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HI-TEC
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HI-TEC
With a passionate mission
The British sports shoe specialists Hi-Tec are a company with a mission: All their styles are created with a clear eye on the needs of the wearer.
"We're looking forward to a great future," says Frank van Wezel, founder and owner of the British sports shoe company Hi-Tec. Van Wezel is an entrepreneur of the old school – full of ideas, optimistic and longing to conduct his business in peace and quiet: "I sensed a general desire to get back on track in business and to forget financial crises, terrorism, bank obstructions, etc. Just let's get on and do business – wonderful!"
Hi-Tec has a mission: to understand the consumer, to make the products that are needed and to encourage the workforce to be innovative within a stimulating environment. This is how the company's archetype was created nearly 40 years go – the Hi-Tec Squash model: Being a passionate squash player, van Wezel pricked up his ears in the changing room as other players were complaining about the poor fit and high prices of their footwear. So he came up with the idea of developing his own style, and since then Hi-Tec has sold 18 million pairs. The company describes them as the "all-time best selling sports shoes ever produced in the UK".
By now there have long been collections for nearly all sports. The Hi-Tec family includes Hi-Tec Outdoor, Hi-Tec Court, Hi-Tec Golf and the urban line Hi-Tec Sport. Also, there is now the Magnum label with special footwear for uniformed professionals. Where prices are concerned, Hi-Tec's focus is on the medium segment of the market.
Hi-Tec was founded in Shoeburyness, Essex, in 1974. In 1982 it became a global brand, and in 1988 it went public. In 2000 Hi-Tec was reprivatised by the company's founder and majority shareholder Frank Wezel. It is now a family business with approx. 500 employees (by own accounts) and makes about $250 million per year. Its deliveries go to 85 countries worldwide, with subsidiaries in the UK, Canada, the States, South Africa, Spain, France, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands.
Text: Özlem Agildere
Photos: HI-TEC
