By K. Gopalakrishnan
A legendary German circular knitting brand returns with renewed strength, a sharper customer focus and India at the heart of its global growth strategy
Few names in circular knitting command the recognition, respect and technological credibility of Mayer & Cie. Founded in 1905, the German company has spent more than 120 years building a reputation around precision engineering, premium-quality circular knitting machines and technologies that have shaped generations of textile manufacturing. Over its history, the company has delivered more than 80,000 machines worldwide, establishing a formidable installed base and a brand synonymous with premium circular knitting.
But even the strongest industrial brands can face extraordinary challenges. Mayer & Cie. entered insolvency proceedings in late 2025, bringing uncertainty to one of the world’s most respected names in circular knitting. What followed, however, has become an extraordinary revival story. In April 2026, the acquisition of the circular knitting machinery business by Xu Hongjie, from the family behind China’s Huixing Machinery, was formally completed, clearing the way for Mayer & Cie. Global to restart operations in Albstadt.
For Xu Hongjie, the acquisition was not simply an opportunity to acquire an established machinery business. It was an opportunity to preserve a globally respected technology brand and build upon its strengths.
“We are convinced of the unique value of the brand, the quality of the machines, and are deeply impressed by the technical expertise of the new team,” says Xu Hongjie.
The significance of the revival lies precisely in what the new ownership has chosen not to change. Mayer & Cie. Global remains rooted in Albstadt. Research and development, premium machine production and key precision manufacturing continue in Germany, preserving the “Made in Germany” identity that has been central to the company’s reputation. At the same time, Xu is introducing a more agile management philosophy, shorter decision-making processes and a stronger emphasis on listening to customers and developing solutions around their specific fabric requirements. The renewed customer focus will also be reflected in a new portfolio strategy to be introduced at INDIA ITME 2026, giving customers a clearer choice of solutions aligned with their requirements and budgets.
For India, this new chapter is particularly important. The country has long been one of Mayer & Cie.’s most important markets and today represents a significant installed base, a sophisticated customer community and substantial future opportunity. Equally important is the company’s longstanding relationship with Batliboi Ltd., which has represented Mayer & Cie. in India since the 1980s. Batliboi currently states that more than 11,500 Mayer & Cie. machines are operating across the country, underscoring the depth of the relationship and the importance of India to the German brand.
As Mayer & Cie. Global prepares for the next phase of its global journey, the central question is no longer whether the company has survived its most difficult chapter. It is how far the revitalised Mayer & Cie. can go.
A Brand Worth Reviving
The decision by Xu Hongjie and his family to acquire the business reflects a conviction that Mayer & Cie.’s value goes far beyond its machinery portfolio. The brand possesses something that cannot easily be recreated: more than a century of engineering knowledge, manufacturing experience, application expertise, customer relationships and accumulated understanding of circular knitting technology.
The new owner saw this combination as a powerful foundation on which to build.
“We are convinced of the unique value of the brand, the quality of the machines,” Xu says, emphasising the strength of the technology and the expertise of the people behind it. The revival has therefore been conceived as more than a financial restructuring. The objective is to restore the company to profitability, rebuild confidence among customers and partners, and ultimately return Mayer & Cie. to a leading position in the global textile machinery industry.
That process has already moved beyond planning. In early August 2026, hardly four months after the new company has gone into business, the first full order produced under the new organisational structureleft the Albstadt factory. Since then, many orders have followed. Nevertheless, this first shipment was not only an operational milestone, but a tangible indication that the Mayer & Cie. manufacturing platform is functioning again.
German Engineering Remains the Heartbeat
Perhaps the most important message from the new ownership is that the revival will not come at the expense of Mayer & Cie. brands German identity.
The company continues to develop and manufacture its premium circular knitting machines in Albstadt. The product portfolio spans single jersey, double jersey, interlock and jacquard technologies, serving demanding applications across apparel, underwear, home textiles and other knitted products.
Xu Hongjie describes Albstadt as the company’s “strong heartbeat”, making it clear that the German engineering heritage remains central to the brand’s future.
“Mayer & Cie. will remain a German premium brand, developed and manufactured in Germany,” is the clear philosophy behind the revival.
This is critical to understanding the new Mayer & Cie. Global. The company is not attempting to become another volume-oriented machinery manufacturer. Its proposition remains based on precision, reliability, long machine life and the ability to produce sophisticated fabrics consistently. The new strategy is instead about making this premium proposition more relevant, responsive and accessible to customers.
From Machine Builder to Solution Partner
This is perhaps the most significant change in Mayer & Cie.’s renewed strategy. The company wants to move beyond the traditional concept of selling a machine and instead focus on what the customer ultimately wants to achieve with that machine. “The product that allows our customer to stand out from the competition is what justifies our machine,” Xu explains.
That philosophy places fabric outcomes at the centre of technology development.
For textile manufacturers, the machine is only one part of the equation. What matters is productivity, fabric quality, flexibility, machine availability, energy efficiency, repeatability and the ability to respond quickly to changing market requirements. Mayer & Cie. Global’s renewed approach is therefore to listen more carefully to customers, understand their specific applications and develop solutions accordingly.
Xu summarises the new management philosophy in four simple words: “Listen, execute, improve – and act fast.” It is a deliberately different operating philosophy for a company with such a long industrial history.
Why Mayer & Cie. Continues to Stand Apart
The circular knitting industry has become increasingly competitive, with manufacturers demanding higher productivity, greater flexibility and more sophisticated fabric capabilities. Yet the proposition of the brand remains distinctive because it combines German engineering, precision manufacturing, application knowledge and a deep installed base.
The company has spent generations refining its technologies for single jersey, double jersey, interlock and jacquard applications. Its premium positioning is supported by a global network of representatives and service partners, many of whom have worked with Mayer & Cie. machines for decades.
The new strategy does not seek to abandon this heritage. It seeks to make it more powerful.
“Our goal is to reposition Mayer & Cie. as a global premium provider,” Xu has emphasised, with the transformation built around technological continuity, digitalisation, operational simplification and stronger international competitiveness. This combination—heritage plus agility—could become one of the defining strengths of Mayer & Cie. 2.0, Mayer & Cie. Global.
India: A Market of Strategic Importance
If there is one international market where Mayer & Cie.’s comeback carries particular significance, it is India. India has a large and diverse knitting industry, a growing apparel manufacturing base and increasing demand for higher-value knitted fabrics. It is also home to one of Mayer & Cie.’s most established installed bases.
Batliboi has represented the machine builder and its products in India since the 1980s and today describes its relationship with the German company as one of the strongest partnerships in its knitting machinery business. According to Batliboi, more than 11,500 Mayer & Cie. machines are operating across India, giving the brand an exceptional footprint in one of the world’s largest textile manufacturing markets.
The relationship goes well beyond equipment sales. Batliboi provides installation, technical service, training and customer support, giving Mayer & Cie. Global a strong local interface with Indian textile manufacturers. The company’s own current representative listing continues to identify Batliboi as its Indian partner.
For the new Mayer & Cie. Global, this installed base represents a significant strategic asset. “India is one of our most important markets,” is the clear message from Xu Hongjie. And the opportunity is expanding. Indian investment in apparel, home textiles, polyester knitting and other value-added segments creates opportunities for premium knitting technologies capable of delivering sophisticated fabric structures and consistent quality.
Batliboi: A Partnership Built on Trust
The Mayer & Cie. Global–Batliboi relationship deserves particular emphasis because it illustrates the importance of continuity in capital equipment. A knitting machine is not a short-term purchase. Customers expect the manufacturer and its representative to remain available for spare parts, technical assistance, upgrades and application support over many years. Batliboi’s decades-long association with Mayer & Cie. has created precisely this confidence in the Indian market.
The partnership also provides Mayer & Cie. Global with something that cannot be established overnight: deep knowledge of Indian mills, customer requirements and regional textile clusters. For the revived new company, retaining and strengthening this relationship is therefore an important component of rebuilding its Indian business.
Mayer & Cie.Global’s current global representative network confirms Batliboi’s continuing role in India, while Batliboi continues to position Mayer & Cie. as a core brand within its knitting machinery business.
The combination of Mayer & Cie.’s German technology and Batliboi’s Indian market reach provides a strong platform for the next phase of growth.
New Opportunities Beyond Conventional Apparel
While apparel remains a core market, Mayer & Cie. Global is also looking at opportunities where the inherent characteristics of knitted fabrics can create new value. Mattress ticking is one such area. Technical upholstery and other specialised knitted structures also offer potential, particularly where elasticity, comfort and engineered fabric characteristics provide advantages over traditional woven materials.
Sportswear, technical apparel and advanced interlock structures are further areas being monitored as customer requirements evolve.
This reflects the broader transformation in Mayer & Cie.’s approach: rather than asking only which machines can be sold, the company is increasingly asking which new fabric opportunities can be enabled through circular knitting. That shift could open new markets for the technology while strengthening the company’s premium positioning.
A More Agile Mayer & Cie. brand
The ownership transition also brings the industrial resources of Huixing into the picture. Huixing provides a broader manufacturing and technology ecosystem, including knitting machinery and intelligent software capabilities. The objective is to leverage appropriate synergies while preserving Mayer & Cie.’s independent brand identity and German engineering base.
For Xu, the opportunity lies in combining the best of two industrial cultures: the precision and accumulated expertise of German engineering with the speed and entrepreneurial agility required in today’s global market.
“Listen, execute, improve – and act fast.”
That philosophy captures the essence of the transformation.
Mayer & Cie. Global does not need to reinvent its engineering DNA. It needs to make the organisation around that DNA faster, more responsive and more commercially effective.
INDIA ITME 2026: The Return to the Indian Stage
Against this backdrop, INDIA ITME 2026 becomes more than another exhibition for the German machine builder. It represents an opportunity to demonstrate publicly that the brand has entered a new chapter.
The company’s recent international appearances have already begun that process. At ITM 2026 in Istanbul, Mayer & Cie. Global presented two OV 3.2 QCe machines and used the exhibition to communicate its renewed strategy and premium “Made in Germany” positioning. The company reported positive customer response to the restart, including renewed confidence in its service and spare-parts network.
India provides an even more important platform because of the size of its installed base and the longstanding relationship with Batliboi.
At the exhibition, Mayer & Cie. Global will also introduce a new portfolio strategy designed to match solutions more closely to customers’ technical requirements and budgets. The approach creates distinct pathways into the company’s technology while retaining a clear emphasis on engineering quality and application needs.
The Signature Line is developed and manufactured in Albstadt using locally sourced components. Intended for customers with the highest expectations, it represents the “thoroughbred Mayer machine” proposition, including for specialised applications. The Select Line combines development and manufacturing in Albstadt with globally sourced components, enabling the company to respond to customer requirements through a different sourcing model.
The Value Portfolio combines German engineering and a knitting head developed and manufactured in Germany with machine manufacturing in China. It is aimed particularly at price- and quality-conscious customers in Asia who take a long-term view and want a cost-effective entry into Mayer & Cie. technology. A separate Budget Portfolio is offered under the Huixing brand, giving customers another option within the broader group’s offering.
At INDIA ITME, the message will be straightforward: Mayer & Cie. is back, German engineering remains intact, and the company is ready to invest in its customers and markets once again.
The Next 120 Years Begins Now
The revival of Mayer & Cie. is ultimately about much more than a change in ownership. It is about whether a 120-year-old industrial brand can take everything it has learned over more than a century and use that knowledge to build a more competitive future.
The foundations are strong: premium German engineering, an experienced technical heritage, more than 80,000 machines delivered worldwide, an extensive global network and an exceptional installed base in India.
The new ingredients are equally important: entrepreneurial ownership, shorter decision-making, greater agility, a sharper customer focus and access to the wider industrial capabilities of Huixing. And at the centre of the strategy is a simple philosophy from Xu Hongjie: “Listen, execute, improve – and act fast.”
For Indian customers, there is another important reassurance. Mayer & Cie. is not simply returning to the market; it is returning with its German manufacturing identity intact, its Indian partnership with Batliboi continuing, and a renewed commitment to serving one of its most important global markets. The company may have experienced one of the most difficult chapters in its history. But its revival suggests that the Mayer & Cie. story is far from over.
The brand that helped define premium circular knitting is back—and this time, it is building its future with the lessons of the past and the agility of a new generation.