Santoni Shanghai's strategic acquisition targets growth in a booming machine market with an eye on innovation and sustainability.
With growth expected in the circular knitting market, Santoni Shanghai Knitting Machinery acquired Terrot GmbH, a manufacturer of circular knitting machines, based in Cheminitz, Germany. Santoni Shanghai’s says the acquisition builds on its long-term vision to reshape and consolidate the industry.
The global circular knitting machine market is expected to grow significantly in the coming years, according to a July 2023 report from Consegic Business Intelligence. The report forecasted a 5.7% CAGR from 2023 to 2030. The growth is attributed to increasing consumer preference for breathable and comfortable knitted fabrics, as well as increased diversification of demand for knitted apparel.
To capitalize on this market opportunity, Santoni Shanghai’s strategic plan will center around innovation, sustainability and digitalization. The company says its new partnership with Terrot will help integrate and scale the new ecosystem and drive sustainability in the global knitting machinery industry.
“The integration of Terrot, which also includes the well-known Pilotelli brand, will bring an immediate and extraordinary boost to our products portfolio,” says Gianpietro Belotti, CEO of Santoni Shanghai. “Terrot’s incredible technical capabilities, extensive product range and vast experience in serving customers all over the world will enable us to better achieve our shared aspirations. We are very excited about this partnership and look forward to working with Terrot as we move toward establishing a pioneering industry ecosystem, realizing our mission to providing customers with an utterly new knitting experience.”
“We see our machines not simply as isolated units of production, but rather as parts of a holistic and integrated ecosystem,” Belotti added. “Each part of this ecosystem is interconnected with the entire industry chain, bolstered by our recent advances in digitalization and our century long expertise. The new synthesis will offer now the largest range of technical solutions available in the market, which we believe will enable us to satisfy the needs of all the investment levels. Through our partnership with Terrot, we are one step closer to fulling our vision of innovatively consolidating the entire industry.”
“With the strategic investment of Santoni, we aim to strengthen our position as the preferred solution provider to many of the world’s leading textile manufacturers and top brands, as well as continue working with industry talents as we provide valuable and essential know-how to drive premium ‘Made in Germany’ textile machinery,” said Robert Czajkowski, managing director of Terrot. "We have found a strong, globally active partner with clear dedication to quality, performance and excellent expertise in all circular knitting segments, who understands the unique value proposition and potentials of our portfolio and with whom we can realize our growth objectives.”
By integrating both companies’ capabilities in production, sourcing, technology, sustainability, software and digitization, both parties believe their future joint projects will serve all major textile manufacturing centers, such as those in China, the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) countries, South and Central Asia, Mediterranean countries and the Americas.
Established in 2005, Santoni Shanghai Knitting Machineries offers a full range of innovative textile knitting products and solutions. Santoni Shanghai owns several circular knitting machines brands, particularly JingMei for the large diameter, Hengsheng for the mid and Soosan for the small diameter, before adding up Terrot and Pilotelli both focused on large diameter production.
For more than 160 years, Terrot GmbH has manufactured circular knitting machines. The Terrot and Pilotelli product lines are operating in 120 countries. The product range extends from single and double jersey circular knitting machines to electronic double jacquard machines. Terrot machines makes knitted fabrics for spots, leisure and fashion industries and technical textiles for the medical and automotive sectors.
