Recycled Climbing Ropes Find Home at L.L.Bean As New Dog Leashes

Flowfold has partnered with Sterling Rope to repurpose scrap climbing rope to make dog leashes available at L.L.Bean this fall

Portland, ME; Oct 12, 2017 ‐

Flowfold, an outdoor retail brand focused on minimalist gear for everyday adventures, is excited to announce a collaboration with two other well-known Maine outdoor brands: L.L.Bean and Sterling Rope. The three Maine companies have come together to offer L.L.Bean customers a Made-in-Maine dog leash, produced by Flowfold from reclaimed Sterling climbing rope. The six-foot dog leashes is available now in a variety of colors at select L.L.Bean stores.

Every Sterling rope is proudly made in the USA and inspected by hand. Rope that is not first quality is set aside, and that’s where Flowfold comes in. Flowfold, which made a name for itself by recycling non-biodegradable racing sailcloth to make wallets, repurposes the otherwise discarded rope to make fun and colorful leashes that are perfectly suited for active dogs.

“We make gear for everyday adventures” James Morin, COO of Flowfold says, “and lots of our customers bring their 4-legged companions with them. But this is more than just having the coolest pups on the block.” He goes on to say. “This partnership represents three environmentally conscious brands coming together to keep materials out of landfills and on adventures.” Sterling Rope, located in Biddeford, Maine, just 13 miles down the road from Flowfold, is happy to give their rope a second chance and in the hands of more people looking to get outside.

“We are beyond excited to partner with two other fine Maine outdoor brands on this project. We’ve always said that if you are an alpinist, arborist, firefighter, rope access technician or tower maintenance worker then Sterling should be your go-to partner.” Liz McLellan, Marketing Director of Sterling Rope says. “Maybe we’ll have to add dog owner to the list now, too.”

L.L.Bean, a short ride up Route 295 from both Sterling Rope and Flowfold, makes some of their most iconic products out of their Maine factories in Brunswick and Lewiston and has always encouraged wise stewardship of natural resources and respect for the environment from all of their stakeholders. “It’s great to see Flowfold and Sterling Rope working together to create products from repurposed and recycled materials right here.” Tom Armstrong, Chief Merchandise Officer of L.L.Bean says. “We are pleased to offer our customers this responsibly sourced, stylish and fun Made in Made product.”

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About Flowfold

Flowfold builds minimalist gear for everyday adventures. Drawing on the legacy of Maine craftsmanship, Flowfold pairs carefully refined techniques with innovative materials and designs. The design philosophy stems from an incredible respect and admiration for the outdoors and Flowfold’s company values are focused on reducing their overall impact on the environment. Every item is made in the USA using some of the world’s strongest and lightest fabrics and all core products are backed with a lifetime guarantee. Flowfold can be found at www.flowfold.com, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Story highlighted in a Fox News, Made in America feature April 2016.

About L.L.Bean, Inc.

L.L.Bean, Inc. is a leading multichannel merchant of quality outdoor gear and apparel. Founded in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean, the company began as a one-room operation selling a single product, the Maine Hunting Shoe. Still family owned, Shawn Gorman, great grandson of Leon Leonwood Bean, was named Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2013. While its business has grown over the years, L.L.Bean continues to uphold the values of its founder, including his dedication to quality, customer service and a love of the outdoors. In the past five years, L.L.Bean has donated over $6 million toward conservation and land stewardship. L.L.Bean operates 36 stores in 16 states across the United States, along with 25 stores in Japan. The 220,000-sq. ft. L.L.Bean retail store campus in Freeport, ME, is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and welcomes more than 3 million visitors every year. L.L.Bean can be found worldwide at www.llbean.com, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Google+ and

Instagram.

About Sterling.

Sterling Rope Company, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of life-safety rope, cord, and hardware. Made right here in the USA, Sterling has worked hard to develop the best product for use in climbing, rope rescue, arbor, fire, industrial safety, work access and OEM markets. Sterling strives to be the frontrunner in innovation and work closely with companies, both large and small, to develop superior products for their needs. SterlingRope.com | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram