Historic developments

With the foundation of the Terrot plants in 1862, Charles Terrot was
laying the foundation for a great idea that has lost none of its
topicality.
1862: Together with the entrepreneur Wilhelm Stücklen, Charles Terrot
founded the Terrot plants. Working under extremely difficult technical
conditions, he produced his first circular knitting machines, which
quickly conquered the market.
1871: The 500th Terrot machine for knitted underwear made of wool and
cotton was awarded the silver wreath.
1887: The passing years saw the advent of a new generation with
Charles’ two sons, Ernst and Franz Terrot, as well as his son-in-law
August Freund joining the business. The company’s rapid development
led to further expansion of the high performance fast-running
double-sided loop plush, ajour patterns, lacework and striped fabrics.
1891: The first small-diameter circular knitting department was
founded in Bad Cannstatt and the latest “American circular knitting
machine for the automatic production of seamless hosiery” was
launched. These machines soon gained international reputation and were
known for their reliability and precision which had already come to be
associated with the name Terrot.
1903: After the death of Charles Terrot, the business continued to
prosper in the hands of his two sons, Karl and Ernst, now trading
under the name of C. Terrot Söhne.
1944: The advent of war took its toll on the company fortunes,
reducing the Terrot factories to a pile of rubble on the night of
October 20, 1944, and destroyed the work of three generations.
1946: With united effort, work began on rebuilding the Bad Cannstatt
site. New production halls were built for universal circular knitting
machines, whose new patterning possibilities opened up new markets the
world over.
1955: World markets continued to be dominated by newly developed
models such as the FR and FMP, featuring what was the very latest
transfer device for underwear manufacture.
1968: The 1000th machine type FPM and FM left the factory in 1967.
Outerwear fabrics could be produced in line with market demand and
with the fashion of the day using mechanical jacquard needle
selection. A short time later one of the first machines with film band
control for large pattern repeats was launched with the model RMA.
1973: The company’s leading position in terms of quality and output
led to increased demand for new machines to produce outerwear, such as
the J3PN and J3P148.
1974: Fine machine gauges were launched to meet the demands of the
fashion world for outerwear. The I3P models in gauges E28 and E32
satisfied the demand of the new trend.
1977: Terrot Strickmaschinen GmbH went on to demonstrate its
experience and expertise with a range of new developments over this
period, such as the type UMT and the high-performance interlock
machine I1108.
1982: A new 4-colour striper, developed to provide outstanding
productivity and reliability, proved a resounding market success in
conjunction with the machine model S4F196.
1988: Take-over of the circular knitting machine manufacturer Sulzer
Morat in Filderstadt served to further reinforce the company’s market
position, extending the product range with electronically controlled
circular knitting machines and special high pile machines for
imitation fur production.
1993: Following the reunification of East and West Germany, the
company took over the former “Chemnitzer Strickmaschinenbau” knitting
machine production. There followed a heavy program of investment in
buildings and machinery, bringing the plant in line with the very
latest technological standards.
1995: Take-over of Albi in Taiflingen. Three new machine models were
added to the product range: The models APL-E and APL-2 for jacquard
and plain plush, and the RFRM2 for bodywidth production with selvedge.
1996: Around 30 different large-diameter circular knitting machine
models opened up new fields of application for electronic and
mechanical single and double jersey, for modern outerwear and
underwear, sport and leisurewear as well as technical textiles and for
the automotive sector.
1999: Terrot exhibited the first wide wind-up frame circular knitting
machine to the international public at ITMA in Paris.
2002: As part of a fundamental organizational restructuring program,
production and assembly facilities were concentrated at the Chemnitz /
Saxony location with capacity for around 1,000 machines a year. The
company headquarters encompassing sales and marketing, customer
services, research & development and administration remained in
Stuttgart – Bad Cannstatt, with a workforce of 350.
2004: Terrot develops the world’s first ultra-fine single jersey
circular knitting machine with a gauge of E46 and thus keeps pace with
rapidly changing market trends.
2006: Start-up of Terrot GmbH in Chemnitz. Terrot is under a new
German ownership, managed by Peter Schüring as the representative of
the principal shareholder.
2007: With only one year as preparation time since the start-up,
Terrot is already able to show five innovations at ITMA, among which
notably was a mattress machine with unreached productivity and
flexibility.
2008: Mr. von Bismarck is appointed as further General Manager. He
already was in a managerial capacity since the start-up of Terrot and
affirms as the son of Mr. Peter Schüring the authentic and long-time
commitment of the new owners.
2010: Four years after the strategic reorientation of the company,
Terrot achieved a new peak in order. The company expects an increase
in sales of about 40 per cent on the basis of the previous year’s
turnover. Especially the fast growing demand from China, India,
Brazil, Turkey and East Europe have had a remarkable impact on this
boom.
2011: At ITMA 2011 Terrot presented itself with six innovative
circular knitting machines out of the current product range and showed
an excellent selection of totally new and further developed machines.
The exhibited machines chosen in the course of the fair corresponded
in the best way to the present market requirements and the current
customer demands.