"The Althoffer quickly decided to move to Rimbach-Zell, because the waters of the Lauch they used for washing their wool and cotton, but also for the driving force, were regularly polluted by dyers upstream. So they decided to settle as far upstream as possible in the valley to benefit from the clear Rimbach water, which explains the current location of our company ", explains Walter Fornasiere, former head of the company Althoffer of 2000 to 2018.
The history of the company is similar to that of many others, made multiple adventures, especially during the two world wars. But one of the most important turning points occurred in 2000, when the last leader of the Althoffer familly sold the company to an Italian industrial group. Walter Fornasiere then takes the lead, and Sabine Dubich becomes the administrative and financial director.
"The new shareholder wanted to modernize this company which had remained very traditional, especially in terms of its management. The goal was not to maximize profits, but to create a successful, development-oriented company, "explains Walter Fornasiere, who will lead a two-year reorganization of the company.
New turn in 2006, when the Italian holding company changes shareholders and turns into a financial company. A transformation accompanied by deep restructuring in the various companies she owned, including Althoffer. "We then proposed with Sabine Dubich to take over the company, otherwise it was doomed to disappear," said Walter Fornasiere. "It was not a question of results, because this company has always been very healthy, but we no longer enter the strategy of the group, simply. "
Today, Althoffer has a dozen employees, not including seasonal hiring, and has a turnover of 2 million euros. The company has more than 800 customers around the world: "Between 30 and 35% of our business is export-oriented, especially to China, which is one of our main markets", explains the former executive, retired at the end of 2018, having ceded management to Sabine Dubich.
Althoffer has an impressive catalog of technical textiles, especially for the bakery: fabrics, felts equip many machines around the world.
Althoffer's expertise also extends to industrial filtration elements, including dust removal of gas streams, thanks to state-of-the-art know-how in the manufacture of high-performance needlelayers. "In this area, we are offering more and more services to industries, thanks to a specialized team that travels to all parts of the country for filter cleaning operations using low-pressure compressed air." Walter Fornasiere.
Anticipate with connected textiles
Other products offered by the company include textiles dedicated to moisture absorption, polishing plastic parts, and thermal protection. In constant pursuit of innovation, Althoffer also developed last year some amazing connected textiles that, using chips, make it possible to control the use and condition of a textile.
"This is an entirely new field, which for the moment we are the only ones to offer, to my knowledge," explains the former leader. These connected textiles have the advantage of making it possible to anticipate possible maintenance or replacement of parts. "In general, our customers make little preventive, but much curative. For us, this translates into urgent shipments, often the same day, parts that have just released and must be replaced, "said Walter Fornasiere. "With these connected textiles, the customer will have a better visibility on the state of his tools. It saves precious time. "
When asked Sabine Dubich and Walter Fornasiere the secret of the longevity of their company, the answer is unambiguous: "We have prospered for so long thanks to our strategic positioning, but also our policy of perpetual development, especially when we have to look for new markets, sometimes very far, "they explain. "But our true wealth is the men and women who work at home. Our staff is reliable and faithful, and has a know-how that is essential to us. This is also the reason for our success. "
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