The company Olymp Bezner KG, based in Bietigheim-Bissingen, Baden-Württemberg, warmly congratulated its long-standing former Managing Director and current shareholder Eberhard Bezner on his 90th birthday on 31 December 2025. Eberhard Bezner has significantly shaped the textile industry for more than five decades and is a prominent figure in the German shirt manufacturing sector.

The celebrant joined the family business in 1953 and took over responsibility for the company in 1960, following the sudden death of his father. Under his leadership, Olymp grew into a globally respected and successful family enterprise. Notably, his foresight led him to focus early on international production sites to ensure the company’s competitiveness. He dedicated himself to this task as Managing Partner for many decades, with his entrepreneurial energy culminating in the complete handover of responsibilities to his son and successor Mark Bezner, who now successfully leads the international family business in its third generation.

In addition to his achievements as an entrepreneur, Eberhard Bezner demonstrated great commitment to local politics and social causes. He was politically active for decades and worked through the Olymp-Bezner Foundation to promote the education, health, and welfare of children and young people worldwide. As an enthusiastic sports supporter and generous sponsor, Bezner significantly supported local sports clubs in Bietigheim-Bissingen for many years. His long-standing and extensive handball sponsorship – both through Olymp Bezner KG and his private contributions as a passionate handball fan – has become one of the most successful entrepreneurial commitments in German professional sports, reflecting a unique international success story up to 2025.

For his numerous contributions as a citizen, philanthropist, sponsor, and public servant to the community, he was awarded the Badge of Honour of the State of Baden-Württemberg and also holds the Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. In October 2013, Eberhard Bezner was further honoured by the Baden-Baden Economic Forum for his lifetime achievements as a doyen of the German shirt industry and as a shareholder of Olymp.