American wool clothing producer
Ibex Outdoor Clothing, LLC is a producer of wool clothing designed for outdoor use sold through a website and retailers. For the year 2001 Ibex made US$1.5 million in sales,[1] and by 2012 had reached US$12 million in sales.[2] Between 2014 and 2017 sales averaged US$20 Million.[3]
History
The company began when Peter Helmetag and John Fernsell met in 1997. Fernsell said “Everything looked the same and didn’t work. It was all either Gore-Tex or polyester fleece.”[4] In December 2017, Ibex announced that it would be shutting down its operations in February 2018 after the company's struggles in the outdoor market which led to the company laying off a third of its staff in November.[5]
In October 2019, Ibex relaunched as an online-only store, under the ownership of Flour Fund, which purchased the brand in early 2018, and the direction of Bonnie Shupe, and is now based in Boulder, Colorado. [6][7]
Wool specialization
Ibex uses wool as the primary fabric for all its clothing, citing its ability to regulate temperature, anti-microbial properties, ability to wick away sweat, and its resistance to wear.[8] Merino wool is often used for lighter-weight or casual products, while coarser wool is used for outerwear, such as jackets, vests, often with a Merino lining.
Cow power
Ibex uses Vermont CVPS Cow Power to generate electricity in a sustainable fashion. According to Business Wire, Ibex consumed over 36,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity in cow power over the year 2005–2006.[9]
References
