Portland, Ore.-based Columbia Sportswear Co. — a manufacturer of active outdoor apparel, footwear,
accessories and equipment — has agreed to purchase OutDry Technologies S.r.l. — owner of
intellectual property and other assets of the OutDry® brand and its related business — from
Italy-based Nextec S.r.l. OutDry Technologies will retain its headquarters near Milan, and will
operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Columbia Sportswear. Nextec cofounders Luca and Matteo
Morlacchi will serve as CEO and general manager, respectively.
OutDry has developed patented and patent-pending technology that bonds a waterproof,
breathable membrane directly to the inside of a shoe or glove’s outermost layer, keeping water and
dirt from getting into the internal airspaces and fabric layers, which often happens to products
made using booty- or bladder-based construction methods. The technology is breathable; lessens
water-weight gain; inhibits mold, mildew and bacteria growth; retains insulation capacity; and
enhances fit and dexterity, according Columbia. The company’s Mountain Hardwear brand debuted a
line of high-performance gloves featuring OutDry technology last year.
“Columbia’s acquisition of OutDry is the latest example of our strategy to build a portfolio
of innovative technologies that deliver performance and protection benefits of greatest importance
to outdoor consumers,” said Tim Boyle, president and CEO, Columbia. “We view OutDry’s proprietary
construction methods, under development since 1998, as the ‘gold standard’ for producing
waterproof, breathable footwear and gloves that outperform products still relying on the
25-year-old method of internal booties and bladders. We intend to deploy OutDry across our
portfolio of outdoor brands, including Columbia®, Mountain Hardwear®, Sorel® and Montrail®, as well
as to market OutDry to select leading brands within and beyond the outdoor industry.”
August 10, 2010
