Outdoor Industry in 2006. “What we’re doing is we have an innovative way of doing mass customization for design and manufacturing that’s more agile and faster, and ultimately produces a better-performing product.” In Montrose, Mayfly Outdoors has doubled down on OI manufacturing by consolidating production for its brands at a development of its own making: Colorado Outdoors, an OI-oriented, mixed-use project on the Uncompahgre River. Mayfly opened its new, 41,000-square-foot headquarters and manufacturing facility as the 164-acre revitalization project’s cornerstone in summer of 2019. David Dragoo, president of Colorado Outdoors and founder of Mayfly, says it’s all about having the requisite infrastructure to rethink manufacturing processes: high-speed Internet, high-capacity electrical systems, high-bay ceilings and an open floor plan. “Any future technology that we need, we have the capacity and infrastructure to execute it,” says Dragoo. “And that’s the key—you have big-city amenities in a small town. That’s been one of the biggest differences for us in Montrose.” Other OI companies like what they see at Colorado Outdoors. Wedge Brands is set to break ground on a facility at the development by the end of 2021, and Dragoo says several other as-yet-unnamed tenants have committed as well. Beyond immediate access to the Uncompahgre, the 31 Guerrilla Gravity production processes reshape manufacturing in the U.S. Before the pandemic struck, OI manufacturing was growing modestly in the U.S. In 2019, it provided more than 244,000 jobs, according to the latest Outdoor Industry Association and the Bureau of Economic Analysis figures. The total economic impact grew from $51.7 billion in 2017 to $55 billion in 2019. It looks like the upward trend will only accelerate from here. Plenty of outdoor gear is ripe for domestic production but only if the infrastructure can support it. And when it comes to reshoring, Colorado is near or at the top of most brands’ lists. There are success stories all over the state. In Denver, Guerrilla Gravity makes mountain bikes and Never Summer Industries crafts innovative snowboards. Beyond the Front Range, companies like Mayfly Outdoors (parent of Ross Reels, Abel Reels and Airflo) in Montrose, Moots in Steamboat Springs and Mountain Racing Products in Grand Junction are leading the way on the Western Slope. Brands are relocating from other states and overseas, as outdoor companies disperse from the Front Range to places with easier access to the great outdoors. “I think it’s the start of seeing more clusters emerge,” says Fey. “We’re seeing more early entrepreneurs relocate and set up shop in rural parts of the state.” The building blocks of labor and capital investment need to scale in order to catalyze a broader shift for OI manufacturing. Regardless, there’s a lot to be said for manufacturing boats on a body of water or making skis at the bottom of the slopes. Take Wagner Custom Skis, which crafts skis in the heart of Mountain Village at Telluride Resort. “Our competitive advantage has to do with the technology that we’ve created here,” says Pete Wagner, who founded his namesake company IMAGES COURTESY OF COMPANYWEEK
Business in Colorado May 2021: Page 31
