Röhnisch Sportswear, the Swedish brand of fitness and golf apparel, will be led from the start of next year by Fredrik Röhnisch, the son of the company's current chief executive and full owner, Claes Röhnisch, and the grandson of its founder.
The 35-year-old Fredrik Röhnisch grew up with the company, starting with a teenage summer job in the warehouse, then graduating to employment as a salesman, and moving up last year to become head of product, sales and marketing. Claes Röhnisch will remain chairman of the board and he will retain all of the company's shares for the time being.
Röhnisch should reach sales of about 140 million Swedish kronor (€15.3m-$20.6m) this year, up by 18 percent compared with last year. Part of the expansion came from its launch of a range of winter jackets, only in Scandinavia so far. The golf and fitness ranges continue to do well – even holding up in countries like the U.K., where economic circumstances have been badly unfavorable for the golf market.
Röhnisch was established in 1945 by Hellmut Röhnisch, a gifted gymnast from Kassel in Germany, who had to flee the country due to his outspoken criticism of the Nazi authorities. He walked all the way through Poland, the Baltic countries and Finland, to reach Sweden and win the country's first national gymnastics competition.
