Schoeller Textil of Switzerland has agreed to take over the German production plant of Eschler Textil in Balingen and its Swiss-based sales organization for sports products, as part of a deal that will reinforce the long-standing partnership between the two Swiss family-owned companies. The tie-up will enable Schoeller to offer a more comprehensive and targeted assortment, with Eschler's functional knitted fabrics complementing Schoeller's woven textiles and technologies.
High-tech knit fabrics turned out at Eschler's German plant will be dyed and finished by Schoeller. The 40 employees at Eschler's German production facility will remain in Balingen, while the five employees of Eschler's sales organization and customer service will move to Sevelen, at the Schoeller office in Switzerland, not far from Eschler's head office in Bühler.
Only a few months ago, in November, Eschler announced that it was building an innovation center in Bühler as part of its restructuring measures. This plan will now be implemented in Schoeller's research and development department in Sevelen, and in Schoeller's laboratory for chemical analysis and microbiological studies in Gams.
While Schoeller is acquiring Eschler's German plant completely, Eschler will obtain some shares in Schoeller. Eschler is owned by the Eschler family, with about 90 percent in the hands of the brothers Peter and Alex Escheler, and another 10 percent owned by their cousin Matthias, former managing director of the company, who will remain in charge of the German plant. The Eschler family is still the owner of the Eschler brand, which will be licensed to Schoeller but also used for the lingerie business that remains in Eschler's hands. Eschler said that Schoeller would probably use the Eschler name as a sub-brand, such as “Eschler, a Schoeller brand.”
