RÖDL advises Huixing on acquisition of Mayer & Cie.

An international expert team from RÖDL provided Huixing with comprehensive advisory throughout the entire procedure. Partner Jiawei Wang, head of the China Practice Group, led the buyside transaction team. He was responsible for contract negotiations and all matters related to Chinese law, including foreign exchange control. Partner Thomas Fräbel and Associate Partner Claudia Geercken supported the Chinese buyer in all aspects under German law, including contract negotiations, legal due diligence and compliance under the foreign direct investment regime. Dr. Melanie Köster led the tax advisory team. Furthermore, RÖDL’s Prague office supported the client on all matters relating to the Czech subsidiary.

On 1st December 2025, the Hechingen Local Court opened the insolvency proceeding under self-administration for Mayer & Cie., a manufacturer of circular knitting and braiding machines. The management of Mayer & Cie. was accompanied and supported by the restructuring expert Martin Mucha (general representative) from the law firm GRUB BRUGGER. The court appointed Ilkin Bananyarli, lawyer from PLUTA Rechtsanwalts GmbH, as administrator to oversee the proceedings in the interests of the creditors.

Immediately after the opening of insolvency proceedings, the shutdown of all business operations was initiated. All employees were subsequently given notice of termination. Production of the remaining orders in the circular knitting division is to be completed by the end of the month. With Huixing Machine Co., Ltd. Shishi, a buyer has now been found for the assets of the circular knitting machine division. The Chinese machinery manufacturer will take over selected assets, including the property in Albstadt, as well as shareholdings, among them the two Mayer & Cie. subsidiaries in China and the Czech Republic. The purchase agreements were signed on Monday, 10 February 2026.

After completion of the transaction, Huixing aims to resume production of circular knitting machines at the Albstadt site. The closing of the transaction still largely depends on the issuance of the required regulatory approvals, including authorization from the competent Chinese authorities for outbound investments and the clearance certificate from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

Premium machines are to continue being manufactured at the Albstadt site. Xu Hongjie, the Chinese investor behind Huixing, stated that the Mayer & Cie. brand is valued worldwide as a symbol of quality and tradition. He wants to preserve these values while bringing new momentum to operations. “Simplify, digitalize and renew” is his motto.

About Huixing Machine Co., Ltd. Shishi

Huixing Machine Co., Ltd. Shishi is headquartered in Shishi City, Quanzhou, a centre for the Chinese textile and mechanical engineering industry. Huixing specialises in the manufacture and distribution of high-quality knitting machines and the development of associated intelligent software. The company employs approximately 1,000 employees in research and development, manufacturing, sales and customer service at six production sites.

About Mayer & Cie

Mayer & Cie. is a German manufacturer of circular knitting machines headquartered in Albstadt. Founded in 1905, the company remained family-owned for four generations and is known worldwide for its premium technologies for single jersey, double jersey, interlock and jacquard applications. Over the course of its history, Mayer & Cie. has delivered more than 80,000 machines to customers around the globe.

In December 2025, Mayer & Cie. initiated insolvency proceedings under self-administration due to challenging market conditions and a significant decline in demand. The company was facing a complete shutdown before a new owner for the assets of the circular knitting machine business could be found. Mayer & Cie. will now be restructured under its established brand, with development and production continuing to be based in Albstadt.

RÖDL

Legal

• Jiawei Wang, Partner, Stuttgart – Project lead
• Thomas Fräbel, Partner, Munich
• Hans-Ulrich Theobald, Partner, Prague
• Claudia Geercken, Associate Partner, Munich
• Jan Pavlik, Associate Partner, Prague
• Dr Trixie Alexandra Bastian, Manager, Milan
• Qinglu Shao, Manager, Stuttgart
• Annika Schmidt, Senior Associate, Munich
• Kexin Cui, Associate, Stuttgart

Tax

• Dr Melanie Köster, Associate Partner, Nuremberg
• Vanessa Spindler, Senior Associate, Nuremberg