Does the Utah Jack Wolfskin Office Open a New Chapter for the State?

The German-based outdoor brand Jack Wolfskin intends to establish a North American office in Utah. Diana Seung, formerly of Backcountry, has been named as the General Manager for the North American operation. The company is actively hiring positions for the Utah-based office.

Diana Seung previously served as the EVP of Merchandising at Backcountry as well as the interim executive director at Camber Outdoors.

The company, which was acquired by California-based Callaway Golf Company, is part of Callaway’s larger acquisition strategy into the premium lifestyle category including other recent acquisitions like TravisMathews and Ogio.

The announcement is significant considering recent discomfort between the State of Utah and the larger outdoor industry as a result of differing stances on how to manage public-lands, especially areas like Bears Ears in southern Utah. The disagreements resulted in the Outdoor Retailer show moving to Denver, Colorado.

These disagreements also created questions about Utah’s ability to recruit and retain outdoor brands. Florida-based bike company Ventum recently announced plans to relocate their headquarters to Heber, Utah as well.

Could this mean a thawing of relations between outdoor brands and the state? Is a new chapter beginning for brands looking to grow their business in Utah?

Could this mean a thawing of relations between outdoor brands and the state? Is a new chapter beginning for brands looking to grow their business in Utah?