Petzl

April 7, 1913, Fernand Petzl (deceased 2003) sees the light of day. Years later, his birthday would make the difference in the field of caving and climbing equipment. Fernand became one of the best speleology specialists of his generation. As early as 1943, he and Pierre Cheavalier tested a nylon rope instead of the stepladders and natural ropes used until then. In 1950, the exploration of the first 1000-meter shaft cave (the Gouffre Berger, France) attracted the attention of the world. Petzl's inventive spirit is one of the driving forces behind this success. In the 1960s, the first headlamps and descenders are produced, and not just for personal use. Friends and institutions recognize the value and the resulting possibilities of the products and Fernand Petzl recognizes the sales potential. From 1968 onwards, Petzl increasingly devotes itself to developing aids that enable people to move around in vertical or dark environments, which is completed in 1973 with the founding of the Petzl brand and company and in 1975 with the start of industrial production. In the years that followed, climbing harnesses, headlamps and climbing equipment were developed, refined and in many areas set the standard for other manufacturers. What the father started, the son continues intensively and successfully.

Since 1990, Petzl has set itself the challenge of building the best possible equipment for rope access workers and rescuers that meets and far exceeds the required safety conditions. Personal protective equipment (PPE) would not be where it is today without Petzl's contribution and innovations. A novelty in the industry: In addition to the legally prescribed operating instructions, Petzl is constantly involved in customer training. The aim: customers should be able to practice their sport independently and under the best possible safety conditions. For example, Petzl has been committed for many years to producing technical drawings that explain how to use the products and describe in detail the most important technical situations that occur in practice. In order to appeal to the highest possible number of users, these drawings are included on all of the brand's communication media (user information, packaging, catalogs, website). This information is supplemented by practical instructions (crevasse rescue, rope ascent) and a CD on how to check PPE.

In 2006, the management of the Petzl Group is transferred to Pascal Bonino. He now leads the company into the future according to the performance criteria and guidelines laid down by President Paul Petzl. At the instigation of the management team, the company focuses on four core values: authenticity, responsibility, entrepreneurial spirit and innovation. These values will make it possible to meet the challenges of the future The history of Petzl is a history of passions: A passion for the vertical world and for exploration.