Zimmer will merge its Klagenfurt and Kufstein operations into a single organisation effective 1 January 2028, under a restructuring programme the Austrian digital textile printing specialist has named "Zimmer 2028".

The company frames the move around the slogan "One Company. Two Locations. One Shared Future." The stated aim is to adapt to changing market needs and support future growth targets. That is the official version. What the announcement does not say is which functions, if any, will be cut, or how the two Austrian sites will share production capacity once the merger lands.

For textile manufacturers running Zimmer digital printing systems (ink-based printing machinery that deposits pigment or dye directly onto fabric), the change matters for one practical reason: support and decision-making channels. The company says consolidating expertise under one roof will strengthen customer service.

What does the new structure target?

According to the company statement, the merged organisation is designed to:

• pool the expertise, resources and technologies of the two companies;
• speed up decision-making processes;
• strengthen customer support;
• boost innovation capacity;
• support sustainable long-term growth.

The new model, Zimmer says, will respond faster to changing market conditions and focus more effectively on customer needs. Those are aims, not results. No baseline metrics, targets or timelines for measuring faster decision-making were disclosed. Buyers of capital equipment should read the list as intention until the 2028 structure produces observable outcomes.

Who runs the combined business?

The restructuring already reaches the top of the management ladder. Horst Ros and Jürgen Scheriau will leave their managing director roles effective 31 August 2026. Ros departs the company entirely, while Scheriau steps back from operational duties and will no longer manage day-to-day business.

From 1 September 2026, Thomas Mentler and Andreas Rass — currently managing directors at J. Zimmer Maschinenbau GmbH Kufstein | Digital Printing Systems — will also take charge of the Klagenfurt operation. The two executives will run activities at both locations, giving the merged entity a single leadership pair more than a year before the formal 2028 unification date.

What remains open?

The announcement confirms leadership and the target date. It leaves open the cost of the programme, who funds it, headcount effects at either site, and whether product lines or service operations will relocate between Klagenfurt and Kufstein. The company also did not specify how the merger affects order lead times or spare-parts logistics for existing machinery customers.

Zimmer says the "One Company. Two Locations. One Shared Future" transformation programme should contribute to its long-term goals in customer support, innovation and growth — a claim the market will be able to test once the single organisation begins operating in January 2028.