Norafin and Trans-Textil found SteppTEX Ges.m.b.H.
Located in Absam, Tyrol (Austria), the newly founded SteppTEX Ges.m.b.H. specialises first and foremost in the production of high-quality quilted composites for heat and cold protection applications, official clothing, defence, outdoor and sportswear as well as mattresses and technical applications. Norafin Industries (Germany) GmbH from Mildenau and Trans-Textil GmbH from the Bavarian town of Freilassing have come together in a strategic partnership to continue operating the quilting factory previously run by Polyfill Produktions GmbH. The new enterprise will also be represented at international trade fairs. The SteppTEX team can be found, for instance, at the A+A in Düsseldorf (stand 16J31) and the Performance Days in Munich (stand X12-14) as well as at the Enforce Tac in Nuremberg (stand 7-773) and the Techtextil in Frankfurt.
Vast knowledge, short distances
“We’re really happy to be able to continue and advance the new business with the established team in Absam. This gives SteppTEX access, above all, to decades of know-how and extensive experience in the manufacture of highly specialised quilted composites,” emphasises Managing Director Sebastian Hänsch. Besides this, both partners in the joint venture are extremely familiar with the structures in place locally thanks to their long-standing cooperation with previous company Polyfill. For them, the new business is far more than a mere financial investment: “It is of course important to us that we maintain the supply structure we have in place, based on short transport routes. However, it’s also important that we’re able to retain the textile competence we have in the region. As internationalisation progresses, dependencies increase. We will continue to work against this trend and strengthen our regional structures,” says joint Managing Director Philipp Seidenglanz.
Proprietary products and contract processing
Besides manufacturing its own products, SteppTEX Ges.m.b.H. is looking to expand its range of services above all in the demanding field of contract processing. This allows customers to provide their own materials to produce custom composites while drawing on the resources of the partner companies. It also gives them access to an extensive portfolio of over 1,000 in-house quilting patterns, which they can use alongside their own designs.
Synergies in heat protection and official clothing
One of SteppTEX’s specialist areas is the development of heat-protective composites with the respective flame-retardant special yarns. Here, too, the partners complement each other: with its spunlace and needlepunch technology, Norafin produces high-quality, inherently flame-retardant special nonwovens for use in protective apparel. Trans-Textil is expanding its portfolio of membrane laminates and seam sealing tapes to include appropriate insulating linings and provides key components of fire turnout gear with the highest degree of flexibility from a single source.
“In terms of development, we can rely on the pooled expertise of our teams. We excel, most of all, wherever individuality, speed and genuine regional supply chains are sought, also for small and medium-sized production batches; this is where we will continue to invest,” underlines Sebastian Hänsch. Alongside its time-proven products, the team in Absam is already working on innovative solutions for heat and cold protection, official clothing, defence, high-quality outdoor products and technical applications. “Flexibility, reliability and quality have long been practised here. We will continue to work in line with these values in the new partnership,” says Production Manager Thomas Lupinski.
