PrimaLoft, the outdoor ingredient brand whose synthetic insulation is used across the industry by companies like Patagonia and The North Face, will have a new owner as of July. Compass Diversified Holdings has agreed to buy the brand from Victor Capital Partners for an estimated $530 million. PrimaLoft will join several other outdoor companies in Compass Diversified’s portfolio, including Boa Technology and the hunting brand Velocity Outdoor.

鈥淧rimaLoft has all the attributes we look for in an acquisition and once closed, will add to [our] track record of acquiring industry-leading, innovative businesses with strong competitive advantages,鈥� said Elias Sabo, CEO of Compass Diversified, in a release today.

Sabo added that PrimaLoft was particularly attractive for its “significant intellectual property” and operations in a “large, growing addressable market” with a high free cash flow. As of this month, PrimaLoft contracts with more than 950 brand partners across the outdoor space, including Patagonia, Stio, La Sportiva, Helly Hansen, Marmot, and Canada Goose. The company also owns about 90 global patents.

PrimaLoft’s environmental focus also appears to be part of the attraction for Compass Diversified. According to the brand’s reporting, PrimaLoft has “diverted 614 million plastic bottles from landfills since 2015, pioneered biodegradable and carbon-negative fiber polymers, and reduced emissions by up to 70 percent for its proprietary line of insulations made with P.U.R.E. manufacturing technology.” Sabo noted in today’s release that the company “operates at the forefront of sustainability and is fully aligned with [Compass Diversified’s] mission of conducting our business in a responsible and ethical manner while delivering superior investment results.”

鈥淚 am incredibly proud of PrimaLoft鈥檚 success with Victor Capital Partners and am thrilled to be partnering with [Compass Diversified], which shares our commitment to building a sustainable future through innovation,” said PrimaLoft CEO Mike Joyce in the same release today. “We believe PrimaLoft is well-positioned to continue its purpose to unleash the full potential of people, products, and planet.”

Following the close of the deal, PrimaLoft will continue to be led by its current executive team.

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Ingredient brands are essential to the outdoor apparel and gear that keep us warm and dry, but the names of these technology companies are often relegated to a hang tag or a small label sewn inside the product. With maybe one exception in the outdoor industry, these brands aren鈥檛 much in the spotlight.

PrimaLoft Inc. is looking to change that by stepping out of the shadows and in front of consumers.

The Latham, New York based company has launched its first consumer-orientated brand campaign: 鈥淪eek the Unseen.鈥� At the heart of the campaign is a video that highlights the important things in life that often go unnoticed鈥攎uch like PrimaLoft itself.

鈥淧rimaLoft is a hidden product that people feel, but usually don鈥檛 see,鈥� said Mike Joyce, president and CEO of PrimaLoft. 鈥淎nd while we may be hidden from sight, we have a direct effect on the consumer experience. As an advanced material science company, we are developing 鈥榰nseen鈥� technologies that have an impact on the performance of garments, as well as on the environment. PrimaLoft works with over 900 global brands, with millions of people enjoying the comfort and lightweight warmth of PrimaLoft products. But many don鈥檛 even realize we鈥檙e the brand behind those benefits. With our first consumer-focused campaign, we want to educate people about PrimaLoft and our vision to unleash the full potential of people, product, and the planet, in harmony.鈥�

PrimaLoft has targeted paid media on Instagram and Facebook for the global campaign, including collaborations with influencers. The goal is to drive traffic to the brand鈥檚 鈥渞efreshed鈥� website. There, PrimaLoft鈥檚 leadership hopes consumers will learn more about why the brand鈥檚 products are so critical to the quality of their apparel and gear.

And perhaps they鈥檒l begin asking for PrimaLoft and seeking its inclusion when they鈥檙e on the hunt for a new jacket or baselayer.

鈥淚n a time where every moment of life is broadcast, there is something intriguing and almost magical about unseen moments,鈥� said Shana Getchell, vice president, global brand building. 鈥淭he moments that bring the spark of inspiration in your day, the moments of comfort you try to find for yourself, the way you try to responsibly care for the earth. 鈥楽eek the Unseen鈥� is about paying attention to these moments and knowing that PrimaLoft can help make them happen. We want to invite people to look for PrimaLoft in their apparel and bedding and to seek us out in the future.鈥�

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Led by its Relentlessly Responsible mission, PrimaLoft has discovered a way to bond insulation fibers without using a high-heat oven, reducing carbon emissions by as much as 48 percent.

The new technology is called PURE, which stands for聽Produced Using Reduced Emissions. It follows a comprehensive environmental assessment of PrimaLoft’s manufacturing that found removing the need for thermal ovens would drastically reduce carbon emissions.

鈥淎s experts in advanced material technologies, PrimaLoft鈥檚 commitment to responsibility drives our developments beyond the product level,鈥� PrimaLoft president and CEO Mike Joyce said in a news release. 鈥淥ver the past four years, we have been working towards manufacturing solutions that will drastically reduce carbon emissions. The result is a brilliant shift in our process, that will make a significant impact for the environment.鈥�

The new method is confidential. PrimaLoft is not ready to share the exact details of the new technology yet.

PrimaLoft will launch the first product with Patagonia in Fall 2020. The manufacturing will use 100 percent post-consumer recycled material, with the same insulating and performance benefits as its Gold Insulation.

The new process follows another big year for PrimaLoft. In 2018, it introduced Bio, a biodegradable, 100 percent recycled synthetic insulation and fabric. Bio will be available in apparel from brands like Houdini and Norr酶na beginning in Fall 2020.

Ahead of today’s news, 国产吃瓜黑料 Business Journal talked to Vanessa Mason, PrimaLoft SVP of engineering, insulation and polymers, about the company’s evolution, what this technology means for the industry, and how it feels to finally share it.

How big of a difference will reducing the need for ovens make for PrimaLoft and what could it do for the industry?

The CO2 savings is pretty massive. Manufacturing technologies and the reduction of carbon emissions is a really important pillar in our Relentlessly Responsible mission. This is not just a one and done project. We will continue to work on expanding and elaborating our capabilities of our PURE manufacturing technology. We鈥檒l continue down this road of reducing carbon emissions, utilizing recycled content when we can, and also incorporating biodegradable technology wherever it鈥檚 possible.

In the last five years, our industry has been really focused on recycled content. But there鈥檚 also many different areas where brands can be responsible and sustainable. We’re trying to share with the other brands to think of all facets of being Relentlessly Responsible.聽It will make a huge impact on our industry.

How does this technology fit into PrimaLoft鈥檚 evolution and it being more than an 鈥渋ngredient鈥� brand?

Our goal is to be a stage or a teacher in our industry.聽Our materials, our insulations, and our fabrics are ingredients and garments. But by sharing our philosophy of Relentlessly Responsible, we get to have conversations with brands about things above and beyond recycled content. Any time we can have an impact on a young designer, for example, to think in a different way, we feel like we are quite successful. This was one project for us and we鈥檒l continue to look for additional PURE manufacturing techniques that will continue to help us and our industry reduce carbon emissions even further.

Patagonia is your first partner in PURE. How did that come about?

Patagonia is a longstanding partner for us and as you know, they play a really important role in our industry, especially when it comes to environmental consciousness. Patagonia is a sounding board for us, almost as a consultant, colleague, or mentor. They provide us encouragement and support to go into areas we鈥檙e unsure of. We鈥檙e going to be sharing more about our partnership with Patagonia in the coming months. We鈥檙e definitely rolling out to other brands and working on building out our manufacturing capacity to roll it out to a much greater extent. It鈥檚 something that鈥檚 a high priority for us.

How does it feel to finally share this with the world?

It鈥檚 really exciting. This one has an interesting story. We probably spent about 36 months in the R&D phase and about 18 months commercializing the product so we could scale it. What鈥檚 really exciting for us is when you finally get the green thumbs up from a really important brand partner like Patagonia saying yes you guys have achieved everything we expected for the product from a performance standpoint, then we also check the box to the significant Co2 savings. It鈥檚 something we definitely celebrate.

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Full disclosure: gear is a wicked subjective thing. Always has been, always will be. To curate this list, our team of hardcore鈥攁nd highly opinionated鈥攇earheads pored over hundreds of new product launches, reading the specs and sifting through the marketing promises. We zoomed in on photos and watched embargoed video clips. And we debated. We culled the massive list down once, then made another pass until we had our 50 most coveted products. Then we voted to determine the rankings (we are a democracy, after all). In order of how badly we want to try it, here is Part One of our list of the 50 most exciting product launches for Fall 2019.

1. The North Face FutureLight

THE PROMISE It seeks to solve the waterproof/breathable problem and dethrone Gore-Tex as the gold standard.

THE DEETS聽An industrial process known as nanospinning sprays polymers through up to 220,000 tiny nozzles to create a waterproof yet highly porous mesh-like membrane. Nanoholes allow air to pass through and moisture vapor to escape, keeping users dry and comfortable, not clammy and cold.

THE STOKE Next-level breathability, waterproofness, and sustainability in the shell category. Bring it on.

2. PrimaLoft Biodegradable Fabric

THE PROMISE It will degrade quicker than any other fabric if you bury it in your backyard.

THE DEETS A shell and now a fabric are infused with a food source that attracts microbes at a faster rate when in a landfill. What’s left after the bacteria breaks down the fibers is simply water, carbon dioxide, methane, and natural organic matter鈥攍ike compost. But the biodegradable polyester doesn’t compromise durability.

THE STOKE A fuzzy fabric that vanishes instead of clogging up landfills and polluting oceans? Be still our hearts.

3. Ombraz Armless Sunglasses [$160]

THE PROMISE Cordage, baby: that鈥檚 the future of sunglasses.

THE DEETS The adjustable polyester cord running between the temples and around the back of your head keeps the glasses snug to your face and ditches the possibility of broken glasses arms and head-squeezing pressure. Plus, acting like built-in eyewear retainers, they鈥檙e harder to lose and either hang around your neck when you take them off or function like a headband.

THE STOKE These things look crazy (like a fox), but after an early test, we fell in love. 鈥淣o pinching, no pressure, and steazy AF: Yes, please,鈥� said one tester.

4. Black Diamond Vision Down Parka [$399]

THE PROMISE A puffy tough enough for tree skiing.

THE DEETS According to BD, this burly fabric initially stumped designers because it was so difficult to cut. A polymer weave crisscrossing the 20-denier face fabric adds a lot of durability without penalizing weight. This 800-fill hydrophobic down toaster comes in at an airy one pound, four ounces.

THE STOKE Say goodbye to duct-tape patch jobs on your warmest layer: This one looks rugged enough to dance on in crampons. It could be a revolution in lightweight durability.

5. Outdoor Research Tundra Aerogel Booties [$69-$89]

THE PROMISE With NASA-designed Aerogel underfoot in these synthetic camp booties, cold doesn鈥檛 stand a chance.

THE DEETS Solid Aerogel won鈥檛 compress like typical insulation, so it鈥檒l keep your feet warm even while you鈥檙e standing on it. Plus, a grippy outsole steadies you on the icy trail to the outhouse. Also available in a low-cut slip-on version.

THE STOKE Aerogel has been popping up more and more in outdoor gear, but its lack of breathability has held it back. The bottom of a camp bootie seems like the ideal application.

6. Marmot West Rib Parka [$600]

THE PROMISE The West Rib features unique gridded down baffles to boost warmth in the extreme cold.

THE DEETS Marmot packed 800-fill down into cube-shaped baffles around the chest of this deep-winter puffy to trap warmth around your body. Synthetic insulation layered between the down and the Pertex Quantum shell material adds weather protection and durability.

THE STOKE We鈥檙e curious about the cubist baffles and layered use of synthetic fill. This thing sounds like a serious volcano.

7. Dahu E鈥檆orce 01 Boot [$TBD]

THE PROMISE It looks and operates like no other ski boot on the market.

THE DEETS The Grilamid shell has cutouts to eliminate pressure points and the liner is beefy enough to walk around in. The unique entry system has hinges at the front and back of the boot, creating a giant opening.

THE STOKE Comfort. Ease of use. Versatility. Boom.

8. Sweet Protection Interstellar Goggle [$220]

THE PROMISE The lens won鈥檛 fog. Period.

DEETS The Gore membrane increases moisture and air transfer, equalizing air pressure and preventing condensation. Retina Illumination Grading increases contrast and enhances vision in low-light conditions, and the carbon-reinforced frame creates a rigid structure for the lens.

THE STOKE Gore-Tex in a goggle? Just plain fascinating.

9. Six Moon Haven DCF Tent [$400]

THE PROMISE This is the ultimate featherweight shelter for fastpacking duos.

THE DEETS The Haven DCF is a shaped, supported tarp made of Dyneema Composite Fabric, which offers extreme durability at a paltry 12-ounce weight. With two doors, a peak height of 45 inches, and 51 square feet of interior space, it can also be paired with the Haven Net Tent to create a fully enclosed double-wall shelter at just one pound, four ounces.

THE STOKE Dyneema tents are the new standard in ultra-ultralight, and this one sets the bar high… er, low.

10. Patagonia Black Hole Collection [starting at $29]

THE PROMISE Every Black Hole pack, duffel, tote, and waist pack gives plastic bottles and factory scraps another life.

THE DEETS It鈥檚 still burly, thanks to 90-denier poly ripstop with a TPU laminate and a DWR finish, but it now uses 100 percent recycled fabric, lining, and webbing.

THE STOKE Tally this up as yet another reason to love our favorite duffel.

11. Black Diamond Equipment JetForce Pro [$1,399]

THE PROMISE It鈥檚 the most advanced avalanche air bag pack out there.

THE DEETS This new version of BD鈥檚 award-winning JetForce series is still rechargeable and travel friendly. But the Pro is modular, letting you zip on and off a 10-, 25-, 35-, or 25-liter splitboard booster pack, making it super-versatile.

THE STOKE The modular design sets rippers up to stay safe on any day.

12. Tecnica Forge Winter [$300]

THE PROMISE Get a customized fit in a ready-for-winter hiker.

THE DEETS Like its three-season counterpart, the Forge Winter features in-store custom shaping for a perfect fit. It also adds Vibram鈥檚 Arctic Grip outsole and a Gore-Tex insulated comfort lining for waterproof/breathable insulation.

THE STOKE We fell in love with the original Forge, so a warm, winterized version is a no-brainer.

13. Rab Verglas Jacket [$375]

THE PROMISE It combines the best features of a parka and a shell鈥攚ithout turning you into a hot mess.

THE DEETS The Verglas is packed with 750-fill hydrophobic down for warmth, and Gore-Tex Shakedry over the 20-denier Pertex Quantum makes it waterproof while keeping it lightweight and mega-breathable.

THE STOKE For cold days with precip, this puffy looks like a winner if Shakedry can hold up to abuse.

14. Fischer Urban Cross-Country Ski Boot [$189]

THE PROMISE This is the first Nordic ski boot designed to take you from home to trail to apr茅s.

THE DEETS With a sneaker-like sole and chukka-style upper, you鈥檇 never know this was a cross-country ski boot. Designed for skiers less focused on racing and performance and more on casual exercise, it鈥檚 compatible with Fischer Turnamics and any NNN compatible binding.

THE STOKE Nordic boots have never looked so good.

15. Julbo Reactiv Performance Lenses [Starting at $210]

THE PROMISE Ski from dawn to dusk on bright bluebirds or during storm sessions.

THE DEETS The lenses鈥攁vailable in both shades and goggles鈥攎agically transition from clear (87 percent visible light transmission) to dark (12 percent VLT) in record time: roughly 20 seconds.

THE STOKE These just might be the one-quiver shades and goggles we鈥檝e been looking for.

16. Holden Outerwear Corkshell Summit Bib [$600]

THE PROMISE Cork is the insulation of the future.

THE DEETS These bibs (and their matching jacket) incorporate Schoeller鈥檚 recycled cork content to add heat retention without the bulk of traditional lofted insulation.

THE STOKE We鈥檙e always intrigued when brands find new ways to recycle materials, and companies have been chasing warmth without bulk for ages. Could this be the one that actually delivers?

17. G3 FindR Skis [$869-$919]

THE PROMISE Leave the ski straps at home. Magnets hold these skis together.

THE DEETS Updated for 2019, the powder-cruising FINDr series now features magnetic contact points, making bootpack transitions quick and easy, and eliminating the need for straps when shouldering your skis.

THE STOKE Pick 鈥榚m up, stick 鈥榚m together, walk away. Sounds pretty slick.

18. Blizzard Zero G 95 [$840]

THE PROMISE It鈥檚 typically either/or: lightweight or stiffness. These are your new no-compromise skis.

THE DEETS The Zero G 95 touring ski strikes the ideal balance between uphill comfort and downhill charging, thanks to a carbon fiber frame that鈥檚 integrated over the wood core to reduce weight for speed on the skin track while still delivering a high level of stiffness for downhill performance.

THE STOKE Light feet on the uphill and stiff shred-ability on the down? 鈥楴uf said.

19. Smartwool Intraknit 200 Base Layers [starting at $120]

THE PROMISE It鈥檚 the ultimate in body mapping.

THE DEETS Intraknit technology is a first-in-industry 3D knitting technique that can marry different weights of fabric into a single garment, without the use of seams. (The company already uses the technology in its socks.)

THE STOKE This sounds very much like the FuseForm tech that (sister company) The North Face introduced in shells a few years back. The concept makes even more sense in baselayers, where multiple seams can make body-mapped baselayers chafe in all the wrong places.

20. GoLite ReFill Eco 100 Jacket [$250]

THE PROMISE Keep warm and divert green plastic bottles from the landfill.

THE DEETS At a Taiwanese recycling plant, volunteers collect and sort bottles, and GoLite snags the ones nobody else wants鈥攖he green ones鈥攁nd turns them into dye-free clothing, like this PrimaLoft Silver Eco-filled puffy.

THE STOKE Recycled products are nothing new, but we dig how GoLite found a way to use the bottles that stump other apparel makers.

21. Mammut Meron IN [$449]

THE PROMISE It鈥檚 as warm as you can get, without the bulk.

THE DEETS Premium 900-fill down is shelled with a lightweight, water-repellent Toray ripstop nylon and lined with an equally light, semi-transparent lining that traps the down.

THE STOKE It鈥檚 hard to make a puffy this warm not look like a Michelin man. This one does it through the magic of smart patterning.

22. Salomon S/Pro Boot Collection [$800]

THE PROMISE Get a custom-like fit, without all the hassle and expense.

THE DEETS Salomon digitally scanned more than 4,000 feet to identify a shell that鈥檚 compatible with 70 percent of the European/North American market without needing any significant modification.

THE STOKE Any respectable skier knows that custom-molding your boots is mandatory. Our apologies to all the boot-fitters out there, but this could be good.

23. Atomic Savor [$1,545]

THE PROMISE It鈥檚 the ultimate starter kit.

THE DEETS In an effort to combat exhaustion, soreness, and complicated equipment, Savor includes painless-entry boots, easy-to-handle skis, and a comfortable helmet designed specifically for rookies.

THE STOKE Want to get your SO on the slopes with you? This package might be your ticket to paradise.

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