Two brothers from East Hesse made an international fashion brand from the work clothing manufacturer Engelbert Strauss. There is a lot of applause for this – but also some criticism.
Those who work in the craft today are very likely to wear Strauss work clothes. Work trousers, shoes, aprons, coat: The brand serves the whole range of so -called workwear. It is solid quality at affordable prices. But that is not the only explanation of why the company from Biebergemünd East Hessian has risen as the European market leader.
“More than the classic blue client”
The two brothers Henning and Steffen Strauss have expanded the family company – originally named after their grandfather, the founder Engelbert Strauß – with an internationally successful fashion brand with willingness to innovate and ambition.
“A key aspect in the design of the Strauss products is that they consist of different materials in different colors. This suggests that this product can do more than the classic blue client,” says fashion expert Carl Tillessen in the hr-Documentation “Billion Dollar Workwear – The Engelbert Strauss Story”.
Modern sneakers in front of Manhattan's skyline: The brand wants to combine work clothes and fashion.
Baseball and metallica fuel image
The red and white logo with the bird Strauss is emblazoned not only on stadium gangs during the European football championship and in the American baseball league, but also on the T-shirts of Metallica and Super Mario fans. Through clever collaborations with international brands, Strauss has succeeded in changing work clothes to the trendy lifestyle brand.
An image change that Henning Strauss has decisively promoted. He studied in the United States and lived there for several years. “The openness of the people and the urge to go” there would have been impressed, he says in the documentation.
“Workwear Valley” in East Hesse
The USA, California and the Silicon Valley are role models for the “workwear Valley”. This is what Strauss calls the region in East Hesse, where work clothes are created. In Schluechtern, for example, the so-called Ci-factory, where prototypes of shoes are made, but also personalized items of clothing according to customer requirements. Most products are still produced in Bangladesh, Vietnam and Laos, here they get the finishing touch.
Despite billions of bills, there is creative pioneering mood in the factory in Schluechtern. An atmosphere of New Work, for which the Strauss brothers in the area do not always find the right workers.
In order to make the workplace in the country talent from big cities, the company in neighboring Bad Orb, the residence of Henning Strauss, has built its own resort: a mix of Medical Spa, luxury apartments for international guests and attractive employee apartments. An international school is also to be created at the location – and ensure well -trained youngsters.
A company -owned resort is intended to lure talented specialists from the big city to the tranquil Bad Orb in East Hesse.
The pioneer doesn't like wind turbines
Henning Strauss has been appointed honorary citizen of Bad Orb for his commitment and multi -million dollar investments in 2023. Many see him a hope that can awaken the spa town from their Sleeping Beauty sleep.
Others say: someone buys a city here. This became clear in a discussion about wind turbines. Their construction on the edge of Bad Orb has been approved for a long time, but the wind farm does not fit into the plans of Strauss for a Medical Spa that wants to lure its guests with Waldbaden into the ancient oak forest.
In an open letter in several large newspapers, Henning Strauss therefore spoke out against the project, with the mayor of the city and the president of the Frankfurt Eintracht. A short time later, however, this distanced himself from the campaign and apologized to all club members for his signature in a circular.
“Elon Musk from Bad Orb”
There was sharp criticism of the letter, for example by Bodo Delhey from the Environmental Protection Association BUND. He says: “Strauss appears here as Elon Musk from Bad Orb. He tries to enforce his interests regardless.”
Such hard criticism is rarely heard – and then only behind the scenes. Most citizens seem to see it as the resident who in the hr-Diplieration has their say: “Bad Orb has had the golden times for a few decades. For a chronically clammy community, such a generously seeming patron is not a wrong thing.”
