Weimar Terry – a Family History in Terry
1928 – 1950 – The Beginnings
Gottlieb Weimar purchases his first loom in 1928 and thus creates the basis for the production and sales of terry fabrics in Gomaringen. He successfully sells towels in the region.
1939 both looms burn to the ground in a factory fire. During the following years of war, production is discontinued.
1948 Gottlieb Weimar succeeds in re-starting his young business after the currency reform with two new looms in the new production building on the Gröbnestrasse that is still in use today. By producing terry textiles, he initiates the successful business development for the following decades. First extensions become necessary in the subsequent years.
1950 – 2003 – Establishment and Development
In the 1960s, his sons Manfred and Werner Weimar join the business to be the second generation in the Weimar terry weaving mill. In the subsequent years, Manfred Weimar is responsible for technical, and Werner Weimar for commercial business.
In the mid-60s and early 70s, technical innovations are introduced to the production of textiles: the first shuttle looms by the Rüti Company are purchased in 1964. The production is now running with a total of ten looms.
1970s
Until mid-70s: only production of collections for specialised fashion trades. From 1975, increased specialisation on specified productions for hospitals, hotels and industry.
1980s
1983 leasing of a further production building in the direct vicinity which is later taken over due to consistent high-space requirements.
From mid-80s further technical innovations including investment in air
jet looms and rapier looms of the companies Günne and Sulzer Rüti and
the first generation of semi-automatic sewing machines.
This step of making the production more flexible causes the company to
focus exclusively on special productions. Fast changes of motives in production,
an enormously high quality standard, and short delivery times are achieved.
1990s
Axel Weimar takes over responsibility as the third generation in the Weimar terry weaving mill in 1994.
Starting from the mid-90s, the emphasis shifts increasingly from the production of individual collections for the sophisticated hotel industry, to high-quality promotional textiles and high-quality special designs in natural terry (untreated cotton-linen blended fabric for high-quality bathrobe collections).
• digital product creation directly from PC to the loom is now done
on the in-house CAD system
• increasing internationalisation and the first, still existing, co-operation
with foreign production partners
• investment in new looms from the Sulzer company and Jacquard machines
from the Stäubli company
• enhancement of the production programme by high-quality, finely-screened,
reactive prints. Establishment of a first plain single-terry product line
2003 – 2010 In the New Millennium
2003 the generational change is made perfect when Manfred and Werner Weimar leave the management. Axel Weimar takes over the trademarks DELFINA® and DELFINA Naturfrottier® that have been registered since 1954, and becomes general manager of DELFINA Weimar GmbH.
In the first decade of the new millennium, DELFINA Weimar GmbH establishes itself as a specialist and experienced partner in the field of exclusive bathrobe collections for big retail partners and dispatchers, as well as promotional products, incentives and special terry designs.
2005 – investment in a new high-bay storage.
2007 / 2008 actor Til Schweiger wears a DELFINA bathrobe in the movie “Keinohrhasen” (Rabbit Without Ears), the sisters Venus and Serena Williams use a DELFINA® terry towel to wipe off their sweat during an international grand prix tournament.
2008 the Weimar family can look back on 80 years of rich history and tradition in terry textiles.