At AMANN Group, in addition to providing sewing and embroidery threads for sustainable garments and shoes, spirit of innovation is the key to offer solutions that make the difference and this will be reflected in its India plant as well
AMANN Group, founded in 1854 in Germany, is one of the leading international manufacturers of high-quality sewing threads, embroidery threads and smart yarns. More than 2,600 employees of the company work in over 100 countries to deliver success. The sewing and embroidery threads are manufactured exclusively in its own production facilities in Europe and Asia, creating the basis for maximum flexibility and customer proximity. Today, the AMANN Group is one of the three globally operating manufacturers of industrial sewing threads. Despite the highly dynamic growth of the family business, the company has held true to its founding principles’ maxim to this day by leveraging entrepreneurial foresight and pioneering spirit with level-headedness.
This attitude is deeply rooted within the company and has formed the basis for its long-term growth for ongoing two centuries. AMANN Group is part of Hanns A. Pielenz Foundation, which was founded in 2005 by its namesake and former owner of AMANN Group. By transferring his shares to the foundation, Hanns A. Pielenz ensured the continued existence of the traditional family business. The non-profit foundation is a shareholder of the AMANN Group alongside the Pielenz family and supports projects in the fields of art and culture, science and research, as well as education and upbringing. As such, the group works in the industry with a strong social conscience.
New Management Team
After more than 25 years as CEO of the AMANN Group, Bodo Bölzle retired at the end of 2022 and bowed out as sales set new records. During this time, Bölzle transformed the AMANN Group from a European company into a global player and market leader with productions in Germany, the UK, Czech Republic, Romania, China, Bangladesh and Vietnam and soon in India too. The new management team of the AMANN Group is now complete. In addition to Wolfgang Findeis (CFO) and Peter Morgalla (COO), Ivo Herzog as Chief Sustainability and Innovation Officer (CSIO) and Arved Westerkamp as Chief Sales Officer (CSO) will be shaping the future of this manufacturer of high-quality industrial sewing threads, embroidery threads and smart yarns. With the creation of the Sustainability and Innovation Department, the company will now resolutely take its next step on the path to a holistically sustainable orientation in its business model as the basis for future economic success.
New Production Site in India
Currently, AMANN Group’s most important international project is the construction of the first production site in India, which is located in Ranipet (Vellore), Tamil Nadu. The commissioning of the production facility in Ranipet within 2023 marks another milestone in the rapid development the AMANN Group has taken since 2010, when the first Asian production was inaugurated in Yancheng, China. The factory in Ranipet will be state-of-the-art in terms of resource conservation and sustainable processes and the first AMANN production site worldwide equipped with a zero liquid discharge wastewater treatment plant (ZLD).
ZLD is a wastewater management system that ensures that there will be no discharge of industrial wastewater into the environment. This will allow the entire production water to be recycled and reused completely. Moreover, the plant in Ranipet will also have a green electricity profile as photovoltaic systems will cover the electricity demand of the whole plant. The investment into this green, state-of-the-art production site following highest demands in terms of sustainability reflects on AMANN Group’s serious commitment towards the Indian market and its customers.
The driving spirit for the new production site in India is Sanjeev Grewal, who has acquired comprehensive international working experience of more than 25 years in the global textile industry. Grewal joined AMANN Group in 2006 as Regional Business Director for South and West Asia and the Middle East. In 2007, he established AMANN Sewing and Embroidery Threads (P) Ltd. in Chennai. Under his regional leadership, AMANN Group has been enjoying impressive business development, which has laid the foundation for the investment into the group’s latest production facility.
Latest Product Innovations
There is no stagnation at AMANN Group. In addition to providing sewing and embroidery threads for sustainable garments and shoes, spirit of innovation is the key to offer solutions that make the difference. As one of AMANN Group’s most recently launched product innovations, Outdoor-Pro was developed especially for extreme weather conditions. The bonded sewing thread made from high-strength polyester continuous filament is equipped with an environmentally friendly, PFC-free, water-repellent finish as standard. Outdoor-Pro has excellent resistance to UV radiation and allows for very good light fastness results.
Due to its bonding, Outdoor-Pro is excellently suited for multidirectional sewing and the processing of heavy, even coated, textile surfaces. The technological functionality of the seam is not at risk even under demanding weather conditions such as prolonged exposure to sunlight. The use of special dyes enables excellent resistance to UV radiation, making the brilliant colours of Outdoor-Pro particularly durable. Therefore, Outdoor-Pro is also an excellent choice for the production of high-quality sports as well as safety shoes.
Sustainability
Today’s portfolio of sustainable AMANN Group products is characterised by two different approaches. With the recycled product line, AMANN Group offers sewing and embroidery threads that are certified according to the Global Recycled Standard (GRS). These threads are made from recycled PET bottles and fully meet the high quality standard of the organisation. With the lifecycle product line, AMANN Group offers sewing threads which are Cradle to Cradle Certified®. This certification reflects on the concept of circular economy and stands for a consistent, continuous recycling management, where no waste is generated, as the Cradle to Cradle Certified® products can be used either as biological nutrients in biological cycles, or they are continuously kept in technical cycles as technical nutrients.
With Lifecycle Polyamide for the technical cycle and Lifecycle Cotton for the biological cycle, AMANN Group offers product solutions for both cradle to cradle cycles. The circle is blue– this claim embraces AMANN Group’s holistic corporate direction towards circular economy and its overall sustainability vision since only a transformation from the linear business model to circular economy can solve the ecological and social challenges of our time. Being a member of the United Nations Global Compact since 2019, the company is fully committed to its 10 universal principles and the vision of an economy that is inclusive, sustainable and for the benefit of all. “We constantly work to close raw material and product cycles and thereby establish sustainable standards in our production facilities worldwide. With the successful development of circular threads, we actively contribute to the protection of our environment for future generations,” the management states.
Success Story in India
Sanjeev Grewal emphasises: “Success is always the result of a trustful collaboration. Our global brands and Indian customers are the key for our success. We are very grateful for our long-term business relationships which form the foundation for our present role in the Indian sewing thread industry as quality and innovation leader.”