Company History

1920s Development of the industrial multi-head embroidery machine in Plauen, Saxony, by Max Bredtschneider. The mechanical engineering company Würker, Dresden, built it according to their plans.

Paul Gunold (a school friend of Max Bredtschneider) founds a studio in Plauen to produce drafts and punch cards to control Würker machines, the first multi-head embroidery machines.

After the war, the family fled to West Germany and rebuilt the GUNOLD company in Stockstadt, Bavaria. The choice of location was influenced by a pre-war customer – the KIMMICH company – today the SPESSART company from Stockstadt. Paul Gunold starts with a punch system and an embroidery machine in an inn.

After the sudden death of Paul Gunold, his eldest son Heinz takes over the management of the company – at the age of 22 without any professional training!

Transfer of the legal form from the sole proprietorship Paul Gunold to Paul Gunold KG.

New construction of a factory building at Obernburger Straße 125. A commercial production company for the production of embroidery programs (punch cards) developed from the arts and crafts drawing studio.

Extension by another production building.

Founding of STICKMA GMBH for the distribution and trading of embroidery threads.

Ekkehard Gunold, Paul’s youngest son, joins the company as an additional managing director and drives the development of the self-developed, computer-aided embroidery card programming.

The STICKMA GMBH delivery program now includes a wealth of embroidery threads, embroidery backings and accessories for embroidery.

Start of cooperation with the yarn manufacturer and the BEERLI AG dye works in Thal, Switzerland, which specializes in the production of viscose yarns.

BEERLI AG, produziert exklusiv die Viskosegarne für die STICKMA GMBH.

The own brand SULKY® is registered as a trademark for the viscose embroidery thread.

Entry of Christoph Gunold, son of Heinz Gunold, and his wife Annette into the family business.

Expansion of the company building with a large production and storage hall for yarn winding and yarn storage and an enlarged shipping department.

STICKMA GMBH is merged with PAUL GUNOLD KG and now operates as GUNOLD + STICKMA GMBH.

Foundation of GUNOLD & STICKMA OF AMERICA, INC in Atlanta, Georgia, USA by Christoph Gunold. Later renamed GUNOLD USA, INC.

Founding of the company GUNOLD & STICKMA OF CANADA, INC in Vancouver, BC Canada. Later renamed GUNOLD CANADA INC.

Entry into the hobby and consumer market. From now on, viscose yarns for the hobby market in the USA will be sold under the SULKY® brand.

Foundation of the company SULKY OF AMERICA, together with Joyce and Fred Drexler, to professionalize sales in the hobby and consumer market for the USA and Canada. The range is gradually being expanded to include other yarn types and stabilizers, all of which are offered under the SULKY® brand.

Founding of GUNOLD + STICKMA TECHNOLOGY GMBH; together with CADCAM of Nottingham, England, a software development company led by John Bell and Norman Horton. PC-based multi-head embroidery pattern programming software is developed.

Christoph Gunold returns to Germany with his family and takes on managerial responsibilities at headquarters.

Stephan Gunold, Heinz Gunold’s youngest son, joins the company and takes on marketing tasks.

The technological change in the 1980s, from manual drawing and punching to computer-aided, PC-based digitization, put an end to our own production of embroidery programs. Ekkehard Gunold founds GUNOLD DESIGN GMBH and GUNOLD TECHNOLOGY GMBH and separates from GUNOLD + STICKMA GMBH, which remains family-owned by Heinz Gunold as a holding company for real estate and investments.

The sale of embroidery threads, nonwovens and other embroidery materials is continued by the spin-off GUNOLD + STICKMA MATERIALS GMBH, which is later renamed GUNOLD GMBH. BEERLI AG, now with production facilities for yarns in Switzerland and Austria, acquires 50% of the shares in this company and Urs Isler becomes an additional managing director.

Heinz Gunold hands over the management of both companies to his eldest son Christoph Gunold as the new managing director.

Entry into the hobby and consumer market on the European continent. All retail products are sold by GUNOLD + STICKMA MATERIALS GMBH under the SULKY® brand.

Entry into laser cutting technology. A separate department creates laser files based on customer templates for cutting textiles and other materials.

GUNOLD + STICKMA MATERIALS GMBH changes the long name to GUNOLD GMBH.

First online shop for the sale of all products to industrial customers.

Cooperation with the company GÜTERMANN, Gutach, on the global distribution of SULKY® products, except for the USA and Canada, for the hobby and consumer market.

Peter van den Bruck, head of finance, is appointed to the management board.

Termination of the cooperation with the company GÜTERMANN and takeover of the distribution of the SULKY® products for the hobby and consumer market on our own. The concept consists of sales via partners abroad and an online shop for sales directly to end consumers.

Termination of the cooperation with the company GÜTERMANN and takeover of the distribution of the SULKY® products for the hobby and consumer market on our own. The concept consists of sales via partners abroad and an online shop for sales directly to end consumers.

Entry into patch technology. A separate department patches (irons and presses) lasered logos onto textiles based on customer templates.

At the end of the year, our long-time partner, Urs Isler, closes Beerli AG and Färberei Faigle Textil GmbH. For decades, the most important yarns for Gunold have come from this dyeing plant in viscose and polyester. Gunold buys back the shares from Beerli AG and the Gunold family is again in possession of the 100% company shares.

New production partners in Europe with many years of experience in yarn dyeing were found. The quality department at the Stockstadt site was expanded and further developed. It monitors and controls yarn production, thus ensuring the high quality standard of our yarns.