Question
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
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
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