Biederlack
Encyclopedia
Biederlack is a leading manufacturer of jacquard woven high-pile acrylic blankets and throws.
Biederlack was founded in 1887 by Ignaz Hermann Biederlack in Greven, Germany
, grandfather of Robert and Hans-Felix Biederlack. But the history dates back to 1532, when Heinrich settled along the River Ems and opened a merchant trading business. He became known as Heinrich Biederlack, "Heinrich by the Lake." His dedication grew into a business that would bring Greven's talent for weaving to the world.
. In 1987, the Distribution Center was expanded. In 1981 a new mill was built in a vacant grocery store in Cumberland New high-speed. State-of-the-art Jacquard looms, finishing equipment, and cut-and-sew operations were installed. In 1996, the company renovated several vacant Kelly-Springfield Tire manufacturing buildings and began installing its 7 million pound per year spinning mill using lean manufacturing and completing its vertically integrated manufacturing goal.
In 1998, Biederlack of America purchased Cushion Craft of East Newark, NJ, the leading supplier of professional sports- and college-licensed pillows. Already a leading manufacturer of sports- and entertainment-licensed blanket/throws, this acquisition made Biederlack the largest distributor of sports-licensed blanket/throws and pillows in North America.
The Biederlack label is stitched to original copyrighted designs and to licensed products for the National Basketball Association
, National Hockey League
, Major League Baseball
, Major League Soccer
, NASCAR
, Collegiate Licensing Company
, Harley Davidson, and other properties.
Biederlack was founded in 1887 by Ignaz Hermann Biederlack in Greven, Germany
Greven
Greven is a medium-sized town in the district of Steinfurt, in Germany's most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia and close to the city of Münster.-Geography:Greven is situated on the river Ems, approx...
, grandfather of Robert and Hans-Felix Biederlack. But the history dates back to 1532, when Heinrich settled along the River Ems and opened a merchant trading business. He became known as Heinrich Biederlack, "Heinrich by the Lake." His dedication grew into a business that would bring Greven's talent for weaving to the world.
History
- 1532 A man named Hinrik settles on the shores of the ox bow lake formed by the river Ems and from this time on he became known as Hinrick by the lake – Biederlack. He formed a merchant trading business, the sound basis on which the Biederlack family builds its business.
- 1887 On the 22nd of August Ignatz Hermann Biederlack (1861 – 1930) founded the company HERMANN BIEDERLACK GmbH + Co. in Greven.
- 1930 The sons Felix (1893 – 1948) and Carl (1894 – 1952) built a factory in Cuba, which produced blankets until the war.
- 1948 Carl Biederlack shoots and kills brother Felix Biederlack
- 1952 Carl Biederlack jumps from a courtroom window to his death
- 1958 Hans-Felix Biederlack (1935 – 2005, son of Felix Biederlack) joins the company as managing director.
- 1967 Robert Biederlack (Son of Carl Biederlack) joins Hans-Felix as managing director and runs the company together with Hans-Felix.
- 1979 HERMANN BIEDERLACK GmbH + Co. founds the subsidiary Biederlack of America Inc. in Cumberland/Maryland, USA, to produce blankets in the already developed market. Richard Alford joins the company as its General Manager. Today the company is independent, a well known leader in the hometextile market of the USA and only imports semi-finished products from Greven.
- 1981 HERMANN BIEDERLACK GmbH + Co. builds one of the most modern warehouse systems to be able to guarantee an improved delivery service.
- 1987 To further improve the quality and to increase productivity a most modern weaving department is being built.
- 1996 Across town, a lean manufacturingLean manufacturingLean manufacturing, lean enterprise, or lean production, often simply, "Lean," is a production practice that considers the expenditure of resources for any goal other than the creation of value for the end customer to be wasteful, and thus a target for elimination...
principled open-end spinning mill started in the former Kelly-Springfield Tire manufacturing buildings.
- 2000 Dr.Michael Ottenjann (Son in law of Hans-Felix Biederlack) joins the company as managing director.
- 2001 A new, fully automatic transfer sewing line is being installed.
- 2005 Hans-Felix Biederlack dies unexpectedly at the age of 73 years.
- 2005 Robert Biederlack retires as managing director.
- 2006 Production manager Rolf Gottmann joins the company as a new managing director. The company BORBO-BLANKETS (Geiger, Borgers GmbH & Co.KG), Bocholt, is being taken over. Finishing of the new dye house for further increase of productivity.
- 2007 Robert Biederlack dies at the age of 68 years.
- 2009 Biederlack announces closure of its North America manufacturing operations.
Biederlack of America
Led by new General Manager Richard Alford, the American subsidiary of Biederlack opened in 1979 with a distribution center in Cumberland, MarylandCumberland, Maryland
Cumberland is a city in the far western, Appalachian portion of Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Allegany County, and the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,859, and the metropolitan area had a...
. In 1987, the Distribution Center was expanded. In 1981 a new mill was built in a vacant grocery store in Cumberland New high-speed. State-of-the-art Jacquard looms, finishing equipment, and cut-and-sew operations were installed. In 1996, the company renovated several vacant Kelly-Springfield Tire manufacturing buildings and began installing its 7 million pound per year spinning mill using lean manufacturing and completing its vertically integrated manufacturing goal.
In 1998, Biederlack of America purchased Cushion Craft of East Newark, NJ, the leading supplier of professional sports- and college-licensed pillows. Already a leading manufacturer of sports- and entertainment-licensed blanket/throws, this acquisition made Biederlack the largest distributor of sports-licensed blanket/throws and pillows in North America.
The Biederlack label is stitched to original copyrighted designs and to licensed products for the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
, Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
, NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
, Collegiate Licensing Company
Collegiate Licensing Company
The Collegiate Licensing Company is an American collegiate trademark licensing and marketing company. Founded in 1981 by Bill Battle in Selma, Alabama, CLC is the largest and oldest collegiate licensing company in the United States and currently provides its services to more than 200 colleges and...
, Harley Davidson, and other properties.