“When I started in the company 44 years ago, there were still 110 shoe factories in Austria. Today there are eight,” says Johann Sternbauer. The 65-year-old, together with Stefan Spreitzer, has formed the managing duo of the shoe manufacturer Hartjes from Pramet (district Ried) for two years. Even in the 70th year of existence, Hartjes is proud to produce “real Austrians”. “We looked for niches,” says Sternbauer, the focus is on shoe models with problem-solving skills. “Function and quality alone are not enough. In order to be successful, you also need a modern appearance,” says Sternbauer. That is the reason why shoe production in Austria is still possible and profitable.
Hartjes has specialized in shoes for women over 40 years of age: “But our products are also worn by significantly younger women who value healthy feet.” Development, sample production, assembly and sales are located in Pramet: The subsidiary Mucos manufactures light cork footbeds for Hartjes and other producers at the site. The shoe uppers have been sewn in Hungary for decades: “80 percent of the added value is achieved in Pramet,” says Sternbauer. 360,000 pairs of shoes leave the factory every year.
150 people are employed at Hartjes and Mucos: in the past financial year (as of December 31st) they achieved a turnover of 22 million euros. For this year, Sternbauer expects 23 million euros: “Most of the orders have already been received.”
Hartjes does not sell directly to end customers, but sells the shoes through trading partners all over the world: there are more than 250 specialist shops in Austria and 950 worldwide. The export rate is 70 percent. There is a strong presence in the Benelux countries, for example, but Hartjes shoes are also worn in Australia, Japan, Scandinavia and the USA. According to Sternbauer, Germany, on the other hand, is a market that is vulnerable to crises: buyer reluctance can currently be felt here. “Basically, we got through the three years of crisis very well.” The topics of foot health, regionality and natural materials are currently very popular: “That plays into our hands.”
Good demand for comfort shoes
Shoes are also a big topic in the Schärding district: the “Think!” brand is in Kopfing. resident. 60 employees develop new models, produce prototypes and oversee the repair service.
The Ganter shoes brand, which has belonged to the Lorenz Shoe Group since 2000, is based in Taufkirchen an der Pram. 30 employees develop new models, and sales and marketing are also located in Taufkirchen. Produced in Hungary, 200,000 shoes leave the factory every year. “The target group are people who value healthy, high-quality shoes,” says marketing manager Stefan Yoon. Demand in the comfort shoe segment is stable. Sales in the past financial year were EUR 11 million, and the target for this year is EUR 13 million.
Source: Nachrichten
