Ortlieb Waterproof: In 1982, Hartmut Ortlieb founded ORTLIEB Sportartikel GmbH in Nuremberg, Germany. In 1997 the company relocated to the Middle Franconian town of Heilsbronn, in the regional district of Ansbach. The first bike panniers were created in pure personal need for waterproof equipment – it wasn’t available at that time! The first products were hand-made on Hartmut mother’s sewing machine: dry bags and bicycle panniers made of truck tarps. These prototypes were tested by Hartmut and his friends on self-organized bicycle and climbing tours. What started very simple has soon developed into a story of success.

In the meantime, the company has approximately 230 employees, and the collection has grown to include over 600 individual products. Even today, everything is located under one roof: from development and design to engineering, production, sales, marketing, and shipment. All waterproof products are produced with high-frequency welding methods at the German headquarters in Heilsbronn. „Made in Germany“ guarantees high-quality outdoor equipment for all demands, all weathers and all terrains.

ORTLIEB – Waterproof – a concept since 1982

All products are characterized by tightly sealed closure systems such as roll closures, waterproof zippers, Velcro closure, or sliding seal closures. Numerous design features are protected by patents and keep on setting new standards in the bike and outdoor market. The quality products with their special design features are developed by new ideas of a multi-disciplinary team that orientates towards the requirements of the market, and thus the increasing demands of the users. And the innovations keep on coming and are on an average monthly awarded with top marks by independent juries, trade press or design agencies.

Within Germany, the company supplies via its own distribution system directly to specialized retailers in the bike, outdoor, trekking, expedition, and water sports markets. From the Heilsbronn production site in Germany, the company ships worldwide to distribution partners in more than 40 countries. All products are backed by a 5-year warranty against defects in material and manufacturing. The company puts a high emphasis on customer service including after sales, a fact highly valued by both end consumers and retailers. The fact that all products can be easily repaired by our in-house customer service guarantees a long product life for the products and a sustainable time of use.

Protect The Nature

Sustainability plays a key role in the daily life of work and production. The company is an active member of various interest organizations and working groups. Since 2008 the company is a member of the EOCA (European Outdoor Conservation Association). This initiative collects finances and invests in projects protecting the environment and nature all over the world. Since 2011 the company has published a climate balance, and in 2017 the first sustainability report was published.

Check out the following links:

website: ortlieb.com