1. When and where did uvex come into being?
May 1898: Philipp M. Winter is born. He attends high school in Fürth, Bavaria. After World War I, he begins his professional career as an export trader, with his main focus on Spain and Portugal.
In 1926, having established a small distribution company in Barcelona, he returns to Fürth, Bavaria, where he founds the “Philipp M. Winter Optical Industrial Institution” in Fürth/Poppenreuth. It concentrates on craftsmanship and manual production.
In 1948, after World War II, he begins to grow the business in a deliberately market-oriented direction.
In 1960, the Philipp M. Winter sole proprietorship is converted into the “Winter Corporation for Optics and Eye Protection” with the family becoming legal shareholders and Rainer Winter being appointed as an executive officer alongside Philipp M. Winter. The “uvex” brand is introduced – an abbreviation of the quality indicator “UltraViolet EXcluded” – and the next natural step is to sell all sports and leisure products under the uvex brand.
1970 sees the start of the real growth years. The newly formed management board drives the company forward with a policy of internationalization and diversification.
In 1980, uvex makes the leap across the Atlantic to North America and the company sets up its own production plants and distribution centers in the USA and Canada.
In 1994, in order to create a future-oriented company structure, the former limited liability company undergoes further reorganization. “uvex Holding” is born. The management holding company assumes control of the Group, which by now comprises a number of market-oriented business entities.
The following companies emerge:
- UVEX SAFETY GROUP
- UVEX SPORTS GmbH & Co. KG
- ALPINA INTERNATIONAL Sport + Optik Vertr. Ges.mbH
- FILTRAL GmbH & Co. Vertr. KG
- Corporate management at Group level is assumed by the holding company:
- UVEX WINTER HOLDING GmbH & Co. KG
2. Who are the members of the management board, and who is its chairman?
Rainer Winter and Michael Winter chair the management board. The other member is Georg Höfler. The management board of the uvex safety group: Stefan Brück (CEO), Peter Buschmann, Stefan Wehner. The management board of the uvex sports group: Alexander Selch and Falk Pewestorf
4. What are uvex’s most important locations and where are they?
Germany is the most important location for the uvex Group.
Please click here for more information on the different locations.
5. What brands are part of the uvex group?
The uvex Group markets products under the following brand names:
- uvex sports: Ski helmets and goggles, cycling helmets and glasses, horseriding helmets and goggles
- uvex safety: Protective headgear (safety eyewear, corrective safety eyewear, laser safety eyewear, hearing protection, respiratory protection, protective headwear), workwear, protective footwear and hand protection
- Alpina: Ski helmets and goggles, cycling helmets and glasses
- Filtral: Consumer sunglasses
6. How many people work for the uvex group?
As of July 2011, the uvex group employed 2,094 people around the world.
7. I have questions regarding sponsoring and donations ...
Every day, we are contacted by individuals, organizations and associations who would like us to help them. Please understand that we cannot respond favorably to every request, as even our budget has limits. Furthermore, our primary commitment is to our own foundation, the RAINER WINTER FOUNDATION.