Textile
testing and research partner, Hohenstein, has reason to celebrate: this year
marks the company’s 75th anniversary. Now in its third generation of family
ownership, the company will spend this landmark year expanding its foundation
for the future.
Textile
testing and research partner, Hohenstein, has reason to celebrate: this year
marks the company’s 75th anniversary. Now in its third generation of family
ownership, the company will spend this landmark year expanding its foundation
for the future.
Owner, Stefan Mecheels, said, “Our motto,
We live textiles, expresses exactly what has made us special for many decades –
our collective enthusiasm for textiles and the opportunity to provide solutions
that make a difference in the world.â€Â
Successful Roots
Otto
Mecheels laid the foundation for an internationally-renowned company in 1946
when he founded the Hohenstein Institutes, a textile school in Hohenstein
Castle. His son, Jürgen Mecheels modernised the Hohenstein Group’s business
structures and expanded into new research and service areas such as textile
finishing or professional laundries/dry cleaning. He helped to forever change
textile safety with the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX certification system that
protects consumers from harmful substances. Under, Stefan Mecheels’ leadership
since 1995, Hohenstein has been at the forefront of microfibre analysis,
consistently perfected its created standards for comfort and compression
testing and worked to reduce the industry’s ecological impact. Last but not least,
the testing laboratory in Hong Kong, which has been in operation since 2011,
and the Hohenstein textile testing laboratories in Bangladesh and India, which
were opened in 2018, ensures even greater market proximity.
Solutions for the Global Textile Industry
Today,
Hohenstein specialises in the testing, certification and research of all kinds
of textile-related products. With a total of more than 1,000 employees at its
headquarters in Bönnigheim and in more than 40 branches, contact offices and
laboratories worldwide, the company faces the current challenges of the global
industry.
“Textile
sustainability remains a major focus for us and is woven through every decision
we make,” explains Stefan Mecheels. “Even services that are seemingly
focused on innovation contribute somehow to longer lasting products, less waste
and more safety. Our Digital Fitting Lab helps brands leap forward with
digitized apparel development. Using modern 3D and 4D technologies and our
traditional fit and pattern expertise, we help our clients design better
fitting clothes with fewer prototypes and less waste.â€Â
When
SARS-CoV-2 struck, the company developed a quality label to easily identify
non-medical, community masks that meet legal and functional requirements. The
Hohenstein Quality Labels are independent proof with a high level of
credibility among buyers and consumers.
Anniversary
Among
the celebrations, Hohenstein plans to hold a mid-year press conference with
regional and industry journalists. “We are celebrating this anniversary
because we have succeeded in constantly adapting to the market and use our
applied research to anticipate developments. For this I would first like to
thank our employees, who, in keeping with the motto We live textiles, put their
hearts and souls into their work. Very special thanks also goes to our
customers, some of whom have been placing their trust in us for decades,”
said Stefan Mecheels, adding “I am convinced that we are positioned to
continue our contribution in the future.