PUMA opens cutting-edge Development Center

26 Oct '09

3 min read

After just a year of construction works, sportlifestyle company PUMA officially opened its new cutting-edge Development Center in Vietnam – representing a milestone in the Sportlifestyle and sporting goods industry.

The whole complex will be the new home for footwear and apparel prototype and sample suppliers covering 85% of PUMA's footwear and 15% of PUMA's apparel development needs. Furthermore integrated in the new complex are material and component suppliers as well as Sourcing, Engineering, Material Management, Laboratory and Research & Development Centers of PUMA's sourcing organisation World Cat. Before PUMA brought all these facilities together under one roof, they had been spread all over Asia.

“PUMA's new development center PUMA Village sets unprecedented standards in our industry,” said Jochen Zeitz, Chairman and CEO of PUMA. “This trend-setting concept of a product development center with over 40 PUMA suppliers under one roof, working tightly together, will increase PUMA's speed to market, reduces our cost base and makes sure that our products are of excellent quality. It underpins PUMA's current restructuring efforts to streamline our business operations throughout all steps of the value chain.”

“After three years of planning und building we have created a unique place for all our creative people to work directly with the prototype factories in a fast and professional way. Nearly all of our product categories as well as technologies will be developed at the PUMA Village in order to ensure that our entire product service and product quality goals are achieved”, said Reiner Seiz, Chief Supply Chain Officer of PUMA.

In line with PUMA's sustainability concept PUMAVision, PUMA Village features a number of environmentally friendly assets. On top of the building, a water reservoir was installed for collecting rain water during all seasons of the year and especially during the rainy season from May to November. This water will be used to complement the water supply, for cooling purposes in the hot season as well as for gardening. In terms of energy saving a louver was installed to protect the office and factory building from direct sunlight which reduces the heating up of the building. Solar panels provide energy for warm water consumption and air-conditioning.

puma.safe, the department of Social and Environmental Affairs, is based in PUMA Village as well. puma.safe works towards raising work and production standards worldwide, developing new sustainable products and reducing our carbon footprint. As all of PUMA's manufacturers have to adhere to PUMA's environmental and safety standards, all manufacturing units and their workers based in PUMA Village have to comply with PUMA's standards as well. A special on Health & Safety educated officer will permanently monitor the General Constructor's working team, making sure that all standards are being adhered to during the production processes.

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