MERZ was founded in Hechingen in 1900 as a mechanical workshop by Mr. Carl Merz. At the beginning service and repair works on SINGER sewing machines and bicycles had been executed. Shortly after the foundation MERZ started building circular loop wheel machines.

After the Second World War MERZ started to produce double-cylinder circular knitting machines for the production of socks. The very first MERZ double-cylinder circular knitting machine was delivered in 1948. At the beginning of the fifties a circular knitting machine for the production of nylon stockings was developed and such kind of machines were delivered to customers from 1955 on.

In 1962 the company moved to the Haigerlocher Straße which today still is the company's site. To this day circular knitting machines for fine ladies' hosiery are being produced; in particular fully electronic, 4-feed reciprocating machines. From early 1970 on the company more and more specialized in the development and manufacturing of circular knitting machines for the production of medical stockings and today is the leader in this market segment worldwide.

In 2000 a joint-venture company was formed, the Merz Maschinenfabrik GmbH, together with MAYER & CIE, Tailfingen. The purpose of this new company is to reinforce the existing production program and to develop new knitting machines for various markets.