Columbia Sportswear to buy OutDry
Sports footwear, clothing and equipment brand Columbia Sportswear announced at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market exhibition in Salt Lake City on August 4 that it had signed an agreement to acquire waterproof breathable technology brand OutDry from Italian firm Nextec.
The transaction, a cash purchase for an undisclosed sum, is expected to close during the third quarter of 2010, subject to customary closing conditions.
On announcing the development, Columbia's chief executive and president, Tim Boyle, commented: “We view OutDry's proprietary construction methods, under development since 1998, as the gold standard for producing waterproof, breathable footwear and gloves that outperform products still relying on the 25-year-old method of internal booties and bladders. We intend to deploy OutDry across our portfolio of outdoor brands, including Columbia, Mountain Hardwear, Sorel and Montrail, as well as to market OutDry to select leading brands within and beyond the outdoor industry.”
Mr Boyle said Columbia would combine OutDry with its own Omni-Dry breathable waterproof membrane technology in select apparel styles beginning in Spring 2011. He said: "This means that Columbia now offers the most compelling combination of technologies to deliver head-to-toe waterproof breathable performance to outdoor consumers.”
OutDry's patented and patent-pending construction methods bond a waterproof, breathable membrane directly to the inside of the outermost layer of a shoe or glove, thereby preventing water or dirt from penetrating to internal airspaces and fabric layers, as Columbia says occurs with products that "rely on bulky booties or bladders". OutDry improves waterproof, breathable performance, reduces water-weight gain, maintains insulation capacity, and improves fit and dexterity, resulting in greater comfort, the Portland-based brand has concluded. Avoiding water penetration beyond the outermost layer may also help reduce the incidence of mould, mildew and bacteria that often develop when internal fabric layers become wet.
Columbia's global vice-president for footwear, Mark Nenow, said at the time of the announcement: “OutDry finally delivers the waterproof breathable innovation that outdoor consumers have been asking for. This is ground-breaking waterproof breathable footwear innovation for the mountaineer, the hiker, the multisport athlete, the trail-running enthusiast, the road-runner and any consumer that wants waterproof footwear without having to sacrifice performance, fit, lightness in weight and comfort.”
In autumn 2009, Columbia's Mountain Hardwear brand introduced a selection of high-performance gloves manufactured using OutDry's construction processes. Mountain Hardwear president, Topher Gaylord, commented: “Our consumers demand quality, performance, and superior functionality, and seek the most innovative solutions that allow them to challenge the edges of their potential. Our OutDry gloves have revolutionised our ability to deliver exceptional weather protection, warmth, and dexterity, providing consumers with superior performance over bladder-based construction methods.”
Nextec cofounders, brothers Luca and Matteo Morlacchi, will serve as chief executive officer and general manager, respectively, of OutDry Technologies, which will remain headquartered near Milan and operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Columbia Sportswear. Luca Morlacchi, said on the day of the announcement: “We believe Columbia's decision to purchase OutDry's technology and to incorporate it across its portfolio of leading outdoor brands will help raise awareness of OutDry's unique solution to producing truly waterproof breathable footwear and gloves. We look forward to working with our new partners at Columbia Sportswear to further develop the OutDry technology, and to market OutDry to other leading brands, extending its performance benefits to consumers around the world.”
