In the beginning was the yarn
In the beginning were the yarn and an entrepreneur with visions. Julius Heywinkel established a sail cloth weaving mill in Osnabruck in 1913. Not only did he know his craft, but he also saw the signs of his time and managed to position the former Heywinkel GmbH so close to the market that even after the death of the founder, the gates to the world were open to the company. Expansion, innovation, change: Today’s Heytex Group has somehow always been in motion. In a highly dynamic industry as that of technical textiles, this is also part of the reasons for success. With four subsidiaries and a comprehensive product portfolio, Heytex takes an exceptional position on the world market of technical textiles today, offering ideal conditions in terms of experience, expertise and innovation for another 100 years of success!
1913
In Osnabruck, the then 35-year old Julius Heywinkel established a sail cloth weaving mill. He knew what he was talking about: up to that point he had spent his entire life in textile manufacturing. He was born in Bielefeld as the son of a weaving specialist. After his apprenticeship as a weaver he moved abroad: in Sweden he gathered a lot of experience which he used to establish his own company, Julius Heywinkel GmbH. Right from the start, technical applications and also maritime shipping were in the focus of his activities: At the time sail cloth made of cotton served as canvas, for example, for carriages and later for the first cars and was also used to cover containers.
1940s
Julius Heywinkel GmbH grew rapidly and in the 1930s the company had already more than 60 employees. In the 40s, there were about 100. For a long time already, the products had not only been produced for the local market in the region of Osnabruck, but travelled to all parts of the country after leaving the weaving mill. Small and large tents from sail cloth in addition to traditional canvas. They demanded a special dyeing and impregnation process which was done at Julius Heywinkel’s own company premises. 1950s
A wise decision! On the basis of his competence in dyeing and impregnation, Julius Heywinkel was able to establish his canvas weaving mill in the German market in the post-war years. 1957
One year prior to his death, the childless entrepreneur decided to secure the continued existence of his company even beyond his own lifespan by selling it to one of his biggest customers, the automotive supplier Wilhelm Karmann GmbH in Osnabruck. From then on, expansion was on the agenda and the early insight that the future belonged to the trendy material PVC.