NEWS
Legero United honoured with German Innovation Award 2023
L
egero United, the umbrella company of the Superfit, Legero and Think! brands, has been honoured with a German Innovation Award for its sustainability work and its aims to be net zero
carbon by 2030.
The prize was presented at an exclusive event at the Futurium in Berlin at the end of May.
The Austrian shoe manufacturer has already played a pioneering role when it comes to sustainability in the shoe manufacturing industry for many years. The company focuses extensively on the sustainability of its collections as part of its strategy and consistently pursues this aspect further with a number of measures along the entire value creation chain. Legero United has set up a carbon eco-database and this has been honoured in the ‘Excellence in Business to Business – Information Technologies’ category. This database shows the environmental performance at the product level of each of the more than 3,500 products it manufactures annually. It makes it possible to calculate the carbon footprint of each individual shoe in advance for every new design, which can then be reduced in a targeted way with respective measures without the need for the manufacture of a prototype.
“We are currently digitising the entire design and sample production of our collections,” said Stefan Stolitzka, Owner and CEO of Legero United. “Our designers can then compare all design versions with the aid of innovative 3D technologies in real time, and manage and reduce the carbon footprint of each design according to clearly set targets. “This 3D technology also helps us to use considerably fewer material and transport resources. All this contributes to a targeted, predictable reduction of our carbon footprint and makes a significant contribution to solving the climate crisis.”
The Austrian shoe manufacturer bundles its ambitious and trailblazing sustainability initiatives, such as the in-house development platform for sustainable materials, VIOS, which it already established as long ago as in 2013, in the ‘Legero United Sustainability Agenda’, or ‘LUNA’ for short. The company also participates in numerous industry and environmental protection initiatives, first and foremost the Science Based Target
Initiative (SBTi), which it committed to in 2021. Legero United also uses the industry-leading Higg Index, which shows the sustainability of products along the entire supply chain.
In addition, for the manufacture of its collections, the company preferably cooperates with leather suppliers that are Leather Working Group (LWG, which defines global standards for the leather industry and certified tanneries) Gold and Silver certified.
Legero United develops all of the designs for its brands Superfit, Legero and Think! in-house and manufactures the majority of these in its own production facilities. The company is therefore in control of the entire value creation chain – from design to manufacturing and marketing.
Skechers promotes Richard Parker to MD of UK and Ireland S
kechers has promoted Richard Parker to Managing Director of the UK and Ireland after more than two decades
with the company.
“We celebrated the 30th anniversary of Skechers in 2022 with the company’s international business just shy of 60 per cent of our total sales, a new annual record at $7.4 billion,” said David Weinberg, Chief Operating Officer of Skechers.
“Our UK business was a key contributor to that growth. As we look to drive growth across the UK in the coming years, we believe that with Richard’s varied experience, business acumen and success within the organisation and market relationships, he will excel in his
4 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • JUNE 2023
new role – one aptly served by Peter Youell for nearly 20 years.
“The energy and support Peter gave his team, creating a collaborative organisation and developing each member’s strengths to all work, elevated the brand and helped establish a foundation for future successes.” Through his 22-year tenure with Skechers, footwear industry veteran Mr Parker has held nearly every position within the UK and Ireland sales division – starting as an Area Sales Manager before handling Key Accounts and
National Accounts including QVC and Amazon. For the last four years, Mr Parker was the National Sales Manager for Skechers UK and Ireland where his dedication helped grow the business to its leading position in the market today.
Peter Youell has transitioned into an advisor role on special and key international projects with the company. He joined Skechers in November 2004 as Sales Director and brought with him a wealth of experience at competitor brands. Within months, he was promoted to Managing Director of UK and Ireland, and through his 18 years with the company, helped guide Skechers from a £10m to a £200m business in the region.
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