From a bold vision to a pioneer of innovation and sustainability

Tettnang, 06.05.2024 - The term "outdoor" did not yet exist when Albrecht von Dewitz founded the company in 1974. Today, VAUDE is one of Europe's leading outdoor brands in a market that the family business from Tettnang has successfully helped to shape. VAUDE has repeatedly set new standards and made outdoor history with legendary products, from the first dome wall tent "Space" to ultra-light high-tech equipment and functional clothing made from innovative recycled or bio-based materials. The strong pioneering spirit that has driven this groundbreaking product development and produced many outstanding milestones can still be felt everywhere at VAUDE today. Since Antje von Dewitz took over the management of the company from her father in 2009, VAUDE has broken new ground as a sustainability pioneer and attracted attention with sustainable and innovative new products as well as visionary business models.

VAUDE enjoys great recognition beyond the outdoor industry for its commitment. The family-owned company was recently honored with the prestigious German Sustainability Award 2024 as Germany's most sustainable textile company - a special award to mark its 50th anniversary.

Outstanding product innovations for a better quality of life

The mountain in the VAUDE logo symbolizes the high demands the outdoor brand places on its products. "It inspires us to constantly improve the quality and durability of our equipment. We develop products for life that guarantee sustainable quality and durability. It is important to us to meet needs precisely and contribute to people's quality of life," explains Antje von Dewitz. With the "Space" tent, VAUDE launched the first double-walled dome tent on the market in 1983, which could be set up very quickly thanks to innovative pole channels. in 1986 came the Tergoflex carrying system, the first generation of backpacks with a plastic frame that could be individually adjusted to body size. the legendary Lhasa jacket followed in 1987 as the initial spark for the double jacket segment, which is still successful today. From 1988, the "Mark" tents conquered the market with their innovative wrap-around construction. in 1992, production of the high-frequency welded, waterproof Aqua bike bags began at the Tettnang site, which was continuously expanded and modernized. Today, VAUDE continues to lead the way with outstanding product innovations: ergonomic seat pads for cycling shorts, which offer the perfect fit for all areas of use thanks to many years of research; the world's first seamless ultralight tents or the lightweight "Trail Spacer" backpack with a knitted back for maximum comfort. VAUDE shows how the ecological footprint can be minimized in product development with a series of sustainable innovations: "ReCycle Back", the first bike bag made from recycled material, functional trekking pants made from recycled old tire polyamide or the first bio-based polyester fleece made from wood fibers. in 2023, VAUDE is developing Rethink products made from mono-material that can be recycled into new textiles, proving itself to be a pioneer in the circular economy.

50 years of commitment to the Tettnang site in southern Germany

When Albrecht von Dewitz started selling mountaineering equipment as a one-man business in 1974, he laid the foundations for an outstanding success story. in 1980, the company building in Tettnang-Obereisenbach was built and at the same time the company's own production facility was established at the site, where bicycle bags, rucksacks and bags "Made in Germany" are still manufactured today. Other product segments followed - tents, sleeping bags, sleeping mats, clothing, etc. - so that by the end of the 1980s VAUDE was able to offer a complete range of high-quality outdoor equipment. in 1992, VAUDE founded the Bike division, which today includes a complete range of bike accessories from backpacks and bike bags to functional clothing for all cycling enthusiasts. VAUDE has always been committed to the Tettnang site, which has been continuously expanded and strengthened, whether through the construction of a new logistics center (2010), the complete sustainability-certified conversion of the company building (2015) or the construction of the new production hall for the manufactory (2017).

Becoming a pioneer with courage and a pioneering spirit

"50 years ago, outdoor was not yet an issue," reports Albrecht von Dewitz, who already recognized at the time that people would be increasingly drawn to nature and the mountains and would need the right equipment for this. Although his idea was met with skepticism, he stood up for his convictions and founded VAUDE - he used the initials of his surname for the brand name. The urge to break new ground and not be deterred by challenges, but to find solutions, is just as alive at VAUDE today as it was back then. The strong awareness of ecological and social issues was also firmly anchored from the very beginning. With this attitude, VAUDE has established itself as a pioneer in the development of innovative products and sustainable business models - and the company has always been ahead of its time.

As early as 1994, VAUDE launched the Ecolog Recycling Network, which made it possible for the first time to recycle 100 percent of functional outdoor clothing. in 2010, VAUDE introduced its own sustainability label "Green Shape", as there was no overarching ecological textile label on the market - a significant milestone in sustainable product development. Green Shape, which now applies to around 80 percent of the entire VAUDE collection, is based on the strictest standards, is constantly being further developed and was recently recommended by Greenpeace as the best sustainability label of all textile manufacturers. Since 2019, the state seal "Grüner Knopf" has also applied to the majority of VAUDE products. VAUDE is also an absolute pioneer when it comes to climate strategy. in 2008, VAUDE was the first outdoor company to have its environmental management certified according to EMAS. Since 2019, the company has voluntarily committed to ambitious science-based climate targets (Science Based Targets Initiative) and is working with the highest priority to reduce global CO2 emissions by at least half by 2030 and to achieve Net Zero by 2040. VAUDE also broke new ground in 2020 with the founding of the VAUDE Academy for Sustainable Business, which supports other organizations in building sustainability expertise.

Strong together

VAUDE has always been committed to joint engagement. VAUDE was instrumental in setting up the international trade fair OutDoor, which was first held in Friedrichshafen in 1994, as well as in the founding of the industry association European Outdoor Group (EOG). "This established the term outdoor and strengthened the sense of unity," recalls Albrecht von Dewitz. VAUDE attaches great importance to good partnerships with suppliers, specialist retailers, regional players, science, etc. and is actively involved in associations, NGOs, initiatives and political bodies. "Together, we can develop solutions to global challenges and drive change. Through cooperation, we have achieved major milestones in the industry and beyond, whether in global climate protection, social standards in the global supply chain or the avoidance of harmful substances such as PFAS," reports Antje von Dewitz. VAUDE has been committed to fair working conditions in the global textile industry as a member of Fair Wear since 2010 - with leader status since 2015. As a founding member of the "Alliance for Sustainable Textiles", VAUDE has actively contributed to the existence of the state textile seal "Grüner Knopf" since 2019.

At the Tettnang site, the culture of trust forms the basis for strong and respectful cooperation. VAUDE attaches great importance to diversity and quality of life for its 650 employees, for example by offering flexible working time models, mobile working and in-house childcare. "Our responsibility towards the environment and people is deeply rooted in our corporate culture," says Antje von Dewitz.

Committed to a future worth living: 30% reduction in CO2 emissions

VAUDE not only develops products, but also increasingly services and sustainable solutions that create quality of life and further reduce the ecological footprint, such as care and repair offers, the rental service VAUDE Rent or the new second-hand online store. In this way, VAUDE wants to ensure that products remain in use for longer and thus conserve resources.

VAUDE has set itself the goal of growing without using resources and has reached a major milestone: The outdoor brand was able to reduce its global CO2 emissions by 30 percent in 2023 compared to 2019, while sales grew by 32 percent during this period. VAUDE is thus demonstrating that it is possible to grow successfully while reducing resource consumption and CO2 emissions. "This is a great achievement by our entire team, which shows us that together we can counteract climate change," says Antje von Dewitz. "We look forward to new exciting challenges and solutions for a good future for us and future generations."