FALKE South Africa is a proud subsidiary of the German-based global textile giant and has been crafting socks and legwear of exquisite quality and design for more than four decades.  Today, FALKE South Africa has a combined workforce of 650 craftspeople with knitting in their blood as much as the FALKE family does.

Many of the staff has been with the company for decades.  One such an individual is Byron Coenraad, new product design manager at the factory in Bellville South in the Cape.

His journey with FALKE started on 22 July 1993 as a knitter from where he was promoted to a fixer before being granted the opportunity to venture into design.

“In those days, I worked closely with the former management team of Tanya and Bert Pictor, who generously shared their knowledge and gave me the opportunity to grow.  My focus was particularly on sport socks, which I still handle today,” says Coenraad.

He currently holds the position of New Product Development Manager and enjoys the challenge of designing new functional socks.  “I need to stay on top of new trends and developments and ensure that FALKE retains it position as top performance brand.”

Byron was born and raised in Bellville South, where he completed his tertiary education and played rugby for the local club.  He qualified as a fitter and turner and holds a certificate in production management.

In addition, he has travelled to Italy for training on the Lonati machines and has made several plant visits in Spain and Germany.

“FALKE is truly like my second home.  I work closely with all the other departments. Mutual respect between colleagues is very important to me. Many of my co-workers have also been here for more than 30 years and remain dedicated to the brand,” concludes Coenraad, who hopes to treat his family to an overseas trip before his retirement.

From the knitting mills of Bellville to the machines of Rosslyn in Pretoria, products are crafted not only for their technical functionality, but also to evoke a feeling. It's this feeling that has transcended generations and makes FALKE such a popular brand.

FALKE SA prides itself in unconditional quality, superb craftsmanship and constant innovation.