The origins
In the second half of the 40ies Arthur Gartner began to work as shoemaker in his father’s shop floor. Soon he starts to care about the retail of prestige- shoes in the family’s shop, and consequently, about the wholesale. The father was the one educating him to sports. Sport has always been within the DNA of the Gartner family.
In 1948 the three Gartner brothers enter the Italian National Team of Alpine Skiing. Karl takes part twice in the Olympic Games as well as in the World Championships. In the Olympic Games of 1948 he places sixth. Helmuth participates in the World Championship in Chamonix and becomes Italian Champion. Arthur, excellent skier as well, divides himself between work and sport. Also Ingrid, Arthur’s daughter, later becomes Italian Champion in Alpine Skiing and enters the National Team.

The 50ies and 60ies. The growth
After those achievements the Gartner brothers together open a sports shop in Vipiteno and participate in their first tradeshow of that area in Bolzano.
In 1959 Arthur Gartner founds ‘Gartner Sport- Import’, a company in its beginnings devoted to skis, technical clothing and ski shoes patented by him.
In 1962 Arthur Gartner becomes exclusive Italian distributor of the Puma brand for a period of 10 years. Soon, to the popular brand, two further ones are added: Porolastic Olympia (swimming suits for competition) and Derbystar (footballs).
Gartner Sports grows and opens a new and bigger principal office in the centre of Vipiteno.
In 1966 Arthur Gartner greatly enters the world of sponsoring: the Gartner brand becomes partner of the Italian National Ski Team, Puma- shoes get on the feet of popular soccer players, and Porolastic Olympia is worn by Olympic athletes of the calibre of Klaus Di Biasi.
By the end of the 60ies Arthur and Karl Gartner patent an innovative exemplar of ski shoes, which are produced by the shoe factory ‘La Dolomite’ and exhibited at the first MIAS in 1969. Gartner Sports will take part in the faire of Milan for more than 20 years.

The 70ies and 80ies. The first successes
After the expiry of the contract with Puma, Arthur Gartner signs an agreement with Uhlsport and Gola, two firms specialized in soccer. In 1977 the sons Andreas and Franz join Gartner Sports, four years later they found an affiliate called Interga, devoted to the distribution of fashion brands, like Caterpillar.
1982 is a magic year. Dino Zoff is the Italian Soccer National Team’s goalie and skipper wearing Uhlsport gloves when they get World Champions in Spain. A success devoting definitely Uhlsport to one of the best brands specialized in soccer. In 1984 a new warehouse is build in Campo di Trens (BZ). The following year Christian, the youngest of Arthur’s sons, is taken in as new partner of Gartner Sports.
In the meantime the list of goalies and soccer teams of the A- league sponsored by Uhlsport is extended and becomes rich in successful teams and personalities: from Walter Zenga to Stefano Tacconi, from Fiorentina to Bologna, to the record Inter of 1989 trained by Giovanni Trapattoni.

From the 90ies until today
Due to the devaluation of the Italian Lira regarding the German Mark and the US Dollar the 90ies open up with an economically delicate moment for all the import enterprises.
However, Gartner Sports overcomes the difficulty and Christian Gartner becomes the company’s CEO together with Arthur Gartner, while Franz and Andreas switch to Interga.
1996 is a further very important year. Gartner Sports becomes exclusive distributor of New Balance, an American sport shoes brand very popular in the United States. Through the distribution of the Italy- wide almost unknown brand, Gartner Sports hopes for a new boom.
The sales figures for New Balance grow from 4100 pairs of sold shoes in autumn 1996 to more than 450000 in the year 2003. New Balance becomes a prestige brand and captures loyal customers paying attention to quality in running as well as in leisure time.
In 2000 Gartner Sports moves into the new offices to Campo di Trens. Turnover as well as personal increases, like this preparing the company for the future.
In 2001 Swedish Fjällräven, a historical brand in the outdoor world is taken over for distribution.
Since 2002 Gartner Sports distributes the American Sneakers PF Flyers in Italy and since 2003 the German enterprise Kempa, specialized on Handball.
In 2003 Pavel Nedved, one of the first soccer players sponsored by the new line of Uhlsport’s soccer shoes as non- goalie, wins the ‘Pallone d’Oro’. A decisive success, as the shoes will soon align the gloves in the ranking of the most sold articles in Italy, and consequently, diversify the range of Uhlsport’s specialized products.
However, the most recent success of Gartner Sports is again marked by New Balance. In September 2003 Boston’s luxurious company, fourth enterprise worldwide and second of the US in the area of sports shoes, joins Gartner Sports with a quota of 30%. The alliance between Gartner Sports and New Balance gets even more stable with the 100th anniversary of New Balance and the 10th of collaboration between Gartner Sports and New Balance. A company founded through sport, much passion and simplicity. Gartner Sports in two words.