Rudolf Vogel establishes an embroidery business in St. Gallen
1908
Jakob Schläpfer joins the company
1911
Company is renamed Vogel & Séquin
1920
Rudolf Vogel leaves Séquin, and sets up Vogel & Co.
1924
Jakob Schläpfer becomes minority shareholder
1934
Jakob Schläpfer buys the Vogel company and establishes the new company Jakob Schlaepfer (changing ä to ae) running it single-handedly at Schützengasse 5 in St. Gallen
1944
Upturn in business operations
1945
Son Robert Schläpfer joins the company
1950
First venture into women’s clothing
1955
Robert Schläpfer marries Lisbet Bucher who becomes involved in creating the collection
1957
Introduction of the peacock logo designed by Robert Geisser
1961
First business in Asia
1962
Death of Jakob Schläpfer
1963
Relocation of the company to Teufener Strasse 11 in St. Gallen. Acquisition from Arnold Ochsner of the world patent for sequin production on shuttle embroidery machines
1964
First haute couture collection for Paris and Rome
1965
First sequin production
1966
Jakob Schlaepfer becomes a joint stock company
1968
Introduction of first computers
1975
Development of thermo-fixable paste gems in cooperation with Swarovski
1978
Setting up of the integrated EDP organisation
1980
Establishment of Jakob Schlaepfer S.A., Paris
1983
Purchase from Akira Kurihara of the world patent for the transfer application machine
1984
Establishment of Jakob Schlaepfer Inc., New York office
1985
Establishment of Jakob Schlaepfer Ltd., London. Development of the marvel print technique
1986
Own EDP Artworker System. Opening of a production plant in Los Angeles
1988
Opening of a sales office in Osaka, Japan
1989
Opening of a sales office in Munich, Germany
1993
Development of textile metal fabrics. Start of cooperation with Création Baumann for interiors
1995
Sale of Jakob Schlaepfer to Messrs. von Meiss and Bolte
1996
Reorganisation and restructuring
1997
Sale of all Jakob Schlaepfer business operations including subsidiaries abroad to the Filtex AG textile group of St.Gallen. Jakob Schlaepfer continues to be run as an independent division
1998
Formation of a new company management consisting of the heads of the creation, sales and production departments as well as the group managers. Development and expansion of laser technology
2001
Setting up of the inkjet section
2003
Start of the development of the new business software package
2004
Jakob Schlaepfer centenary. Publication of the book Blendwerk. Textile exhibition (“Bling Bling – dream fabrics from St Gallen”) at the Swiss National Museum (Landesmuseum) Zurich using Jakob Schlaepfer as an example
2006
Emboscan – laser unit on the embroidery machines creates new technical possibilities
2008
World wide launch of own Décor collection