Challenge Sailcloth has been taking the industry by storm with polarizing materials like ULTRA Weave, ECOPAK, ULTRA TNT and others. We sit down with Wes Hatcher (Director of Challenge Outdoor Sales and Development) and talk about what went wrong, what's going well, and what it's like designing outdoor materials for a living.
Wes is a fascinating guy who has been in the outdoor textiles industry for a long time. His career has taken a series of exciting turns. Starting with DSM when they owned the Dyneema® Group, working in design, and now working with Challenge Outdoor he has a unique knowledge set that no one can replicate.
Listen to this episode to hear:
Seam elongation on ULTRA materials
The challenges they are facing with organizational change
How Wes worked at Dyneema®
What to expect with film wear on the material backing
00:00- Introduction and Wes Hatcher's Background 01:29- Life at Challenge and the Benefits of Remote Work 04:52- Working with Global Teams and Customers 08:18- Wes Hatcher's Non-Traditional Career Path 17:27- Following in Hale Wolokoff's Footsteps 21:02- The Art of Color Selection in Fabric Production 25:35- The Secret to Choosing Great Colors 33:49- Understanding Ultra TNT Fabric 40:25- Repairing Outdoor Gear with Tenacious Tape 43:45- The Potential of Ultra TNT Fabric 49:53- Understanding the Performance of Tents and Shelters 55:09- The Correct Way to Use Tape 01:02:41- Coating Ultra and Other Materials 01:08:40- Is Ultra Overkill? 01:11:12- Future Advancements in Fabric Technology
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