Oberalp Group Reaffirms Commitment to Sustainability

July 7, 2021

2020 Sustainability Report Highlights Focus on People, Community, and the Environment

Boulder, CO (July 2021) – The Oberalp Group, which owns SALEWA, DYNAFIT, POMOCA, WILD COUNTRY, and EVOLV, recently unveiled its 2020 Sustainability Report and reaffirmed its commitment to a unique and comprehensive strategy focused on employee wellness, safe factory conditions, philanthropy, and environmental sustainability.

The Oberalp Group published its Sustainability Report for the sixth consecutive year. Thinking and acting sustainably is part of the family culture and pervades in every decision of the Company. Despite the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, The Oberalp Group was still able to live up to a rigorous set of standards for sustainability and social responsibility in 2020.

Highlights of the 2020 report include:

• Attaining “Leader” status from the Fair Wear Foundation for the fourth consecutive year for the company’s exceptional work in improving factory working conditions
• Shifting to using recycled polybags for all apparel items from its Fall/Winter 2020 collections
• Completely eliminating the use of Perfluorochemicals (PFCs) from its proprietary Powertex waterproof membranes starting from the Spring/Summer 2020 collection
• Conducting more than 4,500 tests on its products to ensure they comply with the company’s stringent chemical policy
• Extending social monitoring to its hardware factories in Taiwan

The company also launched the new brand LaMunt, a premium mountain sports brand by women for women that uses either natural materials, recycled materials or PFC-free durable weather-resistant treatments in all of its products.

“In certain areas, we are very satisfied with the successes achieved, where we are among the pioneers in the in­dustry. In other areas, we are making progress and have reached important milestones, but still have challenges to overcome to meet our goals. When it comes to sustainability, the sector is in constant evolution and there are many new issues. In certain areas, the whole industry is still very much at the beginning”, explains Ruth Oberrauch,member of the founding family and Head of Sustainability.

The Oberalp Group’s sustainability strategy is divided into five focus areas under two main categories: Empowering People and Engineering Gear. The company is committed to the well-being and professional growth of its workforce, ensuring safe and fair working conditions, giving back to the communities where employees work and live, providing sustainable and innovative products, and working towards circularity, efficiency and traceability of its products with minimal impact on people and the planet.

“At The Oberalp Group we are committed to a responsible approach to business that has a positive impact on our people, our community, and the environment. Our commitment to sustainability efforts in the past year including the consistent, open, and transparent method of managing the COVID-19 pandemic with our employees, customers, and suppliers is the latest example of Oberalp’s reliable and long-term mindset. Yet we remain humble, and it is clear that we have a lot of work and improvement on the journey ahead,” states Drew Saunders, Country Manager for Oberalp North America.

In addition to the comprehensive report, Oberalp also released its 2021 Sustainability Handbook which is an interactive tool for consumers to consider ways in which they can make a positive impact with their choices and actions.

To view and download a copy of The Oberalp Group’s 2020 Sustainability Report, CLICK HERE.

To view and download a copy of The Oberalp Group’s 2021 Handbook, CLICK HERE.

About The Oberalp Group

The Oberalp Group is a family-owned and management-led company based in Bolzano, Italy, that employs almost 700 people worldwide. The family business relies on the courage to break new ground with continuous innovation in products, processes, and thinking. A conscious, sensible approach to the environment and resources and a passion for sport and mountains are the foundation of the corporate culture. Since 2007, Oberalp has had a North American subsidiary based in Boulder, CO, that runs the sales, marketing, operations, distribution, and service for the Group’s brands in the US and Canada.