compromising quality, reliability, and flexibility.”

Due to the broad competence of Gessner in the domain of all-in-one interior solutions, Lantal will also obtain other complementary products from this business partner.

Lantal Textiles

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