British outdoor brand Berghaus launches in the United States
PORTLAND, Oregon (November 26, 2013)–
Renowned British outdoor brand Berghaus has opened for business in Portland, Oregon, following two years of extensive market and retail research, and business planning. The company will begin by selling in a selection of products from the fall/winter 2014 range to target specialist outdoor, trail running and ski and snow retailers.
Berghaus USA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berghaus UK, which itself is owned by the global sports, outdoor and fashion business the Pentland Group. The USA operation is led by President Walt Crate and Vice President sales and marketing Bo Johnson. All aspects of sales, marketing and consumer customer service will be located in the Portland, OR Berghaus USA office.
Crate says, “With Portland’s easy access to a variety of natural resources and perfect North West weather for product use and testing, along with its deep talent pool to build our US brand presence, Berghaus USA is thrilled to call Portland home.”
Additional logistical, operational and financial management support will be provided by the Pentland USA office in Long Island, New York. Pentland USA currently services its owned and licensed brands in the US including Hunter Boots, Ted Baker Footwear, Kickers and Lacoste Footwear.
Founded in 1966 in England, Berghaus has grown into one of the most respected and successful performance outdoor brands in Europe, and in recent years has made significant inroads into many other territories around the world. The brand is now available in 40 countries and over more than four decades, has developed a reputation for bringing cutting edge outdoor innovations to the market.
Berghaus was responsible for many iconic product developments as the outdoor industry matured: 1974 – Cyclops, the first internal frame padded compartmentalized rucksack; 1977 – the first company in Europe to introduce a GORE-TEX jacket; 1978 – Yeti Gaiter, the first integrated climbing/hiking gaiter. Berghaus innovations have continued to this day: 2011 – HydroDown, pioneering water resistant down in clothing; 2013 – Vapour Storm, the first permanently ventilated GORE-TEX jacket, enabling substantially enhanced comfort to high intensity trail activities; and in 2014, Berghaus’ will debut Hydroloft, a synthetic insulation that delivers superior breathability through a revolutionary air exchange system, giving enhanced comfort and keeping the wearer warm without the weight, even when wet.
The Berghaus USA team recently travelled to Austria to attend the global sales launch of the Berghaus fall/winter 2014 collection. They have now started meeting with specialty customers and will be exhibiting at the regional shows (North East, Mid Atlantic, South East, Mid West, Rockies, Northwest and Far West), as well as Winter Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City.
For more information about Berghaus USA, contact: Kevin Wonnacott, kevin.wonnacott@berghaus.com
