Jack Wolfskin

Jack Wolfskin was founded as a trademark of the company Sine in Frankfurt am Main, Germany by Ulrich Dausien in 1981. With proceeding success, Jack Wolfskin was incorporated separately from Sine. In 1991, the company was sold to Johnson Outdoors. Jack Wolfskin had supplied only specialist shops until their first own shop was opened in Heidelberg in 1993. As of mid-2012, there were more than 500, mostly franchised, Jack Wolfskin stores worldwide.{{cite web |title=How It All Started {{!}} Jack Wolfskin |url=https://us.jackwolfskin.com/the-pawprint/how-it-all-started |access-date=18 October 2023 |website=us.jackwolfskin.com}}

In 2002, Bain Capital acquired Jack Wolfskin from Johnson Outdoors for €42 million.{{cite web|url=http://www.baincapitalprivateequity.com/industries/consumer-retail-dining/case-studies/jack-wolfskin|title=Bain Capital Private Equity|website=baincapitalprivateequity.com}} Bain sold it to Quadriga Capital and Barclays Private Equity in 2005 for €93 million. Jack Wolfskin was then sold to Blackstone Group in 2011.{{cite web|title=Jack Wolfskin Acquired by Blackstone Group|url=http://www.sportsonesource.com/news/spec/spec_article.asp?section=4&Prod=2&id=39313|work=Outdoor Business Update|publisher=SportsOneSource Media|date=21 July 2011}} {{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}} Blackstone is expected to help Jack Wolfskin to grow further on an international level. Simultaneously, the former CEO and co-owner Manfred Hell left the company with immediate effect, after 25 years at the top of the company. In November 2014, Melody Harris-Jensbach was selected as CEO of the company.{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}

On 6 July 2017, Jack Wolfskin announced that it had successfully completed a financial restructuring with its main creditors and reduced its debt by €225 million ($256 million). The move brought down its debt from €365 million to €110 million, with terms extended until 2022. Additionally, the clothing firm received a new temporary loan of €25 million ($28 million) from current senior creditors, who would become new shareholders of the company as a result of the restructuring process. Jack Wolfskin's new owners will hold their stake via a Luxemburg-based holding company. These include Bain Capital Credit, HIG / Bayside Capital and CQS, who now own more than 50% of the brand.{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}

Reports announced in April that private equity firm Blackstone had handed over control of the German company to a group of its lenders in a debt-for-equity swap.

On 30 November 2018, Jack Wolfskin announced they were to be purchased by Callaway Golf Company (currently renamed Topgolf Callaway Brands).{{cite news|url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/wirtschaft/outdoor-ausstatter-us-golfausstatter-callaway-uebernimmt-jack-wolfskin/23703946.html|title=US-Golfausstatter Callaway übernimmt Jack Wolfskin|access-date=1 December 2018|language=de}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/unternehmen/jack-wolfskin-us-firma-kauft-outdoor-ausruester-a-1241324.html|title=Outdoormarke: US-Firma kauft Jack Wolfskin|date=30 November 2018|work=Spiegel Online|access-date=1 December 2018}} On 4 January 2019, Callaway completed the acquisition of Jack Wolfskin for €418 million.{{Cite news|url=https://callawaygolf.gcs-web.com/news-releases/news-release-details/callaway-golf-company-completes-acquisition-jack-wolfskin|title=Callaway Golf Company Completes Acquisition Of Jack Wolfskin, A Premium Outdoor Apparel Brand, For €418 Million|date=4 January 2019|work=Callaway Golf|access-date=22 January 2019}}

On 23 November 2020, Jack Wolfskin announced that Richard Collier would be the new CEO of Jack Wolfskin, effective from 1 December 2020.

In 2022, researchers from Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences identified cotton from Xinjiang in Jack Wolfskin shirts.{{cite web |last=Oltermann |first=Philip |date=2022-05-05 |title=Xinjiang cotton found in Adidas, Puma and Hugo Boss tops, researchers say |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/05/xinjiang-cotton-found-adidas-puma-hugo-boss-tops-researchers-claim-uyghur |access-date=6 May 2022 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}{{clarify|date=January 2024}}

In April 2025, it was announced that Jinjiang-based company Anta Sports would acquire Jack Wolfskin for €262 million ($290 million).{{Cite web |last=Germany |first=hessenschau.de, Alexander Hübner |date=2025-04-10 |title=Jack Wolfskin wechselt Besitzer: Chinesischer Konzern kauft Unternehmen aus Idstein |url=https://www.hessenschau.de/wirtschaft/jack-wolfskin-wechselt-besitzer-chinesischer-konzern-kauft-unternehmen-aus-idstein-v1,jack-wolfskin-verkauf-100.html |url-status=live |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=hessenschau.de |language=German}}

{{Promotional section|date=May 2022}}

Since July 2010, Jack Wolfskin has been a member of the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF), a multi-stakeholder initiative working to improve workplace conditions in the garment and textile industry.

In July 2007, Jack Wolfskin became patron of the I.C.E. Youth CampWuppertal Institute Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production (CSCP): [http://www.arved-fuchs.de/svalbard/af_svalbard_einleitung.htm International Ice-Climate Education 2007 - Education Svalbard 2007 - Arved Fuchs Schülerexpedition] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001100711/http://www.arved-fuchs.de/svalbard/af_svalbard_einleitung.htm |date=1 October 2012}}, arved-fuchs.de, June 2007 a UNEP-initiative which has the aim to train young persons an environmentally awareness and a thrifty use of resources in cooperation with Arved Fuchs.

In 2008, supplier monitoring was established at Jack Wolfskin, and in 2009, the company announced that membership in a multi-stakeholder initiative will be checked. When the Clean Clothes Campaign distributed questionnaires about working and production conditions to several outdoor producers in 2009 and 2010, Jack Wolfskin decided to become a member of the FWF as there were many similarities to their own established social audit system.{{cite web|url=http://www.ci-romero.de/ccc_outdoorprofile2010xml|title=Christliche Initiative Romero e.V.: Start|work=ci-romero.de|access-date=14 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211060214/http://www.ci-romero.de/ccc_outdoorprofile2010xml|archive-date=11 December 2013|url-status=dead}} Together with Wolfgang Niedecken and World Vision Germany the project "Rebound" was initiated in 2008. The aim of the project is to improve the living conditions of former child soldiers in Uganda and to reintegrate them into society.{{cite web|url=http://www.jack-wolfskin.com/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-583|title=Jack Wolfskin Rebound - Project Rebound|work=jack-wolfskin.com|access-date=14 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707054928/http://www.jack-wolfskin.com/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-583|archive-date=7 July 2011|url-status=dead}} In 2010, the Swiss NGO Erklärung von Bern compared working condition standards in countries of production of 77 fashion brands. Jack Wolfskin was graded into the "average" category, the second best of five categories.{{cite news|url=http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/wirtschaft/unternehmen-und-konjunktur/Hippe-Label--unfaire-Produktion/story/23511741|title=Hippe Label – unfaire Produktion|work=tagesanzeiger.ch/}}

File:Jack Wolfskin rucksack Palenque.jpg

Jack Wolfskin has a history of aggressive legal action related to its paw print logo. In 2002, it succeeded in prohibiting the taz newspaperhttp://www.taz.de taz newspaper from using a paw print design on merchandise designed for outdoor use on the grounds that the taz logo designed in 1978 was not registered as a trademark, whereas the Jack Wolfskin logo was registered in 1982. This led to many people boycotting its products.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

In October 2009, Jack Wolfskin's lawyers sent demands for damage payments to handicraft hobbyists who had used paw designs in their creations, irrespective of whether the paw design was of a wolf, cat or other animal.[http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/netzpolitik/0,1518,655890,00.html Der Spiegel magazine, Germany], 19 October 2009 This prompted a backlash in online forums for handicrafts and bloggers documenting corporate behaviour, outraged at the bullying tactics used by a large firm against individual hobbyists with barely measurable income through clothing and no intention to mimic Jack Wolfskin goods. The protest reached national news media in Germany. A blunt refusal to back down by Jack Wolfskin led to calls to boycott their products in several online communities in Germany and abroad. As the impact of the negative publicity became apparent, Jack Wolfskin later issued a press release to indicate they would in future open dialog directly with people it suspected of breaching its copyright, rather than sending damage payment demands as the first contact.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

In November 2009, Jack Wolfskin threatened the Dutch company Bearwear, a clothing supplier to the gay bear scene, with legal action causing it to suspend its European web shop and generating ill-feelings to Jack Wolfskin with its customers. This was eventually resolved, allowing Bearwear to continue trading with its logo that incorporates a bear paw print.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

On 19 December 2011, the Civic Association Dog Soul from Slovakia (a non-profit organization) received an e-mail with a copy of a letter from an attorney and patent office representing the Jack Wolfskin Ausrüstung für Draussen GmbH & Co. KGaA company. Simultaneously - without any valid court decision - they directly accused them of violating trademark property rights.{{cite web |url=http://www.psiadusa.sk/jwe.htm |title=Jack Wolfskin threatening the Civic Association Dog Soul |date=19 December 2011 |website=psiadusa.sk |publisher=Psia Dusa |access-date=18 October 2012}} {{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}

In August 2010, Jack Wolfskin signed a 3-year deal to sponsor the English football club Liverpool FC, in a chance to increase its exposure in the UK.{{cite web |url=http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/jack-wolfskin-signs-with-lfc |title=Jack Wolfskin signs with LFC |date=5 August 2010 |work=Liverpoolfc.tv |publisher=Liverpool FC |access-date=11 September 2011}} In April 2013, Liverpool FC and Jack Wolfskin announced a 3-year extension of their partnership deal.{{cite web |url=http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/jack-wolfskin-sign-for-3-more-years |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130420231134/http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/jack-wolfskin-sign-for-3-more-years |archive-date=20 April 2013 |title=Jack Wolfskin sign for 3 more years - Liverpool FC}}

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• {{Official website|https://www.jack-wolfskin.com}}

Category:Clothing brands of Germany

Category:Outdoor clothing brands

Category:Camping equipment manufacturers

Category:Companies based in Hesse

Category:Clothing companies established in 1981

Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1981

Category:1981 establishments in West Germany

Category:German brands

Category:2019 mergers and acquisitions

Category:Bain Capital companies

Category:Blackstone Inc. companies