Arc'teryx

Dave Lane founded a company called "Rock Solid Manufacturing" in the early 80s. Dave's story is classic: dissatisfaction with existing climbing harnesses and a vision to make them better. When Jeremy Guard, a visionary and aesthete, joined him, the company Arc'teryx was founded in 1989. The founders were inspired by Archaeopteryx for the logo and company name: The prehistoric bird was the first animal to develop feathers, thus driving evolution forward enormously. What began in a garage workshop has developed into an innovation leader in the outdoor industry. What makes Arc'teryx so legendary? The mix of creative potential, passion for innovation and hard work. The corporate culture from the very beginning is always present at Arc'teryx: the existing is questioned and innovations are driven forward until a product is exactly as it should be. No more and no less.

The Design Center in North Vancouver is an idea factory and consists of a team of designers, material experts, cutting technicians and product developers who know exactly what requirements a product must meet. Not far from there is ARC'One, a production facility where all prototypes are manufactured and tested. This is where solutions are sought for all product and production-related problems. Only what leaves the doors here is ready for global production. Arc'teryx is the origin of numerous innovations:

The first three-dimensionally shaped climbing harness - the Vapor Harness - was the beginning. This was followed by the Bora, a backpack with a thermolaminated back panel. With the introduction of the clothing line in 1998, Arc'teryx revolutionized the look of outdoor clothing thanks to 3D cutting technology. The most striking innovation in Arc'teryx clothing was waterproof, glued-in zips. W.L. Gore and YKK had already cut their teeth on the "Watertight Zip" project. Two global companies, one specializing in "waterproof", the other in zips. But it was Mike Blenkarn from Arc'teryx who, using an iron, a pasta machine and a lot of polyurethane, managed to find a solution and thus eliminate one of the biggest weaknesses in outdoor clothing. The WaterTight TM zipper is now the industry standard.

However, innovation is also a topic beyond the company's borders: for more than 25 years, Arc'teryx has been developing many new textile technologies in collaboration with Gore. Arc'teryx can recreate manufacturing scenarios faster than Gore, produce garments and get immediate feedback in the field. These capabilities help Gore determine the fabric properties to be achieved for GORE-TEX® membranes.

The fact that the Canadians have been able to put so much energy into development to this day is not least due to the sale of Arc'teryx to Amer Sports in 2005. At first, many fans - Arc'teryx does indeed have fans - were shocked, as corporations had often taken over small high-tech companies and destroyed them for profit. But Arc'teryx was not robbed of its soul. The parent company made a promise - and is keeping it. The head office still lets the Canadians do their thing today.