Bauerfeind headquarters in Zeulenroda, Thuringia
See Bauernfeind for the surname.

Bauerfeind AG is a German health care equipment company, one of the largest manufacturers of orthopaedic hosiery and inserts in the world.[1][2] The company provides products to support elite athletes and sports clubs.[3] Its headquarters are in Zeulenroda-Triebes, Thuringia. As a family-owend enterprise, Bauerfeind remains unlisted on all stock exchanges.

The company was founded in Zeulenroda in 1929 by Bruno Bauerfeind as a manufacturer of medical rubber stockings. In 1949 his son, Rudolf Bauerfeind, relocated from Zeulenroda due to East Germany nationalisation policy and reconstructed company operations in western Germany. Initially, the company was based in Darmstadt-Eberstadt and later moved to Kempen.[4][5] Following the German reunification in 1991, Hans B. Bauerfeind, the founder's grandson and chairman of the management board since 1976,[6] returned Bauerfeind GmbH (as it was known at the time) to Zeulenroda.[5] He accomplished this by acquiring a compression bandage manufacturer in the area and investing over 100 million euros into a new production facility, a research centre, and erecting a new 57-metre tall building to use as the business headquarters.[7] Notably, it became the tallest building built in Thuringia since reunification.

In 2002, the family-owned enterprise transformed into an Aktiengesellschaft (en: public limited company).[4]

Hans Bauerfeind expanded the company into an international conglomerate. As of 2011 the company comprised approximately 2,000 employees, of which 800 were located in Zeulenroda.[8] Additionally, it has over 20 subsidiaries[9] in several countries, including Austria, France, Great Britain, Italy, Spain and the United States.

Sales for the year 2015 amounted to 203.7 million euros. [10]

Medical aids are manufactured in Geramny and involve manual craftsmanship (i.e. partly made by hand). Since January 2017 Dirk Nowitzki has been a worldwide brand ambassador for the company.[11]

Bauerfeind has developed computer applications such as software to model clients' legs in three dimensions for accurate fitting.[8][12] For the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Bauerfeind not only supplied compression stockings but also provided 750 pairs of health shoes manufactured by their Berkemann subsidiary.[13]

Hans Bauerfeind himself held more than 60 patents and was awarded an honorary professorship by the Fachhochschule Münster in 2007, recognising his and the company's contributions to the establishment of the technical orthopaedics courses at German technical universities and the extensive financial support provided to the programme at Münster.[4] In 2020 Hans resigned from the position of chairman of the board, having passed the role to Rainer Berthan. On the 14th of July 2023, Hans' death was announced by several media outlets.[9][14]

Additionally, the company participates in an international education programme and awards a prize of its own.[4] Bauerfeind also owns the Bio-Seehotel in Zeulenroda, which has consistently been recognised as one of Germany's best conference hotels.[15] The Bio-Seehotel establishment was opened in 2006 following the conversion of a conference centre, which used to serve as a hotel for the Free German Trade Union Federation.[16]

References

  1. ↑ Lymphnetzwerk. "Partner". Lymphnetzwerk (in German). Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  2. ↑ SAZsport. "Bauerfeind Sports". SAZsport (in German). Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  3. ↑ "So unterstützt Bauerfeind Sportler*innen durch passgenaue medizinische Produkte". www.ispo.com (in German). Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Christoph Hachtkemper, Stehende Ovationen für einen Unternehmer und Förderer, Press release, Fachhochschule Münster, 29 November 2007 (in German)
  5. 1 2 Hans B. Bauerfeind, "Gewagt und gewonnen", Die Welt 25 September 2010 (in German)
  6. ↑ According to the Fachhochschule Münster press release, 1979.
  7. ↑ Andreas Hummel, "Unternehmer der Wende", Frankenpost 29 July 2010 (in German)
  8. 1 2 Norbert Block, "Cebit-Premiere: Bauerfeind ist bei 'Deutschland bewegt sich' aktiv", Thüringische Landeszeitung 4 March 2011 (in German)
  9. 1 2 mdr.de. "Unternehmer Hans B. Bauerfeind im Alter von 82 Jahren gestorben | MDR.DE". www.mdr.de (in German). Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  10. ↑ "Startseite – Bundesanzeiger".
  11. ↑ OTZ (2019-04-13). "Bauerfeind würdigt einmalige Karriere von Dirk Nowitzki". www.otz.de (in German). Retrieved 2022-08-26.
  12. ↑ Natascha Plankermann, "Tragbarer Ersatz für das Herz: Neuentwicklungen bei der Medizinmesse Medica in Düsseldorf", Die Welt 23 November 2008 (in German)
  13. ↑ Burkhard Riering and Hagen Seidel, "Olympisches Geld", Die Welt 13 August 2004 (in German)
  14. ↑ red (2023-07-14). "Trauer um Unternehmer Hans Bauerfeind". www.otz.de (in German). Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  15. ↑ Homepage of Bio-Seehotel Zeulenroda "Auszeichnungen", Bio-Seehotel Zeulenroda 06 June 2017 (German).
  16. ↑ "Bio-Hotel", 365 Orte im Land der Ideen, Die Welt 9 May 2010 (in German)
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