Mammut Sports Group cut 25 sales jobs at its corporate headquarters in Switzerland and will outsourcing rope manufacturing in a bid to cut costs amid declining sales and margin pressures created by adverse currency effects.
Due to the increasingly important role of direct-to-consumer sales, Mammut will consolidate sales for its Wholesale and Retail/E-commerce areas into a single sales organization under Stefan Merkt, who is already managing Retail/E-commerce. Merkt will take over management of all sale operations as chief sales officer beginning Oct. 1, when Wholesale Manager Andreas Kessler will leave the company.
The reorganization will eliminate 25 jobs, mostly at Mammut's headquarters in Seon, Switzerland. All affected employees will be supported with a social services package and individual assistance in securing a new position.
Rope production outsourced
Mammut also announced Teufelberger Holding AG of Austria will take over its labor-intensive rope production facility in Seon by Sept. 1, 2016 following a thorough training of the family-owned company's employees. Teufelberger is a major manufacturer of ropes for arborists, utilities and other commercial customers and has experience producing mountaineering ropes. The company plans to invest in resources that will enable Mammut to continue to develop new ropes.
Mammut will still design, develop and market ropes from Seon, where it will continue to operate its rope test laboratory.
“These were difficult decisions for us, however we have studied our options carefully and are convinced that these measures will improve Mammut Sports Group's long-term competitiveness,” said Mammut CEO Rolf Schmid.
