Forster Rohner Acquires Jakob Schlaepfer

The Swiss Forster Rohner Group has acquired Jakob Schlaepfer – one of the most renowned manufacturers of innovative textiles in fashion and interior design – from Filtex AG. With this acquisition, Martin Leuthold, Creative Director, and all staff will continue to work for Jakob Schlaepfer. “We are glad to have found the ultimate partner for our brand, Jakob Schlaepfer, here in St. Gallen," states Silvan Wildhaber, CEO of Filtex. His company had owned Jakob Schlaepfer since 1997. The sale of the brand permits Filtex, which has been developing gradually from proprietary production to contract manufacturing, to focus on its core competencies. The deal will allow Forster Rohner to expand their overall offer. The Forster Rohner Group consists of the following brands and enterprises: Forster Willi, Forster Rohner, Inter-Spitzen and Forster Rohner Textile Innovations. Emanuel Forster and Caroline Forster, Co-CEOs of the Forster Rohner Group, perceive Jakob Schlaepfer as the ideal supplement: “We are pleased to incorporate such a strong and attractive brand into our group. Thereby, we are able to differentiate our overall offer, while also making it more comprehensive.” Forster Willi numbers among the most popular high-fashion embroidery design manufacturers, while Jakob Schlaepfer enjoys a unique position in the luxury market. As a matter of fact, the two brands Forster Willi and Jakob Schlapfer each have distinctive characteristics. For this reason, Jakob Schlaepfer will continue to be an autonomous brand with the appropriate independence for their creations, yet both will benefit from the group's extensive commercial structure. The new Board of Directors of Jakob Schlaepfer will consist of Matthias Forster, Emanuel Forster, Markus Bänziger and Silvan Wildhaber, CEO of Filtex AG, in order to ensure continuity. As of January 1, 2016, Forster Rohner Group employs about 850 staff worldwide, with roughly 200 in St Gallen. As a result, St Gallen will remain a strong production site in the textile industry, and Silvan Wildhaber and Emanuel Forster feel that this acquisition will be a consolidation of the St Gallen textile location.