REI honors top vendor partners of 2017 and delivers Root Award to La Sportiva for innovation in sustainable design

DENVER – Each day, leading outdoor retailer REI offers top gear and apparel from thousands of established and up-and-coming outdoor brands. During the 2018 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market trade show this week, REI recognized vendor partners who have made a significant impact to the co-op’s mission with its Vendor Partner of the Year awards. This year, the co-op also recognized the second winner of the REI Root award, which celebrates industry-leading sustainable product design.

REI Vendor Partner of the Year Awards

NEMO Equipment, headquartered in Dover, New Hampshire, received the co-op’s overarching Vendor Partner of the Year award.

“With products like the Stargaze™ Recliner, NEMO continues to bring innovative product design to the outdoor industry,” said Susan Viscon, REI senior vice president, merchandising. “Not only did NEMO have one of the most popular products on the shelf in 2017, they kept up with increased customer demand and showed amazing leadership throughout our partnership.”

The following vendor partners were also named divisional winners for the year:

• Action sports: NRS (Moscow, Idaho)
• Outdoor wear: Oboz (Bozeman, Montana)
• Camp/travel: Osprey (Cortez, Colorado)

The Vendor Partner of the Year awards program was established by REI in 1993. Each year, companies are nominated by the co-op’s three merchandising divisions – camp/climb, Action sports and outdoor wear – for partnering with REI to meet customer needs, raise the bar for product quality and drive sustainable business practices.

REI Root Award

The co-op’s Root Award was created in 2016 to celebrate the gritty, below-the-surface determination that drives sustainability innovation in the outdoor industry.

This year, REI recognized the La Sportiva Mythos Eco climbing shoe for its use of 95 percent pre-and post-consumer recycled materials (including the sole, laces and webbing) and its reduced impacts in manufacturing (including metal-free leather tanning and water-based adhesives). In addition, the Mythos Eco can be re-soled, allowing customers to use them for an extended period of time.

“The Root Award honors outdoor products that break down barriers and move the industry toward more sustainable ways of making gear,” says Alex Thompson, REI brand stewardship and impact vice president. “La Sportiva has shown it’s possible to make a climbing shoe almost entirely of recycled materials, and to use a lower-impact process for manufacturing leather, all while maintaining excellent performance and durability.”

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