The building will be made from concrete and finished with wood, with solar panels on the roof supplying 40% of its own energy requirements. The studio Dreier Frenzel Architecture designed the building, its outline represents the Jura mountains which mark the boundary of the canton of Vaud. The construction will be completed and supervised by Bat-Mann SA. and will take around 15 months. In the 2021 ski mountaineering World Championships, POMOCA was the first choice for most of the athletes that won a medal and thus is happy to be the most awarded skin manufacturer. Around 70 employees will enjoy a comfortable and convenient new workplace, with well-lit offices, a fitness area, a canteen, and modern creative spaces to support them as they design exciting new products and services for fans of the POMOCA brand. As part of its partnership with Polyval, a Vaud-based NGO working to promote social integration for disadvantaged groups, the production system will integrate two fabric production lines using Polyval workshops.
The ground is broken at the new headquarters of the world leader in ski skins. POMOCA is building its new headquarters at the foot of Le Suchet in Chavornay (Vaud), around 20 miles north of its current production facility. POMOCA's General Manager Josep Castellet, Heiner Oberrauch, founder of the Oberalp Group, and Ruth Oberrauch Oberalp Executive Board Member, lay the foundation stone together with Oberalp CEO Christoph Engl, POMOCA's 70 employees, local authorities, and the press. Also, Chavornay's Mayor, Ms. Marchand, was on site to witness this historic moment.
We are happy that the citizens of Chavornay have welcomed us with open arms. The new building will become a landmark for the community, and the modern meeting hall will of course be open to the community.
The new building measures around 45,000 square feet spread across three floors and will house both the new production facility and the brand's main offices, as well as the Swiss sales, distribution, and repair operations for the Oberalp group's six brands. "Every brand needs a home," states Ruth Oberrauch, Executive Board Member and the new generation at Oberalp, "and this place, with Swiss know-how and expertise, is the right place to evolve and develop our products further to keep our position as the market leader for ski touring skins. It will become a think tank for innovative products and a training ground for talent."
By basing itself between Lausanne and Yverdon, just to the south of the Jura mountains, POMOCA will continue its 90-year link with the canton of Vaud, where it was founded.
The new building will be just 30 kilometers from Lake Geneva's northern shore, a leading innovation region, meaning that POMOCA is perfectly positioned to benefit from cutting-edge technology in its operations and investments. This strategic location will allow the brand to retain close links with key players in the innovation hub, including its partnership with the EPFL.
About Pomoca
Founded in 1933, POMOCA is a Swiss manufacturer of ski touring skins and rubber outsoles.
As well as being the oldest manufacturer of ski skins and a world leader in ski touring equipment, POMOCA revolutionized the industry in 1985 by inventing the EVER DRY water-proofing technology. With the 2004 invention of the SAFER SKIN rubber membrane, it once again set the benchmark for functionality and performance in the touring skins industry.
POMOCA invests heavily in innovative and environmentally friendly technology, working with the Lausanne Institute of Technology (EPFL) and the University of Innsbruck in Austria. Over the last 20 years, POMOCA RACE, RACE PRO and RACE PRO 2.0 have become iconic pieces of kit, used by around 70% of medalists in international competitions, including eight out of ten world champions.
Corporate social responsibility forms a big part of product research and development, and is woven into the company’s culture. The company takes the origin of its mohair very seriously, and its climbing skin production has been 100% PFC-free since January 2020. POMOCA has been part of the OBERALP Group since 2011, and was the first company to produce ski touring skins without the use of harmful PFCs.