ORTOVOX Sportartikel GmbH

About ORTOVOX

ORTOVOX Sportartikel GmbH, based in Taufkirchen near Munich, develops and distributes equipment for mountain sports, with a focus on avalanche safety. The range includes avalanche rescue devices (e.g., FOCUS VOICE with patented voice navigation and Smart Antenna Technology), electronic airbag backpacks (AVABAG LiTRIC), avalanche probes made of aluminum, carbon, and steel, avalanche shovels, and functional clothing made of Merino wool and hardshell materials like GORE-TEX and WINDSTOPPER. The company was founded in 1980, developed the first double-frequency rescue device, and became the market leader in this category within two years. Production is carried out primarily by external partners (e.g., probes Made in Taiwan); internal facilities cover product development, sales, quality and service management, including testing, repair, and software update service for rescue devices. ORTOVOX is part of the Schwan-Stabilo Group and distributes its products worldwide, in the USA via its distribution company ORTOVOX USA in Longmont, Colorado. Additionally, the company offers training and training materials for alpine safety through the Safety Academy.

Site

Taufkirchen

Processes

Repair and maintenance service (Avalanche rescue devices, backpacks, clothing, spare parts), Software updates and product testing for avalanche rescue devices, Repair and Customer Service (2ND-LIFE, Repair service, Spare parts), Product registration with guarantee extension from 2 to 5 years, B2B Service Hub for dealers (Service inquiries), Rental service via dealers, Safety Academy training (Avalanche courses, First Aid, Bike, High Alpine, Climbing), Maintenance/Software updates for avalanche rescue devices

Materials

Aluminum, Carbon, Steel, Merino wool, GORE-TEX, WINDSTOPPER, Wool Sheep, Ripstop Cordura

Certificates

UIAA 157 (Avalanche Probes), UIAA 156 (Avalanche Shovels), ISO 9001

Founded

1980

Industries

Mountain Sports, Ski Touring, Freeride, Mountain Biking, Alpinism/High Alpine, Climbing

1. 01

   Product development and engineering

2. 02

   Manufacturing by external production partners

3. 03

   Product testing and software updates for avalanche rescue devices

4. 04

   Sales (DACH and international)

5. 05

   Repair, maintenance, and spare parts service

6. 06

   B2B Service Hub for dealers

Materials and Processes

Locations

Processes & technical limits

Quality and Standards

Avalanche probes and shovels are certified according to UIAA standards (including UIAA Standard 157 for avalanche probes); rescue devices are tested by our own service and supplied with software updates.

History

1. 1980

   Founded by Gerald Kampel and Jürgen Wegner; developed the first double-frequency rescue device F2, becoming the market leader within two years

2. 1985

   First powder backpack and avalanche shovel

3. 1988

   Sportswear made of wool sheep wool

4. 1989

   ORTOVOX F1 avalanche rescue device

5. 1990

   Renamed ORTOVOX Sportartikel GmbH; F1 plus with LED technology

6. 1993

   Wool fleece collection

7. 1994

   F1 FOCUS – best-selling avalanche rescue device worldwide

8. 1995

   First functional underwear made of Merino wool

9. 1996

   X-LIGHT backpack with Hans Kammerlander

10. 1998

    ORTOVOX M1, first digital-analog device

11. 1999

    ORTOVOX M2

12. 2001

    M2 Exclusive Edition for the 20th anniversary

13. 2002

    X1, first digital rescue device with directional display; freeride backpack line

14. 2003

    Netwool Light; freeride backpack in three back lengths