H1: AMANN Group

H2: The company history

H3: 1854: Starting shot for the age of sewing thread production In 1854 the company is founded in Bönnigheim by Alois Amann and Immanuel Böhringer „for the purpose of manufacturing twined and dyed silk“. At this point of time, silk is an expensive good that is difficult to obtain. The professional processing into silk yarns requires elaborate skills. It is a profession that has hardly been imitated in 19th century Europe.

Bild/Grafik 1: Alois Amann & Imanuel Böhringer

H3: 1854–1880: The initial years - Sweat and growthThe young enterprise „Amann & Böhringer“ employs 12 thread makers in the beginning. In addition, there are two wheel movers as well as several donkeys and oxen that propel the engine of the machines. The work is extremely tedious and sudatory. However, within a short time the enterprise starts to flourish and in 1879, after 25 years of existence, the firm is considered to be “the leading company among the German sewing silk spinning mills”.

H3: 1880–1900: A name that remains In 1882, Imanuel Böhringer leaves the company. As the sole owner, Alois Amann leads it till his demise in 1892 and integrates his sons Emil and Alfred as associates. Böhringer’s retirement also leads to renaming of the company, which from then on and till today is called „Amann & Söhne“ (Amann & Sons).

H3: 1900–1920: A new factory for a new century The former factory building is torn down in 1902. At that very spot, a new building is constructed that still serves as the headquarters of Amann & Söhne.

Emil and Alfred Amann lead the company during the first years of the new century. They notice early on that the requirements of the market are changing and thus begin with the processing of rayon (artificial silk). In 1917, Emil Amann retires.

Bild/Grafik 2: The Amann & Söhne headquarters around 1954

H3: 1920–1940: New ways of productionIn 1919, the company begins manufacturing schappe (spun) silk. In 1923, the plant is once more enhanced by the manufacture of mercerised cotton yarns. In this way, AMANN relies on processing methods that were just about to develop and that are till today still distinctive of the production of sewing threads.

H3: 1940–1954: Redevelopment after the fateful yearsAlfred Amann, the mainspring of the company and admired manager, dies in 1942 at the age of 78. Alfred Pielenz, his son-in-law, takes over as the manager. Despite massive import and logistical problems during the years after the Second World War, he manages to bring the company and the production back to a normal level within a short period of time.

Bild/Grafik 3: Alfred Amann

H3: 1954: 100 years of AMANNIn 1954, the company celebrates its hundred years of existence.

H3: 1955: Pioneer work for synthetic threadsAMANN strikes new paths and achieves pioneer work. As the leading force, AMANN encourages and perfects the development and production of continuous synthetic filaments and sewing threads, thereby forming a brand, whose name is still famous for its unique quality: Serafil  

H3: 1955 - 1968 Rollout of sabaThese years are characterised by intensive research and developmental work and culminates with the market rollout of saba in 1968. Saba’s characteristic innovative 3-cylinder construction heralds a new era of synthetic sewing threads.

Bild/Grafik 4: An AMANN advertisement poster from around 1960 H3: 1968–1980 Rasant & inventive talent In 1974, the first polyester/cotton core spun Rasant is launched and starts its successful development.

Once again, AMANN breaks new grounds in the sewing thread technology in 1980. sabac is the brand name of this polyester/polyester core spun, which has since then been established as the ”all-rounder among sewing threads“ .

H3: 1980–2000 Preparation for the upcoming millenniumDuring the last two decades of the 20th century, AMANN sets the course for a successful new century. In 1994, the Augsburg-based traditional enterprise Ackermann-Göggingen AG along with its state-of-the-art dye house is taken over. In this way, AMANN acquires further competences in the field of embroidery threads.

In 1996, AMANN completes the construction of a new, fully-automatic industrial central warehouse in Erligheim, the village adjacent to Bönnigheim. As a result, AMANN perfects its distribution processes and establishes itself as one of the worldwide leading producers of sewing thread.

Bild/Grafik 5: The AMANN high bay warehouse in Erligheim

H3: 2000–2004: Internationalisation and mechanisationIn 2001 and 2002, AMANN takes over the traditional British company Donisthorpe and the French sewing thread manufacturer Cousin Filterie.

This is followed by the successful rollout of an innovative specialties programme for technical textiles in 2002. It is called techX Performance Threads and creates a new spectrum of possibilities for a variety of industries.

In 2003, sabaFLEX is successfully launched. This extremely elastic sewing thread sets new standards for different apparel applications such as lingerie, sportswear and swimwear.

H3: 2004: 150 years of AMANNUnder the management of Hanns A. Pielenz, Alfred Pielenz’s son, the company celebrates its 150th birthday in 2004.

H3: 2004–present day: AMANN, the innovative global playerIn 2006, a new production plant is opened up near the Romanian town Brasov.

In addition, Serabraid is launched in the same year. This innovative braided yarn line sets new standards in terms of individuality and design.

In 2008, Oxley Thread Ltd., one of the most well-known sewing thread manufacturers in Europe, is taken over. AMANN incorporates the English traditional company into its international activities and gains further automotive-related know-how.

In 2009, AMANN expands to China. The first production plant on Asian grounds is opened up in Yancheng, improving the availability of its products and the service quality in the Asian market.

Bild/Grafik 6: The AMANN production plant in Yancheng (China)

In 2013, AMANN expands to Bangladesh. Close to the capital Dhaka, a new ultramodern production plant is opened up.

In 2014, AMANN launches three new products: RasantGD and PremiumGD complement the current range for special sewing threads for Garment Dyeing. With sabaSOFT, AMANN launches an extremely soft sewing thread that combines productivity and softness in a unique way.

In 2017, the AMANN Innovation Lab is initiated, a textile think-tank that conducts research and development and develops innovative concepts and solutions for sewing thread, embroidery threads and smart yarns.

H2: AMANN today

Today, more than 1,900 employees in more than 100 countries contribute to AMANN’s success. The management consists of Bodo Th. Bölzle (CEO), Wolfgang Findeis (CFO) and Peter Morgalla (COO). The company headquarters are still based in Bönnigheim, where the company was founded in 1854. In Erligheim, there is a central industrial warehouse since 1996, from where AMANN delivers to the

entire world. Nationally, as well as internationally, AMANN exclusively produces at its own production plants. These are located in Augsburg (Germany), Manchester (United Kingdom), Chribska (Czech Republic), Brasov (Romania), Yancheng (China) and Dhaka (Bangladesh). The daily production output is approx. 1 million km of thread. This amount would be sufficient to encircle the earth 25 times or to produce 2 million men’s suits.

Mutual respect and understanding between different cultures, as well as their growing together are the main pillars of AMANN Group’s corporate culture.

H2: Responsibility

The acceptance of social and environmental responsibility is an essential part of AMANN Group’s corporate philosophy. The main focus of this philosophy is responsible interaction with employees, vendors, customers and partners, and with the environment and its resources.

H3: Social responsibility

The charitable Hanns A. Pielenz Foundation was established by its eponym Hanns A. Pielenz in 2005. Through the transfer of his shares to the foundation, Hanns A. Pielenz ensured the continuation of the traditional family business and a long-term support of regional cultural and charitable institutions in the fields of arts and culture, science and research, and education.

H3: Environmental responsibility

Sustainable production and dyeing processes and continuous reduction of the use of harmful substances

Similarly high safety, production and sustainability standards at all AMANN production plants worldwide and ongoing observation of the standards

Reduction of waste and promotion of recycling Responsible utilisation of resources through water and energy management

H2: Certification & safety

At AMANN, customer expectations regarding performance, reliability and technical expertise, as well as the quality and environmental compatibility of the products are an obligation and a motivation at the same time. Continuous compliance with the high-quality standards at AMANN Group is ascertained by the certification for quality management according to DIN EN ISO 9001.

Environmental managementAMANN’s resource-friendly approach and it’s strive to keep the environmental impact as low as possible is documented by the certification of the sites Bönnigheim and Augsburg in accordance with the DIN EN ISO 14001 environmental management system.

Energy managementThe reasonable use of energy is an important factor in AMANN’s sustainability program. The DIN EN ISO 50001 certification states that the production site at Augsburg has developed a sustainable energy management system and has a very high degree of energy efficiency and environmental compatibility.

Quality commitment

The fulfilment of the process-oriented quality commitment for a safe production environment is proven by the certification of the offices Bönnigheim, Augsburg, Brasov and Manchester under the strict DIN EN ISO/TS 16949 standards.

Health aspectsThe compliance with REACh and certification under STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® guarantees that AMANN‘s products are not harmful.

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H2: Service

From development to production and everyday customer support, quality, precision and a great deal of creativity and passion characterise AMANN‘s performance.

ReliabilityBased on its vast expertise in the production of sewing and embroidery threads, AMANN has been serving the global textile industry for decades. AMANN is a reliable partner for all thread-processing industries and offers professional product solutions, from fashionable to technical applications.

International Sales Team Direct points of contact all over the world facilitate a more personal communication and have comprehensive understanding for the procedures within the sewing and embroidery industry.

Colour competenceColour is a crucial topic within the textile industry. The AMANN colour competence center utilises state-of-the-art technologies and employs experienced experts. A huge colour range that is available worldwide covers the most diverse requirements of all industries: from fashion to shoes & leather, from automotive industry to technical applications.

Logistics and warehousingAs an internationally leading producer of high-quality sewing and embroidery threads, shipping and warehousing are a part of AMANN’s daily business. Just-in-time-delivery, flexibility in meeting customer requirements and efficient logistics management – this is what AMANN stands for.

H3: AMANN Sewing Technology Center (STC)

Excellent technical sewing and embroidery consulting is one of AMANN’s big strengths. For this purpose, AMANN has created a state-of-the-art sewing-technical lab with its new Sewing Technology Center (STC).

Among others, the services of the AMANN Sewing Technology Center comprise the following:

Technical sewing and embroidery consulting worldwide Individual customer workshops, technical seminars and lectures Sewing tests and analyses at AMANN STC Calculation of sewing thread requirement and recommendations for increase in productivity Technical elaborations for specific topics Sectoral support for special production fields Processing tests

The AMANN STC team has decades-long, application-oriented know-how and enables customers to receive the best possible consulting and support.

H2: AMANN Innovation Lab

Bild/Grafik 7: AMANN Innovation Lab Logo Kein Bildtitel

AMANN Innovation Lab is the innovation pool at AMANN. Our textile think-tank develops intelligent products, individual solutions and innovative concepts for textile issues, not only for sewing and embroidery threads but also for textile surfaces. The spectrum includes conductive threads and yarns, hybrid threads for composites, sensor yarns, threads with indicator function as well as a multitude of functional yarns and technical threads.

Our AMANN Innovation Lab expert team deals with the following specialist fields:

Polymer chemistry Finishing technology Textile engineering Mechanical engineering Process engineering Thread and surface

Comprehension & AnalysisWe understand the language of our customers and markets. We analyse questions concerning threads, yarns and textile surfaces.

Research & DevelopmentIn our technical centre, we develop practical solutions without ever losing sight of product and process performance as well as cost efficiency.

Implementation & ProductionWe focus on evolutionary and revolutionary implementations of product-specific and procedural customer needs.

AMANN‘s technical centre with R&D lab

AMANN’s technical centre is equipped with the latest analysis and test technology. This enables standardised testing methods and processes as well as chemical, thermic, physical and microscopical analytics. We also develop specific test methods and processes for the characterisation of threads.

The AMANN Innovation Lab develops different smart yarns that offer technical solutions for the following fields:

conductive

Bild/Grafik 8: conductive Kein Bildtitel, bitte Motiv ohne Lab Logo verwenden

With increasing importance, the topic conductivity is addressed by many industries. Due to its properties, a conductive smart yarn has a variety of different applications such as conductance of electricity or transfer of data.

sensory

Bild/Grafik 9: sensory Kein Bildtitel, bitte Motiv ohne Lab Logo verwenden

Smart yarns with sensor technology transfer information and have a variety of different applications. These so-called sensor yarns are thread-like textile constructions that measure stress, humidity, etc.

composites

Bild/Grafik 10: composites Kein Bildtitel, bitte Motiv ohne Lab Logo verwenden

The COMPHIL finish, specially developed by AMANN for composites, offers optimised sewing performance without adhesion-inhibiting properties for composite matrix and is thus optimally synchronised with the further processes (e.g. resin infusion) and end use applications. On both sewing and embroidery threads, the COMPHIL finish is used for preform production processes (e.g. TFP embroidery method).

indicate

Bild/Grafik 11: indicate Kein Bildtitel, bitte Motiv ohne Lab Logo verwenden

If a certain application requires an indicator of measurable parameters, such as the pH level, smart yarns with indicator function are the right choice.

The AMANN Innovation Lab is available for further information via innovation-lab@amann.com.