Samsonite Hard caseare a typical example of how a brand name becomes the epitome of a product. At the same time, the international group Samsonite produces more than just hard-shell cases. The current headquarters of the company is located in Luxembourg. Samsonite has around 9,000 employees worldwide. The boss of the global enterprise, Ramesh Dungarmal Tainwala, has Indian roots. But where does Samsonite come from? The company was founded, albeit under a different name, by Jesse Shwayder in 1910 in Denver, Colorado. The son of Polish Jewish immigrants named his company Shwayder Trunk Manufacturing Company. At first there were none suitcasebut heavy wooden chests. Such chests used to be called travel trunks. The direction was right from the beginning.

An American dream

As early as 1916, a first piece of luggage of the young company was named Samson. Samson, a figure from the Old Testament, was considered invincible and strong until his wife Delila betrayed him to the Philistines. And it is these qualities, strength and invincibility that buyers should associate with the product called Samson. In 1931, the company was named Shwayder Brothers, Inc. Jesse Shwayder’s brothers Sol, Maurice, Marc, and Benjamin were partially involved from the start. In 1941, for the first time, the brothers produced a suitcase-type piece of luggage called the Samsonite Streamline. In 1960, Jesse’s son King David Shwayder officially took over the management, although the senior continued to be involved. Samsonite established itself more and more as a brand. So it was only logical to rename the company Samsonite Inc. This happened in 1965. Samsonite produced the first polypropylene cases in 1967. The hard and heat-resistant plastic had been developed only in the 1950s. 1974 followed first suitcases with roles.

From Denver into the wide world

From the 1970s Samsonite expanded worldwide. The suitcase brand soon became the international market leader. Around 5,000 employees worked for Samsonite. Between 1972 and 1987 Irving Shwayder, a nephew of the founder, took over the company presidency. In this period, the acquisition of the group by the Beatrice Foods Company, which finally sold the company in 1986 to the Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. Company. Samsonite became part of a newly founded company. Although Samsonite achieved record sales in the early 1990s, the company filed for bankruptcy in 1992. In the following years, Samsonite changed hands several times. Production facilities were closed and employees dismissed. Prices have also been raised and new product lines developed. After September 11, 2001, the worldwide baggage market collapsed completely. A recapitalization plan eventually saved Samsonite. The Luxembourg investor CVC capital Partners acquired the company in 2007 through a loan from the Royal Bank of Scotland. There are also a number of other shareholders today.

Back to the core business

Especially between 2000 and 2010, Samsonite tried to establish a number of other products under its label. These included, for example, clothing and shoes. In the meantime, Samsonite has again focused on its core business. Of the Samsonite hard case is still a popular product. Products such as the Samsonite S’cure Spinner 69/25, the Samsonite Cosmolite, the Samsonite Cubelite Upright 54/19 and the Samsonite Oyster are ranked first in tests and comparisons to other hard-shell cases. Besides hard-shell suitcases, bags and other luggage are also produced under the name Samsonite. The travel utensils are certified overall a long service life. The luggage is all clean, the material is high quality and the prices are affordable. In addition, fall Samsonite hard case and other luggage due to their very low weight. Samsonite also manufactures suitcases in XXL format, such as the extra-large travel case Termo Young Upride, which are ultra-light and easy to handle. The different case models from Samsonite are available in different sizes. Samsonite is constantly working on its technology and guarantees a warranty of between five and ten years, depending on the product. Its high-quality products continue to secure Samsonite’s position as the industry first.