History 
KARL MAYER Textile Machinery Ltd in Leicestershire, England, is a subsidiary of the world-renowned German company Karl Mayer Textilmaschinen GmbH. The company buys, sells and supports used warp-knitting, raschel machines and associated equipment. KARL MAYER possesses more than 30 years of experience.
In 1969 KARL MAYER Textilmaschinenfabrik GmbH set up a company in Shepshed, England. This factory was to service the sales and spares needs of the ever-growing English textile market. The factory comprised of a large stores, casting shop, a chain shop, offices and an engineering workshop. This company was called Karl Mayer- Coltex Ltd. Coltex was the first company outside of Germany to introduce KARL MAYER warp knitting machinery into the United Kingdom. The association lasted for 23 years until KARL MAYER GmbH decided to separate their UK business partnership.
On the 1st October 1976 KARL MAYER Textile Machinery Ltd was founded. The company was ideally located as it was close to the geographical centre of the UK textile industry. Mr John Smith was appointed Managing Director and Mr Gerhard Lehner as Assistant Managing Director.
From the late 1970’s to late 1980’s KARL MAYER Textile Machinery Ltd became a highly profitable part of the KARL MAYER group. KARL MAYER UK ruled the warp knitting sector in the UK by leading the market activities.
In 1990 Germany reunified and in order to survive in a competitive environment, companies in the former East Germany had to downsize and modernize to become competitive. At this time, there was an enormous amount of second hand machines available in the market. KARL MAYER UK took full responsibility for the second hand machine market. This was the beginning of the trading of second hand machines. The British market started to decrease as an affect of globalisation, and the UK textile market could not escape the influence of the developing Asian market. The textile trade began to relocate in Asia.
As a result of the declining UK market and the fall of the iron curtain, KARL MAYER UK had two possibilities to reorganise their business, either to join the usual UK market procedure and decrease its business activities or establish the company in a new market sector. The management decided to take on the second hand machine trade.
During the middle to the late 1990’s, the sales of second hand KARL MAYER machines rose day by day.
In 2001 KARL MAYER UK reached a major break through in the second hand business. A section of Guilford USA was available for sale and KARL MAYER UK purchased four hundred second hand machines. Since this time KARL MAYER UK developed to being the biggest second hand machine trader worldwide with increasing business annually.
In 2002, Managing Director Mr John Smith appointed new directors to join him in the team. These were; Sales Director Matthew Yeabsley; Finance Director Keith Priestley and Service Manager Alan Garrity.
During the year of 2004, KARL MAYER UK founded its own subsidiary in the USA in order to be more visible in the second hand market.
In October 2006 the company will be celebrating its 30th anniversary. The company has developed from a major agent to the biggest second hand Karl Mayer machinery trader in the world. The company has recently doubled its location size with the purchase of a new building. The number of employees has also continued to increase with the success of KARL MAYER UK.
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Warp preparation - PRE -OWNED MACHINERYWarp preparation machines for weaving of the brand names KARL MAYER, BENNINGER, SUCKER, ROTAL, GRIFFIN
KARL MAYER Group
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