RM | OUTDOORS Established in 1993 by founder Dennis Brune, New Haven-based ALPS Brands produces outdoor gear for everywhere - from base camp to summit. ONWARD AND UPWARD ALPS Brands continues Missouri's outdoor gear legacy by Zach Smith | zsmith@ruralmissouri.coop ll over the state you can see signs of the VHDVRQDSSURDFKLQJ7HQWÁDSVDUHSDWFKHG ZKLOHWKHEHQWSROHVDQGPLVVLQJVWDNHV DUHUHSODFHG:UDSSHUVIURPKDQGZDUPHUV DQGJUDQRODEDUVDUHHPSWLHGRXWRIEDFNSDFNV7KH FKXFNER[LVEHLQJGXVWHGRIZRHEHJRQHODG\EXJV 7KHVRXQGRIVSULQJFOHDQLQJLVLQWKHDLU ,IODVW\HDULVDQ\LQGLFDWLRQPRUH0LVVRXULDQV WKDQHYHUEHIRUHDUHSUHSDULQJIRUZDUPHUZHDWKHUWR EHHQMR\HGLQWKHJUHDWRXWGRRUV%XWIHZPD\NQRZ WKDWDQDPHVHHQRQEDFNSDFNVWHQWVFDPSFKDLUV DLUSDGVDQGDOOPDQQHURIRXWGRRUJHDUIURPWKH FUHHNVLGHFDPSRXWWRWKH2]DUN7UDLOWRWKH+LPDOD A 60 RURAL MISSOURI | APRIL 2021 \DVKDVURRWVLQ1HZ+DYHQ$WRQHWLPHWKHVPDOO 0LVVRXUL5LYHUWRZQZDVDKRWVSRWIRURXWGRRUJHDU PDQXIDFWXUHUVRSHUDWLQJLQWKHVWDWH$QGWKDQNVWR $/36%UDQGVIRXQGHU'HQQLV%UXQHLW·VVWLOOKRPH to at least one. ´0\GDGKDVVDLGWKDW1HZ+DYHQDWRQHWLPHZDV WKH7HQW&DSLWDORIQRWRQO\WKH86EXWWKHZRUOG SULRUWRDORWRIPDQXIDFWXULQJJRLQJRYHUVHDVµVD\V $GDP%UXQH'HQQLV·VRQ´7KHSODFHZKHUHKHZHQW WRLQWHUYLHZ$PHULFDQ5HFUHDWLRQ3URGXFWVLVRQHRI RXUZDUHKRXVHVQRZVRLWNLQGRIFDPHIXOOFLUFOHIRU KLPµ ,WZDVZLWK$PHULFDQ5HFUHDWLRQ3URGXFWVRU $53WKDW'HQQLV·FDUHHUEHJDQLQ 'XULQJKLV \HDUVZLWKWKHFRPSDQ\KHZRUNHGRQJHDUGHVLJQ