Outdoor Real Estate: Katadyn, Granite Gear, Pearl Izumi and Simms expanding with moves; plus retailers add new locations for the holidays; and more …
Find out who's opening new stores, expanding and making location moves in the outdoor industry.
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With Katadyn North America’srecent acquisition of camping food brands Natural High, Richmoor and AlpineAire, the company is expanding on the real estate front.
Katadyn increased its North American headquarters in Minnesota by 30 percent, moving to a new 20,000-square-foot location. The move allows for future growth, along with more modern office, warehouse and service space for Katadyn and sister brand Optimus, officials said. Meanwhile, Katadyn will keep its newly acquired Natural High, Richmoor and AlpineAire brands in Rocklin, Calif., where they recently moved into a new 40,000 square-foot facility.
For its gloabl headquarters, Katadyn also recently moved into larger digs in Zurich, Switzerland. The move triples the company’s space there and it will continue the production of its water filters in Switzerland.
>> Perhaps there’s something in the water up in Minnesota these days. Granite Gear, in Two Harbors, Minn., also announced a recent expansion — doubling its order fulfillment space by leasing a 7,200 square-foot distribution center near its headquarters.
The facility will improve turnaround times, and help accommodate Granite Gear’s increased outdoor and tactical orders, Granite Gear CEO Jeff Knight said. The space formerly dedicated to warehousing will be utilized for additional storage of raw materials and in-house production.
>> Pearl Izumi announced a move and expansion. The cycling and running wear brand broke ground on a new 55,000 square-foot North American headquarters in its hometown of Louisville, Colo.
It’s a short move across the street from its current location, but Pearl Izumi will own the space, instead of leasing, and plans for the building to be highly energy efficient. In addition, the company gained numerous building and sales tax incentives to stay in town. Pearl Izumi expects to move to its new building in fall 2013.
>> Another recent across-town move and expansion involves Simms Fishing Products in Bozeman, Mont. The company moved it headquarters from a multi-building campus on the northeast edge of Bozeman to a 65,000-square-foot building on the west side of town, at the crossroads of the Gallatin and Madison rivers.
The new location includes a streamlined, modern manufacturing floor, where the company will continue its U.S. production of its Simms Gore-Tex waders. Simms purchased the building in 2011 to get all of its employees under one roof, plus increase collaboration and public visibility. The green remodel of the new headquarters includes a solar photovoltaic system to supply electricity and hot water, plus motion sensor and energy efficient lighting. The company employs nearly 120 people in Bozeman and is planning to hire more.
Simms’ new location in Bozeman, Mont.
>> Several outdoor brands and retailers are expanding their store footprints this late fall, just in time for the holiday season. In mid November, Icebreaker opened its first Seattle store, a 1,500-square-foot space downtown at 5th Avenue and Pike Street, a few blocks from Pike Place Market. The new location is the eighth in North America for the New Zealand-based merino wool brand.
>> Outdoor retailer Moosejaw expanded for the holidays with a new temporary pop-up store in downtown Detroit at 1275 Woodward Ave. between Grand River and State streets.
“It gives us a low-risk way to test the market,” said Moosejaw’s Kristen Wood. “If sales in-line with our opening weekend, we will certainly consider making it permanent.”
The new downtown location will remain open through Dec. 22. Moosejaw has numerous permanent locations in the Detroit metro area, but this is its first venture downtown.
>> REI announced it will add a new location next fall in Silverdale, Wash., outside Seattle, on the Kitsap Peninsula, near Olympic National Park. The new 24,500-square-foot location at 10903 Myhre Place Northwest will take the place of Kitsap Sports. The latter is relocating back to its original 4,000 square-foot location at 622 N. Callow Ave. in Bremerton, Wash., where it spent 40 years doing business before spending the past 25 years in Silverdale.
Are you opening, closing or moving your outdoor store or office? Email at news@snewsnet.com with the details.
