Milestones

On July 8, 2022, Tessenderlo Group and Picanol Group (Picanol nv, Euronext: PIC) announced their intention to simplify and increase the transparency of the group structure of both companies, with a view to combining them into a single industrial group, with a single stock exchange listing and a single board of directors. As a result of this transaction, Picanol Group became a business unit of Tessenderlo Group with effect from January 1, 2023. For more information about Tessenderlo Group, its people, its brands, and its results, please visit www.tessenderlo.com.

The new building will house 450 employees and it will be erected on the company's current site. The architectural design of the new headquarters - which will be shaped like a weaving shuttle - reflects Picanol's rich weaving machine manufacturing history. The building will have a floor area of 20,000 square meters. With this project, Picanol Group is ensuring the sustainable anchoring of the group in Ieper.

In October 2021 Picanol has introduced its latest generation of airjet and rapier weaving machines, which have been called the “Connect” generation. These new generation weaving machines focus on connectivity and an increased level of data availability. 

With PicConnect, a new fully digital platform, Picanol is offering a wide range of features, from industrial IoT to service-related applications. The platform is cloud-based and it allows connecting the Picanol weaving machines to the platform in order to leverage its full extent of possibilities. In October 2021, Picanol presented PicConnect virtually to its worldwide customers.

Psicontrol is currently constructing a new factory in Rasnov (Romania). The works should be completed by the end of 2021.

Proferro is currently investing in an automatic high-bay warehouse in Ieper that will come into operation in the spring of 2021.

In May 2020, Picanol realized another impressive milestone when its 100,000th rapier weaving machine rolled off the production line at its plant in Ieper, Belgium. Picanol is also celebrating 45 years of manufacturing rapier weaving machines in 2020.

Psicontrol produced its 30,000th BlueBox, which is the controller for the Picanol weaving machines. Psicontrol started the production of the BlueBox for the airjet weaving machines in 2012, and since 2017 the BlueBox control box has also been installed on the rapier weaving machines. With the BlueBox, not only the box and the printed circuit boards were renewed, but also the entire software. All of this was developed within Psicontrol. In addition, the BlueBox control system was designed in a modular way, which allows for future expansions.

In 2019, Picanol announced the production of its 100,000th airjet machine. This OMNIplus Summum formed part of a larger order made by Naveena Export LTD Karachi, Pakistan. In fact, the Naveena Group now has more than 300 Picanol machines in operation and continues to rapidly expand.

On Saturday 18 June 2016, the Picanol Group celebrated its anniversary with a festival for all employees and partners at our premises in Ypres.

In 2015, Picanol celebrated the 40th anniversary of the production of rapier weaving machines with the global launch of its new OptiMax-i rapier machine, the fastest industrially produced rapier weaving machine in the world. Picanol also launched two new weaving machines for the weaving of terry cloth: the TerryMax-i (rapier) and the TERRYplus Summum (airjet). Picanol is the only machine manufacturer to offer both rapier and airjet technology for terry cloth weaving. In November 2015, Picanol successfully participated in the 17th edition of ITMA in Milan, the most important four-yearly textile machinery exhibition in the world. Pleasingly, the new Picanol machines were received with considerable acclaim.

Luc Tack, managing director of the Picanol Group, has been chosen Manager of the Year 2014. The award, an initiative of the Flemish business weekly Trends, is being presented this year for the 30th time. The winner was selected by a jury of entrepreneurs, specialists and journalists in combination with online voting on the Trends website. Luc Tack, who was nominated for the third time in a row, follows Atlas Copco boss Ronnie Leten. ‘The jury singled out Luc Tack for his daring, ambition and strategic vision,’ explained jury chairman Luc Vandewalle. ‘Thanks to his outstanding management decisions Luc has managed to create renewal and growth at Picanol. Furthermore, with his achievements at Picanol he is a worthy successor to recent winners who have all been exemplary in the consistency, soundness and stability of their management.’

On 11 September 2014, Picanol inaugurated its new training center and new test area in Ieper in the presence of Mr. Geert Bourgeois, Minister-President of the Government of Flanders. Since improving the competitiveness through further productivity and quality improvements and targeted investments is a top priority, an investment program for an amount of 17.5 million euros in Ieper was approved in 2013. This investment plan includes the new test area for weaving machines, the new training center and the purchase of several production machines.

In March, Picanol of America opened its new headquarters at 65 Kitty Hawk Road in Greenville. The official inauguration ceremony of the new U.S. headquarters took place in the presence of more than 150 customers. As 2013 sees Picanol celebrating more than 50 years of Picanol in America, the opening of the new headquarters in Greenville represents yet another milestone in its long history in the United States.

In 2012, Picanol Group invested in the further expansion of its global sales and services network, including a new headquarters in India and a new office for Picanol of America.

At the four-yearly ITMA textile machinery exhibition in late September in Barcelona, ​​Picanol celebrates its 75th anniversary with the introduction of two new products: the new high-end airjet weaving machine OMNIplus Summum and the positive rapier weaving machine (for very wide fabrics up to 540 cm).

Early June saw the 300,000th weaving machine pass the end of the production line since production first commenced in Ypres.

Picanol further expanded in China. With the establishment of the joint venture Suzhou Picanol Textile Machinery (STM), 60 % owned by Picanol, Picanol started producing textile machinery in China.

Picanol was the first weaving machine manufacturer to obtain the ISO9001-certification in July 1993.

Picanol introduced a new airjet generation in the early nineties. The Delta and Omni airjet weaving machines both used this technology and were equipped with the unique Quick Style Change system, which enables a total style change in less than 30 minutes by 1 person.

At ITMA in Milan, Picañol was the first to show an airjet and rapier weaving machine monitored and controlled by microprocessor technology. The GTM rapier symbolized a breakthrough in the electronically controlled, shuttle-less rapier weaving machine industry.

By 1980, the revolutionary PAT weaving machine was developed, using the airjet insertion technology. The PAT was presented at the ATME exhibition in Greenville.

In 1975 , the company presented the PGW at ITMA Milan. The PGW was the first Picañol shuttleless weaving machine and used the new rapier insertion technology.

At the ITMA exhibition in Paris, Picañol surprised the textile industry with the introduction of the MDC, the world's first electronically controlled shuttle weaving machine.

The company invested in new production halls. An automatic foundry and new assembly line, having a capacity of 10,000 shuttle machines per year, were built outside the city center of Ypres.

At ITMA in Lille, Picañol presented the President, the automatic weaving machine with which Picañol conquered the world. More than 160,000 President Machines were sold, making the name of Picañol known and respected throughout the weaving world.

In 1936 , the Belgian industrialist Charles Steverlynck set up the company Weefautomaten Picañol NV. The first weaving machine was based on a design from the Spanish engineer Jaime Picañol.