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Mammut Sports Group

Mammut Sports Group AG
Company typeAktiengesellschaft
IndustryClothing, mountaineering equipment
Founded1862 (1862) in Dintikon, Switzerland
FounderKaspar Tanner
Headquarters
Seon, Aargau
,
Switzerland
Key people
Heiko Schäfer
(Chairman of the Management Board)[1]
Products
  • Barryvox
  • Eiger Collection
  • Core Protect Rope
RevenueCHF 253.4 million (2018)[2]
Number of employees
ca. 800 (2024)[3]
ParentTelemos Capital
Websitemammut.com

Mammut Sports Group AG (formerly also Arova-Mammut AG, Mammut AG) is a Swiss manufacturer of clothing and equipment for alpine sports such as climbing, snow sports and trail running as well as trekking. The company was originally founded in 1862 as a ropemaker and has been part of the investment company Telemos Capital since 2021.[4]

History

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Outdoor jacket by Mammut, 2018
Mammut climbing harnesses, 2018

19th and 20th century

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The company was founded in 1862 by Kaspar Tanner in the Swiss village Dintikon as a ropery[5] and moved to nearby Lenzburg in 1878. In 1898, Kaspar's son Oscar took over the company, which grew significantly in the following decades, particularly during World War I. From 1919, the company bore the name Seilwarenfabrik AG Lenzburg. Oscar Tanner left the company in 1924.[6]

From 1943, the products of Seilwarenfabrik AG Lenzburg were marketed under the brand Mammut; during the rebranding, the mammoth (German word: Mammut) was introduced as the company logo.[5][6] In 1968, the Swiss Heberlein Group took over the company and renamed it Arova Lenzburg AG.[6] The Heberlein Group sold Arova Lenzburg AG to the Swiss conglomerate Conzzeta in 1982,[7] who renamed it Arova Mammut AG in 1984 and moved its seat to Seon, Switzerland, in 1992, where the company has been based ever since.[6]

When the original core business of the ropery fell into a crisis and comparable rope factories closed, the company gradually developed into a manufacturer of outdoor clothing in the 1970s and 1980s. The first outdoor collection by the company was launched in 1981.[6][8] In 1989, the backpack manufacturer Fürst was acquired.[9]

21st century

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In the new millennium, the company, which has been using the name Mammut Sports Group AG since 2003,[6] took over a number of other companies and increased international activities. Since 2001, Ajungilak, a Norwegian manufacturer of sleeping bags, has been part of the Mammut Sports Group. On April 1, 2003, the group also took over the Swiss shoe manufacturer and developer of notable products, such as the Raichle Flexon snow boots, Raichle Sportartikel [de], founded in 1909.[10] Raichle then covered the mountain, trekking, hiking and multifunctional footwear submarkets within the Mammut Sports Group. In spring 2009, the Raichle brand was discontinued in favor of a uniform brand identity, and the products have been marketed under the Mammut brand since then.[11][12] On July 1, 2011, the Mammut Sports Group took over the company Snowpulse, a manufacturer of avalanche airbags.[13]

A report in the Handelszeitung ranked the company among the "Hidden champions" in 2008.[14]

The central distribution warehouse of the Mammut Sports Group was located in Memmingen until the end of 2012. The distribution center had to be expanded several times due to the company's expansion. In late 2012, the new central distribution warehouse in Wolfertschwenden near Memmingen was occupied,[15] and the company's logistics were also relocated from Seon to Wolfertschwenden.[16]

In 2016, the Mammut Sports Group closed its rope production in Seon due to the strong Swiss franc and the resulting high production costs in Switzerland.[17] The facilities for the production of mountain ropes were sold to the Austrian company Teufelberger.[18]

In December 2019, Conzzeta announced its intention to divest the Mammut Sports Group. The reason given by Conzzeta was to focus more strongly on its core business, sheet metal processing.[19] In April 2021, it was announced that the Mammut Sports Group would be sold to the London-based investment company Telemos Capital,[20] whose founder and president is Philippe Jacobs of the Jacobs family.[21] The completion of the sale was announced on June 30, 2021.[22]

In 2023, the Mammut Sports Group expanded its business activities to South Korea, a further expansion of the company's Asia business after China and Japan.[23] Since 2024, Mammut has been managing the Austrian market as a direct sales company after the indirect sales company Mammut Sports Group Austria GmbH was discontinued. From fall 2024, the Austrian market will be covered by a newly founded subsidiary; this is already the case in countries such as Switzerland and Germany.[24]

Products and brands

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Sign of Mammut's Munich Flagship store

The Mammut brand produces outdoor clothing, backpacks, sleeping bags, climbing ropes and climbing harnesses.[25] Climbing equipment and accessories account for around a third of sales. The outdoor clothing is suitable for mountain sports, hiking, skiing, trail running and other activities.[4] Mammut's Eiger Extreme Collection is geared towards the conditions of extreme mountaineering and was developed in collaboration with professional athletes.[26]

The company also offers avalanche transceivers under the Barryvox brand.[27] In addition to the main Mammut brand, the Mammut Sports Group also included Ajungilak (sleeping bags), Lucido (headlamps) and Raichle (shoes) as independent brands. The company now only carries Mammut as its main brand (for example, Raichle was discontinued around 2009).[11]

A number of Mammut products received the ISPO Award at the Internationale Fachmesse für Sportartikel und Sportmode (ISPO) in 2023 and 2024.[28][29][30]

Company structure

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Mammut's German headquarters in Wolfertschwenden

The Mammut Sports Group belongs to the London-based investment firm Telemos Capital as a private equity company.[31][32] The company is based in Seon, Switzerland, while the central distribution warehouse for Europe is located in Wolfertschwenden in Bavaria.[33]

The Mammut Sports Group employs around 800 people and is active in over 40 countries through subsidiaries, distributors, and agencies.[23] It operates a number of flagship stores internationally, as well as a factory outlet at its headquarters in Seon.[34]

Corporate responsibility and sponsorship

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In 2010, the non-governmental organization Public Eye compared the standards of working conditions in production countries by means of surveys and internet research among 77 fashion labels. Mammut Sports Group AG was classified in the category Advanced, the best of five categories.[35] The Mammut Sports Group is a member of the Fair Wear Foundation and has been recognized by it several times for supply chain transparency.[36]

According to the company, it has set itself the goal of eliminating environmentally harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances[37] from their supply chains until 2025.[38] In 2021, the Mammut Sports Group received the National German Sustainability Award for a circular economy project.[39] The company declared the achievement of its own carbon dioxide targets in 2024 to be relevant for the amount of bonuses.[40]

In 2024, the Mammut Sports Group dressed the German sport climbing team at the 2024 Summer Olympics as part of a sponsorship deal.[41] The Mammut Sports Group also sponsors professional athletes in the disciplines skiing, climbing, and mountaineering, including Ai Mori, Adam Ondra, Jérémie Heitz, Jakob Schubert, Stephan Siegrist [de] and Nadine Wallner [de] as of 2024.[42] At the same time, the athletes are implemented to test the company's products under extreme conditions.[26]

References

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  1. ^ Marc Bürgi, Tina Fischer (2022-11-07). "Neuer CEO Heiko Schäfer: 'Mammut wird keine Fashion-Marke'". Handelszeitung (in German). Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  2. ^ "Geschäftsbericht 2018" (PDF). Bystronic (vormals Conzetta) (in German). Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  3. ^ "Mammut belohnt Mitarbeitende für erreichte Klimaziele". Mammut (in German). 2024-04-22. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  4. ^ a b Alexander Graf (2023-03-16). "Heiko Schäfer: CEO Mammut". Kassenzone (in German). Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  5. ^ a b Sébastian Lavoyer (2021-04-28). "Trotz Verkauf: Das Herz der Traditionsfirma Mammut bleibt in Seon – der Blick zurück, als alles begann". Aargauer Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Ruth Steiner (2016-07-16). "Hier produziert Mammut das letzte Stück Seil in der Schweiz". Aargauer Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  7. ^ Giorgio V. Müller, Thomas Schürpf (2021-04-26). "Eine Jacobs-Firma übernimmt die Outdoor-Sport-Marke Mammut". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  8. ^ Christian Kandlin (2024-07-04). "Aus Aargau zum Everest". Schuhkurier (Magazin). p. 34.
  9. ^ "'Wir waren zu hoch am Berg'". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). 2003-08-27. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  10. ^ "Mammut zieht sich Raichle-Schuhe". Textilwirtschaft. 2003-01-22. Archived from the original on 2015-06-09. Retrieved 2020-08-22.
  11. ^ a b "Mammut: Raichle wird zu Mamm". Textilwirtschaft. 2008-06-10. Archived from the original on 2015-06-09. Retrieved 2020-08-22.
  12. ^ "No More Raichle Boots". Outdoors Magic. Archived from the original on 2009-03-26. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
  13. ^ "Mammut übernimmt Snowpulse". bergsteigen.com (in German). 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  14. ^ "Weltklasse aus kleinsten Nischen". Handelszeitung (in German). 2008-01-15. Archived from the original on 2009-07-05. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  15. ^ Udo Rogowsky, Bernd Maienschein (2013-06-14). "Mammut stößt in ein neues Logistikzeitalter vor". MM Logistik (in German). Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  16. ^ "Seon: Mammut verlegt Logistik vom Aargau ins Allgäu". St. Galler Tagblatt (in German). 2012-05-20. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  17. ^ "Frankenstärke: Mammut gibt Seilherstellung auf". Handelszeitung (in German). 2015-09-28. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  18. ^ Pascal Meier (2015-09-28). "Mammut produziert nur noch im Ausland: 'Wir müssen handeln'". Aargauer Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  19. ^ "Schweizer Outdoorfirma: Mammut wird verkauft". Der Spiegel (in German). 2019-12-09. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
  20. ^ "Schweizer Outdoor-Marke Mammut wird britisch". Die Presse (in German). 2021-04-26. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  21. ^ "Conzetta verkauft Mammut". Handelszeitung (in German). 2021-04-26. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  22. ^ "Strategische Transformation vollendet – Verkauf von Mammut vollzogen". Bystronic (in German). 2021-06-30. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  23. ^ a b "Mammut expandiert nach Südkorea". Watson (in German). 2023-11-13. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  24. ^ "Mammut führt österreichischen Markt als direkte Vertriebsgesellschaft". SAZsport (in German). 2024-04-11. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  25. ^ "160 Jahre Mammut – Von der Seilerei zur Outdoor-Marke". Mammut (in German). Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  26. ^ a b "Mammut "Eiger Extreme": Neudefinition des Extremen". Red Bull (in German). 2017-09-28. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  27. ^ "ISPO Award Winner: Mammut Barryvox S2". ISPO (in German). 2023-10-24. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  28. ^ Martina Wengenmeir (2024-05-28). "ISPO Award Winner 2024: Mammut 9.5 Alpine Core Protect Dry Rope". ISPO (in German). Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  29. ^ Andi Spies (2023-10-30). "ISPO Award Winner: Mammut Haute Route Skitourenhelm". ISPO (in German). Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  30. ^ Martina Wengenmeir (2024-05-27). "ISPO Award Winner 2024: Mammut Aenergy Ultra Mid/Low GTX Wanderschuh". ISPO (in German). Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  31. ^ "Mammut wird von britischer Firma aufgekauft". Nau (in German). 2021-04-27. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  32. ^ Mara Javorovic (2023). "'Ein wichtiger Prozess, durch den wir gegangen sind'". Textilwirtschaft (in German). Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  33. ^ Elke Sieper (2011-06-01). "Mammut baut europäisches Zentrallager". Textilwirtschaft (in German). Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  34. ^ Janine Gloor (2017-08-08). "Outdoorhändler Mammut will keine Rabatte mehr". Aargauer Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  35. ^ "Hippe Label – unfaire Produktion". Tages-Anzeiger (in German). 2010-11-14. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
  36. ^ "Fair Wear Foundation: Mammut erhält erneut FWF-Leader Status". Alpin.de (in German). 2017. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  37. ^ "Greenpeace protestierte bei Mammut-Hauptsitz in Seon". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (in German). 2016-02-17. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  38. ^ "Mammut Update zu einer PFC-freien Produktion". soq.de (in German). 2019-07-19. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  39. ^ Rachel Pechholz (2021-07-21). "Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis für Projekt der Outdoor-Marke Mammut". Utopia.de (in German). Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  40. ^ Daniel Vizentini (2024-04-25). "Klimabonus bei Mammut: 'Sehen Auswirkungen des Klimawandels mit eigenen Augen'". Aargauer Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  41. ^ "Das olympische Kletterjahr 2024 ist gestartet – Einkleidung des Climbing Team Germany im Mammut-Basecamp". Deutscher Alpenverein (in German). 2024-01-27. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  42. ^ "Our Athletes". Mammut (in German). Retrieved 2024-09-09.

Bibliography

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