Chronicle

Company history

... or from a traditional ropeworks to a modern, advanced company for the development, manufacture and sale of ropes, netting, belts and equipment for mountaineering and outdoor pursuits.

Today

Today, the Mammut Sports Group generates 70% of its turnover abroad. Over the last twelve years, its total revenue has increased from CHF 25 million to around CHF 192.6 million. Approximately 50% of its turnover is accounted for by clothing, however climbing ropes are still an important area in which Mammut shares world leadership with one other competitor.

The ropes are still produced exclusively in Seon; as ever, "Made in Switzerland" is a guarantee of quality and reliability. As well as its long-standing tradition in the manufacture of ropes, decades of experience and the in-depth knowledge of specialists in the areas of clothing, sleeping bags, shoes and accessories, Mammut also relies to a great extent on feedback from numerous sportsmen and women, who regularly use, test and participate in the development of Mammut Sports Group equipment.

The success of recent years has been based not only on products optimally suited to the target market, but also on excellent commercial relations with the specialist trade, with extensive customer service. A not insignificant contribution to the firm's success is made by the increasing emphasis on marketing activities, such as advertising campaigns, carefully designed catalogues and the many years' cooperation with active, well-known mountaineers and related organisations.

When it comes to marketing, once again Mammut explores new paths. Following the successful viral campaign featuring 80-year old Mary Woodbridge who wanted to climb Mount Everest, the 2008 campaign revolved around the test event. With a series of eye-catching images in Mammut advertising, such as a sleep laboratory at 2,700 metres, a line of 200 people on the Eiger glacier or 30 mountain guides on the “kleines Kamel” on the Furka Pass. The individuals who appear in these images apply to take part on the website www.mammut.ch/basecamp and are enlisted by the Swiss mountain sports equipment company for a complete test weekend and photo shoot.

This is how a small, traditional family business developed to become a modern, innovative company, numbered among the major players in its sector. With around 300 employees, subsidiary companies in Germany, Norway, Japan and the USA, and a worldwide sales network and infrastructure that have seen substantial investment in recent years, Mammut Sports Group AG is well equipped to ascend to even greater heights.

2010

On September 1st, Mammut Sports Group AG sells the Toko brand, including all of its activities and products, to a new subsidiary of the Norwegian company Swix Sport AS.
By taking this step, Mammut Sports Group AG is underlining its intention of focusing on the outdoor sports market and its main brand MAMMUT. Swix the new brand owner, will take over the entire Toko team and operate the Toko business out of Altstätten (Switzerland), Toko’s former home.

2009

Der langjährige Schuhhersteller Raichle wird zu Mammut. Die 100-jährigen Schuhkompetenz geht aber nicht verloren und existiert als offizielles Technologie-Label von Mammut weiter.

Mammut’s third store in Germany opened in the capital Berlin, below the subway arch on Alexanderplatz.

The world’s biggest Mammut store, with a sales area of 300 m2, opened in the Swiss city of Zurich in the middle of 2009.

Following on from Tokyo, Mammut opened its second Japanese store in Kobe.

Mammut also opened a store in the Japanese winter sports paradise of Sapporo.

The third Mammut store opened in the centre of Regensburg in 2009.

The fourth Mammut store opened its doors in Sendai City, Japan.

A Mammut store also opened in central Switzerland. Mammut products can now be purchased in Lucerne’s old town.

Another Mammut store is waiting to be discovered, next to the Zytglogge clock tower in the centre of the Swiss capital Berne.

2008

From January 2008, Mammut ropes became climate-neutral.

Following on from its success in Kempten, Mammut opened its second store in Germany in Bad Tölz.

The first Mammut store in Japan opened its doors in the metropolis of Tokyo.

2007

Mammut took over the Lucido® brand from Invia Sportartikel Vertriebs GmbH, Eurasburg (Germany). Lucido® leads the way in lamp technology, producing innovative, high-quality headlamps and torches; it therefore fits in perfectly with the Mammut Sports Group AG portfolio. We will be concentrating on the development of the headlamps, once again expanding the excellent range we offer in the outdoor pursuits sector. Lucido® product management and development will be integrated into the Swiss head office of the Mammut Sports Group AG, from where further development will be coordinated.

The first Mammut Store was opened in the centre of Kempten in Germany

In 2007, Mammut opened another store in Basle.

2006

It was not only with its products that the Mammut Sports Group AG attracted attention. The publicity campaign centred around Mary Woodbridge in the summer of 2006 was a major marketing success, and has been rewarded with numerous international marketing awards. The story of the 85-year-old British lady and her intention to climb Everest with her daschund Daisy was the subject of headlines in newspapers, forums, radio and online news portals around the world. With this unusual advertising campaign, Mammut drew the attention of mountaineers all over the world to the quality of its equipment. In a global viral and cross-media campaign, the Swiss mountain sports gear manufacturer warned climbers that good material could cause loss of common sense - as in the case of the 85-year old star of the campaign, who bought a Mammut jacket and suddenly wanted to climb Mount Everest.
The campaign was honoured with numerous awards - Mary was given the Swiss advertising film award (EDI Award), the Swiss Marketing Trophy, the Crossmedia Award, the Epica Award, the ADC in Switzerland, ADC bronze in Germany and silver at the New York Festival.

On 1 July 2006, a new sales organisation "Mammut Sports Group Benelux BV" was started, further strengthening the focus on the countries of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Since 1988, the market in the Benelux countries has been in the capable hands of present-day managing directors Ron and Deborah van der Brugge, who introduced the distribution of Mammut Sports Group throughout Benelux and now work even more closely with the headquarters in Seon.

In the 2006 winter season, Mammut presented a unique, unprecedented avalanche rescue device (LVS). The PULSE Barryvox®, given the IPSO Outdoor Award and the Volvo Design Award, boasts refined technology and is easy extremely easy to use. The graphic display, a permanent 360-degree direction indicator and the transfer of essential data facilitate the quick, easy and effective location of avalanche victims.

In the winter of 2006, the Swiss mountain gear manufacturer directed the spotlight onto its popular Mammut Extreme line with eight fully revised articles of clothing and a new rucksack collection in the characteristic orange/ink colour combination. The eight latest Extreme garments, incorporating the latest materials, designs and manufacturing technologies, with all manner of features and details, were as usual developed in close cooperation with our sponsored athletes. The collection consists of four jackets and trousers, combining 2- and 3 layers of GORE-TEX® with Soft shell and Hybrid. All jackets have a new style hood solution, the Mammut Advanced Periphery Hood. The M.A.P hood does not restrict the field of vision even when the head is turned. All mountain jackets offer additional protection with their longer length backs. It goes without saying that all the Extreme jackets have numerous pockets, under-arm ventilation, chin protection and many other practical features.

2003

In April 2003, Mammut finally took over the renowned Swiss mountain and trekking shoe brand, Raichle. This firm, originally based in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland, had been taken over in 1995 by Austrian ski specialists Kneissl und Friends. The take-over by Mammut brought Raichle back to Switzerland, ideally rounding off the company's range in the mountain sports and outdoor pursuits sectors. Frauenfeld, Switzerland is still the location for the product management and technology centre. The logistics, sales and communications departments are run from the main headquarters in Seon.
Following these take-overs, Mammut AG changed its name to Mammut Sports Group AG, to which the brands Mammut, Ajungilak sleeping bags, Toko wax and care products and Raichle shoes belong.

In this year, the Norwegian sleeping bag manufacturer Ajungilak celebrated its 150-year anniversary. The company can look back on a long tradition, marked by numerous historic events and innovations. Their sleeping bags have accompanied numerous adventurers on their expeditions and have been a credit to the name which means "sleep well" in the Inuit language.

2002

In this year, two companies belonging to the Swiss Conzzeta Holding group, Mammut AG, Seon, and Toko AG, Altstätten (ski wax and care products), decided to combine their sales and logistics activities with a view to better cultivating the market jointly. The Sales (office work, field service, exports), Finance and Logistics departments were combined by 1 May 2003 in the Mammut AG premises in Seon, with the aim of benefiting from synergies in sales and logistics and to achieve a stronger presence in the international market.

2001

In this year, Mammut AG took over Norwegian sleeping bag specialists Ajungilak, expanding the range to include top-quality sleeping bags and insulating mats. Ajungilak was founded in 1855 as a company specialising in bedding, which since 1997 has concentrated on outdoor pursuits products. These, like Mammut's products, satisfied the highest possible demands, were used in the most extreme conditions and so enjoyed an outstanding image. Today, the Ajungilak brand is managed from the central headquarters in Switzerland, while in Norway the subsidiary Ajungilak SA acts in the capacity of marketing company. In 2003, the clothing line gained from the incorporation of the proven Ajungilak technology and for the first time presented jackets and bodywarmers with down and synthetic insulating fillings.

2000

At the end of 2000, Mammut AG took over the North American mountain sports and outdoor specialists Climb High, of Shelbourne (Vermont), in order to consolidate its market position in the USA. Climb High was founded in 1972 by the Austrian climber and mountaineer, Helmut Lenes, and it soon developed into the USA's largest distributor for European climbing and mountaineering equipment.

1990

Work began on the new premises in Seon (Aargau), which by 1992 were ready for the company's central administrative and production headquarters. The new headquarters extended to a volume of 106,000 m3 and an area of 21,000 m2 per storey. The complex consists of a modern office block, a fully automated high bay warehouse, an in-house distribution centre and two building sections for the full manufacturing output. At these premises, around 200 employees process and make up, market and sell 900 tonnes of textiles per annum.

In 1990, Mammut introduced to the market the first "Mammut Extreme" clothing range, which with its unique manufacturing techniques, highly innovative materials and distinctive blue/orange colour scheme, played a major part in further increasing the recognition and acceptance of the brand in the international market.

1989

In this year, Mammut established a subsidiary in Memmingen, south Germany, which is still responsible for the sale of products in Germany, Mammut's largest export market.
Mammut also acquired rucksack specialists FÜRST AG, Wädenswil, Switzerland, incorporated into AROVA-MAMMUT in 1990.

1984

The company was renamed Arova-Mammut AG, the Mammut brand having been introduced in 1943 with the motto: "The expression of excellent quality". From 1955 the name was used for a mountaineering rope - MAMMUT-Everest - which quickly became a best-seller (a rope as strong as a mammoth!).

On 1 January 1984, Arova Lenzburg AG was renamed Arova-Mammut AG. The name Mammut, which had become well-known for sports equipment, was adopted in the company name, while the name Arova, familiar to customers in industry, was also retained.

1982

Incorporation in the Swiss Zürcher Ziegeleien (ZZ) group based in Zurich - now Conzzeta.

1981

The very latest production techniques, innovative developments and products with unique quality and performance made an excellent name for Arova-Lenzburg AG on the international mountaineering scene. Numerous climbers placed their trust in the brand and Mammut products were taken with many mountaineers and climbers on the most extreme treks and expeditions. The decision was then made to concentrate on expanding the company's own brand and to make a break from former commercial partners.

The company presented its first fully developed "Mammut Collection" of clothing and sleeping bags in 1981, and by 1984 a wide range of touring jackets, climbing trousers and fleece jackets had been introduced to the market. In the mid-1980s, Mammut, together with the Swiss textile specialists Schoeller, developed the first climbing and mountain trousers made from materials with longitudinal and horizontal stretch, which superseded the woollen trousers used until then and thus revolutionised the production of climbing clothing.

1976

First Duodess rope (patented for 20 years) was produced. In contrast to the two-colour ropes common at the time, it represented a change with its distinctive wattle design. Each individual nylon thread is guaranteed complete and join-free along the whole length of the rope. Just two years later, Mammut presented the Altitude jackets and trousers made from GORE-TEX®, at the time a totally new material.

1972

A second production facility was acquired, Walter Schwarzenbach AG in Necker, Saint Gallen, which was expanded to become a subsidiary with modern spinning and belt weaving facilities. One year later, the newly-created "Sport and Leisure" department was developing not only ropes, but also sleeping bags, clothing and tents for the sports sector.

1968

Seilerwaren AG, renamed "AROVA Lenzburg AG" became part of the Heberlein group until it was taken over in 1982 by Conzetta, at that time Zürcher Ziegelein Holding.

1962

The company celebrated its centenary with a 30-fold increase in turnover from 1936. The traditional ropeworks gave rise to an innovative manufacturing company, which had by then achieved a significant position in the sports market. 2 years after the centenary, the ropeworks produced the first dynamic single rope, that absorbs the energy of a fall with its elasticity.

50s

Development of a sports range: production of the first synthetic ropes for mountaineering, sheets for sailing and various ropes and netting for other sports. The company was constantly growing and although the ropeworks originally produced all its goods by hand, the passage of time saw increasing mechanisation. By the early 1950s, just 20% of the company's products were still made by hand. Despite mechanisation, the number of employees also steadily increased. From the turn of the century to 1944, the company grew from a family business to an enterprise with 53 employees.

20s

The one-man business was transformed into Seilerwaren AG. Production started of static hemp climbing ropes.

1878

16 years later, Tanner moved his business to larger premises in the small town of Lenzburg, for over 100 years home to the company which was to evolve into Seilerwarenfabrik AG Lenzburg in 1919, Arova Lenzburg AG in 1968 and Arova-Mammut AG in 1984. In 1897, Tanner's 22-year-old son, Oscar, took over the company.

Kaspar Tanner laid the foundations of the company in 1862 with the establishment of his traditional ropeworks in Dintikon near Lenzburg. At the time ropes were mainly used in agriculture.