Polartec says it will drop out of Outdoor Retailer

Polartec is the latest brand that says it will withdraw from Outdoor Retailer in solidarity with its client, Patagonia.

Polartec announced early Friday morning that it, too, would follow the lead of Patagonia and withdraw from Outdoor Retailer in an effort to divert money away from the state of Utah, which has been a vocal opponent of federal ownership of public land.

“We hope this will bring about positive change,” Fielding Miller, a spokesman for Polartec, wrote in an email. “We will still attend other trade shows.”

It was unclear whether Polartec intends to return to Outdoor Retailer if and when the show moves out of state, as the Outdoor Industry Association and Emerald Expositions, the parent company of OR, are actively looking for a new home. CEO Gary Smith was unavailable for comment.

The brand’s press release has been republished below in its entirety.

(Andover , Mass.) – February 10 , 2017 – Polartec, the premium provider of innovative textile solutions, announces its withdrawal from the Outdoor Retailer trade show in Utah. The announcement comes following much consideration, and is made in solidarity with Polartec customer Patagonia, which recently withdrew from Outdoor Retailer trade shows in Utah in response to the state government’s public land policy.

“Outdoor recreation is vital to our existence, and public lands conservation is essential,” says Gary Smith, Polartec CEO. “That’s why we’re proud to join with those willing to invest in doing the right thing, in standing up for the unique and finite resource that is our public lands. It’s never been more important to demonstrate that collaboration and conservation, not domination and extraction, will determine the quality of our future.”

Polartec still plans to exhibit at other trade shows and, in addition to environmental policies that promote public lands conservation, hopes to see trade show partnerships that foster modern commerce.