Hap Klopp joins d3o lab as Chairman

d3o, the materials technology company responsible for the revolutionary new impact protection technology which is soft and flexible but instantaneously stiffens on impact, has a new chairman in the form of outdoor & mountain sports guru, Hap Klopp.

Those of you who work in the industry will be aware of Hap’s reputation of revolution, innovation & leadership, founding & building the North Face with a combination of passion, vision for the future, unconventional problem solving and plain old endurance. During his tenure as president of the North Face, Hap grew the company from a 14 person operation to an enterprise employing more than 1000 people involved in manufacturing, licensing, retailing & distribution in over 45 countries. Before the North Face the market could be described simply as “camping”, with equipment bought in your traditional “sports shop “ or department store.

The North face pioneered the backpacking industry
There was no outdoor retail, so the North Face created it because Hap had the vision to see what could be, and the leadership to make it happen. The North Face was one of the first companies in the world to adopt, introduce and market Gore-tex, and likewise, Hap also revolutionized the lightweight backpacking tent market by working with R. Buckminster Fuller to introduce the first geodesic tents. It takes a special kind of person to make this kind of thing happen, it takes more than just the vision of what could be to bring these ideas into the real world, you have to be a leader too, and have the staying power to see the vision through.

As the author Eric Hoffer said, “The leader has to be practical and a realist, yet must talk the language of the visionary and the idealist.” This is the secret of Hap’s success, and the
reason he has such a skill for picking new technologies that will bring value and stand the test of time.

So why is Hap so interested in d3o?
In the same way as the North Face fought to revolutionize the outdoor retail market, d3o is on its way to establishing a completely new kind of impact protection that will in the same way be revolutionary. Because d3o can be seamlessly integrated into apparel, it will not hinder your performance but will still protect you from impact, therefore providing an impact protection system that actually improves your performance – which is why top athletes like Daron Rahlves now won’t wear anything that is not d3o. Apart from the application, Hap comments that it is “also the opportunity to create another world renowned brand-in this case a brand that stands for impact protection,” that drew him to d3o.

“The outdoor market has stagnated, there’s nothing new or revolutionary to
convince the consumer to trade up, this is why I believe it is perfect timing for d3o
to make a huge impact (no pun intended). Having been around in the days when
Gore-tex was new, I can see d3o revolutionizing the market in the same way.” Hap
continues.

Richard Palmer (CEO) and Hap Klopp make a powerful team. The two are very much aligned in their vision and appetite to drag people into the future that they can see so clearly, both being revolutionaries at heart they seem to be doing a pretty good job of conquering the outdoor and extreme sports markets so far judging by their recent reception at SIA and OR.

Hap brings to d3o all the benefits of this experience & knowledge which in turn accelerates the belief and appetite that the d3o team has in their own pathway.

With these 2 characters at the helm, we’re in for an exciting ride… so keep your eyes and ears open for the next headline…

Notes to Editors:
You can find out more about the technology at: w w w.d3olab.com
Innovative companies using d3o in products include:
Spyder: www.spyder.com
Schoeffel: www.schoeffel.de
Kjus: www.kjus.co m
Globe: www.globe.tv
Sells: www.sellsgoalkeeperproducts.com
Ribcap: www.ribcap.com

Contacts:
Charles Bromilow / Ruth Gough: +44 1273 739410
ruth@d3olab.com
charles@d3olab.com

d3o lab, Microscape House, Hove Park Villas, Hove, East Sussex BN3 6HX