Uhlsport GmbH is a German sporting goods manufacturer. Originally established in 1948 as "Haase & Uhl OHG" and later renamed "Karl Uhl GmbH", the company became "uhlsport GmbH" in 1994. It is an international company which has its permanent headquarters in BalingeninBaden-Württemberg, Germany.
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sport, Textile |
| Founded | 1948; 76 years ago (1948) |
| Founder | Karl Uhl[1] |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Dirk Hendrik Lehner, Martin Goppelt (Managing Directors) |
| Products | List |
| Brands | List
|
| Revenue | ca. 67 million euros (2017) |
Number of employees | 200 (2021) |
| Website | uhlsport |
The company manufactures and distributes its products through the brands Uhlsport and Kempa.
The company was founded in 1948 by Karl Uhl. Early production focussed on manufacturing leather studs for football boots, and in 1953 uhlsport also began to produce football boot soles for sports shoe manufacturers.[1] In the years which followed, more products were added, including shin guards, sports bandages, footballs and goalkeeper gloves, until finally uhlsport GmbH had developed a full range of football equipment. Since 2002, the company has been operating a multi-brand strategy for football and handball.
The brand "uhlsport" specializes in football, especially goalkeeper equipment.[3] Since 2002, handball equipment has been marketed through the company's own "Kempa" brand.
The German company operates an indirect distribution strategy with subsidiaries in France, Spain, and Sweden and with country managers in UK, Benelux, and Switzerland. Uhlsport has a further 80 distribution partners across the world. In 1998, the Uhl family sold the company to the Daiss family.
Uhlsport is the official equipment supplier to 1. FC Köln and 1. FC Magdeburg,[4] As official ball sponsor uhlsport supports the Croatian SuperSport HNL. The goalkeepers Alphonso Areola, Alexander Schwolow, Mike Maignan, Oliver Baumann, Odysseas Vlachodimos, Fabian Bredlow, Diant Ramaj, Christian Mathenia, Lukas Hradecky, Ron-Robert Zieler, Pauline Peyraud-Magnin, Yassine Bounou, Ofir Marciano, Anthony Lopes and others play with uhlsport gloves.[5]
Kempa ist the official sponsor to HBW Balingen-Weilstetten, TVB 1898 Stuttgart, Bergischer HC, Buxtehuder SV (women) and HSG Bensheim/Auerbach (women). From 2023 Kempa brand has become the new official supplier of the Germany men's national volleyball team
football is soccer
FUS Rabat
Deportivo Laferrere (from 2022 season)
San Carlos
Egnatia Kastrioti Laçi
Austria Lustenau Blau-Weiß Linz
Mouscron
Naftan Novopolotsk
Arda Kardzhali Cherno More Varna Chernomorets Balchik Maritsa Plovdiv Septemvri Sofia Pirin Blagoevgrad
Oriente
Hvidovre Silkeborg
Chippenham Town Havant & Waterlooville Weston-super-Mare
Tallinna JK Legion
Clermont Foot (from 2022-23 season)
Waldhof Mannheim (from 2023-24 season) Bonner SC SSV Reutlingen SSV Ulm Stuttgarter Kickers TSG Balingen VfR Garching
Ballkani (from 2021-22 season)
Ballymena United Dungannon Swifts Lisburn Distillery Warrenpoint Town
East Stirlingshire (from 2023-24 season) Montrose Stenhousemuir (from 2023-24 season)
Erzurumspor Alanyaspor Büyükşehir Belediye Erzurumspor
Souths United Brisbane StrikersUhlsport is the official supplier for the following leagues and associations:
Série D NIFL Premiership
Ligi Kuu Tanzania Bara Bergischer HC Buxtehuder SV TVB Stuttgart
CSM București (women's) Gloria Bistrița (women's) Dunărea Brăila (women's) Gloria Buzău (women's) CSM București
Alingsås HK(English: "The uhlsport football brand. Brand positioning in Germany”). 1998
Gaziantep Gençlik Spor
