Embroidery

2019 was a very special year for Wilcom and TexProcess show was the perfect place to celebrate the 40th anniversary.

This year, Wilcom was the only embroidery software developer with a machine manufacturer independent booth. It signifies their strength in the market as well as versatility to support all machine brands.

Henry and Barbara Stümer of TexDesign, long time Wilcom resellers based in Germany, joined Wilcom Europe Director Rob Smith, Vice President of International Sales Clement Rhinn and Client Applications Support Analyst Sam Cong at the 40th anniversary celebration stand.

Also present were three members of Wilcom International’s executive management team, Managing Director Denis Quaintance, Global Sales Director Adrian Crouch and Chief Product Manager Brenden Prazner.

Resellers from Europe and other international regions visited the stand and had an opportunity to preview the latest EmbroideryStudio e4.2 software. There are significant developments in this version such as 64-bit operating system support, greatly increasing digitizing speeds. Several new feature enhancements were introduced as well as a brand-new integrated Home Screen, placing tutorials, blog posts and the community forum right at the user’s fingertips. This is a free update for all existing e4.0 and e4.1 licensed customers.

40 years in the making…

Barbara Stümer of TexDesign demonstrates the latest EmbroideryStudio e4.2 software. Photo: TexDesign

It all started in 1979 by Wilcom’s co-founders’ shared vision for automating the embroidery industry. The tedious process of creating embroidery designs was slashed from days to hours, changing the way people create and produce embroidered goods forever.

40 years on and the industry has evolved far beyond simple embroidery to include print, rhinestone and other multi-decoration techniques. Wilcom identified these trends, and in 2008 they formed a strategic partnership with Corel, developing the first true multi-decoration software solution, EmbroideryStudio.

Consumer behavior has also changed, fueled by the increasing online shopping trends. Wilcom pioneers in this space too with a suite of web tools that enables businesses to offer self-serve, quantity-one affordable solutions. Customers can upload an image and display it as an embroidery design with real stitches on an item. They can modify colours and add real embroidery lettering in seconds. Accurate stitch estimates mean accurate and immediate quotes, saving hours of time and offering fast service.

Today, Wilcom is a global organization headquartered in Sydney, Australia and present in over 100 countries with products in over 12 languages, backed by a global community of more than 250,000 licensed customers. Their growth has been achieved through this continued product development and innovation, joint ventures with strategically partners and direct investment in emerging markets. The company continues to enhance creativity in personalized expressions, by globally implementing best-of-breed solutions for the textile industry.

Celebrating the success…

During the TexProcess event, Wilcom were delighted to host over 120 of their resellers and customers at a celebratory dinner, marking the company’s 40th year milestone.

Wilcom’s Chairman of the Board David Bell welcomed the guests, acknowledging and thanking them all for their significant contributions to the success of the company for four decades. Mr. Bell spoke of the proud heritage behind the brand, underpinned by the vision set by the company’s co-founders.

He continued to explain that the longevity of the business can be attributed to Wilcom’s hunger for learning and developing their solutions to keep up with this rapidly changing technological environment. Listening to the needs of their customers and delivering those requirements has been paramount.

Everything Wilcom does is based on these four pillars:
1. To dominate the embroidery visualization space
2. To provide the best quality solutions in our market
3. To continue innovating and be our industry thought leaders
4. To continue providing expert training, quality support and a strong community to their partners

Mr. Bell concluded that surviving and prospering over 40 years has been no small feat. There has been a litany of very successful businesses that have not stood the test of time. He said that Wilcom’s continued success will depend on their ability to remain highly motivated, nimble to the ever-changing markets and always dedicated to innovation. This is what ensures that Wilcom will continue its growth path for the next 40 years.