Yvon
Chouinard
A Conversation with Patagonia’s
Reluctant Businessman
von Chouinard makes no concessions Q: Has the mainstream increase in environmental been controlling our growth for a long time,
when it comes to his core beliefs. awareness been encouraging to you? so we’re basically debt free. We’re in the right
The Patagonia founder is a self-declared A: In this country we’re seeing the planet as 19
th
position because we’ve been doing the right
“reluctant businessman,” who has always used or 20
th
on people’s priority list. Conservation was thing for a long time.
selling gear as a means to spending more invented in this country. We have around 30,000
free time playing outdoors. As a teenager environmental nonprofits. There are hardly any Q: Your Footprint Chronicles campaign
the skilled Chouinard got his start selling in Europe, because they don’t need them. Their shows a product’s life from start to finish. Is it
homemade pitons out of the back of his car governments are stepping up and doing what needs hard to let people see the bad with the good?
to fellow rock climbers. In the 1970s his to be done to protect the planet. A: No, not at all. We put the bad things up
Chouinard Equipment evolved into Patagonia, front, and we admit our shortcomings. I
and since then Chouinard has turned the Q: So how does Patagonia stay above the fray and think that’s the best way to do it. Right now
company into one of the most successful set the example? the biggest thing we’re working on is water
in the history of the outdoor industry by A: We do our own thing, and we stay very visible. use. The world is not only at peak oil; it’s at
continually defying conventional practices. Our job at Patagonia is to keep proving that if you peak water. We may have to give up organic
In addition to encouraging employees to take do the right thing you’ll be more successful. The cotton, because cotton grown any way uses
extended amounts of time enjoying their world is aware of us and the fact that what we do is too much water. With people starving around
natural surroundings and donate time to working. In this economy we’re having the best year the world, it may not make sense to plant
humanitarian causes, Chouinard has always set we’ve ever had for the second year in a row. cotton to make t-shirts in the near future.
an unprecedented example of environmental
stewardship. From his use of sustainable Q: How do you explain that? Q: Can outdoor products be sustainable?
materials to his campaigns for wildlife A: We have loyal customers. Plus, in a bad economy A: There’s no such thing as sustainability in
preservation, Chouinard has stayed above the people get concerned and stop buying fashion stuff. anything that humans do. We have to close
fray of green washed commercialization and They don’t mind paying more for a product that will last the circle on products so they get recycled
proven that a genuine desire to do the right a long time and be multi-functional. Our ski jackets don’t into like products. That’s what we’re trying
thing can be a successful business model. Still look like ski jackets. You can use them for climbing or to do here, but it’s not easy. Right now
active at age 71, Chouinard took a call at his wear them on top of your suit coat in a city. We’ve also oil is so cheap, it doesn’t make sense to
Ventura office after his morning surfing session.
6 SPRING/SUMMER 2010
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