Top 6 Things that Happened in 2020 - True North Edition
1) WE RELEASED OUR FIRST WILDLAND PPE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR WOMEN
According to recent statistics, the number of women in firefighting has doubled over the last decade. Considering this trend of more women in the profession, offering products to suit their needs and provide a better fit on the fire line cannot be ignored. As a result, our product designers worked meticulously on a new design that would aim to fulfill this need in the market. As a result, True North is proud to have released our first Women's Wildland Brush Shirt in the summer of 2020, constructed with a number of adapted features to offer women in wildland firefighting a more efficient PPE garment.
2) WE LAUNCHED A BRAND-NEW RETAIL WEBSITE
In January of 2020, we launched the True North Retail Website. Thus, for the first time in company history, users had the ability to order products directly from our warehouse. In addition to this new ordering capability, the retail site brought about a number of new features to help users navigate our products including categorized product pages by brand, an account system to track orders, built-in help features, and more.
3) WE PARTNERED WITH THE FIRE, WEATHER & AVALANCHE CENTER
This year we partnered with the Fire, Weather and Avalanche Center, or otherwise known as "FWAC". They are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that builds user-friendly products for the public—with an emphasis on the backcountry. An important aspect of FWAC's technology that serves firefighters around the country is their free-to-use, interactive wildfire map. This map gives you a real-time look at fires occurring around the United States with more in-depth information on each data point including humidity, growth potential, coordinates, and more.
4) WE RELEASED THE WILDLAND FACE MASK
2020 brought about many shifting conditions in the workplace, particularly with requirements for specific PPE. The Wildland Face Mask is designed from Nomex® FR fabric and is contoured to the face to provide excellent comfort and breathability. In addition to its release, we provided 300 firefighters around the US with free facial protection to gather valuable data and feedback regarding the garment.
"Mask is well made. There is a metal piece inside that keeps the mask away from the mouth which keeps it from being sucked up against your mouth all the time....overall it is probably the best mask I have."
— Eric E.
5) WE PARTNERED WITH AMERICAN FORESTS TO PLANT 10,000 TREES
At True North, our mission is to make tough tools for tough jobs. And one of the toughest jobs that exist is protecting our forests from wildfires. However, wildfires are not the only threat to the health of our nation's forests. In 2020, we pledged to increase our conservation efforts in becoming partners with 1% for the Planet — a non-profit organization that allows companies or individuals to donate 1% of their revenue toward environmental causes of their choosing.
Through 1% for the Planet, we chose to partner with American Forests because their efforts are so closely related to our very own core mission - protecting and ensuring the health of our forests. In doing so, we pledged to plant 10,000 trees across North America through their forest restoration program known as Releaf. True North contributed to additional trees in regions like the Ozarks, Rocky Mountains, and parts of Northern California that have been heavily affected by wildfires.
6) WE RELEASED A NEW GENERATION OF PACKS
Early on in 2020, we released two brand-new pack designs — The Phantom™, a large pack perfect for hot shots or line crews, and The Fastback™, a smaller engine pack used to carry just the essentials. These two packs feature a number of updated components. The first is a brand new custom-molded hip belt that is MOLLE compatible and covers the hips over a wider surface area for additional comfort. These packs also sport a new "Y" Harness back strap design that is simple to adjust and offers better weight support for a more ergonomic experience. In addition to the functional features, these two new packs are the first to have the Black/Gray color scheme, differentiating them from previous Black/Red True North wildland packs.
In the midst of an "off" year coupled with an intense fire season along the West Coast, we're proud of our talented team members who have strived to make the most of it and create their own impacts where possible. And we couldn't be more honored to equip such an important group of individuals - firefighters. Every last one of our customers helps to make our mission possible, and we always take every piece of feedback into deep consideration. Without our community and excellent team, we couldn't be where we are today. Here's to working together to make 2021 memorable.
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