PROFAS GmbH & Co. KG, the uvex safety group’s centre of expertise for safety gloves, has firmly established itself as a competent problem-solver and leader of innovation in the hand protection segment of PPE. High-quality products bearing the special uvex Profas name are sold in Germany and more than 25 other international markets. This year, the company is celebrating its 25th anniversary and can look back at a successful quarter of a  century. From October 2011, Profas safety gloves will also be sold under the uvex umbrella brand.

Franz Keller, Managing Director of Profas and Director of the Gloves Strategic Business Unit, explains the decision: “With this move, we intend to place the successful hand protection product group as one of the core competencies in the uvex safety group and take advantage of the strength of the uvex brand in future marketing texts and images,” adding “Further business growth in the hand protection product group will now also be driven forward by consistently using the uvex brand.”

From October 2011, the entire hand protection range will therefore be uniformly marketed under the uvex umbrella brand, as is already the case for all other product groups in the uvex safety group. Production at the Lüneburg plant and all other external partners will be using the new design for product labelling from the beginning of October. This will occur as a running change, with the use of the special uvex Profas label ceasing once all remaining stock is sold. Needless to say, the internal product specifications will not be altered and all external proofing certifications remain valid.

As a special organisation and centre of expertise for hand protection, PROFAS GmbH & Co. KG will not be affected by this change. The name and organisation of the company will remain the same, but the entire business equipment will be remodelled for the 1 October in line with the uniform corporate design of the uvex group’s new brand strategy.
The integration in the uvex brand will be completed in time for the international A+A 2011 trade fair and the latest product innovations and marketing documents will carry the new uvex design.

The uvex group
UVEX WINTER HOLDING GmbH & Co. KG brings together three globally active companies under one roof: the uvex safety group, the uvex sports group (with uvex sports and Alpina), and Filtral. The uvex group is represented in 22 countries by 41 subsidiaries but chooses to do most of its manufacturing in Germany. Two thirds of the company’s 2,100-strong workforce (as of FY 2010/2011) is employed in Germany. uvex is a global partner to international elite sport and equips a host of top athletes. The motto “protecting people” is at the heart of the company’s activities. uvex develops, manufactures and distributes products and services for the safety and protection of people at work, in sport and for leisure pursuits.