Bach

Founded on May 2, 1979 by Jim Hayes, Bach is today one of the most revolutionary backpack manufacturers in the outdoor industry. The exciting company history began in a shed in Waterford, Ireland, and the company still had the euphonious name: "Great Bach Packing and Construction Company". Jim had completed his training as a designer at tire manufacturer Good Year and then gained his first experience in the outdoor industry at equipment supplier Camp Trails (Ireland). The meagre start-up capital included old Camp Trails machines and an address book with all of the company's customers.

As a backpack designer, the party-loving Jim is quite a capacitiy. He developed the Orthoflex back system and patented one of the first functioning internal frame carrying systems. When the two TRANSA buyers Beat Vogt and Martin Wiesmann travel to Ireland in 1986 and design their first backpacks with Jim Hayes and his brother Edy, the development of the BACH company enters a new phase. Neither Jim nor Martin had any idea how this meeting would affect their lives. One is a nice guy, likes 'exotic' designs and has more than 10 years of production experience. The other is a mountain guide, has a head full of new ideas and spends most of his time outdoors climbing, globetrotting or kayaking. The perfect match? - Theoretically, yes, but in September 1989, the bankrupt BACH Hi Tech Leisure Ltd was liquidated and a Swiss group bought the BACH brand name, with the aim of producing high-quality backpacks in Kilkenny under the motto "small but mighty". In addition, the company wants to move away from the Irish and English markets and develop more in the German and Swiss markets. With the intention of only offering high-quality but simple functional equipment under the BACH name in the future, the company optimistically invests in the factory building and new machinery.

At the end of 1992, Jim leaves the company and opens a shoe store in Kilkenny. Martin becomes sole managing director, designer and salesman. Undaunted, a wide variety of new product ideas are realized, of which - good things take time - often more than 100 pieces are sold per year. Slowly but surely, the turnover figures show more zeros than the debts to the bank. The BACH crew moves into the new factory building in the Hebron Industrial Estate in Kilkenny. All the seamstresses move into the new building. Most of them have been working at BACH for years and are the company's greatest asset.

A little later, BACH surprises the professional world not only with a revolutionary backpack collection, but also with a masterful internet presence - speechless amazement all over the world. Less spectacular, but central to the long-term survival of the BACH brand, the slow establishment of a second production facility in Vietnam begins. This complements production in Kilkenny and helps to cope with growth. In 2000, BACH is the only major backpack brand that still has a large part of its production in Western Europe. In June 2004, BACH downsizes production in Kilkenny and expands production in Vietnam in preparation for the 2005 season. Kilkenny is to remain the production site for some of the larger trekking backpacks as well as some more exotic products. Retaining the Kilkenny production site is an expression of old friendships and enables the company to continue manufacturing small series and custom-fit backpacks.

Today, more than 40 years after the company was founded, BACH is regarded as a pioneer of innovative backpacks that impress with their lightness, robustness and minimalist design. A BACH product is perfect when nothing can be left out. BACH uses the lightest but most robust materials to build the most durable, functional backpacks on the market, with quality always coming first - even when it comes to materials.