Neuenkirchener Textilwerke
Hecking GmbH & Co. KG
Alphons-Hecking-Platz 2
D-48485 Neuenkirchen, Germany
Tel: (49) 5973/64-0
Fax: (49) 5973/6417

With a capacity to produce almost 10 million yards of finished goods a year, a new corporate logo and an infusion of money earmarked as an investment in the future of the company, Neuenkirchener Textilwerke Hecking GmbH & Co. KG says it is looking to quality-not mass production-as its new direction.

In addition to the new logo, targeted advertising, multi-lingual brochures and a trend forecasting consultant in France further prove that the company has its sights set on changing with the evolving needs of manufacturers.

In 1857 Justus Hecking acquired the closed Rohling & Schmitz factory, recontructing it and establishing a mechanical steam weaving mill with 100 looms to produce heavyweight cotton, nettle cloth and cotton flannel. By 1871, Hecking had expanded the sale of his fabrics into northern Germany, East Prussia and Silesia.

At the turn of the century, Hecking converted the company into a general partnership, expanding the enterprise to 300 looms and developed a nationwide agency network. Hecking's production expanded to include woven colored flannel and lining fabrics.

Alphons Hecking (1910) and then Eugen Hecking (1951) took over as managing director respectively, keeping the core of the business in the family while continuously upgrading the mill with new equipment and the latest technology.

In 1981, Neuenkirchener Textilwerke (NTW)Hecking GmbH & Co. KG was officially founded-it is a 100 percent subsidiary of the Baumwollspinnerei Gronau AG(BSG). The current Managing Directors are Karl-Heinz Wolters and Bernhard Meier.

1974 marked NTW's first foray into denim production. It produces fashion denim and cotton in twill, canvas, ribbed and satin weaves: denim in weights from 4.5 to 12 ounce (available with Tencel); 5-12 ounce flats (available with Tencel); dyed and undyed cross-stretch and bi-stretch in a range of weights; full and half twists in 6.5-9 ounce weights.

Dyeing processes include indigo warp dyeing; indigo sulphide dyeing (blue-blue, blue-black, black-black); indigo reactive cross-dyed; reactive piece-dyeing (fast dyeing); pigment coating (wash-out effect); and patina dyeing (wash-out effect).

Finishing processes available are diamond polish, emerized surfaces, coatings and prewashed qualities.

Some $20 million has been invested over the past three years in finishing processes-six million in stretch production alone.

NTW can now produce first class cross-stretch and bi-stretch qualities with a guarantee of low contraction and very good elongation recovery. These include Cotton Concept, the ecological cotton fabric with the mill-cure finish for crease-resistant wearing comfort. NTWHecking also has an exclusive contract with a highly reputed German clothing manufacturer for the production of denim stretch for menswear.

A 200-strong workforce provides for short delivery times and in some cases for instant delivery from stock in this multi-tiered interprise (weaving and finishing) with 110 rapier looms and a state-of-the-art finishing plant.