Charlotte-based American Dornier Machinery Corp. is celebrating its 40th anniversary. The subsidiary company of Germany-based Lindauer Dornier GmbH has serviced more than 240 customers and delivered almost 8,500 weaving machines since it opened its doors in 1978.
“In 1978 when we moved into the 900-square-meter premises on Performance Road in Charlotte, North Carolina, there were nine of us,” said Hans Geiger, president of the U.S. branch for 23 years.
The company underwent expansions in 1984 and 1998 to become the modern facility it is today housing mechanical and electronic workshops, training rooms for customers and a space to run weaving trials. The company managed to weather the economic trials faced by the U.S. textile industry during the 2000s, and reports it saw a renewed interest in its machinery beginning in 2014.
Currently, the company estimates 80 percent of Dornier weaving machines are used to produce technical fabrics such as airbags, high-tech sun protection fabrics, carbon and glass fabrics, filters, and tire cord, as well as high-quality upholstery fabrics.
May/June 2018
