The Growing Outdoors Partnership and its members including the Outdoor Business Alliance of Western North Carolina, Mountain BizWorks, and the NC Outdoor Recreation Industry Office have announced the release of a new regional outdoor brand – WNC Made By Mountains (MADE X MTNS).
This brand will build off of Western North Carolina’s deep-rooted history of storytelling to convey the spirit, values, and assets of this vibrant region. “This campaign is about building pride of place among our locals, and connecting with outdoor enthusiasts and entrepreneurs who want to start, grow, and thrive in WNC. We want them to be proud of and excited about everything this amazing region has to offer.” shared Growing Outdoors Partnership Director of Sector Development, Noah Wilson.
“Western North Carolina is home to the biggest concentration of outdoor brands in the entire Eastern US, and our communities are right there alongside them, providing the infrastructure and support they need to grow. There’s no denying that WNC is the Outdoor Industry Hub of the East.” said Andy Williamson, Executive Director of the Outdoor Business Alliance of Western North Carolina and Director of Activation for the Growing Outdoors Partnership.
“It’s great to see companies taking their products from concept to trail, right here in WNC.”. “WNC is the perfect place to launch or expand a community-minded, outdoor-focused business. We’re excited to welcome more brands to establish roots and prosper here.” said Amy Allison, Director of the NC Outdoor Recreation Office. According to Allison, growing more job opportunities within the outdoor economy is a major goal of this regional branding project.
In the coming months, WNC Made By Mountains plans on holding pop-up events throughout Western North Carolina to share the stoke with communities across the region, and to have a presence at other events and tradeshows both locally and nationally. Details and upcoming events will be available on social media (@madexmtns on Instagram and Facebook) and at madexmtns.com.
Brand partners will have access to a library of curated content featuring WNC’s outdoors and its local outdoor brands and people, and are encouraged to share their own Made By Mountains experiences using the hashtag #madexmtns.
Visit madexmtns.com to find out more, and tell your own story about how these mountains have made you!