The focus of the 2019 fiscal year was our 30th company anniversary. To mark the occasion, we held a large celebration at our headquarters in Schiffweiler, featuring various demonstrations and a diverse program. We are very proud to have been supplying you with everything you need for your daily work and outdoor activities for the past three decades. On behalf of the entire ASMC team, we would like to thank you for your many years of trust! Without you, we wouldn't be where we are today.

Probably the biggest hurdle of recent times was the relaunch of our website. In the summer of 2019, we were finally able to complete this project and proudly present our new online shop. Since then, eye-catching product presentations and dedicated landing pages have given our website a fresh new look. Following a "mobile-first" approach, we've brought our shop up to the latest technological standards and ensure the best possible user experience on all devices.

In the summer of 2018, we significantly expanded our airsoft range and added a large amount of equipment to our product line. Since then, numerous new brands have been added to our portfolio, providing you with everything you need on the playing field.

In fiscal year 2017, construction began on our new warehouse and logistics hall near our company headquarters in Schiffweiler. This will increase storage capacity and improve product availability in order to meet the constantly growing demand. Another focus of the 2017 financial year was the opening of our branch in Berlin. There, we now offer our customers from the capital the opportunity to try on their favorite products in our store and receive on-site advice.

In 2016 there was double cause for celebration: ASMC welcomed its millionth customer to its online shop and also saw its Facebook community grow to over 50,000 fans.

This year saw ASMC release a third TV commercial, this time under the slogan "ASMC - the online shop for real men." This commercial aired on the two high-traffic TV channels DMAX and N24.

Another major change in 2015 was the internationalization of the online shop. In addition to performance, user-friendliness for international customers was also optimized. As a result, the online offering is now accessible not only at asmc.de, but also at asmc.com, asmc.fr, asmc.es, asmc.ru, and asmc.it.

The free ASMC digital catalog app was released in early 2015. It is available for download in German, French, English, Russian, and Spanish. All current catalogs are available for download and browsing.

The highlight of this year was the company's 25th anniversary. To mark the occasion, a special catalog with attractive offers and a major prize draw was published in October. Additionally, the second ASMC TV commercial aired on the DMAX channel.

2014 was an eventful year, bringing us many innovations: In October, our 750,000th customer registered in our shop, and ASMC also acquired the online shop of www.armeeshop24.de and its entire inventory. But that's not the end of the forward-looking changes in 2014: ASMC France SAS, a subsidiary of ASMC GmbH, was founded this year, headquartered in Ivry-sur-Seine in the greater Paris area. With this decisive step, ASMC is strengthening its commitment to its most important international market and expanding its position in the French market. Our service for government agencies was also further developed and optimized. Government personnel can now also place special orders for specialized equipment with us. Finally, in 2014 we further expanded our customer loyalty card program. The free PROCARD is now complemented by the ASMC YOURCARD, a discount card aimed at all volunteers in Germany. With this card, ASMC expresses its appreciation for the indispensable work of these professional groups and supports them with a permanent 15% discount on all purchases.

This year, two major retailers in the industry filed for bankruptcy. This presented ASMC with the opportunity to acquire Ranger-Shop.de, its largest competitor in Germany. On July 31, 2013, we received approval from the insolvency administrator and were thus able to secure the Osterrönfeld and Munster locations. Furthermore, we also acquired the trademark rights and the entire inventory. With this acquisition, the number of employees has increased to almost 150, making ASMC arguably the world's largest online army/outdoor retailer.

In 2013, ASMC launched its first customer card, the PROCARD. This free discount card is aimed at all individuals employed full-time by a German public authority, such as the German Armed Forces or the police. The PROCARD can also be applied for by members of the armed forces of other EU member states.

In 2012, the fourth construction phase was completed, expanding the receiving area to approximately 700 m² and providing new office space with around 70 additional workstations. To handle the increased parcel volume, an additional automated packing line was also installed. As a result, in December 2012, the daily parcel output was increased to over 2,000 for the first time.

In the summer, the first ASMC TV commercial aired on DMAX and Sport1. The number of employees has increased to over 110 this year, and the number of customers has also grown to over 500,000. To secure future growth, an additional plot of land measuring over 16,000 m² was acquired approximately 500 m from the current location.

In the spring, work began on the fourth construction phase. A two-story building is planned to house additional offices and relocate the receiving department. In mid-February, our redesigned online shop went live with a completely revamped design, numerous new features, and a clear, user-friendly structure. Sales in 2011 increased to over €20 million.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the third construction phase on the approximately 13,000 m² company premises took place in July 2010. To secure sustainable growth and create sufficient storage capacity, two new warehouses with an additional 1,400 m² of floor space were built. Since November, the new high-bay warehouse has offered approximately 2,000 pallet spaces. Furthermore, more than 300,000 catalogs were mailed out in 2010. Sales exceeded €15 million in 2010, and the number of employees, including temporary staff, rose to over 90. The sole proprietorship ASMC Heinz Borkhard eK became ASMC GmbH in the summer of 2010. This transformation also marked a generational change: Birk Borkhard, born in 1982, is responsible for operations as Managing Director of the new company. His extensive experience in mail order and retail ensures the company's future development, while his vision guarantees further growth.

The name change from ASMC to ASMC was accompanied by a logo redesign and a unified corporate identity. In September 2009, Heinz Borkhard, together with iX-Tech, founded asmc.it GmbH in response to the ever-increasing demands of the online shop. With its seven permanent employees, asmc.it GmbH has since worked exclusively for ASMC, ensuring that the website is modern and offers state-of-the-art usability. The brick-and-mortar store in Saarbrücken-Scheidt eventually relocated to Halberg, directly adjacent to the Saarbasar shopping center, where it offers a locally tailored product range in a space of approximately 400 square meters.

After just three years, both the warehouse and office space in Schiffweiler were bursting at the seams. As a result, an expansion of the site became urgently necessary in 2008. The number of items in stock had meanwhile increased to over 20,000 products, while sales had almost reached the €10 million mark and the number of employees had grown to over 50. Construction began in November 2008, and the following summer, an additional 2,000 m² of warehouse space and 350 m² of office and social areas were completed and occupied. Also in November 2008, our Army Store relocated from the Saar-Center to Kaiserstraße in downtown Saarbrücken.

The year 2005 was undoubtedly the most challenging in the company's history, as ASMC's enormous growth necessitated a significantly larger building. Sales had grown to over €3 million, and the number of employees had already reached 20. Thus, at the beginning of 2005, a 13,000 m² plot of land was acquired in Schiffweiler, and a 2,000 m² logistics hall, including an office wing, was constructed there. The move finally took place at the beginning of October 2005 after six months of construction. Prior to the move, a completely new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system was implemented, specifically optimized for the needs of mail-order businesses. In addition, the external service provider iX-Tech from Saarbrücken brought our website up to the latest technological standards that year. Simultaneously, a branch was opened in Hammelburg in September of that year. Since then, ASMC has offered its product range there in a space of over 600 m².

The vision of a joint mail-order catalog in German, English, and French failed due to differing market conditions and the divergent views of the French and US partners. This ultimately led to the two companies parting ways. A smooth transition in the mail-order business was ensured by the new name ASMC, which was registered as a trademark with the German Patent and Trademark Office. ASMC stands for Adventure, Security, Military, and Camping, and could hardly describe the company's business areas better. From then on, Heinz Borkhard could focus entirely on the specific needs of the German market, without having to consider the French or American partners. Furthermore, from this point on, the company was also able to increasingly target the international market. The rebranding also necessitated a move to larger premises. From that point on, the mail-order business and the retail store were once again operated under one roof in Saarbrücken-Scheidt. The number of employees had risen to 10 permanent staff members, and annual sales had already reached 2 million DM. In the summer of 2000, Birk Borkhard, the son of the company founder, returned to Germany after a year in the USA and began his apprenticeship as a wholesale and export merchant in his parents' business. Armed with fresh impressions from the USA, Birk Borkhard launched the first online shop, thus laying the foundation for above-average growth.

In Saarbrücken we had a competitor. The Army Store, located in the Saarcenter for over 25 years, was taken over by Heinz Borkhard on January 1, 1997, and managed by his wife together with two employees.

The rapid, positive development of mail-order retail in Germany necessitated an expansion of warehouse and office space. Therefore, the shipping department, which until then had been located in the same premises as the retail store, was spun off. This, in turn, allowed the team to focus more intensively on the growing demands of the mail-order business. Sales in the mail-order department had already far surpassed those in the store, reaching DM 700,000 in 1996. The number of employees also steadily increased. By 1996, the company employed seven permanent staff members as well as several temporary workers.

In cooperation with its French partner USMC, Heinz Borkhard launched a mail-order business in Germany. Following the American model, the company presented a product range in the areas of military and leisure/outdoor equipment using a 76-page color catalog published twice a year.

Encouraged by his experience as a sales manager in the wholesale trade of army and leisure goods, Heinz Borkhard decided to found his own company in 1989. Together with his wife, he opened a retail store in Saarbrücken under the name "US Warehouse." At that time, the focus was on the distribution of German Armed Forces and US Army items, as well as Western/Cowboy products and American football merchandise.