History and Milestones

Schneider acts mainly as a trader of Australian greasy wool, focusing on high-quality merino wools particularly in demand by European-based textile companies.

As a result of economic growth and major textile innovations, traditional wool traders gradually turn into top makers. Schneider, too, follows this path by investing in innovation and developing the technical know-how necessary to obtain high-quality combed slivers from the most refined wools.

Together with Loro Piana, Schneider purchases Pettinatura Lane in Rieti, Italy, making its first industrial investment and transforming Schneider from pure trader into topmaker.

Schneider purchases Pettinatura di Verrone, again together with Loro Piana, which will sell its shares to Schneider in 2002 to re-enter the partnership in 2012.

G. Schneider New Zealand is founded for sourcing New Zealand merino wool.

The Group purchases and subsequently revamps a cashmere dehairing mill in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The company’s name becomes Monital. It reopens with the first European standard water treatment in Mongolia.

The Group builds the Argentinian combing mill in Trelew, in the prairies of Patagonia.

The Authentico® brand program is established to build a direct supply chain with Australian breeders, which will give birth to the Authentico® Integrity Scheme.

The Schneider Group acquires Fuhrmann 1735, a Dutch company and the world’s oldest wool trading company. Fuhrmann boasts a subsidiary in New Zealand specialising in crossbred wool for furnishings, which will later merge with G. Schneider New Zealand. The combing mill in Argentina is renamed Fuhrmann.

Production begins at Jiangyin Shenghai Industrial Company in Zhangjiagang, at that time the most modern combing plant built in China.

Jiangyin Shenlong Textile Treatment Company is founded in Zhangjiangang (anti-shrinkage wool treatment) as a joint venture with Tintoria di Sandigliano, whose stake was acquired by Suedwolle in 2014.

Sanin, owner of an extensive plot of land in the Argentinian Andes, is acquired to begin the preservation of wild vicuna and the harvesting of this most precious fiber.

The Group closes its Rieti, Italy mill, opening a new mill in Sadat City, Egypt, in 2011 to ensure greater competitiveness in medium-fine tops. Carbonising is added to combing.

Schneider transforms Pettinatura di Verrone into a joint venture with Loro Piana, Marzotto and Zegna. Unique in the industry, this successful alliance between competitors is created to safeguard the excellence of Made in Italy in the area of superfine wools and speciality fibers.

Fuhrmann begins to directly manage farms in Patagonia to strengthen its supply chain in Argentina.

The Schneider Group becomes part of G. Modiano Ltd. It includes the Italian trading operations and Italian and Egyptian mills, the buying offices in Australia and the buying and trading activities in New Zealand.