CamelBak Products, LLC, best known for their hydration backpacks and water bottles, received top honors as REI’s Vendor Partner-of-the-Year. Other winners were Osprey Packs in the camp/travel category, Pearl Izumi in action sports, and Outdoor Research in outerwear.


“REI is privileged to work with some of the top companies in the retail industry today, leaders in product quality and innovation, outdoor stewardship and performance,” said Angela Owen, REI’s vice president of merchandising. “It is our pleasure to recognize our standout industry partners in this special way.”


The annual awards program, established in 1993, recognizes three key vendors and one overall vendor of the year for efforts that have built a strategic and successful relationship with REI. The co-op’s three merchandising divisions – camp/travel, actionsports and outdoorwear – nominate companies, then REI retail employees vote on the slate of nominees to determine the winners.


“We're proud to recognize CamelBak as our 2008 Vendor Partner-of-the-Year because of their amazing sales results and for their relentless dedication to the REI partnership in changing business conditions,” said Owen. “For example, they were ahead of the curve in identifying changing market conditions for water bottles and proactively partnered with REI to launch their newly designed BPA-free bottle line in advance of market demand. We have great confidence in CamelBak as an excellent business partner, now and into the future.”


Other REI vendor partners that were nominees for 2008 included: Arbor, Arc’Teryx, Big Agnes, Black Diamond, Mountain Hardwear, Ortlieb, Planet Bike, PROBAR, SmartWool, Smith Optics and Teva.

Past recipients of the REI Vendor Partner-of-the-Year Award include Atlas Snowshoe (1999), Black Diamond Equipment (1994, 2006), Bell Sports (1997), Cascade Designs (2001), Columbia Sportswear (1998), Eagle Creek (2000, 2005), Keen Footwear (2004), Osprey (2007), prAna (2003), Smith Sport Optics (2002), Vasque (1995, 1996), and Yakima (1993).