What Sudwolle Group does

Südwolle Group GmbH is a family-owned, vertically integrated wool yarn manufacturer headquartered in Schwaig near Nuremberg, Germany, operating under parent ERWO Holding AG. Founded in 1966 by brothers Wolfgang and Erhart Steger, the group has grown through acquisitions and greenfield expansion into one of the world's largest producers of worsted wool yarns, with FY2024 turnover of €511.5 million (€563.1 million including the GTI division), approximately 3,200 employees, 10 production plants, 24,600 tons of annual yarn capacity, and offices in 14 countries.

The company sells seven distinct yarn collections — Südwolle (weaving), Biella Yarn (flat knitting), Yarn in Motion (performance/sportswear), Richter (hosiery), GTI (Italian luxury fibres), Stöhr (technical/industrial), and Soey (air-jet viscose) — under proprietary treatments such as Naturetexx Plasma machine-washable wool processing, IST PLATINUMWOOL finishing, and the 'ay' technology platform spanning anti-odour, thermal, flame-retardant and hydrophobic functionalities. Manufacturing covers the full vertical chain from wool sourcing (Mount Hesse Australia sheep farm, partner mohair procurement in South Africa) through spinning (Italy, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Vietnam, China), dyeing (RIFA Germany, DyeCo China, NDT Vietnam), and finishing.

Südwolle serves B2B enterprise customers worldwide — fashion houses, sportswear and outdoor apparel brands, hosiery manufacturers, and technical textile producers — through regional sales managers, dedicated country offices/warehouses, customer web portals in NA/DE/IT, and trade-fair presence at Pitti Filati, Milano Unica, and Techtextil. Revenue is generated through quote-based one-time sales of yarn lots with no public pricing; the company pursues a horizontal segmentation strategy spanning luxury fashion, sports/outdoor, textile manufacturers, and technical/industrial verticals, supported by a broad sustainability certification portfolio (GOTS, ZQ, ZQRX, RWS, bluesign, OEKO-TEX, FSC, Woolmark).

Name

Sudwolle Group

Legal name

Südwolle Group GmbH

Website

https://suedwollegroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Südwolle Group is a family-owned, vertically integrated German manufacturer of worsted wool and Merino yarn for global fashion, sportswear, outdoor apparel, and technical textile brands, operating 10 production plants across 14 countries with annual capacity of 24,600 tons.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wool Yarn Manufacturing

NAICS

Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills (31311)

SIC

Textile Mill Products (2200)

akta.pro primary industry

Textured & Specialty Yarn Manufacturing (Textured/Chenille/Bouclé) (IMAOAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Yarn Dyeing & Finishing (Package/Hank Dyeing, Mercerization) (IMAOAAAJ)

Keywords

• Worsted wool yarns
• Merino yarn manufacturing
• Textile spinning mills
• Wool blend yarns
• Industrial yarn production

Headquarters

HQ city

Schwaig

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Wool Yarn Manufacturing and Sales: Core business of developing, producing, and selling high-quality worsted wool yarns and wool blend yarns to fashion brands, sportswear manufacturers, outdoor apparel companies, and textile producers globally. Products sold directly to customers through sales teams and at trade fairs.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Südwolle Group is a global manufacturer of high-quality worsted wool yarns and wool blend yarns, producing approximately 24,600 tons of yarn per year across 10 production plants in 14 countries. The company supplies Merino and specialty wool yarns to fashion brands, sportswear and outdoor apparel manufacturers, knitting and weaving mills, and technical textile producers through seven distinct product brands (Südwolle, Biella Yarn, Yarn in Motion, Richter, GTI, Stöhr, and Soey). Its offering spans the full vertical chain from wool sourcing through spinning, dyeing, finishing, and proprietary performance treatments such as Naturetexx Plasma.

Product overview

Sudwolle Group is a world-leading manufacturer of wool and Merino wool worsted yarns operating as a family-owned company. The product portfolio consists of seven distinct yarn brands serving different market segments: Südwolle (weaving/fashion), Biella Yarn (flat knitting/high fashion), Yarn in Motion (performance/sportswear), Richter (hosiery/socks), GTI (luxury Italian yarns), Stöhr (technical/industrial applications), and Soey (air-jet spun viscose). The company produces approximately 24,600 tons of yarn annually across 10 manufacturing plants in 14 countries, with capabilities spanning wool, wool blends, and specialty fibers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Südwolle: Weaving collection with long history in fashion, specializing in Merino wool for suits and accessories
• Biella Yarn
• Yarn in Motion
• Richter
• GTI
• Stöhr
• Soey

Products and services

• Südwolle Weaving collection featuring wool and Merino wool yarns for fashion applications including suits, coats, and accessories. Targeted at fashion brands and weaving mills.
• Biella Yarn

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• I.S.T CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026I.S.T Corporation developed IST PLATINUMWOOL proprietary Merino wool treatment technology. Südwolle Group's GTI division participates in the PLATINUMWORLD collaborative network to develop and commercialize the technology across the wool lifecycle. Partners will showcase developments at Pitti Filati and Milano Unica 2026.
• WoolmarkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026Woolmark is a key partner in the PLATINUMWORLD network, collaborating with Südwolle Group, I.S.T Corporation, A Zeta Group, and CM Tessuti to expand possibilities across the premium textile value chain from designers to producers and brands.
• A Zeta Group (Mister Joe)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026A Zeta Group brand Mister Joe participates in PLATINUMWORLD network for premium textile value chain development.
• CM TessutiminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026CM Tessuti participates in PLATINUMWORLD network for premium textile value chain development.
• Tintoria e Finissaggio FerrariscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2021Suedwolle Group Italia signed contract for sale of its dyeing plant business unit to Tintoria e Finissaggio Ferraris. All assets transferred to their headquarters in Str. Trossi, Benna, Biella. Partnership ensures continuity of processes and best practices, with Ferraris providing finishing and dyeing excellence while Südwolle continues business operations.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Loyal Textile Mills: Indian vertically integrated yarn and fabric manufacturer serving global apparel buyers. Lower-cost Asian competitor comparable to DWS Vietnam operations.
• Consinee Group: China's largest worsted yarn producer specializing in wool, cashmere and specialty fibers, primarily serving Asian apparel brands. Comparable scale and product breadth to Sudwolle with regional cost advantages.

Direct peers

• Reda Group: Italian family-owned worsted wool yarn manufacturer founded 1865, serving luxury fashion and sportswear brands globally. Closest comparable to Sudwolle in both product (worsted Merino yarns) and go-to-market (B2B branded).
• Marchi & Fildi: Italian Biella-based spinning group producing fancy and natural-fiber yarns for knitwear and weaving. Comparable in product range and customer base to Sudwolle's Biella Yarn segment.
• Schoeller Textil: Austrian/European technical yarn and fabric manufacturer focused on performance, protection and sustainable textiles. Direct overlap with Sudwolle's Yarn in Motion and Stöhr technical/industrial segments.
• Filatura di Trivero: Italian worsted yarn spinner serving apparel and hosiery brands. Comparable specialty spinning operations and customer overlap in the European knitting and weaving segments.
• Zegna Baruffa Lane Borgosesia: Italian premium yarn manufacturer specializing in fine Merino and cashmere worsted yarns for knitwear, weaving and hosiery. Direct competitor to Biella Yarn and Yarn in Motion product lines.
• Tollegno 1900: Italian Biella-based wool yarn and fabric manufacturer founded 1900. Overlaps with Sudwolle's weaving and flat knitting yarn offerings into apparel brands.

Broad incumbents

• Loro Piana: Luxury wool and cashmere specialist owned by LVMH since 2013, with vertically integrated yarn and fabric production. Competes with Sudwolle GTI for the very top of the luxury wool market while serving retail end-consumers.

Others

• Woolmark Company: Not-for-profit industry body promoting Australian Merino wool. PLATINUMWORLD partner of Sudwolle rather than a competitor, but central ecosystem participant shaping wool certification and brand education.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/8938273
• Instagraminstagram.com/suedwollegroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sudwolle Group