BY ELLEE THALHEIMER | PHOTOS BY JASON E. KAPLAN Walking into Immersion Research’s storefront and sewing studio in downtown Hood River, customers are greeted by racks of fleece clothing that encourage them to browse and touch. Think thick, fluffy pants, shirts, and hoodies — clothes ideal for anyone stepping out of an icy cold river in March. In the attached space, busy workers sew and cut. Kara Weld, 55, who co-owns the company with her husband, John Weld, 56, points out the meticulous details of a fleece pullover, from a windproof chest layer to a zipper pouch over the kangaroo pocket, each aspect tailored for kayak life. In addition to fleece clothing, Immersion also makes specialty gear like paddle pants, dry shirts, dry suits, spray skirts, throw bags and changing robes. Immersion is the only stand-alone technical whitewater kayak brand in the U.S., and it opened a second location in Hood River in 2017. At that time its owners, the Welds, were 20-year veterans of the industry, operating on the East Coast. They started out making gear in-house, then ran a medium-size sewing factory before outsourcing much of the manufacturing overseas. When they moved west, they continued small-batch in-house manufacturing, though the majority of their products are still manufactured overseas. The company has 12 employees between its locations in Oregon and Pennsylvania, and embraces a hybrid business and manufacturing model. Products like spray skirts and dry suits are manufactured overseas for wholesale, but the company also runs small manufacturing studios with storefronts at both locations, where they make fleece clothing on-site and sell directly to customers. The decision to open a storefront and sewing studio in Hood River hasn’t been without its challenges, but so far, the Welds have made it work. Their story represents the perseverance, innovation, challenge and opportunity for businesses in Oregon’s outdoor industry — a significant player and success story in the state’s overall economy. The outdoor industry is a pretty big sector for the state,” says Valerie Egon, the regional development officer representing Hood River County for Business Oregon. “Depending on which data sets you look at, the sector is worth $7.5 billion to $12 Making Splash a Immersion Research, an industry-leading maker of kayaking gear, has embraced small-batch manufacturing in downtown Hood River. “ Immersion Research co-founders Kara and John Weld 20
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