Flexi | Germany
From ingenious idea to innovative world market leader
flexi has a single goal: offering high-quality, reliable dog leashes to millions of dog owners around the world.
How everything began…
In the early 1970s, Manfred Bogdahn was looking for a way to control the lively family dog without limiting his freedom. Manfred, a mechanical engineer and businessman, made a prototype using a chainsaw mechanism in a wooden case. An original product was born: the flexi® retractable leash. Today, the ‘Made in Germany’ invention is used all over the world.
The company’s success comes from its focus on this special product. Over the years, flexi has remained a pioneer and world market leader. In 2010, it received Germany’s ‘Brands of the Century’ award.
Keeping to the essentials
Right from the start, the company’s motto was: ‘We make just one product, but it’s fantastic’. 48 years later that still applies. Since its invention, other technical innovations have been added to the flexi leash to create an outstanding product in every respect. This is a never-ending process to make the best even better. The design has, of course, changed over the years, but it is still recognisable as a flexi leash.
The company now has a head office near Hamburg and over 350 employees, many of whom have been working there for more than ten years. They produce tens of thousands of leashes a day.
Handmade in Germany
The company exports over 85% of its products to some 90 countries, in Europe, the US and Asia. As the international market leader, the company is conscious of its special responsibility. From design to production, flexi leashes are exclusively manufactured in Germany.
All products are assembled by hand to ensure their quality, functionality, safety and design. Almost every part of the product is made by the company itself. Before a leash leaves the factory, it undergoes up to 100 quality tests. An in-house testing centre simulates situations that dog owners might encounter.
New: tough tape
Flexi is about to launch its latest innovation: the XTREME, a high-tech tape leash designed for increased challenges and intensive use. The fabric is so tough that it is almost impossible to bite through, even for a dog.