Strategic Alliances Are In Demand

Last week, the Swiss sailboat Alinghi
successfully defended its Americas Cup title. Switzerland, with no access to the sea, has once
again been awarded the oldest sports trophy in the world.

So how did the landlocked national team do it? Against the Kiwis from New Zealand, owner
Ernesto Bertarelli was the only Swiss on board at the match race. However, he has known how, for
the second time, to get the right people on board and to coordinate trouble-free strategic
alliances between the crewmembers.

Due to the enduring globalization of
the production centers, strategic alliances are also extremely important in the textile machinery
industry, and have been on the advance for years. Chauvinism is out of place here as it is in
sports.

One example of this has been and continues to be the area of technical textiles, where the
complete production chain is always focused on the end product. Quality control at all steps is a
prerequisite for success. Germany-based Dilo’s product offering, for example, does not consist
merely of Dilo needling machines: Cards and openers are also part of its portfolio. Some months
ago, the NSC nonwoven, France, and Rieter Perfojet, France, commenced a strategic alliance to offer
turnkey lines that are configured according to exact product requirements.

Trützschler GmbH & Co. KG, Germany, known globally for its preparatory machines for
spinning mills and for some time also in the area of nonwovens, recently bought Fleissner GmbH from
Germany-based Zimmer. Now Trützschler also can offer further processing of carded fiber webs.

And a few days ago, Trützschler transmitted the following to the media: Marzoli S.p.A.,
Italy — a textile machinery company belonging to the Camozzi Group — and Trützschler have agreed to
enter into a far-reaching cooperation for the construction of lap winders and combing machines, and
the further development of these products. Marzoli will build future Trützschler combing machines.
Sales and customer service are handled by the worldwide Trützschler service network.

As a result, Trützschler can provide its customers with all required machines for spinning
preparation from one source. With the new combing machine, performing at up to 500 nips per minute,
Trützschler will offer a top product that is optimally matched to its cards and draw frames.
Trützschler and Camozzi have decided to take this step to comply with the compelling request by
worldwide customers for a continuous, technically first-class combing line.

The concentration goes on also in the classic textile industry: The greatest shopping spree
of the last few years started the former Saurer and today’s Oerlikon Group. There is hardly an area
of the entire textile industry in which the Oerlikon Group does not offer some type of machinery.

It is obvious: Strategic alliances are also in great demand in the textile machinery
industry. And one might be anxious to know who’s next to team up with whom? Everybody will know the
latest at ITMA 2007.



July 10, 2007

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