SIERRA DESIGNS SWOT

Sierra Designs began their journey in 1965 when George Marks and Bob Swanson, from Richmond, CA, designed the original 60/40 parka and double mummy sleeping bag. Over the last 40 plus years Sierra Designs has focused their efforts on highly technical tents and sleeping bags, and apparel for the outdoor enthusiast. Today their big focus is towards manufacturing products that not only technical are but also environmentally friendly. For example, all polartec fleece is made from recycled pop and water bottles, hard shell jackets use solvent free membranes and PVC-free tape. This is getting them accolades from the outdoor community, with awards from National Geographic, Rock & Ice Climbing magazine, Outside magazine, and Backpacker magazine. 

Strengths

• Egalitarian focus - they create and design products for high performance adventures, but they want to inspire others to experience places untouched by man, like hiking to spectacular mountain vistas or poking your nose outside your tent to a shimmering alpine lake.
  
• Protect Where We Play - to practice and promote a harmonious relationship between their business and the outdoors. Living and working so that they don't jeopardize social, economic, and natural resources. They are accomplishing this in the design and manufacturing of their products, their business processes that reduce cost and waste, and the promotion of environmentally friendly programs & organizations.
• Awarded & Recognized by the outdoor community - people love can't say enough about their tents & sleeping bags. They are winning over the sustainability supporters.
• Owned by a large corporation - Sun Capital - a private equity company that owns 100's of brands, including Kelty, Royal Robbins, Slumberjack, & Wenzel Co. - enables them to have access to a larger pool of funds for R&D and international manufacturing facilities.
• Endorsements - their products were used by thrill seekers like Eric Larsen for his summit to the top of Mount Everest. Over the last 5-years they have been the key supplier of outdoor equipment to the US Armed Forces.
• Affordable - price points are typically middle of the road.

Weaknesses

• Ownership - created an enviroment where profitability is a key driver. Resulted in a more volume based focus, which decreases their ability to be creative and innovative. Because Sun Capital owns so many companies from varying industries, Sierra Designs just gets lost in the shuffle. 
  
• Perception - by the outdoor enthusiast is that Sierra Designs is weak and watered down (sold out to profits), not the best brand out there.

Opportunities

• Really leverage their Green Effects Program as they appear to be one of the few companies who are really pushing green construction.
• Of all the brands they are considered middle of the pack - not the most technical and not the least technical either. They have an opportunity to raise the bar and at least be considered better than North Face.
• Authentic - Are they really? Owned by a large organization and forced to be profit focused. They have an opportunity to renew the confidence of outdoor community that they have remained true to their brand, while being egalitarian.

Threats

• Declining economy may place Sierra under profit scrutiny by it's owners.
• Counterfeits and copy cats.