Black Diamond CEO and co-founder Peter Metcalf talks passionately to OutdoorsMagic about the company culture, history and more. Brilliant stuff.
Posted: 26 April 2012
by Ben Winston
Ben Winston recently visited US hardware specialist Black Diamond at their Utah HQ and talked to company CEO and co-founder Peter Metcalf for this exclusive account of the company's history and culture.
Fascinating stuff as Metcalf explains the role his company has played in the evolution of North American climbing, how BD emerged from the ruins of Yvon Chouinard's pioneering hardwear firm, he reveals how a team of dedicated outdoor activists took on the lawyers and defeated measures which would have irrevocably altered the course of North American climbing.
Metcalf also reveals how the humble British rugby shirt led to the birth of Patagonia clothing, and why America has an answer to the Sistine Chapel. Also, how the forces of the modern world are increasingly arranged against the natural environment, and why we all need to protect the outdoor spaces fundamental to our humanity.
'Our humanity is in part forged from being in these unique places' he says. 'If we fail to protect the integrity of these landscapes that so inspire us, we will no longer be able to build and create inspired cultures and inspired cities. One is dependent upon the other. And part of what BD is doing is to champion that'.
Well worth a watch and about far more than just making hardware. Enjoy.
