The Sporting Life
When Outdoor Research founder Ron Gregg died in an avalanche in 2003, supporters of the company, including the famous mountain climber Ed Viesturs, wondered if the iconic Seattle outdoor gear and apparel maker could survive without its visionary founder.
It could. Seattle native Dan Nordstrom, an avid skier, climber and bike racer as well as former CEO of Nordstrom.com, acquired the company two months after Gregg’s death and expanded its apparel line, contributing to a fourfold increase in revenue in the ensuing years to an estimated $40 million today.
This success underscores not only the solid management under Nordstrom, who applied his family’s legendary service philosophy to his sporting goods venture, but also the strength of the outdoor industry in Seattle.
Outdoor Research is one of many Seattle businesses focused on the creation and marketing of outdoor gear. From Cascade Designs to K2 Sports to Oiselle Running, an array of indigenous sporting goods manufacturers thrives on active lifestyles, physical fitness, outdoor adventure and wilderness pursuits. They outfit kayakers, hikers, runners, mountaineers, ice climbers, rock climbers, backpackers, campers, skiers, snowboarders, bikers and water sports enthusiasts. Dozens of gear makers ply their trade in the shadow of Mount Rainier, creating jobs and economic diversity.
Perhaps most significant: This industry has been an important source of stability for the region in an otherwise difficult economic recession. “For the outdoor industry in general, the last three years were not as challenging as they were for the rest of the economy,” Nordstrom says. “People gave up extravagant vacations to resorts far away and stayed near home. We offer products that enable people to go out and have high-quality experiences.”
Julia Day, vice president of sales and marketing at Leisure Trends, a Boulder, Colorado–based research company that tracks sales of sporting goods, confirms as much. “We have seen continued sales growth in [for example] camping, canoeing, running, cycling, kayaking.”
“During boom times, the industry doesn’t hit the highest of the highs,” notes Bruce Hammond, communications director of the National Sporting Goods Association, although the sector did grow a relatively healthy 38 percent from 2002 to 2007, with annual sales increasing from $25 billion to $34.5 billion in that period. Since then, says Hammond, the sporting goods industry has “held its own.”
Seattle’s strength in the sector is partly a function of environment. Nordstrom says Seattle is “uniquely suited for outdoor companies” by its proximity to “marine activities, the world’s rainiest places,
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