Tyler VanderMolenAug reviews VOORMI featured in Backpacker
When performance apparel manufacturer VOORMI needs inspiration, it turns to Silicon Valley. That might sound odd for a brand nestled in the mountains near Pagosa Springs, Colorado, but Chief Marketing Officer Timm Smith says that the example set by leading American tech companies guides VOORMI’s efforts to bring breakthrough wool fabric designs to market.
“If you step outside of the outdoor industry and you look at a company like Tesla, which has put a stake in the ground with a big battery factory here in the states, or a company like Apple, I think what we see is an opportunity for a resurgence of American innovation,” Smith says.
The mountain location has its benefits, too. VOORMI sources its wool from the high-elevation pastures of the Rockies, and the surrounding 1.8 million acres of national forest provide the ultimate testing ground for its products.