Nestled in the Bavarian hills, in the valley of the river Aurach, lies the German town of Herzogenaurach. Beyond its Fehn tower and medieval cobbled streets, Herzo (as it’s affectionately referred to by locals) is perhaps best known as the hometown of Adi and Rudi Dassler – the two feuding brothers whose acrimonious split led to the formation of two sportswear behemoths, Adidas and Puma.
Since their founding in the 1940s, the two companies have held huge sway in the area, which was once referred to as “the town of bent necks” due to the fact citizens would stoop to see which brand of trainers a person was wearing before deciding whether to interact with them.
While the rivalry is no longer as fierce as it once was, the influence that both businesses have on the municipality remains. “It might not have the pull of New York or London, but so far we’ve succeeded in persuading people to relocate here,” says Dietmar Knoess, Puma’s global director of people and organisation. “Some people will come to Puma thinking they will work here for one or two years but they inevitably end up staying longer.”