company Background

The Gorshland Company was founded by Rene Guetschlandt in 1972. Raised on a farm in the North Western Territory

of Canada, Rene developed a love of the outdoors life and"quiet sports"(non-motorized outdoor sports like hiking,

climbing, and camping). In 1962, after Rene and his family moved to Calgary, he became an avid mountain climber

cutting his teeth on the sheer rock faces of Mt Joffre. [n 1968, after receiving a degree in Chemical Engineering from the

University of calgary, he met noted Artic Explorer, John England, and accompanied him on an expedition to the Artic

Region of Grise Fiord (an Inuit hamlet in the Qikiqtaaluk Region in the territory of Nunavut, Canada). Typical cold

weather outerwear at the time was either made from natural fabrics, like cotton or wool, animal fur, or synthetic fabrics

(nylon or polyester shell) filled with goose down. Rene realized that anylall of these materials worked reasonably well

at temperatures down to freezing weather (32F), but in extreme conditions at the Arctic circle (-50F and below), it was

necessary to layer outerwear to the point that it was hard to move around freely. The bulky layers of materials also did

not breath very well and tended to trap moisture (sweat), which can be deadly at the extremely low temperatures he

experienced at Grise Fiord.

The Grise Fiord expedition served as an inspiration. Rene began to investigate newly developed materials like Gore-Tex*

and started working on designs for light weight outerwear that could better retain body heat while enabling moisture to

escape. Over the next 2 years, he put together designs for pants, shirts, and jackets and sought out manufacturers to

work with the new materials. With seed money from friends and family, Rene opened Gorshland Outfitters in a small

storefront in downtown Calgary in the fall of 1972. Gorshland launched a line of rugged, high performance, breathable,

water repellent jackets, pants and shirts along with assorted climbing gear and accessories under the G-Tite brand.

Within a couple of years, Gorshland established a reputation for high quality, innovative outerwear designs and the

company began supplying G-Tite apparel to specialty shops, sporting goods stores, and ski equipment retailers all over

Canada. In 1974, Rene began working on developing footwear using a combination of Gore-Tex and other innovative

materials. In 1975, Gorshland launched the G-Force footwear brand with several models of climbing and hiking boots.

G-Force boots quickly became popular among serious mountaineers and gave Gorshland the broader exposure to get

into large American retail chains like REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.). Over the next years, Gorshland continued

expansion into complementary products like gloves, socks, scarves, blankets, and climbing accessories.

Throughout the 1980s, quiet sports gained in popularity. More importantly, the high-tech outerwear designed for

serious enthusiasts began to appeal to mass market consumers. Performance outerwear was beginning to show up in

department stores and discount chains in suburban areas. Dozens of apparel companies entered the performance

outerwear market over the next 10 years. Ulumately, U. S. based brands like North Face and Columbia grew to dominate

the mass market. Niche brands like LL Bean and Eddie Bauer dominated the more casual (fashion-oriented) end of the

market.

The closest direct competitor to Gorshland was a company called Patagonia. Founded in 1973 by Yvon Chouinard,

Patagonia had roots with dedicated climbers and serious outdoors enthusiasts. Guetschlandt and Chouinard were in

fact friends. Early in their careers, they climbed together in California and often shared ideas for technical climbing

apparel. The two companies shared many similarities as well, with a couple of notable exceptions.

Patagonia focused on outerwear and accessories, but for the most part, steered clear of the competitive footwear

business (with a few experimental exceptions). Gorshland had staked a claim early in footwear and had become a

dominant player in high-tech thermal climbing boots with the Kilimanjaro line.

Although both men had strong roots in the environmental movement, they disagreed on the role that their companies

should play in"saving the world."chouinard increasingly saw patagonia as a vehicle for environmental activism and

committed the company mission to environmental and social causes. This led patagonia over time to move away from

high performance synthetic materials towards more environmentally responsible materials. Guetschlandt, on the other