German machinery manufacturer Schmale Durate sees renewed investment potential in Egypt as home textile producers increasingly consider automation to improve quality, reduce labour dependency and strengthen production efficiency.
Speaking with Kohan Textile Journal at EGY Stitch & Tex 2026 in Cairo, Michael Elser, Director Sales at Schmale Durate, discussed the company’s automatic cutting and sewing technologies, its long-standing presence in Egypt and the future of textile automation.
According to Elser, demand for automation is no longer driven exclusively by cost reduction. The growing difficulty of recruiting workers for repetitive sewing operations is now becoming one of the main reasons manufacturers invest in automated systems.
From Fabric Roll to Finished Home Textile Product
Could you briefly introduce yourself and Schmale Durate?
Michael Elser: My name is Michael Elser, and I am Director Sales at Schmale Durate. We manufacture automatic cutting and sewing machinery for the home textile industry.
The basic concept is that a manufacturer places a fabric roll at the beginning of the machine and receives a finished, ready-to-sell product at the other end. These products can include terry towels and pillowcases, so our work is centred on automated textile confectioning.
Schmale Durate is a 90-year-old German company. We consider ourselves a technical and quality leader in this specialised market.
We have supplied machinery to Egypt for more than 30 years, and we are pleased to return to the market and participate at the Nobletex booth.
Is Egypt’s Home Textile Market Entering a New Investment Cycle?
How do you evaluate the current situation in Egypt’s textile market?
Michael Elser: I believe the Egyptian market is becoming promising again. It was relatively quiet for us for several years.
We experienced a strong period in Egypt during the early 2000s, but the market subsequently slowed. Now, we hope activity is beginning to recover, and the current signs appear encouraging.
We have started receiving enquiries for new projects again, and we hope to rebuild our success in the Egyptian market.
What can you tell us about your cooperation with Nobletex?
Michael Elser: We have a very good and long-standing relationship with Nobletex that goes back more than 15 years.
The two companies are similar because both are family businesses. When the cooperation began, my mother-in-law was responsible for selling machinery in Egypt and met Ms. Laila from Nobletex.
Today, the cooperation has effectively moved into its second generation. This shared family-business culture has helped create a strong and lasting relationship.
What is your opinion of the new Nobletex logo?
Michael Elser: I like it. Companies need to refresh their visual identity occasionally and keep pace with changing times.
Schmale Durate also updated its own appearance for ITMA 2023. Even a traditional family business needs to remain contemporary and keep its image fresh.
Labour Shortages Accelerate Textile Automation
What role will automation play in the future of textile manufacturing?
Michael Elser: There is significant potential for automation in the textile industry during the coming years, particularly in sewing.
Initially, manufacturers invested in automation primarily to reduce production costs. The next stage was focused on maintaining consistently high quality standards.
The latest driver, however, is the shortage of available workers. Many companies around the world are struggling to recruit enough people for stitching departments and repetitive operations such as sewing towels throughout the day.
Today, many of the enquiries we receive worldwide are motivated by the lack of people available to perform this work.
Could fully automated “dark factories” become a reality in textiles?
Michael Elser: It may happen someday, but I believe it will take much longer in textiles than in other industrial sectors.
Textile materials are difficult to handle automatically. They are flexible and can be technically challenging throughout production.
For this reason, even as automation expands, I believe people will continue to be involved in producing high-quality textile products.
Read more: Egypt Stitch & Tex 2026: What the Exhibition Revealed About the Future of Egypt’s Textile Industry
Automation Will Reshape Rather Than Eliminate Textile Work
Elser’s comments highlight a key difference between textile manufacturing and industries that process rigid components. Fabric can stretch, fold and change position, making fully automated handling more complex than in sectors such as automotive manufacturing.
Nevertheless, automatic cutting, sewing and finishing systems can reduce repetitive manual work while improving consistency and helping factories respond to labour shortages.
For Egyptian home textile manufacturers, such technologies could support higher productivity and more consistent export quality. However, the development of completely operator-free textile factories is expected to remain a longer-term prospect.
