World's Second Largest Shoe Manufacturer, ECCO, Celebrates 50 Years Of Passionate Shoemaking

LONDONDERRY, N.H., April 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Danish footwear brand, ECCO, kicks off its month-long celebration of 50 years of passionate shoemaking. With U.S. headquarters in Londonderry, NH, the brand is known for delivering comfortable footwear anchored in style, simplicity, functionality, quality and craftsmanship – a true testament to its Scandinavian heritage. Throughout the month of April, U.S. customers will enjoy special in-store displays, a Facebook sweepstakes starting today, and historical storytelling through the brand's Tumblr blog.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/61105-ecco-danish-footwear-brand-month-long-celebration-50-years-of-shoemaking

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130408/MM89671 )

Founded in 1963, ECCO has produced more than 350 million pairs of shoes globally. Each pair of ECCO shoes is touched by 210 pairs of hands before they reach the consumer – a unique value proposition of the brand that is one of the only vertically integrated footwear brands in the world. Through owning and managing every step of the shoemaking process – from tanneries to stores – ECCO can thoroughly provide quality assurance and control of its products.

"We are shoemakers at heart and with over 4,000 branded sales locations in more than 90 countries we are, of course, also a large retailer," said chief operating officer, Michael Hauge Sorensen. "This is a business model that provides ECCO with two strong platforms in our quest to become the best shoe company in the world. While never compromising on quality shoemaking, we increasingly turn our attention to consumer demands and needs."

As the world's second largest lifestyle footwear manufacturer, ECCO is staying ahead of the competition by turning to its Scandinavian heritage for innovative design and modernization of its collections. Strong product performance and consumer demand has led the brand to its second-consecutive record-breaking year.  

"We see the changes around us every day and recognize that ECCO has inherited an obligation to stay competitive and innovative," said Sorensen. "2012 became an exceptionally good year for ECCO, secured by an extraordinary effort by the entire global team along with solid market performance by many successful products."

For more information on ECCO and to celebrate in 50 years of passionate shoemaking, visit: http://passion.ecco.com and www.facebook.com/eccousa.

ECCO HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS

• 1963, the company was founded by Danish shoemaker Karl Toosbuy
• 1984, first fully owned factory established in Portugal
• 1990, establishes ECCO USA - later to grow into the single largest market
• 1991, builds a factory in Indonesia. The site includes both production and a tannery and today is the largest production unit with more than 5,500 employees
• 1993, demand rises and ECCO builds a factory and tannery in Thailand
• 1996, first flagship store opens on the famous Oxford Street in London
• 1996, enters the golf shoe market - today the fourth biggest producer of golf shoes
• 1998, opens factory in Slovakia
• 2002, ECCO goes to Asia
• 2005, production is established in Xiamen, China
• 2008, builds a tannery alongside the shoe factory in Xiamen
• 2011, celebrates 1,000^th store opening at Mall of America, Minneapolis, USA
• 2013, celebrates five decades of shoes with its 50^th Anniversary

About ECCO
ECCO, a world leading brand of shoes combining fashion and comfort, has built its success on uncompromising quality and innovative technology. ECCO is the only major shoe manufacturer in the world to own and manage every step in the shoemaking process. ECCO employees are the life force behind the products: designing, developing, producing, selling and taking responsibility for every last detail of the brand experience. ECCO is expanding at a fast pace, and today products can be found in almost 4,000 branded sales locations worldwide. However, ECCO's aim has never been to be the biggest - but always to be the best. ECCO USA is based in Londonderry, New Hampshire. For more information: visit www.eccousa.com, 800.886.3226.

SOURCE ECCO