The Untold History of One of America’s Great Gear Brands
Under Nordstrom, Outdoor Research also moved much of its manufacturing overseas—to where the fabrics and best machines are. But the company had long been proud of its production operations in the US—it still makes gloves and gaiters here—and Nordstrom was committed to keeping their Seattle factory up and running, and staffed. “Ron clearly loved being able to go from drawing up an idea on graph paper in his office (his desk was still full of such drawings when I came in) and then head downstairs and have the sample made in a few hours. That instinct for innovation and rapid prototyping has always been and remains core to the OR DNA,” said Nordstrom. He found the key to doing that in an unlikely place for an outdoor gear and apparel company: the US military.
In the ’90s, Army Rangers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in nearby Tacoma would come to OR for gloves that were far better than the Korean War-era gear they’d been issued. Most of the military business was through small pro-deal agreements, but in the early 2000s Nordstrom went after bigger contracts, and got them. “We’re really the only technical glove manufacturer still based in the US,” Nordstrom says (US law requires the military to source equipment from companies that manufacture domestically). While some outdoor companies are quiet about their dealings with the military, OR is proud to design gloves and gear that meet the high standards required by service members. “Politics aside, these are people we know, and their jobs demand gear that is reliable when it matters most. We need to take care of them,” Nordstrom tells me.
Today, Outdoor Research makes everything from carbon-neutral rain jackets and lightweight technical clothing to mountain biking apparel and gear for backcountry skiing and snowboarding. Even if the company has become a little more thoughtful about how these things look—and adopted colors other than red, yellow, and blue—Ron Gregg’s “it’s-gotta-work” ethos is still at the brand’s core. As is innovating new features that make exploring outside more enjoyable. The Seattle Sombrero (ahem, Rain Hat) is still an inexplicable best-seller. And, even after more than 40 years, OR’s gaiters remain the best in the biz.
Source: https://www.fieldmag.com/articles/untold-history-of-outdoor-research-seattle
