Former Thule CEO appointed to Hestra’s board
Magnus Welander has been appointed to the board of the Swedish company Hestra Gloves. Welander joins Hestra after 14 years as CEO of Thule Group. Under his leadership, the outdoor company has achieved impressive growth, with an increased brand presence and several new product segments. Before Hestra, he spent many ...
Snowboard binding and other everyday items reconceived for the closed loop
UPM Biochemicals has teamed up with the College of Central Saint Martins at the University of the Arts London (UAL) to develop prototypes of products for a “world beyond fossils,” including a modular, interchangeable snowboard binding. The idea is to reduce the amount of materials used while substituting renewables for ...
Jack Wolfskin’s CEO resigns
Jack Wolfskin confirmed to SGI Europe that Richard Collier has resigned as CEO to pursue another opportunity and be closer to his family in Oslo, Norway. He will remain in his position until the end of the year to ensure a smooth and seamless transition and continuity of leadership.
Arc’teryx re-opens refreshed Boston store
Canadian brand Arc’teryx has reopened its 280-sqm retail store in Boston’s popular Newbury Street shopping district. The newly designed space also features a unique art installation that tells the story of how Arc’teryx’s innovative products are created from concept to development and then tested under the harshest conditions.
New Country Manager for Helly Hansen Italy
Michele Battocchio is the new country manager for Italy of the Norwegian brand Helly Hansen. Battocchio has more than 25 years of experience in sporting goods, footwear and fashion at the national and international level. He previously worked for UYN, Garmont and Northwave. Battocchio will be based at Helly Hansen’s ...
Lagoped raises €5.7 million
French outdoor clothing brand Lagoped has announced the completion of a funding round worth €5.7 million. The company raised around €3.2 million from private equity firms HPF and Vox Capital. Christophe Cordonnier, the company’s co-founder with Julien Désecures and Pierre Derieux, has retained a majority stake. In addition, Lagoped obtained ...
CEO of Bergans resigns
The Norwegian Sports Industry Association announced that Jan Tore Jensen has reached an agreement with the Board of Directors of Bergans Fritid AS to step down as CEO no later than the end of February 2024. The Board of Directors will immediately initiate the recruitment process to find his successor.
Icebug starts collaboration with Danish supplier of sustainable leather
By using fully traceable leather from Scandinavia, Swedish footwear manufacturer Icebug can further reduce its carbon footprint. This is possible thanks to a collaboration with Spoor, a Danish company specializing in sustainable leather.
Columbia Sportswear releases 2022 Impact Report
Columbia Sportswear Company has released its Impact Report 2022, which highlights the company’s performance and progress across the three pillars of its corporate responsibility strategy: Empowering People, Sustaining Places and Responsible Practices.
CEP launches cold weather apparel line featuring recycled polyester
CEP Compression is introducing a new cold-weather apparel line featuring recycled polyester. The reversible Cold Weather Vest in the new line features PrimaLoft Gold insulation and recycled polyester. The Cold Weather Quarter Zip Pullover, which also uses sustainable materials, features a protective outer layer combined with waffle fleece next to ...
KMD Brands’ FY results marred by poorer consumer sentiment in Q4
Strong sales growth from all three of KMD Brands’ brands – Rip Curl, Kathmandu and Oboz – was offset by weaker results in the year’s final period ended July 31. Annual Ebitda rose 11.2 percent to 200.1 New Zealand dollars (€117.1m), but net profit was essentially flat at NZ$36.6 million ...
Mammut appoints new Head of Central Europe
Since Sept. 11, 2023, Patrick Schmollinger has been responsible for managing the wholesale partners and sales teams in Switzerland and Germany, as well as cooperation with the trade agency partners in Austria and Italy, as Mammut’s new Head of Central Europe. In addition, he will lead the Mammut EMEA retail ...
Ulvang rebrands, changes suppliers and collection
Norwegian wool apparel specialist Ulvang, a brand founded in 1995 and owned by the Brav Group, has undergone a complete rebranding. Since the first week of September, the brand’s website and social media have been reset and now feature a new logo and content. The changes also include a partial ...
Cycling industry veteran joins POC as new CEO
POC, the Swedish manufacturer of helmets, eyewear, protective equipment and apparel founded in 2005, has appointed Derek Bouchard-Hall as its new CEO, effective immediately. He succeeds Jonas Sjögren, who served as POC’s CEO since early 2017, and will be based at the company’s Stockholm headquarters.
Mips launches Virtual Test Lab, reduces environmental impact, lead time and costs
Swedish helmet safety specialist Mips is advancing helmet testing with its Virtual Test Lab (VTL). The innovation uses cutting-edge computer science with the goal of virtually predicting how new helmets will perform in real-world impacts, providing insights faster and more efficiently than physical testing. This method has the potential to ...
Cascade Design appoints new VP of HR
Cascade Designs, the parent company of MSR, Therm-a-Rest, Platypus, SealLine, PackTowl and Varilite, has hired Minor Harris as its new vice president of human resources. Harris will be based in the brand’s Reno, Nevada office and will be responsible for the company’s human resources and culture strategy. He has more ...
Reischmann opens fourth Vaude store
On Sept. 14, German sports and fashion retailer Reischmann opened another Vaude store in downtown Memmingen. The partnership between Vaude Franchise GmbH and Reischmann has already existed for 15 years and has so far resulted in three Vaude brand stores in Ravensburg, Kempten and Ulm.
PrimaLoft introduces new durable synthetic insulation
PrimaLoft, Inc. has introduced its latest innovation, PrimaLoft Utility. PrimaLoft Utility represents a new design approach and sets “new benchmarks in durability within the realm of synthetic insulation while also providing unparalleled ease of use and care.”
Equip receives Fair Wear Leader status for second consecutive year
Equip Outdoor Technologies Ltd., the owner of British outdoor brands Rab and Lowe Alpine, has received the Fair Wear Leader status for the second consecutive year. Despite using an updated methodology that is aligned with the OECD guidelines on Human Rights Due Diligence, including new indicators in 2023, Fair Wear ...
The final program of EOS 2023 in Berlin
The European Outdoor Summit (EOS) is held annually for around 300 delegates to learn more about and discuss the issues that we, as an industry, collectively face. The topics are always related to industry needs and focus on current and future economic, technical and social trends, to develop a theme ...