Osprey Packs Named to Outside Magazine's “Best Places to Work" 2010

Cortez, CO – April 5, 2010 – Osprey Packs, Inc., a leader in creating top-quality, high-performance, innovative packs to comfortably and efficiently carry gear, today was named to Outside magazine’s third annual “Best Places to Work” list. Osprey was ranked number 12 out of 50 selected companies, and is one of only five companies to be chosen every year of the award. The full list and related story will be published in the May issue of Outside magazine, available on newsstands April 13, 2010.

Outside’s “Best Places to Work” list was compiled with the help of the Outdoor Industry Association (outdoorindustry.org) and Best Companies Group (bestcompaniesgroup.com). The year-long selection process began with an outreach effort that identified a wide range of non-profit and for-profit organizations with at least 15 employees working in the United States. Participating companies were then sent confidential employee-satisfaction surveys and employer-questionnaires to collect information about benefits, compensation, policies, job satisfaction, environmental initiatives, and community outreach programs. All of the results were analyzed by Best Companies Group experts, who selected the 50 companies that strive to enhance their employees’ enjoyment of active endeavors, and environmental and social involvement.

“Having happy, fulfilled employees with company paid time to get outdoors and give back to the community is just as important to us as having stellar products,” said Gareth Martins, Marketing Director of Osprey. “We try very hard to bring work-life balance into the workplace, and we’re honored to get this recognition once again from Outside.”

“These 50 companies come from a vast array of industries but they’re all following the same enlightened path,” said Michael Roberts, Executive Editor of Outside. “They’re successful businesses in a challenging economy precisely because they support a proper work-life balance. They know that benefits like on-site gyms and fitness classes, reimbursements for ski passes and sports racing fees, and support for community service efforts during work hours make their employees happier and thus more productive.”

There were several aspects to Osprey’s positive workplace culture that stood out among all the other applicants. Generous vacation time (three weeks for starting employees), a fitness program that includes paying employees to walk or bike to work and a floating “powder day” in winter are just the tip of the iceberg.

Other notable programs include the Outings Holiday, introduced in 2010, which allows each Osprey team member one paid day to participate in sanctioned Osprey Outings trips. 2009 trips included a three-day White Rim mountain biking trip, a San Juan Mountains backcountry ski hut trip and a single day climb of local thirteener Dolores Peak.

Said Martins, “These trips are great not only for overall team building and camaraderie, but they also serve as opportunities for product testing and provide team members access to the great outdoor opportunities that abound due to Osprey’s southwestern Colorado location.”

Community giving is also a company priority. Osprey’s Volunteer Incentive Program pays each team member eight hours per calendar year for local, state and national volunteer efforts. In 2009 Osprey donated nearly 240 volunteer hours on a wide variety of projects, including Conservation Next’s Boulder Backyard Collective, National Public Lands Day in Mesa Verde National Park, The Access Fund’s Hawkins Preserve Project and the local Carpenter Preserve Open Space project, among others.

On a local level, Osprey donates 5% of all proceeds from bi-annual community Local’s Sale events to select, local non-profit organizations. In 2009, they raised over $3,500 benefiting the Southwest Colorado regional community.

Sam Mix, Outdoor Marketing Manager added, ”In the end, what makes Osprey a great place to work, besides a healthy work/life balance, is the inclusion of every Osprey team member in the process of normal day-to-day business. We have really worked hard to not only create a cohesive, efficient team, but to create a family. Each Osprey team member shares equally in the work and the potential reward with their motivation as the only limitation to what they and Osprey can achieve.”

About Osprey
Independent since 1974 and anchored by the design genius of company founder and owner, Mike Pfotenhauer, Osprey Packs has long set the standard for creating innovative, high quality gear carrying equipment. Their collection includes backpacks, pursuit specific packs, hydration packs, active everyday packs, and a full line of travel packs and bags. Located in Cortez, Colorado at the corner of the rugged San Juan Mountains and on the edge of vast sandstone canyon country, this landscape provides a constant inspiration and a superb testing ground for their products. They also maintain a product development office in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam ensuring face-to-face relationships and transparency with our suppliers. Every Osprey ever built reflects the company’s commitment to protect the wild places our customers explore while using our products. For more information about Osprey, visit www.ospreypacks.com.

ABOUT OUTSIDE MAGAZINE
Outside is America’s number-one active-lifestyle magazine, with more than two million readers a month. For 30 years, we’ve been dedicated to covering travel, sports, adventure, health and fitness, as well as the personalities, the environment, and the style and culture of the world Outside. Along with many other accolades, Outside is the only magazine ever to receive three consecutive National Magazine Awards for General Excellence. Please visit us at www.outsideonline.com.

ABOUT THE BEST COMPANIES GROUP

Best Companies Group works with national and local partners around the country to establish and manage “Best Places to Work,” “Best Companies,” and “Best Employers” programs on a national, statewide, and regional basis. Through its thorough workplace assessment, utilizing employer questionnaires and employee-satisfaction surveys, BCG identifies and recognizes companies who have been successful in creating and maintaining workplace excellence.

ABOUT THE OUTDOOR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

Founded in 1989, Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) is the premier trade association for companies in the active outdoor recreation business. OIA provides trade services for over 4000 manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, sales representatives and retailers in the outdoor industry. Outdoor Industry Association seeks to ensure a healthy and diverse specialty retail and supply chain based on quality, innovation and service. To this end, OIA works diligently to raise the standards of the industry; increase participation in outdoor recreation to strengthen business markets; provide support services to improve member profitability; represent member interests in the legislative/regulatory process; promote professional training and education; support innovation; and offer cost-saving member benefits. Search for outdoor-industry jobs is at OIA’s career center: www.outdoorindustry.org.