In the umbrella manufacturing sector, the name Doppler and that of its in-house brand Knirps are synonymous with strength, design, functionality and craftsmanship. The Austrian company led by the Doppler family for four generations - initially founded by Ernst Doppler in Braunau in 1946 - now boasts an international presence in Europe and Asia as well as 360 employees. Austrian craftsmanship, Italian fabrics and wood sourced from sustainable FSC-certified forests are just some characteristics of their wide range of umbrellas, contenders for excellent gifts and promotional products for promoting and showing off your brand by personalising a timeless accessory that’s high quality and durable.

“In our operations,” explains Markus Nawrotzky, sales director at E. Doppler & Co. “craftsmanship and digital know-how coexist in the use of innovative printing techniques. Digital printing, in particular, offers almost unlimited creativity for customising umbrellas with Pantone colours and offers optimal rendering of whatever image you want on the outside, and even the inside, of the umbrella. Brand images can even be embroidered on the fabric, engraved on the wooden handle, hot stamped onto protective case labels (cloth or rubber) or metal plates. Some seemingly neutral models reveal innovative writing in the dark or when they get wet, with astonishing effects. We also make branded gift boxes upon request.”

Over the years, their research and development has led to creating items with special opening and closing mechanisms and materials that are even patent protected. Such as the Fiber Magic Superstrong model, the automatic pocket umbrella, proved to be ultra-durable even in the most adverse weather conditions, with gusts of wind up to 120 km/h, thanks to its aluminium and fibreglass structure that makes it both lightweight and virtually indestructible. Meanwhile, weighing only 99 grams is the Zero,99 model, another pocket umbrella that stands out not only for being light, small and providing UV protection, but also for its resistance to wind and rain, and that in 2019 won the prestigious “Red Dot Award”. Finally, the Knirps E Series model is made of Ecorepel: this patented material can “repel” water and dirt and is completely free of PFCs (perfluorocarbons).

With a strong leaning toward innovation and always offering the market new products, today the company presents itself with a clear vision: “Our goal,” explains Stefania Cereda, country manager of E. Doppler & co. “is to offer the most innovative, high-performance product at the right price and with the best service. That's why we focus on researching the most sophisticated materials, design solutions and printing technologies. Finally, we’ll continue investing in the use of biodegradable plastics and components as well as non-toxic fabrics, with a view to protecting the health of those who use our products. For us, sustainability is a key factor that helps to protect the environment in which we live and that seamlessly fits our concept of umbrellas made to last. Suffice it to say we also offer a repair service for all Knirps models, which have a 5-year warranty.”