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OIA's Audio Outdoorist

Dig deep into the issues facing outdoor brands and retailers, from domestic vs. international manufacturing to brick-and-mortar vs. online commerce. Conversations with CEOs, VPs, supply chain reps, retail clerks, marketing gurus and an occasional celebrity outdoorist offer valuable insights and entertainment about the business of playing outdoors.
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Now displaying: 2015
Dec 21, 2015
In this episode of Audio Outdoorist, we talk with Chris Ritchie, manager of PR and communications at Thule. Out of about 2,000 workers worldwide, Thule employs 1,000 in the USA. The benefits of making products in the USA go beyond branding and high-quality production for a hard goods producer. Ritchie says that strategically located factories allow Thule to respond to trends in weather and reduce shipping costs. 
 
Thule Group is the owner of a collection of brands all related to the outdoors and various types of transportation solutions. It is the market leader in cargo carriers for automobiles and a leading company in the outdoor and bags market. The Thule motto is "Bring your life”.
Dec 7, 2015
We are joined by Neal Caplowe, founder and owner of Sport Science, a "Made in the USA" t-shirt company. It wasn’t always that way - Sport Science originally manufactured shirts in Central America and Asia but decided to move the process to the US to achieve faster turn times and more control. Neal talks about how labor cost is one of the largest variables when considering domestic production. Has he ever considered returning to international production? Listen to find out!
 
Sport Science was founded in 2004 when Neal Caplowe found himself wanting a versatile performance shirt that wasn’t just for running and training. Using drirelease™ technology, the engineered yarn is made up of 85% synthetic/hydrophobic fibers and 15% natural/hydrophilic fibers. Sport Science products are made in the Carolinas within a 200 mile radius, cutting out nearly 7,850 miles of traveling and all the fuel that goes with it. Sport Science is proud to keep their carbon footprint small, as well as keep jobs in the USA.
Nov 16, 2015

In this episode, we chat with Alex Kutches, the vice president of sales and marketing at Mystery Ranch and Kletterwerks, about the challenges and rewards of producing gear in the U.S. Kutches discusses the impacts of the TPP on domestic gear manufacturers and how his brands have navigated the Berry Amendment. As a heritage brand with strong ties to the U.S. military and strong consumer appeal in  high-fashion channels, Kletterwerks has established its reputation as a premium brand.

In 2012, the Gleason family (owners of Mystery Ranch and formally Dana Designs) re-launched Kletterwerks, a company that was originally started in 1975 by Dana Gleason. Today's line of Kletterwerks packs reflects the style of those built 40 years ago.

Oct 28, 2015

We sit down with Mike Cangi, vice president of United By Blue, to talk about the production of two products made entirely in the USA: the Ultimate American Sock (made of bison wool) and the Ultimate American Jacket (made of bison down). Mike discusses Made in the USA branding, the challenges of domestic manufacturing, and what needs to happen for this patriotic movement to continue.

United By Blue is a lifestyle apparel and accessories brand designed for the urban and outdoor adventurer. Catering to men, women, and children, products include eco centric organic cotton t-shirts, knits, and sweaters along with rugged waxed canvas bags with classic details and artisan jewelry. For every product sold, United By Blue removes 1 pound of trash from oceans and waterways through company organized cleanups.

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