Page 25 - Port of Baltimore Magazine March/April 2011

National Outdoor Gear and Apparel Retailer Keys on Conservation
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March/April 2011 ■ The Port of Baltimore [25]
Environmental stewardship has been a high priority at Recreational
Equipment, Inc. (REI) ever since a Pacific Northwest mountaineer
and his climbing buddies founded the national outdoor retail
co-op back in 1938. These days, REI not only donates millions of
dollars each year to support conservation efforts, but strongly
encourages employees and industry partners to get actively involved.
“We have been very impressed with
how quickly the MPA has responded to our
inquiries to develop formal environmental
programs with both short- and long-
term initiatives,” said Scott Searcy, REI
international logistics manager. “They
continue to strive for both innovation and
leadership in East Coast port programs.”
REI’s East Coast imports have been
flowing primarily through Baltimore ever
since 2007, when the company opened a
Bedford, Pa., distribution center. (It is one of
The Washington State-based company
even has its own line of ecoSensitive gear
and apparel, which shoppers can find amid
other eco-conscious products such as Injinji
Crew Socks and a Marmot sleeping bag, both
of which are made from recycled plastic bot-
tles, or The North Face Denali Jacket that
incorporates recycled fleece.
So it’s no small compliment when REI
officials acknowledge the recent progress
that the Maryland Port Administration (MPA)
has made with its own environmental efforts.
By Blaise Willig