Published on Oct 21, 2025
Tecnica Group, the Italian owner of the Rollerblade inline skates brand, was among the companies raided by the European Commission as part of a cartel investigation into the ski equipment sector yesterday, a company spokesperson told The Capitol Forum.
Commission representatives visited Tecnica Group’s production facility in Mittersill, Austria, on Monday “as part of a spot review regarding compliance with EU competition regulations,” the spokesperson said. The enforcer said yesterday it had raided “several” unnamed companies in the ski equipment sector based on concerns that the firms may have broken rules against cartels and restrictive business practices, and that “the relevant national competition authority” accompanied the commission officials. The Austrian authority didn’t immediately respond to a question as to whether it was involved.
The commission’s dawn raids, crucial for gathering evidence in antitrust investigations, have picked up in frequency in recent years following a pause during the Covid-19 pandemic. In September, the enforcer raided the premises of Sanofi (EPA: SAN) over abuse of dominance concerns, and officials raided Coca-Cola bottlers as part of a cartel and abuse-of-dominance probe in March. The commission is facing a challenge from Chinese security equipment supplier Nuctech over April 2024 inspections of its facilities in Warsaw and Rotterdam.
Tecnica is “confident that it has always operated in full accordance with applicable laws” and “immediately offered its full cooperation to the officials involved,” the spokesperson continued. The company, the person added, is “providing all requested information and documentation, and reaffirming its utmost trust in the work of the competent authorities.”
Founded in 1960, Tecnica also owns the Moon Boot snow boot brand and ski equipment brands Blizzard and Nordica. The company, which is privately held but reportedly exploring an initial public offering, generated more than half a billion euros in sales in 2024, according to a report from major shareholder Italmobiliare.
