Mountain Hardwear and Montrail® Announce 08 Innovation Award Winners

Contact: Mountain Hardwear Inc. Public Relations
Paige Boucher or Erin Brosterhous
Office: 970.871.1308
pboucher@mountainhardwear.com
erin@mountainhardwear.com

Mountain Hardwear and Montrail® Announce 08 Innovation Award Winners

RICHMOND, Calif. (Nov 18, 2008) – Mountain Hardwear Inc. and Montrail are pleased to announce the recipients of the companies’ 2nd Annual Innovation Awards. Employees were nominated by their peers and selected by a team of five employees representing each of the company’s functional divisions. Each year Innovation Awards are given for the following categories:

Product: Awarded for innovation in products, raw materials and support materials that demonstrate our passion to be the #1 authentic outdoor apparel and equipment company
’08 Winner: Dustin Clark for website design and content – Dustin desgned and relaunched mountainhardwear.com which is used by employees, customers and vendors. “It is truly easy to navigate, it visually delivers the product we make and inspires all to support Mountain Hardwear,” said Mike Wallenfels, president of the company. In addition, the website received the 2008 Best Consumer Goods Web Award, the Web Marketing Association’s top accolade.

Process: Awarded for innovation in any process that demonstrates our commitment to operational and financial integrity, sustainability and company growth
’08 Winner: Tim Metz for development and implementation of the online pro deal ordering system for Mountain Hardwear and Montrail. “The new pro deal system is not only easier for our retailer customers to use, but it improved our internal ability to track pro deal sales and expedite services. Plus, processing time has gone from from several days to real time which saves not only time, but labor expense. There are no paper forms and we are now collecting a database of email addresses to send targeted marketing messages for special promotions,” said Wallenfels.

People: Awarded for innovation in the enhancement of service, support and connections with employees, customers, vendors and industry partners
’08 Winner: Rowan Jimenez for his tireless dedication to the highest level of customer service in the warranty department. “To stay #1, our service has to exceed our customer’s expectations and Rowan delivers!” said the individual who nominated Rowan. “Rowan has a very strong work ethic and can always be relied upon for follow through with repair parts and services. He’s passionate about climbing, backpacking, and Mountain Hardwear products; not only can he relate to our customers on a level they expect, but his enthusiasm is contagious.”

Each award recipient received $500 in cash, $250 in Mountain Hardwear product and a commemorative Mountain Hardwear trophy.

About Mountain Hardwear:
Performance Elevated
Mountain Hardwear makes cutting-edge mountaineering and outdoor equipment, apparel and accessories for the most extreme conditions. Mountain Hardwear was established in 1993 by a group of outdoor industry veterans and is based in Richmond, Calif. The company distributes its products through specialty outdoor and sporting goods retailers in the United States and over 40 countries worldwide. Mountain Hardwear has won numerous product and customer service awards since its inception, reflecting the company’s commitment and passion toward innovation. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Columbia Sportswear Company. For more information about Mountain Hardwear, visit the company’s Internet home page at www.mountainhardwear.com.

About Montrail:
Established in 1993, Montrail is a premium outdoor footwear brand known for its technical, high performance trail running and hiking footwear for outdoor enthusiasts. Montrail sells footwear to retailers in the United States and in 29 countries worldwide. In 1996, Montrail embarked on a mission to improve the standard for comfort and fit in footwear by creating IntegraFitâ„¢, its proprietary fit technology. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Columbia Sportswear Company and is managed by the Mountain Hardwear team. To learn more about Montrail visit: www.montrail.com.