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A colourful team

Ortovox – behind the scenes

10 minutes read
Behind every company are people. Rarely though are they so united as is found at Ortovox. Bergzeit visits the company in Taufkirchen, Germany.
Viola (l.) and Tine with a sheep that seems to pop up everywhere. Why work at Ortovox? Viola: "It's great to bring your passion for the mountains into your professional life and the team is just awesome.." | Photo: Bergzeit
Viola (l.) and Tine with a sheep that seems to pop up everywhere. Why work at Ortovox? Viola: “It’s great to bring your passion for the mountains into your professional life and the team is just awesome.” | Photo: Bergzeit

Simpatico, colorful, sporty, friendly, competent – all adjectives that buzz through my head as I depart Ortovox’s German headquarters in southern Bavaria. My intended short visit at Ortovox ended in me spending an entire morning with the fun team that make up this vibrant company. A team – from product development to the repairs workshop, from the feel-good office-manager to the CEO, that all appear to have a passion for their product as well as for the mountains.

An afternoon spent with Ortovox

Viola and Tine accompany me through the building. This label that makes mountain safety, protective equipment and alpine sport apparel made from wool, houses all its departments here under one roof. The team has approximately 40 employees, still a manageable size. The foreseeable future however, will more than likely see this office space bursting at the seams: Ortovox is growing. “Three years ago we were half the capacity that we are today,” says Tine, in Customer Service. Nevertheless, it’s all still intimate and has an almost family feel to it – almost daily, you’ll find homemade cakes at the minibar and there’s plenty of humor to be served with it. “I have a bunch of nice people around me, all pulling together” Tine explains as a few of the reasons she likes working at Ortovox. “I also stand fully behind the products and the company’s philosophy.” Who are the people behind Ortovox? And what are their product claims?

“We at Ortovox are the most critical testers of our products” (Didi, product developer hardwear)

The first person I meet is Didi Kotlaba, head of product development hardwear. He is responsible for avalanche beacons, avalanche probes, shovels and backpacks. I’m curious how new Ortovox products arise. “The beginning always starts with an idea,” explains Didi. “We work together with professionals from safety sectors an example being alpine rescue teams, mountain guides and also with extreme athletes such as freeriders and climbers. Our team is always full of new ideas.” It’s then up to the product developers to come up with something useful out of the ideas that are put to the table (meaning functional and affordable and not too heavy) and develop a prototype.

The hardwear team with Markus, Didi and Max. On working at Ortovox. Didi comments:"Amazing team. It's a super exciting challenge to develop products that contribute to safety in the mountains.." | Photo: Bergzeit
The hardwear team with Markus, Didi and Max. Working at Ortovox. Didi comments:”Amazing team. It’s a super exciting challenge to develop products that contribute to safety in the mountains..” | Photo: Bergzeit

The most important phase comes next: Out into the mountains for testing. This is done with the product developers together with athletes and a test team, however Ortovox colleagues are usually diligently involved. A backpack is taken out for a weekend of ski touring or an afternoon hike. This validates strong points in the production of an item or highlights what changes need to be made. As Didi explains “The things that annoy you on a Sunday ski, are the first thing you change on Monday morning”.

When asked what they were currently working on, the product developers replied: “There are several promising avalanche safety equipment products in the pipeline at present, however it’s our philosophy to refine them to the last detail before they hit the market… we’ll have to wait one or two more seasons yet probably.”

“Wool is our DNA.  We now however rely on both high-tech and nature” (Thomas, product developer, textile)

The latest cuts are worked on - the Mountain Wear development team with Thomas (r.) at work. "You are what you wear. The ethical Ortovox designs correspond with my own convictions. We also have fun and I have great colleagues." (Thomas) | Photo: Bergzeit
The latest cuts are worked on – the Mountain Wear development team with Thomas (r.) at work. “You are what you wear. The ethical Ortovox designs correspond with my own convictions. We also have fun and I have great colleagues.” (Thomas) | Photo: Bergzeit

My next stop is located in the basement. “This is our creative area”, mentions Viola. Judging from the aromas wafting through, I’m also betting that the kitchen is also to be found down here (more on that later though). We walk into a realm of textile developers who are gathered around a large table with fabric patterns and color schemes. This is where the latest merino wool trends emerge. No longer simply pure wool, as Thomas Moe, head of clothing product development explains “We use merino wool everywhere that we find makes sense, however when it comes to protection, it’s sometimes better to work with synthetics.”

In the end, the key is a right combination of synthetic fibers and natural material. “When it comes to demanding alpine sports wear, we have to be able to find the balancing act between durability and light weight. Merino wool has tremendous climate properties, but is not particularly tear-resistant, especially in its thinner structures.” That’s why attentive development to blended fibers is being worked on at Ortovox. “Our reference point is always the mountains,” adds Thomas. “With a new product, we go into the mountains with numerous questions and come back again with around 20 answers! If we believe that something is good, then we test it and see if it performs well.” Small company, quick decision making – even this innovativeness sets Ortovox apart.

“If it’s possible it’ll be repaired” (Martina, repair services and concerns)

Martina repairs what she can. For example, when a laminated pocket peels away. | Photo: Bergzeit
Martina repairs what she can. For example, when a laminated pocket peels away. | Photo: Bergzeit

Imaginative and competence is found next door with Martina Wolgast-Klaus.If a customer has a product concern, then the product usually lands in her lap in the repairs section. An array of repairs are made here ranging anywhere from a broken backpack buckle that needs replacing, to an undone seam, to re-laminating pockets – an important contribution to the longevity of Ortovox products.

“If one were to consider the costs and expense, it would often be cheaper to replace the product. But if it’s at all possible, I’ll fix it anyway,” says Martina. Just about anything is repairable except for broken shovel handles and holes in merino clothing. That’s where the framework of the two-year warranty comes in. Even so, nothing is thrown away.” explains the trained synthetic and heavy duty fabric expert. If the garment can’t be saved by the repair service (for example, the material is too worn), this doesn’t mean that its days are numbered. Such garments may for example be passed on to refugees.

Customer issues aren’t always about a problem in production or technology defect. “You’d be surprised at the number of people that purchase an expensive jacket and think that it will care for itself,” says Tine. “However it’s precisely these expensive and high-quality products such as hardshell jackets that require the correct care products. Many customers don’t even bother to read the washing instructions and are then surprised that their deluxe investment has been ruined, simply because they’ve washed it at 60 degrees. Our products are absolutely worth their price although attention to care instructions should be adhered to.”

“People sit here, not machines” (Madeleine, quality management)

In the sewing department I’m introduced to Madeleine Stein, the material expert at Ortovox and responsible for quality control during production. The clothing technician takes me into her test lab, where she places hardshell materials to wool jersey fabric under the microscope. Abrasion, piling, color fastness, shrinkage, waterproofness – at regular intervals she tests the quality of the fabrics that have been sent from a variety of manufacturers.

Madeleine at work in the material testing lab. This is where material is weighed according to quality standard. | Photo: Bergzeit
Madeleine at work in the material testing lab. This is where material is weighed according to quality standard. | Photo: Bergzeit

When she’s not testing in the lab, Madeleine can be found making quality spot checks in the production facilities – Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary or occasionally in Vietnam. “Mostly inline inspections are done, meaning I randomly choose a piece in the production line and carry out a final quality control check,” she informs me. “The aim is to prevent complaints by finding errors that could cause problems to the customer later.” And if an error is found? “Then it’s rectified on the spot, or if it relates to an entire line, re-produced.” Mistakes can always happen, after all, these are people sitting there, not machines. “Sometimes there are processing problems, for which we must find a solution. Sometimes I even sit at a machine and explain a few things,” says Madeleine.

 “Ortovox is doing its homework” (Katrin, corporate social responsibility)

For my questions relating to transparency and accountability in production, I seek out Katrin Bauer in her office. She is responsible for Ortovox and Group partners Deuter for implementing the guidelines of the Fair Wear Foundation, which joined the company in July 2015. “Fair Wear stands for a stable supplier relationship, taking a deeper look into its own supply chain and to question its own production processes,” explains Katrin. This sounds simple enough, however it’s quite complicated in its detail: “The supply chains are incredibly complex, as many internal processes need to be changed.” This doesn’t happen overnight. The whole team was recently presented with the guidelines of the Fair Wear Foundation and little by little the changes are being made.

Katrin joined Ortovox in July 2015. This is when the company joined the Fair Wear Foundation: "I find it exciting to work for such a dynamic company, where sustainability is important." | Photo: Bergzeit
Katrin joined Ortovox in July 2015. This is when the company joined the Fair Wear Foundation: “I find it exciting to work for such a dynamic company, where sustainability is important.” | Photo: Bergzeit

Even with merino wool employees transparency is important. The majority of the wool comes from Tasmanian sheep farms, which an Ortovox team of 5 members currently visited this year. “The quantity of wool that we purchase compared to other companies, is tiny.” mentions Katrin. “Meaning we have fewer option influences than other companies. Nevertheless, the few that we have, we make the most of; maintaining contact with the farmers is one of them. This way, we get a mutual gauge of what’s important to us and to them.” This results in higher costs, obviously. “However it’s important that we are proud of our products,” says textile development manager Thomas. “This way we gladly sell our products to our customers. For me, basement prices and animal welfare regulations don’t match up.”

“People come first” (Christian, CEO)

CEO Christian (with Bergzeit editor Franziska) is almost an Ortovox veteran: "Simply because I follow the inner voice of the mountains, and have been for almost 15 years." | Photo: Bergzeit
CEO Christian (with Bergzeit editor Franziska) is almost an Ortovox veteran: “Simply because I follow the inner voice of the mountains, and have been for almost 15 years.” | Photo: Bergzeit

Christian has been part of the company mainstay for almost 15 years. Four years ago he took over the helm. As to the current growth of the company, he says: “For me it is clear that businesses need to grow, but only up to a certain size – similar to nature, in which there is growth only up to an optimum size.” In recent years, one particular decision has affected the growth of Ortovox: to abandon the stipulation that only clothing made from 100 percent wool be offered. By combining wool with synthetic materials, Ortovox has successfully expanded its wool expertise into second and third layers of clothing.

Responsible for this, of course, are the employees who are passionately behind the products. “People come first place for me at Ortovox,” says Christian. And of course, people are in the foreground when it comes to product development: “We want to make products that support alpine experiences together with friends”, says the CEO.

The daily lunchtime highlight and other team rituals

Lilo, the heart and soul of the office is responsible for the welfare of the Ortovox teams - especially in culinary terms. "I've been at Ortovox for 11 years. Why? Well, I need the money! In fact, it's fun for me to cook for everyone here" | Photo: Bergzeit
Lilo, the heart and soul of the office is responsible for the welfare of the Ortovox team – especially in culinary terms. “I’ve been at Ortovox for 11 years. Why? Well, I need the money! In fact, it’s fun for me to cook for everyone here” | Photo: Bergzeit

Anyone who thinks that the Ortovox team is to be found only in the mountains, outside of office hours, is mistaken: Visits to the theater and other cultural events are regularly on the events program, as well as twice weekly company sporting activity.

A particularly important position within the team is Lilo: The happy-go-lucky office-manager at Ortovox that conjures up freshly cooked menus on a daily basis and that for the whole team. Right on 12 0′ clock there’s a stream of employees to be seen flowing downwards toward the kitchen – including me today. Just before we head down for one of Lilo’s meals, I catch yet another glimpse of an Ortovox office ritual: Two colleagues are being serenaded for their birthdays. Over our delicious lunch, I’m pleasantly surprised to discover that even these enthusiastic mountaineers don’t restrict their conversation to shop talk – they are just as passionate to talk about other topics, such as football. “The most important strategic decisions are made in the kitchen”, CEO Christian tells me, between cake and pudding. As I mentioned at the start, a true simpatico.

 

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