According to a recent survey conducted by the Infratest dimap opinion research center, 67 percent of Germans only want to buy goods that are produced in Germany. 70 percent of those surveyed would even be willing to pay more for products that are “made in Germany.” “The survey confirms that "made in Germany" stands for quality and that it is an important factor in the sales argument,” says Frank Baur from company communications at Birkenstock Orthopädie GmbH & Co. KG.

As a production site, Germany is a pillar for the Birkenstock brand. “Thanks to this fact and the many years of experience of our employees, we are able to guarantee a uniform, high level of quality because we can directly intervene in the production chain if any problems occur" says Baur. “In addition, with Germany as the production site, we can guarantee that we are in compliance with all of the applicable laws, which are among the strictest laws in the world.” This tradition-oriented company has roots going back more than 230 years here and it prizes its position in the heart of Europe. Even at a time when the German shoe industry was largely relocating its production sites in countries with low wages, this manufacturer of high-comfort shoes was creating new jobs in Germany. After the fall of the wall, Birkenstock was one of the first companies to do business in the new Federal states. A former state-run weaving combine was converted into one of the most modern production operations in Saxony.

Birkenstock has eight production sites in North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony. The company uses efficient technology to make up for the higher salaries compared to other countries. “Wherever work processes can be bundled together in a cost effective way, machines take over the processes. In other areas, extra care must be taken and it makes sense to do the work manually and machine-based processes must also be monitored,” explains Baur. “Despite this, the costs for wages in Germany do not determine the prices of our products. It is the high demand for quality that we and our customers place on our products.”

Only high-quality materials are used by Birkenstock. “Unlike many of our competitors, we only use high-quality, 3 mm-thick leather and the finest natural cork in our products,“ says Baur. “Cheap imitations of our clogs and sandals only look the same at first glance. But when you look closely, the difference is obvious and you feel it immediately when you wear them.”
 

(Quelle: Birkenstock Orthopädie GmbH & Co. KG, Vettelschoß, www.birkenstock.de)