History of SCHMETZ

1851

The history of the Schmetz manufacturing family in the Aachen region can be traced back to the 18th century. Franz Kaspar Melchior Balthasar Schmetz and Friedrich Rudolf Schmetz are mentioned as factory owners and citizens of the city of Aachen.

In the second half of the 18th century, Aachen, Iserlohn, and Schwabach became major centres of the German sewing industry. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Aachen region moved to the forefront with new approaches to manufacturing and trade.

In 1851, Ferdinand Schmetz founded the SCHMETZ needle factory in Herzogenrath near Aachen. It was also the time when the first attempts were made to develop functional sewing machines.

1900

In the first half of the 20th century, sewing machine production experienced a major boom. In Germany alone, more than 200 sewing machine manufacturers were operating. As the number of different systems and manufacturers grew, the variety of needle systems also increased.

To reduce this fragmentation, under the leadership of Ferdinand Bernhard Schmetz, SCHMETZ became the first manufacturer to introduce a standard for needle systems. This was a highly significant and revolutionary step for the industry.

1960–2000

In the 1960s, as competition from the Far East increased, the European textile and clothing industry began to decline. Asia increasingly became an important production base for textiles and garments.

From 1965 to 1971, SCHMETZ established several foreign subsidiaries to manufacture and sell sewing machine needles. As globalisation progressed, the SCHMETZ brand was registered and strengthened worldwide.

Since 1997

In the following years, new manufacturing and distribution companies were established and developed, expanding SCHMETZ's global presence.

The brand refresh with the slogan "The world of sewing - the needle from SCHMETZ" highlighted the high quality standard and worldwide product availability as part of the company's philosophy.

2017

In 2017, SCHMETZ joined the Groz-Beckert Group, thereby expanding its technological and regional potential.

The merger of two major textile industry companies helped ensure sustainability and innovation for the benefit of users, retailers, brand owners, and sewing machine manufacturers.

2021

The company's headquarters were relocated from Herzogenrath to Albstadt.

Today

After 175 years, SCHMETZ has established itself as a traditional manufacturer of high-quality needles for industrial and household sewing machines.

The company proudly looks back on 175 years of experience. This experience forms the foundation of its extensive expertise, which is continuously expanded to create modern, high-performance needles for a wide range of sewing needs.

SCHMETZ's broad global presence is ensured by its own distribution companies and a close dealer network on every continent.