Archives: Press Releases

FERNDALE, Wash. (March 31, 2020) — A  week after a national announcement opening their doors to help those needing access to personal protective equipment (PPE) to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, Superfeet and sister company Flowbuilt Manufacturing have started production of PPE masks with 3D-printed elements.

It took less than a week for Superfeet employee-owners to mobilize their product development and operations departments to pivot from insole production to making life-saving equipment using their Ferndale 3D printing and manufacturing facilities. Approximately 30,000 of these PPE masks will be produced and distributed to hospitals in the Pacific Northwest immediately.

“We started conversations with local hospitals and healthcare workers last week and discovered a massive need for PPE, as demand has skyrocketed over the past few weeks,” says John Rauvola, CEO and President at Superfeet. “You can feel the pride our team of employee-owners takes in being able to create something tangible to help combat this pandemic and better protect our community’s first line of defense.”

When Superfeet opened their doors to help those needing access to PPE, they sent a call-to-action challenging their local community to get involved. Another Washington-based company, Pioneer Aerofab – a business focused on manufacturing airplane interiors – quickly joined the cause and is supplying the mask’s hood portion. Tim Williamson, Pioneer Aerofab’s Owner and CEO explains, “It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of COVID-19 and its effect on our daily lives and those around the world. Looking at how you can make an impact on a local level is the best place to start. That’s precisely what we did when we heard about Superfeet’s plan.”

Superfeet continues to offer their 3D printers and manufacturing capabilities to the effort to combat COVID-19. Medical facilities in need of personal protective equipment, can reach out to covidresponse@superfeet.com to see if Superfeet can be of assistance.

ABOUT SUPERFEET: For more than 40 years, Pacific Northwest-based Superfeet has been creating innovative products featuring the Superfeet® shape, helping millions of people worldwide experience unparalleled comfort, pain relief and performance. Today, through Fitstation and the latest advancements in 3D-printing technology, Superfeet is taking insoles and footwear from mass-produced products to personalized, made-for-you solutions. A 100% employee-owned company, Superfeet gives 1% of sales and countless volunteer hours to help others shape a strong foundation for a healthy future. For more, visit superfeet.com.

ABOUT FLOWBUILT: Flowbuilt Manufacturing is the only USA based full-service footwear manufacturing facility to offer mass-customization through proprietary multi-section injection technology. Clearing the way for brands to design and deliver the future before anyone else can, the Flowbuilt facility boasts cutting-edge 3D-printers and innovative machinery that flexes easily between creating a single custom pair of shoes to efficiently manufacturing thousands of pairs. At Flowbuilt, ideas flow from design to prototype through products built for today’s consumers, all under one roof. Learn more about Flowbuilt Manufacturing at: https://www.flowbuiltmfg.com/

 

I understand that you may be facing many unknowns right now. You are not alone. 

Personally, I have worked with apparel/footwear brands in different capacities for over 20 years, starting with working as an intern for a brand manufacturer just like yours. Even more importantly, our co-founder has been in the industry for 40 years, built 10 brands, and co-founded a tech company born to serve the apparel industry – and this current climate has been one of the most challenging. While we all may be speculating of what the future holds, we do know that remote work, digital selling, and the need for new kinds of communication will only increase from this point forward. 

As easy as it is to freeze in the midst of the pandemic, now is the time to prepare for opportunities and be able to bounce back from this setback stronger than before. I believe our industry can rise above these challenges, together. 

Since RepSpark was founded with the intention to serve and help brands of all sizes hit their goals, we want to support you as we come out of this time of disruption. Starting today, we are offering a FREE 4-month trial of our Accelerate software.

With this program, you will be able to enjoy unlimited selling using the below tools and more!

• Branded, Shoppable Digital Catalogs
• Customized assortments and line sheets
• Unlimited order entry
• Collection management and marketing-driven shopping

As a promise to keep supporting your brand as you grow, we will only charge 2% of your wholesale revenue that is placed through the platform once your 4-month trial has ended.

Get Me Signed Up!

If you would like a demonstration of the software before signing up then schedule a demo of Accelerate today or you can visit our website to learn more about the program. Once you begin, our Customer Success Team will be with you every step of the way to support you and grow your business.

Today marks the launch of an exciting new family of revolutionary meat processing equipment. MEAT! Products are manufactured to meet the high quality and performance standards of today’s hunters, anglers, butchers, and chefs.  MEAT! processing equipment is designed to complete and enhance the field-to-table experience that allows today’s carnivore to control every element of the quality, purity, and creativity of the food they produce. From harvesting their meat or their catch at sea, to careful and precision butchering, to plating a meal that reflects the passion and pride they have in their craft, MEAT! Products help fuel your hunger.    

Professional-grade MEAT! equipment includes a wide range of high-quality products that address meat processing needs in today’s field-to-table kitchen, including:

• Grinders
• Vacuum Sealers
• Dehydrators
• Stuffers
• Slicers
• Meat Mixers
• Jerky Gun Kit

All MEAT! Products are designed and rigorously field tested by hunters, anglers and butchers who live the carnivore lifestyle.  As a result, MEAT! products are made from the highest quality materials and are easy to use, easy to clean, and easy to maintain.  They are supported by the MEAT! Locker, a web-based classroom that provides How-To videos, tips from the pros, and recipe ideas that turn a great harvest into an unforgettable meal for the whole crew.  MEAT! products are also easy to own, since they are available directly from the manufacturer, eliminating the middleman and making this top quality, commercial grade equipment more affordable than ever and available to hunters and home-chefs everywhere.  And, if anything ever goes wrong, MEAT! stands behind its products with a 100% guarantee.

For more information or media inquiries, please visit  https://www.meatyourmaker.com. For media inquiries, please email Logan Waddell: logan@groundswellpr.com

About MEAT! ^TM

MEAT! food processing equipment and products are designed and manufactured to meet professional standards and are available to both professionals and discerning consumers directly from the manufacturer.  MEAT! Equipment and products are made with the highest quality materials and are designed to be highly functional, ergonomic, attractive, and durable.  MEAT! Is committed to providing the necessary tools and education for processing meat, for the novice sportsman, to the experienced butcher.  For more information about the MEAT! Brand, visit www.meatyourmaker.com. 

Outdoor Research, LLC. (OR), a leading brand in the outdoor and tactical apparel industry, is converting its onshore manufacturing facility in Seattle to produce Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the medical community in response to the COVID-19 crisis. This will enable Outdoor Research to produce upwards of 200,000 masks per day.

This commitment includes adding additional manufacturing capability within the Seattle plant as well as installing advanced medical manufacturing lines, allowing OR to quickly pivot towards becoming an FDA-approved Class II medical mask maker. Over the past month, the company has invested in high-speed equipment and employee training that will result in the following production capability:

• Surgical Masks: Outdoor Research will be manufacturing ASTM level 3 masks in April/May. Production will ramp up to the rate of 140,000 masks/day.
• N95 Respirator Masks: OR will be making N95 masks by May/June. Production will ramp up to 50,000/day.
• Fabric Face Masks: Outdoor Research is immediately beginning the manufacture of ASTM Level 1 face masks (without flame resistance), which provide basic bacterial filtration and sub-micron particulate protection. The company will be able to produce thousands per day.

“Our 39-year history of rapidly developing cutting-edge Outdoor, Military and Tactical products provides Outdoor Research the ability to quickly shift to supporting the personal protective needs of the medical community,” said CEO Dan Nordstrom. “Our entire company is fully committed to ensuring that doctors, nurses, health-care workers and first responders have the personal protective equipment they require to effectively care for their patients. We are working with state and local officials to better protect our employees in this environment as we ramp up production in the following days and weeks.”

Highly respected in the outdoor industry for developing functional solutions for extreme environments, Outdoor Research has a history of successfully leveraging the best commercial market technologies to serve the needs of the armed services and first responders. Over the past two years the company has conducted a comprehensive review of the U.S. supply chain and is in active development with textile mills and materials providers to expand and elevate the capabilities of products that are 100-percent American-made.

Over the last two years Outdoor Research has made significant capital investments designed to improve and modernize its Seattle factory. These investments allow Outdoor Research to take advantage of the company’s global knowledge of design, materials, and innovative manufacturing techniques while producing the next generation of outdoor and tactical products at its facilities. OR has continued to accelerate its product-development cycle, allowing the latest innovations to be rapidly fielded to the end user, helping increase the mobility and protection of soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, first responders, outdoor enthusiasts, and now the medical community.  

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ROCKFORD, Mich. (March 26, 2020) – Chaco, the outdoor lifestyle footwear brand, announced today that it has shifted the focus of its Michigan-based ReChaco factory and mobile factory bus from sandal repairs and product customization to the production of face masks and other critical protective equipment needed by healthcare and other first responders working through the COVID-19 pandemic.  

After Michigan issued a statewide stay at home order on March 23, 2020, Chaco moved quickly to retrofit its factory to produce face masks, and is also exploring specs for the production of gowns and aprons. By sourcing patterns from local healthcare systems and collecting raw materials from parent company Wolverine Worldwide, Chaco was able to put the plan in motion in a matter of days.

The ReChaco factory is equipped with industrial sewing machines, ample backstock of materials, and is staffed by a production team with decades of professional sewing expertise. The ReChaco team is led by Lisa Kondrat, Director of Operations for the ReChaco Factory, who has been with the brand for almost 20 years.

“We at Chaco are doers. It’s not in our team’s DNA to stand by when we have the opportunity and resources to take action,” said Kondrat. “We want our skills and machinery to be useful in this crisis.”

Chaco is working with Wolverine Worldwide and local organizations to source fabric and vet materials for production. The brand plans to share their patterns, sourcing leads and learnings as a resource for other companies and individuals looking to contribute during the pandemic.

In addition to the ReChaco factory, Chaco will deploy its ReChaco Mobile Repair Factory bus to make supplies. The bus was developed to customize and repair Chaco sandals during the brand’s 2020 Roving Repairs Summer Tour. Outfitted with sewing machines, hot knives and other equipment for making and mending sandals, the Chaco-trained staff will shift their focus to prototyping and producing protective equipment in the Pacific Northwest. Chaco is partnering with agency partner Field Scout and sister brand Merrell to source vetted fabric and materials for the initiative.

The ReChaco tour bus is currently located in Portland, Oregon, and will adhere to the region’s shelter-in-place order, while working to produce and provide protective equipment for hospital systems in Hood River, Oregon and other locations surrounding the Portland area.

“Our goal here is to inspire quick and creative action from other brands and companies in our space. Chaco and Wolverine Worldwide aren’t the only  companies with people and machinery positioned to help in this crisis – everyone has something they can offer,” said Josh Weichhand, Marketing Director at Chaco. “This is both critical aid for our communities and an opportunity to empower our teams to lead, and we know other brands with similar resources in the outdoor industry, footwear, and fashion space will also rise to the occasion.”

To learn more about this initiative and Chaco’s response to the COVID-19 crisis and pandemic, visit Chacos.com/ReChacoResponse and follow the brand on social media.

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ABOUT CHACO 

Born on the river in 1989, Chaco builds premium footwear for the outdoor-minded. As a result of the brand’s proprietary LUVSEAT™ foot bed, the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) has awarded the Seal of Acceptance to all Chaco footwear styles. The APMA Seal is intended to raise awareness by identifying products of exceptional quality that are manufactured with comfort, health, and safety in mind. Simply put, Chaco is fit for adventure. Please visit us at www.chacos.com, Facebook: Chacos, Instagram: ChacoFootwear, Twitter: Chacousa.  

Northwest River Supplies (NRS), a worldwide leader in paddlesports equipment and apparel, has announced plans to aid in the COVID-19 pandemic by providing personal protective equipment (PPE) to medical personnel and first responders combatting the virus. As hospitals, fire departments and police struggle to obtain basic protective supplies such as masks, respirators, goggles and protective suits, NRS will redirect portions of its supply chain, logistics and distribution operations to support the cause.

NRS operates a business division that supplies safety and rescue equipment to government agencies and NGOs for emergency preparedness and disaster relief. Providing PPE for medical personnel and first responders is a logical shift for the Moscow, Idaho based company during the coronavirus pandemic, according to Bryan Dingel, Chief Executive Officer of NRS.

“We have the supply chain relationships and operational capabilities needed to make this happen,” says Dingel. “There’s a tremendous shortage of this equipment right now, and we’re glad that we can step in to help get supplies to those on the front lines of this pandemic.”

NRS has arranged urgent air-freight shipment of 30,000 respirator masks, which will be distributed from its warehouse in Moscow. The company is also sourcing protective goggles, surgical masks and suits along with additional respirators. NRS plans to fulfill requests from hospitals and agencies in Idaho and the Northwest initially but will distribute more broadly as supplies allow.

“Our doctors, nurses and first responders are making great sacrifices to save lives in our communities,” says Dingel. “We’re proud to do our part to help make sure that they have the protective equipment they need to do their jobs safely.”

NRS will donate PPE to the Moscow Volunteer Fire Department and will offer medical facilities fair-market pricing. 

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100% employee-owned NRS is the world’s leading supplier of equipment and apparel for water recreation, safety and rescue. Founded in 1972 with a vision to create a better kind of company, NRS is dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of its customers, employees and community.

 

Life Time, the nation’s premier healthy lifestyle brand which owns and produces the legendary Dirty Kanza, today announced plans for a virtual training camp set to take place April 2 – 5 as the endurance sports community recognizes social distancing due to COVID-19. The virtual camp will be a uniquely immersive digital experience hosted via online portal and the Dirty Kanza Facebook and Instagram accounts. Organizers of the cherished race, dubbed the ‘World’s Premier Gravel Race’ and ‘World Series of Gravel’, were originally scheduled to host two in-person camps March 26 – 29 and April 2 – 5 in Emporia, Kansas with more than 100 scheduled to attend. The creative workaround is a result of Life Time’s immediate objective to continue providing great experiences for participants and positively impact communities during the pandemic.

All camp programming, including the hours of rides along Emporia’s finest flint, will be made virtual. The inventive four-day programming immerses campers in online sessions featuring motivational, instructional and educational video content, online ride challenges, on-course video tours and live streams with cameo appearances by sponsors and previous race winners Yuri Hauswald, Colin Strickland, Alison Tetrick, and Amanda Naumann among others. To begin the experience, campers will head to the home of Dirty Kanza founder Jim Cummins for an online kick-off dinner party, where they will “Cook Dinner with Jim”, and will be joined by Life Time Foundation board member Emily Akradi. Concluding the weekend, participants will have access to bonus content and b-roll outtakes.

“We are all in the same boat right now. The gravel racing season that brings us all together has been halted in real life, but fortunately, coming together as a community and being resilient are two things that come naturally for Dirty Kanza participants. Our team is working hard and fast to show up for them. We want to provide a place for us to gather around to provide motivation and levity right now. We want to deliver a valuable experience for our family and this will be a great way to spend a few days with them.”

Those who planned to attend one of the two in-person camps will have free entry to the virtual camp, with entry for the public set at $10.00 with a portion of the fee directly impacting local businesses in Emporia. Live sessions of the virtual camp will be available to anyone via the Dirty Kanza Facebook page.

Mohn added, “People are at home and looking for uplifting and positive experiences. One of the best advantages of going online is that our capacity, for athletes and partners alike, is pretty much unlimited. Even though this is new to our team, we promise it will be entertaining and educational and help keep us all motivated as we work to the finish line of this pandemic.”

For more virtual camp details visit https://dirtykanza.com/. Registration will open up Thursday, April 2^nd at 10 am CT.

The Garmin Dirty Kanza is owned and produced by Life Time, the premier healthy lifestyle brand. It is among more than 30 premier athletic events owned and produced by the company across the nation, which also operates more than 150 athletic resort and spas in the U.S. and Canada. Life Time strives to produce exceptional event experiences for both participants and spectators as an extension of its Healthy Way of Life philosophy.

About Life Time^® – Healthy Way of Life

Life Time champions a healthy and happy life for its members across 150 destinations in 41 major markets in the U.S. and Canada. As the nation’s only Healthy Way of Life brand, Life Time delivers an unmatched athletic resort experience that goes well beyond fitness to encompass the entire spectrum of daily life. Building upon its current portfolio, Life Time is building its brand through the development of large, mixed-use lifestyle centers that feature Life Time resorts, Life Time Work co-working spaces and Life Time Living high-end leased residences. These concepts, combined with distinctive programming, encompass the full spectrum of a healthy living, healthy aging and healthy entertainment experience for individuals, couples and families of all ages.

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March 26, 2020 – Asheville, NC – Outdoor Gear Builders (OGB), a nonprofit business association made up of Western North Carolina-based outdoor industry companies committed to cultivating, connecting and supporting a community of outdoor industry leaders, is proud to share the news that many of its members are working on the frontlines to support the healthcare industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the past 8 days, OGB member and premium cycling apparel manufacturer Kitsbow experienced requests from throughout the United States and Western NC for its Face Shield for first responders and medical providers. In just 48 hours, Kitsbow switched over all production from apparel to producing face masks and shields for first responders and other healthcare workers. Since they announced the switch last week, demand for the Face Shield went from 23,000 to over 100,000 units per week. To help meet this urgent need, they reached out to bike wheelset and component manufacturer Industry Nine, who was able to develop a better method for manufacturing the Face Shield, sourcing the raw materials and helping with production. By working together alongside brands Watershed and Oowee, assisting with cutting, the companies will be able to produce 10,000 Face Shields a day.

David Billstrom, CEO at Kitsbow said “Clint (Industry Nine’s Founder) simply came over first thing Monday morning and started helping; no paperwork, no proposals, just getting together and developing a better solution by tweaking the design and enabling us to work together to manufacture more of them in a shorter period of time.”

Another OGB member, Sylvan Sport, manufacturer of outdoor gear and travel trailers, has also been working with state and local officials to help during this crisis. They’ve switched over their manufacturing focus during this time to produce thousands of face shields for healthcare workers and have been able to tap into their international supply chain to source hundreds of thousands of N95 masks and thousands of Tyvek suits for local and state distribution. Additionally, they have offered up their Rapidly Deployable Mobile Shelters to be used for emergency shelters for health facilities and the homeless.

“With our manufacturing, design and engineering capabilities, we are capable of quickly meeting the needs of this changing landscape,” states Kyle Mundt, VP of New Product Development of Sylvan Sport and Vice Chair of the OGB Board.

Other brands are joining in to support the community at-large, including local tent and outdoor gear manufacturer Diamond Brand Gear, who is working with the Carolina Textile District to be the cutter and sewer of needed PPE once they have secured their supply chain and patterns. Diamond Brand Gear is also offering their Wall Tents for Rapidly Deployable Mobile Shelters for emergency use as needed. Local tee-shirt company Recover is also selling Support Local tees to raise money to support local small businesses in Western NC. For each shirt they sell, they will donate $10 to their small business partners.

“Times like these require us to pull together as a community,” says Matt Godfrey, Board Chair of the Outdoor Gear Builders. “The Outdoor Gear Builders has always been about collaborating and supporting each other and our community. We’re hoping this outpouring of support for our healthcare system will allow us to protect those working on the frontlines of this pandemic.”

For more information, please reach out to the individual companies or to Angie Robinson at angie@darbycommunications.com.

About the Outdoor Gear Builders

The Outdoor Gear Builders of WNC are Western North Carolina-based companies collaborating to share talents, encourage new ideas and inspire each other. Member brands are dedicated to creating exceptional outdoor gear with a focus on responsible manufacturing, cutting edge innovation and economic growth in our region. The OGB’s motto is: “Extraordinary Gear Made Here.” Learn more at outdoorgearbuilders.com or join the conversation at facebook.com/OutdoorGearBuildersOfWnc/

 

After pivoting its premium bike apparel production to make face masks and shields for first responders and medical providers in Western North Carolina, Kitsbow experienced unanticipated engagement from all over the U.S., with demand totaling more than 100,000 units in the first week. Asheville-based neighbor, Industry Nine, offered its expertise in large-scale manufacturing and sourcing of raw materials. In less than two days working together, the companies found a solution to yield 10,000 shields per day.

“We never expected to make personal protective equipment (PPE), but there are a lot of things that none of us ever expected about the current state of affairs,” said David Billstrom, Kitsbow CEO. “We were blown away by the demand and quickly turned to Industry Nine for help. We jumped into this—no paperwork—just putting our heads together and knocking out a better solution and a few design tweaks to make the face shields more manufacturable, in a shorter period of time.”

Industry Nine’s engineering teams have years of robotics and automation experience and were in a position to help Kitsbow with the manufacturing of parts needed to produce PPE shields and assisting supply efforts in combating the virus outbreak.

Additionally, the entire Asheville community has come together in this fight with Industry Nine tapping local partners, Oweee Products and Watershed, in the manufacturing process.

Industry Nine was just one of the many outdoor industry brands based in Western North Carolina to welcome Kitsbow to the area in December 2019, when Kitsbow hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil the new factory in Old Fort.

Due to high demand, Kitsbow is only able to supply PPE to medical providers and first responder agencies on a first-come, first-served basis. See https://www.kitsbow.com/collections/medical for more information on the PPE products.

About Kitsbow

Kitsbow was established in Sonoma County, California eight years ago by dedicated mountain bikers and apparel industry veterans. Because its designers have logged years in the saddle, each detail is obsessively considered. Every element — down to zippers and reflective piping — is vetted for quality, style, and durability. Relocating its manufacturing to Old Fort, North Carolina in 2019, Kitsbow is committed to a Made to Order manufacturing model, minimizing waste and maximizing flexibility to serve the customer. Kitsbow already makes over 50% of its products in the U.S.A. and is on track to be making all of its products in-house by 2021. To learn more about Kitsbow, visit www.kitsbow.com.

Our way of life has changed significantly in recent weeks and marketers are wondering, what can we expect as we look ahead to a post pandemic era. Alpine Media, a digital OOH leader in the resort media space, is remaining optimistic about the outlook for the Digital OOH opportunities for this summer. 

“After what could be 2 months of social distancing and increased time indoors, we believe people will make a big, long awaited, return to outdoor recreation across our resort partners,” stated Alpine Media’s Director of Marketing, Garin Gustafson.”With resorts opening here again in the coming months, this is ideal timing for brands that are revamping Q3 plans and budgets and looking to reach consumers in a positive, outdoor environment.”

“Digital Advertising impact increases by up to 40% when consumers are in a positive mood” – yahoo research

As the Digital OOH category continues to grow largely across transit and urban areas, Alpine Media remains unique as a digital leader in the resort media, outdoor niche. Alpine Media offers a digital screen network across resort partners such as Telluride, Steamboat and Winter Park here in Colorado.  They not only offer premiere locations, but they also have the ability to deliver a highly sought after audience for its brand partners. Educated, affluent, active and engaged resort visitors navigate their journey across our digital network featuring real time, informative content and well targeted, embedded ad units. This provides a unique media placement which is different than many of its DOOH counterparts primarily running ad carousels.  

“76% reported that real-time marketing increased audience engagement”- Smart Insights

“Summer will be a key time-frame for businesses to re-engage with consumers to drive new sales, stated Mike DeGrazio, Alpine Media’s NYC based Digital Account Manager. “With brands quickly allocating bigger spends to online, mobile and connected TV  for this Spring season it’s fair to assume that DOOH will make a huge return as the exodus pendulum swings and consumers return to urban and outdoor social spaces.”   

“Outdoor Summer recreation visitor numbers were previously forecasted to be record setting prior to the pandemic, so we’d like to believe that number will further spike given the recent and prolonged home confinements.” said Alpine Media’s Director of Sales, Nick Haggard. “Given many Spring break travel plans were canceled, our resort partners expect large crowds for Q3.” 

“Telluride hosts upwards of 48,000 people each summer over a four-day period for the Telluride Bluegrass Festival” – Desti Metrics

About Alpine Media
We remain hopeful that brands, agencies and media owners come together to revive OOH and DOOH after the pandemic. What can we do in the meantime? Communication is key. Let’s connect via calls and teleconferences to understand your brand or clients’ needs.  In turn, media owners, including Alpine Media, must educate brands and agencies on their respective opportunities for preparation on the resurgence to the outdoor space. Optimistic marketers will plan now and media owners should remain flexible as timelines and budgets are not concrete.