SKYLOTEC can look back on 75 years of history. Founded in 1947 as a sole enterprise, the former small business has become a globally active group of companies. Today, SKYLOTEC is one of the world's leading manufacturers of protective equipment and is considered the innovation leader in its industry in the field of fall protection and rope-based access.
“In the early years, the company specialised in grinding baskets for mine rescue and safety harnesses for mining.”
When Eduard Kaufmann specialised in the production of grinding baskets for mine rescue and safety harnesses for the mining industry in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, in 1947, he could not have imagined the development his company would undergo. 75 years later, it has become a group of companies with twelve locations worldwide and around 950 employees - and SKYLOTEC has grown into a global player as a manufacturer of protective equipment.
It’s to create and search for improvements
Kaufmann laid the foundation for this development and accompanied it until 1982, when he sold his seven-employee company to Wolfgang Rinklake, who moved the location to Neuwied. To this day, the headquarters of the family-owned company is located there, now a workplace for about 300 people. Under Wolfgang Rinklake, the company developed steadily. In 2000, while the company was experiencing its first major crisis, he handed over the management to his son Dr. Kai Rinklake.
“For me, it is part of the essence of an entrepreneur to create and to permanently search for improvements. That applies in principle, but even more so in times of crisis,” says Dr Kai Rinklake today. At that time, he decided – unlike many competitors at the time – not to focus on cost-cutting and moving production to Asia, but on quality and innovation. Thus, a lot was invested in development and an international sales organisation was established. This path was to prove extremely successful. During this time, for example, the high-performance, centrifugally controlled abseiling device "Milan" was developed, which made it possible to enter the field of rescue. This enabled SKYLOTEC to gain a foothold in the wind energy market, which was just developing, and it was thus a driving force for the development the company has taken since then.
“With the centrifugally controlled abseiling device 'Milan', SKYLOTEC entered the field of rescue – and thus opened up the wind energy sector as a business field.”
Products that make the difference
When Eduard Kaufmann GmbH became SKYLOTEC in 2005, the company was already on course for growth. Today, SKYLOTEC is one of the world's leading manufacturers of protective equipment and is regarded as an innovation leader in its industry in the field of fall protection and rope-based access, having already received prestigious awards for its products. “We are a brand that makes a promise to customers and has people on board who feel responsible for keeping that promise. Creativity and a spirit of innovation are indispensable factors here,” Rinklake knows. This is how products are created that are thought out further than conventional solutions and offer users advantages – for example in handling and design. “For this, all colleagues go the extra mile, and this is rewarded on the market.”
Growth in many areas
In recent years, the product range and brand awareness have grown through the acquisition of various companies. In the summer of 2021, for example, the German family-owned company took over Aludesign in Italy, the largest European manufacturer of carabiners. The associated brand “Climbing Technology” is known worldwide in alpine mountaineering and sport climbing.
In addition, SKYLOTEC has continuously brought innovative products onto the market in the field of rope-based access in recent years. With the “Sirius” abseiling device, which fits well in the hand and allows fast and precise movements, the manufacturer of protective equipment has set standards since its market launch. The extremely positive feedback from users on such new developments has encouraged SKYLOTEC to further expand this area. In 2019, for example, it acquired ActSafe, the global market leader for motor-driven personal power ascenders. “Especially for rope-based access, there are many synergies between devices for manual work on the rope and ActSafe power ascenders. Therefore, it made sense for us to bring both worlds together and give our customers a choice depending on the job to be done,” says Rinklake.
“Solutions for rope-based access are also part of SKYLOTEC's product range. The company has continuously developed this area in recent years.”
A clear philosophy – now and in the future
In all its expansion considerations, SKYLOTEC has always followed its tradition of developing and offering high-quality products. The most recent company acquisitions have also been made with this in mind. They ensure long-term security of supply for customers worldwide. After all, the Corona pandemic and most recently the Ukraine war have shown that supply chains are vulnerable and costs for materials and logistics can reach unforeseeable heights. SKYLOTEC's clear commitment to Europe as a location enables it to continue to offer high-performance and innovative products “made in Germany” or “made in Europe” that make people feel safe at work and in their leisure time. “That is our philosophy. Anyone who buys a product from SKYLOTEC can be sure that we have manufactured it and checked its quality. High-performance products for maximum safety – that's what SKYLOTEC stands for, now and in the future,” says Dr Kai Rinklake.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
SKYLOTEC GmbH in Neuwied was founded in 1947 and is one of the leading manufacturers of personal protective equipment against falls from a height and safety systems in industry and sports. In addition to an extensive product range in the field of fall protection, the portfolio also includes intensive consultation and service, as well as a worldwide training programme at the Vertical Rescue College. The combination of expertise from the industry and the knowledge gained from practical use leads to ever new innovations from which the users benefit - whether at work or in their leisure time. In 2020, the family-owned company expanded its range to include respiratory protection and has since been producing medical face masks as well as masks for light respiratory protection (FFP masks). SKYLOTEC currently employs around 950 people worldwide and maintains its own production facilities in Germany, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Sweden and Slovenia as well as branches all over the world.