Arc'teryx
49°18′17″N 123°00′50″W / 49.304608°N 123.01397°W
 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Outerwear Sports clothing Backpacks Rock-climbing equipment |
| Founded | 1989 as Rock Solid 1991 as Arc'teryx[1] |
| Founder | Dave Lane Jeremy Guard |
| Headquarters | North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
Number of employees | 500+[2] |
| Parent | Salomon Group (2001–2005) (Amer Sports (2005–present)) |
| Website | arcteryx |
Arc'teryx (stylized ɅRC'TERYX) is a Canadian outdoor clothing and sporting goods company founded in North Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1989. The name and logo of Arc'teryx refer to the Archaeopteryx, the earliest known bird. The logo is based on the "Berlin specimen" of the bird, the most complete skeleton found to date and was designed by Michael Hofler in 1993 while working at the firm, The Design Works, owned by David Hornblow.
Company history
Needing a larger manufacturing space, the company moved its headquarters to Burnaby, British Columbia, in 1999. In 2005, the Arc'teryx head office moved back across the Burrard Inlet to North Vancouver. Their products are usually associated with climbing, skiing, snowboarding, backpacking, and hiking-related activities.
Originally named Rock Solid by founders Dave Lane and Jeremy Guard, the company's first line of products were climbing gear. Using a heat laminate (thermolamination) technology, the partners designed and marketed the Vapor harness, which would become the company's most popular item. In the second year of operations, after a series of relocations and staff additions, Arc'teryx released the Bora backpack using the same Vapor technology. In 1996, after obtaining a license from W. L. Gore & Associates for use of the Gore-Tex fabric, the company adapted it for its new line of outdoor technical apparel. Top selling items in their clothing line include the Theta AR and Gamma MX jackets. Over the years Arc'teryx' designs have won a number of awards from Backpacker, Outside, Climbing, Men's Journal, and Powder magazines.[3]
The Arc'teryx LEAF (Law Enforcement and Armed Forces) product line is composed of equipment targeted to the military and law enforcement markets. Although some items are simply counterparts in design to their civilian models, other items, such as Arc'teryx's Tango and Charlie packs, are made in camouflage patterns and constructed to military specification, including numerous PALS-type attachment loops and fabric featuring neutral and camouflage coloring. Due to dissatisfaction with the MOLLE gear, the United States Marine Corps chose Arc'teryx's Tango design for their new backpack, the ILBE.
Guard was president and principal of the company from 1991 through 2001. In January 2001, Arc'teryx was purchased by the Adidas-owned Salomon Group.[3] In May 2005, Amer Sports purchased the Salomon Group from Adidas.[4] The Arc'teryx head office is still located in North Vancouver, although harnesses, backpacks, and much other laminated equipment is made in its own factory in New Westminster, BC. Their apparel line has expanded, thus Arc'teryx has consequently outsourced to plants in China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Bangladesh, El Salvador, and Laos.
References
- ^ Mackie, John (October 2, 2013). "Arc'teryx 'flagship' store lands in Kitsilano". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
- ^ "Careers at Arc'teryx". Arc'teryx. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
- ^ a b Nowakowski, Natasha, "Arc'teryx a perfect fit for adidas' Salomon business", The Portland Business Journal, November 8, 2002.
- ^ Crane, Leah, "Salomon Sold to Amer Sports" Archived March 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Transworld Business Magazine, August 9, 2005
