Geox S.p.A.

Type	Società per azioni
Traded as	BIT: GEO
Industry	Textiles, manufacturing
Founded	1995
Headquarters	Montebelluna, Italy
Key people	Mario Moretti Polegato (founder and Chairman), Diego Bolzonello (CEO)
Products	Footwear, apparel
Revenue	€850.1 million (2010)[1]
Operating income	€93.4 million (2010)[1]
Profit	€58.0 million (2010)[1]
Total assets	€622.9 million (end 2010)[1]
Total equity	€426.3 million (end 2010)[1]
Employees	2,590 (end 2010)[1]
Website	www.geox.com

Geox is an Italian brand of shoe and apparel manufactured utilising waterproof/breathable fabrics.

Corporate history[link]

The company was founded in 1995^[2] by Mario Moretti Polegato. The brand name, Geox, was created from a mixture between the Greek word “geo” (earth), and “x”, a letter-element symbolizing technology.

Polegato was born in 1952^[3] near Treviso. Originally groomed to take over the family wine-making business, company promotional material has it the idea for the shoe came when he participated in a wine industry conference in Reno; while out jogging in Reno's hot desert climate, his feet got hot from the exertion and he had the idea to cut a couple of holes in the soles of his shoes with a Swiss Army knife.

He developed the idea into a viable product with the help of a small leather-goods business his family owned.

After unsuccessfully pitching his invention to several established footwear manufacturers, but after having passed the market testing phase for a line of children’s footwear, Mario Moretti Polegato began large-scale production of shoes under the Geox brand name. That same year, he improved the original patent and extended the product range to men’s and women’s footwear.^{[citation needed]}

Research and development[link]

The Geox group has consistently invested in innovation, ever since it was founded. Its Montebelluna head offices are host to R&D facilities, which are unique in their kind^{[citation needed]}. Here, 15 engineers, chemists and physicists are employed in research on perspiration and human-generated heat-movement patterns, testing all materials used in their footwear and manufacturing apparel.

The Montebelluna based team of scientists have created and patented new machinery to help them pursue their research. Geox also works with major research labs and universities to test and refine new technology.

Location[link]

Geox is based in Montebelluna, Italy, with factories in Romania, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brazil, Slovenia, India, Macau, Thailand and South Korea.

Criticism[link]

Slavery, Cruelty to Animals[link]

In March 2012, European consumer protection organizations published a study about slavery and cruelty to animals involved when producing leather shoes. A danish organisation was contracted to visit farms, slaughterhouses and tanneries in Brasil and India. The conditions of humans found were catastrophic, as well the treatment of the animals was found cruel. None of the 16 companies, Geox amongst them, was able to track the used products down to the end producers. Timberland did not participate, but was found the winner as it showed at least some signs of transparency on its website.^[4]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Geox S.p.A.

• Official website
• Corporate site

Companies portal