"There's still a long way to go to reach the top"

Ms von Dewitz, hiking used to be considered a sport for pensioners in beige-coloured outdoor jackets. Today, young people go hiking, too. Why is that?

Our lives are becoming increasingly stressful and complex. The need to take a break and the desire to live a healthier lifestyle is growing. There is something meditative about hiking; it increases our awareness of our own bodies. In short: it's good for body and soul.

European crisis, refugee crises – in light of large-scale political instability, do you think that a growing number of Germans are searching for inner peace while hiking?

That's hard to say. However, we have been noticing for years that outdoor sports is booming during periods of economic crisis. In uncertain times, I think that people focus more on family, or on the nature right in their own back yards or close to home. While most companies were suffering from the economic crisis in 2008, the outdoor sporting industry initially experienced an upswing.

Do you personally also take time out to go hiking?

As a mother of four children, I sadly have very little time to go hiking on the weekends on top of all the football tournaments – plus, I have to motivate my kids all over again every time we go. It works out better when we go hiking for several days so it feels more like going on holiday. That's why the best holidays for me are hiking with a rucksack – together with the family. My motto when we go: the journey is the reward. And I never hike the same path twice.

Who provides the buyer with a guarantee that they are not only receiving a green product, but also one what has been fairly produced?

We also have social responsibility as a company: we are not only responsible for our production site in Germany and thus also for our own employees, but also for our suppliers in Asia. After all, 80 per cent of our products are manufactured in China and Vietnam. We personally select our production plants and have worked together with them as partners for many years. But we still need support to truly ensure that the working conditions at our supplier sites are consistently fair and socially minded. This is why we are members of Fair Wear Foundation, an independent organisation that regularly audits the local production conditions in the textile industry and – when necessary – consequently demands and also monitors improvements.

With regard to your company headquarters in Germany: how do you succeed in positioning yourself as an attractive and socially-minded employer in your home market?

About 60 per cent of the people who work for us are women and it has been like that for decades. In the past, most women did not return to their jobs after taking maternity leave or only came back years later – because they weren't able to balance work and family life. We grappled with this situation and created solutions: today, half of our 500 employees in Tettnang work part-time on customised schedules. Home office, sports and relaxation courses, a nursery, and an organic cafeteria are also part of our sustainable and modern HR policy.

You can't pass on all the extra costs associated with environmental protection and social responsibility to the customer...

Sustainability has a price: the path that leads there often costs more and doesn't pay off immediately. This is also why we can't work with investors who are focused on the short term. KfW grants us a loan over ten years from the ERP Innovation Programme, thus giving us the necessary time to grow and bear fruit. By taking a clear position towards sustainability and the values we stand for, we haven't felt any losses – despite the strong competition that is active on the market.