On December 6, 1989, I rolled into Jackson, Wyoming in a 1970 VW Bug loaded with every possession I owned and never turned back.
I spent my first six years in the valley scratching out a living: bartender, ski instructor, hack carpenter, landscaper, ski tech, outdoor retail buyer. Between jobs, I logged countless days in the Tetons. But my ambitions went beyond sharing mountain epics.
A good friend and I started my first outdoor apparel company, and after a great ten-year run we lost the driver's seat. So, I waited it out—and saddled back up.
That was fifteen years ago. Since then, Stio has scaled far beyond the original plan, fueled by a passionate team with one vision. We’ve built a loyal following who believes our mountain perspective makes a difference. We haven't been perfect, but we keep striving to get better. Most importantly, we’ve stayed true to our roots: products that blend technical function with mountain style, made ethically, responsibly and sustainably.
As we charge through our second decade, we're still building on that original vision. We’ve weathered a pandemic, extreme weather, tariffs and more. We've backed causes protecting our most treasured places and shared our sustainability journey.
Fifteen years in, that's what still keeps it meaningful. Not just the gear, though we obsess over every detail of it. It's the people, starting with our team, who show up every day with grit and craft, and often with less glory than they deserve. And our customers, who've taken our designs into every situation we imagined, and plenty we never could have. You've made everything we build better.
To everyone who's been part of this: Thank you. Fifteen years deep, and we're just getting warmed up.
Here's to the next chapter. See you out there.
