As a sustainable innovative outdoor outfitter, VAUDE is contributing to making the world a better place so that the people of tomorrow can enjoy nature with a clean conscience. In doing so, the family-owned company sets ecological and social standards worldwide. VAUDE stands for environmentally-friendly products made from fair manufacturing.

VAUDE was founded in 1974 by Albrecht von Dewitz and has been kept as a family business ever since. The name is derived from the German spelling of the initials of the founders’ surname and pronounced [fau’de]. The VAUDE headquarters are located near the town of Tettnang, close to Lake Constance in Southern Germany. In 2009, Antje von Dewitz took over the company management from her father, Albrecht von Dewitz, who had already laid the foundation for the company’s environmental and social responsibility. Antje von Dewitz has implemented a consistent sustainability-oriented business strategy.

Responsibility for mankind and nature – In all of their three brand divisions, mountain sports, bike sports and packs ‘n bags, the company is well awareof their responsibility towards people and the environment. With approximately 500 employees, VAUDE develops and creates outdoor clothing and equipment for mountaineers and cyclists, ski tours, hiking and trekking. VAUDE has been working with the strict environmental standard, bluesign® system, which monitors the entire textile manufacturing chain since 2001. It is also the first outdoor company to receive EMAS certification. With the Green Shape label, VAUDE offers functional, environmentally-friendly products made from sustainable materials. They are manufactured under fair working conditions along the entire supply chain. The criteria for the label are strict and transparent. They are under constant review and cover the entire lifecycle of the product from design, through production, care and maintenance, to repair and the product’s end of life. Since 2012, the company headquarters in Tettnang and all products manufactured there have been climate neutral.

Forwarding the vision – To make people aware of VAUDE’s mission and to additionally raise awareness about sustainable production procedures, the company became the supplier of many professional sportsmen and athletes. VAUDE is also the official partner of the German Alpine Club (DAV – Deutscher Alpenverein), with whom they have a cooperation since 2002. VAUDE highly values the close contacts to their cooperating-partners and customers since they say that the consumers’ trust is the company’s main motivation to develop the best products.

Continue the mission – To deepen their engagement in a more livable world, VAUDE cooperates with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Germany. VAUDE supports WWF Germany and works together with the WWF experts on environmental issues. The company is committed to a healthy environment by assuring the use of sustainable material and environmentally friendly production processes. VAUDE is also dedicated to fair working conditions throughout the world. This is amongst others achieved by their membership of the Fair Wear Foundation, an association of different stakeholder, who aim to improve the working conditions in the apparel- and textile-industry. All of this is conveyed in their motto – engagiert für (d)eine lebenswerte Welt (dedicated to a (or: your) livable world).