Introduction

Kurt Haselwander is the CEO of the Austrian based Schoeller Spinning Group. In this Wool Academy Podcast episode, Kurt talks about the company's 170 year history and how it continued to adapt its strategy in order to be successful also in the 21st century. He explains the difficulties spinning companies based in Europe had to go through and what strategies helped the Schoeller Spinning Group to survive. These strategies include product innovation, environmental stewardship and getting closer to retailers and brands. 

About Kurt Haselwander

Kurt Haselwander's main focus is on the innovative and sustainable use of wool in a wide variety of applications, such as the automotive industry and the development of technical and functional yarns. For many years he was mainly been responsible for the Schoeller production facilities, including wool finishing, dyeing and spinning. Since the beginning of 2014, he has been in charge of sales, purchasing and marketing. Kurt Haselwander also serves as the Chairman of the Executive Board of the Professional Association for Worsted Yarn Spinning in the Industrial Association of Yarns + Fabrics in Germany and of the Association of German Worsted Yarn Spinners. In addition, he is the Chairman of the Board of the Association of the German Wool Association and a board member of the German Industrial Association for Yarns and Technical Textiles.