Inside Outdoor Spring 2020 Issue

12 Inside Outdoor | SPRING 2020 A s the dark days of isolation and illness abruptly hit the country in mid-March, the first reaction for most folks was to take inventory on personal safety and financial security. Will we be ok? What do we need to do to survive? Can we outlast this? Thankfully, for a multitude of out- door brands, the initial reaction was “What can we make to help?” Considering the truly altruistic spirit at the core of the outdoor industry community, this was not at all surpris- ing. Even so, efforts were nothing short of impressive. Indeed, when conditions on the ground created a dire need across the globe for personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline workers as well as everyday citizens, outdoor brands that had already fought the fight to maintain at least some U.S. production were in a unique position to quickly pivot and provide assistance. With machines in place, materials on hand and teams of sewers eager to stay employed, chang- es in some cases could be initiated almost immediately. Fortunately for the country, it’s also a group of companies that knows something being nimble and working uphill. “We at Chaco are doers. It’s not in our team’s DNA to stand by when we have the opportunity and resources to take action,” said Lisa Kondrat, direc- tor of operations for the brand’s Re- Chaco factory. “We want our skills and machinery to be useful in this crisis.” Made in Americas A quick pivot to PPE production at Sylvan’s N.C. facility By Martin Vilaboy When panic for protection equipment ensued, outdoor brands with home grown facilities got to work Help for America’s Heroes

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