By folding filament technology into its portfolio, Rieter is betting that integrated systems—and Asia’s capex cycle—will reward scale, automation and financeable “one-stop” offerings.
Textile machinery is consolidating around platforms, not products. With its purchase of Barmag now closed (February 2nd 2026), Rieter is positioning itself as a single supplier spanning both natural fibres and man-made filaments.
Barmag will be consolidated from February 2nd and housed inside a new “Man-Made Fiber” division, while retaining its management. Georg Stausberg will lead the division, reporting to Thomas Oetterli, and will join Rieter’s Group Executive Committee.
The deal is funded by an October 2025 capital increase and long-term bank loans, supplemented by cash in operating units and an enlarged revolving credit facility.
Strategically, filament know-how deepens Rieter’s claim to be a “system provider”—a defensible stance as mills demand automation, digitisation and fewer integration headaches. Regionally, management is explicit: Asia is the prize.
Execution risk shifts from deal-making to integration: harmonising product roadmaps, sales channels and service footprints without slowing innovation. Meanwhile OC Oerlikon exits a capital-intensive unit, while Rieter must prove the enlarged balance sheet can translate breadth into higher-margin recurring service and upgrade revenues.
