With VF move, Denver cements itself as a leader in the outdoor recreation economy

You've probably heard of VF Corp, or one of their subsidiary brands (like The North Face, Eagle Creek, Jansport, Vans, and Smartwool). They're a heavy hitter in the outdoor apparel industry, and their move to Denver is a big one. All-in-all, it should bring around 800 jobs, as they migrate some existing offices in the SF area, Steamboat Springs and elsewhere to their new Denver headquarters. Vans will remain in Costa Mesa.

Colorado reportedly offered $30 million in tax breaks to sweeten the move for VF.

Says Steve Rendle, VF’s chairman, president and CEO: “Colorado is an area with an unrivaled heritage and culture of outdoor and activity-based lifestyles, as well as a thriving business environment,”  “It is a great strategic fit for our business, and we are excited to be relocating our headquarters and several brands to the metro Denver area next year. We believe that the creation of our new headquarters in the area will help us to unlock collaboration across our outdoor brands, attract and retain talent, and accelerate innovation.”

Meanwhile, VF will additionally spin off it's Wrangler, Lee and Rock and Republic jean brands into a separate company based in North Carolina. A significant part of this decision is most likely due to decreasing sales and increased competition in the jeans segment, while the outdoors and athletic-wear brands continue to experience strong growth.

Colorado has already been leading the pack when it comes to outdoor recreation at the state level. Since 2015, the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office (OREC) has been a resource for local businesses and communities that rely on outdoor recreation to survive. Just recently, Colorado was also helped draft the Confluence Accords, joined by Montana, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming. The Accords are a set of shared political principles as the relate to the outdoor recreation economy.