PATAGONIA TO PARTNER WITH GORE-TEX® BRAND TECHNOLOGIES FOR FALL 2011
VENTURA, Calif. (January 20, 2011) — Patagonia Inc., the outdoor apparel company, will once again partner with W.L. Gore & Associates to use GORE-TEX® and WINDSTOPPER® brand technologies in strategically selected Alpine, Ski/Snowboard and Lifestyle outerwear to create a range of superior performing products for the Fall 2011 season. Patagonia will also continue to rely on H2No® technology for a complementary component in the portfolio.
The GORE-TEX® brand is trusted – and its label sought – by the public and Patagonia’s customers. After extensive testing, GORE-TEX® laminates meet our rigorous standards, both in the lab and the field. They achieve an elegant, effective balance of waterproofness, breathability, windproofness and durability. We respect Gore for its efforts to reduce its environmental impact, starting with an early attempt in the 1990’s to introduce garment recycling to its current work with the fluorochemical industry to develop environmentally improved and high performing water repellents. Gore’s dedication to quality and durability contribute to long lasting products that save on waste and natural resources. We also plan to collaborate with Gore on new performance materials and important environmental solutions as we develop our business together.
“Our mandate is to build the best product. The GORE-TEX® brand has had a long tenure as the industry leader in waterproof, breathable fabrics,” notes Casey Sheahan, Patagonia’s chief executive officer, “Our goal in partnering with the GORE-TEX® brand is to build the best outerwear in the industry. Our customers and dealers also value and seek out products made with GORE-TEX® fabrics and we are thrilled to be able to provide them with options from Patagonia.”
Gore’s commitment to product excellence and environmental engagement, and deep knowledge of its supply chain, make Patagonia proud to partner with them in its own efforts to make the best product and cause no unnecessary harm. Specific product details to come in January 2011.
About Patagonia
Patagonia, with sales last year of over $330M, is noted internationally for its commitment to product quality and environmental activism. Incorporating environmental responsibility in to product development, the company has, since 1996, used only organically grown cotton in its clothing line. With its most recent launch of synthetic fiber-to-fiber recycling, Patagonia is taking back worn-out polyester and nylon clothing and reincarnating it as new products, forever capturing the raw materials used in making virgin fiber. The company also advocates corporate transparency through its interactive website, The Footprint Chronicles, which outlines the environmental and social footprint of individual products. Patagonia was featured as The Coolest Company on the Planet on Fortune Magazine’s April 2007 cover.
About W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
With more than $2.5 billion in annual sales and approximately 9,000 employees in 30 countries worldwide, W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., provides diverse, high-performance solutions in consumer, industrial, electronic, medical, and surgical markets. As well-known for its unique corporate culture as for its products, Gore's 50-year success story rests equally on product and organizational innovation. Perhaps best known as the inventors of expanded PTFE (ePTFE) and the makers of GORE-TEX® fabric, Gore is a leading manufacturer of thousands of advanced technology products that comprise a breadth of capabilities.
Contact:
Jess Clayton, 805-667-4755, jess_clayton@patagonia.com
Cynthia Amon, 410-506-2647, camon@wlgore.com
GORE, GORE-TEX, and designs are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. ©2010 W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., 295 Blue Ball Rd., Elkton, Maryland, 800-431-GORE, gore-tex.com