The topics of the changing economy and personnel decisions dominated the proceedings of the Annual General Meeting of the Bremen Cotton Exchange on June 26, 2025. During the meeting, the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of the raw materials association, which is now almost 153 years old, were newly elected. Fritz A. Grobien will assume the office of President. ARD stock market expert Anja Kohl provided a special focus with a thought-provoking keynote speech on the current situation of the global economy. The event thus combined forward-looking personnel decisions with an expert perspective on the global challenges facing the industry.
Election of the Presidium
The general assembly of the Bremen Cotton Exchange elected Fritz A. Grobien as the new president of the long-established association. Grobien is managing partner of Albrecht, Müller-Pearse & Co. Trade (GmbH & Co.) KG in Bremen. As a member of a Bremen merchant family, he brings many years of professional experience from his activities in the globally interconnected cotton industry. Grobien is also active as administrative director of the Haus Seefahrt Foundation, founded in 1545. This long-established institution is one of the oldest charitable organizations still in existence in the world. His grandfather and father were already active as presidents of the Bremen Cotton Exchange in the 1970s and 1980s. Fritz A. Grobien himself held the office of president for two years in 1991, when he was still young, and in 1999 and 2012. In addition, he was a member of the executive committee for many years and remains vice president to this day. From 2004 to 2005, he was the first non-British citizen to serve as President of the International Cotton Association in Liverpool. During his tenure, he laid the foundation for a lasting institutional connection between Liverpool and Bremen. This is evident today in the joint venture company ICA Bremen GmbH, a recognized center with the global arbitration court for international cotton testing and quality assessment, headquartered in the Bremen Cotton Exchange building.
“I am convinced that, as the Bremen Cotton Exchange, we have repeatedly succeeded in mastering the challenges facing the global cotton trade structure through our core competence in cotton quality and our international network. Following our principles, we remain the international qualitative center of the cotton world through our combination of competence, independence, and strength. The International Cotton Conference Bremen, held every two years in Bremen, underscores our function as a global hub,” said Grobien after his election.
Outgoing President Jean-Paul Haessig , Director of the trading company Asian Cotton Traders Pte. Ltd., based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and Singapore, will remain on the Executive Board of the Bremen Cotton Exchange as Vice President. “The past few years have undoubtedly been challenging for the cotton textile industry. The economic, as well as the global political situation, does not appear to be settling down. In Europe, planned legal requirements and, in particular, bureaucratic regulations for supply chains have continued to challenge the industry. As President of the Bremen Cotton Exchange, I have seen my task, among other things, as ensuring the greatest possible transparency among members and representing the interests of the natural fiber cotton vis-à-vis the EU administration. This is particularly evident in the ‘Make The Label Count’ initiative to strengthen natural fibers, which is being carried out by many people worldwide. I believe the Bremen Cotton Exchange is well positioned for the future thanks to its reorganization over the past two years and the creation of the strategically important position of Managing Director,” explains Jean-Paul Haessig.
The Executive Committee also includes Vice Presidents Stephanie Silber , Managing Director of Otto Stadtlander GmbH, Bremen, and Jens D. Lukaczik , Managing partner of the service company Cargo Control Germany GmbH & Co. KG, Bremen.
Keynote: Danger to free world trade and financial markets
Anja Kohl, renowned business journalist and ARD stock market expert, impressed the audience with a well-founded presentation on the state of international markets. With her extensive expertise and ability to communicate complex economic relationships in an understandable way, she offered participants valuable economic policy insights, particularly on the impact of structural, economic, and political developments on the financial sector. She was available to answer guests’ questions during the subsequent discussion, ensuring a lively and informative debate.
Regulations and new elections of the board
The 151st Annual General Meeting of the Bremen Cotton Exchange in the 153rd year after the association’s founding approved the financial statements, received the annual report of the Board of Directors for the 2024 financial year and unanimously discharged the Board of Directors and management.
The voluntary members of the Board and Executive Committee are companies from all areas of the cotton supply chain – from trade and processing to specialized service providers. This diversity gives the association a broad
Competence network and provides access to valuable global information resources, not only within the international cotton sector, but also across the entire textile industry.
The newly elected Presidium and the new Board of the Bremen Cotton Exchange at a glance:
- President Fritz A. Grobien, Albrecht, Müller-Pearse & Co. Trade (GmbH & Co.) KG, Bremen (Germany)
- Vice President Jean-Paul Haessig, Asian Cotton Traders Pte. Ltd., Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam)/Singapore
- Vice President Jens D. Lukaczik, Cargo Control Germany GmbH & Co. KG, Bremen (Germany)
- Vice President Stephanie Silber, Otto Stadtlander GmbH, Bremen (Germany)
- Hannes Drolle, Getzner Textil AG, Bludenz (Austria)
- Ernst Grimmelt, Velener Textil GmbH, Velen (Germany)
- Carl Illi, CWC Textil AG, Zurich (Switzerland)
- Jan Kettelhack, Hch. Kettelhack GmbH & Co.KG, Rheine (Germany)
- Dr. Uwe Mazura, General Association of the German Textile and Fashion Industry, Berlin (Germany)
- Konrad Schröer, SETEX-Textil-GmbH, Hamminkeln-Dingden (Germany)
- Roland Stelzer, Gebr. Elmer & Zweifel GmbH & Co., Bempflingen (Germany)
- Axel Trede, Cotton Service International GmbH, Bremen (Germany)
Advisory Board Member:
- Manfred Kern, Association of the Textile Industry (VTI), Vienna (Austria)
Global economic risks in focus – ARD stock market expert Anja Kohl visits Bremen – Fritz A. Grobien elected president
- President Fritz A. Grobien, Albrecht, Müller-Pearse & Co. Trade (GmbH & Co.) KG, Bremen (Germany)
- Vice President Jean-Paul Haessig, Asian Cotton Traders Pte. Ltd., Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam)/Singapore
- Vice President Jens D. Lukaczik, Cargo Control Germany GmbH & Co. KG, Bremen (Germany)
- Vice President Stephanie Silber, Otto Stadtlander GmbH, Bremen (Germany)
- Hannes Drolle, Getzner Textil AG, Bludenz (Austria)
- Ernst Grimmelt, Velener Textil GmbH, Velen (Germany)
- Carl Illi, CWC Textil AG, Zurich (Switzerland)
- Jan Kettelhack, Hch. Kettelhack GmbH & Co.KG, Rheine (Germany)
- Dr. Uwe Mazura, General Association of the German Textile and Fashion Industry, Berlin (Germany)
- Konrad Schröer, SETEX-Textil-GmbH, Hamminkeln-Dingden (Germany)
- Roland Stelzer, Gebr. Elmer & Zweifel GmbH & Co., Bempflingen (Germany)
- Axel Trede, Cotton Service International GmbH, Bremen (Germany)
Advisory Board Member:
Manfred Kern, Association of the Textile Industry (VTI), Vienna (Austria)
