Entry into the Asian market.
The rapidly growing Asian market in particular is perceived as a great opportunity at an early stage and additional subsidiaries are established in Asia, including for example in Japan (1991), Korea (1992), China (1993), Thailand (1995) and India (1997). Dr. Hans-Jochem Steim becomes the first German entrepreneur to establish a factory without joint venture partners in the Chinese town of Taicang, near Shanghai, paving the way for many other entrepreneurs from our region to set up businesses in Taicang. In 2005, his efforts are rewarded with honorary citizenship of the city Taicang.
Start of construction of manufacturing facilities in Eastern Europe
The acquisition of knitting element production at AKRA in the Czech Republic and the establishment of a subsidiary initiates the company's expansion into Eastern Europe.
Acquisition of the textile parts manufacturer SOLIS in Florence, Italy.
Kern-Liebers acquires Italian knitting element manufacturer SOLIS, based in Florence, a measure that further expands the KERN-LIEBERS product range and in particular reinforces its presence in the Italian textile machinery sector. SOLIS is dissolved and its machinery transferred to other locations.