The acquisition project of Chargeurs, announced on May 30, has just been successfully finalized. The Chargeurs group becomes the owner of strategic assets previously held by the Swiss company Cilander. Now integrated into the Chargeurs PCC Fashion Technologies (CFT PCC) business line, they offer promising growth prospects, opening the doors to new markets and strengthening CFT PCC’s global leadership in high-tech, high-quality textiles. These new assets, within the CFT PCC business line, will form the Swiss know-how of the Chargeurs group. They benefit from a reputation for superiority and quality, thus consolidating the Group’s image and standards. The transaction is part of the preparation for the 2025-2030 strategic plan, which will be finalized and presented during the first quarter of 2025.
The acquired assets include a set of renowned brands offering top-quality fabrics for high-end shirts. Among them, there are also finishing technologies for technical textiles, complementary to Chargeurs’ proprietary technologies, which will enable it to strengthen its positions in fast-growing markets such as military equipment, outdoor and yachting, and mobility-related markets.
Michaël Fribourg, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Chargeurs, commented: “I am delighted to welcome these new assets and the talents that come with them. They will bring an additional dynamic to our CFT PCC business line and our Group, allowing us to increase our market share across the entire textile value chain. The acquisition of finishing technologies which complement those we already own, along with world-renowned high-quality fabric brands, provides us with the opportunity to expand our product range and target new markets. This operation is fully aligned with our strategy of acquiring new expertise, to further strengthen the global leadership of our businesses.”
Chargeurs PCC Fashion Technologies will continue to promote ‘Made in Switzerland’ label
The CFT PCC business line acquires a modern, high-performance production facility at Cilander’s historic site in Lützelflüh, in the canton of Bern. Cilander is recognized by its customers as one of Europe’s most advanced experts in textile finishing, offering highly technical textile solutions for very specific markets and capable of meeting customized requirements. CFT PCC thus becomes the owner of particularly innovative finishing processes developed by Cilander. These processes enable cotton fabrics to be finished to a ‘perfect white’, and to produce fabrics with a “plissé” of unrivalled quality, which have become the distinctive hallmark of Cilander and the benchmark for tailors and premium shirt brands looking for this “Made in Switzerland” label, which CFT PCC will continue to promote.
Chargeurs PCC Fashion Technologies also integrates Cilander’s portfolio of high-end fabric brands. Cross-selling opportunities will strengthen the business line’s global leadership in the fashion and luxury industries.