Executives from Outdoor Industry Association, Exxel Outdoors, Keen and Marquette Backcountry met with President Obama Wednesday morning at the White House as part of an “Insourcing American Jobs” Forum.
Executives from Marquette Backcountry, Keen and Exxel Outdoors attended the forum along with manufacturers such as Master Lock and DuPont Chemical to discuss ways to create U.S. jobs. Discussions focused on leveraging existing infrastructure to create more efficient and sustainable manufacturing, as well as more opportunities for all U.S. entrepreneurs.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to be invited to participate in this forum,” said Dave Ollila CEO and Founder of Marquette Backcountry. “The fact that the Obama administration is interested to know more about how our small company is leveraging existing supply chains to create American jobs is a genuine signal that regular people can and should pursue the American dream.”
Marquette Backcountry will also be featuring a program at Outdoor Retailer on Thursday, January 19th called “Watch an American Work” where they will have a live streaming feed directly from the factory in Marquette, MI to the booth in Salt Lake City, UT. This will allow potential consumers and suppliers a chance to see not only their skis being made in real time but also genuine American manufacturing at work.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to be invited to participate in this forum,” said Dave Ollila CEO and Founder of Marquette Backcountry. “The fact that the Obama administration is interested to know more about how our small company is leveraging existing supply chains to create American jobs is a genuine signal that regular people can and should pursue the American dream.”
Marquette Backcountry will also be featuring a program at Outdoor Retailer on Thursday, January 19th called “Watch an American Work” where they will have a live streaming feed directly from the factory in Marquette, MI to the booth in Salt Lake City, UT. This will allow potential consumers and suppliers a chance to see not only their skis being made in real time but also genuine American manufacturing at work.
In 2011, KEEN grew from 95 to 130 employees in Portland, OR with innovations including building a Portland Factory that has a new automation platform, creating a new category called “Utility,” its first retail store, and expanding its marketing team and logistics center.
“The government can best support businesses by helping turn what has traditionally been an obstacle course to doing business into an opportunity course,” said Keen CEO James Curleigh. “We can look at ways to protect innovation in an increasingly complex environment that is globalized and digital, and make sure that the playing field is fair so we can compete with regards to innovation and technology protection, and an educated and energized workforce.”
OIA will be hosting a panel at Outdoor Retailer next week entitled Can You Make it in America? to discuss the insourcing phenomenon and explore whether the trend is sustainable and practical for all outdoor products.
