Wolfgang Grupp

Trigema was originally founded in 1919 by brothers Josef and Eugen Mayer, who bought a disused factory in Burladingen and established a mechanical knitwear factory with 25 initial workers and seamstresses. The brothers then parted ways in 1922 with Eugen founding his own company and Josef becoming sole proprietor of the mechanical knitwear factory. As the company expanded and introduced new branches, Josef’s son-in-law Franz Grupp joined the company and eventually took on important functions in the organisation’s management.

Franz Grupp took the reins of the company in late 1956, following the death of Josef Mayer, and helped grow the company by opening new production plants in the region. Franz’s son, Wolfgang Grupp, took over his father’s position in 1969 and remains the company’s CEO to this day. Wolfgang was on the pulse of current trends during his tenure; during 1970 he had the foresight to note the influence of ‘flower power’ on fashion, establishing the t-shirt division and tennis apparel under the brand name Trigema. By 1975, the company had become Germany’s largest producer of sports and leisure clothing.

Over the years, Trigema has grown into a thriving German textile production company operating textile sales and service stations. Throughout the company’s history, it has maintained its strong family business with a focus on family values and German production. “For us, the social responsibility is very important because we want our brand to stand for high-quality products,” Wolfgang explains. “Therefore, our employees have to be motivated. I take full responsibility for their jobs, and I encourage them in what they do so that they feel motivated and have the best output.”