THE HISTORY OF EDELRID

ALPINE THINKING FOR OVER 150 YEARS

Looking back on a long and tumultuous history, the company has burned down twice over the years and has been rebuilt, bought and resold, mastering tragedies and celebrating successes. We invented the kernmantel rope, which is still the industry standard for all mountain ropes. The first rope that can swim, a rope that has been certified to all three possible standards (single, double and twin rope) and the first PFC-free climbing rope that complies with the UIAA standard for water-repellent ropes.

Innovative and sustainable products

EDELRID now produces millions of meters of climbing rope every year and is proud to be able to say that every single centimetre is bluesign® certified. EDELRID was the first rope manufacturer in the world to ensure that all its ropes fulfil the stringent bluesign® standard. This set new industry benchmarks for innovation and sustainability. But EDELRID has always stood for so much more than just outstanding ropes.

edelrid-unternehmen-history-ropeproduction-video

With for divisions solid on the ground

Sport, Safety, Customer Solutions and Adventure Park – over the years we have built a solid foundation. Our four divisions make us largely independent of market fluctuations. This gives us the necessary freedom for creativity and enough scope for the development of the best products in each segment. However, all our business areas have one thing in common: mountain sports. This is our origin and our passion. That drives us high and gives us grip. It lets us cross borders again and set our goals ever higher. But mountain sports are also a solid basis for stability in the market. Our expertise gained over the decades is reflected equally in all business areas. We create synergies through knowledge transfer by intelligently networking specialists in their field with those of other areas – for even better products and even more satisfied customers.
We also use our knowledge of mountain sports in the area of Adventure Park, whose products are tailored for use in ropes courses, anopy tours or adventure parks. Professionals in the field of occupational safety benefit from the know-how of the vertical world.
The EDELRID Work Safety products are specially tailored to the challenges of industrial climbers, arborists and mountaineers.
The Customer Solutions division is an expression of our textile expertise, which has also accompanied us since the founding of EDELRID. It is aimed at companies that rely on a strong partner for the supply of textile braids for industrial applications. The field extends from lines for gliding, kite and parachutes to technical lines, which are used in the automotive industry, up to customized solutions for various drive technologies.
All this is EDELRID.

Company milestones

1863 Julius EDELmann and Carl RIDder found EDELRID. Julius Edelmann was a salesman and mountaineer, Carl Ridder a technician, who specialised in braiding machines. The company starts manufacturing braids and cords.
1880 EDELRID presents its first braided fishing lines in Berlin.
Until 1941 Three different types of construction are in use: hawser-laid ropes – mainly made of Italian hemp, spiral braided Lützner ropes and spiral-braided ropes made of pure silk. The first nylon ropes are then developed in the United States and France.
1953 The kernmantel rope is invented. EDELRID introduces the first kernmantel rope and revolutionises fall prevention when climbing. Hemp climbing ropes and rope breakage soon become a thing of the past.
1964 EDELRID develops the dynamic rope, the first rope capable of withstanding multiple falls. It becomes the forerunner of the modern dynamic climbing rope.
1965 EDELRID launches the first climbing harness onto the market – a chest harness – and then develops the first seat harness parallel to the competition. This paves the way for the revolution in climbing standards in the 1970s. Climbing grades soar as a result.
1973 Quickdraws: EDELRID continues to blaze trails. Claus Benk, the owner of EDELRID at the time, launches the first stitched quickdraw.
1977 EDELRID's twin rope technique is accepted and adopted as standard climbing practise.
1994 Always ready to innovate, EDELRID recognises the arrival of canyoning as an adventure sport and pioneers the floating rope.
1996 EDELRID introduces a rope designed specifically to cope with the demands of indoor climbing walls.
2000 The EDELRID development team remain ahead of the field with the 9.8 mm Dynalon rope – the thinnest diameter single rope available at this point.
2006 EDELRID becomes part of the VAUDE group.
2007 EDELRID launches the Madillo – the first ever folding climbing helmet
2009 EDELRID is the first rope manufacturer in the world to ensure that all its ropes fulfil the stringent bluesign® environmental standard. The whole manufacturing process is certified, from material selection, to production and sales.
2010 For high ropes courses EDELRID releases the Smart Belay, an intelligent self-protection system with interactive carabiners for increased safety when self-belaying.
2010 EDELRID receives the EMAS / DIN ISO 14001 certification for environmental responsibility.
2013 150 Years' Rope Making Experience. EDELRID celebrates its 150th anniversary.
2015 Foundation of a subsidiary in the USA (Redmond / Oregon)
2016 EDELRID introduces the OHM, revolutionizing the safety of climbing parties with weight differences.
2017 Merger with the climbing shoe brand RED CHILI, which continues under the leadership of EDELRID
2018 Completion of the new administration building at the company location in Isny
2018 With the Swift Eco Dry, EDELRID introduces the first PFC-free climbing rope that meets the UIAA standard for water-repellent ropes.

Key Facts and Numbers

Number of employees: over 160
Management: Albrecht von Dewitz
Executive Board: Markus Wanner
Divisions: Sport, Safety, Customer Solutions, Adventure Park
EDELRID is part of the Vaude Group.
Made in Germany. A large proportion of EDELRID's production – 60% of real net output – takes place in Germany.

INTERVIEW ABOUT THE HISTORY OF EDELRID

Andreas Wagner started working at EDELRID over 50 years ago. He talks here about the company’s history from his perspective. Andreas started out as an apprentice machine fitter, today he is an expert on rope making and development.

When did you first come into contact with EDELRID?

My older sisters used to work for EDELRID and I had a holiday job with the company when I was twelve. Karl and Maria Benk, who owned EDELRID at the time, often used to come to our house. This is where they met me and it was decided that I should come and help out during my holidays from 1962 onwards.

How did your career start?
I left school when I was fourteen, I had originally intended to become an apprentice braider at EDELRID, but it wasn't possible. Instead it was suggested that I become an apprentice machine fitter, despite the fact the company had no master machinist at the time. A machinist was appointed for the small metalworking department on the 1st April 1964. I started out by learning how to repair the machinery, i.e. welding, drilling and turning. I learnt a lot from the master machine fitter and Herr Schneider, another apprentice machine fitter, I also learnt about rope manufacturing. After I passed my machine fitter examination in 1967 I was given responsibility for setting the machines for certain products.

In 1973 the company experienced its darkest hour. The premises were completely destroyed by fire. What caused it?
EDELRID used to make large amounts of shoe laces. The stiff section at the end of the shoelace has a band or aglet wrapped around it to stop it unravelling. These were fitted by special machines using the solvent acetone, which was stored in barrels. Back then, people didn't know how dangerous acetone was. On a scorching hot afternoon in July, some point between two and three o'clock, the barrels started to heat up. Acetone boils at just over fifty degrees. One of the barrels was not properly closed; gas leaked out and made its way up into the production hall. A young, pregnant woman turned on the light and the gas ignited; the barrels exploded. The chain reaction quickly set the whole premises up in flames.

What happened after the fire? Was the machinery destroyed too?
The fire burnt everything: the production facilities, the offices were all gone. Even the design drawings were lost. All that was left was in the employees' heads. At first, we didn't know what we were going to do. Everybody put down on paper what they could remember. They were hard times; we worked for fifty to sixty hours a week pulling the braiding machines from the ruins and then repairing them. We managed to repair and start one braiding machine a week. It wasn't possible to save all the machines, but luckily we managed to salvage all the large machinery that made climbing ropes.

How did you continue production?
We set up makeshift facilities at Seltmanns, a former paper factory. And we spread production over a number of different sites. The machines were repaired in the old Schlagentweiht metalworking shop and temporary offices were organised at the Benk family's house. In the meantime Maria Benk had taken over the running of the company after her husband Karl Benk died. Her sons Axel and Claus also worked and held responsibility in the company – Claus was a climber, he really brought rope development forward. By mid-1974 normal production had resumed. The offices and production facilities that we still use to this day were built separately from one another.

Claus Benk led EDELRID with passion and dedication. What was it like working with him?
Claus was very dedicated and committed to the company and to standards development. He even got together with the competition. In 1992 Claus was involved in a riding accident and has been quadriplegic ever since. The years that followed were difficult. Claus was like a friend to me; we worked well as a team. But this era was over. Regarding rope production, I said to myself "You have to rise to the challenge, Andreas."

In 2001 EDELRID was taken over by The Rope Company. What was this like?
Up until this point EDELRID had always been a family business. Along came a new manager, who had nothing but numbers in his head. Everything was strictly monitored, short-term profits became the priority. At the end of every month, it was all about the sales results...

In 2006 EDELRID became part of the VAUDE Group run by Albrecht von Dewitz. How are things now?
Teamwork has now become more important once again. Working at EDELRID is like being part of a big family. The company is more interested in long-term development than short-term profits. I had actually planned to retire in December 2012. But it's such a great team I've decided to stay on for a while. You know, it takes a long time to get familiar with the thousands of small cogs you set to make a climbing rope. I'm happy to assist my younger colleagues.

Interview: Anke von Birckhahn, PR EDELRID. 10th January 2013.