TEXAID took over the German ReSales Group on 30 August 2013. The company's portfolio includes two sorting facilities, 6,500 collection containers and 28 second-hand shops, which brings huge added value for the Schattdorf textile-recycling organization. Last but not least, the merger results in a stronger market position for TEXAID, even in Switzerland, and secures Swiss jobs in the long term. 

The Thuringia (Apolda) based ReSales Group was looking for a reliable partner in the course of a succession plan. TEXAID CEO Martin Böschen is delighted that the choice fell on TEXAID: «The rock-solid company is an ideal match for us in every respect. It not only collects textiles, but also sorts them professionally on its own premises, just like us.» TEXAID has therefore become the new owner of two state-of-the-art sorting facilities (in Apolda/Thuringia and Tangier/Morocco) as well as approximately 6,500 collecting containers stationed throughout Germany. Martin Böschen is especially pleased about the considerable added value that can be achieved as a result of the merger: «Thanks to the sorting capacity of ReSales, which represents a good 35,000 tonnes, we can now sort a total of around 50,000 tonnes in our facilities in Schattdorf (Canton of Uri), Zurich, Hungary and Bulgaria; that corresponds to two thirds of the 75,000 tonne collection volume. A substantial proportion.» Until now, TEXAID collected 35,000 tonnes of textiles in Switzerland and 10,000 tonnes in Germany. ReSales is now providing an additional 30,000 tonnes.

650 extra jobs
After sorting, clothing in good condition is partly sold by ReSales in its 28 self-owned second-hand shops, located throughout Germany. This activity completes the cycle, taking old clothing «from the consumer back to the consumer». It is also extremely beneficial from an ecological point of view, as the items of clothing can be re-used without any appreciable waste of resources. Counting all the members of the ReSales staff, the number of people working for TEXAID overall has increased from 350 to 1,000. The textile collection and recycling organization employs 125 members of staff in this part of the world. Not least out of a sense of responsibility towards his employees, ReSales Managing Director Lars Henkel is equally happy about the takeover: «I couldn't have wished for a more reliable, socially integral partner. ReSales is definitely in the best possible hands.»