The uhlsport Brand

uhlsport GmbH – team sport specialist from Germany.
uhlsport, Kempa. Two brands for Germany’s top sports. Two brands that lead the way. Two brands that motivate athletes and help them improve. These brands are the go-to choice for clubs, teams, and individual athletes across all sporting disciplines worldwide.

What Makes the uhlsport Brand Special

The vision, motivation, and mission of the brands is to help athletes improve, equip them with the best gear, and support them reliably. It’s not enough to simply develop good products – they must be designed to meet the specific demands of each sport, withstand individual levels of strain, and guarantee maximum functionality. For Kempa, a product is only good enough when it pushes athletes to achieve new personal bests. To reach this goal, the Kempa team maintains close dialogue with customers, athletes, and partners.

Origins and History

uhlsport GmbH is a family-owned, medium-sized company headquartered in Balingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The company was founded in 1948 as a specialist in leather studs and was acquired in 1998 by entrepreneur Günter Daiss. To this day, uhlsport GmbH remains in the hands of the Daiss family.

From Balingen, the company manages national and international sales for both brands, develops strategies, and helps shape the future of team sports.

Over 200 employees work at the Balingen headquarters and the adjacent European central warehouse, which supplies all international distribution partners. In Germany, partners include e-commerce retailers, brick-and-mortar sports stores, and other B2B partners.

As a global expert in team sports equipment, uhlsport GmbH operates wholly owned subsidiaries in France, Spain, and Scandinavia. In addition, selected country managers in the UK, Switzerland, and the Benelux countries support operations in European markets. Worldwide, the company collaborates with distribution partners in over 80 countries.

Target Group

The original brand uhlsport is a full-range supplier in football, developing and producing everything from balls to full kits. For decades, it has held a leading position in the development of new technologies for goalkeeper gloves and equipment. Kempa is the expert in handball, providing gear from shoes to resin and beyond, and is also active in various other sports. Today, many athletes in wrestling, gymnastics, fencing, athletics, and hockey wear Kempa kits on fields and in sports halls around the world.

Key Products and Technologies

uhlsport is the origin of innovation and creativity in team sports. The brand, which began in 1948 in Swabia developing leather studs for football boots, now presents itself with an international image. uhlsport is recognised worldwide – not only at club level in football. The brand is especially renowned for its goalkeeper technologies and innovations.

Its patents and innovations have revolutionised modern goalkeeping. Foams, cuts, and frames form a complete portfolio for all leagues, age groups, and price points. The company is a true goalkeeper expert – and goalkeepers agree. Around the globe, keepers wear uhlsport gloves, make spectacular saves, and sometimes even lift the World Cup trophy into the night sky. Alphonse Areola, Oliver Baumann, Ron-Robert Zieler, Lukas Hradecky, Alexander Schwolow, Mike Maignan – the list is long. They are all part of the company, part of the uhlsquad.

Kempa equips several national handball teams, supplies gear to numerous national and international clubs, and sponsors handball stars such as Uwe Gensheimer, Jannik Kohlbacher, and Xenia Smits. Kempa works closely with specialists like world-renowned tyre manufacturer Michelin and textile expert Matryx. Their expertise is integrated into the final products, making them even better.

To this day, the brand remains focused on handball, but its portfolio has expanded to include other team sports. Wrestling and volleyball, fencing and hockey, beach volleyball and bowling – Kempa is team sport. And every sport, every athlete, every specific product has different requirements. Kempa meets them all.