The Swiss Textile Machinery Association has
reached its 80th anniversary. Over the years, there were numerous periods of
difficulty for the industry, including world wars, global economic slumps and
other crises of varying degrees of seriousness followed one after another.
Looking back over the history in 1940, a
year after the start of World War II, events far away from the battlefields
began to impact on the local machinery industry in Switzerland. One problem was
a lack of skilled workers – through military service call-ups – and another was
a shortage of raw material, much of which was diverted to weapons production.
Leaders of the textile machinery industry
were increasingly concerned about their operations, especially the need for
non-ferrous metals and high-quality steel. The situation became serious and
some companies in the textile industry wanted to request the Swiss Government
to secure the required raw material needed to maintain production.
The established principle of ‘united we are
strong’ led representatives from 22 companies to join forces in forming the
first textile machinery group. This was the origin of what has grown into the
Swiss Textile Machinery Association.
Machinery
manufacturing as a self-help solution
The members of the new Swiss Association of
Textile Machinery Manufacturers – including well-known brands such as Rüti,
Sulzer, Rieter and Saurer – were not actually manufacturing machines from the
start.
It was because making textiles was a good
business for many companies in Switzerland before 1806. That was the year when
the continental blockade imposed by Napoleon created major problems. Machines
from Great Britain – the highly industrialized home of machinery development
pioneers – were in high demand by Swiss textile manufacturing companies. But
suddenly they were no longer available nor were the vital spare parts.
Many Swiss textile companies responded by
starting to produce the urgently needed machines and components for themselves.
And it became that the production and export of machines was far more lucrative
than their previous textile manufacturing activities. The Swiss textile
machinery industry was then born.
Emerging
stronger from COVID-19 crisis
This year, the Swiss Textile Machinery
Association’s 80th anniversary, the industry sees another biggest challenge of
recent history - the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
“This
crisis has hit the textile industry hard, and in my opinion the full impact
will only become apparent towards the end of this year,” says Ernesto Maurer,
President of the Swiss Textile Machinery Association. The required skills for
the present situation are the same as previously: adaptability and flexibility.
“I rely on innovative solutions and the confidence that Swiss Textile Machinery
members will emerge from the crisis stronger than ever.”