For 100 years, the Bornemann family has been part of the label industry—across three generations, through periods of change, economic crises, and technological breakthroughs, from the first weaving loom to today’s digitally integrated production. The company you know today has existed for 20 years, but the knowledge behind it spans an entire century.
For us, this experience is not a reason to look back. It is our foundation—and that is exactly what we mean when we say: The future needs heritage. Knowing where you come from gives you the clarity to decide where you want to go.
That is why this newsletter series does not begin with a celebration of our anniversary, but with the question that truly drives us:
How do we want to shape the next 100 years?
In an industry that is constantly evolving, a century of experience is paradoxically one of our greatest advantages: it does not slow us down—it enables us to move faster. Understanding materials, machinery, and markets across generations allows us to recognize patterns earlier, make investment decisions with greater confidence, and distinguish genuine progress from short-lived trends.
Experience is not the opposite of innovation—it is its foundation.
This is exactly what we mean by The future needs heritage: every vision we develop for the years ahead is built upon a century of accumulated knowledge. Not because we want to cling to the past, but because that knowledge gives us the confidence to move forward more boldly than we ever could without it.
That is our starting point: we draw on a century of expertise to take our next steps—not more cautiously, but with greater determination.
In the years ahead, artificial intelligence will shape the way labels and their content are designed, produced, and delivered—from design and production planning to material optimization, logistics, and quality assurance.
For us, this is not an abstract vision of the future. It is a tangible challenge that we approach with the same care and commitment that earlier generations applied when introducing new weaving technologies.
Here, too, our guiding principle remains the same: a new technology only proves its value when it builds upon what has stood the test of time and takes it one step further.
Automation and digitalization are transforming not only machinery but also the way we work together with our customers: enabling faster communication, greater process transparency, and earlier involvement throughout the development process.
Technology is a means to an end. Our goal remains a partnership built on trust and reliability—the same values that have guided the Bornemann family in this industry for more than a century.
Over the coming editions, we will explore the questions that matter most—to us and to you:
These are not questions that can be answered in a single day—or by a single voice. We will explore them issue by issue, together with colleagues from across our company and experts from the industry.
Our focus is firmly on the future: on concrete projects, on conversations with customers about their greatest challenges, and on how we can shape production and collaboration together for the decade ahead.
A hundred years of experience do not give us all the answers—but they give us the confidence to ask the right questions.
Because, in the end, everything comes back to the one idea that has guided every generation of our family and now shapes our future:
We look forward to taking this journey with you.
