KEEN Blog

KEEN Cares #3: Repurpose with a Purpose

May 31st, 2013 by Eric

Photo by Josh Partee

Portland, Oregon is the place we call home. It has been since 2007 and is slated to be for many years to come. But it wasn’t until recently that this permanence became more of a reality.

In February of 2012, we purchased a building of our own in the Pearl District of Northwest Portland, and immediately began planning the move.

We started with a bold goal: renovate our new building and fill less than one full dumpster. “We looked at ourselves and said, ‘Can we move in and not throw anything in a landfill?’” said Chris Enlow, our Hybrid.Care & CSR Manager. “Portland is a hub for sustainability. What small part can we play to amplify those values that the community is so proud of?”

We accomplished this goal the hybrid way. Repurposed, recycled and sustainable materials were used to build out the new space. Local organizations, such as Portland Habitat for Humanity Restore, benefited from cabinets and countertops; shelving went to a local school, and handrails and insulation were donated to the Rebuilding Center of Portland.

Recently, we were honored to be recognized with the following awards:

Next time you’re in the area, please stop by the KEEN Garage and pay us a visit!

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KEEN Cares #2: Leveraging Resources for Big Results

May 21st, 2013 by Eric

Photo by Greg Burke, The Conservation Alliance

Since 2004, The Conservation Alliance — one of KEEN’s key Hybrid.Care partners — has saved more than 31 million acres of wildlands and 1,830 rivers in North America.

The Alliance has achieved these results by bringing outdoor industry companies together and disbursing their collective annual membership dues to grassroots organizations that protect wild places.

In the first year of our partnership with the Alliance, we made a promise to increase the nonprofit’s annual funding to $1 million. By leveraging these contributions with a matching dues incentive program, the Alliance has been able to go from awarding $360,000 to grassroots environmental organizations in 2005 to awarding $1.3 million last year.

Achieving that goal was its own reward, so we were particularly humbled when the Conservation Alliance honored our efforts to support environmental initiatives with the organization’s first annual Outstanding Partnership Award.

“It’s very unusual for a young company to come into the industry and engage with a group like the Conservation Alliance on the scale that KEEN did,” stated executive director John Sterling upon bestowing the award. “Many hesitate or decline, saying that they can’t afford to join as significant contributors until they reach a specific revenue milestone. KEEN’s energy and leadership motivated other companies to do more by showing companies in the industry what’s possible.”

Photo by Greg Burke, The Conservation Alliance

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KEEN Cares #1: What Does it Mean to be a Good Corporate Citizen in 2013?

May 15th, 2013 by Eric

Photo by Ben Canales, Oregon Wild

2013 has been a year for celebrating at KEEN. As we turn 10 years old, we reflect on what this milestone represents for us: 10 years of hybrid innovation, 10 years of play and 10 years of giving back to our wild places.

From our humble beginnings in Alameda, CA to our new 50,000-square-foot home in the Pearl District of Portland, OR, conserving our natural resources and providing access to play – which we take full advantage of, and often – have always been top priorities.

“Caring has been central to KEEN’s DNA from day one,” says Chris Enlow, our Hybrid.Care & CSR Manager. “We made a promise to turn our ideals into action and put the interests of our fans and employees first – be it by restoring and protecting places to play, responding to victims of natural disasters or simply by helping to reduce waste.”

Photo by Miguel Samper, Mercy Corps

We’ve been honored over the years to have the opportunity to take our passion for the outdoors and our HybridLife philosophy of “create, play, care,” and apply them to our work with fans and partners. Together we have helped make a difference in our community and the world around us.

So here’s to you. We thank you for helping us make good on our promise and we look forward to seeing what we can accomplish, with your help, over the next 10 years.

Photo by Kevin Colburn, American Whitewater

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Paddleboards from Ambassador Drew Brophy: “Painting Story: Adventures in Americas Back Country”

May 13th, 2013 by Eric

KEEN Ambassador Drew Brophy recently painted two standup paddleboards for our new building. In case you’re unfamiliar with his work, Drew’s paintings always depict real life experiences, and the two boards he painted for us were no exception.

PADDLEBOARD PAINTING #1: THE GREAT NORTHWEST

This painting shows some of the wildlife my family and I saw on our five month trip across America last year.

The Trout: In Redfish Lake, Idaho, I was catching trout off of the paddleboard. It was funny; there were a few guys out there in a nice fishing boat, with all new equipment, and here I paddled out with my son’s fishing rod and a red bucket, and I was catching all the fish!

The Bear: While in the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho, we saw a bear walking on the ridge not far from where we were parked. The kids were excited to see a bear in the wild, and I was glad it was far enough away!

The River: I took my inflatable Riviera Paddleboard down the Salmon River in Idaho for 11 miles. Along the way, being the only human in the water, I saw elk and deer and eagles. It was amazing.

PADDLEBOARD PAINTING #2: NELSCOTT REEF

This winter I finally got to surf giant waves at Nelscott Reef in Oregon. This painting shows the giant kelp you see out there, the big fish and of course a small surfer in a huge wave!

I wrote a post all about the Nelscott Reef Adventure, you can read it here: Mission to Surf Nelscott Reef – Big Waves in Oregon.

The rest of the story can be found on drewbrophy.com. Thanks, Drew!

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Dogs at KEEN: Meet Bean

May 5th, 2013 by Eric

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