Ekoten Textile, a knitting manufacturer in Turkey, announced that the company is investing in Germany-based KARL MAYER to expand its warp knitting technology.
Ekoten Textile is headquartered in İzmir, Turkey, and operates 245 circular knitting machines with a daily production capacity of up to 40 tonnes (44 U.S. tons) of fabric. The company serves the fashion, sportswear, workwear, and outdoor apparel markets and brands, including Decathlon, Lululemon, Banana Republic, Under Armour®, Hugo Boss and Victoria’s Secret.
Recently, Ekoten Textile integrated KARL MAYER technology into its production capacities and launched a warp knitting division. The first tricot machines arrived in December 2024, with production scheduled to begin in January 2025 at a newly designed facility.
The company wants to offer all solutions from a single source to existing customers who use circular knitwear as well as warp-knitted fabrics. Furthermore, the company seeks to attract new clients, particularly in the activewear sector, which now accounts for 70% of the company’s total sales, surpassing the fashion industry.
“We create around 300 new fabric designs monthly for the fashion industry in particular. While circular knitting has been our strength, with nearly 400 projects realized through our R&D center, warp knitting opens up exciting opportunities for us,” says Bilge Cinar, development executive at Ekoten.
“We discussed many product-specific aspects and impressed with our expertise,” says Bastian Fritsch, senior sales manager of the warp knitting business unit at KARL MAYER.
To ensure a smooth transition, a four-person Ekoten team underwent training in October and November 2024 at the KARL MAYER Academies in Bursa, Turkey, and at the KARL MAYER headquarters in Obertshausen, Germany.
Ekoten’s warp-knitted fabrics will debut at the Première Vision in Paris, France, in September 2025. The company will also be participating in PERFORMANCE DAYS 2025 in Munich, Germany, in March and at the Functional Fabric Fair in Portland, Ore., in April.