Revitalizing Community and Textile Manufacturing in Biddeford
Hyperlite Mountain Gear
Built from the ground up by brothers Mike and Dan St. Pierre, Hyperlite Mountain Gear has created a brand that exemplifies a commitment to American-made, sustainable products.
Hyperlite Mountain Gear was established eight years ago by brothers Mike and Dan St. Pierre, who wanted to create durable, lightweight gear for their own adventures. After about a year of prototyping and testing in a family camp, they officially launched the company in Biddeford’s Pepperell Mill with aspirations of developing unique products for outdoor enthusiasts and everyday backpack-wearers. Now, after seven years and three expansions in the mill, Hyperlite Mountain Gear employs 56 full time employees, 2 part time employees, and has multiple job openings.
Hyperlite Mountain Gear at Biddeford’s Pepperell Mill
Biddeford’s historic Pepperell Mill, established in the 1840’s sprawling along the Saco River, was a primary location for textile manufacturing for over a century. Thousands of people moved to Biddeford to secure jobs at the mill, and many made careers of their textile work in the growing urban community. Though the rich textile history of Pepperell Mill has waned significantly, the St. Pierre’s see growth in Hyperlite Mountain Gear’s future at the mill.
Where many manufacturing startups make the transition from cottage industry production to internationally exported manufacturing, Hyperlite Mountain Gear has held true to its “hand-built in America” motto and keeps production completely in-house. “We can’t use products that have mistakes,” said Mike. “With a small inventory hold, we can make changes in production, when necessary, happen in real-time. Keeping production in-house is a necessity if we want to provide the highest quality for consumers.”
“You hit brick walls all the time and you have to consistently figure out how to jump over them or knock them down. And to be a successful entrepreneur, that drive to push on has to be in your DNA.” -Mike St. Pierre, CEO, Hyperlite Mountain Gear (pictured above)
The recently expanded production floor at Biddeford’s historic Pepperell Mill is buzzing with tattooed millennials and baby boomers alike, moving fluidly among shelves of fabrics and rows of machines. From CAD programming to cutting and stitching, the committed craftspeople of Hyperlite Mountain Gear have all gone through thorough job-specific training. Regardless of experience, all production workers train alongside seasoned employees for anywhere from two to four months. Because of the technical fibers used in the company’s gear, precision sewing, manufacturing, and quality control are paramount in Hyperlite Mountain Gear’s production model.
After several years of approaching CEI for financing, Mike and Dan St. Pierre (CEO and CFO) sealed the deal in 2016 with a $250,000 investment from CEI Ventures.
“Mike and Dan are incredibly committed to building a sustainable business through continuous improvement, employee engagement, and financial control. I am thoroughly impressed by their understanding of the Hyperlite Mountain Gear core user and their ability to design and create winning, high quality products.” –Chandler Jones, Principal, CEI Ventures
While the St. Pierre’s have faced challenges in every area of business ownership and production, they embody the quality of a true entrepreneur: a motivation to continuously persevere.
Hyperlite Mountain Gear
“Any good entrepreneur needs to have a singular focus or vision, and a willingness to solve any problem that comes your way. You need to have passion in the product and continually push forward.”
–Dan St.Pierre, CFO, Hyperlite Mountain Gear
High performance textile companies like Hyperlite Mountain Gear are mixing innovative technologies with traditional practices to revitalize the local Biddeford community as well as the US-made textile industry.
