Garmont North America to relocate in outdoor and footwear capitol of Portland
Garmont North America today announced the relocation of its North American headquarters to the outdoor and footwear capitol of Portland, Oregon.
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WILLISTON, VERMONT (July 27, 2011) – Garmont North America today announced the relocation of its North American headquarters to the outdoor and footwear capitol of Portland, Oregon.
Garmont is a global market leader in outdoor and snowsports footwear, known worldwide for pushing the limits of performance and design. Their exceptional product line includes award-winning alpine, alpine touring and telemark ski boots; and outdoor footwear for mountaineering, backpacking, hiking and trail sports.
The goal of the relocation is to elevate the brand’s profile in the North American outdoor market, and to tap into the strategic benefits of proximity to other brands and retailers in the region.
“Garmont is a vibrant and healthy company, with an unmatched historical reputation for both performance and innovation,” said David Fee, president of Garmont. “This move will reposition the brand in the North American market, elevating both the company and the product to a new level of success.”
The move will begin immediately and will be completed prior to the end of 2011.
All Garmont N.A. operations will be relocated, including their distributed brands of Bridgedale socks and Life-Link backcountry equipment.
Garmont is also announcing the promotion of Joshua Gibbs to Vice President of Sales and Patrick O’Neil to Chief Operating Officer. Both Gibbs and O’Neil will relocate with Garmont to Portland, Oregon.
Garmont will also retain its sales rep force, as it has one of the most experienced and effective sales teams in the outdoor industry.
“This is an exciting new chapter for the Garmont brand, as the move will bring Garmont in closer contact with the outdoor market in ways that can best satisfy North American needs,” said Achille Morlin, Owner and President of Garmont SRL
Based in northern Italy, in the picturesque foothills of Volpago del Montello, Garmont’s roots date back to 1867. For five generations, the Morlin family has designed and built technical boots inspired by the rocky terrain of the Dolomites.
The historic Garmont brand was relaunched in 1991 by Calzaturificio Morlin as a four-season technical footwear and ski boot brand. Garmont North America was founded in 1996.
Garmont’s decision to relocate was an extensive, deliberate process, and included evaluation of several possible regions with similar character to the brand’s northern Italian base.
Portland’s progressive business climate, proximity to footwear industry giants and innovators, and year-round access to world-class hiking, climbing and skiing destinations made it an ideal match.
Garmont is working with the Portland Development Commission to identify and implement the resources required for a successful transition.
In hiking, Garmont’s rising prominence was recently highlighted as the Zenith Mid GTX was named to the 2011 Gear of the Year list by Outside, America’s leading active lifestyle magazine. Winning the “Light Hiking” category, the Garmont Zenith Mid GTX will appear in the magazine’s Spring/Summer Buyers Guide, with a circulation of more than 1.3 million readers.
In skiing, Garmont’s recent accomplishments include the introduction of the PowerFrame Freeride AT collection for fall 2011 — an unparalleled package of fit, features, and touring function. The collection established an entirely new class of boots, blending superior alpine performance with full uphill capability, and reinforcing Garmont’s leadership position in the rapidly growing world of alpine touring – the fastest growing category of boots in the alpine ski world.
ABOUT GARMONT: Pushing the limits of performance and design, Garmont is known worldwide for the creation of high-performance ski boots and technical outdoor footwear. Their exceptional product line includes award-winning alpine, alpine touring and telemark ski boots; and outdoor footwear for mountaineering, backpacking, hiking and trail sports. For more information on Garmont and their diverse collection of performance designs, please visit www.garmontusa.com.
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