Strictest compliance with human, ecology norms
What began 125 years ago as a modest corset creation business in a small barn at Heubach in Württemberg in South-West Germany has now developed into one of the world’s leading producers of lingerie and underwear.
Then, as now, customer needs were the prime focus of the traditional owner-run Triumph International Spiesshofer & Braun KG based in Bad Zurzach in Switzerland.
The company meets these needs through its highly-innovative product policy, coupled with the highest standards for its materials and processing, in conjunction with a very strong brand image. Therefore all collections comply with the human/ecology requirements of OEKO-TEX Standard 100.
A global success story
The global group with the prominent crown logo is now represented in more than 120 countries around the world. Triumph International is one of the world’s largest producers of lingerie, underwear, sleepwear and swimwear. The company employs a total of 36,400 people, of whom about 18,000 work at 16 production sites in Austria, Hungary, Portugal, Morocco, Vietnam, Thailand, India, China and Brazil.
With its main brands of Triumph, sloggi, Valisère and HOM (as well as the young women’s lingerie brand BeeDees in Germany), and through more than 45 national sales companies, Triumph supplies about 40,000 retail customers, including Galleries Lafayette (F), La Rinascente (I), Aeon and Soho Groups (JA), Breuninger (D) and Zalando with high-quality underwear for both women and men. Underwear collections under the brand name Triumph International are also supplied to men and women in over 2,100 company-owned or franchise and partner stores across the world. Triumph’s most important sales markets are Germany, Italy, France, Japan, China and the UK.
Modest beginnings
Almost 125 years ago Johann Gottfried Spiesshofer and Michael Braun laid the foundation for today’s company in a barn at Heubach. The two founding fathers started their business producing classic corset products with six sewing machines and six employees. At that time “underwear” consisted primarily of laced corsets and functional garter belts. But already by the turn of the century, with its changing social conventions, the corset no longer reflected the spirit of the times. The company met the expectations of the new era with more comfortable, more contemporary models which gave the body more freedom.
In 1902 with an eye on the export business that was starting to take off, Triumph was registered as a trademark. Even in those early days the founding fathers were aware that underwear, just as outer clothing, reflected a personal attitude to life and was subject to constant change.
For Dieter Braun, retired partner and managing director, this early recognition was the key element for the company’s success. “Then, as now, customer needs were the prime focus for Triumph. Therefore we have always committed ourselves to producing state-of-the-art collections which comply with the highest materials and processing standards, optimum wearing comfort and fashion trends.”
Triumph International has grown over the years and is now one of the world’s largest producers of lingerie, underwear, sleepwear and swimwear.
Early internationalisation
In 1933 Triumph established a further production site in the border triangle at Zurzach in Switzerland and, in the light of its internationally-focussed company philosophy, transferred the headquarters of the family business there to a neutral country. After the end of the war the company continued its rapid development by successfully expanding into other European countries. In 1953 the company name was expanded to become “Triumph International”.
Triumph again demonstrated its entrepreneurial long-term vision for global expansion as early as 1960 when it set up a subsidiary in Hong Kong which placed it in an ideal position to meet the requirements of its female customers in the Far East. By constantly adapting its lingerie designs to the physiques and wearing customs of women in the Far East, Triumph International has gradually established itself in the markets of Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, China, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, India and the Philippines. The company followed the principle of decentralisation, with the international brand being marketed locally according to the country and region, and, if possible, also with local production.
Dieter Braun explains: “Our mission is to be able to offer lingerie designs to men and women of all ages and all nationalities which are perfectly suited to them. We are able to take geographical preferences and customs, such as those relating to fit, into consideration in exactly the same way as individual tastes for colour schemes and materials. Whether they are sporty, functional or lacy and seductive, Triumph International offers fascinating products for all requirements.”
Extra safety
The entire Triumph International range has been tested for harmful substances and complies with the human/ecology requirements of OEKO-TEX Standard 100. The first successful certifications date back to 1993 shortly after the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 was established. For Hans-Peter Grosch, senior department head raw material management at Triumph, this additional product safety is very important: “Precisely in the sensitive product area of lingerie, underwear, sleepwear and swimwear which is always worn next to the skin and usually for many hours, it is important that harmful ingredients are consistently excluded from the outset. Our customers place their trust in our products when they place them directly onto their skin.”
A comprehensive quality management system which applies across all production sites undertakes the relevant controls of the materials used and therefore guarantees compliance with OEKO-TEX test criteria from the time of development right through to packaging. These controls are undertaken primarily by the company’s own laboratories and also through external laboratories. All the test values are filed and can be queried and traced using the codes stored in the washing and care instructions.
The company also places particular emphasis on its corporate responsibility in relation to environmental protection, sustainability and socially acceptable working conditions. To this end it has set up an in-house department to co-ordinate all the requisite measures on a global basis which can contribute to the improvement and progress in these issues at the respective locations.
Environmental protection measures are regularly subject to inspection, and any new discoveries made can be quickly implemented – for instance, how the company can save or avoid packaging materials. Triumph International is also committed to reducing to the extent possible CO2 emissions at its production sites.
Traditionally the company has placed great emphasis on ensuring good working conditions and on compliance with its own Code of Conduct as well as the usual social standards. It has also introduced a programme for inspecting third-party suppliers, which requires strict compliance with the specified requirements. These are regularly inspected through external audits carried out by a specialist company.
Ursula von Gunten, CSR manager, reinforces this point: “As a global company we must act responsibly towards our environment, our employees and our customers as this is the only way that we can leave something behind that we are proud of for the next generations.”