November 15 Grand Opening Will Include Live Entertainment, $500 Gift Card Drawing AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 14
AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Outdoor clothing manufacturer
Patagonia has set up shop in downtown Austin with the opening of its 25th
retail store and its first location in Texas. The new 7,000-square-foot
Patagonia store at 316 North Congress is located in a historic building that
began life as the W.B. Smith dry goods store in 1884, four years before the
state capitol down the street was completed.
The store carries Patagonia-branded outdoor sports and lifestyle products
tailored to the Austin market. Items range from layering systems to apparel
for climbing, endurance and water sports, skiing, trail running,
hiking/trekking and fly fishing. All products reflect the company's
well-known commitment to environmental causes, including 100% organic cotton
apparel that avoids causing environmental damage from toxic chemicals used in
growing conventional cotton.
"When you walk into a Patagonia store, you know two things: you get
high-quality, environmentally responsible products, and you get a company that
pioneered both global and local corporate environmental activism," said store
manager Jim Hansel, an avid Austin cycling, hiking, canoeing and fishing
enthusiast who volunteers teaching bicycle safety to local youth groups and
also takes part in local trail and water cleanups. "Every Patagonia store
supports local environmental causes, and we are no exception."
Grand Opening
The grand opening of Patagonia's Austin store on Saturday, November 15,
from 10am-7pm will feature live entertainment by local bands Austin Homegrown
and Alpha Rev in cooperation with KGSR and KROX from 1-5 pm, a Native American
flute performance by Daniel G. Benes from 5:30-6:30 pm, and a drawing for five
$500 Patagonia gift cards.
Also in attendance will be TreeFolks, an Austin-based non-profit urban
tree planting organization and Patagonia Inc. grant recipient that has planted
tens of thousands of trees at schools, retirement homes and other venues in
Austin and Central Texas since its inception in 1989. The organization will
also receive proceeds from the sale of 100% organically grown cotton reusable
Patagonia tote bags purchased at the event.
Recycled Building
The W.B. Smith Building where Patagonia has hung its hat in Austin has
housed a series of businesses since the original dry goods store left in 1903,
including a wholesale liquor company, a soda manufacturer, a candy maker,
barbers, shoe repairs, and the Dallas Morning News and Galveston Daily News.
It was the site of the Vulcan Gas Company psychedelic nightclub from 1967 to
1970, with acts ranging from Steve Ray Vaughn and Johnny Winter to Shiva's
Headband.
The building sat vacant for a decade until real estate developer Trammell
Crow remodeled it and moved into the upstairs in 1982. Tenants since then have
included office design firm Bommarito Group, video game designer Digital
Anvil, and advertising agency Latin Works Marketing, which outgrew the space
earlier this year.
The new Patagonia location fits corporate efforts to promote sustainable
development by reusing existing buildings wherever possible. The company has
added its own environmentally friendly fixtures and practices, including
energy-reducing lighting strategies, formaldehyde-free insulation and
composite wood products, rapidly renewable bamboo hangers and wall fixtures,
and recycled rubber chairs and metal tables.
The store also has shower facilities and bike accommodations for
employees, supporting alternative commuting strategies and healthier
lifestyles.
'Green' Pioneer
Patagonia's historic site selection marks the latest chapter in a
corporate commitment to environmental causes that began decades ago with a
critical decision by Patagonia company founder and rock-climbing enthusiast
Yvon Chouinard. At a predecessor company in the early 1970s, Chouinard
decided to abandon a successful but rock-scarring line of piton climbing
hardware and replace it with environmentally friendly aluminum chocks that
leave the rock face intact.
That decision was the forerunner of Patagonia's mission to "build the best
product, cause no unnecessary harm, and use business to inspire and implement
solutions to the environmental crisis." To fulfill that mission, Patagonia
earmarks 1% of sales for a grant program that has given more than $31 million
to over 1,000 environmental organizations since 1985.
In addition to using 100% organic cotton, Patagonia also has used fleece
made from post-consumer recycled plastic soda bottles since 1993, and last
year became the first clothing manufacturer to recycle competitors' garments
as well as its own through a program that accepts worn-out fleece, organic
cotton t-shirts and Capilene (long underwear) products. The donated garments
are recycled into new fibers to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas
emissions.
Patagonia products are sold through select retail dealers and through the
company's website as well as through Patagonia retail stores.
About Patagonia
Patagonia is a manufacturer and retailer of outdoor clothing, technical
apparel and gear that is noted internationally for its commitment to product
quality and environmental activism, including environmental responsibility in
product development such as its policy of using 100% organic cotton. Its
Environmental Grants Program has contributed over $31 million to grassroots
environmental activists since 1985, and its Environmental Internship Program
allows employees to work for environmental groups while receiving their full
paycheck. The company has been recognized for many years by Working Mother
magazine as one of the "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" and is a
regular recipient of recognition by Fortune and Human Resources Management
magazines as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work for in America."
SOURCE Patagonia
