Erima, the German team sports company, continued its growth with a sales increase of nearly 10 percent to about €47 million last year, owing to the launch of new ranges and deepening sales of existing products. As reported in previous quarters, the growth was stimulated by substantial marketing investments, for example around the handball world championships, as well as endorsements deals with Fabian Hambüchen, a high-profile German gymnast, the football clubs of VVV Venlo in the Netherlands, Xamax Neuchâtel in Switzerland and Austria Kärnten. The Racing Line of team sportswear was particularly successful, as were the company’s Tiago football shirts. To cope with the expansion, Erima has hired 40 new employees to end the year with a payroll of 257 people. The company is confident that it will continue to grow this year with the launch of the Nano range and a new brand identity: instead of the black, white and red logo it has used for many years, Erima has switched to a fresh green logo with a new tagline, "sportswear since 1900," highlighting its unique experience in the business.