Berghaus, which is owned by Pentland Brands and based in the North East of England, announced a major investment in its product and innovation team in order to support the brand’s long-term growth strategy.
The investment will include a new ‘Sprint Team’ that will bring certain lines to the market quicker. This team will build on the brand’s Extrem range and expand its outdoor lifestyle offer, reflecting the increasing number of consumers who are realizing the benefits of spending time outdoors.
Meanwhile, the brand will also heighten its focus on creating ground-breaking products for the specialist outdoor sector through Extrem.
Kev McFadyen, Berghaus brand director, commented: “Berghaus has a truly phenomenal product heritage and this brand has always been a pioneer in our sector. We’re determined to be at the forefront of where outdoor product innovation goes next and this investment demonstrates our commitment to the industry.”
To support the ambitious growth plans, the brand is now recruiting to fill 11 new roles that will be based across both the Pentland Brands North East HQ in Sunderland, and the global HQ in London.
The product and innovation team will be led by a head of category and a head of design. Applications are now open for the vacant head of category role, while long-time Berghaus team member James Hodgson has been promoted to head of design. Hodgson has worked for the brand for 15 years and has been responsible for the development of many award-winning innovations, including the introduction of water-resistant down to the outdoor apparel market and what Berghaus claims to the launch of the world’s lightest waterproof jacket.
Already confirmed in the new structure is Graeme Paige, who has been promoted to category manager. Paige has worked at Berghaus for over a decade, in a variety of sales and product roles, and recently led a first-to-market partnership with W.L. Gore and Associates, introducing a new range of successful Berghaus Gore-Tex products in the UK.
The Berghaus product development team is based in state-of-the-art headquarters in North East England, with facilities that include a sample and cutting room, and a fully-equipped laboratory for testing the performance and durability of fabrics and components in controlled conditions. As well as on-site testing, Berghaus runs an extensive outdoor programme before launching products, involving professional testers, sponsored athletes and its own teams.
More information can be found at pentlandbrands.com/careers.
