A Worthy Expedition
In early 2024, Equip Outdoor Technologies entered a new era when former CEO Matt Gowar stepped down and Richard Leedham took his place. With over 30 years of experience in the outdoor industry, including time spent as President of Berghaus, Richard had long admired Equip and its two brands: Rab and Lowe Alpine.
LSINCE 1993, EQUIP OUTDOOR TECHNOLOGIES HAS INSPIRED ADVENTURE, BUT NOW THE OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT COMPANY IS ALSO INSPIRING CHANGE.
PROJECT MANAGED BY: DECLAN JONES
owe Alpine dates back to 1967, and has been part of Equip since 2011. After creating the world’s first internal-framed pack, the brand has helped to revolutionise the outdoor industry with a range of backpacks, base layers, and waterproof accessories.
Rab joined Equip eight years before Lowe Alpine, in 2003, and remains the company’s flagship brand. Founded by Scottish climber and mountaineer Rab Carrington, Rab has become an outdoor equipment and apparel brand with a reputation for quality products that adventurers and mountaineers can rely upon. Today, the brand’s range includes down jackets, waterproofs, sleeping bags, packs and various gear for climbing, running, cycling, and skiing.
“It’s a really iconic brand that has evolved over the years. At present, Rab is our predominant focus and a brand that’s getting real traction across the world because it’s trusted by consumers for its high quality.”
FOCUSED ON QUALITY
Quality and performance are central and recurring themes when Richard discusses Equip and its brands. The quality of the company’s products was part of what attracted him to the business and, as CEO, he is determined to see quality remain a fundamental selling point for Equip’s equipment and apparel.
“We are fully focused on producing quality technical outdoor equipment,” Richard affirms. “I think that’s what our consumers love about our brands.
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Richard Leedham, CEO, Equip Outdoor Technologies.
“I first became aware of Rab in the late 1980s when I was climbing,” Richard reveals. “A climber himself, Rab Carrington built the brand using the experience he gained on various expeditions, including time spent in Argentina where he had made his own kit.
“We have a lot of people in the business that use, and rely upon, our equipment themselves. We have that personal connection with our products that makes us really passionate about them. I think this resonates with a lot of people.”
GRANGERS INTERNATIONAL LTD
Based in the heart of Derbyshire, less than 15 miles from Equip’s Head Office, Grangers, a brand owned by Grangers International Ltd; a privately owned company, is an aftercare brand built upon a love of unpredictable British weather. Founded in 1937, Grangers has always been committed to enhancing time outdoors and expanding the life of clothing, footwear and equipment.
For almost 90 years, the brand has focused on innovative solutions to not only keep people warm and dry but to do so in the most sustainable way possible.
In 1947, the brand invented the first water-based protection products, less than 10 years later its innovative solutions protected the first successful Mount Everest summit, in 1953.
In 2005, Grangers Technical Director Karolina Jones, who is now the CEO of Grangers, invented the first and still only 2-in-1, clean and reproof formulation. This one-bottle solution not only saves time, but it conserves energy and water, offering a more sustainable and convenient solution to the consumer.
In 2007, the brand became the first aftercare brand in the world to become a bluesign® system partner and to this day host a full range of bluesign® approved solutions.
Grangers’ formulations are certified biodegradable, PFAS-free, come in 100% recycled, Prevented Ocean Plastic and deliver performance in the most extreme circumstances.
Grangers’ ethos is that nothing should prevent us from stepping outdoors. If your kit is cared for, it will keep you warm, dry and comfortable. The outdoors shouldn’t be weather limited and by caring for our gear we can prepare for the unpredictable.
Their range of easy-to-apply solutions keep consumers protected and fresh outdoors. From concentrated washes, offering double the washes in a bottle, to refill solutions, the brand always wants to support their customers to get the most from their aftercare.
Outdoor brands should deliver solutions with minimum impact and that is an ethos that Grangers has been dedicated to for almost 90 years.
Manufactured at its Head Offices in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, Grangers is just as dedicated to quality and is regularly audited by various accreditations to guarantee quality alongside social, ethical and environmental responsibility. Its in-house Technical Team always work to ensure that its formulations are at the forefront of existing technologies and regularly review and test to guarantee that their solutions deliver the performance the consumer desires.
Sold in over 50 countries worldwide, Grangers is a brand for the people who partner with other brands who match its values. Two of the most important values to Grangers are performance and eco-responsibility – the two come hand in hand. Just like Equip – a company, renowned for its products as well as its sustainability.
In 2024, three years in the making, Grangers and Rab unveiled a new innovative Down solution; Grangers Down Defend, which is fully launching as part of Rab’s 2025 AW collection. This bluesign® approved, highperformance, hydrophobic solution has led to a local brand partnership that shares values and delivers performance.
With innovative solutions that perform in the harshest of weather conditions, Grangers enables outdoor explorers to stay outdoors and do so comfortably. By working with partners, such as Equip, who share the same values, they can bring solutions to the market that deliver and enhance the outdoor experience.
www.grangers.co.uk
As a privately-owned business with a clear vision, Equip and its brands have never felt pressured to produce fashion items or streetwear. While some consumers may use Equip products for activities other than mountaineering, Rab and Lowe Alpine remain specialty technical brands that their users can trust in extreme environments.
The durable, reliable nature of everything Equip produces is perhaps best summarised by the words of Rab Carrington, who once described Rab products as ‘items you’d rather repair than replace.’ Even before sustainability became a priority across the business world, Equip was ahead of the curve in embracing an ethos of repair and reuse.
COMPREHENSIVE AFTERCARE
For instance, since the 1980s, Rab has been offering comprehensive aftercare services, employing a dedicated team to restore consumers’ products. The tradition continues today in the shape of Rab Service Centres – aftercare hubs across Continental Europe, the USA, Canada, and the UK.
“It’s amazing what our Service Centres can do, especially with products like down jackets,” Richard comments. “You look at some items and assume they are unsalvageable, but with the help of industrial equipment, we can return products to peak condition no matter how worn or weather-beaten they have become.”
“WE ARE FULLY FOCUSED ON PRODUCING QUALITY TECHNICAL OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT. I THINK THAT’S WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS LOVE ABOUT OUR BRANDS.”
In 2025, Rab Service Centres are growing increasingly popular and triggering a change in how consumers view their items. To meet the rising demand, Equip has recently opened its first customer-facing Service Centre in Cheshire, UK. Designed as a blueprint for future locations, the new, modern Service Centre is set to transform the industry, making professional aftercare and in-person repair services more easily accessible to the public.
“Previously, aftercare was handled online, but we’ve recently had people asking for more creative repairs – requesting material of contrasting colours, for instance – and we’ve started to see the benefit of in-person service,” Richard reports. “There are so many possibilities for making your repaired item oneof-a-kind. Our Service Centres don’t just provide longevity; they allow for creativity too.”
Built
As long-time partners of RAB, we know what it takes to support iconic outdoor brands. For over 25 years, we’ve provided end-to-end, omnichannel logistics solutions tailored for the unique demands of the outdoor industry — from eCommerce and wholesale to retail fulfillment.
With deep roots in the UK and global reach across Europe, the US, and Australia, we help brands scale with speed, replicate success across markets, and stay connected through one seamless integration.
Our tech-driven platforms provide complete visibility, easy integration, and sustainable operations — not just promises, but principles we live by. From freight forwarding to final-mile delivery, customs to value-added services — we deliver quality that matches your ambition.
We’re logistics experts. We’re also outdoor people.
Industry Insight: Logistics That Go the Distance
We’ve been deeply embedded in the outdoor industry for over 25 years, and that specialization really makes a difference. We understand the seasonal rhythms, the need for resilience in both product and process, and the expectations around quality. Our logistics solutions are truly omnichannel — we seamlessly support eCommerce, wholesale, and retail, and do so with technology that ensures speed, accuracy, and full visibility. Our experience with RAB is a great example of how we help brands scale and replicate success globally.
What role does technology play in delivering these capabilities?
Technology is absolutely central. Our platform is designed for easy integration, even with complex legacy systems, and gives our clients real-time visibility across the full supply chain. From customs brokerage to last-mile delivery, our systems support fast decision-making and efficiency. But technology alone isn’t enough — it’s the people behind it that drive value. That’s why our motto is “People make the difference.” It’s a mindset that shapes how we operate and how we partner.
Sustainability is a growing priority for brands and consumers. How do you integrate it into your logistics model?
For us, sustainability isn’t a trend — it’s fundamental. From optimizing transportation routes to reducing packaging waste, we look at every aspect of our operations through a sustainability lens. We’re constantly innovating to reduce environmental impact, while still meeting the speed and service demands of modern retail. And because we serve multiple regions through a single integration, we help brands consolidate and simplify their logistics footprint globally.
Looking ahead, how do you see your value evolving for outdoor brands in a rapidly changing global market?
Outdoor brands are growing fast and going global — and they need logistics partners who can keep up. Our value lies in enabling rapid deployment, scalability, and consistency across markets like the UK, EU, USA, and Australia. Whether a brand is launching a new channel or expanding into a new region, we make that growth easy. We’re outdoors people ourselves, and that gives us a genuine understanding of the mission behind the products we help move. It’s more than logistics — it’s partnership, performance, and purpose.
“IT’S AMAZING WHAT OUR SERVICE CENTRES CAN DO, ESPECIALLY WITH PRODUCTS LIKE DOWN JACKETS.”
It’s not just aftercare that makes Equip a pioneer in sustainability, but also initiatives like Material Facts. Developed in-house, Material Facts is a data program that, like food labelling, sees products display key information regarding their constituent materials. These disclosures also provide data on fluorocarbon usage, as well as how much of a product is made from recycled materials or has used renewable energy in production. The Material Facts initiative has now been shared with the industry, ready to be adopted by other brands and retailers.
PROGRESSING AT SPEED
The thought and care that goes into all Equip products has made the company a highly attractive brand for employees, endowing the business with a passionate workforce that carries the adventurous spirit of Rab and Lowe Alpine across the world. It’s a group that Richard knows the company can rely on during challenging times.
“US tariffs and climate change are sizeable obstacles at the moment,” Richard notes.
“The latter in particular when you consider the UK’s recent hot weather and the fact that we are a company selling waterproofs.
“However,” he adds, “this business has come through crises before – from foot-and-mouth disease to Covid. Equally, for a business of our size, we still have a strong entrepreneurial spirit. We are diverse, relatively nimble, and we can step up to challenges and see them as opportunities.”
As resilient as a Rab GoreTex jacket, Equip is now progressing at speed under its latest five-year plan, despite all the challenges that surround it. Building on its strong foundation and specialist brands, the company is developing new product categories to meet everchanging environments and consumer demands. Looking back at what the business has achieved so far, Richard is proud of Equip’s success and excited by its potential.
Thanks to our industry pedigree, we’ve grown into leaders in Dynamics 365 for Business Central, consistently delivering excellent service and driving meaningful change for our clients in the Fashion, Furniture, Hospitality industries. Our solution ensures complete, comprehensive coverage across supply chains, finance, warehouse and operations, centralising critical information for effortless data driven decision making, giving you a fully optimised and connected business.
www.madic-dynamics.com info@madic-dynamics.com 0330 433 9621
MADIC DYNAMICS
At MADIC dynamics, we deliver ERP solutions designed specifically for the fashion industry, backed by deep industry expertise. Our process begins with a clear understanding of each client’s operational requirements, enabling us to configure systems that align with realworld workflows and constraints.
Our involvement goes beyond implementation. We provide full lifecycle support from initial scoping through deployment and beyond to ensure the solution performs as intended. Whether managing complex product configurations, supporting pick-pack-ship workflows, or integrating with PLMs or commerce, we focus on enabling stability, interoperability, and scalability.
As a TRIMIT Fashion partner with extensive experience in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, we offer end-to-end solutions that unify core functions across the business. This allows for streamlined data flows, improved inventory accuracy, and real-time operational visibility. For example, we’ve helped Equip Outdoor Technologies consolidate its supply chain processes from design and sourcing to distribution—on a single platform.
MADIC dynamics combines technical insight with sector-specific knowledge to deliver ERP systems that support growth, improve efficiency, and reduce operational risk.
www.madic-dynamics.com
EQUIP OUTDOOR TECHNOLOGIES
“We’ve performed very well outside the UK, and there are not many British outdoor businesses that can say that,” Richard remarks. “In the USA, we are competing with mega brands like The North Face and Patagonia – so much so, in fact, that the US has become our second-largest market.
“In the years ahead, we are hoping to push our sustainability leadership even further and continue growing rapidly in Asia, which has a wellestablished outdoor market in countries like Korea and Japan. Our brands have already made a name for themselves – now it’s just about following the plan and accelerating our growth.”
