Interview with Bertrand Gille
Hamburg, August 2010
What does the Kempa brand mean to you?
I’ve been working with Kempa since 2004. In France there is a kind of monopoly by a competitive brand that I couldn’t identify with, and at that time Kempa wasn’t a brand that was well known in France, but the prospect of collaborating on shoe construction and product development, their ideas, and their innovative positioning in the handball world immediately charmed me and made me really want to work with them. For me, Kempa is sort of the firebrand of handball; they’re people who have done a lot to advance the cause of handball in France.
What does Michelin mean to you?
For me, Michelin is the number one in tyre manufacture. And the impression I get, at least, is that they’re people who put a lot of emphasis on research, and their areas of research are then also used in other fields of application, so they’re at the forefront and want to stay there. Their collaboration with Kempa is really a very interesting idea.
How do you feel about the atmosphere at Kempa?
The atmosphere is always very nice and very relaxed. It’s a real pleasure to work with them, because they’re innovative in their ideas, but also very professional, so it’s really easy and a pleasure to have the opportunity to work with this brand.