“A Burgeoning Business”

By Kathi Coldwell

Rudy Glocker loves the White Mountains. He is an outdoors person and enjoys hiking the many mountain trails. As an avid hiker, Glocker knows durable clothing is imperative for a comfortable outdoor experience.

“New Hampshire has a great deal to offer the outdoor enthusiast. Opportunities to enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, climbing, downhill skiing, backcountry skiing, and more are plentiful. Outdoor recreation started in the state but not a lot of garments are made here,” he says. Glocker saw the best way to preserve and enhance the place he loved was to create a new business, Burgeon Outdoor.

With a popular shop and production studio in The Village Shops, an old mill building housing a variety of stores in downtown Lincoln, New Hampshire, there is a lot to like about Burgeon Outdoor. Customers of the business certainly think so, and because of this, Burgeon Outdoor is growing - recently opening a second production facility in Gorham, New Hampshire this past fall.

Burgeon’s mission is to help mountain communities flourish. It accomplishes this by employing local talent to bring ideas to Glocker and collaborate on styles and garments that will work for customers.

Burgeon Outdoor started when Glocker opened the shop and business to the public in 2019; he chose Lincoln due to its White Mountain location with ski areas and hiking mainstays in the area. “There is easy access to I-93 and Lincoln is easy to reach,” explains Glocker.

HOURS:

Monday-Thursday: 10am - 5pm

Friday-Saturday: 10am - 6pm

Sunday: 10am - 5pm

In the old mill building, there is an airy, open storefront where shoppers can browse and ask questions about the outerwear. They can also speak with and watch the production team in the same airy space as the store. This creates a unique shopping experience.

“We use all kinds of fabrics for the garments we make,” says Glocker. Such fabrics as Spandex, Tencel which is made from the pulp of trees, and recycled polyester to name a few of the materials, are used in the variety of quality clothes beloved by hikers, skiers, outdoors people, and others.

It isn’t a requirement to be a young hiker or skier to wear and appreciate Burgeon’s clothes. “We don’t have a particular age group that purchases our clothes. We welcome all ages,” Glocker explains.

Burgeon’s products are made in the roomy studio, and the stitchers can be easily seen from the large windows that surround the space. Once in the shop, customers can ask questions about the base layers, mid layers, outer layers, hoodies, T-shirts, and more for men and women.

Burgeon employees and Glocker listen to their customers and respond to create the clothing desired by a variety of buyers. For example, the company’s most popular product, a warm and durable Highlander Hoodie, was suggested by an employee.

“I make decisions for designs based on listening to the ideas of my employees too,” Glocker says. He adds that his team gives him valuable input, and this makes sense because they are making the garments.

For example, Glocker speaks of the Sunseeker Hoodie. Burgeon aimed to upgrade the feel and fit of this product. They sampled a few different fabrics and Glocker listened to customers’ and employees’ experiences to determine the optimal material. The product was refined somewhat, and the new version is a summer hoodie that covered all the bases. It is good for hiking as well as water activities like boating, kayaking, and fishing.

Glocker understands the needs of his customers, and it helps that he has been coming to the White Mountains since he was a child. “We took vacations and hiked Mount Washington. I loved the White Mountains.” Glocker never forgot the magic of the mountains and it eventually brought him back to the area.

Perhaps the store’s popularity is because it is where customers can touch and ask questions about the clothes. Few companies are set up like Burgeon, where there are no secrets; everything is in the open and customer questions are welcomed by the staff. Added to this, Glocker loves to talk shop and explain each product, from the zipper used on a jacket to the lining and outer fabric.

“Most of our customers have a New England focus and are from the greater Boston area,” Glocker says.

Sharing and giving back to the community and his employees is a big part of Burgeon Outdoor. Burgeon’s mission is to help mountain communities flourish, and it accomplishes this mission by employing local talent and giving employees flexible hours, share in the company’s success and by being an active member in the social fabric of the community. Reflecting this, 5% of Burgeon’s sales go directly into supporting its charitable and environmental efforts.

Glocker wants to create a positive impact on the environment and local charities. One way Burgeon does this is by utilizing their open studio space to hold fundraising events for local organizations such as New England Disabled Sports, as well as Lakes Region and Pemigewasset Search and Rescue. During events, Burgeon keeps the store open and donates a portion of any sales to the organization. In 2022, Burgeon made contributions to 13 local organizations.

“When I was a child, I thought the mountains and their communities were heaven on earth. When I returned to the mountains as a young adult, I learned that my view of the ski resorts, mountain summits and lakes was far from the whole picture,” Glocker explains.

“I learned a great deal about the resilience of these communities, their amazing work ethic, their independence, their preparation for winter, their love of place, family, and country. We believe outdoor apparel and equipment should be made in the communities which inspire their use,” he says.

Prior to founding Burgeon, Glocker was the president of a golf apparel company in California. Before that, he served as managing partner of Pediped footwear, and was a children’s footwear designer, manufacturer, and marketer. Glocker led sales and distribution for the company, and this experience helped in his role as owner of Burgeon Outdoor.

In the past, Glocker also was a vice president of Goldman Sachs and worked as a distributor of sporting goods. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an MA and BA in Political Science from Penn State University. With his strong business background, and love of the mountains, starting Burgeon Outdoor made sense.

Where does the name Burgeon Outdoor come from? Glocker explains that the word ‘Burgeon’ means ‘begin to grow or increase rapidly; flourish.’ It defines quite well what Burgeon Outdoor is all about, creating a better tomorrow for mountain communities.

Visit www.burgeonoutdoor.com, or stop by the Burgeon Outdoor store/studio at The Village Shops, 25 South Mountain Drive

When visiting the White Mountains, put a drive on the Kancamagus Highway (known to many as simply “The Kanc”) on your must-do list. And by the way, it’s pronounced Kank-ahmah-gus, if you want to say it correctly!

The Kanc is an amazing road, and it takes you into and through the White Mountain National Forest as no other roadway can; many rest stops have signage about the mountains you are viewing and also a history of some spots. It is actually the eastern portion of Rt. 112, and is a total of 32 miles from Lincoln to Conway.

In the summer, the Kanc is blooming with greenery and views of such areas as Kinsman Notch are camera-worthy. The highway follows the Pemigewasset, Saco and Swift Rivers.

Visitors come to the Kanc for its hiking trails, as well as a number of National Forest campgrounds.

Historically, the Kancamagus Highway opened in 1959, ac- cording to wikipedia.org, connecting the Conway side of the White Mountains with the Lincoln/Woodstock portion. It must have been quite a construction project, and impressive when it opened. Those who lived on either end of the White Mountains now had a more convenient (as well as a scenic route) to get to the other side of the vast swath of mountains. Originally, the Kanc was closed during the winter months, but eventually it was opened year round.

When planning a trip on the Kanc, here’s your must-pack list: a camera or cell phone for photos; a picnic lunch or snack to enjoy at a rest stop while viewing the mountains; a sweater or jacket (even in summer) and if you’re the artistic type, a sketch book to capture the natural beauty all around you on the highway. And make sure and fill up the car with gas before you take to the Kanc!