-
Climbing, Adventure, Gear & Choss
The End of An Era at Cloudveil
From 2001 to 2005 I worked at Climbing Magazine, during which time I witnessed the parent company run the magazine into the ground. A year after I left it was sold, all but a few staff were fired and the mag was moved to Boulder. Unfortunately, Cloudveil has just suffered the same fate and the town of Jackson has lost an important part of its culture.
Not being as familiar with the situation, I can’t assign blame to any one party, and maybe they’re just another victim of the economy. I do know that the company has been sold, all of the staff were fired, the retail store and office in Jackson shut down, and the base of operations moved to Connecticut (no doubt a stronghold of the mountain culture that has defined the brand).
And speaking of the brand, the company we knew is gone. They will be expanding into broader markets, and one can only assume that will mean they will be producing a cheaper quality product with higher margins to make this a more “profitable” venture. The successful direct-to-consumer sales program is ending, and the product will only be available through other retailers. In an era when more and more companies are expanding into direct sales, there can be no doubt this is a step backwards.
But the biggest change will likely be felt in the town of Jackson itself. Cloudveil had been an important presence there since 1997, and employed people both in the office and the flagship retail store. These were people who loved the mountains, and loved the brand they worked for. Why is it that business-types don’t seem to understand how much a vibrant staff contributes to the positive image of a company? The Cloudveil folks lived and breathed in their company’s products, hitting Teton Pass for early morning ski tours and spending summer days high among the craggy peaks of the Grand. Take all that away, and the brand loses its soul.
Maybe no one cares, and maybe no one will notice the change. But in a time when more and more outdoor minded people choose to spend their hard earned cash with companies that represent ideals they believe in, perhaps they just alienated their core consumers. Regardless of the outcome, we wish the best to the staff of what was once a great company.
11 Responses to The End of An Era at Cloudveil
Bulldog Creek Dog Walk (IV WI 4+)
Hayden Carpenter and Tom Bohanon recently repeated an obscure ice climb on the south side of Mt Sopris. Given a brief mention in Jack Robert’s ice guide, Bulldog Creek Walk is described as being 100 meters of WI 4. What they found was seven pitches of ice in a remote setting that makes for one […]
Connect with Us
Deja vu all over again. Remember Jagged Edge out of Telluride? Ruined by corporate greed and incompetence. I just hope Sully faired better than the twins in the end.
This is disappointing. The move from Jackson Hole (if the comments on Cloudveil’s blog are any indication) and leaving direct online sales will be the death nail of the brand. Before you know it they’ll be sueing small companies that have no impact on their sales.
As soon as I heard the news that a VC company had bought Cloudveil I predicted 18 months. Now I don’t think it will last that long. These investors will wring all the assets out of the corporation in order to pay their investors back then ditch whatever’s left. This is not a good industry trend although, looking on the bright side, now there’s another hole opening up. Anyone want to step in? First Ascent doesn’t count.
my bet is on flylow, good dudes from jackson & colorado
Once the company founder(s) give up control, be it good for them or not, it’s typically all downhill for the company after that. Best wishes and good karma to all the Cloudveil veterans!
Cloudveil is now dead brand walking. Indeed, the upside is for a new entrepreneur to fill the void. One American dream dying a painful corporate death and a new dream about to be born. I split my purchases between founder controlled Cloudveil and Patagonia. I hope Yvon Chouinard hangs in there a while longer and leaves the company in solid hands. I guess Patagonia gets all my gear cash now!
c’mon. sure, it’s sad, and an end of an era, but I doubt that it will be the death of a brand.
Are the manufacturing companies going to change? Was made in China before and will still be made in China. Why isn’t anyone complaining about this in the first place. Look, if economic efficiency can dictate this, why can’t it dictate another move?
Sure, the culture is gone, but I don’t live in JH and don’t care where Cloudveil has its home or store: I want a top notch product, period.
If that changes, then I’ll complain.
Well I must tell you all, you should pay attention my friends. Why don’t you read the blog posts by Cloudveil CEO Jim Reilly at mountainmurmur.com? You might realize that CV intends to keep the direct-to-consumer channel open, and the website will be live once again in September. Then you’ll be able to view and shop products like always. Also, Pro Programs will continue. Let me pose this question as well: if the former owners and staff were doing such a great job, why did CV nearly go out of business? That’s right, up for sale, almost gone, on the way to belly up. It may be tough to see the brand move of JH and got to CT to be run by men and women in suits, but maybe that was the only option. Maybe no one else wanted to touch the sickened Cloudveil, after it traded hands 3 times in the last 10 years. Sure, we all wish for the days past, but what would you prefer, death to the brand, or a chance to watch it grow again? Furthermore, my bet is, the guys and gals out in CT know they have to bring the brand back just as good or better than before. Besides, maybe these dudes and chicks like to rip the same gnar you do, maybe not with the same frequency, but how many people actually ski more than 25 days a year? 65% of CV products are sold in CA. That’s a lot of people at Squaw. So wish the new owners some luck – stop being babies. What have you done to support the brand other than buy gear at discounted prices? Show a little love, its 2010 kids.
Hey Sam,
Thanks for the comment. I assume you are referring to this blog post: http://www.mountainmurmur.com/2010/04/26/cloudveil-team-responds-to-your-concerns/
If you read carefully, you’ll see they have no intention of bringing back direct to consumer sales, and you wont be able to purchase product on the website. You can view it, but not buy it.
As far as why they were up for sale in the first place, some bad decisions were made and one thing led to another, as it often does. So, yeah, things will move on in a new direction, but the brand that we all knew is dead and gone, without question. Where it goes in the future remains to be seen, but there are likely a lot of pros who had good friends at the company and no longer care to buy from the folks who fired all their friends.
As the owner operator of a charter fishing business I have access to several different companies regarding “guide garb”. I had settles in with the Cloudveil products and think to this day that they the best in the industry, unfortunately the company decided to drop the line altogether. I don’t see that move as “expanding the company” like some of the other comments suggested. Makes me sad*
I noticed the change. It´s bad for us and bad for Jackson.