{"id":10681,"date":"2019-08-16T17:08:08","date_gmt":"2019-08-16T15:08:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hepco.rack26demo.de\/four-generations-hepco-the-history-of-a-special-manufactory\/"},"modified":"2026-09-22T03:16:35","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T01:16:35","slug":"history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/hepco.rack26demo.de\/en\/history\/","title":{"rendered":"Four Generations Hepco \u2014 The History of a Special Manufactory"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\"A<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Hepco \u2013 that\u2019s 100 years full of rise & fall, innovation and re-inventions. Already 140 years ago, the parents of Carl Hepcting lead a tannery, in which young Carl discovered his love to leathercraft. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Beginnings<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
The Belt<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
The War<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
50s & 60s<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
70s & 80s<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
The Dawn<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The Restart<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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\"The
The Hepting family coat of arms<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Cal Heptings\u2019s grandparents were already running a tannery 140 years ago. It was there that the young Carl \u2013 who would later go on to found Hepco \u2013 discovered his love for leather craftsmanship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First a coincidence, then a calling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Carl Hepting\u2019s grandparents, who ran a tannery as far back as the 19th century.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Nah, no heroic entrance here. It is even pure coincidence that the Carl Hepting Manufactory was founded on March 1st, 1922. Carl helped a casual acquaintance and drove him from Prague to Asperg. It turned out that this guy was a big player in the \u201cfloor mat industry\u201d \u2013 and BOOM, there came the very first order: Leather flooring for Stuttgart\u2019s brand new city trams. Honestly, this doesn\u2019t sound too fashionable yet, right? Wait for it \u2615? <\/em>aus einem Teppich kleiner Lederst\u00fccke.Ganz ehrlich: Klingt noch gar nicht nach Mode, oder? Abwarten… \u2615 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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A tram on the famous Stuttgart Weinsteige tram track. Hepco used to equip them with leather carpets.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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International From The Start<\/h2>\n\n
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Hepco-Trainees in Honkong 1962<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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If someone had to describe Hepco with just one word, it would be \u201cinternational\u201d, and that is not because being \u201cinternational\u201d sounds buzzy and vogue. From 1920 on, Carl Hepting was travelling between Asia and Africa, Scandinavia and the Balkans. Out of 12 months \u2013 so the story goes \u2013 he spent at least 9 on the road for business. And Carl was a busy bee, very, veery lively. The contacts he made from his odysseys proved to be the foundation for a company that was making belts belts for the world, right from the get-go. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

Hepco And The Belt\u2013 Love At First Sight ?\u2665\ufe0f<\/h2>\n\n
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Belts in the final production stage, around 1950. The model seen on the left in the picture doesn\u2019t look coincidentally like our belt \u201aBroady\u2018. Broady is available on the online store. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n
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Unsurprisingly, Hepco\u2019s first bestseller, even for the 1920s, had to be odd: A leather belt for colonies?? However, it worked out surprisingly well. So surprising, that the Hepco Company literally exploded. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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In just two years, one employee became one hundred, and by the mid-1920s, Hepco\u2019s export accounted for 85% of the total German belt industry.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

\u2728Paris Here We Come\u2728<\/h2>\n\n
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A brochure by Hepco-France<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Do belts A and B on the cover look familiar to you? These models are made by us since 60 years \u2013 including spare parts.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The significant export share of Hepco<\/strong> was instrumental in the company\u2019s continued growth throughout the tumultuous 1920s, setting it apart from the rest of the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Carl Hepting founded Ceintures Modernes,<\/strong><\/em> which became Hepco\u2019s French sister company. With the establishment of Ceintures Modernes, Hepco diversified its product line to include \u201ccity suitcases\u201d, which became a significant part of the company\u2019s operations. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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The Jordanian Royal House,the Saudi-Arabian Royal Family,King and Tsar of Bulgaria.\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026were special customers with special wishes. Kudos to Leopold II. and Ferdinand I. at this point!?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Hepco during World War II<\/h2>\n\n
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Leather hides are being prepared for belt production. Presumably in the late 1930s. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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No later than the mid-30s, the playful time was over. From the start, Hepco got in the focus of nazi rearmament organizations. With outbreak of WWII production had to be switched to war mode. The number of employees grew over 1200 until 1941. In 1943 the nazis confiscated almost the entire Hepco areal. Bombs over belts\u2026 we all know what this leads to. <\/em>For Hepco remained only a few small, adjacent rooms. Nevertheless, Hepting and his friends tried to maintain civil production for as long as possible. Ultimately, in 1944, the majority of the large manufactory areal was extensively destroyed. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

Rise, Decline, Reinvention\u2014 A returning pattern in Hepco\u2019s industrial history <\/p>\n\n

Just after the war ended in July 1945, production for the occupiying powers was reestablished with a few hundred workers. They knew that the Marbachers produced well crafted goods. And hey,<\/strong> it wouldn\u2019t have been Hepco<\/strong> if it hadn\u2019t manage to slide some of its manufacturing back to civilian needs.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n

? 1946: The OUTRAGE ?<\/h2>\n\n
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For a whole world war, Hepco<\/strong> managed to evade unwanted attention . Then it took exactly one year for it to hit the headlines: How could the Germans, just one year after the most devastating war of all time, export high-quality goods again?? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At least among the Allies this question popped up, understandably. Especially over in Great Britain, Hepcos first post-war export catalogue in 1946 caused quite a stir. It showed a long list of leather cases, briefcases, college folders, leather handbags, and the belts, which had been produced again after a long time, but in 1946, in the eyes of the British, that list really could have been much shorter. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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HEPCO-Photo Bags & Production around 1947. After WWII there might have been too good too early… <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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?Hepco Rises \u2014 an Economic Miracle?<\/h3>\n\n

Congrats, you\u2019ve made it quite far! \u2728 Your interest in history is so impressive, we\u2019d love to chat more with you. Come visit our manufactory in Marbach and mention the codeword: HISTORY\u2019N\u2019STUFF. We\u2019ll brew you a coffee and give you an exclusive tour of everything Hepco-related \u2764. <\/p>\n\n

After the end of the Second World War, Hepco was left with nothing. The only way was forward. To cut a long story short: <\/p>\n\n

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1945<\/p><\/div>\n

Hepco has\u2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u2026nothing but a huge pile of dreams.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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1945<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

1946<\/p><\/div>\n

Hepco hires\u2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u2026500 employees.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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1946<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

1947<\/p><\/div>\n

Hepco participates\u2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u2026at the first post-war foreign fair in Basel, Switzerland.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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1947<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

1949<\/p><\/div>\n

Carl Hepting travelled\u2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u2026 to New York for the first post-war fair for German companies on American soil.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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1949<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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? 50s & 60s: In the Fast Lane ?<\/h2>\n\n

Back to the topic at hand. As you might be aware, belts played a minor role in the world of fashion for a long time. But that changed dramatically in the 50s\u2026. <\/p>\n\n

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What did Hepco do?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hepco<\/strong> quickly surprised an entire continent\u2019s industry with an exhibition car, transporting the entire Hepco<\/strong> line throughout Europe as a mobile showroom. Just imagine if one of those friendly buses showed up at your place \u2013 could you even dare to resist? ? <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Show
HEPCO’S<\/strong> \u201cExport-Couriers\u201d. One of them became seven. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
\"Hepco
Hepco leather bags at the 1966 Biathlon World Championships in Gamisch-Partenkirchen. Hepco sponsored the German national team. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Oh la la: Hepco-France was established in the early sixties. We found our way back to Paris, stepping once more into the world of French fashion. <\/p>\n\n

The 70s: Belts for the entire world<\/h2>\n\n
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In the 70s, Hepco reached its greatest extent. What once was a small manufactory had grown into an international powerhouse, producing tens of thousands of items daily for the global market. In 1973, the most modern suitcase factory of its time was completed in Pfullingen. Every day, up to 5,000 suitcases and 1,000 leather bags rolled off the production line \u2013 adding up to over one million leather cases per year. As for the belts, we were churning out about 50,000 units daily. From belts to travel bags, we offered complete travel sets to cater to every journey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From belts to travel bags, we offered complete travel sets to cater to every journey. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Early 80s: Hepco belts start their lives in our own design studio and are later crafted completely in-house \u2013 from the tanning to the metal clasps.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Going Down<\/h2>\n\n
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Former Hepco brands, 1978. Besides Telstar and Apollo, Hepco was widely known for the bag brands Boss and Trapper. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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At the end of the seventies, the tide began to turn (as we say here in Germany): outsourcing, the rise of fast fashion companies, and international price dumping made budgeting increasingly challenging for Hepco. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Increasingly, it became evident: Hepco\u2019s former strength \u2013 its focus on exports \u2013 was becoming a financial pitfall. As a major producer, Hepco was no longer able to compete under the conditions of the global market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hepco missed the take-off. The German clothing industry fell prey to the initial wave of globalization, and we weren\u2019t spared. The first bankruptcy at the end of the 80s was followed by a second and final one in 2002. As a consequence the hard-shell suit case division was sold. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the top to the bottom and back again, it seemed the end was etched in stone.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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The Restart<\/h2>\n\n
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Anyone who thought a mere hiccup, a tiny catastrophe like this could erase Hepco from existence, clearly doesn\u2019t understand how we Stuttgart and Marbach folks tick. A group of Hepco employees (we??) bought the belt production out of bankruptcy and carried on, albeit on a smaller scale, with a renewed focus on tradition, design and longevity. All the while, we remained committed to reimagining what a \u2018genuine belt\u2019 could truly be. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"A
Hepco ‘R a i n b o w’ (Batch size: 22 pieces)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

From a manufactory to a global player and back to a manufactory.Enough history, let\u2019s finally craft belts after all!<\/p>\n\n

Our Philosophy ><\/a><\/p>\n\n

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Menu \u2191 <\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hepco \u2013 that\u2019s 100 years full of rise & fall, innovation and re-inventions. Already 140 years ago, the parents of Carl Hepcting lead a tannery, in which young Carl discovered his love to leathercraft. Cal Heptings\u2019s grandparents were already running a tannery 140 years ago. It was there that the young Carl \u2013 who would 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