Oberalp AG-SPA

Oberalp AG-SPA (Italian: S.p.A.), commonly known as the Oberalp Group, is a management-led family business headquartered in Bolzano (Bozen), Italy. It develops, manufactures and distributes mountain sports equipment, apparel and footwear, and describes itself as the only international house of brands in the mountain sports industry with several proprietary brands each specialised in a single theme and experience area. The Oberrauch family has worked in the textile industry for six generations; the group traces its roots to a cloth and fabric business founded in Bolzano in 1846 by the Tyrolean cloth merchant Anton Oberrauch. The modern Oberalp Group was founded in 1981 by Heiner Oberrauch, a great-great-grandson of Anton Oberrauch. The group's own mountain brands are Salewa (alpine and mountain sports specialist), Dynafit (ski touring and mountain running), Pomoca (Swiss ski-skin manufacturer), Wild Country (climbing hardware), Evolv (California climbing shoes) and LaMunt (women's mountain sports brand founded in 2020 by Ruth Oberrauch). In addition, Oberalp distributes exclusive partner brands in Italy and several European countries, including Under Armour, Fischer, Barts, Falke, Burlington, 2117 of Sweden, One Way, Bollé, Spy+, Diadem and Blackroll. The group operates worldwide through 12 subsidiaries and 236 monobrand stores, selling through both retail and wholesale channels. Oberalp has grown largely through acquisitions: it took over the Salewa brand entirely in 1990, acquired the ski-boot maker Dynafit in 2003, the Swiss ski-skin producer Pomoca in 2011, the climbing brand Wild Country in 2012 and the Californian climbing-shoe brand Evolv in 2019. Sustainability is a central part of its positioning: it has been a member of the independent non-profit Fair Wear Foundation since 2013 and publishes an annual sustainability report called "Contribute". The group also runs the Salewa Cube climbing hall at its Bolzano headquarters and has supported climbing infrastructure such as the Salewa via ferrata at the Iseler in the Allgäu Alps. During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020–2022 the company was heavily involved in a mask affair.

The origins of the Oberalp Group lie in the textile trade. In 1846 the Tyrolean cloth merchant Anton Oberrauch founded a shop for cloth and fabrics in Bolzano. That business is the origin of today's fashion house Oberrauch Zitt as well as of the Oberalp Group, which was founded in 1981 by Heiner Oberrauch, a great-great-grandson of Anton Oberrauch. The Oberrauch family has thus been active in the textile industry for six generations. The Salewa brand, which would become the group's best-known label, was created separately: on 8 July 1935 Josef Liebhart, director of the Munich saddler and upholsterer purchasing cooperative, founded the company Salewa as a subsidiary for saddlery and leather goods. In 1982 Heiner Oberrauch took over the distribution of SALEWA for Italy through his Oberalp Group, founded in 1981. In 1990 Oberalp acquired the Salewa brand outright. From the 2000s onward the group expanded through a series of acquisitions that built its multi-brand mountain sports portfolio. In 2003 Salewa took over the ski-boot manufacturer Dynafit Sport GmbH from Molln, which had belonged to Kneissl. In 2011 the Oberalp Group acquired the Swiss ski-skin manufacturer POMOCA. This was followed by the takeover of the climbing brand Wild Country in 2012 and of the Californian climbing-shoe brand Evolv in 2019. In 2020 Ruth Oberrauch, an executive board member of the Oberalp Group, founded the women's mountain sports brand LaMunt. Today the Oberalp Group develops, manufactures and distributes mountain sports articles. The group has 12 subsidiaries worldwide and operates 236 monobrand stores, selling through both retail and wholesale. Its own brands are Salewa, a specialist for mountain sports and alpine sports, as well as Dynafit, Pomoca, Wild Country, Evolv and LaMunt. Through the group, other non-proprietary brands are also distributed in Italy and some European countries, such as Fischer, Under Armour, Smith, X-Bionic, X-Socks, Barts, Burlington, Falke and 2117 of Sweden. The company has been a member of the independent non-profit Fair Wear Foundation since 2013 and publishes an annual sustainability report called "Contribute". Oberalp is also associated with climbing infrastructure. The Salewa Cube climbing hall at the company headquarters in Bolzano offers 2,000 square metres of climbing surface, with more than 200 climbers able to use its 180 different climbing routes simultaneously. Salewa supported the construction of the Salewa via ferrata at the Iseler in the Allgäu Alps. During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020–2022 the company was heavily involved in a mask affair.

• 2020

  Ruth Oberrauch founds the women's mountain sports brand LaMunt.

• 2020

  Oberalp is heavily involved in a mask affair during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 2019

  Oberalp Group acquires Californian climbing-shoe brand Evolv.

• 2013

  Oberalp becomes a member of the Fair Wear Foundation.

• 2012

  Oberalp Group acquires climbing brand Wild Country.

• 2011

  Oberalp Group acquires Swiss ski-skin manufacturer POMOCA.

• 2003

  Salewa takes over ski-boot manufacturer Dynafit Sport GmbH from Molln.

• 1990

  Oberalp acquires the Salewa brand entirely.

• 1982

  Oberalp takes over distribution of SALEWA for Italy.

• 1981

  Heiner Oberrauch founds the Oberalp Group.

• 1935

  Josef Liebhart founds the Salewa company in Munich as a saddlery and leather goods subsidiary.

• 1846

  Anton Oberrauch founds a cloth and fabric shop in Bolzano, origin of the family's textile business.

International house of mountain sports brands; family-owned, sustainability-oriented, multi-brand group spanning alpine, ski touring, climbing and women's mountain sports.

• Salewa mountain sports and alpine equipment

• Dynafit ski touring and mountain running gear

• Pomoca ski skins

• Wild Country climbing hardware

• Evolv climbing shoes

• LaMunt women's mountain sports apparel and equipment

1. 1OBERALP GROUP » Mountain & Sports Clothing, Footwear, Technical Hardware & Accessories • Oberalpoberalp.com
2. 2Our Mountain Brands | OBERALP Group • Oberalpoberalp.com
3. 3OBERALP GROUP | News and Press • Oberalpoberalp.com
4. 4Our exclusive partnership Diadem | OBERALP Group • Oberalpoberalp.com
5. 5Oberalp AG-SPAwikidata.org
6. 6Oberalp (Unternehmen)de.wikipedia.org