![\"ESOP-Letter-Image-Grid-2\"](\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/31185936\/ESOP-Letter-Image-Grid-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\nLast month we celebrated our one-year anniversary as a 100% employee-owned company, an occasion that honestly came and went without a lot of to-do. No special announcement, no awards, no steak lunch. Hey, we\u2019re business owners, we\u2019ve got work to do! Still, it\u2019s worth taking a moment to \u00a0reflect on where we\u2019re at, how we got here and where we\u2019re headed next.<\/p>\n
But first, let us take the time to say thanks. Thanks for your support over the past year, and the previous 42. Thanks for believing in us, our gear and our customer service. Thanks for letting us be a part of your adventures on the water. Thanks for your phone calls, emails, instant chats, comments, likes, and all the other ways you keep in touch. Thanks for subscribing to our e-Newsletter and catalog. Thanks for reading this blog. Thanks for your positive\u2014and negative\u2014feedback. And thanks, of course, for helping us keep the lights on around this place.<\/p>\n
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Becoming owners has been both exciting and a little scary for the NRS crew. Exciting because the link between our work and our well-being, between our performance and the company\u2019s success, has never seemed more real. Scary because in taking ownership of the company, we also take ownership of its success or failure over time. [Insert tired analogy about rowing a boat down the river here.] But that\u2019s the kind of scary we can handle.<\/p>\n
Twelve months later, we\u2019re a little less scared and even more excited. In 2014 we introduced the H2Core layering system, redesigned our HydroSkin line, and built our best drysuits and drytops ever. To better serve our international customers, we opened a distribution center in the Netherlands and will soon open another in British Columbia, Canada. We continued our endless efforts to make nrs.com<\/a> the best online experience possible, while bringing you great films, photos, stories and educational resources. We also celebrated the 80th<\/sup> birthday of the man who made all this possible, our founder and President, Bill Parks.<\/p>\n But enough looking back. Here\u2019s what\u2019s coming in 2015.<\/p>\n New Gear<\/strong><\/p>\n Since we manufactured our first dry bags in 1977 out of surplus truck tarp material, we\u2019ve been committed to building gear that\u2019s functional, durable and reliable\u2014and that will never change. But as our sports have progressed, so have the design and construction of our products. Our focus today isn\u2019t just on functional reliability, it\u2019s on a concept we call ultimate utility. Ultimate utility is about more than just getting the job done, it\u2019s about creating gear and apparel that enhances your experiences with performance, comfort, convenience and\u2014even though the truck tarp worked great\u2014style. Some of this year\u2019s headliners include an adventure creeking boot called the Velocity, a river-pub shoe called the Crush, two new paddling suits for sea kayakers, a lightweight boat cart, and two new SUPs. And, let\u2019s not forget, some sweet hats. Stay tuned: the complete New Gear Guide coming soon.<\/p>\n More Stoke<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Studio_JBoling_Details_0193\"](\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/31185930\/Studio_JBoling_Details_0193-1000x553.jpg\")
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