ITMA is already causing a stir in the industry now, almost 18 months before it opens. Two of the world’s largest and most well-known companies from the textile machinery sector, Saurer and Rieter, as well as the leading manufacturers of flat knitting machines Stoll and Shima Seiki will exhibit to visitors and competitors at ITMA 2007 after they were not in Birmingham in 2003.

Saurer, one of the world’s largest suppliers in textile mechanical engineering, will exhibit at ITMA. The company with main office in Switzerland and production facilities in Germany (including Schlafhorst, Barmag, Zinser, Volkmann and Neumag) provides modern technological systems for manufacturing chemical fibres and fleece materials for spinning, twisting and embroidering.

Rieter from Winterthur in Switzerland is one of the leader suppliers of systems for manufacturing yarns from natural and artificial fibres. The company develops and produces machines and integrated systems for manufacturing threads and the production of short-staple yarns and fleece material.

Stoll from Reutlingen in Germany, which has been active in the flat knitting machine business for more than 130 years, is valued highly in the world market. Just a few years after the company was founded in 1873, Heinrich Stoll invented the world's first purl stitch hand flat knitting machine and consequently revolutionised the textile machine market.

Shima Seiki from Wakayama, Japan is also one of the world's leading manufacturers of completely automatic flat knitting machines. Shima Seiki was founded in 1962, started manufacturing flat knitting machines in 1967, and received worldwide recognition in 1978 with the development of its first computer-controlled Jacquard flat knitting machine.

Customers from throughout the world as well as component suppliers and other suppliers from the process chain, for example, manufacturers of systems and machines for processing knitted goods, will profit from the comprehensive knitting exhibits.

The return of Saurer, Rieter, Stoll and Shima Seiki clearly demonstrates that ITMA is considered extremely valuable as a presentation platform for the globally leading companies. The presence of all market leaders in the textile machinery industry and their exhibits will ensure an interesting and unforgettable trade fair for all visitors to ITMA in Munich.

About ITMA
In the halls of the New Munich Trade Fair Centre, the latest products of the international textile machinery industry will be presented on 13 - 20 September 2007. The European umbrella organisation CEMATEX, which comprises nine European member associations, is the owner of ITMA and has selected the Textile Machinery Association of the VDMA to engage Messe München to hold the event in 2007. This leading international trade fair of the textile machinery industry takes place at intervals of four years at different exhibition locations and attracts around 100,000 visitors and 1,300 exhibitors from all over the world. ITMA 2007 will occupy the entire exhibition area of the New Munich Trade Fair Centre.