Sir Joseph, the Czech brand of high-end down products such as sleeping bags and jackets for use under extreme conditions, has entered the French and Italian markets by picking agencies there. In France, the business will be run now by Grenoble-based Aventure Nordique, which acts also as a retailer specialized in outdoor and Nordic sports. In Italy, Sir Joseph will be served by Skitrab, the Italian ski company. With the two new adds, Sir Joseph sells now into eleven countries, including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary and South Korea. “Sir Joseph” is the nickname of Josef Rakoncaj, a mountaineering pioneer and the first man ever who climbed the K2 twice. He started to manufacture high-end gear in Czechoslovakia in 1974 reacting to the absence of such gear in the country. The company, now run by his son Lukáš, continues to manufacture exclusively in the Czech Republic.