Patagonia
Abstract Patagonia’s mission statement is, “To use business to inspire and
implement solutions to environmental crisis”. Patagonia is a clothing company
that’s focus is on selling environmentally safe outdoor apparel. This papers
focus is on the history of Patagonia their environmental marketing strategies
and their competition. There has also been some outside research done to see
what the public’s perception of Patagonia is. Introduction Patagonia's History
In 1957 a young climber named Yvon Chouinard could not find pitons (a form of
climbing protection) that he liked. So he began to make his own climbing gear.
Chouinard was a self-educated blacksmith. He took his knowledge and began to
build his own pitons. Of the pitons he made, Chouinard would keep what he needed
and started selling the rest to his friends. Shortly after, Chouinard began
building carabiners in addition to his production of the pitons. Up until this
point, he had been working out of his parents' back yard and selling equipment
out of his car. He moved his business in 1959 to an industrial yard in Burbank
California and again in 1966 to a tin shed behind an abandoned slaughterhouse in
Ventura California. In 1966, Tom Frost was recruited to help make the transition
from handmade to machine made products. Chouinard and Frost founded Chouinard
Equipment, Ltd. Everything about the operations focused on building the best
quality climbing gear in the world…
The companies genuine and relentless pursuit
of quality was matched by its reputation for it (Defining Quality, 2). Chouinard
and Frost remained partners until 1975. During this time the two managed to
redesign, hence improve, almost every tool used on a climber's rack. Their
production also tried to minimize the use of materials. By 1970 Chouinard
Equipment was the largest supplier of climbing equipment in the United States.
Although this seemed positive from a business standpoint, Chouinard and Frost
realized that they were contributing to environmental deterioration. Pitons
require repetitive hammering for placement and removal. Because rock climbing
was becoming popular the amount of destruction increased. Chouinard and Frost
took a stand and decided to discontinue their production of pitons. This
decision initiated a blind devotion that ultimately led to Patagonia's Statement
of Purpose: To use business to inspire and implement solutions to environmental
crisis. An environmental safe alternative to pitons was found in aluminum
chocks. As before Chouinard Equipment designed and produced their own version of
the chocks. Sales were slow until their showing in the first Chouinard Equipment
catalog in 1972. The first pages of the catalog featured A Word… from the owners
on the environmental hazards of pitons. The ethical stand taken by Chouinard
Equipment dramatically effected the climbing community. Things began to change
for the better. Within just a few months of the release of their first catalog,
piton sales were severely stunted. In 1973 Patagonia the company was
incorporated. Around this same time, Chouinard became interested in the profit
potential of soft goods. He pursued his interest by introducing rugby shirts
into their line. Frost and others opposed this decision and left the partnership
in 1975. In the mid-seventies clothing was introduced under the name
'Patagonia'. Shortly after, in 1979, Patagonia Clothing Corporation was
established.
