McNett buys Revivex name, launches full line

W.L. Gore has sold the company’s rights for the worldwide trademark and copyright of Revivex to McNett Corp., a longtime distribution partner for Gore.

While Gore launched the Revivex brand name in 1998 as a solution to restoring durable water repellent (DWR) finishes to Gore products, the company realized that its core competency was not in selling single SKUs of a chemical product, Steve Shuster, Gore Consumer Fabrics business leader, told SNEWS.

“McNett has been a great partner and has worked closely with us to help distribute the product,” said Shuster. “They work closely with us on a number of other projects, so when it came time to find someone to take over the Revivex name, McNett was the natural choice.”

Duane McNett, president of McNett, told us that his company’s acquisition of the Revivex trademark is simply another extension of the long-term relationship the company has enjoyed with Gore.

“As more and more products were being made by McNett for Gore, and as we began assisting them in their worldwide distribution of product, Gore began to play a more important role for us and, conversely, us for them,” added McNett.

McNett pointed out that beyond its company synergy, his company as a chemical company was the natural choice for Gore to approach.

He confirmed that McNett purchased only the name and rights to worldwide distribution, and not the formulation created by Gore, telling SNEWS that McNett will offer a new and improved formula under the Revivex name.

McNett’s plans for the Revivex brand name extend well beyond a single product. In short order, retailers will be able to sell leather waterproofing gel, nubuck/suede/fabric waterproofing spray, boot cleaner and conditioner, fabric cleaner, wool cleaner, down cleaner, wash-in water repellent and, of course, the venerable spray-on outerwear water repellent that launched the name — all carrying the Revivex branding.

Though there has been some confusion in the transition of the brand to McNett, Shuster confirmed with SNEWS that Revivex will not receive any endorsement from Gore at this time. That means that competitor Grangers remains the only company with a worldwide Gore Seal of Approval endorsement for footwear care products and a European Gore Seal of Approval endorsement for a fabric care product — XT Spray.

McNett also confirmed to SNEWS that as the company finishes selling through old product and moving newly labeled product into the pipeline, any reference to Gore on the label will disappear. In addition, McNett will try something new — leading with Revivex as the brand and not McNett.

“McNett has always been a well-recognized brand, and sometimes it is a dilemma which brand should lead on the labeling,” said McNett. “In this case, Revivex will lead as we work to expand the brand recognition beyond being one of the most recognized brands for water repellent treatments among outdoor purists to a recognized brand in the mainstream market.”

SNEWS View: Smart move for the Gore team. Revivex was a great product and a SNEWS team favorite for restoring DWR treatments to both Gore and non-Gore fabrics. However, as Shuster stated correctly, selling and marketing Revivex was not one of Gore’s core competencies. Great move for McNett, too. A great company just acquired a great brand, and we expect it will improve the formulation. McNett will take the entire brand worldwide. Even without the endorsement by Gore, it is likely the product line will do very, very well indeed. The problem with Revivex in terms of branding is it was simply one product. Now, with a full product line, the brand name will come to mean something more — with the right marketing and distribution approach. In addition, when it was marketed and sold by Gore, folks simply purchased it to treat Gore product. Yet the formulation is appropriate for any fabric needing DWR treatment. Now that the brand is out from under the Gore umbrella with no Gore logo on the label, we expect consumers will begin utilizing the product more widely. All that bodes well for McNett.