What this soccer shoe reveals about globalization: around the world in 30 years

Kick -off.Nobody knows better about Adidas in Austria than Manfred Lassner.The Upper Austrian was in the company for 18 years, and had still hospitated with company founder Adi Dassler in Herzogenaurach.And he was a technical manager in the Andorf adidas plant near Schärding.There the German sports giant took over the former Spartan shoe factory in 1968.The 60 employees will soon be too little-Adidas will open another work in Klagenfurt-Viktring.There are also two textile factories in Graz.

Bullet.In the mid -1980s it runs really round.The Andorf plant alone leaves 2000 pairs of shoes every day.Two million pairs of shoes a year are now "Made in Austria".60 percent are exported - to the British island, to Switzerland, to the Soviet Union, to Scandinavia.Adidas Austria's turnover climbed over a billion schilling for the first time.

Red card.At the top, 1100 employees work in Austria.Adidas still invested vigorously in 1986, puts more than 40 million shillings in new machines.Nevertheless: in June 1988 this was announced for Andorf, Graz and parts of the Klagenfurt production.The workforce hits it like a club blow."That came as a surprise to us," says Lassner.The investment had all been believed in a future in Austria.

Counter.The step had emerged for adidas management."It was already clear to us that Austria is no longer profitable due to the high wage costs," says Ulrich Ackermann.The German, now the owner of a headhunter company for managers, became the head of Adidas-Austria at the time.And he should explore the future chances - that explains the investments: "We had massive difficulties to enforce our prices in export.We wanted to get this in the row with highly professional machines."In vain.Because something happens that no one calculated: the case of the iron curtain.Now the Eastern Bloc countries are also flooding cheap shoes from Asia.Adidas Austria breaks an exclusive market away.

Opponent.In France and Germany, tens of thousands also lose their jobs.Adidas had trusted that quality had paid off too long.The Germans are overribbled by US shooting stars such as Nike and later Reebok-today a crising Adidas brand-.They smell trends like aerobics and jogging early and rely on colorful, light products.

The shoes are less durable, but hit the taste."I'm always saying, these are no longer soccer shoes, but ballet gauntlets," says Lassner.It sounds half admiring, half regretful.Consumers were not ready to pay the surcharge.Nike and Reebok do without their own factories right from the start, let it produce in Asia for contract manufacturers - and that by about half cheaper than in the west.

Homemade tendency.Would the jobs have been saved in Austria?In 1988 Ideas were rolled, cheap import shoes that cost less than 120 shillings to punish with tariffs or import quotas - a debate that also waves today."At that time I discussed with Federal Chancellor Franz Vranitzky and Minister of Social Affairs Alfred Dallinger," says Ackermann.One comes to the conclusion that even subsidies or trading hurdles do not align anything in the long run.

Relocation.In 1990 it is finally over for Adidas production in Austria.The last work in Klagenfurt-Viktring also blocks.Only one outlet center is reminiscent of the previous activity.The almost new machines are rebuilt and in Russia, Georgia and Yugoslavia- today Slovenia-.However, these works only produce for the local market."We had to.000 pairs shoes from Russia throw 9500 away because the quality was catastrophic, "recalls Ackermann.

Transfers.And what did the hundreds of people lose their jobs in Andorf?"Some came at the Högl shoe factory in the neighboring Taufkirchen.Others had to continue to commute, to Ried, Wels, Braunau or Passau, "says Lassner.A good two thirds of the employees were women;Many saddled social and nursing professions.

The game was repeated for Lassner himself.He caught up in Eastern Europe for the Gmunden children's shoe company elephants in Eastern Europe."Unfortunately, the production process moved back to the Far East after a few years."

renewal.This is how the caravan ran for many consumer goods.What was once produced in Austria hiked in former Eastern Bloc countries, then China and most recently India, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Back pass.What the story is not over, but what is not over.The world tour is complete - the first production facilities are now returning to the expensive industrialized countries.Speed factories are currently ongoing in the German Ansbach and Atlanta (USA): Adidas factories, where industrial robots produce shoes almost fully automatically.Instead of thousands of employees such as in Asia, only 160 per location are required.