The traditional company Gebr. Elmer & Desolate GmbH & Co. KG will be 170 years old this year. In times of rising bankruptcy and challenging market conditions, the question arises as to how the family company managed to assert itself for so long?
“Those who exist 170 years do not think in quarters, but in generations. Sustainability was not invented when I came to the company – they were always there. We continue what our ancestors started: to take responsibility for quality, humans and nature,” comments Roland Stelzer, managing director in the sixth generation, who joined the company in the early 1990s.
specialization
Three pillars can be held responsible for the success of the company: independence, specialization and a clear focus on organic cotton. The latter was initiated by Stelzer, since he initiated a fundamental change when the market was in transition.
The company reorganized its production and started the processing of cotton in 1995 controlled organic cultivation. In 2003 the foundation of the Cotonea brand, which focuses on organic textiles. Since then, Elmer & Doubts have focused on organic cotton for high -quality fabrics, home textiles and a small clothing collection for children and adults.
Independence and production on site
An invaluable advantage is that Cotonea knows all steps of the textile supply chain exactly and can control – as is the case with only a few offers worldwide: from organic cotton cultivation to spinning, weaving and knitting to finishing and assembly. Crisis times such as corona pandemic or delivery bottlenecks can therefore be mastered through mutual trust and good communication without major problems.
The company has developed cultivation projects for organic cotton in Kyrgyzstan (since 2004) and Uganda (since 2009) and has accompanied them since then. With binding standards, clear requirements, regular quality controls and close, long -term cooperation, the brand controls the production processes in partner companies. In addition to its own weaving mill, the company also opened its own sewing shop in 2013.
Production in Asia was not an issue: “In Asia you rely more on low prices in production. We knew that we wanted to rely on quality, so the production in Asia did not exist. I looked at a lot of companies there, but there was no high quality,” said Stelzer in an earlier interview with fashionunited.
“By production in Germany and Europe, our fabrics simply get properties that are better than those of the competition,” he adds.
transparency
The company began in 1855 as a weaving mill in Schwäbische Bempflingen; Today it employs 70 employees and sets internationally. As early as 2020, it developed the blockchain-based platform textile trust for security and transparency in the textile supply chain in 2020 together with IBM and the provider of sustainable work clothes.
On the World Cotton Day 2024, Cotonea reported on its comprehensive CO₂ and energy analysis of 460 fabrics- from the cotton plant to finished tissue- and was able to demonstrate balance sheet differences to the colors of the fabrics.
In addition, the brand fulfills the highest ecological and social standards and produces according to the strictest standard IVN Best and GOTS and is Fair for Life certified, which guarantees fair conditions from organic cultivation to every production level.
“We owe to the consistent work of many people along our supply chain – and the trust that has accompanied us through generations,” emphasizes that we owe the consistent work of many people today.
Existing or planned EU regulations therefore do not cause a headache to the company: “While the majority of the companies are difficult for the planned EU legislation to the responsible supply chain, we have built up a transparent, socially and ecologically demanding supply chain. We continue to bear this responsibility in the future,” says Stelzer.
