Responsible manufacturing of our Performance Line

An insight into the manufacturing of our Performance Line

Responsible & sustainable production
of our Element & Adapt Line

Manufacturing products like the Element backpack requires more than just experience and skill. The functionality, comfort and durability are based on the selection of the best materials and fabrics and optimal design. However, special results are usually difficult to achieve. You need know-how and generally bespoke machines that are specially designed for unusual production steps.

Where do you find possibilities like those?

Over 6 years ago, when we launched our “explorer” and “explorer+” project, we had to realize that there were no such possibilities in Europe. This has been the case for decades. Originally for economic reasons, the machines and capacities, and ultimately the know-how and craftsmanship, migrated abroad. Since then, there has been no industrial production of technical backpacks/bags in Europe.

The means of production and capacities have been widely relocated to Asia, where there is still a wide variety of different production facilities that appeal to different qualities and target customers.

We do not wish to evaluate this fact or the respective manufacturers, but for our products and our ideals, we quickly understood that only one particular production facility would be suitable.

Where we found what we were looking for

Our demands in terms of product quality can only be met by a manufacturer that already has experience with outdoor brands in the ultra premium segment and manufactures products that are used in demanding conditions & environments.

Sustainable, responsible manufacturing is extremely important to us. There's a reason why compagnon Heritage products, as we made them from the start, have been made in Germany and the EU. Once we had to look into manufacturing in Asia for our Performance Line models, FairWear certification, which assesses working conditions for employees, and a Bluesign sustainability standard are just the beginning. Employees should be paid fairly, working hours, maternity protection, health care, etc. should follow European standards. 

This means that the choice in Asia is usually scarce. For good reason. However, as we are able to share a production facility with other, world-famous, premium outdoor brands, there is such a production facility for us in Vietnam.

We were able to manufacture the Element Line in this production facility right from the start and have since expanded the model selection with new models, such as the Adapt backpack.

Working together locally. Live.

In our first trailer for the Element Line (available on YouTube), we are already on site in production, working on the development and sample process, discussing queries from the seamstresses and craftsmen on site. Our products are complex and require special sensitivity. With every challenge of this kind, our products and solutions are optimized.

It gives us great pleasure to experience for ourselves that production like this is possible in Asia. Appreciation for all employees, support, a relaxed lunch break with excellent local cuisine, a regular internal football tournament for all employees, joint leisure activities, team building and, of course, the corresponding additional benefits that make it possible for families to live their lives. The company even offers its own rehabilitation services.

Always considered impossible, has become a reality.
We want to hold on to this and continue to be a part of it and bring positive change and progress to the region.

As an everyday routibe, the home-made lunch food on the production site might be a little too spicy for our Black Forest palates. But we still enjoy visiting the site at regular intervals with new ideas, projects etc. and experience the results for the local people for ourselves.

What about nature & the environment?

Responsible production is not possible without an eye for the environment. And without conserving resources, no production is fit for the future. We always affirm that high quality and long usability are the first sustainability rule for every product. compagnon products serve you not just for months but for many years.

We are also constantly increasing the recycled content of our products without compromising their durability, feel and quality.

The outer skin of the Element Line, our bestseller for years, is made from ReGen Carbon AX, a recycled laminate produced according to our specifications, which consists of 100% industrial plastic waste.
These plastics are produced in huge quantities, are usually very pure and of the highest quality. They can be perfectly processed into high-quality yarns, but are rarely recycled.

Instead, yarns are increasingly being made from PET bottles. However, as the actual recycling rate cannot keep pace with demand, PET bottles are produced and “recycled” directly into yarn without ever being used. This wastes enormous amounts of energy and is therefore not a sensible choice for us.

Our RE|HD Ocean fiber is, appropriately enough, made from ocean plastic. As a rule, fishing nets and improperly disposed food containers & bottles make up the majority of the recycled plastics it contains. 

The 3D Air Mesh, which combines our back padding with breathable performance, actually comes from recycled water bottles. 

Not every new material or recycled component is an option for us, as reliability and durability are at the forefront of our environmental beliefs. But we are constantly testing new options and looking for further ways to increase the recycled content of our products.

With our Heritage Line, made from naturally tanned leather from the Swabian Alb, we started with this idea over 10 years ago. The compagnons from back then are still in use today and bring joy to their owners. And we and our environment too.