Odd Roar Junior took over the running of the company in 1979 and moved its headquarters from Norway to Switzerland in 1986. In 1987 he and his partners launched the groundbreaking Athletic Clothing System, based on the three-layer principle. The first layer, the underwear, is designed to ensure optimum moisture management. The second layer helps to regulate the wearer's temperature, while the third layer provides protection from wind and rain.

In 1994 Odlo launched its Running and Outdoor collections. Over the years, Odlo has always designed its clothing in line with the principle of "from the skin up". Every range of clothing is designed from the inside out, because athletes can only really enjoy their sport and perform at their very best when they feel good - from the skin up.

The company achieved another major breakthrough in the area of fabric technology in 2002 with the development of the Effect by Odlo fabric and the launch of the first underwear range to incorporate odour-reducing silver ions. Within two years, all the company's underwear was made from this new fabric.

In 2003 Odlo's image was given a makeover. A comprehensive rebranding exercise resulted in a new logo, a clear market positioning and a new philosophy: "passion for sports". The new image appealed to retailers and end consumers alike and over the next few years this was reflected by double-digit growth in sales.

With the launch of its Nordic Walking collection in 2004, Odlo was quick to recognise the emergence of a new trend. In this way it was able to position itself as the market leader in this particular segment right from the start. One year later came the universal, high-performance "Just One" T-shirt. Its double-knit technology helps the wearer to keep cool when temperatures start to rise.

The company's investment in research and development was paying off. In 2006 another milestone was achieved with the launch of Cubic. This ultra-lightweight, knitted fabric has a three-dimensional cubic construction to ensure optimum temperature regulation. Cubic was integrated into the sports underwear range and has been recognised with a number of awards.