The Upper Austrian Safety shoe manufacturer Rukapol GmBH will supply the Austrian Armed Forces with new combat boots in the future. A prestigious order, as the company was able to hold its own against a lot of competition in a Europe-wide tender. Militär Aktuell spoke to Rukapol boss Horst König.
Mr. König, your company supplies the new combat boots to the Austrian Armed Forces. What requirements must a boot fulfill in order to be considered for this?
Basically, a shoe like this has to withstand the toughest outdoor conditions and stresses – in all weathers, heat, cold and on all terrains. This means that the quality must be of the highest standard: from the use of a wide variety of materials and resistance to water penetration to the slip resistance of the sole. This quality is assured by a 21-page specification catalog. Practically every material used must comply with DIN and ÖNORM standards: from leather thickness and water vapour permeability to pH values, tensile strength, slip resistance of soles, water repellency of shoe laces and the properties and abrasion values of lining materials. https://militaeraktuell.at/rukapol-beschuht-ab-sofort-das-bundesheer/
Where are the combat boots produced? And how long does it take to make a pair?
The boots are produced in our own production facility in Oradea, Romania. Our production facility is ISO9001 certified. The production time for one pair is two hours and 15 minutes. The entire boot is fully handmade with machine assistance.
“It takes two hours and 15 minutes to make one pair. The entire shoe is made entirely by hand with machine support.”
Rukapol-Chef Horst König
Why are your products so successful? What makes them stand out in particular?
In the sectors in which we operate, we are certainly characterized by our proximity to our customers. We take a very close look at the requirements and talk to the experts and users in order to develop products that are optimally tailored to them, especially in terms of their functionalities. In the case of the Austrian Armed Forces, the basis is a tender that had to be worked through meticulously. The conditions set out in it had to be fulfilled 100 percent.
What other areas is Rukapol strong in?
Other strengths include heat protection with the highest certifications in this area, cold protection and energy suppliers. On the industry side, we are primarily active in the industrial sector, with energy suppliers, mountain railroads and cable car operators, as well as in the public sector and institutions. https://militaeraktuell.at/thales-bundesheer-kauft-squadnet-funkgeraete/
Does Rukapol also supply other products to the government sector, for example to the police or international military forces? And if so, in what volume?
To date, we have not delivered on a large scale in this area. However, we are now in contact with blue light organizations, and we will increasingly participate in tenders for such authorities at home and abroad.
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