The Daily - February 20, 2020 - 16

The Pulse
H E A D L I N E S

SEA TO SUMMIT
BUYS BACK DISTRIBUTORSHIP

Powering Ahead

Polartec's new president is focused on
reconnecting with the company's outdoor
heritage. By Jenn Fields
BIG CHANGES HAVE BEEN AFOOT

at Polartec in recent years, from
new ownership to the shuttering
of a factory. In 2019, Milliken
acquired the company and a
new president took the helm of
the brand that was first to turn
recycled plastic bottles into fleece.
Though the company has made
forays into lifestyle and fashion
(J.Crew is a major customer), Polartec president Steve Layton says
he's focused on re-establishing the
brand in the core outdoor space. "I
think we've taken our eyes off that
in the last several years."
At its booth, Polartec had the
new lighter Power Air fleece made

by Houdini, a low-shed, 100%
recyclable jacket. More sustainable
materials are on the way. "What
Milliken brings to the table is new
materials scientists who can help
find new fibers that we can use
with better circular performance or
more natural fibers that are biodegradable without concern," he said.
But innovation isn't a straight
line. At Summer Market, Polartec
announced it was working on
a biodegradable fleece. But the
scientists aren't getting repeatable
results in the lab, Layton said. "We
haven't given up on biodegradability, but we don't like where the
science is right now."

/ OUTDOOR + SNOW SHOW 2020

Sea to Summit, a company
based in Perth, Australia,
bought its North American
distributorship in January, marking the end to the
brand's 22-year relationship
with Andrew and Shelley
Dunbar. "It's going to bring
the design team closer to
this market and closer to our
retailers," said Josh Simpson,
who will become the general
manager of North American
operations in May.
One of those demands is
sustainability, which is "more
elevated" in North America than Australia right now,
Simpson says. "In order to
maintain our status as a leader
in packaging and pack design,
we're going to go back to the
drawing board." The brand
will look at more sustainable
materials as well as "creative
ways to keep things out of the
landfill altogether."
Simpson has a long history
with the company. "I started

Josh
Simpson,
new Sea to
Summit GM

working with [Sea to Summit]
as a retailer in 2003, at a little
shop I owned in Australia,"
says Simpson, who worked
with the Dunbars for a decade. "It's been a big part of
my life."
The company is keeping
the workforce at the Boulder
distribution center. "The 50plus employees who are there
today are a pretty incredible
group of people," Simpson
says. "And that is the engine
that drives the brand." -J.F.

GEARTRADE IS GOING BIG

The online resale marketplace for outdoor gear is growing as
consumers look to buy more sustainable goods.
On the eve of its 20th anniversary, GearTrade, a peer-to-peer marketplace where outdoor and alpine athletes can sell personal gear,
has new ownership and investment.
Aaron Provine, the former VP of hardgoods and digital merchandising for backcountry.com, left the e-commerce giant to
help GearTrade grow. He purchased the company to build it into
the outdoor industry's number-one "recommerce" store, a place
where consumers, brands, and other stores can resell used gear,
seconds, obsolete inventory, sample sets-basically any outdoor
gear that would otherwise be headed for the landfill. It's all part of
a trend as consumers realize the impacts of overconsumption and
the industry grapples with overproduction.
In two decades, GearTrade has sold more than $30 million
in used gear. In 2019, it tallied 20% year-to-year growth, with
26,000 pieces of gear sold through the platform and 250,000
registered users. -Eugene Buchanan

F R O M L E F T: CO U R T E SY O F P O L A R T E C, CA R LO N AS I S S E

Polartec president
Steve Layton

http://www.backcountry.com

The Daily - February 20, 2020

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