Columbia Acquires OutDry
Portland, Ore.–based Columbia Sportswear Co. struck an acquisition deal for Milan, Italy–based OutDry Technologies S.r.l. from Italian company Nextec S.r.l. OutDry has engineered a patented and patent-pending construction method for bonding a waterproof, breathable membrane directly to a shoe or glove to keep moisture and dirt out. “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,” said Tim Boyle, Columbia’s president and chief executive officer. Columbia will include OutDry in its Columbia, Mountain Hardware, Sorel and Montrail brands, as well as market it to other companies in the outdoor industry. Columbia is also introducing its own Omni-Dry ultra-breathable membrane in select Columbia production beginning with the Spring ’11 season. OutDry will remain headquartered in Italy, and Nextec co-founders and brothers Luca and Matteo Morlacchi will serve as chief executive officer and general manager, respectively, of the OutDry division, which will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Columbia.
