Tatonka

TATONKA is a global company with wholesalers in around 35 countries on all 5 continents of the world. The bison, the brand animal, evokes associations with North America, so that hardly anyone would suspect the company's roots and headquarters in Dasing, Bavaria.

But TATONKA is a Bavarian family business - now in its second generation. The company founder Winfried Schechinger recognized a growing market for outdoor products in Germany and Europe at an early stage and founded Mountain Sport GmbH in 1980 to sell sports equipment. In 1993, the TATONKA brand was created and the company was renamed Tatonka GmbH. The idea for the brand name comes from the movie "Dances with Wolves", which is still popular today. The bison, which is called Tatonka in the language of the Sioux, a North American Indian tribe, is a symbol of closeness to nature, peacefulness, but also usefulness for people. As a brand name, it quickly became unmistakable. Schechinger's decision not only to establish a new brand, but also to build his own production facility in the 1980s, proved to be the key to the company's success. The factory in Vietnam is still regarded as a model operation today. Strong products, extremely reliable production with high quality standards, partnership with outdoor and sports retailers and, last but not least, employees who are proud of their brand's memorable image have helped the TATONKA brand to achieve the strength it has today.

The next generation of the Schechinger family also feels connected to TATONKA. For both sons of the company founder, it was clear early on that they wanted to take on responsibility in the company. Andreas Schechinger, the son of the company founder, has been managing director of TATONKA GmbH since the end of November 2004. After completing a commercial apprenticeship at Globetrotter Ausrüstung, Schechinger had been working in product development at TATONKA since 1991. Markus Schechinger completed an apprenticeship at a large Munich outdoor retailer and now works in the company's sales department.