Gleistein

Infobox Company
company_name = "Geo. Gleistein & Sohn GmbH"
company_type = Private
foundation = 1824
founder = Georg Gleistein
location_city = Bremen-Nord
location_country = Germany
location = Bremen
key_people = Klaus Walther
Rudolf F. Kirst
area_served = Worldwide
products = Ropes, Cordage
operating_income = 13 Mio.
num_employees = >170
divisions = Gleistein Slovakia s.r.o.
Gleistein Ropes Ltd. (UK)
owner = Family
company_slogan = "The perfect line"
homepage = http://www.gleistein.com/en/

Gleistein is a prominent German cordage factory with head office in Bremen. To the group of companies belong the Gleistein Slovakia s.r.o. in Trencin and Gleistein Ropes Ltd. in Great Britain. According to own data Gleistein has about 170 employees and 13 million euro conversion are obtained.

Gleistein has an internationally outstanding market position with the solution of technical special problems regarding textile connections (e.g. equipment of High Tech racing yachts and super yachts or component solutions for wind-driven sea transport system on basis of large course kites (Skysail).

History

Founded in 1824 by sailor captain Georg Gleistein as well as his oldest son Johann, Georg Gleistein & son started out with 12 workers converting natural fibers (hemp, tow) manually into ropes. Equipped were freight- and riverboats, shipping companies and farmers.

Arising new fibers such as Sisal and Manila opened new technical possibilities. Starting from 1890 on, the "Herkulestauwerk" (lit. "Hercules cordage") was used for dragging nets for fishing. At that time Bremen-Vegesack, the former company headquarters, was the port of registry of Europe's biggest herring fleet.: [http://www.vegesack.de/infos/ges/fischerei.htm „Geschichte: Vegesacker Fischerei“ ("History: Vegesack Fishing Fleet") by Armin Seedorf on vegesack.de] ] Starting from 1920 basic researches for standardisation and computation of ropes were established. In the year 1947, the first ropes made of chemical fibres were produced. 1978, the enterprise shifts its head office to Bremen-Blumenthal. 1997, a production is set up in Slovakia, 1999 the enterprise existed 175 years. In his hometown Vegesack (part of Bremen today), the "Georg-Gleistein-Strasse" wears the founder's name.: „Bremer Strassenlexikon: Band 12“ by Monika Porsch, 2000, Schmetterling Verlag, Bremen, ISBN 3-932249-10-0]

Products

* Gleistein supplied the ropes for the "Reichstagsverhüllung" (the wrapping of the Reichstag in Berlin) in 1995 performed by the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude
* Exclusive cordage supplier for Arved Fuchs since many years on all expeditions with his boat "Dagmar Aaen" in the polar seas.: [http://www.arved-fuchs.de/hotspot/presse_dezember.html „Press release: Experiences with Gleistein ropes on arctic expeditions“ by Arved Fuchs on arved-fuchs.de] ]
* Exclusive cordage supplier for racing yachts as the "illbruck", winner of the Volvo Ocean Race in 2001/2002, as well as for the participant in the America’s Cup 2007, BMW Oracle Racing
* Official Rope Supplier for PUMA Ocean Racing for the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009 : [http://www.sailnews.com/ „Press release from Jan. 11th, 2008: "PUMA und Gleistein im härtesten Regattarennen gemeinsam auf Weltumsegelung" on sailnews.com] ]
* Rope supplier for Francis Joyon with his world record in single-handed non-stop circumnavigation: [http://www.gleistein.com/en/ Company´s homepage] ]
* Development partner for rope for the course kite drive of ships (Skysail)
* Gleistein self-publishes the German standard "Spleißbuch" ("Splicebook"): [http://www.gleistein.com/en/files/Splicebook_EN_short.pdf „Splicebook“ Short Version] ] for expert rope splicing

External links

* [http://www.gleistein.com/en/ Company´s homepage]

Footnotes