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| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1966; 59 years ago (1966), inNewcastle upon Tyne, England |
| Headquarters | Sunderland, England |
| Products | Clothing, outdoor gear |
| Parent | Pentland Group[1] |
| Website | berghaus |
Berghaus Limited is a Britishoutdoor clothing and equipment brand founded inNewcastle upon Tyne,North East England, and now headquartered in nearbySunderland.[2] It was founded in 1966 byclimbers andmountaineers Peter Lockey and Gordon Davison, initially as an importer and distributor of outdoors products.[3] Lockey and Davison's outdoor store in Newcastle upon Tyne, went by the name of the LD Mountain Centre.[4] In 1972 they began designing and manufacturing their own products for sale in their shop. They gave their brand theGerman name 'Berghaus' which translates as 'mountain house'.
Berghaus offers a range of men's, women's and children'soutdoor clothing and equipment, including waterproof jackets,fleeces,baselayers and legwear. They also produce a selection of outdoor specific accessories andfootwear.
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"It all began when climbers and mountaineers Peter Lockey and Gordon Davison from the North East of England, frustrated by what they saw as a lack of decent outdoor gear, decided to import and sell their own.
Their specialist outdoor store in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, went by the name of the LD Mountain Centre and quickly gained a reputation for selling the very best in high-performance outdoor products from the likes ofAtomic Skis,Marker Bindings andNordica Ski."[5]
The first Berghausrucksacks were launched in 1970 – theBerg 172 andBerg 272 models had external frames and basic single compartments. These more traditional sacks were followed two years later in 1972 by theCyclops rucksack – arguably the world's first rucksack with an internal frame.
In 1977, Berghaus became one of Europe's pioneer users ofGore-Tex® fabric, a new waterproof and breathable fabric.
This was followed in 1979 by the development of theYeti Gaiter, whose distinctive rubber rands were initially made from old tractor inner tubes.
In the 1980s, theGemini jacket was introduced, and is still in production today; it allowed a walking jacket to have a zip-in fleece.
It was also in the early 1980s that mountaineerSir Chris Bonington, 'officially' wore Berghaus. It was also around this time thatAlan Hinkes – who would go on to become the UK's most successful extreme altitude mountaineer – began working with the company.
In 1986 the Extrem range was launched and included theTrango Jacket. TheAttak sole unit was introduced the following year and exported around the world. Berghaus were awarded theQueen's Award for Export in 1988 and the Northern Business Award for Exporter of the Year.[6]
In 1993,Pentland Group PLC, home to sports brandsSpeedo andEllesse, acquired Berghaus.[7] In the early 1990s Berghaus launched its first footwear collection. This collection included theStorm boot, a three-season fabrichiking boot.
As a new century approached Berghaus introduced theSimplex concept in 1997: the idea was that by minimising the layers of fabric in a garment and getting rid of any unnecessary styling you achieve a more breathable, lightweight product.
In 1999, a new lightweight and packable outerwear was introduced –Gore-Tex PacLite, a waterproof, windproof and breathable range of clothing.
TheNitro rucksack, introduced by Berghaus in 1998, was awarded theMillennium Product Award by theDesign Council of Great Britain.
In 2011, Berghaus announced that it had formed a design and development team calledMtnHaus.
TheMtnHaus team works with Berghaus-sponsored athletes, such asLeo Houlding andMick Fowler, to produce kit for specific challenges, which means extended design, development and testing periods. So far theMtnHaus team have produced five products including theAsgard Smock, which went through 18 prototypes before the design was finalised. In 2013, the team developed the award-winningVapour Storm Jacket.
Berghaus now has a team of over 21 athletes from all over the globe,[8] including:
Berghaus has a number of shops in the UK,[9] includingBristol,Manchester,Covent Garden inLondon,Dalton Park inCounty Durham,Bridgend andGretna.
