One-On-One With Schoeller CEO Siegfried Winkelbeiner

By Eric Smith

It’s not every day that a company turns 150 years old. Most businesses never come close to reaching such a distinguished milestone, instead getting swept into the dustbin of history because they failed to meet changing customer demands, lacked the ability to innovate or refused to adapt to marketplace fluctuations.

So a company that not only endures but excels over a century and a half of multiple recessions, revolutions and even world wars has more than earned its place in the pantheon of commerce.

Count Switzerland-based Schoeller Textil AG, which celebrated its 150^th anniversary last month, among the companies in that category. The venerable textile manufacturer has made a name for itself as a developer and producer of innovative textile solutions for a number of different industries.

<span style="color: #808080;">We recently wrote an article about Schoeller’s 150th anniversary in SGB Today—read here. And last week we spoke with the company’s CEO, Siegfried Winkelbeiner, pictured above, from his desk in Switzerland on a wide range of topics.

We wanted to know more about Schoeller’s legacy, of course, but we also wanted to know how the past informs the future and helps ensure another 150 years in business.

Here is what we learned from Winkelbeiner—who was appointed CEO of the company in 2012—about Schoeller’s heritage, the brand’s role as a leader in sustainability, and what’s on the horizon for both the company and its role in the broader textile industry.

SGB: Congratulations on the anniversary. As you reflect on the 150-year history of the company, what is the brand most proud of?
There is really not one single thing to point to here—there are so many developments in the history of Schoeller, such as our developing the first soft-shell, creating the first stretch-woven motorcycle fabrics with Kevlar by DuPont yarn, and initiating the foundation of Bluesign. And there will certainly be more in the future. The hunger for innovation is still burning in all of us. This continues to make me proud.

SGB: Schoeller has some impressive numbers—150 years of heritage, 500 brand partners, 50 countries, 6 million meters of performance textiles produced per year—but beyond the numbers, what’s the true measure of Schoeller’s legacy? The history of our company would not be a successful if, one, Schoeller had not managed to continuously attract executives and employees who want to live the values of Schoeller. They have formed and built the heart and the backbone of our successes. So the true measure of our legacy is our employees and their commitment to Schoeller day-in and day-out.

Second, from the idea to the finished product, Schoeller delivers to our customers. An unbelievable number of work is required, and each of these tasks requires highly qualified knowledge. Our business processes are complicated and only work thanks to our dedicated staff. And the same importance goes to our loyal partners. For them, we always want to create deep value and exceed their expectations.

SGB: Such a legacy isn’t accomplished by one person or even just a few. How critical is it for every level of the organizational chart to contribute to the company’s success, and what are some examples of that? Our chosen slogan for our 150th anniversary—creating the future since 1868—was selected with a purpose in mind. In order to succeed as an innovative company, it is not enough to have a good research department. All our employees must have a drive for innovation, and this is what we have. Only in this way can products be created over and over again, enabling our customers to make differentiated products, thus making our lives more successful, safer, more comfortable and more livable. Major brands achieve exactly this with our fabrics and knits at the end-consumer-level.

SGB: What does Schoeller’s longevity say about the company’s and the executive team’s ability to manage through each and every down economy and the constantly changing industry cycles for the last century and a half? Our values as a company are incredibly important to the core foundation of our business that has seen us through 150 years—innovation, sustainability, reliability, transparency and always focusing on the customer and consumer.

SGB: What were some of the more difficult business challenges that Schoeller faced, and how did the company overcome them? There have been many challenging situations, which could easily have led to the brand giving up. We’ve lived through world wars, raw material shortages, bankruptcies with major customers, as well as fires and floods. There was the oil crisis in the 1970s, and the hard Swiss franc is constantly a heavy burden. It has taken stamina, courage, adaptability and drive for innovation to see us through.

SGB: How has Schoeller been an industry leader in sustainability, and why is this so important for the company? Sustainability has always been very important to the brand conducts business and the products we develop. Being surrounded by the Swiss mountains, we are inspired by Mother Nature and protecting our planet. We were the first activewear manufacturer to receive the Öko-Test Standard 100 certification, and the concept for the international Bluesign system was actually conceptualized in our offices. Schoeller then became the first company to receive the Bluesign award in 2008.

SGB: Anniversaries are important to celebrate, but I’m sure Schoeller is focused on the future. What’s on tap for the company in the next year and beyond in terms of growth strategy? Our design team is working on our product range for Winter 2020/21, in which we will no doubt have some interesting stories and materials. Sustainable production will always be in the focus for Schoeller, e.g., natural materials and products; however, we also see a strong future in smart textiles where we have also been focusing and conducting research for many years.

SGB: Looking more broadly, what’s the next big thing for the textile industry, and what are your brand partners asking for in terms of sourcing, sustainability, fabric performance, etc.? The textile industry holds the key to the continued merging of function, fashion, comfort and connectivity. The innovation possibilities continue to be exciting and limitless. You will soon see the first launch of smart textiles by Schoeller’s partners on the market. After years of research and development, we are well positioned in the industry around the smart textiles trend to “second skin,” as the necessary technologies and skills are available but need to be fused much more sustainably.

Photos courtesy Schoeller

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://s.gravatar.com/avatar/dec6c8d990a5a173d9ae43e334e44145?s=80[/author_image] [author_info]Eric Smith is Senior Business Editor at SGB Media. Reach him at eric@sgbonline.com or 303-578-7008. Follow on Twitter or connect on LinkedIn.[/author_info] [/author]