GroupeSTAHL announces the promotion of Martin Borley to the role of chief executive officer (CEO), STAHLS’ EMEA. The promotion went into effect July 1, 2025.

With over 35 years of dedicated service to STAHLS’ affiliated and owned companies, Borley is a seasoned and trusted leader in the apparel decoration industry, the company shared in a press release. He most recently served as executive managing director for STAHLS’ U.K. and Europe, where he spearheaded significant growth, operational efficiencies, and customer-focused innovation.

In his new role, Borley will report directly to Carleen Gray, CEO of GroupeSTAHL Inc., and will lead all initiatives across the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region in support of the overall vision directed by GroupeSTAHL. His leadership spans STAHLS’ UK, STAHLS’ EU, STAHLS’ TPT, and all affiliated divisions and distributors throughout the EMEA markets.

“Martin has proven to be a steady and thoughtful leader. He understands our vision and how to execute,” said Gray in a press statement. “Under his leadership, STAHLS’ EMEA will accelerate our mission of Global Brand Unity, ensuring our customers and partners benefit from seamless decoration and fulfillment experiences driven by our STAHLS ’Fulfill Engine platform.”

“I’m incredibly honored to take on this role at such a dynamic time for STAHLS’ and for the EMEA region,” Borley tells Apparelist. “My top priority is to ensure we remain a trusted, reliable partner for every customer we serve, no matter where they are or how they operate. That means strengthening our hybrid model across the region blending direct operations with distributor partnerships and using our Fulfill Engine platform to bring faster service, smarter solutions, and more localized support to market.”

Borley’s appointment comes as STAHLS’ evolves from that distributor-only model toward a hybrid business strategy, integrating direct operations with strong distributor partnerships, the company said in the press release. He will play a pivotal role in expanding a unified, technology-enabled decoration and fulfillment network throughout the region.

“Across EMEA, we’re seeing a clear rise in demand for speed, flexibility, and print-on-demand production,” says Borley. “Whether it’s customization at scale, shorter delivery windows, or sustainable materials, decorators are being asked to do more, faster with fewer resources. … We’re investing in local production and fulfilment locations, growing our product lines with eco-conscious choices, and making our technology and training more accessible.”

Currently, STAHLS’ has operations in five countries and an expanding network of decorating partners.