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HANWAG only makes its footwear and sources its materials in Europe. We interviewed Stefan Jerg, head of production, to find out why this is good for customers and sustainability.
About Stefan: In his hometown of Donaueschingen (the Black Forest), Stefan Jerg rose up through the ranks at children’s footwear manufacturer Ricosta. From humble beginnings as a shoemaker, he became head of production and obtained a business administration degree. Now 50, Stefan has been working at HANWAG as head of production and purchasing/deputy managing director since 2015.
Stefan, how do you define made in Europe? Where’s your footwear produced?
In addition to our main factory in Vierkirchen, Bavaria, we have production facilities in Croatia, Hungary, Bosnia Herzegovina and Baden-Württemberg. Sites in Rumania and Serbia were added to make our latest model, the HANWAG Blueridge. Because we’re using new technology for our Blueridge model (–> Find out more here)
Why is production spread over so many sites? Wouldn’t shipping be easier if everything was produced in one place?
Firstly, we wouldn’t have enough staff at just one site to cover all production requirements. Secondly, this is a way of spreading risks. Just imagine if our only production facility burnt down…
“The main advantages of products made in Europe lie in quality, reliability, sustainability and better planning capabilities.”
Stefan Jerg, Head of Production & Purchase at HANWAGWhy do you only produce in Europe? Many other footwear manufacturers mainly produce in Asia.
Quality, reliability and better planning capabilities come top of the list. In Europe, we can find well-trained staff with experience in manufacturing boots. These people are our greatest asset. And should problems arise, I or another team member can be at any of our facilities in six hours and solve problems with our partners on site. And we also benefit from long-standing business relationships. For instance, we’ve been collaborating with partners in Hungary and Croatia for decades.
What does the future hold for products made in Europe?
We’re a European hiking boots brand and will continue producing here as long as it’s ecologically and commercially viable. But for the business model to survive in the long term, wages at our production sites will have to rise. Otherwise, we’ll struggle to find enough skilled staff in Hungary or Croatia. However, this also means customers being willing to pay more for products. Everyone talks about sustainability. HANWAG footwear isn’t just made in Europe, it’s also very hard wearing. And resoling footwear means you wear and use it for longer.
“To me, HANWAG is one big European footwear family.”
Stefan Jerg, Head of Production & Purchase at HANWAGHow would you describe the relationship to staff in your production facilities?
Over all the decades we’ve been a team, we’ve also grown together as people. So we don’t just talk about sales figures, but also enjoy a glass of wine together in the evenings. We have the same sense of responsibility for staff who sit at sewing machines in Hungary and Croatia as we do for our people here in Vierkirchen. And that’s how we treat them. To me, HANWAG is one big European footwear family.